Patients will receive letters to reschedule appointments
The Breast Screening Programme which was paused in March because of coronavirus (COVID-19) is to resume safely and carefully from 3 August.
Anyone who was invited for a breast screening appointment before the pause, who was unable to attend for any reason or had an appointment cancelled will receive a letter in the coming weeks.
There will be no change to the screening test itself, however additional measures have been introduced to allow breast screening to take place in a safe environment. Staff will wear necessary personal protective equipment and appointments will be staggered to ensure waiting areas are quieter, allowing staff and patients to adhere to physical distancing.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Pausing the adult national screening programmes was one of a series of difficult decisions we have had to make in responding to the impact of COVID-19. I am delighted breast cancer screening is resuming and I would urge everyone to attend their appointment, as screening can find early signs of cancer.
“The continued efforts we are making to limit the spread of the virus have allowed us to restart the national breast screening programme in line with expert clinical advice and the recommendations of the Scottish Screening Committee, as part of the planned safe and incremental remobilisation of NHS Scotland.
“The safety of patients and staff will continue to be our priority as all of the national screening programmes restart and expand. I want to reassure you that we are taking these precautions so that we can safely offer the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”
Marion O’Neill, Head of External Affairs (Devolved Nations) at Cancer Research UK, said: “It is great news that breast cancer screening services in Scotland are returning. Although breast cancer screening has both benefits and harms, we know cancer screening programmes saves lives.
“There may be some changes to what happens at your appointment because of COVID-19 and your results may be delayed, so it’s more important than ever that you read the information provided. Ask at your appointment how long it might take and who to contact if you haven’t heard in that time.
“It is important to remember that screening is for healthy people with no symptoms. If you notice any unusual changes to your body that don’t go away, talk to your doctor.”
More information on the national screening programme is available on NHS Inform.
New and expectant mums in Lothian can now enjoy some family support as some of the national restrictions around maternity services begin to ease.
Pregnant women and women who have just welcomed a new baby into the world will be able to share the precious moments with some of their friends or family.
Until now, national guidance to keep mums and babies safe and to minimise the risk of COVID-19 has meant restrictions on the number of people attending maternity services.
However as from yesterday, expectant mums can now have one additional visitor as well as one birth partner, if requested, to support them whilst in labour.
Women will also be able to have a designated visitor, as well as their birth partner, to visit them whilst in the maternity ward.
Birth partners have also been advised that they can now attend with pregnant partners for ante-natal ultrasound scanning appointments.
Frances McGuire, Chief Midwife, NHS Lothian said: “We know how hard the restrictions have been for women and their partners during these most important life events and our team have tried to ensure that the experience has been as positive as possible during this pandemic.
“Our priority remains the safety of mothers and their babies, and we are very much looking forward to safely welcoming more Lothian visitors to meet our new mothers and babies.”
Ultrasound scanning departments in Lothian will do their utmost to allow one birth partner to be present at the appointment.
Waiting area capacity is still severely restricted due to the requirement for physical spacing of seating to comply with social distancing guidance. Only the one person will be able to accompany the patient into the waiting area and for the scan.
Radiology Services are planning to adjust ultrasound scanning appointment times and are assessing waiting area capacity to improve access.
Birth partners and visitors must wear a face covering at all times and maintain physical distancing where possible.
Everyone must also adhere to strict hand hygiene measures and use the alcohol gel provided.
Visiting can be arranged with ward staff on a daily basis as numbers will have to be managed due to the ward capacity and social distancing guidelines.
The BBC has launched Tiny Happy People, a five-year initiative backed by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, to support parents and carers in developing the language and communication skills of 0-4 year old children.
Initiative backed by HRH Duchess of Cambridge who says Tiny Happy People resources are ‘gold dust’ for parents
Range of free online tools including fun activities, videos, articles and quizzes launched to support development of under-fives language and communications skills
Celebrities on board include Jenny McAlpine, Kieron Richardson, JB Gill, Jess and Dom Lever, Annie Price and Louise Pentland
At the heart of the initiative is a simple message – talk to children from as early an age as possible.
Tiny Happy People offers a wide range of free films, articles, quizzes and parenting tips that have been specially designed with experts to help to nurture children’s language right from pregnancy.
To help launch the initiative, Her Royal Highness recently met with families involved to hear about their experiences of parenting, their contribution to the campaign and how the Tiny Happy People resources and activities have been helping them.
One of the parents she spoke with, Ryan, and his 8 month old daughter Mia, explained how Tiny Happy People had helped him to identify that Mia has five different cries.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast’s Louise Minchin, The Duchess said: “He’s learnt a huge amount from Tiny Happy People… It’s information like that I wish I had had as a first time mum, it’s gold dust really for families to be given those tips and tools to be able to use, particularly in those first five years.”
The Duchess also spoke of the help that parents receive following their baby’s birth from midwives and health visitors, but that there is a then a gap before they start school which is where they really need the support from initiatives such as Tiny Happy People.
The full film of The Duchess meeting with the families can be seen on BBC Breakfast from 6am this morning.
Her Royal Highness has been involved with Tiny Happy People for a number of months, having visited the Tiny Happy People team last November to take part in development sessions and to learn more about the production process.
The Duchess helped in the character and background development for two animations on parenting, which are now available on the Tiny Happy People website about making eye contact with babies and singing to babies.
Recognising the significance of the project to supporting parents as they guide their children through the earliest years of life, The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will collaborate with the BBC as they develop and roll out Tiny Happy People.
Also supporting the initiative are a number of celebrities who are using the activities to build their own infants’ communication skills. The celebrity parents involved are soap stars Jennie McAlpine and Kieron Richardson; singer and farmer JB Gill; former Love Islanders, Jess and Dom Lever; BBC Three presenter Annie Price; and Louise Pentland, who was voted the UK’s favourite mum influencer last year.
The free digital resources being offered by Tiny Happy People are easy to use and incorporate into everyday routines.
The short films, articles and quizzes cover, in a bitesize way, the science behind baby brain development. There are lots of fun activities to do with both babies and toddlers to support language development and parent well-being along with great tips for new and soon-to-be parents.
Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, says: “We couldn’t be more proud of the part we’re playing in this amazing partnership. Growing up happy and healthy is the greatest gift we can give to any child.
“This campaign embodies our mission to inform, educate and entertain. The BBC has created hundreds of videos and written content that we hope will make a real difference.”
James Purnell, BBC Director, Radio & Education, says: “Early years language provides the foundation for all aspects of a child’s life – right into adulthood.
“Tiny Happy People is a major, long term education commitment from the BBC to help close the under-fives language and communication gap and help give kids the best chance in life. We’re all so proud of it and look forward to seeing parents and carers from across the UK using the materials.”
Evidence shows that more than 1 in 4 children (27%) in England do not reach the necessary level of literacy development (language, communication and literacy skills) by the time they start primary school, rising to more than 1 in 3 (42%) in deprived areas. The picture is similar across all nations of the UK.**
Research also shows that once children start behind, they stay behind, affecting performance in school, job prospects and even life expectancy.
However, evidence also shows that parents and carers can make a big difference if they’re supported in the crucial early years – and if children develop language and communication skills before they start school, they have every opportunity to thrive.
Working with a coalition of partners, BBC Education through Tiny Happy People has the ambition to make a significant contribution to halving the number of children in the UK who do not reach the required developmental outcomes in literacy by the end of their reception year.
Those partners include academics, healthcare professional bodies, The Royal Foundation, Public Health England, The National Literacy Trust, The Education Endowment Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund and KPMG.
All of Tiny Happy People’s resources are rooted in evidence and have been developed with the help of leading experts in the fields of child and language development to ensure parents and carers are being offered the best advice.
They include The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, The Institute of Health Visiting, The Royal College of Midwives, I CAN, early years practitioners through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and speech and language academics at The University of Liverpool, University of Sheffield, and LuCiD.
As part of Tiny Happy People’s launch, CBeebies Bedtime Stories will be broadcast Bedtime Stories read by celebrity supporters, Jennie McAlpine (July 14), Annie Price (July 15) and JB Gill (July 16).
In October 2019, Tiny Happy People was rolled out across Greater Manchester in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Together we created hubs across the authority where we introduced Tiny Happy People champions to work with frontline professionals and parents to embed Tiny Happy People activities into communities. This has provided a blueprint for a total of five new hubs that will be created in communities across the UK every year for the lifetime of the initiative.
Santander Universities has teamed up with Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, and Edinburgh Napier University to say thank you to students across the health professions that are supporting the NHS in the fight against COVID-19.
A total of £50,000 has been allocated by Santander to provide gifts to 1,400 students across both universities.
QMU has offered their Nursing and Allied Health Professions students on the frontline a choice of one of two luxury food hampers – a ‘pamper hamper’ or breakfast hamper – to thank them for their hard work in battling the pandemic. The gifts have been provided by Artisan Larder Scotland, founded by QMU graduate David McVey.
Edinburgh Napier has linked up with Edinburgh-based sushi company Minato Sushi to offer its own eligible School of Health and Social Care students a £35 voucher for the business as a thank you for their efforts as part of the country’s COVID-19 response.
Minato Sushi was founded by Jennifer Kerr and Tom Ruddy – both Edinburgh Napier alumni. The local business continues to receive support from the University’s innovation and enterprise hub, Bright Red Triangle.
Matt Hutnell, Director, Santander Universities, said: “Universities across the UK, such as Queen Margaret University and Edinburgh Napier University, are doing some fantastic work to contribute to the UK’s effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, so we’re delighted to continue to support both students and local communities during this critical time.”
Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, said: “We are incredibly proud of all of our students from the School of Health Sciences, especially those who are playing their part in the NHS’s fight against COVID-19.
“Thanks to the continuing generosity and support of Santander Universities, we have been able to not only provide this thank you gift for hundreds of our hard-working health students, but also support one of our graduate businesses in the process. I hope the students enjoy the gift – they are doing fantastic work!”
Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our nursing and midwifery students have demonstrated outstanding levels of professionalism during what has been an incredibly challenging – and often uncertain – time for all.
“Thanks to the generous continued support from Santander Universities, we’re delighted to be able to show our gratitude to nearly 900 students with this token of appreciation. I am pleased to be able to support one of our alumni businesses in the process. Our nursing and midwifery students have proved themselves to be wonderful ambassadors for the University and the health professions; on behalf of the whole university community, I thank them most sincerely.”
UK’s leading stroke charity warns research faces long-term threat due to coronavirus pandemic
Over three quarters (74%) of stroke research projects in Scotland funded by the Stroke Association have been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Moreover, the UK’s leading stroke charity anticipates a shortfall of £1.5 million in its funding programme this year, to resume current research and support vital new projects.
The charity warns of a catastrophic knock on effect for stroke research which could delay access to important new life-changing treatments that allow people to rebuild their lives after stroke. This comes amidst reports of a link between stroke and coronavirus which places greater urgency on research.
There are around 15,000 strokes every year in Scotland and it is a leading cause of adult disability. Despite this, research remains underfunded in comparison to strokes devastating effects and other conditions, such as cancer.
This has been the case for many years. In 2016, the charity revealed that just £48 is spent on stroke research per patient, compared to £241 on cancer research.
This has now been compounded by the devastation that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the charity’s fundraising capabilities and researchers’ abilities to continue their work.
Over the past 30 years the Stroke Association has played a crucial role in supporting stroke research in Scotland. Last year, the charity invested over £2 million into stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation which is now under threat. Over 35% of the charity’s research funding is dedicated to research in Scotland.
Dr Rubina Ahmed, Research Director at the Stroke Association said: “Stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. It changes lives in an instant.
“Our research has been at the centre of major breakthroughs that have saved lives and sparked innovation in stroke care and treatment. Our work lay the foundations for one of the most successful public health awareness campaigns in England, the Act FAST campaign, which helps people to recognise the signs and symptoms of stroke.
“We also funded early research into the new emergency stroke treatment, thrombectomy, the manual removal of stroke-causing blood clots. This has seen many patients spared the most devastating effects of stroke.
“But a lack of funding for research is now a ticking-time bomb. If we don’t act now the coronavirus pandemic could set back stroke research for years to come. The research community will struggle to get projects back up and running, but it’s vital for every stroke survivor and their loved ones that we do.”
Findings from the charity’s survey also reveal the broader impacts that the pandemic has had on stroke researchers:
One in five researchers (22%) will need more funding.
Two-thirds (66%) of researchers have said they need to make changes to their studies for their projects to continue. This could have added cost implications and change what the researchers had initially set out to achieve.
One in five (18%) research projects had team members redeployed to front line work NHS working, for example as neurologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
Many of the charity’s researchers are working hard to resume their projects during these uncertain times.
Professor Joanna Wardlaw at the University of Edinburgh, is looking into the impacts of stroke on thinking and memory. This research project is funded in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society and the British Heart Foundation.
She said: “Stroke continues to strike with devastating effects. But all of a sudden, due to coronavirus, we were forced to stop inviting new stroke patients to take part in our study.
“However, we responded quickly to change our plans and we’re now also recording information about coronavirus exposure and illness in stroke patients recruited into our study. This is incredibly important at this time and will help us to understand more about many aspects of the effect of the virus on stroke patients.
“We’ve been talking to stroke survivors across Scotland and the UK who are feeling the emotional impact of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions. We’ve seen a big increase in anxiety and low mood and it’s harder than ever to access support at this time. It’s only with funding by charities that we can carry out research to improve treatment for people affected by stroke.”
Dr Ahmed adds: “Stroke continues to strike every five minutes and as risk of stroke increases with age, it remains one of the greatest health challenges in our society.
“People can rebuild their lives after stroke but there is still much we don’t know. Research is crucial to find out why people are struggling, and new ways to overcome the challenges that millions of people affected by stroke face every day.
“The effects of the coronavirus pandemic will be felt by stroke survivors and researchers for years to come. If you can, please help raise vital funds so that we can find new ways to help prevent and treat stroke and help more stroke survivors to rebuild their lives.”
The Stroke Association fund critical research, provide specialist support and campaign to make sure people affected by stroke get the care and support they need to rebuild their lives. To find out more visit stroke.org.uk/research or to donate please go to: stroke.org.uk/donate-research
People in hospital who do not have coronavirus (COVID-19) will be able to have a designated visitor from tomorrow, Monday 13 July.
Until now, hospital visits during the pandemic have only been permitted in limited essential circumstances. These include where a patient is reaching end-of-life, where a patient needs a birthing partner to be present or where people with mental health issues would be caused distress if they didn’t receive the benefit of a visit.
In the first phase of this three part plan, hospital visitors will need to adhere to strict public health guidance to ensure patient, staff and visitor safety, and to protect progress made in suppressing the spread of COVID-19.
All hospital visitors must:
arrange a time to visit in advance with ward staff
not visit any other patient in the hospital
adhere to strict hand hygiene and face covering guidance
maintain strict physical distancing in communal areas of hospital
not visit anyone in hospital if they have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19
Specific visiting arrangements may vary between health boards depending on the type of care patients are receiving, and the space available in different care settings to maintain physical distancing.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Restricting access to people in hospital has been necessary to keep patients and staff as safe as possible and it has helped us protect the capacity and resilience of NHS Scotland.
“I want to thank everyone who has followed this guidance as I know how hard it has been for patients, families and carers not to have seen their loved ones in hospital. The continued progress we are making in suppressing the virus has allowed us to safely, and in a series of phases, resume hospital visiting in line with clinical expert advice.
“There is a need to balance the risk of physical and psychological harm that the absence of visitors can cause, with the gradual reduction of COVID-19. We have worked with Health Protection Scotland to plan how we safely restore a person-centered approach to visiting in Scotland’s hospitals.
“The safety of patients, staff and visitors will continue to be our priority. I want to reassure you that we are taking these precautions so that we can safely offer the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”
Updated guidance for hospital visitors can be read online.
Essential hospital visiting is permitted for patients with COVID-19. Essential visits includes circumstances such as, but not limited to, visits at end-of-life, birthing partners, to accompany children, and to visit people with mental health issues such as dementia, learning disabilities or autism where not having a visit would cause distress.
Updates on public health advice for COVID-19 can be found on NHS Inform, and a free helpline has been set up for those who do not have symptoms but are looking for general health advice: 0800 028 2816. If patients have any concerns they should contact 999 for emergencies or 111 for any urgent requests.
Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 should now contact the NHS to arrange to be tested – either online at NHS Inform, or by calling 0800 028 2816.
More than 480 referrals made by the NSPCC helpline to Scottish agencies in three months following lockdown
Parental behaviour, neglect and physical and emotional abuse were the top concerns of adults contacting the helpline
Charity calls on Scottish Government to explain in detail how it will aid children’s physical and mental recovery from abuse and trauma suffered during the lockdown
A 40% increase in referrals made to police and local authorities in Scotland by the NSPCC helpline during lockdown highlights how children have been the hidden victims of the coronavirus crisis.
NSPCC Scotland reveals that in April, May and June the helpline made a monthly average of 161 referrals compared to an average of 114 in the three months prior to lockdown.
Last month, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced plans for young people to return to school fulltime in August, and the NSPCC is today urging the Scottish Government to ensure the recovery plan addresses the full range of children’s needs. This includes ensuring schools are ready to help all children who need it – particularly those who may have suffered abuse, neglect or other traumatic experiences during the lockdown – and investing in children’s social care.
During the past three months, the helpline has heard from more than 22,000 adults across the UK concerned about the wellbeing of a child.
This is an increase of almost a third (32%) on the monthly average for the three months prior to lockdown, with May seeing 8,287 contacts – the highest number ever made to the adult helpline in a single month on record.
During lockdown, the main issues confronting NSPCC child safety experts were parental behaviour, physical and emotional abuse and neglect.
Around 40% of the total contacts received were referred on to local authorities or the police for further action.
One adult who spoke to the NSPCC helpline during the lockdown said: “I’ve become increasingly disturbed by the noises coming from one of one my neighbours – it’s been getting worse since the lockdown. I can hear the mother shouting and swearing at her two little ones, it sounds vengeful and aggressive.
“Sometimes the mother locks her kids out in the front garden as punishment – last time this happened the youngest was crying hysterically for half an hour, it was awful. Is there anything you can do?”
These figures released by the charity today back up the findings of a research report it recently published – ‘Social Isolation and the risk of child maltreatment in the lockdown and beyond’ – which underlines how increasing parental and family stress, reductions in protective services and the intensification of pressures on children’s emotional wellbeing caused by lockdown can increase the risk of abuse and neglect.
These traumatic experiences can have a devastating impact on children’s health and wellbeing and can stop children from learning, with the long-term effects following them into adulthood.
However, with the right support young people can recover and be helped to move on with their lives.
Now the charity is calling on the Scottish Government to urgently commit to a children’s recovery plan which sets out how it will:
Deliver the long-term investment in children’s services that is needed to provide high quality preventative and therapeutic services for children in every part of the country;
Invest in rebuilding support for families with babies and young children who have missed out on the normal support from health visitors during the lockdown;
Support multi-agency partnerships of the local authority, NHS and police to work with schools to review support for children known to the designated child protection lead, and identify those who continue to miss class with a plan to understand and address any barriers to a child’s school attendance;
Ensure schools are ready to help all children who need it – particularly those who may have suffered abuse, neglect or other traumatic experiences during the lockdown. Schools must be equipped to recognise and respond sensitively to children who have experienced physical or mental harm, trauma or adverse experiences when they return to the classroom. This includes putting in place support for teachers to enable them to support children confidently, including training on child development science and how trauma can manifest in behavioural problems or poor emotional regulation.
Matt Forde, NSPCC Scotland head of service, said: “The increase in referrals from our helpline during the lockdown highlights how some families have been driven to crisis point and the home has become an increasingly unsafe place for some children.
“It is vital that children are now supported to help them recover from any mental and physical harm that many will have suffered these past few months.
“Government’s role is crucial, and it must put in place a detailed recovery plan that makes sure children and young people can receive the expert help they need if they have had difficult or damaging experiences.
“Putting children at the heart of recovery planning and taking this action quickly will mean the crisis of the last three months does not scar the childhoods of a whole generation.”
More people could die as a result of hunger linked to COVID-19 than could die from the disease, Oxfam warns in a new report published today.
The report, The Hunger Virus, reveals how an estimated 122 million more people could be pushed to the brink of starvation this year as a result of the social and economic fallout from the pandemic including through mass unemployment, disruption to food production and supplies, and declining aid.
This equates to as many as 12,000 people dying every day while the global mortality rate for COVID-19 reached a peak of 10,000 deaths per day in April 2020.
Eight of the largest food and beverage companies in the world have paid out over $18 billion to their shareholders since the start of 2020 – more than 10 times the funding required for food and agriculture assistance to the most vulnerable communities in the UN COVID-19 humanitarian appeal.
Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive of Oxfam GB, said: “The knock-on impacts of COVID-19 are far more widespread than the virus itself, pushing millions of the world’s poorest people deeper into hunger and poverty.
“It is vital governments contain the spread of this deadly disease, but they must also prevent it killing as many – if not more – people from hunger.
“Governments can save lives now by funding the UN COVID-19 appeal and supporting the call for a global ceasefire to end conflict in order to tackle the pandemic. The UK could make a real difference by championing debt cancellation at the G20 finance ministers meeting next week to pay for social protection measures such as cash grants to help people survive.
“For many people COVID-19 comes as a crisis on top of a crisis. To break the cycle of hunger, governments must build fairer and more sustainable food systems that ensure small-scale producers and workers earn a living wage.”
The report reveals the world’s ten worst hunger ‘hotspots’, including Afghanistan, Syria and South Sudan where the food crisis is most severe and getting worse as a result of the pandemic. It also highlights emerging epicentres of hunger – middle income countries such as India, South Africa, and Brazil – where millions of people who were barely managing have been tipped over the edge by the pandemic.
For example:
Yemen: Remittances dropped by 80 percent – or $253 million – in the first four months of 2020 as a result of mass job losses across the Gulf. Borders and supply route closures have led to food shortages and food price spikes in a country that imports 90 percent of its food.
Afghanistan: Border closures have hit food supplies and the economic downturn in neighbouring Iran has caused a drop in remittances. The number of people on the brink of famine has risen sharply from 2.5 million in September 2019 to 3.5 million in May 2020.
India: Travel restrictions left farmers without vital migrant labour at the peak of the harvest season, forcing many to leave their crops in the field to rot. Traders have also been unable to reach tribal communities during the peak harvest season for forest products, depriving up to 100 million people of their main source of income.
Women, and women-headed households, are more likely to go hungry despite the crucial role they play as food producers and workers.
They make up a large proportion of already vulnerable groups, such as informal workers, that have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic and have also borne the brunt of a dramatic increase in unpaid care work as a result of school closures and family illness.
Kadidia Diallo, a female milk producer in Burkina Faso, said: “COVID-19 is causing us a lot of harm. Giving my children something to eat in the morning has become difficult.
“We are totally dependent on the sale of milk, and with the closure of the market we can’t sell the milk anymore. If we don’t sell milk, we don’t eat.”
Since the pandemic began, Oxfam has helped 4.5 million of the world’s most vulnerable people with food aid and clean water, working together with over 344 partners across 62 countries. The international agency aims to reach a total of 14 million people by raising a further $113m.
An award of £770k announced today to North Edinburgh Childcare means they will be able to transform and expand their existing premises allowing them to increase the services they already provide and support even more families across the city.
Welcoming the award, Theresa Allison, General Manager, North Edinburgh Childcare, said: “We are absolutely delighted at this award which will go towards a new build and renovations of our existing building which will enable us to create an additional 84 full-time equivalent childcare places.
“Once built this has the potential to support approximately another 200 parents/carers to lift themselves out of poverty. We are so excited about the new build and refurbishment but even more excited that, for the first time ever, we will be able to offer a number of places to people aspiring to get into work or training. This is all possible thanks to people who play The National Lottery.”
Another capital organisation celebrating this morning is Leith’s Multi Cultural Family Base (MCFB), who receive £233,000 to deliver support services to vunerable children and families from primarily minority ethnic communities.
A spokesperson for MCFB said: We are thrilled to receive continued funding from the The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland to continue supporting children from minority ethnic communities in Edinburgh with the important transition from home and nursery to school via our 4-2-7 project.
“As well as supporting children one to one and, when possible, within school settings, this will include our continued work supporting parents by providing them a space to meet once a week to build confidence, make friendships and share experiences.
“We look forward to continuing to work with schools and families both virtually and, when we can, face to face at our offices and within schools.”
There’s also £8750 for Blackhall Playgroup, who will use their award to prepare for the easing of lockdown, putting measures in place to enable the return of some children and also provide resources to those who cannot.
And Granton Parish Church will be cooking with gas – the church on Boswall Parkway receives £10,000 for a new kitchen in the church hall, supporting numerous community groups who use the popular local facility.
Announcing today’s funding to 311 projects across Scotland, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said: “These awards, made possible by National Lottery players, recognise the incredible work happening across Scotland to create stronger, more connected communities.
“I am delighted that some of this funding will be used to transform existing buildings into vibrant community hubs that will carry on the strong community spirit that has been so evident in recent times.
“National Lottery players can be proud to know that money they raise by buying tickets is continuing to make such a difference.”
National Lottery players raise £30 million every week for good causes in the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland is currently focusing its funding on those projects that supporting organisations and communities to respond to the challenge of COVID-19.
This month, Held in Our Hearts is encouraging family, friends and colleagues to take up the baton and ‘PassTheK’ to reach our neighbours down under in Brisbane, Australia.
The charity should have been travelling there for an international conference to share learning about their work.
