Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership presents:
Inverleith On Foot and By Bike
Don’t miss this opportunity to have fun, try new things, get out and about in fresh air, win some great prizes and get fitter!
Sunday 13 September in Inverleith Park, 2.30-5.30.
Finalé of the event is the live screening of the Tour De Britain. Come watch it on large screen in our bike powered cinema!
Fit Camp every Monday at The Prentice Centre, 7 – 8pm
Shannon Galpin will talk about her experiences cycling in Afghanistan while Festival puts focus on women in cycling
National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and women’s rights activist Shannon Galpin (above), the first woman to mountain bike in Afghanistan, will be sharing her story in the talk ‘Pedaling a Revolution’ at the third Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, held across various venues from 11 – 21 June.
An avid mountain biker, who has spent seven years working on various projects to empower women and girls, most recently supporting the first generation of women riding bikes as part of the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team, Galpin will be leading a strong bill of events for women as part of the Festival. She will be speaking at the Royal College of Physicians on 17 June at 7pm.
It is not just in Afghanistan that women are changing the narrative, and not just in cycling. After last year’s successful launch, the Women’s Cycle Forum is back for an evening of discussion, inspiration and networking open to all. This year we’ll be hearing from women from successful campaigns about how they ‘changed the record’ and make a difference to their worlds – and then consider together how we can build a better one of our own. Whether you ride a bike for transport, fun or sport, or work in cycling in any way, come ready to learn and to talk about what we can all do to make a difference across the cycling world. Come away inspired, informed – and challenged – to ‘build a better world‘. The Women’s Cycle Forum will be held at Teviot Row House on 13th June at 7pm.
Another woman trying to bring a new perspective to the cycling safety debate is Tamara von Werthern, writer the of the new powerful new drama ‘The White Bike’. The White Bike addresses the issue of road safety by looking at the personal cost of road death and is inspired by the case of Eilidh Cairns who was killed by a lorry as she cycled to work. It uses witness statements, personal recollections of family members and years of cycling experience on the streets of London to create a deeply personal portrait of a life cut short too soon. A dramatic reading of the play will be given at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar on 11 June at 6.30pm.
Other inspiring woman appearing at the Festival include Juliana Buhring and Emily Chappell. World record holder Juliana Buhring was the fastest women to cycle around the world in 2012 and female winner of the Trans-Am Race 2014. Juliana will be giving a Q&A after the Scottish première of the film ‘Inspired to Ride’ about first TransAmerica race.
‘Inspired to Ride’ gives the audience an incredibly immersive experience of 45 cyclists from around the world who set out to cover 4,233 miles in one enormous stage race, traversing through ten US states in a transcontinental adventure of epic proportions. ‘Inspired to Ride’ will be screened at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar on 12 June 7pm.
Emily Chappell will be sharing her stories about cycling through some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable regions in a talk on 11 June at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar at 8pm. A bike messenger by trade, she has recently cycled from Anchorage to Seattle on a fatbike, through the snow and ice of the Alaska Highway.
The Edinburgh Festival also has a wide range of participatory events which are likely to appeal to women, these include: the original Edinburgh Night Ride (starts 19 June) which over the last two years has had over 40% participation. This ride give cyclists the chance to experience of cycling through the night on quiet roads in East Lothian.
A ride which is specifically aimed at female riders is the 15:15 ride led by the Edinburgh Belles on Bikes women’s cycling group. The route for this ride forms a figure of eight which allows riders ride for the whole 30 miles, or decide to stop after the first 15 miles.
There is also the ‘Women, Read and Ride on Tour’ a literary tour of Edinburgh by bike, celebrating cycling writing by women. This ride will include readings by Kate Rawles from her book The Carbon Cycle – Crossing the Great Divide (21 June).
For those who want to learn to ride or increase their confidence, there are courses for beginners (21 June) and an adult commuter course (13 June). In addition to this there are a range of family friendly events, these include the Bike Curious Family Workshop. This event, on 13 June at Sciennes Primary School, is to show families how the bike can be used as everyday family transport.
Tickets and more information on all events are available at www.edfoc.co.uk. The Festival can also be followed on Twitter at @edfoc, on Facebook at EdinburghFestivalofCycling, on Instagram at @edfoc and on Flickr at edincyclefest. The hashtag for the event is #edfoc2015
‘like a youth club for us older guys!’
A project by Age Scotland to improve the health and wellbeing of older men is set to receive a boost of £50,000 to roll out across Scotland.
The funding will provide support and resources to new and existing Men’s Sheds across the country, and was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights Alex Neil whilst visiting the MacMerry Men’s Shed in East Lothian, which also celebrates its second birthday today.
The Men’s Shed movement follows a blueprint from an Australian project and is a place for men to come together and work on either individual projects or work together on community projects. The men who attend can share skills , learn new ones, share stories and experiences and relax. The project delivers proven benefits in improving health and wellbeing and reducing social isolation which is often experienced by older men.
Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil said: “The MacMerry Men’s Shed project is a wonderful example of community empowerment in action – where men can come along, meet other like-minded individuals contribute to their local community and take control of a community asset for the community’s benefit.
“They can work on projects together, planning and developing ideas while also getting out of the house and meet new people. What’s most important in this project is the network of relationships and support that the men build with each other so they can feel involved and connected. It can reduce social isolation, give them a sense of purpose and contribute to them living well in later life.
“Older people are an asset to Scotland, and we want them to flourish in our communities and continue to make a contribution. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Age Scotland to help the network of Men’s Sheds develop across Scotland.”
Between 20 and 25 men attend the MacMerry Men’s Shed each Tuesday and Thursday undertaking a diverse range of activities which includes building garden planters for the local community council to brighten up the village hall, creating storage units for tools, creating bug hotels, candle holders and key racks for selling on at local market, and restoring old furniture and sharpening tools.
Although the Sheds project mostly attract older men, men of all ages, women and young people are encouraged to get involved in their local projects.
Age Scotland Chief Executive Brian Sloan said: “It is really exciting to be part of the growing Men’s Sheds movement, a movement that Age Scotland has been supporting for a number of years. These community ventures are a great way to bring people together to love later life and we want to thank all the Shedders across Scotland and the groups who support them.”
Cancer patients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children got a big surprise recently thanks to the generosity of local volunteers. Hundreds of ‘bead-bags’ hand-sewn by well-wishers have arrived for youngsters on Ward 2 following a call for donations!
The children are taking part in the ‘Beads of Courage’ scheme, an initiative which allows young patients to create a unique record of all the treatments and procedures they’ve been through during their time in hospital, using colourful beads.
In order to keep the beads safe, each child is also given a bead-bag but supplies had been running low.
Jenny Tomes, Clinical Psychologist, explained: “The children like to thread all their beads on to strings to represent all the experiences they have been through in hospital. To give the children somewhere to keep their precious beads safely, they are given a bead bag, a little cloth draw-string bag. We were getting low on supplies and so we put the word out to see if anyone could help.”
Jenny contacted the hospital’s Voluntary Services Manager, Denise Claxton, who set about recruiting some sewing volunteers.
Denise said: “We couldn’t believe it when parcels kept arriving! In the space of a few weeks around 150 bead bags in all different colours and patterns had been sewn and not just by our loyal NHS Lothian volunteers – but also by their friends and families, who were keen to help too.
“We’re really grateful to all those kind people who spent time making the bags so lovingly for the children on Ward 2.”
The ‘Beads of Courage’ programme is run by the charity Be Child Cancer Aware. To find out more visit http://www.bechildcanceraware.org/
LEAP treats 450th patient
LEAP, the pioneering drug and alcohol detox and rehabilitation service, is celebrating after treating its 450th patient.
‘Mental health services are an absolute priority of this government’ – Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health
An extra £85 million will be invested in improving mental health services over the next five years, the Scottish Government announced today.
The money is on top of the existing £15 million fund for mental health innovation, announced last year, making a total additional investment of £100 million over the next five years.
The fund will partly be used to further improve child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) services, and bring down waiting times. There has been a significant increase in demand in recent years, with a 35 per cent increase in the number of young people starting treatment over the last two years. This is thought to be mainly because more people are seeking help. It will also be targeted at improving access to services, and in particular psychological therapies.
Further areas of focus will be better responses to mental health in primary care, promoting wellbeing through physical activity, and improving patient rights, which is one of the elements of the forthcoming Mental Health Bill. Third sector service providers will be key to delivering new services, and there will be a focus on innovation and providing services in community settings.
There has already been significant investment in improving mental health services. The Scottish Government has already committed to invest almost £7 million in CAMHS this year. This is in addition to the new £100 million fund.
More than £16 million has been invested specifically in developing the CAMHS workforce since 2009. Staffing levels are at an all-time high and have risen by 45 per cent since 2008.
Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said: “Mental health services are an absolute priority of this government. These are some of the most vulnerable people in our county and it’s vital that the health service is properly equipped to give them the support and treatment they need.
“We have been investing heavily for a number of years, and waiting times have come down significantly, despite an unprecedented rise in the number of people seeking help. Scotland was the first country in the UK to have a mental health waiting times target – a sign of how importantly we view this issue.
“There is still more work to be done. I’m delighted to be able to announce this £100 million investment which will make a real difference to people right across Scotland.”
Local businessman Daren Henderson went back to his roots when he presented a £1000 cheque to Spartans Community Football Academy last month. Daren, who owns the Edinburgh Driveway Company, is a Muirhouse laddie, and he handed the cheque over to his old Muirhouse Primary pal – and now Spartans Community youth work manager -Kenny Cameron: the pair were P1s together! (writes Dave Pickering)
Daren explained: “When I watched the Spartand video NEN posted on YouTube (see below) I couldn’t help but listen to the youngsters and think: that was me! I was that young boy with nothing to do but hang around the street corners of Muirhouse and Drylaw.”
Daren immediately decided to support the Spartans Community Football Academy, which provides opportunities for local young people that weren’t so readily available when he and Kenny were growing up.
“The Spartans Community Football Academy is very close to my heart and it was a pleasure to hand over a cheque – this money goes straight into the coffers of the academy and helps take local kids of the streets of North Edinburgh and into much more meaningful activities”, he said. “As an extra, The Edinburgh Driveway Company will be funding go-karting and combat activities as part of Spartans summer programme AND one lucky kid gets to come and work with us for a whole week as part of his/hers work experience to give them that much needed experience of working life.”
Daren’s generosity won’t end here. “This relationship is ongoing and I will continue to support this fantastic organisation – the work they do throughout the whole north Edinburgh community is absolutely second to none.”
Kenny Cameron said: “It was great to see Daren and his support is really appreciated by everyone here at the Academy.”
For more informaton on the Edinburgh Driveway Company visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theedinburghdrivewaycompany
Dave Pickering
Edinburgh College community garden provides opportunities to adults with complex learning needs
Adults with complex learning needs are using one of Edinburgh College’s community gardens to develop their green fingers as well as social and education skills.
The students, who are all users of the adult day services at Fisherrow Community Centre’s Fisherrow Hub in Musselburgh, have been visiting the community garden at the college’s Milton Road Campus since May 2014. After spending the summer helping out weekly at the garden they registered for the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society’s (RCHS) Recognition of Individual Achievement in Horticulture Award (Caley Award), and are now working towards achieving this.
The award recognises the achievement and learning experience of individuals with complex learning needs in a garden environment. It encompasses a mix of seven core horticultural activities including cultivation, composting, plant-care and harvesting.
It is hoped that students who achieve the Caley Award will go on to a second level of the scheme, which is currently under development by RCHS.
The nine students have been split into two groups, and visit once a week for a few hours. Each group has their own growing space in the garden where they grow vegetables that they can take either back to Fisherrow to use in a cooking activity or home to share with their household.
The award also includes a personal learning plan, where students identify self-improvement goals such as improved timekeeping, teamwork or learning a social skill. Individuals progress at their own pace, encouraged and inspired by the achievement of others. Achievement is assessed through compiling a portfolio and recording of evidence, which are formally verified by the RCHS.
The Milton Road Community Garden was established in September 2012 to transform an area of previously unused land into a green space for staff, students and the local community to grow plants, vegetables and fruit. The project has been so successful that Edinburgh College now has a second community garden at the Sighthill Campus.
Colin Jeffrey, Fisherrow Hub manager, said: “The community garden at Edinburgh College has provided people who use the service at Fisherrow in Musselburgh an invaluable opportunity to undertake practical gardening tasks, which they are now learning and developing in order to undertake the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society Award, or Caley Award.
“This is a fantastic new opportunity for the involved individuals, which is developing their practical skills in horticulture as well as supporting skills development in other areas, geared towards individuals’ specific personal goals, included as part of the award.
“At Fisherrow, we are continuing to work with Edinburgh College, to further develop joint working initiatives and new opportunities for people accessing services from our resource and to work together on a partnership agreement, to establish this working relationship and continue to support our ethos of promoting meaningful, structured activities for the service users at Fisherrow in new, exciting and inclusive ways with other organisations.”
Severine Monvoisin, community garden coordinator at the college, said: “The Caley Award is about recognising achievement. Far more importantly, it also gives individuals with complex learning needs opportunities for learning new skills and achieving in an inclusive environment. The gardening activities and knowledge are a medium to progress in their life by increasing the social interaction with others, learning to express their feelings, developing a better understanding about the environment, increasing confidence and self-esteem, learning to work together, increasing their abilities.
“For all the garden’s participants, coming to the garden is strongly linked to improved emotional health: they learn and exchange views about the importance of healthy eating and healthy lifestyle, are active in an outdoor environment, build social contact in a safe and relaxed environment and, importantly, become part of a community.”
New video call service removes barriers to participation.
The Scottish Government has announced today the extension of the current NHS 24 online British Sign Language (BSL) Video Relay Interpreting Service pilot to the rest of the public sector in Scotland.
The new Scottish Government-funded service, contactSCOTLAND, will mean deaf people can now speak to public services, such as their local council, doctor’s surgery and the Scottish Government, without the need for someone to call on their behalf. This project is unique in the UK and is the first nationally funded public sector Video Relay Service.
Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn, welcomed the new contactSCOTLAND service which is available from today. He said:
“There are estimated to be around 6,500 people living in Scotland who use sign language and these people deserve to have the same access to services as everyone else.
“By extending this programme to cover all public sector services in Scotland, we are removing the barriers that some deaf people face when trying to get in contact with their local services.
“For the majority of people who rely on sign language to communicate, they need to arrange to have someone to call on their behalf. This new project will mean deaf people can video call an interpreter at contactSCOTLAND directly who will then speak to the relevant public sector organisation and act as an intermediary for the deaf person.
“This is a fantastic project and gives British Sign Language users equal access to public sector services, allowing them to enjoy greater participation in daily and public life.”
Andrew McCafferty and his wife in are both profoundly deaf, The Greenock couple recently used the video relay service to call NHS 24 – receiving treatment that saved Andrew’s life.
He said: “My wife and l are profoundly deaf and use British Sign Language to communicate. It can be really difficult and frustrating to communicate with doctors, police officers and workman from the council that come to carry repairs in our home.
“Recently l took seriously ill and contacted NHS 24 through the online BSL interpreter service. The online interpreter assisted me throughout the call and later when l received treatment at the hospital, the doctors said the treatment saved my life.
“Being able to use contactSCOTLAND is amazing – it means my wife and l can understand what is being said, which makes us feel much more confident. This is a great service which Deaf people can use when they need it, no matter where they live in Scotland.”
Janis McDonald, Chief Officer, Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD), said: “SCoD is proud to have been involved from the early days of the pilot work and sees many benefits to Deaf People wishing to access services that are readily available to hearing peers. It is terrific; accessible, discreet and confidential, designed with people in mind. Many have already received information and treatment because of it.
“We can see this type of access would have wider benefit – to help interaction with other public bodies and could be applied to many other situations of day to day life. It greatly reduces the inequality and access barriers Deaf, BSL Users face daily.
“We therefore welcome that the service is now being extended to all national and local public bodies ready to promote and support BSL and Deaf Users across Scotland and that Deaf users have access to public services like everyone else.”
The service is free and can be used to contact all public sector bodies in Scotland. It is not for emergency 999 calls. More information on how the BSL Video Relay Interpreting service works can be found on the contactSCOTLAND website www.contactscotland-bsl.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WygONuSkdA
