Tag: Health and wellbeing

Scottish Gas ready to help customers living with dementia this winter

  • Scottish Gas ramps up support in Edinburgh for customers living with dementia this winter
  • Company estimates one in every 100 of its customers is living alone with dementia 
  • More than 20,000 staff have completed dementia awareness sessions to become ‘Dementia Friends’ – as Scottish Gas meets its pledge with the Alzheimer’s Scotland to become a dementia-friendly organisation 

Scottish Gas is working with Alzheimer Scotland and the Alzheimer’s Society to encourage families, friends and carers of customers living with dementia across Scotland to contact their energy company if they are concerned about the energy account of their loved ones this winter. Continue reading Scottish Gas ready to help customers living with dementia this winter

Social care in crisis: UNISON calls for fully funded services

“If we want our most vulnerable citizens to be treated as well as they deserve, the Scottish Government and the council have to face facts: good care costs money.” – Kirsten Hey, UNISON

UNISON City of Edinburgh is relieved that the difficulties in social care which we have raised for so long are finally making the news headlines, and we welcome Michelle Miller’s recent statement that social care services are under-funded. We do not like to use the word “crisis” as it can cause great anxiety for vulnerable people and their families, but at this time it is apt. Continue reading Social care in crisis: UNISON calls for fully funded services

College Sports Festival encourages students into sport

College students demonstrated their sporting prowess at the inaugural College Sports Festival held at Edinburgh College, aimed at encouraging college students to participate in sport during their studies. The event, hosted by Scottish Student Sport (SSS), saw around 250 students taking part in a variety of sports including football, basketball, touch rugby, touchtennis, volleyball and ultimate frisbee. Continue reading College Sports Festival encourages students into sport

One Spa Edinburgh introduces Cancer Touch Therapy

One Spa, part of the 5* Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh, has launched a Cancer Touch Therapy treatment in partnership with Made for Life Organics for those currently living with and recovering from cancer. Continue reading One Spa Edinburgh introduces Cancer Touch Therapy

Scotland takes another step towards becoming the world’s first Daily Mile nation

Workplaces encouraged to sign up for the Daily Mile

Scotland’s children have inspired one of the biggest energy firms in the UK to help make their staff healthier, happier and more productive. ScottishPower has become the first company to sign up to “The Daily Mile”™ – the free initiative credited with making primary school pupils fitter, more resilient and more focused in lessons. Continue reading Scotland takes another step towards becoming the world’s first Daily Mile nation

Public health leaders call for action to tackle inequaly

“From children growing up in poverty to families struggling to heat their house in the winter because their benefits have been cut, inequality affects every aspect of people’s lives – and that has a direct impact on their health and wellbeing”

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH)  today call on the Scottish Government to increase action to tackle the ‘bleak reality’ of health inequalities facing local communities across Scotland and invite the people of Scotland to support a stronger national focus on people’s health. 

‘Healthy Lives, Fairer Futures’, published by the Faculty of Public Health in Scotland sets out eight priorities for the Scottish Government to act on so that everyone has an equal chance of a long and healthy life, including:

  • Making sure that new laws impact positively on the health of Scottish people
  • Lessen the impact of UK-wide welfare reform
  • Set ambitious, binding targets to reduce child poverty

This call to action was written following an extensive consultation with the 350 FPH members who are public health experts living and working in Scotland to improve the health and wellbeing of local populations.

FPH members in Scotland, who work in a variety of roles advising, leading and coordinating public health work in the NHS, local councils and charities at a local, regional and national level  were invited  to identify threats to public health where more action could lead to a significant improvement.  Inequalities in health were identified as a very significant threat to health; a stark example of this is in Glasgow where people in the most deprived areas have a life expectancy 15 years less than those living in the wealthiest areas.

FPH Advocacy Lead in Scotland, Josie Murray, said: “Every day I speak to public health professionals who are challenged to improve health in the face of the significant health inequalities in Scotland.

“From children growing up in poverty to families struggling to heat their house in the winter because their benefits have been cut, inequality affects every aspect of people’s lives – and that has a direct impact on their health and wellbeing.

“We’re looking forward to working in closer partnership with other charities and organisations and together, fight for a fairer Scotland because we believe that every person deserves the best chance of a healthy life.  That’s why we’re calling on the Scottish Government to make sure that any new laws impact positively on people’s health or wellbeing, and to deliver on their manifesto commitment to make a greater impact in tackling health inequalities.”

Convenor of FPH in Scotland, Dr Julie Cavanagh, said: “Inequalities in health are not inevitable; changes are required across many areas of society and we are asking the Scottish people to support government action to take these changes.”

Glasgow_-_health_in_a_changing_city_final

Healthy Lives Fairer Futures

Last lap for Meadowbank as December closure confirmed

After a run of almost 50 years, Meadowbank Stadium will shut its doors on 3rd December, the city council has confirmed. The closure of the flagship venue, which was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games, will mark the start of major redevelopment plans to create a new state-of-the-art sports centre on the same site. Continue reading Last lap for Meadowbank as December closure confirmed

Getting more girls into sport

Scotland to hold first-ever Women and Girls in Sport Week

More women and girls across Scotland are being encouraged to get involved in sport. An awareness-raising week from 1 to 8 October 2017 will build on recent success stories – such as the women’s national football team’s qualification for its first major tournament this summer – to promote the benefits of a more active lifestyle.

A Women and Girls Advisory Board – made up of key leaders from the world of women’s sport, business and media – will offer independent advice to support the Scottish Government’s work to encourage more women into sport and raise awareness of women and girls regularly taking part in sports and physical activity at all levels.

Sport Minister Aileen Campbell announced dates for the inaugural week and the membership of the board during a visit to Shawlands Academy earlier this week. There, Scottish netball stars the Sirens were hosting a body confidence session as part of their Sirens for Success Programme.

Ms Campbell (above) said: “Research shows that sport improves health and well-being, leads to improved self-esteem and, at the elite level, gives everyone something to cheer for as our stars excel on the international stage. These initiatives will help us to increase female participation in all areas of Scottish sport and support our work to transform public perceptions.

“There is much to be proud of, but I am conscious that we must do more to increase sporting participation among women and girls, and to build awareness around the successes we already have.

“That is why the inaugural Women and Girls in Sport Week, and the expert advisory board, are so important. Together, they will develop and promote news ideas and approaches that will drive participation, transform perceptions, and develop the stars of the future.”

Claire Nelson, CEO of Netball Scotland and Women and Girls Advisory Board member, said: “Despite the pockets of progress that have been made in female sport recently, the levels of disparity are still significant. There is much that still needs to be done to achieve a landscape that is fair and equal for all.

“The Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board will aim to address the key challenges currently facing women and girls in sport, as well as the many barriers to participation. We will seek to find an aligned strategic approach to driving long-term, meaningful change.

“The work that we have undertaken at Netball Scotland to tackle many of these challenges has delivered significant results – the Sirens For Success Programme being one notable achievement in this area – and I am hoping to bring the learnings, insights and expertise from my sport in order to support the drive for positive action.”

 

 

 

 

Bench unveiled at Botanics to mark Suicide Prevention Week

A bench has been unveiled by suicide prevention campaigners in Edinburgh. Representatives from Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) and Choose Life unveiled the bench at the Royal Botanic Gardens on Thursday ahead of Suicide Prevention Week (10-16 September). Continue reading Bench unveiled at Botanics to mark Suicide Prevention Week