Tag: Health and wellbeing

Funding for community health projects

£900k for schemes that support local communities

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Over £900,000 of grants have been awarded to voluntary organisations working to improve Scotland’s health.

Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn, announced the awards during a visit to the Food Train in Dumfries, one of the successful bidders, on Friday.

The funding has been awarded as part of the Section 10 grants scheme. Including on-going grants, this year’s pot of £912,990 brings the current Scottish Government investment in this scheme to £2.7 million.

The Food Train, which received a grant for £42,890, delivers food to older people who are unable to go shopping. It started in Dumfries in 1995 and now helps more than 1,400 people a year across Dumfries and Galloway, West Lothian, Dundee, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Stirling and North Ayrshire. This additional funding will help them to expand their services to help more older people in Scotland.

The full break down of grants is as follows:

Headway, various locations, £80,000
SAMH, Glasgow, £90,000
Scottish Huntington’s, Paisley, £73,000
PAMIS, Dundee, £100,000
People First (Scotland), Edinburgh, £79,568
Sandyford Thrive, Glasgow, £35,000
Stop it Now, Edinburgh, £90,000
Arthritis Care Scotland, Glasgow, £30,000
COSCA, Stirling, £70,000
SDEF, Alloa, £80,132
Contact the Elderly, Kilmacolm, £42,400
Food Train, Dumfries, £42,890
Alzheimer Scotland, Edinburgh, £100,000

Mr Hepburn said: “Through these grants the Scottish Government helps the third sector in its vital work in Scotland’s communities. These organisations are all working to improve health, reduce inequalities and build social inclusion. Many are run largely by dedicated volunteers, who give up their free time and expertise to help others.

“I’m delighted to be here in Dumfries to visit the Food Train, which has been doing excellent work for more than two decades, both here in the south west and now right across Scotland. Food Train is typical of the kind of organisation that want to help through this scheme. They help their members to live independently and to play a full and active role in society.”

Michelle McCrindle MBE, Chief Executive of the Food Train said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this funding support from the Scottish Government who continue to play a key role in the national expansion of our food access service to older people.”

PEOPLE FIRST is based on Easter Road – click on link below to find out more about the member-led organisation

https://youtu.be/eCBpNiwSMls

Continue reading Funding for community health projects

Benefits support for cancer patients

Funding for Macmillan advice services

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Cancer patients and their families will receive help to apply for benefits and access debt and money saving advice through a £450,000 investment, it was announced yesterday.

Funding for the Macmillan Benefits Services is supporting cancer patients, their families and carers to access benefits, claim grants, free white goods and deal with debt.

Last year Macmillan’s financial advice services in Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness helped clients access £16.9 million of benefits and grant schemes, they would have otherwise missed out on.

Research from Macmillan has found 80 per cent of Scottish cancer patients are £420 worse off every month after they are diagnosed, through a mix of lost income and extra costs.

The £450,000 for Macmillan is part of the £2.5 million package of support for advice services confirmed in the 2016-17 draft budget.

Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess announced the funding on a visit to meet support workers at the project in the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow.

She said: “It is extremely stressful for people coming to terms with a cancer diagnosis to find themselves hundreds of pounds worse off and worried about paying their bills.

“Trying to navigate the benefits process while dealing with the physical and emotional problems cancer brings can be very difficult.

“Our investment in the Macmillan Benefits Service is removing some of the financial stress and uncertainty that comes when people are diagnosed, but are faced with increased heating, transport and healthcare costs.

“This funding is part of our £2.5 million package for advice services and sits alongside other measures like the Scottish Welfare Fund which helps vulnerable people in crisis and enables people to live independently.”

Macmillan’s Head of Services Janice Preston said: “Money worries are a real issue for many people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Some people will need to give up work and this can come at the same time as they face increased costs like travelling to hospital for treatment, or higher heating bills as many cancer patients feel the cold more.

“Services like this are vitally important in helping patients access the money they need and Scottish Government support and funding make these services possible.”

Continue reading Benefits support for cancer patients

It’s good to talk … and listen

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Monday was National Breathing Space Day and it also marked the launch of Scotland’s Year of Listening.

The annual awareness day, which urges people in Scotland to take some ‘breathing space’ to look after their mental wellbeing, encourages us to take time to listen.

The Year of Listening is an initiative promoted by Breathing Space and Living Life mental health telephone services to highlight that listening, and being listened to, is good for your mental health.

Tony McLaren, Breathing Space National Coordinator, said: “We like to think we are good listeners but often find ourselves not truly listening. Talking through your problems is great but it can only help if you feel like you are being heard and perhaps understood.

“Relationships and friendships, where we feel listened to, can have a huge positive impact on our sense of wellbeing. This Year of Listening is a reminder for us all to try to be better listeners. Whether you are a friend, parent, sibling, colleague, spouse, neighbour or carer, take time to listen.”

Breathing Space is a free telephone service where advisors offer listening and advice to anyone feeling low, depressed or anxious. The service is open evenings and weekends on 0800 83 85 87.

The Year of Listening launch is being promoted by a number of national organisations and supported by Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health.

Mr Hepburn said: “Looking after our mental health and wellbeing is crucial. An important part of this is listening empathetically to friends, family or colleagues. Listening carefully and providing support in response can help people to feel a stronger sense of connection, helping to support confidence and wellbeing.

“The Breathing Space telephone advice line and the NHS Living Life service provide an invaluable service for people experiencing low mood, depression and anxiety. It can make such a difference to know that there’s someone there who is willing to listen and offer an empathetic ear. I’d like to thank the Breathing Space and NHS Living life teams for the tremendous work they do to support positive mental health and wellbeing.”

Hotel donation will support specialist bed at local Hospice

Mandy Reid, Charge Nurse, and Sarah Firth of Crear Hotels Trust (2)

Crerar Hotels Trust has donated £3,000 to St Columba’s Hospice to fund a specialist bed at the charity’s inpatient unit in Edinburgh. The support was celebrated during a special cheque presentation from Sarah Firth, on behalf of Crerar Hotels Trust to St Columba’s Hospice. Continue reading Hotel donation will support specialist bed at local Hospice

New Year news from Living in Harmony

01 JAN community ceilidh

Dear all, 

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good break.

Overcoming Language Barriers write up

I’m attaching the minutes and slides from our last forum meeting about overcoming language barriers. Thank you to everyone who took part. The next forum meeting will be in February. I’ll be in touch soon with the date.

Burns Night Community Ceilidh

I’m attaching a poster for the Burns Night Community Ceilidh at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Saturday 23rd January, 5-9pm. This is a really fun, family friendly and accessible evening for anyone living in the area. Tickets are £1 and need to be purchased in advance from the community centre. Please come along and invite others!

Facebook page

The Living in Harmony facebook page is at

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInHarmonyEdinburgh/

We want people to use this page to share information about what’s on so please do like it, post information on it and share it. Luke will be trying to post interesting and useful articles on the page too, so hopefully you’ll find it helpful.

Chat cafes

I’m attaching flyers for the Chat Café at PCHP and an LGBT chat café in the city, both starting this month.

Hannah Kitchen

Development Worker, Living in Harmony 

chat cafe a5 formatted polish anna jan 2016

chat cafe a5 anna jan 2016 english

overcoming language barrier elite linguists

Overcoming language barriers 10th december

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Get involved in improving healthcare

Scotland’s national healthcare improvement organisation is recruiting volunteers

healthcare improvement scotland

Do you want to help to improve the quality of care in Scotland? If so, Scotland’s national healthcare improvement organisation would like to hear from you! Continue reading Get involved in improving healthcare