Tag: Health and wellbeing

Our sick society?

Terri Smith is a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, where she represents Edinburgh Northern and Leith. She is also a young woman with health problems. Read her experience of facing a DWP appeal yesterday – and ask yourself what sort of country we’ve become …

terri Smith

I’ve never felt so belittled and demoralised in my life until today. I was in court this morning fighting against the DWP’s decision to declare me fit for work. Continue reading Our sick society?

First Foot Forward from Craigroyston

Free walking group at Craigroyston Community High School

Tuesdays 11am – 1pm

walkers

Hi

Please share with your friends – and come along on Tuesday next week for a free feelgood walk with a friendly and experienced tutor who can help you go from gentle exercise to feeling more feisty and ready to take on longer walks!

First Foot Forward is a new FREE Drop In Walking Group to go out walking using public transport to access lower level local walks, taken at a leisurely pace and lasting 45 minutes to 1.5 hours in walking time.

Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and flat comfortable shoes.

Interested? Come to Craigroyston Community High School community desk – 67 Pennywell Road, EH4 4NL

Fiona Henderson

Dead ignorant

Almost 1 in 5 men ‘lethally ignorant’ they even have a prostate, new survey finds

man alone

Prostrate Cancer UK has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the lethal disease.

  • over 2,900 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in Scotland
  • over 850 men die from prostate cancer every year in Scotland
  • two men die from prostate cancer every day in Scotland.

The charity’s latest research reveals a shocking lack of awareness among men about their own bodies and their risk of prostate cancer, leading to thousands of needless deaths each year – but a new nationwide TV advertising campaign aims to tackle the ignorance head on.

Despite one man every hour dying from prostate cancer, it seems most men still have no idea what the gland does or even that they have one.

PCUK’s new survey of almost 2,000 men found a massive 92% of them had no idea that the prostate helps make the fluid sperm swims in and contains muscles for ejaculation, with more than half not knowing where it was in their body and 17% unaware of it altogether.

Worryingly 88% of men from higher risk groups – those over 50, black or with a family history of the disease – were unaware of their increased danger. An alarming 11% of them believed they were actually at lower risk of developing prostate cancer, and 86% of black men didn’t know they were twice as likely as any other racial group in the UK.

The shocking results coincide with our new nationwide TV advertising campaign, urging men to stop ignoring prostate cancer and join the fight to beat the disease. With enough money and the right action from clinicians and researchers, PCUK believes we can halve the 14,500 men projected to die from prostate cancer in 2026, creating the better diagnosis and treatments that will make it a disease the next generation needn’t fear.

“Ignoring your prostate can be lethal,” says Prostate Cancer UK chief executive, Angela Culhane. “You can’t see it, you can’t feel it, and shockingly many men only realise they have a prostate when it starts to go wrong.

“If men really knew what the prostate can do to them, they wouldn’t ignore it. As a country, we need to wake up and stop men dying needlessly. Ignoring prostate cancer won’t beat it – only fighting it will. Now is the time to join the fight to beat this disease.”

Emma chooses life to become LEAP’s 500th graduate

leap

A mother-of-two has achieved a major milestone after becoming the 500th graduate of a pioneering drug  and alcohol detox recovery programme. Emma Hogg has battled her addiction to alcohol to successfully complete the Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP).

Continue reading Emma chooses life to become LEAP’s 500th graduate

Healthy Respect: Junction patron Irvine Welsh drops in

“It’s an honour for me to be able to support this organisation and indeed this community, both of whom I admire.” – Irvine Welsh

J1

The Junction – Young People, Health & Well-being is a Leith based charity offering support to young people living in North East Edinburgh. Irvine Welsh was born in Leith and grew up in North East Edinburgh which gives him an understanding of the challenges these young people may face. Continue reading Healthy Respect: Junction patron Irvine Welsh drops in

GameChanger community event at Easter Road

Get connected with your community this Tuesday

hfc

GameChanger are holding a free Community Event on Tuesday 12 April at Easter Road Stadium, taking place between 11am to 3pm.

The awareness day will help to showcase to the community what there is in the local area to help with their health and well-being, and is another event which demonstrates the positive impact GameChanger is having in the local area.

Attendees will be able to find out information across a wide spectrum of health issues including fitness, addiction support and mental health, as well as the related sub-topics that can help with your well-being, including information on healthy cooking, community gardening, yoga and dance.

Not only will it cover health and well-being, but it aims to highlight how to help with your employability and will offer advice on improving your digital skillset too. Information will be available for learning opportunities for students with varying disabilities and needs, as well as assistance for carers and advice on relationships and sex for young people. You can even find out what is happening at the upcoming Leith Festival.

For those with a keen football interest, you will also be able to discover a free online learning opportunity with the University of Edinburgh to study Football: More than a Game as well as opportunities for credit bearing face to face learning.

The event will take place within the Eighteen75 and Edinburgh Suites within the West Stand at Easter Road Stadium.