Tag: Health and wellbeing

First Minister calls for changes to “broken welfare state”

Universal Credit contributing to child poverty

‘Broken’ benefits system failing Scotland’s families

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called on the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make urgent changes to Universal Credit (UC) as she backed warnings from Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner Bruce Adamson over the ‘disproportionate effect’ of UK Government welfare policies on young people. Continue reading First Minister calls for changes to “broken welfare state”

News from Granton Community Gardeners

Dear All,

Happy New Year!

Bit stormy and there’s snow, so there’s not so much gardening going on at the moment, though drop-ins are still on every Tuesday and Saturday when the weather is reasonable (dry and not frozen or blowing a gale!)

You’re all invited to our Burns Night Community Ceilidh!  This has become a very popular regular annual event and this will be the 5th year.

BURNS NIGHT COMMUNITY CEILIDH

SATURDAY 3rd FEBRUARY. 5-9pm

ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE

LIVE CEILIDH BAND AND OTHER PERFORMANCES FROM TALENTED LOCALS!

TICKETS £2. in advance only. (Volunteers, performers and under 5’s FREE) -tickets on sale from community centre reception.

Includes Food: Haggis Needs and Tatties (halal and veggie options available)

BYOB

We’ll need quite a few helpers at the event, especially in the teams setting up and decorating (it’s a big sports hall), and clearing everything up at the end.  Please give us a shout if you’d be up for helping!

Also if you’d like to perform a song/dance/poem/etc.  we have a few spaces available, either for traditional Scottish or other cultural performances. We know Granton has a lot of talent!   Let us know if so …

—

You’re also invited to our regular:

COMMUNITY MEALS

EVERY TUESDAY 5-7pm

GRANTON PARISH CHURCH HALL

(55 Boswall Parkway -entrance through gate on Wardierburn St East)

FREE -though help with washing up or donations are always welcome

ALL AGES WELCOME! (children with responsible adult)

We’ve been getting lots of good feedback on the food (thanks to our chef Jayne!) and it’s great to have somewhere warm to eat together.  We also make extra meals that can be taken away at the end for family/friends/neighbours, especially if you know someone who’d particularly appreciate it.

Hope you’re all well,

Tom

Reducing loneliness and isolation: draft strategy open for consultation.

‘Young or old, loneliness doesn’t discriminate’ – Jo Cox

A new national strategy, one of the first in the world, is being developed to tackle loneliness and isolation. The draft plan, now open for consultation, will look at the causes of social isolation and loneliness and how they can be addressed. Continue reading Reducing loneliness and isolation: draft strategy open for consultation.

UK funded vaccines save Rohingya children from deadly diphtheria outbreak

The UK has once again led the response to the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, by contributing to a vaccination programme which will protect more than 350,000 vulnerable Rohingya children from a deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Continue reading UK funded vaccines save Rohingya children from deadly diphtheria outbreak

Briggs encourages Lothian residents to volunteer as lifestyle coaches

Lothians MSP Miles Briggs is encouraging local people to take part in a new clinic trial. Breast Cancer Now is calling for new volunteers in the Edinburgh area to train as lifestyle coaches to deliver a major breast cancer risk reduction trial.  Continue reading Briggs encourages Lothian residents to volunteer as lifestyle coaches

Winter health crisis: Scotland’s flu rates double in a week

 “Vaccination is the best defence against flu”

The number of people suffering from flu-like illnesses in Scotland more than doubled in the first week of 2018 compared to the previous week and is four times higher than the same week in 2017. Continue reading Winter health crisis: Scotland’s flu rates double in a week