As part of their summer health campaign, ‘Hello Summer,’ NHS 24 are offering advice about what to do if a child hurts themselves while playing outside during the holidays.
Dr Laura Ryan, a GP and NHS 24’s Medical Director said: ‘We’re halfway through the summer holidays, and as the weather has been so good it has been a great opportunity for young people to play outside and get some exercise.
“While it is brilliant that they are getting a chance to get some fresh air and stretch their legs, this can also mean there is an increased risk of a wee accident.
‘If that happens it is important that you check that there is no serious damage. Ensure that the child is conscious, alert and responding normally. If not, dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.
‘Fortunately, most of the time injuries are small and can be soothed by a cuddle to help with the shock and a dose of child-appropriate painkiller such as Calpol if there is any pain. Your local pharmacist will be happy to provide advice on child medications and treating simple injuries yourself.
‘If your child continues to be in pain, you can check our health information website NHS inform – there’s lots of information and advice there for you. If you think you need more help, call NHS 24 on 111 and our team can assess what is the most appropriate care for your child.
‘If you need to take them to a minor injuries unit for example, we work in partnership with your local health board to arrange the next steps. This could be a call back from their team or an appointment to visit, which should also lessen any waiting time.
‘By following this advice, we hope that many more people will have a happy and stress-free break this summer.’
First of all, we hope you enjoyed the Picnic in the Park on Sunday 19th June in collaboration with the Friends of Victoria Park and the Victoria Park Allotment Holders. There seemed to be hundreds of people there, all having a great time. We hope you caught up with some old friends and made some new ones.
Next in the calendar will be our second Annual General Meeting. This will be held on Saturday 2nd July and members will be receiving their own invitation to attend in person this year, now that Covid restrictions have been relaxed. There will be more details in the members’ invitations.
If you think you are already a member, but have not received the AGM invitation by email in the last few days, please do get in touch with us to check your membership status by emailing admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk .
Just a reminder that receiving this newsletter does not necessarily mean that you are a member. You might just have signed up to receive the newsletter but not joined as a member.
Check out our website for membership conditions, which are purely geographical. If you live in our area of benefit (there’s a map on the website) then you can become a full member with voting rights.
If you live outside the area then you can still become an associate member but will not be able to vote at the AGM.
Joining is free. If you haven’t joined and wish to, then you can find the form under JOIN on the website.
The Trustees look forward to meeting members in person, many of them for the first time, and discussing our exciting plans for the future.
We would also like to use this newsletter to introduce you to a new member of our team. Bryan McCarthy joins us as our new Volunteer Coordinator.
One of our trustees, Christine McDerment has been on the other end of the volunteering email address up until now, but Bryan has stepped up and answered the call for some help.
Bryan is originally from Cork, Ireland, but moved to Edinburgh five years ago and has been living in Leith while working in criminal justice with Edinburgh City Council. “I have always enjoyed volunteering in my spare time and am excited to put my energy into coordinating the volunteering activities of Heart of Newhaven,” he says.
Now, a reminder: we are looking for volunteers to get involved in reminiscence training.
Sharing family stories is therapeutic and instructive, not to mention enjoyable. If you’re interested in helping to record people’s stories and memories, to then share with the community, then please get in touch. We have secured funding for this, so the training would be free for the participants.
Contact: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
or Christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Remember to check the website regularly for blogs.
The month of May saw a visit to the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, with whom we hope to collaborate on exhibitions and events in the future. As well as their regular collection they also offer temporary exhibitions and the current one runs until 19th June.
You can find the blogs, including Culture & Heritage and View From The Chair, under BLOGS on the website.
“‘I’m struggling’. Those two words were all it took.“
NHS 24 and the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) are offering new support to people living with thoughts of suicide or plans to end their own life.
Short video clips are hosted on NHS inform, where people from across Scotland tell their individual stories. The people featured generously share the ways they have found to live past their suicidal thoughts or intentions. The aim is to offer people in this situation support to better manage these thoughts and to find hope..
The videos are presented alongside information on how to listen and talk about suicidal feelings. There is advice on ways to cope when it feels as though you can’t, and what warning signs to look for as well as how to reach urgent help via 999, the Samaritans or 111.
NHS 24 Director of Service Delivery, Janice Houstonsaid: “Our first priority is offering a compassionate service to everyone that contacts us about their mental health, and we know that some people would prefer to listen than to talk – at least at first.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer this option to people experiencing thoughts of suicide and our thanks go to those who have shared their journeys so generously.
“For anyone who is concerned for themselves or anyone else, we encourage you to listen to these stories and to find someone who can listen to you – whether that is a friend, colleague or family member, or one of the specialist helplines available 24/7.”
NSPLG chair Rose Fitzpatrick CBE QPMsaid: “We are committed to exploring innovations in digital technology to help save lives from the tragedy of suicide. The creation of the new Surviving Suicidal Thoughts resource on the NHS Inform website represents a significant step towards better supporting those who are having suicidal thoughts and their loved ones.
“This new resource, developed with our partners at NHS 24, is intended to help those thinking about suicide and those who are supporting someone who may be suicidal. It features people who have themselves known these tough times describing what they experienced and what has helped each of them get through.
“We hope these compelling personal stories will encourage people experiencing suicidal thoughts to know that they can get through such dark moments and will also provide information for others on how to support someone who may be suicidal. We believe that suicide prevention can be everyone’s business.”
NSPLG Lived Experience Panel member Neil Renton features in one of the videos and is urging people to seek help by talking about their mental health.
Recalling his own story, he said: “Currently I feel really good mentally, but it’s not always been like that.
“I think the thing that caught me out was I wasn’t expecting to feel as bad as I did. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what made me feel depressed and low and took me to feel suicidal.
He added: “I think I was in denial because there wasn’t anything that set it off or triggered it, I came from a loving family, I’m well-supported, life and soul of the party. I felt I didn’t have an excuse so I found it really difficult to appreciate that I could have been suffering mentally.
“It was a struggle to be open and honest with others, be it my wife, family, medical people, friends and colleagues as well. You were always worried you were going to be judged, people would look at you differently.
“I remember what it was like when I was suicidal and just felt like there was nothing else I could do.
“I’d hate for anybody to be in the position I was in. I could see it like an edge I was running towards and no obstacle could stop me.
“My family would be like a wall I would smash through, my friends barbed wire I could jump over and there was nothing stopping me getting to that edge.
“And I just remember thinking: ‘I really need to say something at this point or that’s me gone’.
“I was dreaming up this big speech to my wife that I wanted to be poignant and memorable, but I simply said: ‘I’m struggling’. Those two words were all it took.
“We talked for hours, I gained confidence, felt supported and from there I got the help I needed and continue to work on my mental health to this day.
“Please talk about it.”
The content is for anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide. It is for those around them, family, friends, work mates and others too. The full stories are also on the NHS 24 YouTube channel.
The Royal Highland Show is launching a free RHS app designed to making visiting the Show a more enjoyable and interactive experience.
The app has been designed to provide the best way of navigating around the showground, allowing visitors to plan their day so as not to miss out on any of the exciting activities, classes, exhibits and shopping.
Featuring an interactive map of the Ingliston Showground, users can access an overview of what is going on in each area and be provided with wayfinding routes across the site.
The app will also enable Show organisers to highlight in real time specific ‘not to be missed’ events and attractions, such as the start of the Grand Parade, celebrity chef demonstrations or the show jumping Grand Prix.
Users will also be able to quickly access links to live results from the Showground as well as stream RHS TV straight to their devices.
The app can be downloaded on both iPhone and Android devices and is available for free in both the App Store and Google Play.
The app release comes as the Show celebrates its bicentenary in 2022, marking 200 years since the very first Highland Show took place in 1822. The app will also compliment the brand-new RHS TV, which will see a dynamic mix of live and pre-recorded content from the Show broadcast online throughout the four days, all available to access for free and featuring the perfect balance of livestock judging, equestrian classes, culture, interviews, food & drink and of course, the grand parade.
Presenting RHS TV in the mornings will be Dougie Vipond, with Sarah Mack taking the reins in the afternoons. Not only beamed across the globe, RHS TV will also be transmitted across the showground on giant screens throughout the four days.
The content captured will be available to watch back on the Royal Highland Show YouTube channel.
Mark Currie, Director of Operations at the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), organisers of the Royal Highland Show, said: “The RHS app marks another exciting step forward into the future for the Royal Highland Show, allowing visitors to experience the Show like never before.
“We know there is simply so much to see at the Show that some people don’t know half of what’s going on, so the RHS app will make sure they can experience as much as possible!”
The Royal Highland Show, supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland, will take place 23-26th June 2022.
Tickets, including for car parking, must be pre-purchased online this year and no tickets will be available to buy on the gate. Tickets are limited in number this year with sell out days anticipated, so it is advised to purchase early.
The Show will be broadcast online this year via RHS TV, funded by the Scottish Government.
For further information and to purchase tickets please visit:
Edinburgh College is opening its doors and showcasing its facilities during two open days later this week as it gears to make a full return to campuses in August.
The College, which has four campuses across the capital region, is hosting two open days on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 May.
Midlothian and Milton Road Campuses will be open from 12-3pm on Friday 27 May, and Granton and Sighthill Campuses will be open from 10am-2pm on Saturday 28 May.
Prospective students, parents, guardians, business owners and those in employment are invited to head to College campuses to find out more about course options; find out more about funding options and accommodation; and meet representatives from Edinburgh College Students’ Association (ECSA).
The College offers courses and professional training across a wide range of subjects within the Creative Industries, Engineering and Built Environment, Health Wellbeing and Social Sciences, and Tourism Hospitality and Business.
Perspective students can find out more about beginner-level courses, pathways to university, short courses, as well as continuous professional development courses – something for learners at any stage of their education journey or career.
Guided tours of campus facilities will take place throughout the events, with staff on hand to answer questions and to provide demonstrations along the way. In addition, student showcases and performances will also take place on the day, while free refreshments will also be on offer.
Edinburgh College Principal, Audrey Cumberford, said: “It’s fantastic to be throwing our doors open wide to the public and giving prospective students and visitors a real flavour of what it is like to study at one of Scotland’s largest colleges.
“After disruption to on-campus learning caused by the pandemic, we are delighted to be looking ahead to academic session 2022/23 when most course delivery will return to our campuses which house state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to best prepare students for successful careers in their chosen area of study.
“We look forward to welcoming people from across the region to our May open days – we’ll see you on campus!”
For more information and to register attendance at May Open Days, visit:
The North Edinburgh community came out in force yesterday to enjoy the North Edinburgh Community Festival at West Pilton Park.
More than fifty local organisations contributed to a memorable day of music, food, arts and crafts, entertainment and information.
Local activist Willie Black, who chairs the Festival organising committee, said the hard work involved in staging the event had proved worthwhile.
“Covid has meant that it’s been a long time since our community has been able to have a party so it was great to see local folk coming out in huge numbers to enjoy themselves.
“Today has been a celebration of everything that makes North Edinburgh special and I’d like to thank each and very individual and organisation who contributed so much to making the festival such a huge success.”
Detectives investigating the murder of Alistair Wilson at his home in Nairn in 2004 are appealing for information about a local planning application they believe may be significant to the enquiry.
Mr Wilson had objected to a large decking area outside the Havelock Hotel, opposite his home in Crescent Road, shortly before he was shot dead on his doorstep.
Detectives recently travelled to Canada to interview a key witness regarding this planning application and are appealing for the public’s help to gather more information.
Officers from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, which is carrying out the investigation, can also confirm they now believe the answer to Alistair’s murder lies within his personal life and is not connected to his employment with the Bank of Scotland.
Detective Superintendent Graeme Mackie said: “Shortly before his murder, Alistair had objected to the building of a large decking area within the car park of the Havelock Hotel, directly opposite the family home which he said was responsible for increased noise and litter in the area.
“The decking was built in the summer of 2004 and subject to a retrospective planning application at the time of the murder.
“While we cannot rule out any scenario, we believe this could be significant to our enquiries and I am asking anyone with information about this issue to please come forward and speak with officers.
“Alistair did not disclose his disapproval regarding the decking to many people, however we understand that his formal objection was sent by the Local Authority to the Havelock Hotel on the Thursday before his murder and knowledge of his objections became public before his murder on the Sunday, which may be significant.
“I would also appeal to anyone who was involved in the building of the decking area at the Havelock Hotel in 2004 to come forward.
“Through significant enquiries being carried out we believe the answer to Alistair’s murder lies within his personal life and not in his role with the bank.
“Someone locally will have that piece of information that could be crucial to catching his killer and providing answers for his family.”
Anyone who believes they can assist police is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 515 of 4 March 2022 and Operation Sorn or you can e-mail a dedicated inbox at SCDHOLMESAberdeen@scotland.pnn.police.uk
Last month Police Scotland issued an appeal for information about two men seen with a handgun on a beach near the town a month before the fatal shooting.
Following recent appeals for information, a witness has reported seeing two men, one aged in their 20s and the other between 40 and 60 years old on East Beach, Nairn.
The witness has said the younger man was in possession of a handgun.
Detective Superintendent Mackie said: “We have been very clear that time is no barrier to justice and I hope these recent appeals will further reassure the public that we are determined to bring Alistair’s killer to justice.
“I would like to thank the local community for the positive response to our recent appeals for information.”
Following a recent review of witness accounts, further analysis of timings from the night in question and investigative developments, officers altered the description of the man they want to trace in connection with Alistair’s murder.
Detectives believe the man who shot Alistair on his doorstep to have been aged between 20 and 40-years-old at the time. This would mean he is now aged in his mid-30s to almost 60 years old.
He was approximately 5ft 7in tall and was wearing a baseball cap and jacket.
Previous appeals described the gunman as being between 30 and 40-years-old.
Mr Wilson was shot around 7pm on Sunday, 28 November 2004 after a man called at the family’s home on Crescent Road, Nairn, spoke to his wife Veronica who answered the door and asked for her husband by name.
Mr Wilson went downstairs to speak to the man and was handed a blue envelope with the word “Paul” on it. He went inside briefly and then returned to the door for a second time when he was fatally shot.
Anyone who believes they can assist police is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 515 of 4 March 2022 and Operation Sorn or you can e-mail a dedicated inbox at SCDHOLMESAberdeen@scotland.pnn.police.uk
NHS Lothian Children’s Services is giving thousands of children and young people across Scotland access to important wellbeing resources with the launch of a new digital Wellbeing Hub.
Following the launch of the new Children’s Services website, a Wellbeing Hub has been developed to provide an interactive, engaging platform with expert support for young people aged 12–17 in Scotland. A children’s section for 5–11-year-olds has been launched at the same time.
The Wellbeing Hub was designed in collaboration with 10 key partners including CAMHS, the Children’s Rights Commissioner for Scotland, Young Scot, Chalmers Sexual Health Services, and Sleep Scotland who were all instrumental in providing outstanding resources and offering guidance in the development of a Wellbeing Hub that would be fit for purpose for children and young people across Scotland.
The new hub features a wealth of information to support a young person’s physical and mental wellbeing with topics such as anxiety, body image, social media, sleep, healthy relationships and consent featuring on the website.
The Wellbeing hub also incorporates Children’s Health Scotland’s SMS self-management service, advice about drugs, alcohol and tobacco, and support for young carers.
Young people will be able to access tools and resources, including top tips, videos and animations to help manage their own wellbeing. With an increasing focus on the benefits of youth work, the Hub also includes a tool to ‘Find a Youth Club’ along with how to speak to a youth worker while in hospital.
NHS Lothian worked with Passion4Social, a social enterprise that nurtures the talent of people with disabilities, to develop and build the site with funding made available through Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity.
Zoe Paige, Project Manager, Children’s Services, NHS Lothian, said:“Protecting and providing for the wellbeing and health of children and young people is a priority for the Children’s Services at all times and we know that there is a growing need for people to have digital choices if they are struggling and need to reach out, and the pandemic has only made this need more urgent.
“Colleagues and partners have been eager to bring helpful content together and make our Wellbeing Hub a reality. It was really important that we made our Wellbeing Hub as engaging and interactive as possible.
“The Wellbeing Hub encourages young people to feel empowered to seek out information on many things they might be struggling with or need advice online within a few clicks.
“The Children’s Services team at the RHCYP are always looking for ways to improve access to wellbeing support and we’re proud to continue to expand our Children’s Services website to support children and young people and their families. We have ambitious plans for its continued development.”
Professor Cathy Richards, Lead Clinician and Head of Psychology at CAMHS, said: “At CAMHS, we are thrilled that children, young people and families in the Lothians and across Scotland will benefit from access to the Wellbeing Hub.
“Young people who use the new platform can access mental health resources and information that are designed to keep them engaged and they can find recommendations for additional resources based on their needs.
“The new hub contains information that has been created or recommended by the NHS Lothian CAMHS Psychology team. This includes some newly developed online information sessions for parents on supporting children with anxiety and access to computerised CBT.”
Leanne Hughes, Communications Officer, Healthy Respect (Chalmers Sexual Health Services), said: “Young People can sometimes be embarrassed or unsure about accessing Sexual Health Services.
“We hope that the Wellbeing Hub will help to normalise using our services and highlight what is available locally for those 13+. The hub signposts to key Sexual Health information and resources in a way that makes sense to young people.”
Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, said: “Children and young people have the right to good healthcare, to have decisions made in their best interests and to be a part of those decisions. They should also get all the information needed to make choices about care.
“Good healthcare means that children can get the care they need, when they need it and that adults support them to get all of their human rights. The Wellbeing Hub will help children grow in confidence and understanding about the rights that they are entitled to in healthcare settings and will signpost them to extra support.”
Alyson O’Brien, Sleep Services Manager at Sleep Scotland, said: “Sleep Scotland is delighted to be working with the Wellbeing Hub.
“Children’s Services are committed to the health and wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland, and we wanted young people to understand that a lack of sleep can be detrimental to their physical and mental wellbeing.”
Find out more information on @LothianChildren. These channels will share the latest news and updates from the Wellbeing Hub.
Organisations that will provide advice, support and information services for Ukrainian people and their families are to receive Scottish Government funding as part of Scotland’s response to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has visited the headquarters of the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) to learn about the vital work they are doing to help individuals arriving from Ukraine, and to announce more than £1 million of funding to allow them to recruit additional staff ahead of an increase in requests for support.
Ukraine Advice Scotland, run by Scottish charity JustRight Scotland, will also receive funding from the Scottish Government to provide financial stability for the project, which provides free and confidential legal advice to those displaced by the war in Ukraine.
This funding will ensure the organisation can increase their support for legal work, as well as interpretation for advice calls, and translation of online information.
Following the visit to the SRC, where the First Minister met Ukrainian nationals and saw an advice phone line in action, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Nearly three million people have now fled the war in Ukraine, the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
“Scotland is ready to play its part to offer safety and sanctuary to those forced to leave their homes because of Russia’s brutal invasion, and it is heartening to see preparations for increased support, advice and information already being put in place.
“We are determined to do everything in our power to give them the warmest welcome possible when people so start to arrive and we will need organisations like SRC and JustRight Scotland, as well as the support of the people of Scotland, to do just that.”
Sabir Zazai, Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council, said: “People fleeing the war in Ukraine will need advice and support to help them find their feet and settle into life in Scotland.
“We’ll provide practical, one-to-one support to new arrivals and their families, helping with everything from registering with a GP, to sourcing school uniforms and applying for jobs.
“No matter which part of the world people are from or which conflict they are fleeing, our advisors work with people in an empowering, trauma-informed way to build the foundations of a safe life here in Scotland.”
Kirsty Thomson, Managing Director of JustRight Scotland, said: “In this extraordinary time, we welcome the commitment from the Scottish Government to fund Ukraine Advice Scotland which will support Ukrainian people who are seeking safety in Scotland.
“This vital, free and confidential service will provide high-quality initial legal assistance to address needs and protect fundamental rights as well as linking into other legal and support networks that have been established by our partners.”
