Tag: letters

Letters: Paws to Listen support for breaved pet owners

Dear Letters Editor,

With National Grief Awareness Day on 30 August, I’d like to highlight Cats Protection’s grief support service for cat owners.

Now in its fifth year, Paws to Listen is there for anyone facing the heartbreak of losing their cat, struggling with issues like euthanasia, or whose cat has gone missing. It is a free and confidential service, connecting callers with a volunteer listener over the telephone or via email.

Pet loss is not always fully recognised in society as a significant loss, causing many to be reluctant to talk about their grief. Additionally, Covid restrictions in the past year or so have often meant that people could not be with their pets at the point of euthanasia, which has compounded people’s grief. We feel it is important to normalise pet grief and let people know that they’re not alone and it’s OK to talk about it.

This year, our Paws to Listen service is being supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. I’d like to say a huge thank you to them for their continued support, which is also helping us to take care of cats at our centres and speak up for cats through our campaigning work.

The Paws to Listen phone line is open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) and can be reached on 0800 024 94 94.

Alternatively, people can get in touch via an online form at: www.cats.org.uk/grief

Yours faithfully,

Catherine Joyce
Paws to Listen Team Leader, Cats Protection

Letters: Support Mary’s Meals and Make a Difference

Dear Editor,

I’d like to make your readers aware of a unique opportunity to make a big difference to the lives of hungry children in the world’s poorest countries this summer.

For anyone who becomes a monthly giver to global school feeding charity Mary’s Meals before the end of August, their first three donations will be tripled, meaning the impact of their regular gifts will go even further.

This is thanks to a group of generous supporters who are making funds available up to £100,000 for tripling donations from new regular givers for a limited period.

Your readers can help Mary’s Meals to access all the available funds by setting up a monthly Direct Debit by 31 August here. (marysmeals.org.uk/tripled).

Mary’s Meals feeds more than 1.8 million hungry children in 19 countries every school day.

This funding boost will bring fresh hope to families struggling amidst the continuing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has hit the world’s poorest countries especially hard, and will also help Mary’s Meals in its goal to reach two million children with a nutritious meal every school day.

I am proud to support Mary’s Meals and hope that this summer your readers can take advantage of this incredible opportunity to see their kindness go three times as far.

MARK BEAUMONT, 

Long-distance cyclist, broadcaster and author.

Letters: Half of all pancreatic cancer patients are not prescribed tablets they need to stop them starving

Dear Editor,

Shockingly, despite pancreatic cancer being the deadliest common, half of all pancreatic cancer patients are not prescribed the inexpensive tablets they need to stop them starving.

As Chief Exec of Pancreatic Cancer UK, I am deeply concerned that so many patients  are missing out on this medication – called Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) – which is just as vital for people with pancreatic cancer as insulin is for those with diabetes.

The main cause is a lack of awareness among health professionals, who do a wonderful job caring for people, but don’t specialise in the disease or treat pancreatic cancer patients as frequently as those with other more common types of cancer.

PERT enables patients to digest food, helping them to tolerate treatment and to manage debilitating symptoms from the cancer – including pain, diarrhoea and extreme weight loss. A simple prescription could give so many people with incurable pancreatic cancer more – and better quality – time with their loved ones.

We need action across the NHS to raise awareness of PERT tablets and ensure everyone who needs them is prescribed them.   Nobody should have to watch someone they love waste away from pancreatic cancer.

Over 26,000 people have already joined our Transform Lives: Prescribe campaign, urging the NHS to implement targets to make sure PERT tablets are prescribed routinely.

Your readers can show their support for the campaign and help stop people with pancreatic cancer from starving at transformlives.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

Diana Jupp

CEO of Pancreatic Cancer UK

Letters: Don’t forget dads whose babies are in neonatal care

Dear Editor

Becoming a parent and welcoming a baby into the world should be one of the happiest moments in life. But for parents whose babies start life in neonatal care, those positive feelings of optimism and joy can quickly be replaced by doubt, worry and fear.  

Having a baby in neonatal care is emotionally challenging for all parents, but for parents whose babies have been born since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been even harder.

Despite moves toward easing social distancing in the rest of society, ongoing neonatal access restrictions in neonatal units across Scotland continue to have a serious impact on families. Parents have been unable to be with their baby as much as they need to be and some parents – often fathers and partners – have been unable to spend time with or be involved in their baby’s care at all.

It can be especially tough for dads who are often forced to return to work while their baby is still in a neonatal unit. That’s why Bliss has long been calling on the Government to give both dads and mums an extra paid week off work for every week their baby is in neonatal care, to ensure the best outcomes for babies, families and employers.

We know many dads find it really difficult to talk about their feelings and often experience a sense of guilt when separated from their partner and baby.

At Bliss, we’re keen to let all dads know that our services are there for them too, whether they need information or support while their baby is in neonatal care.

For more information visit bliss.org.uk/dont-forget-dads

Peter Bradley

Information and Support Manager at Bliss Scotland, Scotland’s leading charity for babies born premature or sick

Letter: Calling all epilepsy heroes

Dear Editor

I am writing to ask your readers to seek out and celebrate the epilepsy heroes in your community.

Epilepsy affects over 55,000 across Scotland, some of them helped by truly inspirational people. Those who think nothing of going out of their way to lend a hand or even save a life, when someone really needs it. This year, national charity Epilepsy Action wants to thank them and honour their efforts publicly with a Helping Hands 2021 award.

This past year has been such an unsettling time, especially for those living with invisible conditions like epilepsy. Pandemic or not, so many people and families have struggled behind closed doors.

Community heroes have often been a lifeline, stepping up in a crisis. It could be a teacher who has been a legend in lockdown. A total stranger who rallied during a seizure. Or a local group who took on an epic fundraiser for epilepsy.

Whoever they are, we want to hear all about them!

Last year, my daughter 8-year-old  Sienna picked up an award for the care she gives to her sister, who has severe epilepsy and complex needs. Sienna does so much each day and this thankless job goes unnoticed by the outside world.

She is a remarkable little girl, who doesn’t even know the difference she makes to her sister’s life. I wanted to tell her – and everyone else – how proud we are of her.

This summer, Epilepsy Action would love for your readers to be inspired by amazing people like Sienna, and to nominate more Helping Hands heroes. To do this, visit  epilepsy.org.uk/ awards  before the 15th of August. We can’t wait to hear about your heroes, to celebrate and thank them on behalf of people with epilepsy everywhere.

Yours faithfully,

Dee Appleby, mum to 2020 award winner Sienna

Letters: The threat to life from greedy Money-Makers

Dear Editor

Most everyone is aware of climate change and the great threat it poses for humankind as the changes sweep around the world. Livestock, all animals, birds, fish and sea creatures are all under threat.

The human race is threatened by water shortage, crop failures that are associated with drought and continued destruction of the world’s forests by financial interests acting solely in their own selfish interests of making money, despite knowing that the amount of oxygen needed by humans to live is dropping from 100% to 70%. Yet companies and financial interests continue to operate climate polluting industries.

These polluters, bug and small, must go. There is no alternative. These are polluters of air, water and the oceans which are not theirs to destroy to maximie money making.

Tony Delahoy

Letters: Children need our support, says NSPCC Scotland

Dear Editor,

Since April last year, our trained Childline counsellors have delivered more than 73,000 counselling sessions with young people who were struggling with their mental and emotional health. And more than 5,000 of these counselling sessions were with children aged 11 or under, an increase of nearly a third when compared to the year before.

However, as a charity that receives 90% of our income from the public, we know this is something we have not achieved alone, and we are hugely grateful for the dedication and commitment of our supporters, which allow us to continue this work.

One way that the public can support us is through the People’s Postcode Lottery, and since 2018, players have provided crucial funding to the sum of almost £6 million to the NSPCC to help the charity keep children safe and well.

The funds have been used to support our vital services across Scotland. This includes our schools service programme, helping primary school children speak out and stay safe from abuse, and our service centre in Govan, Glasgow, providing therapeutic services to families. And, of course, Childline, which provides free and confidential counselling to children and young people in need of support.

Childline is a lifeline for many children and over the past year thousands of young people have needed it more than ever due to the challenges they have faced during the pandemic. Local lockdowns, school closures, isolation and the impact of being separated from family and friends led many children to get in touch with the service over the phone or online.

The money raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery has been invaluable in helping our frontline staff be here for children during their darkest hours.

Moving forward, as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, it remains vital that children and young people know where they can access help and support.

We can only make a difference for children together, and we simply couldn’t continue to run services like Childline without the public’s support.

To find out more about how you could help us be there for children through fundraising, get in touch at ScotlandFundraisingTeam@nspcc.org.uk

Paul Cockram,

Head of Fundraising for NSPCC Scotland

We Remember Them

77th Anniversary of D-Day

In 1944 the struggle to free Europe from Nazi Fascist occupation began on the 6th June, D-Day (writes TONY DELAHOY).

This was a bitter fight by forces from the West and forces from the East of Europe.

The Fascists fought desperately and the struggle was ferocious, massive destruction being inflicted on all peoples of Europe.

Heavy damage being inflcited everywhere, the War finally ended on 8th May 1945.

It is because so much sacrifice was made by so many for so long that ‘We Remember Them’ on this, the 77th Anniversary of D-Day.

TONY DELAHOY, Leg d’Hon.

Normandy Veteran

Letters: Benefits of play for our children

Dear Editor,

Now, as we approach summer with hopefully fewer restrictions, we can start to make plans about how we will spend time with family and friends.

Following the challenging year we have experienced, we could all do with a bit more play in our lives. Play is a hugely important part of childhood and has a whole host of benefits, including improving physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Throughout this pandemic, children have had to deal with so many difficult challenges; some having to stay in unsafe homes and many living with families who are struggling with health worries and financial issues. Children have told Childline that they have struggled to cope and their mental health has suffered as a result.

It doesn’t matter how people choose to play this Childhood Day (11 June), whether it’s organising a sponsored kickabout in the park, a game of cards, a musical get-together or an online gaming tournament, we just want as many as possible playing and raising money to help us keep children safe.

We look forward to hearing how your readers plan to support the NSPCC and children across Scotland this Childhood Day.

To find out more and download a fundraising pack, visit:

www.nspcc.org.uk/childhoodday 

or search online for NSPCC Childhood Day.

Paul Cockram,

Head of Fundraising, NSPCC Scotland

Letters: The Coming Attack

Dear Editor

At the end of the war in 1945 the population, including the armed forces, were exhausted, many having also lived through the 1930s of unemployment and poor living conditions. The population were determined to change things after six years of war.

The main thing to tackle was the formation if a National Health Service. In 1948 this would tackle the poor state of the nation and provide an example of how the nation could be organised for the people.

Now, more than seventy years on, the foresight of setting up the NHS has been experienced and it is paying off, particularly in the circumstances of the Covid 19 epidemic.

Millions of people have expressed their gratitude for the NHS, for it’s originators and for all the people who work within it.

But now, a danger looms over our NHS. The Conservatives, who voted AGAINST the formation of the NHS, feel they are able to start ‘reorganising’ the service to allow the private sector a controlling role in it.

This infiltration is the first step by the Tories in a plan to kill off the NHS as a service for all.

TONY DELAHOY