Yesterday’s government figures showed that job vacancies have hit a record high of 1.2 million, an increase of 20% in the past three months. It’s seems like a no-brainer that our young people should be able to train to fill these roles.
Many of the sectors continuing to battle with skills shortages, such as construction, manufacturing, and hospitality, are reliant on Level 2 vocational qualifications as a direct route into jobs in these industries.
Yet, the Government has failed to prioritise these lower level, work-ready qualifications, instead focusing their post-16 policy and funding at qualifications of A Level standard and above.
The Government have a chance to close the skills gap and the disadvantage gap that is so significant among 16-19-year-olds, boost the economy and give young people the future they deserve. But to do this, they must ensure a wide range of high-quality, employer-endorsed options are available at all levels.
With the festive season nearly upon us, Santa and his elves are already busy getting everything prepared to make sure every child has a magical Christmas.
As always, Santa is expecting to receive millions of letters from children all over the world with asks of what they’d like to receive in their stockings on Christmas Day.
To make sure that every child can read his reply, Santa has teamed up with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to make his letters available in accessible formats, including braille, audio and large print, for children who have a vision impairment.
Last year, the elves sent 1,465 letters from Santa to blind and partially sighted children across the UK, helping them experience the same magic of Christmas as sighted children.
If you know a child who has a vision impairment and who would love to receive a letter from Santa, please send their Christmas letter to: Santa Claus, RNIB, Northminster House, Northminster, Peterborough, PE1 1YN.
Santa has also gone digital! Email santa@rnib.org.uk by Wednesday 22 December for an email response with a large print attachment.
Financial organisations are operating heavily in ore mining, oil extraction, shale drilling, coal mining and – worst of all – they are active in the destruction of the world’s forests.
The rapid destruction has now reached 70% of our forests. Behind these ghastly figures stand the faceless multinational financial organisations.
The felling of the world’s trees reduces the ability of the forests to produce the oxygen that we humans need to breathe. The rate of oxygen decrease is destructive to humans, animals and sea stocks.
We have the knowledge of this terrible destruction being carried out by these exploiters. The oxygen cannot be replaced because the forest has been chopped down – it has gone!
We know who is doing this and they know who they are – causing catastrophe!
Our government – all governments – must immediately stop this destruction of the rain forests, the soil erosion and the terrifying population dispalcement.
A. Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens
NOTE: Tony may be heartened by announcements expected from the COP26 conference later today – ED.
People aged 60 to 69 and adults aged 16 and over with underlying health conditions have begun to receive invitations for their flu and COVID-19 booster vaccinations through the post.
Appointments for this group will take place at a local community clinic and will run from late October and throughout November.
Currently, as per JCVI advice, we are vaccinating people in the highest risk groups for both flu and COVID-19 including those who are aged 70 years and over, people in older adult care homes, those who are on the Highest Risk List and frontline health and social care workers.
In addition we are delivering flu vaccinations to children under 2 years old who have underlying health conditions, preschool children aged 2-5, all school pupils, pregnant women and all NHS healthcare workers.
The winter flu and COVID-19 vaccination programme is working together to reduce the risks for both types of illness. Wherever possible, those eligible for the booster jab will receive both the flu vaccine and COVID-19 boosters on the same day. This is safe and effective to do.
More than 1.5 million COVID-19 and flu vaccinations have been administered since September 6.
For those in the underlying health conditions group, the type of health condition will guide whether they will be given a flu jab, the COVID-19 booster, or both vaccines.
Details on who is eligible for these vaccinations and when they can expect an invitation are available on NHS Inform.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “For those eligible for the COVID-19 boosters, appointments can only take place six months (24 weeks) after your second dose. As such, it may take several weeks before you receive your invitation letter. We remain on track with Scotland’s booster programme prioritising those at the highest risk for both COVID-19 and flu.
“We started this as soon as possible following the JCVI advice – that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course. It is important to note that many people in the original early priority cohorts of the initial vaccination programme had already had a 6 month gap prior to this JCVI advice.
“In addition to delivering the COVID-19 vaccine boosters, this year we are offering a record number of free flu vaccines to help protect the people of Scotland. It is the biggest ever flu vaccination programme in Scotland reaching over 4 million people.
“Appointments for both vaccines are being scheduled based on clinical need and age and it will take until the middle of January for everyone to be offered their vaccines. Boosters will be offered to many of the groups who routinely have the flu vaccine to protect people from both illnesses. To support this, we are ensuring those most vulnerable are vaccinated first.
“But I would like to stress: everyone who is eligible will be offered a vaccination. If you haven’t received your appointment letter yet, please be patient. You do not have to do anything now – you will be contacted, notifying you of your appointment.
“The flu virus changes every year, so you need to get the vaccine every year to stay protected. The vaccine cannot give you flu, but it can help stop you catching it, or suffering severe symptoms. The COVID-19 vaccine does not offer any protection from flu, you need to get the separate flu vaccine.
“Flu can be extremely serious and is very infectious. With COVID-19 still circulating in the community we can best protect those most at risk as well as ease pressure on our National Health Service and social care services by encouraging everyone eligible to get vaccinated against flu.”
Scottish Labour said: “This is more proof that the SNP are failing to protect the most vulnerable this winter: They’ve shifted goalposts for booster jabs.
“Many will now have to wait at least another month for a third jag. Cases are spiralling and we need faster action from the Government.”
To find out more about vaccine eligibility and when you will be invited visit:
nhsinform.scot/fluandcovid19vaccsguide
For more information about the flu vaccine, visit:
nhsinform.scot/fluvaccine
For more information about the COVID-19 booster visit:
At Bliss we know this winter is likely to be a difficult one for parents in Scotland due to the risks caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections.
RSV is a common virus that causes cold like symptoms but can cause critical illnesses such as bronchiolitis in babies born premature or sick.
Like other seasonal coughs, colds and flu, RSV is usually most prevalent in Scotland between October and March each year. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions in social contact meant that cases of RSV were reduced. However, since people began mixing again, there has steadily been an increase in cases ahead of the usual winter seasonal trend, mainly in children aged under five.
Already hospitals across the UK are dealing with a highly unusual surge in illness among pre-school children, with thousands more under-fives than normal presenting with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections at A&E departments each week.
As part of a major new campaign Bliss will be working to provide information and support about RSV and respiratory infections directly to families of premature and sick babies at neonatal units across Scotland.
Through our new campaign we also want to make sure, especially, that we reach Black, Asian, Eastern European and other ethnic minority communities, as well as those who are socio-economically disadvantaged.
This is because they may be less likely to have access to accessible healthcare information, or to go to healthcare professionals for support. Information will be translated into a range of different languages including Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, Gujarati and Polish. Parents will also be able to translate our online information into their language of choice.
If your baby was born prematurely, is prone to lung infections or was born with a congenital heart problem, they could be at greater risk of becoming seriously ill if infected with RSV.
We are urging all parents to know the warning signs of respiratory conditions and to contact their health care professional when they need to.
Are you a parent or guardian of a 2-5 year old in Edinburgh, East Lothian or Midlothian? Check out this important update regarding flu vaccine appointments
More information on the children’s flu vaccine is available here:
For most people the recent years have been very hard. It has also showed a determination in volunteering for so many organisations, particularly the NHS.
As a whole, the foresight shown in establishing the NHS in 1948 has kept us in it’s care since that time.
This public service must be protected at all times from those who voted against it’s formation in 1948: namely, the Conservatives.
The reason this letter is headed ‘The Tories’ Coming Attack‘ is that the Conservatives are now moving to reorganise the NHS and care sector, letting private bodies have control over the running of the organisation in a major step towards a Private Health Service.
It’s World Porridge Day on 10 October – and while for some this might conjure up images of Goldilocks and The Three Bears, or those famous old porridge adverts, there’s also a more important meaning to this day, one that can, quite literally, change lives.
Mary’s Meals feeds more than two million children in 19 countries around the world every school day. In the countries where the charity works, including Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, children are normally served steaming mugs of porridge, known locally as likuni phala, enriched with vitamins to help them learn and grow.
Providing a daily meal in a place of education is helping even the most vulnerable children to attend school and concentrate in lessons, giving them the freedom to learn and fulfil their potential. And the average global cost to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year is just £15.90.
Your readers can learn more about the work of this charity, and how a mug of porridge is helping to transform young lives, at marysmeals.org.uk
Sophie Thompson,
British actor and former winner of Celebrity MasterChef
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.
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.
