Deidre Brock MP paid tribute to the success of Leith’s Time Bank in the House of Commons on Tuesday (27th February).
The Edinburgh North and Leith MP led a debate on timebanking across the UK and called for extra support to help the movement grow.
Timebanking is based on a simple premise: for every hour you spend helping someone, you earn an hour back for your time bank. Rather than volunteering in the traditional sense, it is based on a reciprocal exchange of skills.
Run by respected Leith charity the Pilmeny Development Project, Leith’s Time Bank has been going for over a decade and is an amazing success story, providing opportunities for people of different ages, cultures and backgrounds to share their skills, knowledge and experience with others.
Members have described the time bank as a “lifeline”, boosting their mental health and wellbeing and creating opportunities to meet exchange skills and experiences with people from different generations, backgrounds and walks of life.
Deidre Brock said: “Timebanking deserves much more recognition, so I was delighted to raise the fantastic work of Leith’s Time Bank and the wider network during the debate.
“We all have skills, knowledge and experience to offer that could be beneficial to someone, whether it’s gardening, sewing, simple repairs, language teaching, running errands, tech skills, or whatever it might be.
“Timebanking is a great way for people to exchange expertise without any money changing hands, and it can have such a positive impact on community cohesion and tackling social isolation and loneliness.
“The minister was very complimentary about timebanking and I’ve secured a meeting with him to discuss the concept further. We’ve also had a lot of interest from people keen to learn more and even set up new timebanks in their own area.”
Two-thirds of parents in the UK are worried about their children’s mental health. And rightly so, as 1 in 6 children in the UK are experiencing mental health problems.
When children are anxious and stressed, parents are often anxious and stressed.
That’s why Edinburgh Leisure is taking a whole family approach to wellbeing and empowering employees to support their children’s mental health.
Employees now have access to the Wee Seeds Mini-Minds Wellbeing Toolbox. It’s a programme of fun and easy mindfulness exercises for children, all about bringing calm and connection to families.
Helen Macfarlane, Director of Wellbeing at Edinburgh Leisure said: Encouraging and supporting people’s health and wellbeing is at the heart of what we do at Edinburgh Leisure.
“We deliver a range of wellbeing initiatives to support our customers’ and employees’ health and wellbeing.
!We’re investing in our employees’ mental health. So, we’re taking a whole family approach to mental health and empowering our employees to support their children by giving them access to the @WeeSeeds Mini-Minds Wellbeing Toolbox. Our staff deserve good mental health and so do their children.”
Wee Seeds Founder, Christina Cran, said: “We believe it’s time for employers to take a whole family approach to mental health.
“All the areas of our life, work, home, and social life, intersect with each other. By working on having a calm family environment at home, we can improve all areas of our lives. Calm families, equal calm staff. That’s why we’re delighted to support Edinburgh Leisure with their staff and their families’ wellbeing.
“Our Mini-Minds Toolbox is designed to help shape the next generation’s mental health. The mental health crisis starts with our children, it’s time we tackle that early.”
Mindfulness can help children:
– Focus more easily and be ready to learn – Sleep better – Feel less anxious – Feel more connected to their family – Build resilience – Understand their emotions – Deal with frustration better – Become kinder to others and themselves
These are skills children can use today and for the rest of their lives so we are also investing in the future of the workforce.
As a social enterprise, all profits Wee Seeds makes go back into its social impact programme.
So, by partnering with Wee Seeds, Edinburgh Leisure will also contribute to Wee Seeds’ social impact programme Growing Good, which will support families in poverty or struggling with their mental health to nurture their mental well-being.
To find out more about how Wee Seeds is improving mental health, visit weeseeds.co.uk
First Minister kickstarts conversation to promote a positive vision for a fairer society
First Minister Humza Yousaf has held a roundtable with practitioners and leaders who are working to promote positive masculinity in their broader approach to achieving equality across our communities.
This involves highlighting to boys and men the benefits that positive masculinity can provide for their everyday lives including mental health and wellbeing as well as positive relations. It also includes highlighting the harm that can be caused by negative behaviours associated with ‘toxic masculinity’ which may also manifest itself in sexism, misogyny and abuse or violence against women and girls.
In his Programme for Government speech, the First Minister committed to leading on this issue.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I am committed to leading on this issue as I believe it’s important to have a vision for masculinity that is uplifting and positive so the negative male role models we are all aware of can be challenged.
“If we can promote positive masculinity, then we address deep rooted inequalities in our society, and tackle the root cause of violence against women and girls, namely abusive behaviour perpetrated by men.
“We need to create the safe spaces for boys and men to come together to talk, without judgement about the challenges they face, the anxieties they have and to talk about the positive male identity.
“We need to be aware of the outcomes for boys of not having this: educational outcomes, mental health and relationships can all be affected at both personal and societal level.
“Having a vision of positive masculinity, and adequate support for boys and young men, can support them to have better outcomes, and can also benefit all of society including helping to reduce abuse and violence.
“I look forward to continue working to achieve a vison of a fairer and more equal society.”
A Scottish Parliament committee has expressed its concern with proposals to support people experiencing mental health issues and struggling with debt.
The Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill proposes introducing a “mental health moratorium” – meaning people suffering from poor mental health would be protected from some debt recovery action while their health improved.
However, the Bill proposes that only those subject to compulsory mental health treatment would be protected.
The Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee has called on the Government to extend the criteria to include more people experiencing a mental health crisis, so vulnerable people are not left behind by the new scheme.
Economy and Fair Work Committee Convener Claire Baker said: “The Committee is broadly supportive of this Bill and its aims. The idea of a mental health moratorium will be very helpful to those who need it.
“However, we are concerned that the proposed narrow criteria will mean this Bill does not help enough people, and the Bill should be looked at again with this in mind.
“We are calling on the Scottish Government to extend the criteria to allow more people experiencing a mental health crisis to lean on this support.
“Experts suggested various alternative approaches, and we hope the Government will listen to their views.
“We also believe that this is an opportunity to increase the amount protected for debtors during an earnings arrestment, and further protect vulnerable people from destitution.”
The Committee also criticised the lack of detail around the proposals made available while it was taking evidence.
Crucial information concerning how the moratorium would work was not made available when the Bill was introduced, and more detail won’t be available until the Government sets it out in regulations.
The Committee heard from Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance Tom Arthur that the Government would “endeavour” to produce draft regulations ahead of stage 3.
Ms Baker added: ”The Committee looks forward to working with the Government further on these proposals. The Government has indicated they will bring forward draft regulations, and the Committee will look carefully at these.
“It is vital that the Committee has a chance to scrutinise these regulations before the Bill is passed, so that the detail of these proposals can be fully examined.”
Join us for a series of FREE workshops focused on mental health and wellbeing exclusively for women!
These workshops are designed to equip women with practical tools and strategies, fostering an improvement in their mental health and overall wellbeing. Our expert instructor Rahila Khalid will cover various topics every week, including breathing practices, self-care, coping skills and more.
The event will take place at the Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) starting from Friday, Feb 02, 2024, and run for 4 weeks on every Friday, from 11am-1pm.
Feel free to join us for any session, or attend as many as you’d like.
02 February, from 11am-1pm: Food and Mood, Better Sleep
09 February, from 11am-1pm: Breathing, Mindfulness, Gratitude
16 February, from 11am-1pm: Coping Skills, Thinking Style
23 February, from 11am-1pm: Self-care – 5 ways of wellbeing
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, gain valuable insights, and learn effective techniques to improve your mental health and wellbeing.
Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot today!
More than nine in 10 tradespeople say they or someone they know have been victims of theft
Research shows 88% of those surveyed are concerned about the ongoing issue
Almost a third of tradespeople admit the fear of theft contributes to negative mental health
60% in the industry do not believe mental health is spoken about openly
NFU Mutual is a proud supporter of Samaritans, whose volunteers offer emotional support to anyone who is struggling
More than nine in 10 tradespeople have been targeted by criminals as the fear of theft and violence puts a strain on the industry, alarming stats reveal.
New research* from commercial insurer NFU Mutual found that more than nine in 10 tradespeople (92%) say they or someone they know have been a victim of theft.
In the last 12 months alone, 53% of those surveyed said they had experienced tool or equipment theft, just shy of half had materials pinched, almost three in 10 had a vehicle stolen and 23% were victims of organised crime.
And those figures clearly weigh heavily on those in the industry, with almost a third of tradespeople (29%) admitting that the fear of theft and violence on their business contributes towards difficulties with mental health.
The rising cost of living (42%), financial worries (41%), stress of the job (39%), long hours (35%) and a lack of regular work (33%) were the other factors.
With almost nine in 10 tradespeople concerned about the threat of their equipment being stolen, NFU Mutual is urging workers to remain vigilant.
Zoe Knight, Commercial Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “Theft of tradespeople’s tools or equipment continues to blight the industry and the fact 92% of people surveyed say they – or someone they know – have been a victim speaks volumes.
“Tradespeople rely on this equipment for their income and livelihood, with crime hitting not just their pocket but, as our research shows, also having a huge and negative impact on their mental health.
“To see a third of tradespeople fearing theft or violence in their day-to-day job is worrying and we would urge tradespeople to do all they can to offput the threat of that happening – via security measures and recording serial numbers of equipment.
“We want tradespeople to feel supported and protected should the worst happen and know there is also help available for those struggling.”
A report by Builders Merchants News* revealed in December that texts to a construction charity helpline had seen an increase of 105% after the launch of an initiative to take the mental health message across the UK.
That could pave the way for more open conversations, with NFU Mutual’s survey showing that more than half of respondents believe that mental health isn’t spoken about openly in the trades industry.
While more than three-quarters of tradespeople did say they were confident or fairly confident they would know where to go for support if they were struggling, worryingly, almost four in 10 (36%) said it is unlikely they would seek help if they had mental health problems.
Commercial insurer NFU Mutual is a proud supporter of Samaritans, a charity which offers round the clock emotional support to anyone struggling to cope.
Jason Jaspal, Assistant Director of Business Development at Samaritans, added: “Samaritans offers a listening ear and a safe space to share how you’re feeling 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“It’s vital that tradespeople reach out for support when they are finding life tough, rather than letting things build up and potentially reaching a crisis point. It doesn’t matter what they’re finding challenging, Samaritans is here so they don’t have to face things alone.”
NFU Mutual Risk Management Services is sharing the following advice to tradespeople:
Minimise storage of tools and equipment in vans: a robust, lockable building is preferable. Consider intruder alarms for high value equipment.
If you have to leave tools and equipment in a van, make sure it’s alarmed and, as a minimum, park against a wall so that doors cannot be opened easily.
Don’t make it easy for thieves to guess that equipment is kept inside (a van or a building) e.g. by leaving items on display and leaving tools around which may assist an intruder.
Store portable items within a robust, lockable store that is fixed in place.
Restrict and control vehicular access to the work site.
Consider video security system (temporary systems and temporary intruder alarm systems are available for site use).
Security mark your tools and equipment (e.g. forensic, engraving or permanent marking) to deter thieves and aid recovery.
Don’t stockpile high value materials such as lead and copper or leave them around for longer than necessary.
For construction vehicles use CESAR marking, tracking and immobilisation to prevent and trace thieves.
Check all locks and security measures before leaving any site e.g. alarms switched on, cameras facing the right direction and security lights working.
The myth that the third Monday of January is the ‘most depressing day of the year’ seems to pop up every year and we’ve honestly had enough of it. It’s just a completely made up marketing gimmick – there’s no science to back it up!
Our bad days aren’t for the calendar to decide and people can feel low any time of the year, but checking in with our friends and having a proper chat can make a real difference. It’s a small but mighty way we can all look out for each other
Get your cuppas at the ready, and help us kick the myth of ‘Blue Monday’ to the curb where it belongs by joining us for Brew Monday instead.
Daylight is a free app for people living in Scotland. It’s designed to help people who are experiencing symptoms of worry and anxiety. Try it out by going to
In September this year, our young people held a successful Art Exhibition at the arts venue Out Of The Blue Drill Hall. At the opening event of CREATE TO ESCAPE, the young people sold prints of their artwork and raised just over £600 for for the charity Turn The Tables DJ, which offers workshops to improve mental health for those affected by homelessness.
Following on from the success, there will be an ART POP UP SHOP & DJ evening where some of our young people will be doing a DJ set, demonstrating the fantastic work they have been doing with their Music teacher Hope, here at the Alternative School. There will also be a chance to purchase some of the incredible Artwork by young people.
Wednesday 13.12.23 5-6:30pm
Spartans at 94 Pilton Drive, upstairs in the Robinson Trust Suite
Please come along and support our young people in their final fundraising effort for this worthwhile charity which they chose to support!
0800 83 85 87
breathingspace.scot
Join us for a series of FREE workshops focused on mental health and wellbeing exclusively for women! 
The event will take place at the Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) starting from Friday, Feb 02, 2024, and run for 4 weeks on every Friday, from 11am-1pm. 
02 February, from 11am-1pm: Food and Mood, Better Sleep
09 February, from 11am-1pm: Breathing, Mindfulness, Gratitude
16 February, from 11am-1pm: Coping Skills, Thinking Style
23 February, from 11am-1pm: Self-care – 5 ways of wellbeing
Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot today! 
Brew Monday 
instead.
