Tag: NEN

Edinburgh Art Festival says hello to friends around the world

It was with great sadness that, in April this year, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of Edinburgh Art Festival was cancelled.

Now, as Edinburgh begins to emerge from lockdown and we reflect on a period of unprecedented global change and upheaval, Edinburgh Art Festival have invited ten artists from previous festival editions, to mark the dates of what would have been their 2020 festival (30 July – 30 August).

Ruth Ewan; Ellie Harrison; Tam Joseph; Calvin Z Laing; Peter Liversidge; Tamara MacArthur; Rosalind Nashashibi; Rae-Yen Song; Shannon Te Ao; and Hanna Tuulikki will each present work as part of this August offering.

Combining archival presentations chosen for their resonance in relation to the current context (local and global), alongside specially conceived responses, the selection includes online screenings and live performances, available via the festival website from the 30th July as well as a small number of projects appearing in public sites around the city.

The selection is informed by and seeks to reflect on the profound personal and societal impacts of this global pandemic – as we look to find new ways of communicating and being together; to confront the urgent inequalities in our society; and to imagine new futures.

Above all, the festival is guided by a desire to connect with artists and audiences, as we look forward with optimism to returning next year: 29 Jul to 29 Aug 2021.

Online and Around the City

Ruth Ewan revisits her Sympathetic Magick (2018) project, where she invited magicians to consider how they might use their magic to change the world; with an online presentation of her short film, Worker’s Song Storydeck (devised with magician Billy Reid), and a special poster series devised with magician Ian Saville, calling upon all of us to join together in a ‘mass action for the radical transformation of society’.

Artist and activist Ellie Harrison (2012 and 2014 festival programmes) presents an up-to-date version of her graph showing the Tonnes of carbon produced by the personal transportation of a ‘professional artist’ at a city centre poster site.

Created through the meticulous analysis of the 3,988 journeys she has made over the last 17 years, Harrison makes connections between literal and social mobility and highlights the consequences of our travel choices for our climate, which have come into focus in all our lives during lockdown.

Tam Joseph re-presents The hand made map of the world, first presented as a billboard in the 2014 festival. 

Transforming and subverting the ‘World Political Map’, Joseph playfully renames familiar landmasses (America becomes China; United Kingdom becomes Cuba) to lay bare the destructive quest for territorial control which has dominated geopolitics over the centuries, and critique the supposed ideological neutrality of maps.

Sited on The Meadows, Joseph is drawn to the history of this green space, which in 1886 hosted the International Exhibition of Art, Industry and Science.

Calvin Laing (whose degree show film Calvin and Metro, featured in our 2012 programme) revisits the neighbourhood of his childhood, to present a new online performance Calvin and Jogging.

Reflecting on how lockdown for many has resulted in a return to the family home and memories, as well as taking up reactive activities, the artist explores themes of nostalgia, and the disintegration of public and private space. 

Peter Liversidge revisits his 2013 festival commission Flags for Edinburgh which invited buildings across the city to fly a white flag that reads HELLO.

As we emerge from an extended period of isolation, and look to find new ways to be together, Liversidge invites organisations and communities across Edinburgh, alongside partner August Edinburgh festivals to send a collective greeting to each other and the wider world; with HELLOs flying from rooftops across the city, including libraries, hotels, galleries, museums, consulates, schools and community parks.

Following on from her 2019 Art Late performance at Dovecot Studios, Tamara MacArthur creates a new online performance investigating our desire for closeness and contemporary methods devised to simulate human contact in a time of social distancing.

For It’s All Over But the Dreaming, the artist will perform live from an elaborate theatrical set built in her studio, holding close a hand-made life-size doll, to explore themes of loneliness, yearning and futility in relation to the enforced isolation we have experienced since Coronavirus.

Rosalind Nashashibi shares an online presentation of her two-part film commissioned for the 2019 edition of the festival, following a group of individuals coming together in preparation for an experimental journey into space, to explore the importance of storytelling and love in the building and sustaining of community.

Rae-Yen Song expands on a project for the 2018 festival, to add to an ongoing familial collaboration, Song Dynasty. Presented both online and as a poster at a site in the city chosen for its special connection to the artist’s family, the work draws on autobiography and fantasy to speak broadly and politically about foreignness and the position of the Other, archiving a modern myth that settles and lives through virtual, imagined and public spaces.

Shannon Te Ao’s two screen video installation With the sun aglow, I have my pensive moods, commissioned for the 2017 festival edition, is a poetic meditation on themes of love, grief, sickness and healing. 

Taking its title from a tribal lament composed by Te Rohu (daughter of Tūwharetoa chief, Mananui Te Heu Heu), Te Ao counterposes cinematic references, using footage shot at a number of locations within Te Ao’s tribal lands including some of the farm lands which directly encircle the urupa (familial burial grounds) of Te Ao’s family.

Hanna Tuulikki’s Sing Sign: a close duet, commissioned for the 2015 edition, reflects on that innate human desire to communicate and connect, a vocal and gestural suite devised for the historic ‘closes’ of Edinburgh – the small alleyways that lead off either side of the Royal Mile. Tuulikki also presents a special live performance of an extract from the work on-line, with her collaborator Daniel Padden – looking to the performative possibilities of the digital technology which has become such a critical tool for us all in recent months.

This series of responses has been made possible thanks to the support of The Scottish Government Expo Fund and EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate. 

The festival’s online offering also includes a free art activity series DIY Art – specially designed by artists, inviting children and their parent/carer to get creative at home.

Support for artists in the early stages of their career

Despite the cancellation of the festival this year, we are delighted to confirm that Platform, the festival’s annual showcase supporting artists in the early stages of their careers to make and present new work, returns with a physical exhibition in the Autumn. 

Selected from an open call by artist Ruth Ewan, and curator Sophia Hao, (Cooper Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design), four artists based in Scotland – Rabindranath Bhose, Mark Bleakley, Rhona Jack and Susannah Stark have been selected to take part, with further details being released later in the coming weeks.

Platform: 2020 is made possible thanks to the PLACE Programme, a partnership between Edinburgh Festivals, Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and Creative Scotland.

Black Lives Matter Mural Trail

Edinburgh Art Festival are pleased to also support the Black Lives Matter Mural Trail – a new public trail of artworks by Scottish BAME artists in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, led by creative producer Wezi Mhura. More details will be announced on the festival website shortly.

Galleries start to reopen

As we emerge from lockdown, festival partners are busy making plans to reopen their galleries, studios and production spaces across the city. For further details, click here.

Sorcha Carey, Director, Edinburgh Art Festival said: “It is hard to imagine an Edinburgh without festivals this Summer. We, along with our colleagues in the August festivals, will miss welcoming artists to the city this year and the opportunity to engage with audiences from Edinburgh and around the world – not least because, at a time of such significant global change, art offers a vitally important space for collective reflection, and to imagine new possibilities. 

“I would like to thank all the artists who have so generously agreed to contribute a response to our August offering, and have risen creatively to the challenges of presenting work despite the ongoing restrictions.

“We very much look forward to being back next year, and in the meantime we are sending a hello from Edinburgh to friends across the city and around the world.”

Edinburgh Art Festival returns next year from 29 Jul to 29 Aug 2021 – as always working closely with the festival’s partner galleries, and alongside the extended network of August festivals, to celebrate the work of artists with audiences and communities across the city.

Sorry, I can’t sit my exam – I’ve just had a baby!

Jeshreena now has an MBA as well as a beautiful son!

BUSINESS student Jeshreena Palakkal had a good excuse for failing to turn up for a crucial exam – she had just given birth!

Jeshreena was due to sit the test as part of her MBA in Leadership Practice at Edinburgh Napier University.

However, she had to change her plans after the exam was scheduled for the day she was due to become a mum.

In the event, the heavily-pregnant student felt feverish and her unborn baby’s pulse was high so medics at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary decided to bring him into the world by emergency C-section 10 days early.

And by the time classmates were sweating it out in the exam room, Jeshreena was already getting to know her new son.

Baby Elan recovered well from his premature birth in April 2018 and is enjoying good health.  And now, more than two years on, his mother is celebrating becoming a graduate.

Jeshreena, 25, originally from Kerala, south-west India, but now living in Leith, said: “I couldn’t believe it.  I only had one exam in the whole year, and it turned out to be the day my baby was due.

“Fortunately I was able to delay the exam until the following April, and I was also able to secure extra time to complete written assignments. It has been hard but I have finally made it to the end of my degree journey and I also have a lovely little boy.

“I feel so proud of myself for getting to graduation and also extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to study here and meet such wonderful people. I am planning to stay in Edinburgh.”

Jeshreena found out she was pregnant just days after getting a visa to come to Edinburgh Napier to study for her Masters after taking her first degree in India.

Her husband Hashim persuaded her she should not give up on her academic dream and they came to Scotland together, Jeshreena battling through morning sickness, giving birth then postnatal depression while safety adviser Hashim – who has since then began his own MBA course at Edinburgh Napier – worked night and day to support them.

Jeshreena said: “There were times when I was in extreme pain due to my C-section stitches but I didn’t rest even for a day, with housework and university assignments to do as well as looking after the baby.

“There were days when I had a feeding baby in one hand and with the other I was typing out an assignment on my laptop, but I finally did it with the support of my husband and my wonderful tutors.”

Dr Paul Langford, lecturer in financial services at Edinburgh Napier, said: “Jeshreena has shown admirable resilience in overcoming the obstacles in her way to graduation – gaining her MBA Leadership Practice is an impressive achievement and we wish her well in her future career!”

Next steps in tackling the pandemic

Updated guidance on managing the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been published.

As restrictions ease, the way Scotland deals with COVID-19 is now shifting from containing the virus nationally through lockdown to monitoring and responding to localised outbreaks wherever and whenever they occur.

COVID-19: Surveillance and Response sets out how existing planning arrangements and guidance will be applied to continue to suppress the virus at a national and local level including the timely and co-ordinated sharing of data between key organisations including local health professionals, local authorities and other local responders.

The publication is accompanied by updated Public Health Scotland guidance on the management of public health incidents to reflect the new COVID-19 legislation.

NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect programme will continue to play a significant role in the ability to monitor the ongoing impact of COVID-19 within communities across Scotland.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “As we move into the next phase on easing lockdown restrictions we know that our response to the pandemic also needs to adapt. Monitoring the virus and taking action to suppress transmission is increasingly important.

“Scotland has a world class public health system and our surveillance and response approach, along with NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect programme and local resilience services, will enable us to respond rapidly and collaboratively to any incident or outbreak at a local, regional and a national level.

“Of course, we all need to continue to play our part to reduce the risk of the virus spreading through physical distancing, good hand and respiratory hygiene and the appropriate use of face coverings.

“Though the transmission of the virus in the community is now at much lower levels, we must still ensure that where clusters of cases develop, we find them and act quickly to prevent further spread.

“The rapid and targeted response to the cluster in Dumfries and Galloway by services at both a local and national level demonstrated that Scotland has a well developed and tested approach to the management of public health outbreaks.

“We must all remain vigilant and our surveillance and response approach will ensure that we are ready to react to what lies ahead.”

COVID-19: Surveillance and Response

Heart Research UK Healthy Tip: Healthy picnics

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Healthy picnics

July is National Picnic month and this is a good time to get outdoors to celebrate the warm weather and enjoy some tasty food with friends and family. An outdoor picnic can provide the perfect setting for some fun activities to get your heart pumping.

Make your picnic a healthy one by following our healthy tips:  

Choose a location for your picnic

Plan your picnic in a relaxing spot where you can include a brisk walk or some fun activities, such as a game of frisbee or rounders. Getting plenty of physical activity can help to keep your heart healthy.

Avoid too much fat, salt and sugar

A diet that includes too much salt, fat and sugar is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Instead of taking crisps, salted nuts, sausage rolls, cakes, chocolate and sugary drinks on your picnic, choose healthier options, such as unsalted nuts, lean meat (e.g. chicken breast), fresh fruit and veg, low-fat and low-sugar yoghurts and sugar-free drinks or water. 

Switch to wholegrain

Wholegrain foods are a good source of nutrients, including fibre, which is good for your heart. Try switching from white bread to wholemeal bread for your sandwiches or wholemeal pita or wraps. Salads can include wholemeal pasta or brown rice to
increase your fibre intake.

Pack in the fruit and veg

Pack raw veg sticks, such as carrots celery, peppers, cucumber and sugar snap peas to have with healthy dips, such as low-fat hummus or tzatziki. For a healthy dessert, you could try making a fresh fruit salad or fruit skewers served with low-fat and low-sugar yoghurt.

Find healthy and delicious recipes for your picnic

There are plenty of healthy picnic recipes available online, such as the BBC Good Food Healthy Picnic Recipes:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/healthy-picnic

DEC launches Coronavirus Appeal

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched a Coronavirus Appeal to raise funds to help the most vulnerable communities in the world fleeing from conflict and instability who now face the new deadly threat of Covid-19.

The DEC Appeal aims to protect people from the virus in the world’s five most fragile states, plus Afghanistan, the most fragile state in Asia, and the world’s largest refugee camp, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

The UK-wide appeal is being driven by urgent humanitarian need – but also by “good sense”, Alexander Matheou, British Red Cross, Executive Director of International told journalists at the appeal’s press launch yesterday. “We’re not safe until we’re all safe,” he said. “The world is interconnected. We need to help each other in this time of need.”

Saleh Saeed, DEC Chief Executive, opened the virtual press conference and said that countries such as Yemen, Syria, Somalia and South Sudan have been weakened by years of war and instability and now face a “new, deadly, silent threat”.

In Yemen – where 50% of health services have been destroyed – the World Health Organization says 1 in 4 people who are contracting Covid-19 are dying. Here, the people face a “crisis on top of a crisis”, Oxfam’s Yemen Country Director Muhsin Siddiquey said.

He said Aisha, a young woman in northern Yemen, told his colleagues: “The coronavirus gives us two very cruel choices: to stay home and die from hunger or go out and die from disease.” 

It is the first time that the DEC has launched an appeal for a disaster that has simultaneously affected both the UK and internationally.

The DEC, which appeals for funds in response to overseas humanitarian crises, will help the most vulnerable people in six fragile states: Yemen and Syria; Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo; and Afghanistan, where a total of 24 million displaced people live in crowded temporary shelter.

The appeal also includes the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, which are one and a half times the population density of New York City – but with nothing like the equivalent health facilities or sanitation.

Saeed was joined by panellists from some of the DEC’s 14 member charities, including Action Against Hunger, ActionAid and Oxfam. Speakers included Dr Louisa Baxter, currently in Dhaka, Bangladesh, en route to Cox’s Bazar as part of the Save the Children Emergency Health Unit.

Saeed said: “Here in the UK, we’ve witnessed great suffering and made unprecedented sacrifices to protect each other and save lives. We have seen too the tireless dedication of staff in our amazing NHS.

“But, imagine living in one of the world’s most fragile states – where there is no NHS – and no other safety nets for the very poorest and most vulnerable. 

“Families who have been forced to flee conflict, drought and floods – living in crowded refugee and displacement camps – with little access to clean water, medical care or enough food – now face a new, deadly and silent threat: Covid-19.”

Matheou said there was a triple “hit” creating the biggest humanitarian crises in the world today: pre-existing vulnerability exacerbated by the pandemic; the health impact of the virus itself; and new crises being caused by the secondary economic and social impact of the pandemic.

He said: “People who were already food insecure now face a major hunger crisis. People who were already poor have lost the little income they had. People who were dependent on aid are no longer getting that aid. People who were already at risk of domestic violence are now locked down with the people who threatened them.”

Speaking from Nairobi, Ahmed Khalif, Country Director, Action Against Hunger Somalia said that Somalia – which had already experienced severe droughts, flooding, conflict and locust infestation – was “one step” away from famine. He added that Covid-19 is creating “a perfect storm”, a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions that we have never seen before.

High rates of severe malnutrition, low access to basic services, and weak health systems, already formed a deadly combination in Somalia – and now they face Covid-19. He said his field teams were hearing of far higher cases in the camps than official figures suggested.

Farah Kabir, Country Director, ActionAid Bangladesh, said she was worried that coronavirus would spread like wildfire in the crowded Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, with lack of clean running water, and difficulties with social distancing.

The camps are one and a half times more densely populated than New York City, without any multi-story buildings. It is also in the middle of the monsoon season and it is raining heavily most days causing regular landslides, which could increase transmission of the virus.

She said that people are very fearful because they do not have access to accurate information and many are not coming forward to be tested – they worry they will be deported somewhere like an isolated and flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal, where other refugees have been taken.

“All of us need to come together to support Rohingya refugees, because, if they are not safe, the host communities in Cox’s Bazar will not be safe and all of Bangladesh will not be safe.”

Siddiquey said there was also under reporting and lack of testing facilities in Yemen, so while official figures showed 1,500 cases and 425 deaths, in fact the UK Government estimates there might be as many as 1 million Covid-19 cases.

He painted a picture of living conditions which were incredibly difficult to employ handwashing and social distancing.

He said: “20 million need water and hygiene assistance – with no clean water how can they be expected to keep hands clean? In one camp in southern Yemen in February I saw as many as 7 families members living in a tiny tent 3 x 4 metres – social distancing is not an option for most people.”

The press conference also heard from UK doctor Louisa Baxter, Senior Humanitarian Health Lead at Save the Children, who thanked the DEC for launched the much-needed appeal.

She said that Save the Children was working in Cox’s Bazar to ensure water points are in the right place and that cloth masks are distributed.

Louisa Baxter added: “What Coronavirus has done for me as a doctor is to remind me how terribly and wonderfully interconnected we are, and has exposed the fault lines that the most vulnerable walk every day, the marginalised, those living in conflict, those with food insecurity.”

She said the aid workers were currently trying to understand how the Rohingya community want to be taken care of, “how they want to live, and, when we can’t provide any further care, how they want to die.”

“We have a moment now to remember who we are to each other. And to remember what a child needs in New York or London, they also need in Congo or Afghanistan.”

Saeed paid tribute to the frontline workers in the seven places. “Thanks to all the frontline aid workers and frontline health workers in those countries who are obviously putting themselves at risk in order to save and protect lives.”

The 14 DEC member charities are already present and working in refugee and displacement camps, despite the many challenges presented by the pandemic. But they urgently need more funds to scale up their operations and save lives.

The BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky will be broadcasting appeals in support of DEC fundraising. 

Every pound donated by the UK public will be matched by the UK government through its Aid Match scheme up to the value of £5 million. This support will double the impact of the public’s own donations and will ensure that charities working on the ground can reach more of the world’s most vulnerable people as they face the coronavirus pandemic. 

To make a donation to the DEC Coronavirus Appeal visit www.dec.org.uk  call the 24-hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, or send a cheque. To donate £10 text SUPPORT to 70150. Texts cost £10 and the whole £10 goes to the DEC CORONAVIRUS APPEAL. You must be 16 or over and please ask the bill payer’s permission. For full terms and conditions and more information go to www.dec.org.uk 

Stay up to date with developments on Twitter or on Facebook.

NHS heroes compete in fundraising challenge

Glasgow vs Edinburgh: Cities go head To head in Charity Challenge

Two Scottish charities are going head to head with their latest fundraising challenge, in an attempt to raise vital funds for the children’s hospitals they support.

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity has teamed up with Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity for Lap the Map – a brand new virtual fundraising event which pits supporters from each charity against each other to see who can ‘lap the map’ first.

Lap the Map launched with supporters initially racing in their hundreds to lap the 10,007km-long coastline of Scotland. Due to overwhelming popularity for the event, Team Edinburgh successfully reached the finish line within just a few short days, leading the charities to extend the challenge to take on the world and cover the full distance of the Earth’s equator – a further 40,075km.

An army of over 2,000 participants have already signed up to help each charity lap the world before 31st July.

Both charities are now calling on more people from across Glasgow and the West, and Edinburgh and the East, to sign-up for Lap the Map to raise vital funds, while helping to settle the age-old rivalry over which coast really is the best coast.

Money raised from Lap the Map will directly support NHS staff on the frontline, young patients and their families at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children, and Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

NHS staff from Glasgow’s Paediatric Intensive Care, Physiotherapy and Theatre teams, and Edinburgh’s Emergency Department, Critical Care and Occupational Therapy teams have already signed up to help the children they work to support.

Alyson Walker, Consultant Paediatric Anaesthetist, Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children said: “Our department and patients benefit so much from the work of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, so ‘Team Scrubs’ are determined to fundraise as much as possible. 

“We’ll be changing our scrubs for running gear at every available opportunity to make sure that Team Glasgow laps the map of the world first. Team Edinburgh better watch out – our fantastic Theatres team take great pride in our work, and this challenge will be no exception!”

Judith Montgomery, Physiotherapist at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, (above) said: “During this crisis, things have been very different in the hospital. The team at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity have been there every step of the way, so we want to make our steps count for them.

“We’re challenging ourselves to walk as many kilometres as possible to help us Lap the World first and beat Glasgow!”    

The charities teamed up to create Lap the Map as a result of the ongoing postponement and cancellation of mass participation fundraising events across the country due to the Covid-19 crisis. These events would normally raise tens of thousands for each charity, so an alternative virtual event was created to help plug the gaps in fundraising income.

William McGowan, Head of Fundraising, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity said: “We rely entirely on fundraising and donations to ensure that we can be there for young patients and their families with our life-changing hospital projects and support services.

“It has been wonderful seeing over 1,000 of our incredible supporters showing such determination with their fundraising, and enthusiasm to beat Team Edinburgh to the finish line – it’s no secret that the friendly competition between Glasgow and Edinburgh has been spurring all our team on!

“And while Team Edinburgh may have one the first leg, Team Glasgow is still determined to come out on top so we’re looking forward to welcoming many more supporters to our heroic team, and continuing to raise vital funds for those children in hospital who need us most.”

Victoria Buchanan, Deputy Director of Fundraising, ECHC, said: “We were blown away by the response we received to the initial Lap the Map challenge, with over 1,000 people and NHS heroes signing up to Team Edinburgh. Our team pulled out all the stops, hitting the 10,007km in just three days and raising an incredible £68,000.

“The target was smashed so quickly though and we know our team still has so much more to give, so we are very excited to have extended the challenge to Lap the World. It’s now game on against Glasgow to make sure Team Edinburgh reaches the 50,082km first to prove we are the best team in the world!

“Though we’re all aware of the friendly competition between East and West, our charities share a common goal – to transform the experiences of children and families in hospital. We hope many more people will sign up to the challenge before 31 July to make their kilometres count for their local children’s hospital this summer.”

To enter Lap the Map with Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity visit www.glasgowchildrenshospitalcharity.org.

To enter with Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity visit www.echcharity.org

Capital to light up for Care Home Day 2020

St Andrews House and Victoria Quay in Edinburgh will be lit up in yellow at 6pm tonight to mark Care Home Day.

Care Home Day is an online campaign which aims to raise the profile of care homes across Scotland.

The day is organised by Scottish Care and supported by the Care Inspectorate and the Scottish Government. Together, they are calling for individuals, care providers and partner organisations to join them on social media to share good news stories from their local care homes using the hashtag #carehomeday20.

The day is an opportunity to recognise the crucial role of care homes in our communities and to give thanks to all the care home staff.

The prevalence of COVID-19 makes it especially important to provide recognition to the care home workforce on Care Home Day this year.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has sent a message of thanks to all care hom staff:

This pandemic has highlighted how compassionate and dedicated this workforce is. Coronavirus has significantly impacted care homes, threatening the lives of the staff and residents of care homes across the country. Despite this, staff in care homes have come together to combat this virus, protecting, supporting and caring for our vulnerable residents.

Therefore, Scottish Care wholly welcomes the decision to light up these buildings for Care Home Day. This initiative is also supported by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership. This is a positive token of appreciation and shows support for the care home sector during these unprecedented times.

The buildings will be lit up in the colour yellow, which was chosen to symbolise the flame of a candle. This relates to another initiative by Scottish Care – ‘Candle for Care’, whereby candles are lit every Tuesday at 7pm to express gratitude to all those who provide care and support during the COVID-19 crisis and in memory of all those who have died from COVID-19.

Partnership addresses people going missing from hospitals

A partnership between police and NHS Lothian has been hugely successful in reducing the number of people going missing from healthcare facilities in the Capital.

Between 2014 and 2015 analysis was undertaken by Police Scotland into the time and resource devoted to tracing those who left the grounds of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Western General Hospital.

The average amount of policing hours spent looking for an individual, who goes missing from an acute health unit, is over three hours. This figure rises to 15 and a half hours for those who absconded who go missing from mental health care units.

The analysis by Edinburgh Division officers alongside NHS Lothian staff NHS Lothian staff was used to formulate a strategy in order to address this issue.

As a result, an joint initiative was launched to help dissuade people who were attending hospital from leaving without first notifying staff.

The campaign, which included leaflets and posters for display in prominent locations, outlined what happens when someone goes missing, the associated costs involved and what people could do to ensure that they did not inadvertently become a missing person.

Posters and leaflets were displayed and distributed within these facilities advising the public that if they go missing, then family members, friends and even work colleagues may be contacted to establish their whereabouts.

The literature also provided an overview as to the associated policing costs of a missing person inquiry.

In addition to raising public awareness, information sharing protocols were agreed with NHS Lothian, which enable enhanced risk assessment, allowing us to take a more informed approach when responding to a missing person case. to each case.

Since the launch of this campaign, the number of missing people from hospitals in Edinburgh reduced by 26% in 2019.

Work continues to reduce these numbers further to relieve the burden on frontline policing and spare families from the distress of a loved one going missing.

Chief Inspector Neil Wilson from Edinburgh Division said: “The reasons why a person goes missing are often complex and varied and the purpose of this initiative was as much to understand these issues, as it was deterring people from becoming a missing person.

“We, along with our partners, felt it prudent to inform the public about what actually happens once they are reported missing and what that means for their family, friends and colleagues, as well as the staffing hours incurred by police and NHS staff.

“The support this project has received from NHS Lothian has been outstanding and demonstrates a real commitment to joint working. and they have demonstrated a real commitment to mitigating against people going missing from their premises.

“It is great to see this initiative having such a positive impact, however neither agency will become complacent in our efforts, as we continue to work together to minimise the number of people who go missing from Edinburgh’s hospitals. “

Dr. Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian said, “I would like to thank Chief Inspector Wilson and his team for their continued support, as together we respond to this important issue.”

My Beach Your Beach campaign relaunched at Portobello

Environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, has kicked off its “My Beach, Your Beach” campaign for the third year at Portobello Beach.

Every summer since 2018 the campaign has worked to raise awareness of bathing water quality and the role that people can play, whether on the beach or at home, to protect the sand and sea at Portobello. From feeding gulls to leaving litter and dog mess behind, seemingly simple habits can cause pollution and put both water quality and beach experience at risk.

In previous years, the campaign has been successful in significantly reducing the incidence of litter and dog fouling – with a 55% reduction in litter between the first and second year of the campaign.

My Beach Your Beach will continue to raise awareness of the potential impact on water quality by dog fouling and encouraging gulls by feeding and leaving litter. In addition, this year, My Beach Your Beach aims to ensure that beaches are not negatively impacted by increased use by locals and visitors alike as lockdown eases.

Portobello Beach joins five others selected for the 2020 campaign, all of which have faced challenges in improving the quality of their bathing water as measured by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Research confirms the strong link between behaviour on the land and the cleanliness of the local seawater, so this year the campaign is more poignant than ever, as we see some of our favourite sites facing unprecedented pressures as more people holiday in Scotland, consume more single-use and take-away food and find services, such as toilets and bin provisions, limited.

Paul Wallace, Campaigns and Innovation Manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “We are delighted to be bringing My Beach Your Beach, with a difference, back to Portobello Beach this year. 

At a time when we have all reconnected with our local spaces, and are starting to visit sites further away for leisure, we know that if the sun comes out our beaches could bear the brunt of a wave of anti-social behaviour.

“The 2020 campaign will take community engagement on-line and encourage those who live locally to get involved and celebrate their beach. But we will still be ensuring the campaign has a presence on the beach too – with the familiar campaign artwork appearing on bins and at key business locations.

“We’re calling for people who are #LuckyToLiveHere and love their local beach to get involved and celebrate what is on the doorstep – starting with a call out to share images and stories about the beach they love with us.”

In addition to old campaign favourites like the doggy ambassador competition and business support packs, new activities for 2020 will include surveys for local people to monitor the litter and dog fouling levels, a Young Reporters competition and educational resources that celebrate the beach. 

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “We’re pleased that My Beach, Your Beach will continue to focus on Portobello Beach this year.

“It’s wonderful that we have such a well-loved beach in the city, particularly in recent months, but as we’ve seen lately, the litter and dog fouling that result from its popularity are unacceptable. By involving local people in celebrating their waterfront, this campaign will help spread the word on the impact antisocial behaviour can have on water quality.”

The campaign, funded by the Scottish Government and supported by SEPA, is being led by Keep Scotland Beautiful to sit alongside its Upstream Battle and Clean Up Scotland campaigns and annual Beach Awards.

Find out more about how you can get involved and contribute to the campaign on your local beach at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach  

The right care in the right place

New campaign to help people get the healthcare they need.

People are being asked to continue following the public health guidance issued during the first phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by using their local pharmacy, GP practice, local minor injuries unit or NHS 24 to get advice and help when they need medical care.

A new public information campaign titled ‘Should you go to A&E?’ is being launched to help make sure people continue to get the right care that they need and in the right place.

By continuing to follow public health guidance, people can help ensure Accident and Emergency Departments are ready to quickly treat those who need urgent care from emergency specialists.

The public are asked to continue:

  • using the NHS inform website in the first instance to access advice on common symptoms, guidance for self-help and where to go if further medical care is needed
  • using the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub and Breathing Space telephone helpline to access mental health advice and guidance
  • using NHS 24 and the Out of Hours service when they are too ill to wait for their GP practice to open and provide the clinical advice and help they need
  • going to their local community pharmacy for expert help in treating minor illnesses such as coughs, earache and cold sores, along with common clinical conditions such as Urinary Tract Infections
  • using their local minor injuries unit for non-life threatening but painful injuries such as a deep cut, a broken or sprained ankle or a painful burn injury
  • contacting and using their local GP practice during the day for an appointment or over the phone advice

Accident and Emergency Departments remain open for emergency care, with public health measures in place to protect staff and patients.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “During this first phase of the pandemic you have followed our guidance closely and when you needed medical care you used your local pharmacy, GP practice, local minor injuries unit or you called NHS 24 for medical and mental health advice and help.

“As we safely and carefully resume NHS Scotland, we need you to continue to do this. We need you to continue to access the right care you need and in the right place.

“While the NHS is there for you, we don’t all need to go to accident and emergency as for many of us, it is not the right place for the care we need. Sometimes self-help may be the quickest way to resolve your health problem and the NHS Inform website provides advice on common symptoms and guidance for self-help.

“Our Clear Your Head website also provides specific advice to support mental health. The campaign we are launching will help ensure you have the information you need to get the care you need, closer to home, and often with no waiting time at all.

“In an emergency you should always call 999 or go to your nearest accident and emergency department. By continuing to do what we have been doing throughout this pandemic, we will continue to help our doctors and nurses, and ensure accident and emergency provides the fastest and often lifesaving care for people when they really need it.”

Vice President of Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland Dr David Chung said: “People in Scotland have responded fantastically during the COVID-19 pandemic and they have played an important role in helping to protect NHS Scotland by using their local emergency department in a sensible way.

“We want to make it easier for patients to be seen in a way that keeps everyone safe. This may mean that making one visit rather than several, and ensuring you access the service you really need, rather than the one that happens to be open at that time.

“To help us do that, we would ask you to use NHS advice lines or online resources. Accident and Emergency Departments remain completely open for emergencies as we have throughout the pandemic, and we know patients who need emergency care are not staying away anymore. We have got the balance right but we need people to use emergency services sensibility to prevent new infections arising.”

Pharmacist and Director of Operations for Community Pharmacy Scotland Matt Barclay said: “The vast majority of the public have been understanding with the safety measures put in place and have continued to access the expertise of community pharmacy teams throughout this pandemic.

“It has been a challenge for everyone however the community pharmacy network in Scotland will continue to deliver for the public in any way we can. For any minor illnesses and queries around medicines we would encourage people to think ‘Pharmacy First’ and the pharmacist will do what they can to appropriately support patients through advice, referral if necessary or treatment.

“By doing this we know we can support patients and the wider NHS by playing our part as accessible healthcare professionals, making sure people receive the right care in the right place.”

To help keep everyone safe, the public are being asked to seek medical advice online at NHS inform, call NHS 24, speak with the GP practice or contact their local pharmacy or minor injuries unit who can also help and prescribe treatment.

Anyone with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 should not attend A&E and must adhere to public health advice. They should contact the NHS to arrange to be tested – either online at NHS Inform, or by calling 0800 028 2816.