Tag: NEN

First Minister braced for “biggest step so far”

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Tuesday 14  July):

Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s briefing. I want to start by providing my usual update on the most recent Covid-19 statistics for Scotland.

An additional three positive cases were confirmed yesterday – that takes the total now in Scotland to 18,368.  

A total of 616 patients are currently in hospital with the virus – either confirmed or suspected. That is 67 more than yesterday, and it includes a reduction of eight in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 12 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That is six more than yesterday, but the increase is all in suspected cases. As of now, although these things are always subject to change, there are only two patients in ICU in the whole of Scotland with confirmed Covid .

And since 5 March, a total of 4,131 patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 have been able to leave hospital.

I am glad to say that during the last 24 hours, no deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having Covid-19.  The total number of deaths, under this particular measure, therefore remains 2,490.

Today is the sixth day in a row in which zero deaths have been registered. It is also the first Monday when no deaths have been registered since 10 March, which as you know is before lockdown started.

Tomorrow, of course, National Records of Scotland will publish their weekly report on Covid deaths, which uses a broader measurement than our daily figures.

And even as the daily numbers of Covid deaths decline to very low levels, it is still important to remember the overall impact the virus has had. My thoughts, once again, are with everyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one.

In addition, as I always do, I want to thank our health and care workers. The entire country is grateful to you for everything you do.

That of course, includes the care home staff who do us the honour of coming to Scotland from overseas to work here – including the 6-8% of our care home workers who come from other countries within the EU.

In my view, it is essential that care home workers are included in any scheme for post- Brexit work visas. The Scottish Government will continue to make strong representations on that point to the UK Government. 

I also want to pay tribute today to staff in local authorities across the country. During this pandemic, council workers have continued to deliver essential services in very difficult conditions.

They have also worked closely with Scottish Government on vital issues such as housing homeless people, paying business grants, providing education hubs, and much, much more. In doing so, they have protected vulnerable people, and provided help for those who need it. That effort has been – and continues to be – hugely appreciated.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health will speak in a few minutes about our new “Right Care, Right Place” campaign, which encourages you to get help and treatment from the most suitable source.

That could be from the NHS inform website, your community pharmacy, your GP – or a minor injuries unit or even accident and emergency. Then the CNO will say a few further words about face coverings.

Before then I have two issues I want to update you on. As you know, tomorrow, sees a further reopening or resumption of many important services. In fact tomorrow marks the biggest step so far out of lockdown and I’ll come back to that at the end of my remarks.

From tomorrow the tourism sector can reopen, as can venues such as museums, galleries and cinemas; indoor hospitality can start up again; hairdressing services resume; faith services can restart; and the childcare sector is fully open once again.

The Scottish Government is publishing two new pieces of guidance today – both of which can be found on our website – which are directly linked to those steps.

We have published guidance for places of worship, which provides information on how they can ensure the safe resumption of congregational services. The guidance provides detailed information on issues such as physical distancing, cleaning, and the maximum group size of 50 which we are currently permitting for services.

I know that the resumption of communal prayer and worship is something that has been long awaited by many people of all faiths. Today’s guidance will I hope be useful in enabling such services to take place as safely as possible from tomorrow.

The second piece of guidance – which is relevant to places of worship, as well as many other venues – gives advice to businesses and organisations about the collection and retention of customer, visitor and staff data.

The guidance applies to all sectors where there could well be a high level of interaction between people who do not know each other. That could be through close contact between staff and customers – like at the hairdressers –  or because a relatively large number of people are in a confined space for long periods – such as in restaurants, bars or other settings, including places of worship.

The guidance covers a range of issues – for example it makes clear that employers should save staff rotas, and have up-to-date contact details for employees. They should also ensure that their booking systems and ticketing methods allow contact tracers to locate and notify customers.

It’s maybe worth stressing that data collection is not – and cannot be – a replacement for other safety measures. Other precautions will continue to be vital – such as physical distancing, ensuring a good air flow, and wearing face coverings if physical distancing is more difficult.

But data collection is very important. It means that customers or staff can be notified, if they come into contact with somebody who is subsequently found to have Covid. It is therefore crucial to our Test and Protect System. And it is one of the measures which we hope will build public and staff confidence, as more and more premises reopen.

So I would encourage all businesses to read today’s guidance, and to consider very carefully whether their plans follow its recommendations.

And I would urge all customers to accept, that if you want to go somewhere like a hairdresser, or a place of worship, or a pub, you will be asked to provide contact details.

You should co-operate with anyone who asks you to do that. In fact, if you aren’t prepared to provide contact details, you probably shouldn’t go to these places. You could be putting others at greater risk.

Today’s guidance is in the best interests of businesses and of the public. All of us have a shared interest in making it work.

Because of that, the guidance on data collection is a good example of a wider point I make very regularly.

As we get out and about a bit more, there are some new constraints or responsibilities that we will sometimes have to accept as individuals, which will enable all of us as a society to enjoy a less restricted lifestyle.

Wearing face masks – as shops open up and as public transport services get a bit busier – is one example of that. So is providing contact details as indoor hospitality and other services reopen. Measures such as these will allow us to interact a bit more, while still protecting ourselves and each other.

So please, follow these rules. And remember more generally that sticking to the public health advice is more important now – as we try to open up more services – than it has been at any previous time.

The changes that come into force tomorrow are the highest risk changes so far since we started to come out of lockdown, because many of them involve indoor activity and we know that the risk of the virus spreading indoors in a pub for example is significantly higher than outdoors .

We also see that in some other parts of the world these kinds of places are already being shut down all over again, because transmission has increased. Just last night the state of California shut all its bars, cinemas, restaurants and museums all over again.  

We here are perhaps more cautions in the timing of some of these changes than others. We have waited until infection levels are very low before opening up these kind so of places, but that doesn’t remove the risk. And I want to be clear today what our very immediate risk is so we can all play a part avoiding it.

You might be hearing in the media today warnings about the scale of a second wave of Covid and I can assure you that is a risk we take very seriously and we absolutely must do everything we can to mitigate against it.

But our most immediate risk is not a second wave, it’s the resurgence of the first wave. It has taken four painful months, but it is lockdown that has allowed us to stop the first wave in its tracks. By putting ourselves in lockdown, we put the virus in lockdown.

But I ask you to remember this, as we release ourselves from lockdown we also release the virus from it. So we have to work in other ways to keep it under control.

That is why we keep stressing our public health campaign – the Facts that we are asking everyone to not just remember, but live our lives by. It summarises the five key things all of us should remember in everything we do.

  • Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport. Anywhere that physical distancing is more difficult you should wear a face covering.
  • Avoid crowded places, whether indoors or outdoors.
  • Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
  • Two metre distancing remains the general rule.
  • and Self isolate, and book a test if you have symptoms. You can go to the NHS Inform website to book a test. Don’t wait to see if you feel better, book a test immediately and self-isolate.

By remembering those five basic measures, we don’t eradicate the risk completely because with a virus that is not possible, but we will minimise the risk of the virus getting out of control again as we take this next step, so I appeal to you for your continued cooperation in all of that.

My thanks to all of you for your cooperation and to all of you for listening.

Face coverings to be mandatory in England’s shops and supermarkets from 24 July

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has updated Westminster about plans to make face coverings mandatory in English shops and supermarkets from 24 July.

Thank you very much Mr Deputy Speaker, and with permission, I would like to make a statement about coronavirus.

Thanks to one of the greatest national efforts in peace time, this deadly virus continues to diminish.

Yesterday’s figures show 530 new cases, down 90% since the peak.

162 patients are currently in mechanical ventilator beds with coronavirus – down around 95% since the peak.

The latest number of deaths recorded in all settings across the UK is 11 – the lowest figure since 13 March.

And according to today’s ONS data, for the third consecutive week, total deaths are lower than normal for this time of year.

Due to this substantial progress, we have been able to restore freedoms and carefully and methodically restore the fabric of this country.

However, we cannot let our progress today lead to complacency tomorrow and so we must remain vigilant to keep this virus under control.

Our strategy is to protect the NHS, get the virus down, and keep the virus down, while restoring as much of normal life as possible and our tactic is to replace national lockdown with ever more targeted local action as we work hard to defeat this virus once and for all.

Our NHS Test and Trace system gets stronger all the time and since launch 6 weeks ago, 144,000 people have now been asked to self-isolate, who otherwise simply wouldn’t have known that they had to.

Where we find clusters or outbreaks we take local action – tackling over 100 incidents a week. Mostly these are small, in an individual care home, or pub, or factory. But we are also prepared to take action on a wider basis if that’s what it takes, just as we did in Leicester.

Four permanent test sites and 10 Mobile Testing Units have been deployed across the city, meaning that Leicester now has the highest rate of testing in the country.

We have launched one of the biggest communications programmes that Leicester has ever seen – including targeted social media posts, website banners, radio ads, billboards and even bin stickers. And we have been working closely with all parts of the local community, including community leaders, local businesses, and the local football and cricket clubs, to get the message out.

We’ve also established a process for making decisions to lift the lockdown, with the first decision point later this week.

Mr Deputy Speaker, local action is one way in which we control the spread of the virus, while minimising the economic and social costs.

Another is to minimise the risk as we return more to normality. In recent weeks, we have reopened retail and footfall is rising. We want to give people more confidence to shop safely, and enhance protections for those who work in shops.

Both of these can be done by the use of face coverings. Sadly, sales assistants, cashiers and security guards have suffered disproportionately in this crisis.

The death rate of sales and retail assistants is 75% higher among men, and 60% higher among women than in the general population. So as we restore shopping, so we must keep our shopkeepers safe.

There is also evidence that face coverings increase confidence in people to shop.

The British Retail Consortium has said that together with other social distancing measures, face coverings can make shoppers feel even more confident about returning to the high street. And the Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses has said that small firms know that mandatory face coverings have a part to play, and I quote, “in the nation’s recovery both physically and financially”… And that he is “sure this [measure] will be welcomed”.

We have therefore come to the decision that face coverings should be mandatory in shops and supermarkets.

Last month, we made face coverings mandatory on public transport and in NHS settings.

This has been successful in giving people more confidence to go on public transport and to a hospital setting when they need to.

Providing people with additional protection when they are not able to keep 2 metres from others, particularly people they do not normally come into contact with.

Under the new rules, people who do not wear a face covering will face a fine of up to £100, in line with the sanction on public transport and just as with public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.

The liability for wearing a face covering lies with the individual.

Should an individual without an exemption refuse to wear a face covering, a shop can refuse them entry and can call the police if people refuse to comply, the police have the formal enforcement powers and can issue a fine.

This is in line with how shops would normally manage their customers and enforcement is of course a last resort, and we fully expect the public to comply with the rules as they have done throughout the pandemic.

I want to give this message to everyone who has been making vital changes to their daily lives, for the greater good.

Wearing a face covering does not mean that we can ignore the other measures that have been so important in slowing the spread of this virus.

Washing your hands. Following the rules on social distancing and just as the British people have acted so selflessly throughout this pandemic, I have no doubt they will rise to this once more.

Mr Deputy Speaker, as a nation, we have made huge strides in getting this virus, which has brought grief to so many, under control.

We are not out of the woods yet.

So let’s all of us do our upmost to keep this virus cornered, and enjoy summer safely.

And I commend this statement to the House.

Henderson’s to close

We have some extremely sad news: it is with a very heavy heart that the Henderson family took the decision earlier this month to close the doors of Hendersons of Holyrood & Hendersons of Hanover after 58 years in trading.

As a family-run business since the beginning, the shop/deli first opened in 1962, driven by Janet Henderson who 30 years earlier had discovered during her travels in Europe about the benefits of an organic and vegetarian diet. She and her husband Mac then brought this to life on their farm with an organic market garden in East Lothian. Mac Henderson lived to the ripe old age of 101.

As Covid 19 took hold in February/March 2020, this had a very detrimental effect on the business in terms of both footfall and revenue. Covid 19 hit us at a hard time, as we were just coming out of the quieter winter months, looking forward to Easter, summer trading and Edinburgh Festival.

The Government’s resistance to close hospitality businesses until late March meant that by this time our restaurant & deli business closed, we had haemorrhaged a serious amount of money leaving us in a very weak position.

The furlough scheme was a life-line with some hope but still came at a cost with 40 employees, plus we still had essential fixed operating costs, insurance, rent, utilities – with very high monthly outgoing costs and no income coming in – the current situation was unsustainable.

We opened the shop/deli for a month, providing a food/vegetable box delivery and click & collect service. Unfortunately, the city centre is bereft of footfall as virtually no passers-by, tourists or office workers, thus it was impossible to continue operating at a loss.

If our location was in a neighbourhood area it might have been a different story and if we had more of a strong online presence or wholesale trade, perhaps we could have pushed through and come out the other side.

Due to the uncertainty of the future of hospitality, lack of guidance from the Government and ongoing restrictions, there was no realistic prospect of us returning to any kind of normality in the foreseeable future.

As a family, this has not been an easy decision and we are absolutely devastated to be in this situation, outwith our control. The three restaurants and deli will not re-open.

Our family has been privileged to play our part in Janet and Mac Henderson’s great adventure that has been so well supported over the years.

It has been a very difficult decision for us and the Henderson family would like to thank our loyal customers, brilliant suppliers and lovely staff over the past 58 years and we will miss being part of what was Edinburgh’s bustling restaurant scene, which we hope will return in the not too distant future.

Local salon goes the extra mile ahead of re-opening tomorrow

SESH Hairdressing in Leith has gone above and beyond standard requirements to ensure the health and safety of their clients and team ahead of reopening tomorrow (Wednesday 15th July).

Following the enforced closure since March, the salon is a different space than it was pre Covid-19 and they have implemented processes to ensure safety and minimise impact on the environment.

The team supported local Edinburgh based company, Be Safe, by having branded fabric face coverings made for the team. These Breathe Easy masks will keep the salon team safe and ensure all clients remain protected. The face masks can be washed after use to minimise waste from disposable masks. In addition to this all team members will wear face shields.

The salon is known for their caring nature and going above and beyond to ensure an enjoyable experience for their clients. It was important to SESH Hairdressing to make sure the salon visit remained a luxurious experience and believed the standard issue plastic capes which are popular post Covid-19 would hinder this.

To combat this, SESH have decided to have laundry installed in the salon which means clients will still receive the soft gown they were used to prior to the closure. All gowns will be laundered after one use, and this will dramatically reduce the waste SESH dispose of. Not only is this initiative in the interest of clients, it is also in the interest of the environment.

An extension of this caring approach which is instinctive to SESH Hairdressing and Salon Owner, Simon Hill is the avoidance of any surcharges as they reopen. It is apparent lots of salons are adding a Covid-19 charge to their clients bill to cover the cost of the required PPE.

SESH Hairdressing believes this to be within their duty of care for their clients and team and therefore will not be adding any charge to their bills. Instead a small fee between £2 – £6 will be added for any additional work involved due to the overdue nature of the appointments.

In order to make the new normal easy for clients to adapt to and understand, SESH have been using their social media channels to communicate a clear visual of what clients can expect. This will continue into the salon with clearly marked ‘SESH Sanitise Stations’ throughout the salon and clear markers through the salon to ensure clients keep a safe distance and adhere to the guidelines set out by government.

Salon Owner, Simon Hill commented: “The salon reopening is long awaited and myself and the team are all so excited to get back to doing what we love. We have taken the necessary steps to make the salon as safe as possible.

“As we believe strongly in our duty of care to our clients, we have also gone the extra mile to protect the team and clients. This also led to our decision to avoid any Covid-19 surcharges as we feel it is our responsibility to safely proof the salon for their enjoyment.”

To book an appointment at the salon you can call 0131 555 0708 and visit their Instagram page @seshhairdressing.

Breast cancer screening to resume next month

Patients will receive letters to reschedule appointments

The Breast Screening Programme which was paused in March because of coronavirus (COVID-19) is to resume safely and carefully from 3 August.

Anyone who was invited for a breast screening appointment before the pause, who was unable to attend for any reason or had an appointment cancelled will receive a letter in the coming weeks.

There will be no change to the screening test itself, however additional measures have been introduced to allow breast screening to take place in a safe environment. Staff will wear necessary personal protective equipment and appointments will be staggered to ensure waiting areas are quieter, allowing staff and patients to adhere to physical distancing.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Pausing the adult national screening programmes was one of a series of difficult decisions we have had to make in responding to the impact of COVID-19. I am delighted breast cancer screening is resuming and I would urge everyone to attend their appointment, as screening can find early signs of cancer.

“The continued efforts we are making to limit the spread of the virus have allowed us to restart the national breast screening programme in line with expert clinical advice and the recommendations of the Scottish Screening Committee, as part of the planned safe and incremental remobilisation of NHS Scotland.

“The safety of patients and staff will continue to be our priority as all of the national screening programmes restart and expand. I want to reassure you that we are taking these precautions so that we can safely offer the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”

Marion O’Neill, Head of External Affairs (Devolved Nations) at Cancer Research UK, said: “It is great news that breast cancer screening services in Scotland are returning. Although breast cancer screening has both benefits and harms, we know cancer screening programmes saves lives.

“There may be some changes to what happens at your appointment because of COVID-19 and your results may be delayed, so it’s more important than ever that you read the information provided. Ask at your appointment how long it might take and who to contact if you haven’t heard in that time.

“It is important to remember that screening is for healthy people with no symptoms. If you notice any unusual changes to your body that don’t go away, talk to your doctor.”

More information on the national screening programme is available on NHS Inform.

Restrictions eased as families welcome new arrivals

New and expectant mums in Lothian can now enjoy some family support as some of the national restrictions around maternity services begin to ease.

Pregnant women and women who have just welcomed a new baby into the world will be able to share the precious moments with some of their friends or family.

Until now, national guidance to keep mums and babies safe and to minimise the risk of COVID-19 has meant restrictions on the number of people attending maternity services.

However as from yesterday, expectant mums can now have one additional visitor as well as one birth partner, if requested, to support them whilst in labour.

Women will also be able to have a designated visitor, as well as their birth partner, to visit them whilst in the maternity ward.

Birth partners have also been advised that they can now attend with pregnant partners for ante-natal ultrasound scanning appointments.

Frances McGuire, Chief Midwife, NHS Lothian said:  “We know how hard the restrictions have been for women and their partners during these most important life events and our team have tried to ensure that the experience has been as positive as possible during this pandemic.

“Our priority remains the safety of mothers and their babies, and we are very much looking forward to safely welcoming more Lothian visitors to meet our new mothers and babies.”

Ultrasound scanning departments in Lothian will do their utmost to allow one birth partner to be present at the appointment.

Waiting area capacity is still severely restricted due to the requirement for physical spacing of seating to comply with social distancing guidance. Only the one person will be able to accompany the patient into the waiting area and for the scan.

Radiology Services are planning to adjust ultrasound scanning appointment times and are assessing waiting area capacity to improve access.

Birth partners and visitors must wear a face covering at all times and maintain physical distancing where possible.

Everyone must also adhere to strict hand hygiene measures and use the alcohol gel provided.

Visiting can be arranged with ward staff on a daily basis as numbers will have to be managed due to the ward capacity and social distancing guidelines.

Bereaved through violence but grieving Hazina gets her BA

“The ups reminded me where I wanted to go, and the downs pushed me to get there”

A STUDENT who lost five family members to violent crime in two months has told how she battled through grief to graduate with distinction from Edinburgh Napier University.

Hazina Alladin’s world was turned upside down by the deaths of two cousins, a cousin-in-law, an uncle and his wife in two separate home invasion robberies in her home country of Trinidad.

She admits the murders brought her “to her knees”, and led to her ignoring her mental and emotional health as she threw herself into the demands of both her day job and study programme.

Hazina credits the university’s Wellbeing & Support online pages with helping her eventually come to terms with her grief, anger and disbelief, as well as her Christian faith, confidence-boosting voluntary work and creative hobbies like photography and dancing.

Now she has learned that she has graduated from Edinburgh Napier with a BA with Distinction in Business & Enterprise.  Despite the family tragedies in her Caribbean homeland, she achieved merits and distinctions for all of her assignments on the online course.

Hazina, 28, who was also elected Online Programme Representative at the university, said: “Coping with my losses while working full-time, volunteering, studying for a degree and being away from my family was indeed challenging. However, I realised I needed both the peaks and the valleys to keep moving forward. The ups reminded me where I wanted to go, and the downs pushed me to get there.”

The first incident happened in Penal, south Trinidad, in August last year.  While working on a course assignment, Hazina learned in a call from her mother that two cousins and one of their wives had been found dead in their house with gunshot wounds and cuts to their throats.

She said: “I fell to my knees and cried uncontrollably.  I screamed the word ‘no’ for hours until my voice was gone. It was absolutely heartbreaking.”

Two months later, a retired uncle and his wife were killed in a violent home invasion in Central Trinidad. A 24-year-old suspect was later arrested after being spotted driving their stolen vehicle.

In the weeks that followed, Hazina experienced outbursts of grief but also began following processes that helped her create space for herself.

She said: “I was afraid that these tragic events would affect my ability to continue learning.

“Grief made everything feel like an extra effort, whether it was making friends or submitting work, but there were plenty of resources available at Edinburgh Napier to help me work though my feelings.  The Wellbeing & Support site was extremely helpful. I explored books on the Shelf Help section and strategies to reduce pain and boost my ability to cope.

“I also enjoyed networking with Edinburgh Napier’s global community of students, and the online programme rep role was a big help in this. It involved keeping abreast of student issues on our degree programme, representing students’ interests and addressing issues that impacted on the quality of their experience at the university.”

Now Hazina – who earlier studied at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School – is putting what she learned from her one-year online course at Edinburgh Napier to good use in her current job with a property development firm in New York City, where she has lived for four years.

She said: “I was offered a position as Administrator just two months after enrolling at Napier. I am responsible for coordinating office activities in compliance to company policy and procedure. Now, I can better relate to the company after learning about business plans and how to calculate the return on the investments a company makes and how different business models work.

“I’ve found that when you are able to apply the material and talk about how it relates to life today, you’re much more able to remember it. It’s almost like your brain presses an ‘on’ switch and you start to absorb the material better because you are at least partially invested in it.”

Dr Kingsley Omeihe, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Edinburgh Napier’s Business School, said: “Hazina is an outstanding, dedicated and talented student.

“Achieving a distinction is an impressive feat, and the fact that she has been able to do as well as she has, given the circumstances, says a lot about her. Her personal qualities are as impressive as her intellectual accomplishments.”

A New Heart for an Empty Theatre

Leith Theatre is delighted to announce that they have begun a partnership with new community interest company, ‘Empty Kitchens Full Hearts,’ to feed those in need during the Covid crisis and beyond.

The Thomas Morton Hall has been transformed into a bustling food storage, drop-off and packing centre and the attached kitchens, which are generally not in use, have once again found their calling, as a team of professional chefs work round the clock to prepare a selection of healthy foods for free delivery and takeaway.

Empty Kitchens Full Hearts started out in April as a response to Covid-19 directly affecting vulnerable people who already had limited access to food. Using food donated by supermarkets, charities and individuals, and utensils and catering equipment given by closed kitchens and restaurants, the team have already sent out 86,456 free meals.

Leith Theatre, which has recently closed the doors in a bid to protect itself against the financial impact of Covid-19, sought out a collaboration with Empty Kitchens Full Hearts in order to continue doing the only thing possible in the current situation; steadfastly support the community it is at the heart of.

To date, Empty Kitchens Full Hearts have distributed 10,158 nutritious meals completely free of charge from Leith Theatre. A hot food takeaway offering is now available between 11:30-12:30 and 16:30-17:30 every day, seven days a week for those unfortunately unable to reheat food themselves. This will now be served from the main entrance porch at Leith Theatre with access at the main gates clearly marked.

Lewis McLachlan, founder of the initiative, said, “All of the meals are cooked from scratch by professional catering staff who have either lost their jobs or been on the furlough scheme and are giving their time for free, alongside an army of volunteers packing and delivering.

“There is no sign that the need for this service is slowing down. At the start of May we were providing 4000 meals per week and less than two months later this has doubled to over 8000 with the week beginning the 13th of July forecast at 11,000.

“I believe these numbers are only going to get higher and moving into the Thomas Morton Hall is a key element for us to be ready to help more as people need it.”

Lynn Morrison, Executive Director at Leith Theatre, said, “When we heard that they were looking for a new kitchen, we knew that this worthwhile enterprise was something that would fit with our ethos and would be the perfect silver lining to the cloud of our closure.

“It is a way of supporting our community in a very proactive, visible way and something we are able to do despite being shut to the public until 2021.

“Having the building shut and sealed was never going to be something that sat well with Leith Theatre and I feel very much that by offering our kitchen, hall and outside space for this project, it acts as a natural companion to our highly successful foodbank, stationery and mask material collections.

“I am excited to collaborate with this wonderful team of tenacious chefs and volunteers and welcome them to the Leith Theatre family.”

If you or anyone you know is struggling with safe access to food, please contact the team on food.ekfh@gmail.com / 07895 347157.

Although the majority of the food donated would otherwise go to waste, and the project is run by volunteers, there are still costs involved; packaging, fuel, PPE and the additional running costs associated with such a huge operation.

Together, Leith Theatre and Empty Kitchens Full Hearts will continue to transform donated food into full meal packs, ensuring access to nourishment for all, and wasting nothing so that others may want for nothing.

Donations to Empty Kitchens Full Hearts can be made here:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/emptykitchens

Twitter: @EmptyKitchens

Donations to Leith Theatre here: https://www.justgiving.com/leiththeatretrust

Twitter: @LeithTheatre

BBC launches Tiny Happy People initiative

The BBC has launched Tiny Happy People, a five-year initiative backed by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, to support parents and carers in developing the language and communication skills of 0-4 year old children.

  • Initiative backed by HRH Duchess of Cambridge who says Tiny Happy People resources are ‘gold dust’ for parents
  • Range of free online tools including fun activities, videos, articles and quizzes launched to support development of under-fives language and communications skills
  • Celebrities on board include Jenny McAlpine, Kieron Richardson, JB Gill, Jess and Dom Lever, Annie Price and Louise Pentland

At the heart of the initiative is a simple message – talk to children from as early an age as possible.

Tiny Happy People offers a wide range of free films, articles, quizzes and parenting tips that have been specially designed with experts to help to nurture children’s language right from pregnancy.

To help launch the initiative, Her Royal Highness recently met with families involved to hear about their experiences of parenting, their contribution to the campaign and how the Tiny Happy People resources and activities have been helping them.

One of the parents she spoke with, Ryan, and his 8 month old daughter Mia, explained how Tiny Happy People had helped him to identify that Mia has five different cries.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast’s Louise Minchin, The Duchess said: “He’s learnt a huge amount from Tiny Happy People… It’s information like that I wish I had had as a first time mum, it’s gold dust really for families to be given those tips and tools to be able to use, particularly in those first five years.”

The Duchess also spoke of the help that parents receive following their baby’s birth from midwives and health visitors, but that there is a then a gap before they start school which is where they really need the support from initiatives such as Tiny Happy People.

The full film of The Duchess meeting with the families can be seen on BBC Breakfast from 6am this morning.

Her Royal Highness has been involved with Tiny Happy People for a number of months, having visited the Tiny Happy People team last November to take part in development sessions and to learn more about the production process.

The Duchess helped in the character and background development for two animations on parenting, which are now available on the Tiny Happy People website about making eye contact with babies and singing to babies.

Recognising the significance of the project to supporting parents as they guide their children through the earliest years of life, The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will collaborate with the BBC as they develop and roll out Tiny Happy People.

Also supporting the initiative are a number of celebrities who are using the activities to build their own infants’ communication skills. The celebrity parents involved are soap stars Jennie McAlpine and Kieron Richardson; singer and farmer JB Gill; former Love Islanders, Jess and Dom Lever; BBC Three presenter Annie Price; and Louise Pentland, who was voted the UK’s favourite mum influencer last year.

The free digital resources being offered by Tiny Happy People are easy to use and incorporate into everyday routines.

The short films, articles and quizzes cover, in a bitesize way, the science behind baby brain development. There are lots of fun activities to do with both babies and toddlers to support language development and parent well-being along with great tips for new and soon-to-be parents.

Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, says: “We couldn’t be more proud of the part we’re playing in this amazing partnership. Growing up happy and healthy is the greatest gift we can give to any child.

“This campaign embodies our mission to inform, educate and entertain. The BBC has created hundreds of videos and written content that we hope will make a real difference.”

James Purnell, BBC Director, Radio & Education, says: “Early years language provides the foundation for all aspects of a child’s life – right into adulthood.

“Tiny Happy People is a major, long term education commitment from the BBC to help close the under-fives language and communication gap and help give kids the best chance in life. We’re all so proud of it and look forward to seeing parents and carers from across the UK using the materials.”

Evidence shows that more than 1 in 4 children (27%) in England do not reach the necessary level of literacy development (language, communication and literacy skills) by the time they start primary school, rising to more than 1 in 3 (42%) in deprived areas. The picture is similar across all nations of the UK.**

Research also shows that once children start behind, they stay behind, affecting performance in school, job prospects and even life expectancy.

However, evidence also shows that parents and carers can make a big difference if they’re supported in the crucial early years – and if children develop language and communication skills before they start school, they have every opportunity to thrive.

Working with a coalition of partners, BBC Education through Tiny Happy People has the ambition to make a significant contribution to halving the number of children in the UK who do not reach the required developmental outcomes in literacy by the end of their reception year.

Those partners include academics, healthcare professional bodies, The Royal Foundation, Public Health England, The National Literacy Trust, The Education Endowment Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund and KPMG.

All of Tiny Happy People’s resources are rooted in evidence and have been developed with the help of leading experts in the fields of child and language development to ensure parents and carers are being offered the best advice.

They include The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, The Institute of Health Visiting, The Royal College of Midwives, I CAN, early years practitioners through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and speech and language academics at The University of Liverpool, University of Sheffield, and LuCiD.

For more information about Tiny Happy People, please visit the website and follow on Instagram.

As part of Tiny Happy People’s launch, CBeebies Bedtime Stories will be broadcast Bedtime Stories read by celebrity supporters, Jennie McAlpine (July 14), Annie Price (July 15) and JB Gill (July 16).

In October 2019, Tiny Happy People was rolled out across Greater Manchester in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Together we created hubs across the authority where we introduced Tiny Happy People champions to work with frontline professionals and parents to embed Tiny Happy People activities into communities. This has provided a blueprint for a total of five new hubs that will be created in communities across the UK every year for the lifetime of the initiative.

Universities join forces to thank students supporting the NHS

Santander Universities has teamed up with Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, and Edinburgh Napier University to say thank you to students across the health professions that are supporting the NHS in the fight against COVID-19.

A total of £50,000 has been allocated by Santander to provide gifts to 1,400 students across both universities.

QMU has offered their Nursing and Allied Health Professions students on the frontline a choice of one of two luxury food hampers – a ‘pamper hamper’ or breakfast hamper – to thank them for their hard work in battling the pandemic. The gifts have been provided by Artisan Larder Scotland, founded by QMU graduate David McVey.

Edinburgh Napier has linked up with Edinburgh-based sushi company Minato Sushi to offer its own eligible School of Health and Social Care students a £35 voucher for the business as a thank you for their efforts as part of the country’s COVID-19 response.

Minato Sushi was founded by Jennifer Kerr and Tom Ruddy – both Edinburgh Napier alumni. The local business continues to receive support from the University’s innovation and enterprise hub, Bright Red Triangle.

Matt Hutnell, Director, Santander Universities, said: “Universities across the UK, such as Queen Margaret University and Edinburgh Napier University, are doing some fantastic work to contribute to the UK’s effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, so we’re delighted to continue to support both students and local communities during this critical time.”

Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, said: “We are incredibly proud of all of our students from the School of Health Sciences, especially those who are playing their part in the NHS’s fight against COVID-19.

“Thanks to the continuing generosity and support of Santander Universities, we have been able to not only provide this thank you gift for hundreds of our hard-working health students, but also support one of our graduate businesses in the process. I hope the students enjoy the gift – they are doing fantastic work!”

Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our nursing and midwifery students have demonstrated outstanding levels of professionalism during what has been an incredibly challenging – and often uncertain – time for all.

“Thanks to the generous continued support from Santander Universities, we’re delighted to be able to show our gratitude to nearly 900 students with this token of appreciation. I am pleased to be able to support one of our alumni businesses in the process. Our nursing and midwifery students have proved themselves to be wonderful ambassadors for the University and the health professions; on behalf of the whole university community, I thank them most sincerely.”

Discover archaeology online in this year’s Festival of Archaeology

This year’s Council for British Archaeology’s Festival of Archaeology 2020 will be going digital, with two weeks of exciting online events celebrating archaeology under the theme ‘Climate and Environment’.

Delivered by chosen partner, Wessex Archaeology, the festival will be taking place in two parts:

  • 11 – 19 July, focusing on digital events
  • 24 October – 1 November, offering events to view real-time archaeology

The festival kicked off with a special online launch event on Saturday 11 July at 11am with the webinar Discover Environmental Archaeology, featuring Time Team and Wessex Archaeology archaeologist Dr Phil Harding exploring the basics of environmental archaeology. This will be followed by an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Wessex Archaeology’s environmental laboratory.

Other sessions include an in-depth webinar on environmental archaeology: The Domestication of Plants and New Discoveries about the First Cereals in Britain; a practical workshop for children and young people: Archaeology 3D: learn how archaeologists recreate past landscapes and turn ecofacts into 3D models; and a student careers session.

The launch is followed by a week of free digital sessions for the public to join with something to interest all ages and abilities.

Other highlights from the Wessex Archaeology Festival Programme include A Potted History – the Iron Age / Roman transition in Hampshire, a collaboration with Hampshire Cultural Trust.

This is a series of short films that will be released over the week and culminate in a live question and answer session on Friday 17 July, 12.30-1.30pm.

Videos will be released daily online from Sunday 12 July.

View at https://www.cultureoncall.com/.

Sign up for the Q&A and submit your questions in advance at https://festival.archaeologyuk.org/events/potted-history-%E2%80%93-iron-age-roman-transition-hampshire-live-qa-part-6-6-1594036985.

Wessex Archaeology will conclude their digital events programme for the Festival of Archaeology with a family friendly story telling session, Arno the Archaeologist. The story and illustrations were created by Wessex Archaeology staff to introduce archaeology to children under 7, both at home and in schools.

The production will premiere on the Wessex Archaeology YouTube channel on Saturday 18th July at 9am, https://youtu.be/35MZw-LeRjA.

Council for British Archaeology Executive Director Neil Redfern said: “Archaeology has always responded to the world in which we exist, and this year is no different. By hosting a digital festival, we hope to bring something new and dynamic to how we engage and participate as archaeologists.

“We want to go beyond just cancelling or postponing our summer event to ensure that an important date in many people’s diaries remains at this crucial time for all those working, volunteering, or studying in the archaeology sector.”

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England said: “We’re pleased that part of this year’s festival has become digital. Not only does this help people to access archaeology at a time when for many of us there is no other way, it also helps increase understanding of what we can learn from archaeology.

“By telling us about where we have come from, it helps to shape the direction we might take.”

Wessex Archaeology Community & Education Manager Samuel Fieldhouse said: “Wessex Archaeology is thrilled to be working with the CBA to plan an engaging programme of online events and resources.

“Our activities have a broad enough range so that there is something for everyone, from toddlers to professional archaeologists. The digital nature of this year’s festival and our partnership with the CBA gives Wessex Archaeology the opportunity to reach a much wider audience than previous years and we find that very exciting.”

English Heritage Head of Learning and Interpretation Dr Dominique Bouchard said: “The Climate and Environment theme is the perfect subject matter to introduce archaeology to young people, and to inspire them to take a lifelong interest in it.

“The Shout Out Loud programme was established to help bring youth voices, ideas and creativity to the fore, and the digital Festival of Archaeology offers young people the chance to show how archaeology has something to offer everyone.”

The Festival is the largest annual festival to celebrate archaeological heritage in the UK. Now in its 29th year the Festival of Archaeology has grown from a single day to a two-week event which is normally held in July.

For more information on the digital launch events and to book visit https://festival.archaeologyuk.org/events/cba-festival-archaeology-launch-event-1592236000.