Tag: new campaign

Worried this winter? Let’s chat

A new campaign, Worried this winter? Let’s chat, has launched today to raise awareness of the support available to anyone concerned about their energy bills. 

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) worked with five CABs across Scotland to run local focus groups and get to the heart of the issues being experienced across Scottish communities this winter.

From feelings of embarrassment and anxiety to dread and misery, the picture was clear: more needs to be done to support communities worried about the cost of energy this winter.

That’s why CAS is launching this campaign to raise awareness of the free and confidential support CABs can offer anyone concerned about keeping the heating on.

To launch the campaign, CAS worked with Scottish poet Kevin McLean to create a poem based on the experiences of households with energy debt. With a focus on the emotions and feelings experienced, the poem will be used to encourage more people to get advice whether they are currently in debt or struggling to keep up with payments.

This campaign will run from today until the end of February 2025.

Derek Mitchell, CEO of Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “As energy costs continue to soar, thousands of people across Scotland are worried about how they can afford to keep their lights on and heat their homes this winter.

“Seeking support on energy debt is one of the most common reasons people walk through their local CAB doors. But taking that step can be daunting. Many are worried and anxious about what can be done and are being forced to self-ration heat, live in cold and dark homes, and skip meals just so they can feed their children. This simply isn’t good enough.

“This campaign is just a small step towards breaking down the barriers to support and highlight the stark reality many people face this winter. If this is you or someone you know, please know the Citizens Advice network is here to help. While we are known for the advice we give, CAS also has a responsibility to raise awareness and advocate for change, and we’ll do all we can to ensure a fairer Scotland for all.”

Chief Executive of Consumer Scotland, Sam Ghibaldan, said: “With ongoing affordability and debt challenges facing consumers, in addition to rising energy bills over the winter, this campaign comes at a crucial time for households across Scotland.

“Consumer Scotland’s research demonstrates that many consumers are continuing to struggle with energy costs, particularly those on low incomes or with high essential energy needs, so it is vital consumers know help and support is available.

“We are pleased to support the Worried this Winter campaign to ensure consumers have access to a range of free and confidential information, including advice on their energy bills and the financial support available.”

The poem can be viewed in the new campaign video here:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2GlTeGEToU&feature=youtu.be

Watching the meter tick
Second guessing every flick
Of the light switch

It’s no way to live

The pressure to count every penny just right
Scraping by no end in sight
Never truly in control of your life

What do you do?

When the doors you find
Were built to keep you out
When the signs you see
All point to roundabouts

When you have cut every cost you can
Grabbed on to every helping hand
When you’ve worked
And scrapped
And saved
And planned

But the meter still ticks

There is no simple fix
And it takes time to change
The way the system is

But we will work
Each and every day
To help you navigate
Your way to a place
Where peace can exist

Where the ticking of the meter
Isn’t all there is

NHS Lothian launches campaign to Stub Out Smoking on Hospital Sites

NHS Lothian has launched a striking new campaign to stub out smoking on hospital sites. Staff members across NHS Lothian hospitals have teamed up to urge patients, visitors and other members of staff not to light-up near hospitals.

They aim to create a healthier environment for patients, visitors, and employees and help protect those most at risk as they receive urgent care in hospitals across Lothian, including the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital, St John’s Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences.

The campaign, titled “All Areas Are Smoke Free”, uses life size pop-up banners which feature seven members of staff asking people not to smoke on hospital premises.

The banners, which are strategically placed in high-traffic areas where the most smoking takes place, serve as a visual reminder of the importance of maintaining clean air and smoke-free environments.

Healthcare staff, who help deliver lifesaving care every day, are some of the most trusted and valued people in society and it is hoped that their direct appeal will make a difference.

Dona Milne, Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian, said: “Smoke Free Hospitals are about ensuring that our patients, staff and visitors can come to our hospitals and breathe clean air.

“Unfortunately, there are still areas on our hospital grounds where we know people are smoking. This is why we’re pleased to launch this campaign as part of our ongoing commitment to promoting health and well-being on our hospital sites.

“We hope to create a cultural shift towards smoke-free environments that prioritises the health of everyone who walks through our doors.”

All hospital grounds have been designated as smoke free areas since 2015. This was further enhanced in 2022 by the introduction of a £50 fixed penalty notice to those who smoke within the 15 metres of a hospital building.

NHS Lothian aims to amplify the reach and impact of the campaign and has been running Smoke Free information sessions with staff members to foster a supportive network committed to reducing smoking prevalence on NHS Lothian hospital sites.

Kate Thomas, a Radiologist at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People who features in the campaign, said: “Children come to our hospital to be treated for asthma and cancer.

“We need them to breathe clean air. “Please do not smoke on our hospital grounds.”

Joanna Mackenzie, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Edinburgh Cancer Centre, was also featured in the campaign and said: “I ask my patients to do the difficult job of stopping smoking before their head and neck cancer treatment.

“Please support our cancer patients by not smoking on our hospital grounds.”

Stephen Gallacher, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, A&E, St John’s Hospital, said: “Patients are being treated in A&E for serious, life-threatening and life changing conditions.

“It is not acceptable for our patients to be met with smoke when they come into hospital. Please do not smoke on our hospital grounds.”

Support for anyone who wants to stop smoking is available from the Quit Your Way service.

Sight Scotland: We know that you are more than meets the eye

Charity’s new campaign aims to dispel negative perceptions of people living with sight loss

Sight Scotland has launched its new ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ campaign aimed at dispelling the negative perceptions of people living with sight loss.

The charity’s new campaign will show people what life with sight loss can look like when they have the right support. Over the next three months the campaign will aim to show the 180,000 people living with sight loss in Scotland what is possible, and that vision impairment isn’t a barrier to living a happy and fulfilling life.

Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland, explains: “Our new campaign message is simple: we know that you are more than meets the eye.

“We want people living with sight loss to know that we see them for who they are; they are mother’s, writers, musicians, children, avid readers, football players, bingo enthusiasts, people who are living happy and fulfilling lives. They may just need a little help sometimes.

“We want to get rid of the negative perceptions surrounding sight loss and change the narrative to what is possible instead of what is not possible. This campaign will look to remove the common misconceptions and look beyond limitations by celebrating both the resilience and achievements of those living with sight loss.”

Samantha Gough, 20, who has a vision impairment and attended the charity’s Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, says she knows living with sight loss can be difficult, but it shouldn’t stop anyone from doing the things they love.

Sam, who features in Sight Scotland’s ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ campaign, explains: “I find the messaging behind this campaign so uplifting as it’s true that living with sight loss can be difficult, and yes you need extra help at times, but it shouldn’t stop anyone from living their life and doing the things they enjoy. 

“I now captain the England Blind Football team, row on the pathway for Great Britian and will hopefully go to the Paralympics maybe even the Olympics, I horse ride, I socialise with friends, I am just so busy, and I love what I am doing.

“But I know a lot of this wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support I was given by Sight Scotland and the Royal Blind School in particular, as they taught me the skills and gave me the confidence to think I can do these things.”

Sight Scotland, formerly known as Royal Blind, is Scotland’s largest visual impairment organisation. It has been dedicated to meeting the challenges of visual impairment for more than 230 years.

Its range of services support people with visual impairment and span all stages of sight loss, including learning services, support in the community, residential care, enterprise and funding for research. Sight Scotland runs the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh and the Scottish Braille Press.

For more information, visit sightscotland.org.uk

NSPCC launches UK-wide campaign to keep children safe

Thousands of child sexual offences recorded in Scotland

  • Data from Police Scotland shows that 5,557 sexual offences against under-16s were recorded in 2022/23.
  • Across the UK, almost 87,000 child sexual offences were recorded by police in this period.
  • Types of offences included rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming and indecent communication.
  • To help tackle this issue, the NSPCC Helpline and the Home Office are launching a campaign to encourage adults to reach out with concerns of child sexual abuse.

New figures compiled by the NSPCC reveal that child sexual offences recorded over the past year by police across the UK and in Scotland remain close to record levels.

The Freedom of Information data totalled 86,962 child sexual offences recorded by police across the UK in 2022/23, which remains one of the highest on record since the charity started the annual research 16 years ago.

In Scotland, 5,557 child sexual offences were recorded by Police Scotland in 2022/23 – close to the record levels recorded in the previous year (5,640). 

Types of offences included rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming and indecent communication.

This comes as the NSPCC launches a new campaign in partnership with the Home Office to tackle child sexual abuse.

Together they are encouraging the public to contact the charity’s UK adult Helpline if they are concerned that a child could be at risk. The partnership will also encourage people to report on instances where there are concerns that a child might be experiencing sexual abuse.

The Home Office is providing funding for the NSPCC Helpline to increase capacity and to raise awareness of the service to the public and professionals.

The NSPCC has also created two films promoting the new campaign. These films show how adults can use the Helpline to share any concerns they may have about a child’s safety or welfare. One of these films is tailored to professionals, and the other reaches out to the general public.

The NSPCC Helpline is the charity’s free advice line for any adult who may have concerns about a child, including professionals who work with children.

The Helpline’s dedicated child protection specialists can advise on a wide range of issues. Adults can contact the Helpline for guidance and support on issues affecting children, as well as for cases of suspected child abuse. People should always contact 999 if they suspect a child is in immediate danger.

One parent in Scotland told the Helpline*: “My son has been a victim of scammers online. He’s so withdrawn and hardly sleeping.

“He believed he was talking to a girlfriend online, the same age as him, and ‘she’ convinced him to send explicit images of himself. These were actually adult male scammers who are now demanding money from him, or they’ll leak his pictures.”

The NSPCC also operates a dedicated Whistleblowing Helpline, which can be contacted for any concerns around child protection issues within the workplace, or other professional organisations.

Childline, the charity’s free child counselling service, hears directly from children on the impact sexual abuse can have on their lives.

One young person in Scotland aged 15 told Childline*: “Today I told a friend about a family member sexually abusing me and it felt like such a weight off my shoulders. I was so young when it started and they’re still in my life; it’s confusing when they’re a normal family member to everyone else. I

“t has caused a lot of tears and self-hate. It’s scary talking about it but I knew I needed to tell someone like Childline.”

The NSPCC is calling on the general public, including those who work with children, to use the Helpline to express any concerns they may have regarding a child, even if they are not certain. In doing this, every person can play a part in keeping children safe from sexual abuse.

Kam Thandi, Helpline Director at the NSPCC, said: “The high numbers of child sexual offences being reported by the police in Scotland and across the UK are a warning to us all that more must be done to tackle this abuse.

“This new Helpline campaign, in partnership with the Home Office, will encourage the general public and professionals to reach out with concerns about child sexual abuse.  All of us must play our part in protecting children.

“The Helpline deals with concerns about children, no matter how big or small, and we’re encouraging adults to contact us. What is shared could be life-changing for a child experiencing sexual abuse.”

Any adults concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing can contact the NSPCC helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or by calling 0808 800 5000. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk.