Tag: online event

Charities and Scottish Parliament host online event to improve how we prevent child sexual abuse in Scotland

  • Stop It Now! Scotland and NSPCC Scotland are today (Wednesday, March 15, 2023) hosting ‘Public Health Approaches to Preventing Child Sexual Abuse’
  • The online event will look at the evidence on preventing sexual abuse and what could be done in Scotland to better protect children before abuse begins and to help with their recovery

Stop It Now! Scotland and the NSPCC are calling on the Scottish Government to develop a national strategy to tackle child sexual abuse that focuses on prevention to make the country a safer place to grow up.

The two charities, which are today hosting an event in partnership with the Scottish Parliament, say working together to stop the abuse from happening in the first place will prevent the devastating impact it has on the mental health of children and adult survivors.

They are urging the Scottish Government to develop a comprehensive and coordinated national approachto prevent child sexual abuse, which involves health, police, education, community safety, children’s services, social services, housing and the wider community. The child protection charities say it is vital that everyone understands what child sexual abuse is and knows how they can be part of preventing it.

A review of UK data revealed that 15 per cent of females and 5 per cent of males will experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16. This means at least 80,000 children in Scotland will have been affected by this issue before they leave high school. Although this is thought to be an under-representation of the scale of the problem and the actual number of children who have experienced sexual abuse in Scotland is not known.

The charities say that to understand the numbers of children in Scotland affected and the scale of the suffering it is crucial that a prevalence survey is conducted.  At the event, leading experts will discuss current evidence on preventing child sexual abuse and explore the next steps needed to make Scotland the safest country for children to grow up.

Joanne Smith, NSPCC Scotland’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager, said: “Child sexual abuse has a devastating impact on people’s lives.

“The response, to date, has focused largely on bringing perpetrators to justice and providing some children with therapy and support. But we believe that as a society our focus should be on preventing child sexual abuse before it occurs, before people at risk of abusing become offenders, and before potential victims become actual victims. Understanding child sexual abuse, and what causes it, is a vital step towards developing effective prevention strategies.”

Stuart Allardyce, Director, Lucy Faithfull Foundation / Stop It Now! Scotland, said: “We are calling on the Scottish Government to carry out a dedicated prevalence survey to identify the levels of sexual offending against children in Scotland, alongside a national strategy for tackling child sexual abuse.

“We know that sexual abuse has an enormous impact on the mental health outcomes for children and adult survivors and the economic costs for the criminal justice system.

“We believe sexual harm towards children and young people could be reduced if we focused more on prevention, including therapy being offered to adults who are worried about their sexual thoughts and feelings towards children.”

Childlight, based at the University of Edinburgh, also launches the first comprehensive global data repository today, which will look at all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), with the aim of being able to show the scale and nature of this abuse. 

The international team, made up of experienced individuals from academia, the private sector, law enforcement and non-governmental organisations, will produce an annual report, global dashboard and index with the data that can be used by tech companies, law enforcement agencies and those who work in child protection so they can take action to prevent CSEA. 

Speakers at the online event will include:

  • Professor Elizabeth Letourneau, Moore Centre for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, School of Public Health, John Hopkins University
  • Pat Branigan, Assistant Director – Together For Childhood – NSPCC
  • Stuart Allardyce, Director, Lucy Faithfull Foundation / Stop It Now! Scotland
  • MSP Clare Haughey, Minister for Children and Young People

Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice 24 hours a day online at www.childline.org.uk or on the phone on 0800 1111.

Anyone with concerns about a child’s wellbeing can contact the NSPCC Helpline on help@nspcc.org.uk. The NSPCC practitioners provide free and confidential help and advice and can take appropriate steps to help keep children safe. If a child is in immediate danger, please call 999.

Edinburgh North East Scouts has opportunities for volunteers

Sign up for the online information evening on Tuesday 29th November at 7.30pm here https://sesscouts.org.uk/edinburgh-north-east-scouts-information-event/ 

We know everyone is busy, so this event is taking place online to fit in around family, work and life. It’ll only take 1 hour and will be informative.

Did you know Edinburgh North East Scouts has almost 100 young people on a waiting list to join?

And they need new helpers to support their 14 Scout Groups in Portobello, Craigentinny, Craigmillar, Duddingston, Calton, Joppa, Stockbridge, Pilrig, Broughton, Trinity, Leith, Newhaven, Wardie and Willowbrae. 

Sign up for this event to find out about the exciting things the Scout Groups get up to and flexible volunteering opportunities.

Demand by young people to join Scouts in the Edinburgh North East area is good with youth waiting lists growing. However, they need new adult volunteers to reduce the waiting list and enable more local young people to benefit from Scouting. 

Edinburgh North East Scouts is looking to the local community and organisations to help change the lives of local young people. They are appealing for help to reduce the youth waiting list and support 100 more young people to benefit from Scouts. 

Scouts is only possible thanks to superstar volunteers – ordinary people, like you, making an extraordinary difference in young people’s lives. They are looking for new adult volunteers to assist their existing leader and executive team.

So please consider what you can do and if you know anyone who may be willing to get involved and ask them to come along to the event too. It is possible that they may consider a job share if that was of interest to you?

Scouting has a reputation for helping young people to develop resilience, a positive character, respect for others, good community skills, as well as physical and mental fitness. Can you help inspire the doers and give it a goers of the future?

FACT 1: There are 14 Scout Groups in the Edinburgh North East area and they all want to provide more Scouting to more local young children.
FACT 2: You don’t need to have any specific skills or be Bear Grylls to lend a hand.
FACT 3: They have a collective youth waiting list of almost 100.
FACT 4: If you volunteer as a Leader to get involved now then they can look at how your child could get automatic entry into their preferred Scout Group.
FACT 5: You don’t have to have previous Scouting experience to get involved. 

As a District, they want to offer your child and other local children across the Edinburgh North East area the chance to participate in all the fun experiences and adventures they do in Scouting week to week such as, camping, fire-lighting, climbing and abseiling, and yes, learning how to tie and use knots (these will come in handy in later life!). 

Are you passionate about seeing local young people succeed? Are you a team player with a positive, can-do attitude? Do you enjoy fun activities? Do you want to do more in your community?

Are you more of a ‘behind the scenes’ person? Do you have a skill or hobby you can share? Then this event is right up your street.  Scouts has the opportunities – you just show up, get stuck in and make memories for life! 

We all have the power to help young people to realise their potential.  You don’t need to have been a Scout when you were younger.

You don’t even need to know how to put up a tent. Their door is open to people of all ages, genders, races and backgrounds, and they’re only able to change lives because people like you lend a hand.

There’s lots of ways you can get more involved with Scouts as a parent, carer or family member. From helping out occasionally on a family rota or as part of their Executive Committee to stepping up as a leader, their volunteering activities are as varied as you. 

The good news is you shape what you do and the time you have to give. Scouts happens when a lot of us give a little … and no, you don’t have to be a Scout or outdoors expert to volunteer.

Most of their volunteers work directly with young people aged 6-18 through their Beaver, Cub and Explorer groups – helping young people gain skills for life through fun activities.

District Commissioner, Rob Whitelaw, said: “This isn’t a job application, and you certainly don’t have to be an adventurer like Bear Grylls to get involved with Scouting and in fact not many of our volunteers are!

“Do you have first aid knowledge? Are you good with numbers? Handy in the kitchen? Or are you a DIY whizz? We all have useful skills, and you can volunteer and help in many ways.

“Are you ready to inspire a generation of young people to experience fun, friendship and real adventure? The opportunities to volunteer with us are flexible. Think of something you’d like to do, and chances are it’s just what we require.

“Whatever your skills, experience and interests, we can find a role for you!”

Sign up for the online information evening on Tuesday 29th November at 7.30pm here:

https://sesscouts.org.uk/edinburgh-north-east-scouts-information-event/

Edinburgh voluntary sector’s response to the Ukraine crisis: online event

Community and voluntary organisations are invited to hear about the work going on to support people from Ukraine arriving in Edinburgh.

Find out about the strategic and operational work that the community and voluntary sector is involved in to ensure a warm welcome to Edinburgh for the people of Ukraine, hosted by Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council.

Sign Up Here

Find out about the strategic and operational work that the community and voluntary sector is involved in to ensure a warm welcome to Edinburgh (and Scotland) for the people of Ukraine.

For several weeks Volunteer Edinburgh and EVOC have been involved in daily meetings with statutory partners to ensure we are helping the sector develop a strategic role and offer support on every level for the people arriving in our city.

The Ukrainian community and many community partners are also doing amazing work, as you would expect.

This online event will include representatives from:

  • Ukrainian Community
  • Community and voluntary sector organisations already delivering support
  • City of Edinburgh Council
  • Capital City Partnership

Programme:

  • Welcome & Introduction: Bridie Ashrowan
  • Panel Q&A with the representatives above (please submit any questions in advance to comms@evoc.org.uk)

If your organisation would like to play a part, please get in touch: olga.wojciechowska@evoc.org.uk

Find out about other support available for people from Ukraine here.

EVENT LINK: This event will take place on MS teams and the link will be sent out after registration closes.

Sign Up Here

EVOC: Conversations & Communities

EVOC & EHSCP invite you to a shared learning and networking event focused on building partnerships and networks in Edinburgh’s NW Locality.

Hosted by EVOC and the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, this is one of four locality-based events focusing on how we can develop relationships and referral networks to improve support for clients – particularly those who might benefit by engaging with local organisations to explore preventative and early intervention ‘Conversation 1’ type activities.

NORTH WEST LOCALITY EVENT OVERVIEW

Dr Linda Irvine-Fitzpatrick, EVOC’s Bridie Ashrowan and the NW Locality Manager will discuss the interconnections and learning from the Three Conversations Model, The Edinburgh Wellbeing Pact and work within communities.

Here’s some of that wonderful feedback we received last year:

“So much out there – great to come up to date with the resources and look at the potential supports.”

“I found this simply wonderful!”

Make sure to join us on MS Teams: https://bit.ly/3L8fLkm

Find out how to access free professional training for employees with Edinburgh College


Businesses have the opportunity to learn about free professional training available for their staff at an information event hosted by Edinburgh College later this month.

The College is hosting the event both online and in-person at its Sighthill Campus from 8.30am with the aim of showcasing training opportunities available to SMEs and large companies through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF). 

The information event, taking place on Thursday 24 February 2022, will see business delegates learn about the FWDF from Edinburgh College’s Business Development Advisors, as well as meeting expert lecturers who will discuss the range of subjects available to businesses and employees.    

Attendees will also hear from Tracey Bork, Head of People at Lothian Buses, about her experience of applying for fully funded training with Edinburgh College. 

If delegates cannot attend in person, the College is streaming the presentations and interview taking place during the event via Microsoft Teams. 

A link for the live stream and joining instructions will be available soon after registering for the event. Online delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions through a Q&A function within Teams.  

The College encourages anyone who intends to attend the event in person to take a lateral flow COVID-19 test before they arrive.  

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund, offered by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, facilitated by Scottish colleges, offers larger organisations and SMEs, across the private, public and third sectors, an opportunity to apply for fully funded training for their teams.   

The funding provides SMEs with up to £5,000 of free training; and larger employers (those with an annual payroll bill of £3m+) with up to £15,000 of free training. 

To register your attendance either in person or online, please book via the Edinburgh College website. 

See the full event agenda below: 

TimeActivity
8.10amNetwork, coffee and morning roll.  
8.30amIntroduction to the College, training opportunities and funding options.
8.50amInterview with Tracey Bork, Head of People at Lothian Buses, about the client’s experience of accessing the fund through Edinburgh College.
9.05amA presentation from Edinburgh College and the Training Development team about professional training courses and management soft skills (CMI, CIPD, ILM, bespoke).  
9.15amA talk on ‘Adapting to new working conditions during the pandemic’ from John Chalmers – Learning and Development Manager at Business Stream. 
9.35amNetworking opportunity. 
9.50amRound-up and close. 

Women’s Winter Wellbeing: online session with PCHP

All women in the area are welcome to join us next Friday 17 Dec at 10am-12pm for a special online wellbeing event.

Learn how to treat yourself in facial reflexology and Indian head massage.

Contact Sally 07518756330 or sallyfindlay@pchp.org.uk to sign up and recieve the zoom link

Police to hold BME recruitment event online on 2nd December

Police will be hosting an online recruitment event aimed at people from all minority ethnic communities across Scotland. This event will give attendees a fantastic opportunity to hear from serving BME officers and their experiences as a police officer in Scotland as well as the opportunity to ask questions.

The event will also focus on the recruitment process and the training, with a unique insight in to life at the Scottish Police College.

The event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams on Thursday 2nd December from 6.30pm – 8pm.

To sign up, please email: recruitmentpositiveactionteam@scotland.pnn.police.uk

The consent, support and co-operation of our fellow citizens lies at the heart of the identity and legitimacy of policing in Scotland.

To ensure that bond is as strong as possible, we must fully represent and reflect the communities we serve. Inclusion is an operational necessity and morally the right thing to do. We are committed to increasing the number of officers and staff from under-represented groups.

There are well documented barriers to some people applying to join the police service. We therefore run a number of different recruitment events to answer specific questions from people from diverse communities. This is to make sure everyone has fair access to the Police Scotland recruitment process.

A Parcel of Rogues: Pandemic Profiteers

STUC Online Event

Covid-19 has had a profound impact on Scotland’s economy, but the cost of the crisis has not been shared evenly. What can we do about it?

About this event

Join us on Tuesday the 24th of August to hear from leading economists and trade unionists about the parts of Scotland’s economy that have prospered during the Covid-19 pandemic, the potential long-term economic impacts, and how trade unions and policymakers can respond.

Speakers will include:

• Laurie Macfarlane, Economics Editor at openDemocracy and Head of Finance at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. Prior to this Laurie was Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation.

• Christine Berry, economist, writer, and co-author of ‘People Get Ready! Preparing for a Corbyn Government’. Christine was recently appointed as Director of the thinktank IPPR North.

• Jennifer McCarey, Chair of Glasgow Trades Council.

• Richard Hardy, National Secretary of Prospect, a Commissioner on the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Commission, and sits on the STUC General Council.

Open to all, free to attend.

Register on Eventbrite

Online Police Recruitment Event

Our Positive Action Team are hosting a recruitment event aimed at people from minority ethnic communities with an opportunity to hear from serving officers

on Thursday 19th August 2021: 6.30 – 8pm

To sign up, contact: recruitmentpositiveactionteam@scotland.pnn.police.uk

An invitation to the first meeting of the Underground Whisky Club!

Go underground to taste the history of Scotland’s national drink

Conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland and whisky brand The Glenlivet – two organisations with a long history – have joined forces for a special online event on 1 July.

Inspired by the stories of illicit whisky production in Scotland’s past, the first ever meeting of the Underground Whisky Club will give connoisseurs a taste of the rich history and heritage of the spirit which is synonymous with Scotland.

The event is the latest element of the Pioneering Spirit project which launched last summer. Led by the Trust’s expert archaeologist team, it aims to uncover the hidden stories of whisky production at Trust properties across the Highlands and beyond. Supported by The Glenlivet, the work has, so far included drone surveys of sites in Torridon and on the Mar Lodge Estate and digs in both locations too.

Head of Archaeology Derek Alexander will give attendees the first taste of the discoveries so far at the free event which runs on Thursday 1 July from 7 – 8.30pm.

For more info and booking, visit www.nts.org.uk/pioneering-spirit .

Derek said: “We know how many people love whisky, and love our places – it’s the perfect blend and we hope lots of people will join us for the first ever meeting of the Underground Whisky Club.”

It will also be the first opportunity to see and hear new artistic commissions inspired by Scotland’s history and the illicit whisky trade.

Featured artists include Alison Irvine, a novelist and creative non-fiction writer; Kevin Andrew Morris, an Aberdeen-based ceramicist; Michael Begg, an award-winning composer and sound artist; and Natalie Feather, a photographic artist.