The UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has partnered with the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD), helping to remove potential barriers to becoming a safer rider.
IAM RoadSmart believes that adapting to different learning styles is key to making advanced driving and riding accessible to many, ultimately improving road safety on UK roads.
Commenting on the partnership, Dr Andy Arnott from the NABD, said: “Our aim is to ensure that people with disabilities can enjoy the freedom and independence of motorcycling. This partnership with IAM RoadSmart supports our aim.
“I have been a member and supporter of the NABD for the last decade and I was always conscious that many of the riders with disabilities I have worked with, have been keen to improve their skills but no one knew how to go about it.
“As an Advanced Rider as well, I spotted a natural opportunity for the two charities to collaborate, I look forward to helping to bring these two great organisations together.”
Richard Gladman, Head of Driving and Riding Standards at IAM RoadSmart, said: “It is important that road safety is all inclusive and that everyone has access to training to improve their skills on the road.
“I am extremely excited about this collaboration. The NABD is a great charity and we look forward to working with its members, giving them access to the support they would like and making even more people aware of what we offer to enhance rider skills and confidence.”
Earlier in the year, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve road safety for everyone, IAM RoadSmart also launched a guide to ensure all volunteer observers nationwide can adapt their driving and riding coaching to different neurodiversity needs and different learning styles, including: dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism and Asperger’s among others.
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.”
Deliveroo and NSPCC have today announced a new partnership to help children who may be at risk of abuse or neglect in Scotland.
This is especially important during the pandemic as children may be more out of sight than usual. The NSPCC, in a report released last week, revealed how lockdown has increased the risk of child abuse.
The partnership will:
Provide hundreds of Deliveroo riders with free, vital training – It’s Your Call – delivered by the NSPCC to help them recognise children at risk of abuse and neglect
Raise awareness of the NSPCC Helpline with Deliveroo riders promoting the Helpline number on their delivery bags, so that any adult concerned about a child can call to speak to a trained professional
Deliver hundreds of free meals to NSPCC Helpline staff to say thank you for their hard work to keep children safe during COVID-19
During the crisis people who work within their community can play an important role in helping keep children safe and spotting possible signs of child abuse, neglect and domestic violence.
Deliveroo riders, with their role delivering to homes, are well-placed to spot any emerging safeguarding concerns.
Although the lockdown is easing and some children have returned to school, many children are still spending a lot of time at home and have limited contact with wider support networks.
A new NSPCC report, ‘Isolated and Struggling’, brings together evidence from academics, charities and frontline professionals, and identifies three ways in which lockdown has increased the risk of child abuse, such as a reduction in normal protective services.
In May, the NSPCC surveyed over 2,000 adults in Britain and found that over a quarter (26%) were not confident they would know where to seek help if they thought a child or young person was being abused or neglected.
To combat the issue the NSPCC have temporarily made their ‘It’s Your Call’ course free during the pandemic, as well as expanded and promoted the Helpline in response to the situation, which has now received more than 10,000 welfare contacts.
After receiving their training, Deliveroo Riders will be able to play their part in helping to keep children safe from abuse.
The riders will also promote the NSPCC Helpline number with a sticker on their delivery bags, so that any adult concerned about a child can call this number to speak to a trained professional for advice and support.
Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “It is essential that we all play our role in helping to keep children and young people safe.
“Riders and other workers visiting people’s home during the pandemic have the unique opportunity to see or hear things that others may not. Therefore, it is important that they feel confident in knowing what to do if they are concerned about a child. It’s fantastic of Deliveroo to take this positive step with us – together we believe everyone can play a part in keeping children safe.”
Will Shu, CEO Deliveroo, said: “We are so proud of the vital role Deliveroo riders are carrying out during the COVID-19 crisis. As key workers, riders are at the heart of local communities and will be able to play an important role to help keep children safe.”
To show their appreciation Deliveroo will be delivering hundreds of free meals to NSPCC Helpline frontline workers who have been working during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Abdelziz Abdou, Deliveroo rider (above), said: “I am really proud to ride for Deliveroo and have the opportunity to train with the NSPCC and play my part to spot any signs of danger.
“I will also be displaying the NSPCC Helpline number while out riding and hope that this will encourage people to call up and speak to a trained professional. This is a really important partnership and I am pleased to show my support for the NSPCC and all their hard work to keep children safe.”
Over the coming weeks and months, Deliveroo will be encouraging riders across the UK to complete the training and order stickers to support and raise awareness amongst their communities.
The NSPCC Helpline is available for advice and support on 0808 800 5000 or via help@nspcc.org.uk.
The NSPCC has made their safeguarding awareness course, It’s Your Call, temporarily free in response to the pandemic. All other NSPCC safeguarding online training has been discounted, to support people during this time.
North Edinburgh’s Covid-19 Foodshare Group has written to city councillors to update them on the work of the local coalition:
Elected member,
Since the setting up of North Edinburgh Covid-19 Foodshare Group we have kept elected members informed of the work the community organisations, volunteers and funders have been carrying out in these very challenging times.
Attached is a newsletter which, by the end of this week, will be delivered, by volunteers, to 14,000 households in North Edinburgh. Please circulate this to any individuals or groups who will find the information helpful.
Edinburgh College has signed a new partnership agreement with The Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust aimed at enhancing students’ learning opportunities and further promoting Prestonpans Battlefield as a cultural heritage asset.
The three-year partnership, initiated as part of the 275th anniversary of the Battle of Prestonpans, will see the College’s Computing students taking on a project to create an engaging and interactive website for the The Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust.
The students will use their skills to develop a site which takes visitors through the story of the iconic battle (the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745) and which provides a new digital presence for the battlefield and its heritage online.
Students will also advise the Trust on how it can use social media and mobile applications to improve the experience of visitors interested in exploring more about the famous battle. The College will engage local high school pupils in the project to transfer knowledge and further expand the reach of the work.
The project aims to develop further opportunities for students from across the College’s other curriculum areas by using the battle and project as a theme for work, including students from Broadcast Media courses filming and documenting the project throughout.
As part of the partnership, The Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust will provide a monetary donation to the College to help fund the project.
The agreement was signed by The Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust Co-Chair Gordon Prestoungrange and Edinburgh College Vice Principal Michael Jeffrey at the College’s Milton Road Campus.
Michael Jeffrey said: “This partnership will bring great opportunities for our students to work on a live project, enabling them to hone their skills and develop an increased presence and improved user experience for The Battle of Prestonpans (1745) Heritage Trust.
“We look forward to developing the partnership further over the next three years to utilise the talents of our students and help to continue to tell the story of such a pivotal event in Scotland’s history.”
Gordon Prestoungrange said: “The Battle of Prestonpans was about a young leader overcoming great obstacles to succeed. Therefore, we are delighted to work with Edinburgh College to encourage and support their students who shall become our future leaders.”
A £7.5 million project between the public and private sectors has been established to deliver more electric vehicle charging points and ensure the infrastructure needed to support these is put in place.
The Edinburgh Compact Partnership is a citywide partnership between the Public and Third Sectors which seeks to improve working relationships, influence public policy and encourage closer collaborative working between organisations and agencies.
Cyrenians has been announced as the lead organisation for a new fund aimed at tackling homelessness in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh based homelessness charity, who are currently marking their 50th year, are delighted to be selected as the lead organisation in the ambitious Housing First Edinburgh programme.Continue reading Cyrenians consortium to head up Housing First Edinburgh
U!REKA conference 20 November 2017 at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Professor Alistair Sambell speaking.
Edinburgh Napier University has hosted a conference aimed at developing a network of research excellence with five European partners. The event marks the first anniversary of the formation of the Urban Research and Education Knowledge Alliance (U!REKA) and the signing of an agreement to collaborate on urban research projects.
Last year’s consortium launch in Amsterdam examined how the university and its continental partners could develop their shared interests in applied research, professional education and the future world of work, and also paved the way for future staff and student exchanges.
This week’s three-day conference in Edinburgh brought together more than 100 academic and professional services staff from all the partners to develop new and existing projects based on urban displacement, migration and refugees; health and wellbeing in urban environments; sustainable development; the Smart City and educational research.
The conference also offered the opportunity to discuss potential international collaborations around student and staff mobility, joint degrees, best practice in learning and teaching and approaches to library services amongst other topics.
Professor Alistair Sambell, Vice Principal at Edinburgh Napier, said the university was delighted to welcome its partners to Edinburgh for the second U!REKA conference. He said: “We look forward to developing new and existing projects together in our academic and professional services, as well as learning from each other.
“The conference has been a great opportunity for us to keep building this strong network and working closer together to deliver our common objectives of excellence in research, student and staff mobility, international collaboration and best practice in higher education.”
Professor Mark Deakin (ABOVE), from the host university’s School of Engineering and the Built Environment, said the conference drew on the findings of Edinburgh Napier analysis which mapped the intellectual capital of U!REKA and shared the results with delegates.
He said: “Keynote speakers highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the Alliance’s research and education, and the 50 papers presented at the conference showcased the ongoing activities of the partner universities in addressing global challenges relating to urban displacement, sustainable development, health, wellbeing and Smart Cities.
“The workshop activities with the delegates served to capture the potential that U!REKA has to conduct interdisciplinary research and education on a global scale and act on the opportunities such a platform offers to develop an idea lab capable of meeting the challenges which cities currently face.”
The partners in the consortium formed last year are Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Helsinki), Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, University College Ghent and Edinburgh Napier University.
Scotmid Co-operative and Samaritans have announced the beginning of the year-long partnership, which aims to raise £300,000 as well as recruit local volunteers and raise vital awareness for the charity.Continue reading Scotmid’s life-saving support for Samaritans
