Festival support for Scotland’s artists

Showcasing home-grown talent to the world

The very best of cultural talent from Scotland will be under the spotlight this month as Edinburgh welcomes visitors from home and abroad to its world-class summer arts festivals.

Six of the festivals have received support from the Scottish Government’s Expo Fund to commission new work, some of which will tour internationally following festival performances. Under the Made in Scotland banner there are 18 funded shows this year featuring an exciting mix of theatre, music and dance commissions and performances.

In addition, the Platforms for Creative Excellence (PLACE) programme – jointly funded by the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council – focuses on programme innovation, creative development, and community.

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Scotland has a wealth of phenomenally talented artists and the Edinburgh festivals provide a fantastic platform for them to reach a much wider audience. 

“Expo and PLACE funding have not only helped to raise the profile of Scottish artists but contributed to a more vibrant and diverse arts scene both at home and internationally.

“There is something for everyone across the summer festivals and I hope people from home and abroad, whether they’re taking part in events or watching performances will enjoy this fantastic celebration of culture.”

Festivals Edinburgh chair Dr Simon Gage said: “We warmly welcome this sustained support from the Scottish Government for our festivals and the people who make them happen.

“This is crucial in allowing us to deliver unparalleled cultural, social and economic benefits that enhance lives at home and Scotland’s profile around the world.”

Since it was set up in 2008, the Expo cohort has received £32 million. Within the first ten years, the fund had supported the commissioning of more than 550 new works of art, music and theatre.

Recipients awarded a share of the £1.8 million Expo Fund for 2023-24 include Edinburgh Art Festival (£130,000), Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society (£550,000), Edinburgh International Book Festival (£85,000), Edinburgh International Festival (£100,000), Edinburgh International Film Festival (£59,000) and Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (£100,000).

The PLACE Fund was set up five years ago to provide £1 million each year over five years to the Edinburgh festivals.

Specsavers fundraiser brings new equipment to Royal Infirmary to help premature and sick babies

Cutting-edge equipment for examining premature and sick babies is now in place at the Neonatal Unit in the Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh thanks to a £73,000 fundraiser by Specsavers stores across Scotland.

Teams from across the business raised the money after being moved by the story of colleague Michael O’Kane whose daughter Sophie (now 9) was born at 24weeks weighing just 1lb 15oz.

They donated the funds to the Simpsons Special Care Babies (SSCB) charity to buy a piece of equipment called a PanoCam for the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. 

Premature babies are at high risk of retinopathy which can cause blindness – they need their eyes checked regularly due to rapid changes in organ development (in what would have been the last three months of pregnancy) which can put them under a lot of stress – the PanoCam provides a much quicker and safer way to examine them.

Alongside the fundraiser, Specsavers’ Scottish stores also backed Bliss Scotland as their Charity of the Year to further support Scotland’s premature babies and their families – so the charity’s ambassador Lady Sarra Hoy (whose son Callum was born at 29wks back in 2014) came along to the Royal Infirmary to celebrate the success of the campaign.

Michael O’Kane, a Specsavers optician and store director in Morningside and Cameron Toll, says: ‘There were times when I feared Sophie wouldn’t pull through but she recovered thanks to incredible support from the Neonatal Unit, and I will forever be grateful. 

“This fundraiser is testament to what can be achieved when you club together to make a difference, and myself and all my colleagues across Scotland feel immensely proud to have helped bring this equipment to the hospital.’

He joined Lady Sarra Hoy, a lawyer by profession and wife of cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy, at the Neonatal Unit where they were shown the equipment by Professor Ben Stenson, Consultant Neonatologist at the Neonatal Unit, NHS Lothian and SSCB representative.

Lady Sarra Hoy says: ‘As a parent on the neonatal unit, it’s so frightening to see your baby undergo lots of invasive procedures which can be really stressful for them when they’re so tiny.

“This equipment – together with the support that Bliss are providing to families thanks to Specsavers’ incredible fundraising – will make such a difference to babies and their families.”

Staff at the unit are currently being trained in using the PanoCam which, as well as being used to examine premature babies, can also be used to detect ocular tumours in older children.

Mercedes Perez-Botella, Directory of Midwifery, NHS Lothian, says: ‘We are delighted that the PanoCam will soon be operational at the Simpson Centre.

“Retinopathy is a prevalent problem for babies who are born prematurely, and we hope that this new equipment will help our neonatal doctors to promptly identify any deterioration in the baby’s retina and act accordingly to prevent damage.

‘I am sure parents will also welcome this addition to our resources as it will provide them with extra reassurance about the high level of care their babies will get while in the Neonatal Unit.

“We would like to sincerely thank Specsavers and Simpsons Special Care Babies for fundraising for this new equipment, we know that this will make a real difference to families within the Neonatal Unit.”

The funds to purchase the equipment were raised by stores from all over the country who donated £2 from optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans (which helps to spot serious eye conditions, including glaucoma, up to four years earlier than traditional methods) and from earwax removals during a two-month period.

MED Surgical, the company which supplies the Visunex PanoCam Pro, usually charge £113,000 but generously contributed £40,000 to make Specsavers’ fundraising target of £73k more attainable.

Final spaces remain on free job skills training course at Fort Kinnaird

A free skills training session to help people take their first step on the career ladder is being hosted at Fort Kinnaird in collaboration with Capital City Partnership (CCP) next week.

Delivered by the Focus on Recruitment and Training (FORTY) scheme, which is based at the centre, the one-week course on retail and customer service skills will give participants an SQA accredited Customer Service qualification, as well as support with CV building, job applications and interview tips, and an opportunity to be interviewed by a recruiting Fort Kinnaird retailer.

The course is open to anyone aged between 16 and 24, will run from 31st of July – 4th of August.

To help local people build their confidence in applying for retail job vacancies, participants will also have the opportunity to hear from Fort Kinnaird employees about their career journeys to date, alongside getting their advice on applying for retail or hospitality jobs.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We know how difficult applying for a job can be, so we want to help people in our community take the first step – whether it’s moving into employment for the first time or a jump between careers.

“FORTY provides a fantastic opportunity for individuals to seek advice, learn more about the retail industry and gain new qualifications.” 

FORTY is funded by Fort Kinnaird’s co-owner, British Land, and in-kind support from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.

To register or to find out more information about the course, please contact Maria at: maria.banaszkiewicz@capitalcitypartnership.org  or call  07856089669.

More information on FORTY and upcoming skills training opportunities can be found here: https://www.fortkinnaird.com/whatson 

Fort Kinnaird is open from 9am – 9pm on weekdays, and 9am – 6pm on weekends.  

NHS Lothian donates ophthalmic equipment to Ukraine

An NHS Lothian doctor has set his sights on distributing donations to his counterparts in war-torn Ukraine.

Dr Peter Cackett, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, set about trying to gather Ophthalmic equipment and supplies that could be delivered to the country. Other organisations, along with NHS Lothian, rallied round to pull together a list of items to help both children and adults alike in Ukraine.

Items included specialist lights and cameras for ophthalmic examinations and vision tests for testing the sharpness of vision in young children who cannot yet read. The equipment was distributed to all three hundred and twenty paediatric ophthalmology departments in Ukraine, as requested by Professor Sergiy Rykov, President of the Association of Paediatric Ophthalmologists of Ukraine, Kyiv.

Also a trustee of the charity Ophthalmic Aid to Eastern Europe (OAEE), Dr Cackett stored the equipment in his home, arranging for heavier items to be collected during the journey to Medyka, a village at the Polish/Ukrainian border for handover of the donations to ophthalmologists from Lviv.

OAEE was established over 30 years ago, after the fall of the Berlin wall, and helps centres in Eastern Europe with ophthalmic equipment, whilst also supporting teaching and training initiatives for ophthalmologists in Eastern and Central Europe.

The donations were delivered to Ukraine overland, by van, by two final year medical students from Edinburgh and Dundee Universities, Wesley McLoughlin and Doireann Hughes, following in the footsteps of a group of medical students that delivered ophthalmic aid to Lviv 30 years ago in 1993.

Dr Cackett, Consultant Ophthalmologist, NHS Lothian said: “I felt that it is was important to help the Ukrainian ophthalmologists as I had previously helped take ophthalmic aid to Lviv, Ukraine in 1993, whilst I was a medical student. Dr Andriy Hudz, the junior doctor in Lviv, who we delivered the aid to in 1993 is now Professor of the department there.

“The Ukrainian ophthalmologists are delighted with the equipment which has been sent. I have started collecting equipment again to deliver more ophthalmic aid to Ukraine and have been trying to source financial donations to help pay for the transportation.

“We are also looking into potentially providing some assistance to Iasi, a city in Romania where Ukrainian refugees have been arriving and also Moldova. We also want to re-establish observerships for Ukrainian ophthalmologists to come to Edinburgh to receive further training.”

Letter: Additional funding desperately needed to address ASN scandal

Dear Editor

Recent statistics highlighting a sharp increase in attacks on school staff, and the fact that almost all of these are linked to pupils with additional support needs (ASN), should come as no surprise to those like us who have been arguing for some time that this issue is quickly becoming a national scandal.

The number of children and young people with ASN has more than doubled since 2012, and now amounts to more than a third of pupils. This has been further exacerbated by increasing mental health problems, the Covid-19 pandemic and cost- of-living crisis.

However, this is set against a background of acute under-resourcing, with the number of specialist ASN teachers falling by 546 between 2012 and 2022 as just one example.

Additional funding is desperately needed to increase the numbers of specialist staff available to support those with ASN, as well as better support for teachers working with young people from a wide range of backgrounds.  We would also suggest that the Scottish Government expand school counselling provision to all primary and special schools.

Violence against any member of school staff or another pupil is never acceptable, and it is critical that local authorities and the Scottish Government take all possible action to ensure that our schools are safe places to work and to learn.

Yours faithfully

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

42 Charlotte Square

Edinburgh EH2 4HQ

Tel: 0131 603 8996

Social Security Scotland: Pregnancy and Baby Payment

Pregnancy and Baby Payment helps towards the costs of being pregnant or looking after a new child.

This payment can be applied for any time after someone has reached the end of the 24th week of pregnancy until the baby is 6 months old.

More info at http://bit.ly/PregnancyandBabyPayment

Wardie Bay BBQ for local men

Fancy a BBQ? If you’re a man living in the local area (Muirhouse, Drylaw, Pilton, Granton, Royston and Wardieburn) why not join Jules next Tuesday (25th July) at Wardie Bay Beach. We’ll be meeting on the beach at 1pm.

This will be an informal event where you can meet new people, connect with nature and enjoy some food.

All local men welcome – Please let me know if you’re coming so we can confirm numbers.

To book a spot contact Jules:

e – julesryan@pchp.org.uk

m – 07517109319 (call/text/whatsapp

Hope to see you there!

#mentogether

#explore

#bbq

#summertime

#connect

#Giveback

The NEN North Edinburgh News

Granton Community Page

Granton Goes Greener

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

MasterChef encourages families to Raise Some Dough this summer

Gary Maclean provides the perfect recipe for families to start baking in support of Mary’s Meals

MasterChef Gary Maclean is encouraging families to get baking over the summer holidays and raise vital funds for Mary’s Meals.

Scotland’s national chef, who won MasterChef: The Professionals in 2016, is supporting the charity’s Raise Some Dough campaign which asks people to host a fundraising bake sale to help feed hungry children.

Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to more than 2.4 million children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries – including Ethiopia, Syria and South Sudan. The promise of a daily meal attracts children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and hope for the future.

For first-time bakers and kids keen to get involved in the kitchen this summer, Gary suggests biscuit making as the best way to get started.

He says: “It’s great to do this with kids because it should only take 15 to 20 minutes for a biscuit to bake, and it doesn’t really matter what shape they come out.

“I’ve got great memories of making biscuits with my mum.

“We can now introduce that side of it to our kids and it’s an entry point for them to start enjoying cooking and baking.”

Gary, who is executive chef at the City of Glasgow College, has been a long-time supporter of Mary’s Meals. He says: “Initially what brought Mary’s Meals to my attention was that connection between education and food.

“Obviously, we need both. But to bring that together, it really helps families getting children fed, but also getting them educated, because education can be their route out of poverty.”

And when asked which biscuits he’ll be enjoying with his family over the school summer holidays, the celebrity chef admitted: “I probably make more biscuits than I eat them! I like things with coconut, I do like dark chocolate.

“Over the summer holidays, I’d encourage parents and kids to get involved in Raise Some Dough. Any money raised goes a long way with Mary’s Meals, so every penny counts!”.

People across the UK can download a free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack from the charity’s website, which includes a book packed full of tasty biscuit recipes from some of the UK’s favourite celebrities – including Stephen Fry, Dame Joanna Lumley, Ellie Taylor, Rosemary Shrager and Judy Murray.

The charity will also send bakers a free mug-shaped cookie cutter, based on the mugs from which many children eat their daily serving of Mary’s Meals.

It costs just £19.15 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year, which means every penny raised through baking will help to transform young lives around the world.

To order your free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack, please visit:

marysmeals.org.uk/raise.

Gary Maclean’s Perkins Biscuits recipe

Perkins biscuits are not to be confused with the Yorkshire biscuit called Parkins. They are similar, but not the same. Perkins are worth a go if you like your biscuits with an oaty texture. This is my type of biscuit, another very easy one to make and I think they look amazing. You could also add your own twist by topping them with some dark chocolate.

Ingredients:

  • 120g / 4 ¼ oz Plain Flour/All-purpose
  • 120g / 4 ¼ oz Rolled Oats
  • 60 g / 2 ½ oz Unsalted Butter, diced and cold
  • 85 g / 3oz Caster Sugar
  • 1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Ground Ginger
  • ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ Mixed Spice
  • 100g / 3 ½ oz Golden Syrup
  • 100g / 3 ½ oz Blanched Almonds.

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350˚F.
  2. Take the flour, bicarbonate of soda/baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and spices and sift them into a large bowl.
  3. Add the butter and rub until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  4. Add the oats, sugar, and mix.
  5. Take a small pan and warm the golden syrup until it is of a pouring consistency, try not to heat it too much.
  6. Pour the golden syrup into the bowl and mix to form a stiff dough.
  7. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
  8. Split the mixture in half and roll into a long sausage shape.
  9. Cut the sausage shape into 12 equal parts, do the same with the other half of the dough, you should end up with 24 pieces.
  10. Roll each piece up into a ball, split the balls between the two trays leaving a gap between the balls.
  11. Gently press the tops of your biscuits with your thumb and top each with a blanched almond.
  12. Bake in your oven for 10 minutes, until the biscuits have spread and are golden.
  13. Leave to cool on the tray until cool enough to touch before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

David shares tragic family stories of pancreatic cancer

David Fitzpatrick is working with Pancreatic Cancer Action, a UK-based charity dedicated to improving survival rates through early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, to raise awareness of the disease’s devastating nature.

Recently, David raised an incredible £8,285 at his golf fundraiser on 23rd June from the grounds of the beautiful Cowglen Golf Club, with nearly 80 people participating in the annual event that included a raffle and auction.

The Fitzpatrick family have been supporting the charity since 2014 after David’s brother, Paul, sadly passed from pancreatic cancer. Paul was diagnosed just 15 months after David’s mum, Patricia, sadly died from the disease.

To date, they have raised over £40,000 in their memory.

David had this to say about their efforts and why they have worked tirelessly to raise funds and awareness: “Our family have lost two special people to this illness, both our beloved mum and brother who was a loving father and husband.

“Pancreatic cancer is the 5th biggest cancer killer. Pancreatic Cancer Action has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the cancer across the UK, including making GPs and consultants more aware of the symptoms, which, if caught early enough, can increase the survival rate of people diagnosed with it.

“I only wish our family GP and doctors at The Southern General Hospital had more knowledge of it whilst treating my mum and brother, who was diagnosed 15 months after mum, who died within a month of being diagnosed.

“Our family, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, Paul’s daughters, our friends, Nitshill Bowling Club, and former players and coaches of Bellarmine Amateurs are truly inspiring in their assistance and encouragement to raise funds in memory of both mum and Paul.

“They have all helped raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and hopefully save the lives of others as well as help educate the people who regularly misdiagnose this disease.”

Pancreatic cancer is the 5th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, with over 10,000 people diagnosed each year. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving survival rates, yet under 8% of those diagnosed will survive for five years or more.

David lost his mum and brother far too early, and we strongly believe that they both could have been saved if their pancreatic cancer had been detected sooner.

Pancreatic Cancer Action is dedicated to raising awareness of the disease and funding research into early detection and treatment.

About pancreatic cancer 

  • Twenty-nine people are newly diagnosed with the disease each day. 
  • For those diagnosed in time for surgery, their chances of surviving beyond five years increases by up to 30%. Knowing the signs and symptoms means you can act on any concerns you might have, sooner. 
  • Over 50% of all patients are diagnosed as an emergency in A&E when it is more likely that the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body. 
  • Pancreatic cancer can affect any adult. It occurs equally in men and women. 
  • The disease receives only 3.1% of cancer research funding. 
  • Pancreatic cancer is the UK’s 5th biggest cancer killer and the 10th most common cancer. 
  • In most cases, it can develop unexpectedly with no family connections to the disease. 
  • The five-year survival rate is less than 8%. 
  • Twenty-six people die from pancreatic cancer each day. 
  • Only 10% of patients are diagnosed in time for life-saving surgery. 
  • Incidence rates are projected to rise by 6% in the UK by 2035 to 21 cases per 100,000 people.

To find out more about our work, visit our website at www.panact.org

£1m Cycle Share Fund announced

Ahead of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, #ActiveTravel Minister Patrick Harvie announces £1 million Scottish Government investment to support bike share schemes.

The Scottish Government is investing £1 million to support bike share schemes. Delivered by Cycling UK, the Cycle Share Fund will get more people in Scotland cycling, by enabling access to a bike in an affordable, easy and convenient way.

It will enable organisations to purchase cycles and equipment for schemes that provide people with access to a bike that they don’t own. It will support a range of delivery models including loan schemes, subscription services, hire schemes, bike libraries, pool bikes and bike shares.

With support from Cycling UK, organisations who run or wish to run any form of cycle share scheme, including third sector and community organisations, charities, schools and other workplaces, will be eligible to apply for funding.

The fund will tackle barriers to cycling including the upfront costs of buying a bike, uncertainty around choosing the right bike or how to maintain it, or lack of a safe place to store a cycle.

Launching the funding, Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie visited Bike for Good in the west end of Glasgow, to learn more about their existing non-ownership pilot ‘SWITCH UP’.

Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie said: “I’m pleased to announce the Scottish Government investment of £1 million to support and develop cycle access schemes across the country.

“With the eyes of the world on Scotland for the first ever UCI 2023 Cycling World Championships – this investment demonstrates our commitment to removing barriers to cycling by expanding access – helping to keep the wheels in motion for everyday cycling after the event concludes.

“For our health, wellbeing and environment – we’re committed to building an active nation and making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle for shorter everyday trips.

“That’s why the Scottish Government has committed to spend at least £320 million, or 10% of the total transport budget, on active travel by 2024-25. Through this, we can bring about more projects like the one Bike for Good in Glasgow is expertly offering. Coupled with further investment in infrastructure, we will transform our communities to support the revolution in active travel that we need to see.”

Suzanne Forup, Head of Development at Cycling UK in Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be delivering this fund that will provide more opportunities for people to cycle in an affordable and accessible way.

“We know that owning a cycle is not the best option for everyone, so we look forward to supporting a range of schemes that will break down barriers and enable people to feel all the benefits of cycling – financially, for their health, wellbeing and for our environment.”

Gregory Kinsman-Chauvet, founder and  CEO at Bike for Good, said:“We welcome the Scottish Government’s Cycle Share Fund, delivered by Cycling UK. The purpose of the new fund aligns well with Bike for Good’s mission to enable people to ride a bike.

“We launched the UK’s first impact-led bike subscription service, SWITCH UP. We offer a safe, reliable and easy-to-use bike subscription service so that users are always ready and confident on the road. SWITCH UP users can access a bike, an e-bike or an e-cargo bike at affordable prices, with maintenance, insurance and mobile repairs included.

“Bike for Good is proud to offer this fantastic opportunity to Glasgow and are expanding it across the UK. A significant part of our fleet is committed to supporting low-income individuals.

“With SWITCH UP, we aim to make available a micro-mobility platform that enables people to access a bike as a mode of transportation. Overall, the new fund is a significant step forward for Bike for Good in their mission to make cycling more affordable, accessible, and widespread.”

Delivered by Cycling UK in Scotland, the #CycleShareFund will get more people in Scotland cycling through organisations like Bike for Good Glasgow.

It will enable access to a bike in an way that is:

🔹 affordable

🔹 easy

🔹 convenient

#PowerOfTheBike

#GlasgowScotland2023