Tag: support

UK Government matches another £5 million of donations for DEC coronavirus appeal

Funds raised by the DEC appeal will support the work of the 14 leading UK charities, who are helping to stop the spread of the virus and saving lives in refugee camps.

The UK Government is doubling its support to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Coronavirus Appeal, following a huge response from the British public, International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced yesterday.

This increase of match funding up to £10 million follows donations of £9.8 million in 9 days – a donation of £25, when matched by the UK Government, could provide two families with essential hygiene kits.

The DEC Coronavirus Appeal is helping to provide lifesaving aid to refugees, who are living in overcrowded camps where social distancing is impossible and therefore face a higher risk of catching coronavirus.

Funds raised by the appeal will support the work of the 14 leading UK charities, making up the DEC, who are helping to stop the spread of the virus and saving lives in refugee camps by:

  • providing frontline doctors and aid workers with equipment and supplies to care for the vulnerable and sick;
  • making sure families have enough food to prevent malnutrition, particularly amongst children; and
  • giving families clean water and soap, as well as information about the dangers of the disease.

International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “The British people have been incredibly generous and compassionate in donating to this life-saving appeal. To double the impact of their kindness the UK Government will match a further £5 million of donations pound-for-pound.

“Together our support is protecting millions of people in the developing world from coronavirus, including those escaping conflict. This will in turn help stop future waves of the disease.”

The announcement takes the total amount of UK aid pledged to end the pandemic globally to £774 million.

This week’s announcement by WFP warns that Covid-19 is contributing to a ‘perfect storm’ of problems that could throw millions of Yemenis into a deeper food crisis. 

Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Chief Executive Saleh Saeed says the situation is so acute in Yemen that much more needs to be done now, before hunger levels rise again in the coming months, as forecast in the report.

The DEC Coronavirus Appeal launched last week to help people displaced by conflict and instability in some of the most fragile places in the world – including Yemen – who are now facing the Covid-19 pandemic.

DEC members are already responding in the country and say that many families have lost almost all means of accessing food. In a country that imported 90% of its food even before the war, the ongoing financial crisis and restrictions on imports by warring parties have resulted in massive increases in the price of food.

Muhsin Siddiquey, Oxfam’s Yemen Country Director said: “This new data shows how bleak the situation is for the millions of Yemenis struggling with hunger as conflict has decimated infrastructure, restricted food imports, and led to mass unemployment.

“For millions the Covid-19 pandemic is the final blow, causing a slump in vital remittances and squeezing food imports even tighter.

“I worry that Yemenis are having to choose between dying at home from hunger or risking getting the virus by going out to find food. We really need donations to keep supporting and saving the lives of the most vulnerable people.”

Alex Nawa, Yemen Country Director, Action Against Hunger said: “In Yemen the cost of food has doubled in the last two weeks. In some rural areas it has gone up three times. We think severe malnutrition will increase by 10% in the next few months.

“Food prices have increased because of inflation and because fuel prices have shot up so the cost of transporting food to shops and markets has risen. Fuel shortages have hampered delivery of clean water and caused problems with water pumping.

“There is a lack of knowledge about the virus. When people die they are buried within 12-24 hours. I have seen the number of burials at cemeteries increase over the last few weeks. There is no testing to see if people have died of Covid.

“Families are responsible for burial and don’t wear any PPE, often burying their loved ones with their bare hands. I am very worried that they could then get infected with the virus. It’s a grim outlook here – Covid is having a massive impact.”

Saleh Saeed, DEC Chief Executive, said: “I could never have imagined this happening to my ancestral home country … my friends and family in Yemen share with me how desperate the situation has become and how it has got worse for many.

“First came the war and destruction, then came the hunger and cholera and now the deadly threat of coronavirus making the situation unbearable and the hunger even worse. Some have simply accepted their fate and die quietly at home.”

He thanked the public for donations to the DEC appeal for the seven places it is prioritising.  “The UK public have once again demonstrated their generosity and compassion. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported the DEC Coronavirus appeal so far, helping us to raise over £14 million.”

The DEC Coronavirus Appeal will help the most vulnerable people in six of the world’s most fragile states: Yemen and Syria; Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo; and Afghanistan. A total of 24 million displaced people live in crowded temporary shelter in these countries.

The appeal also includes the world’s largest refugee camp – in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where more than 850,000 Rohingya refugees have sought sanctuary.

Despite the many challenges presented by the pandemic, the 14 DEC member charities are already present and working in refugee and displacement camps. They urgently need more funds to scale up their operations and save lives.

Stay up to date with developments by following the DEC on Twitter or Facebook.

Cycle hire offer to NHS staff extended

Transport for Edinburgh has announced the release of an additional 250 four-month passes for Edinburgh Cycle Hire (Just Eat Bikes) for NHS staff

Developed in partnership with Sustrans Scotland and Edinburgh Cycle Hire operators Serco, the scheme has been made possible with funding through Sustrans’ Partnership Programme, supported by Transport Scotland.

Since the end of April 2020, 100 NHS workers have been benefiting from the first phase of the programme using free annual passes. These have supported NHS staff throughout the Lothian area, and provided a healthy way to travel for essential journeys and for work during the Covid-19 crisis.

Recognising the success of the 100 passes, and building upon the support demonstrated for the scheme through over-subscription to the first phase, a further 250 passes are being made available to NHS Lothian employees.

The new four-month Edinburgh Cycle Hire passes can be applied for by emailing a request to support@edinburchcyclehire.com using an NHS email address (@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk or @nhs.net).

The passes will provide workers with a code to load into the Edinburgh Cycle Hire App, allowing them free access to use both pedal and e-bikes up to 60 minutes per ride for the first two months from date of issue. The final two months of the four-month pass will revert to pedal bikes only up to 60 minutes per ride free. E-bike trips will then cost 10p per minute.

George Lowder, Chief Executive, Transport for Edinburgh said: “We are delighted to have secured a second tranche of funding from Scottish Government via Sustrans, to provide further support for up to 250 NHS Staff in Edinburgh, giving them four months free access to the scheme and then an opportunity to remain members of the scheme at less than half the price of an annual pass.”

Ross Miller, Senior Transport Integration Officer at Sustrans Scotland said: “After seeing such a positive response to the first phase of this programme, we are delighted to provide funding to support a further 250 NHS Lothian staff in making happier and healthier journey choices.

“These four-month passes, combined with reduced price membership renewal, offer a healthy and convenient transportation choice, and we hope that by giving more of our vital NHS staff the chance to access the scheme, more staff members will adopt changes in the way they choose to travel which will last beyond this pandemic.”

Alex Macdonald, General Manager of Just Eat Cycles, said: “We want to thank all NHS employees for their incredible efforts and the sacrifices they continue to make.

“Our network is proving to be a lifeline for many people during these unprecedented times with many essential workers using the bikes to travel to and from places of work. We hope these additional NHS Passes can go some way to support NHS employees during what is an incredibly challenging time.”

More mental health support for health and social care staff

NEW HELPLINE PROVIDES ROUND THE CLOCK SERVICE –

All health and social care workers in Scotland will now have access to mental health support 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a new national helpline.

The Scottish Government is funding the wellbeing helpline for those who need further psychological support, including in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. This follows the success of the National Wellbeing Hub for staff launched in May.

Trained practitioners at NHS 24 will offer callers a compassionate and empathic listening service based on the principles of psychological first aid, as well as advice, signposting and onward referral to local services if required.

Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey said: “I am deeply grateful for the hard work, commitment and professionalism of those working in health and social care services at this time of unprecedented challenge.

“The National Wellbeing Hub has had over 30,000 online visits since its launch in May and the new helpline will complement that service. Whatever your role and wherever you work, I would encourage you to make use of the many resources on the Hub, including advice on managing stress and anxiety, fatigue, sleep, relaxation and exercise.

“For those who need one-on-one support, the new mental wellbeing support line will be available around the clock to help staff access appropriate additional support.

“We are continuing to monitor the impact of the pandemic on our valued workforce and will do our best to ensure that appropriate support services are put in place to help them.”

Stephanie Phillips, Director of Service Delivery at NHS 24, said: “NHS 24 are delighted to support our partners by offering this helpline to complement existing services.

“Our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners will respond with compassion and empathy to offer support whenever it’s needed. Health and social care staff look after us – this is one way in which we are looking after them.

“We know that for everyone calling us, being listened to, and knowing that someone cares, is really important in difficult times. This is just as important to our health and social care colleagues as to those they care for.”

The health and social care workforce mental wellbeing support line (0800 111 4191) will be operated by NHS 24 on a 24/7 basis.

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.

Guidance to support safe re-opening of small businesses

New guidance has been produced to support the safe re-opening of small and micro businesses following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The publication provides practical advice for employers on the steps they need to take before and after re-opening.

Key measures include:

  • risk assessments to protect the safety of employers, staff and customers
  • provision for employees to work from home where appropriate
  • consultation with employees, trades unions or employee representatives before re-opening
  • infection and control measures such as physical distancing and good hygiene
  • staggered break and start times to reduce contact between employees

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The importance of small and micro businesses to our economy cannot be overstated. Over 98 per cent of all businesses in Scotland have less than 50 employees so it is critically important that they can re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.

“This guidance, developed in partnership with employers and trades unions, provides the information small and micro businesses need to ensure the safety of staff and customers as they re-open.

“And we are providing grant support worth over £1 billion to businesses as part of a wider support package worth over £2.3 billion and we will continue to do all we can to support this vital sector.”

Andrew McRae, the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) Scotland Policy Chair, said: “It’s in everyone’s interests to get as many small businesses as possible back up and running as quickly as is safe.

“But to do so, small businesses need to make a lot of changes to how they work – often involving lots of complex, changing information.

“That’s why we asked the Scottish Government to help them cut through the mountain of information by providing some clear steps to follow. This is particularly important for all the smallest businesses who don’t fit neatly into a specific sector – the dog groomer, say, or the portrait photographer.

“For businesses that aren’t sure where to start, this guide will help, as it sets out the key steps they should take across four key areas, as well as providing links to other support and advice

The guidance covers both small businesses, with fewer than 50 employees, and micro businesses, with fewer than 10 employees.

This guidance sits alongside any other relevant sector specific guidance.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support in North Edinburgh

Local organisations have put together a booklet listing mental health & wellbeing support services in North Edinburgh (see below).

If you need support call the new Community Wellbeing Helpline on 0131 332 8773.

Community togetherness won’t last, says study

The UK public feel that any sense of ‘community togetherness’ that has been built during the coronavirus crisis will disperse as soon as it is over says a new study commissioned by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham .

A poll undertaken by Populus of 2,088 adults in the UK found that older generations and women have felt a stronger sense of community togetherness recently, compared with younger generations and men, who have not felt this to the same degree.

Conversely, there was the opposite generational gap identified in terms of those who agreed that community togetherness would disappear after the crisis is over, with those aged 45-64 being most negative (61%), compared with less than half of those aged 18-24 (46%).

This suggests that there has been a marked generational divide in how people have responded to the crisis. This is highlighted further in responses from 18-24 year olds to the valuing of health of older generations today over longer-term economic prosperity. Younger people disagreed with this statement in larger numbers (13%) than those aged over 45 (9%).

The importance of character in times of crisis was highlighted, as 68% of the British public valued ‘being compassionate/caring’ in their top 3 most valued character strengths seen in those around them – an identical figure to a preliminary poll conducted in April 2020; they also valued it the most in terms of personal well-being (25%). Yet, concerns over the lack of community spirit were further emphasised.

Findings showed that less than a quarter of the British public have given their time to benefit others during the crisis. Of those who have, 18-24 year olds and those aged 55-64 have volunteered the most, with women volunteering more than men, and the East Midlands and South East being the areas of the country where people have volunteered the most.

There was a decline in the value placed on the civic character strengths of ‘being of service’ and ‘having community awareness’ in the people around us, compared to the April 2020 poll. Instead, the British public placed greater value on ‘being resilient’; this is suggestive that the public mood has moved to one of self-preservation over community togetherness.

Commenting on the findings, Aidan Thompson, Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Jubilee Centre, said; ‘Strengths of character have helped everyone to negotiate a path through these uncertain and unprecedented times.

“This poll reflects the continued importance of character in how we treat those around us and those we look up to. Good character development benefits both the individual and the community, so whilst notions of ‘community togetherness’ may seem as though they are dwindling, continuing to provide opportunities to serve the public good are essential to cultivate a character-full society.’

Other notable findings include: 

  • Good judgement is valued more by older generations than younger ones as important to one’s wellbeing;
  • Older people have felt a stronger notion of community togetherness during the crisis than younger people, but were more likely to agree that it would disappear once the crisis is over;
  • The public value having ‘good judgement’ (71%) and ‘being wise’ (40%) in senior leaders and politicians in greater numbers than in the first poll;
  • A large majority (71%) of the public support following government lockdown guidelines as an expression of civic duty, though only 56% of 18-24 year olds agreed, compared with 87% of those over 65 years.

 

Emergency funds reaching Scotland’s culture sector

Emergency funds designed to support people working in Scotland’s who are experiencing immediate financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19  are now  reaching those most in need. 

Information published today by Creative Scotland, reveals that 865 people have now received one off grants of between £500-£2,500, in the first phase of the Creative Scotland Arts and Creative Bridging Bursary programme.

A combination of existing funding from The National Lottery and Scottish Government, over £1.5million has been distributed to date to freelance artists and creative practitioners based in each of Scotland’s local authority areas.

Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This is a deeply worrying time for Scotland’s world-renowned culture sector, which has been particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Many artists, performers and freelancers have seen an immediate shutdown of work, resulting in a dramatic loss of income, with many facing real hardship. 

“We want to do all we can to help and, working quickly with Creative Scotland, we have repurposed grant money and built packages of focused support for those who need it most. More than 850 individual freelancers and artists who have lost income due to COVID-19 will now receive a vital lifeline from the Bridging Bursary Fund to help them through this extremely difficult time.

“Culture is central to who we are. It is one of Scotland’s major strengths and it will continue to play a crucial part in getting us through this crisis as we rebuild our country and look toward the future.”

Iain Munro, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland commented: “In the midst of the very serious personal and professional impacts being experienced by so many people working across the creative sector, it is encouraging to be able to report today, that these vital funds are reaching so many people so quickly. 

“Nevertheless, while the measures we’ve already undertaken are responding to the initial impact of this crisis, we recognise that they are limited when compared to the significant future challenges faced by our arts screen and creative industries sectors.  Our absolute priority is now about concentrating our efforts to safeguard and protect their longer-term future.”

More detailed information about today’s update on the first phase of the Creative Scotland Arts and Creative Bridging Bursary can be found here.

The Bridging Bursaries Programme is an important part of Creative Scotland’s initial response to the country’s creative community during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

To help alleviate pressure on organisations as much as possible, all existing funding awards, regardless of whether activity is cancelled, reduced or rescheduled, are being honoured. In addition, existing resources have been repurposed to provide £8.5m for individuals and organisations to sustain their creative practice and to develop new work in the coming months.

The Scottish and UK governments are also offering support to those most in need  and information about these alternative sources of funding alongside resources and sector specific support groups and organisations, can be accessed through Creative Scotland’s website.