Tag: survey

Mary’s Meals: Mum’s the word for Christmas dinner in Scotland

  • School feeding charity Mary’s Meals asked 2,000 people across the UK who they would most like to cook Christmas dinner for them.
  • Almost half chose a family member over a celebrity chef, with the majority choosing their mum.
  • In the Scotland dads got the thumbs down in the festive kitchen!
  • Mary’s Meals is asking people to help feed hungry children by joining its virtual Christmas dinner.

A new survey by Mary’s Meals has revealed that people would rather have their Christmas dinner cooked by their mum than a celebrity chef.

The global school feeding charity asked 2,000 people who they would prefer to serve up their festive feast. It found that:

  • Almost half (46%) of respondents chose a family member rather than a famous chef – such as Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson.
  • One in three people (36%) said they would prefer their mum to cook their Christmas dinner over other family members.
  • Just 1% of respondents in Scotland said they would like their dad to prepare the Christmas dinner!

Scotland’s National Chef Gary Maclean responds: “Despite being a professional chef myself, I’m not surprised most people chose their mum to make their Christmas dinner. Us chefs are all well and good but nothing beats a home-cooked festive feast.”

“I love the idea of Mary’s Meals Big Family Christmas – and I’m going to set a place for my late father-in-law Davie, who would love that their virtual seat at the table will feed a hungry child in school for an entire year.”

Mary’s Meals serves more than two million children with a nutritious meal every school day in 19 of the world’s poorest countries, including Malawi, South Sudan and Haiti. The promise of a good meal attracts children to the classroom, giving them the energy and opportunity to learn, and the chance of a brighter future.

Each December the charity holds a virtual Christmas dinner, Big Family Christmas, to raise funds to feed even more hungry children. Last year, nearly 9,000 people around the world took part in the fundraiser.

Emma Hutton, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals, says: “Tis the season to be jolly, and it seems nothing makes us jollier than a home-cooked Christmas meal. At Mary’s Meals, we want to spread that joy to as many of the world’s most impoverished children as possible.

“Setting a place at our virtual table is a great way to give a truly life-changing gift, especially as each place set this Christmas will feed two children for an entire year thanks to our Double The Love campaign. I look forward to seeing as many names at the table as possible as we celebrate our Big Family Christmas!”

In return for a donation of just £15.90, enough to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year, people can take part in the Big Family Christmas. Donors will receive a certificate to print at home and their name, or the name of a loved one, will appear on the charity’s virtual dinner table alongside names from across the world.

Donations made to Mary’s Meals before 31 January 2022 will be matched by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.6 million, thanks to the Double The Love campaign, meaning that each place set at the online Christmas table will feed two hungry children.

To find out more, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/Christmas

Reaching children in Malawi

Mary’s Meals typically serves a mug of porridge to more than one million children in Malawi every school day.

This includes children like 14-year-old Yasimini, who is one of five girls. Her two older sisters were married young, but Yasimini was able to continue with her studies because of Mary’s Meals.

She says: “I work very hard in class so I can fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse. I don’t want to end up getting married early like my sisters.

“Mary’s Meals is very important because when I am attending classes I am strong and attentive and I can pay attention to what the teacher is teaching. This will help me to do well in my studies.”

Councillors approve a one-year pilot for Winter Festivals

Councillors yesterday gave unanimous backing to a proposed route map for the future of Edinburgh’s Winter Festivals, following the findings of a major independent survey.

The results, published last week, revealed overwhelming support from residents and organisations for continuation of Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations in the Capital, but with a revised format. Councillors from across all political parties have endorsed the findings and agreed to run a one-year pilot .

For winter 2022/23, a procurement exercise will be undertaken to identify a producer to deliver Edinburgh’s Christmas and an individual or organisation will be appointed to a Winter Festivals Director role.

The All Party Oversight Group (APOG) will now agree the brief for these appointments using the clear feedback from the consultation to ensure that it meets the needs of residents and businesses and is of appropriate scale.

More than 8,600 people and 35 organisations responded to the survey on the future of Edinburgh’s Winter Festivals, with 87% expressing support for a Christmas celebration and 86% for Hogmanay.

The 12-week consultation, carried out in Spring this year by independent market research company Progressive Partnership on behalf of the Council, sought feedback from the Capital’s residents, communities and businesses on the events from 2022 onwards.

Overall, results showed a wish to continue to provide high quality Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations which will in turn be valued by residents and visitors.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “When we agreed to run a citywide conversation with our residents, businesses and stakeholders on the future of Edinburgh’s Winter Festivals we had a very open mind on what the format of these events could be in future years. 

“We had an excellent response to the consultation, and it was encouraging that so many want to see Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations continue in the years ahead, while providing us with a valuable insight into what exactly people and businesses would like to see changed. 

“I know there are lots of differing views on major events, such as Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay, but it has been encouraging to see this level of input from people of all ages and from right across the City into the consultation.

“Whilst some differences of opinion can’t be reconciled, the input from people has set a road for these events to reflect residents’ aspirations for these celebrations for future years while dealing with concerns raised about previous years.

“Our focus here is firmly on our residents and local businesses. If we get it right for them first and foremost, then these events will be enjoyed for many years to come.”

Council Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “We’re very pleased to see such a large and positive response to the consultation and that the majority want Edinburgh to keep its place on the international map for Christmas celebrations and as home of Hogmanay.

“There’s no doubt that our Winter Festivals deliver real economic impact, benefitting tourism, retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in particular. However, taking heed of the findings and looking ahead to events next year we’ll be looking to share these benefits and look to spread events across our town centres and communities.

“Thanks to the feedback already gathered, we’ll now be able to take people’s comments and ideas into account as we plan for next year, and beyond. Making sure we have a great winter festival and Edinburgh remains the best city to visit!”

Find out more about the consultation responses.

Edinburgh homeowners avoid DIY tasks due to a fear of failure

  • Almost a third (30%) of homeowners in Edinburgh put off trying DIY tasks – such as wallpapering or building furniture – due to a fear of failure, new survey shows.
  • The DIY Fulfilment Survey, conducted by Blinds Direct, uncovers the nation’s attitudes towards DIY tasks and how this impacts our home décor habits.
  • Edinburgh homeowners’ least favourite DIY tasks were revealed to be decorating a room (e.g. repainting), small DIY fixes (damaged pipes), and cleaning the car.
  • Other factors that put off Edinburgh homeowners from DIY tasks include concerns around the difficulty of the task (50%), and quality of the end result (40%). 

Almost a third (30%) of homeowners in Edinburgh avoid a DIY task due to a fear of failure, suggesting a regional lack of confidence in home décor skills, a new survey reveals.

The DIY Fulfilment Survey, conducted by Blinds Direct looks at the nation’s attitude towards common DIY tasks and our home décor habits. These include the tasks we find the most satisfying to do ourselves, how much we spend on décor, and which rooms we focus on.

The survey also found that homeowners in Edinburgh are deterred from taking on a DIY task due to concerns around the difficulty of doing so (50%), the quality of the end result (40%), and the time taken to complete (34%).

For homeowners in Edinburgh, the survey showed that the room that sees the most regular décor updates was the living room, followed by the kitchen and master bedroom. 

And the most important factors for local homeowners when it comes to purchasing a home décor product came out as the cost (51%), the quality (42%), the durability (31%), and the aesthetic (30%) – while the least important factor came out as the availability (10%). 

The survey also found that the majority of Edinburgh homeowners spend between £250-500 on home décor products each year. 

Darren Green, Managing Director at Blinds Direct, commented, “It’s encouraging to see so many homeowners, and especially younger people, happier with their homes now than they were a year ago. 

“It’s also heartening that we’re becoming increasingly confident in taking on the challenge of keeping our homes beautiful ourselves. Whether it’s fitting a wooden blind, painting a wall or building a new desk, we are becoming increasingly confident in our own abilities and the positive effect it has on our happiness reinforces the importance of doing things independently.”

Other key focus areas encompassed in the survey included which factors people deem the most important when considering a home décor product, and which DIY tasks result in the greatest sense of achievement when completed. 

To see the full breakdown of results, please visit the DIY Fulfilment Survey here: 

https://www.blindsdirect.co.uk/fulfilment-survey 

Scottish shopworkers speak out about violence, threats and abuse

Usdaw urges retail staff not to suffer in silence

To highlight the annual Respect for Shopworkers week, taking place from 15 – 21 November, retail trade union Usdaw has launched shocking statistics from their annual UK-wide survey.

Interim results from nearly 3,500 retail staff show that in the last twelve months:

  • 89% have experienced verbal abuse,
  • 64% were threatened by a customer,
  • 11% were assaulted.
  • 46% said they were not confident that reporting abuse, threats and violence will make a difference.
  • 7% of those who had been assaulted did not report the incident.

Scottish voices from the frontline: These are some of the comments Scottish shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:

Central Scotland: “Abusive because they are having to wait in a queue or at self-scan to get alcohol or security tags taken off.”- “Have been threatened by violence once I finish work, will wait on me outside and kick my head in.”

Glasgow: “Had a bottle held over my head for my till. Been called a rat and been warned to watch myself walking home at night.” – “Customer tried to punch me, had threats of physical violence and called several demeaning names by customers.”

Highlands and Islands: “Social distancing and mask wearing have resulted in confrontations that have got particularly aggressive.”- “I have had someone throw their shopping at me when I have asked to stay 2m away.”

Lothian: “Lack of respect for requesting social distancing.” – “Multiple times I’ve had stuff thrown at me and once was kicked into a machine.” – “People insulting me or raising their voices when asked to follow basic covid regulations.”

Mid-Scotland and Fife: “We have been verbally abused regarding the safe system in place with regards to reopening our cafe.” – “Mainly shoplifters, threatening behaviour and verbal abuse.”

North East Scotland: “Mainly verbal aggressive abuse from customers. Rudeness, insults and shouting.” – “Customers argue when you explain the licensing regulations.”

South Scotland: “Sworn at, spat at, kicked at, punched at, eggs thrown at me.”- “Customer would not social distance, I got an absolute mouthful, said he knew better as he was a doctor.”

West Scotland: “Staff being grabbed by customers, threatened with knives, racially abused and received degrading comments calling us stupid little girls, worthless, and idiots.” – “Customers really think they can say whatever they want to us.”

Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from Scottish shopworkers who deserve far more respect than they receive. Our latest survey results clearly show the scale of the appalling violence, threats and abuse faced by shopworkers.

“It is shocking that 9 in 10 of our members working in retail are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. So it is extremely worrying that over half are not confident that reporting these issues will make any difference and 7% of those assaulted did not report the incident.

“The new protection of workers law in Scotland is welcome and we continue to campaign for the UK Government to follow MSPs’ lead by extending similar protections to retail staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Retail staff across the UK have a crucial role in our communities and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law.

“It is also clear that the new law needs to be enforced right across Scotland with the police and judiciary prioritising retail crime. Usdaw is urging retail workers across Scotland and employers to help make that happen by recording incidents and reporting them to the police. Our message is ‘report it to sort it’.”

‘Devastating’: Unite Scotland reveals Scottish Ambulance Service survey findings

Unite Scotland has today revealed the details of a ‘devastating’ survey conducted of nearly 300 Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) workers. 

The survey conducted over the last month by the trade union among its SAS members reveals a ‘horrifying’ picture of the nation’s ambulance service due to years of ‘chronic underfunding’.

The survey reveals that by huge majorities SAS workers feel under-valued, fatigued; that staff morale has collapsed, with the vast majority of workers stating the nation’s ambulance service is under-resourced and under-staffed. 

Substantial majorities of SAS workers also state that they have considered leaving the ambulance service and reported that they have been abused at work in the last year.

The headline survey findings reveal the following:

  • 98.2% believe that Scottish Government’s extra investment of £20m into the SAS and support from the armed services will ‘not be enough’ during the winter months;
  • 88.2% do not feel valued by the Scottish Government and 84.6% do not feel valued by the SAS;
  • 86.7% of SAS workers felt that staff morale was either poor (30.8%) or very poor (55.9%);
  • 86.4% feel fatigued at work while 78.9% believe the SAS is under-staffed;
  • 81.5% have suffered verbal or physical abuse, or both, while working at the SAS within the last year;
  • 73.6% of respondents said they have considered leaving the SAS;
  • 70% do not get the necessary break times during shifts;
  • 53.8% stated that there were not enough ambulances at ‘station level’; and
  • 44.3% stated that the longest shift they have worked was between 12-15 hours, 30%between 15-20 hours; 17.5% between 10-12 hours while 5.7% stated it was under 10 hours and 2.5% over 20 hours. 

In a previous Daily Record Exclusive on 9 September, Unite called for a ‘major incident’ status to be declared at all hospitals with Accident and Emergency Units, where turnaround times exceed 30 minutes.  

The demand was made by Unite to protect the public who have made 999 calls in the community, amid patient safety concerns due to 6 hours service running times. 

On average, an ambulance response to a 999 call can take between 55 minutes, and 1 hour and 10 minutes, from call to completion. However, ambulances are now missing three 999 calls while located at a hospital waiting for patient handovers.  

The survey findings shed new light on this depressing situation with nearly 71% of respondents declaring that the longest 999 call they have been involved in from call to completion exceeded six hours: (16.3% – over 20 hours), (11.7% between 15-20 hours), (6.3% between 12-15 hours), (4.6% between 10-12 hours), (5.4% between 8-10 hours), and (26.4% between 6-8 hours), with the remainder being under 6 hours. 

Worryingly, 94.5% of survey respondents involved in ambulance 999 call-outs believed the clinical coding to ascertain the severity of the situation was wrong. In addition, 54.7% answered ‘yes’ to the question ‘due to longer service running times has your ‘call’ been involved in an adverse clinical event due to delays and hospital pressures?’

Unite Scotland has repeatedly warned the Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf, that the extra investment and resources for the SAS would ‘not be enough’ to deal with the crises affecting the nation’s health services, which the survey findings conclusively confirm. 

Pat Rafferty, Unite Scottish Secretary, in response to the survey findings, said: “I don’t think I have ever seen such an utterly depressing and horrifying situation with massive implications for the nation.

“The workers at the Scottish Ambulance Service are sending out their own 999 call to the Scottish Government saying that they are undervalued, stressed, and exhausted. It is now beyond breaking point.

“The levels of abuse the workers are suffering is inexcusable. The vast majority of those responding to our survey are going as far as to say they are now considering leaving the ambulance service.

“Shockingly, the survey reveals a culture of extremely long hours, partially due to chronic underfunding over many years, and the overwhelming stresses being placed on the system. This situation is directly leading to paramedics and ambulance staff being increasingly involved in adverse clinical events, and dangerously long response times.

“It is a devasting indictment of the Scottish Government’s approach to the ambulance service. Urgent action is necessary because lives are at risk alongside the fundamental issue of how we value those trying to save those lives.”

Scottish sporting bodies back campaign to help keep children safe in sport

  • One in five parents wouldn’t know who to turn to for help if they had any welfare concerns in relation to their child’s sport/leisure clubs
  • Campaign kicks-off to help parents understand their role in keeping children safe and who they can turn to for help
  • Scottish Athletics, Scottish Gymnastics and Netball Scotland join in supporting the NSPCC’s and Children 1st’s Parents in Sport Week

A group of Scottish governing sporting bodies has backed a joint NSPCC and Children 1st campaign which is raising awareness of where parents can turn if they have concerns about their child’s sports club.

An online survey*, conducted on behalf of the NSPCC by YouGov, has found that 20% of parents** who had children in sports and leisure clubs, would not know who to speak to if they had any worries about a child’s welfare at the club.

Now, Scottish Gymnastics, Scottish Athletics and Netball Scotland are backing Parents in Sport Week (4-10 October 2021) – an annual campaign run by the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and Children 1st, aiming to equip every parent with the safeguarding knowledge they need, and highlight the important role parents play in youth sport.

Doc McKelvey, Scottish Gymnastics CEO, said: “Many sports around the world, including ours, have had cause to focus and self-reflect following complaints on different issues. Scottish Gymnastics fully supports this campaign which highlights how important parents and carers are in helping keep children and young people safe in sport.

“Gymnast welfare is at the heart of everything we do, and wellbeing and protection is a priority in our clubs and programmes. We have embarked on a long-term project to ensure all our members, parents and carers know more about safeguarding and child protection, how to identify and raise concerns, and give them the confidence to do so. We are grateful to the NSPCC and Children 1st for helping raise awareness and empower parents.”

Claire Nelson, CEO of Netball Scotland and the Strathclyde Sirens, said: “We are once again proud to support NSPCC Scotland’s and Children 1st’s Parents in Sport Week. The campaign this year aims to ensure parents have access to the right resources, tools and information to feel confident that their children can return to, and most importantly enjoy, sport safely.

“After such a challenging year we know that many parents and children are feeling anxious about restarting clubs and activities, so this campaign will provide vital support to empower families to get back to doing what they love.”

David Fallon, Head of Development for scottishathletics, said: “We are delighted and proud to once again support the ‘Parents in Sport Week’ campaign, led by NSPCC Scotland and Children 1st.

“We will work with our clubs and members to promote the campaign toolkit, and encourage as many parents and guardians as possible to understand the important role they play in the bigger safeguarding picture of sport.

“We hope that by promoting this campaign, more parents will ask those important questions around safeguarding when their child takes part in athletics in Scotland, helping us to ensure our clubs are offering a safe, fun, and engaging environment.”

As part of the campaign the children’s charities have issued three key safeguarding tips for parents in relation to children’s sport:

  • Every club should have a child welfare officer in post – familiarise yourself with who that is and their contact details;
  • Check if your club has a safeguarding policy in place and understand how that keeps children safe;
  • Know that the NSPCC helpline is there if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach the helpline on 0808 800 5000 or at help@nspcc.org.uk

Children 1st provides a helpful guide for parents on finding a safe sports club for their child. And, this year, the NSPCC has launched new resources aimed at parents, to help them understand their role in keeping children safe and who they can turn to for help if they have any worries about their child’s sport.

Resources include a free e-learning course for parents on keeping their child safe; a new animation which helps parents identify when something might be wrong in their child’s sport; and the new NSPCC CPSU Parents Hub – an online destination providing safeguarding information for parents.

Paul Stephenson, Senior Consultant at NSPCC’s CPSU, said: “We’re proud to be running our annual Parents in Sport Week campaign once again, alongside Children 1st, to help more parents be a significant part of their children’s sporting lives.

“Since launching the campaign five years ago, countless sports bodies, clubs and coaches have supported our work and worked hard to develop better relationships with parents and carers.

“This year, we want to provide the tools needed to help parents and carers access important information to help keep their children safe in sport, to spot poor practice and to empower them to speak out. We’re also continuing to support the tireless work sports clubs put into involving parents in their safeguarding process.

“Sport is a huge part of childhood, with many young people spending countless hours practicing, playing and making new friends, and it is so important that every parent feels confident about ensuring their child is safe and having fun.”

Parents who have any worries about their child’s experience in sport or physical activity can seek advice from the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing: help@nspcc.org.uk.

Survey: Are the kids alright?

A 3 year old starting nursery in 2021 will have spent half their life under pandemic restrictions.

Public Health Scotland @P_H_S_Official would like to know what that means for families’ wellbeing.

A new survey aims to find out, extended to represent children aged 0-11:

https://surveys.publichealthscotland.scot/838276?lang=en

“Shocking”: Ambulance handover delays are threatening patient safety, experts warn

A new snapshot survey by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has found that in August 2021 half of respondents stated that their Emergency Department had been forced to hold patients outside in ambulances every day, compared to just over a quarter in October 2020 and less than one-fifth in March 2020.

The survey, sent out to Emergency Department Clinical Leads across the UK, also found that half of respondents described how their Emergency Department had been forced to provide care for patients in corridors every day, while nearly three-quarters said their department was unable to maintain social distancing every day.

One-third said that the longest patient stay they had had in their Emergency Department was between 24 and 48 hours, with seven per cent reporting the longest stay to be more than 48 hours.

Dr Ian Higginson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “It is shocking to see the extent of the challenges faced by Emergency Departments across the UK.

“Holding ambulances, corridor care, long stays – these are all unconscionable practices that cause harm to patients. But the scale of the pressures right now leaves doctors and nurses no options.

“We are doing all we can to maintain flow, maximise infection prevention control measures, and maintain social distancing. Our priority is to keep patients safe, and ensure we deliver effective care quickly and efficiently, but it is extremely difficult right now.

“The data is stark, and this is August. Our members are really worried about what may come in autumn and winter. We have a duty to our patients and staff. Currently there is extremely high demand – for a number of reasons – but demand is not the whole picture.

“Demand presents a challenge because of the limitations of hospital space, workforce shortages, difficulties arranging quick ambulance handovers, smooth care and safe discharge of patients from wards, and a lack of services and alternatives to admission, particularly in the evenings and at weekends.

“The health service entered the pandemic short of staff, with less beds, and underprepared. Throughout the pandemic these shortages have been felt, but with demand higher than ever before, and with a workforce that is burned out, these shortages are felt more acutely than ever.”

Commenting on the increase in ambulance handover delays, Tracy Nicholls, Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics, said: “The College of Paramedics’ members also speak passionately about the potential for harm to those patients who, as a consequence of these lengthy ambulance handover delays, can wait an unacceptably long time for help. It is deeply concerning.

“Like the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, we recognise that all partners are working exceptionally hard to manage this situation and current demand. The reality is, however, that unless effective actions are taken now to ease the system pressures, more and more patients will face these delays as we head into another difficult winter, and both paramedics and ambulance clinicians across the UK will face the brunt of any further increase in demand.

“We urge NHS leadership to take action now to mitigate this risk wherever possible and protect both patients and our collective workforce from the inevitable pressure that we face if nothing is done.”

The survey also found that over 80% of respondents had little or no confidence in their organisation’s ability to safely and effectively manage the current or predicted combination of pressures as we head into winter.

Dr Higginson continued: “The final response that found an overwhelming lack of confidence signals something deeply troubling.

“The College has consistently warned of the upcoming winter and ongoing pressures. It is time we saw leadership and an equivalent response. There must be a comprehensive plan for the current demand and upcoming winter that include short- and long-term solutions to tackle these serious challenges.

“If ambulance services and Emergency Departments cannot cope with ongoing pressures, then it is patients and the workforce looking after them who will suffer. The winter could lead the health service into a serious crisis. Patients and staff must have assurance that they, their Emergency Department and their hospital will get what they need to manage.”

18 Months On: Still time to complete Excluded UK survey

We’ve been planning a new survey as we approach the end of Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). It’s intended that the results of this survey will give an in-depth view of what it means to be excluded 18 months on.

We’re working with an expert to analyse the results and this will form the major part of a detailed report that we’ll be publishing towards the end of September. This work will also take a comparative look at our previous surveys since June 2020 which we hope will be a key piece of work for MPs, government bodies, press and other organisations to reference as well vital data to help us continue to push for change.

We know that this survey is slightly more in-depth than our previous surveys, but we do hope you’ll help us in furthering our lobbying efforts by completing this survey as fully as possible and please do share with your relevant contacts.

The survey will close tomorrow on 6th September.

Complete the survey here …