What's happening across Scotland and the UK #NeverMoreNeeded
Lockdown survey gives voice to disadvantaged young people
Over 1,000 secondary school pupils across Scotland have shared their experience of lockdown in a survey with award-winning mentoring charity, MCR Pathways. Those surveyed were Scotland’s most disadvantaged young people for whom lockdown and home education was extremely challenging. The impact of both is now a major risk to their futures. Alarmingly, almost 70% of young people surveyed were unable to do any school work during lockdown. Half of these said it was too hard to understand, over 40% said they were too stressed and significantly, one in four had other caring responsibilities that took over. Highlighting major mental wellbeing issues, two thirds of young people (66.8%) were feeling low, anxious and stressed. Overwhelmingly, almost 90% of young people said their sleeping patterns have dramatically altered with over a quarter experiencing significantly disturbed sleep. MCR is calling for schools to give equal focus on young people’s mental wellbeing as well as academic education for the first few months returning to school. The charity, which works with 2,400 care-experienced and disadvantaged young people every week, advocates that school recovery curricula include focus on wellbeing, healthy sleep, exercise and eating habits, and reestablishment of relationships with teachers and peers. Critically, with 75% asking for more one-to-one time with teachers, additional capacity needs to be built in to ensure the most disadvantaged do not become the lost COVID-generation.
Virtual rowers raise vital cash
A Mussleburgh couple have raised more than £1,000 to support care-experienced children after completing a marathon rowing challenge. Kari-Ann Johnston and Ryan Pearson came up with the idea of a ‘Kiltrow’ after the Kiltwalk, which they had signed up for, changed to become a ‘virtual’ event due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They planned to raise funds for Who Cares? Scotland, which offers independent advocacy and campaigns for change in policy and culture for care-experienced children, young people and adults. Both members of the Eskmuthe Rowing Club, they took to their rowing machine to do a half marathon each – 21.1 kilometres – earlier this month. Who Cares? Scotland is close to Kari-Ann’s heart as she is the organisation’s East Lothian Champions Board development office and advocacy worker. She said: “During lockdown, any form of exercise was halted because of juggling full-time work with childcare and schooling. We had no time or energy to exercise during the pandemic. When I saw the virtual Kiltwalk was happening this year, it was the motivation we needed to challenge ourselves and work towards getting active as well as raise money for the brilliant organisation.”
Campaign exposes disabled people’s challenges
A new campaign by disability charity Leonard Cheshire is shining a spotlight on the challenges disabled people face in gaining and developing skills. One of the campaign films will feature Colin McCooey – who resides at Leonard Cheshire’s Cheshire House social care service in Inverness – about his admiration for technology and music, and how he combines both to boost his self-confidence. Colin participates in the charity’s Go Digital programme, which has enabled him to develop skills in technology and achieve ambitions of presenting his own radio show and making music. Through regular use of assistive technology and IT, Colin realised he could enhance his skills and use this impactfully to improve disability awareness and his social life. Living at the service has been pivotal for Colin to access ground-breaking technology. His introduction to this new world began when a Cheshire House volunteer, John Macphee, provided Colin with his first laptop – which he has been using ever since. Technology has proved extremely useful for Colin, enabling him to keep in touch with his parents and friends during unprecedented times in lockdown. The skills he has developed at Cheshire House and through the Go Digital programme have enabled him to pass his knowledge onto other residents at the service, as they all engage with more interactive equipment – such as a large, interactive table tablet and a sensory room brimming with activities. The possibilities are endless for Colin, who can contact his overseas pen pal or organise his shopping independently through the use of technology. The vital skills he has acquired enables him to demonstrate his fondness for music visually, as he streams his DJ sets live on YouTube and through various internet radio stations. Colin said: “DJing and music are therapy for me when I’m stressed – it makes me calm down. Technology has made me more determined to continue entertaining people with my music and more driven to keep producing it.”
Heaps of praise for brilliant street library service
Scottish and UK ministers have applauded an East Renfrewshire woman for her “brilliant” street library service, allowing locals to access books, DVDs and video games during lockdown. West Scotland MSP Ross Greer and East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald both launched separate motions to recognise the valuable work 22-year-old Freya Young has delivered to her community in Eaglesham. In a tweet, Oswald said: “Really pleased to lay down an EDM [early day motion] to congratulate Freya Young for the amazing initiative that is #Eaglesham Street Library. She has done a power of work in making this brilliant library service available to the communities of Eaglesham and #Waterfoot, and made a real difference." The success of the initiative has meant locals - who do not have access to the library because of the lockdown - can read without financial or health barriers. Freya was delighted to hear she had been recognised through motions not only in Holyrood but Westminster too. She said: "It was so lovely. It's such a crazy thing. Unbelievable. It all started when I finished my masters and the grad job I had lined up got cancelled. I was reading loads of book and ordering loads off amazon. After the 4th or 5th books I thought this is so much money.”
