Adaptability is key as BT Connection helps keep Momentum wired to the web

By Alan McCrorie

Staff at Momentum Scotland, the volunteer network which helps people meet the challenges of living with disability, delivered a sobering message along with their thanks to BT after the telecoms giants gifted the group with a laptop and free internet access for a year.

 

Momentum, who run their Adapt & Assist service to help those with serious spinal injuries access computers and the internet, were made the award by BT Community Connections and are one of 6,000 groups to have benefited from the scheme since 2000.

Assistive Technology Co-ordinator, Garry Ryan, and Volunteer Co-ordinator, Doug Ross, told a gathering at Momentum’s Yoker offices that a disability may only be the beginning of a person’s problems unless their world is adapted around them in order to help them cope.

Professional and private lives can collapse, Doug explained. One in six people who become disabled lose their jobs while the incidence of divorce rockets and, for some, isolation threatens – all this and more on top of lives that have changed beyond recognition.

Garry said: ‘Simply being able to do their own shopping online and communicate with others via email or social networking sites can help ease the challenge of living with a disability.

‘By learning new skills and working with members of our volunteer team we can boost confidence and social inclusion.’

He also explained the use of such devices such as the head mouse, where a camera mounted on the screen will track a dot attached to the user’s forehead or spectacles, allowing the computer to interpret movements of the head and cue the computer.

BT Scotland’s Senior Partnership Manager, James McClafferty, gamely volunteered to work a voice recognition programme, and joined John Roberston, Glasgow North West MP, Co-Chairman of the All-Party Communications Group and former BT manager, in struggling to operate a keyboard that resembled the controls of a melodion.

‘This is what it’s like to live with disability,’ said Garry, looking on. ‘Everything changes completely.’

Mark Longhill, the Chairman of the BT judging panel who made the award to Momentum, tested a remarkable retina-based mouse control programme, while a sip and puff switch, which controls the mouse with the mouth, was also demonstrated.

Carmyle computer class turn hi-tech tecs

Pupils in primary six and seven at Carmyle Primary School who have ventured into the realms of crime scene investigations made a big breakthrough with their case when they asked a policeman for help.

The young sleuths are taking part in a six-week course that challenges their imaginations and equips them with the IT skills they’ll need in the years ahead. It also offers them a peek into the world of real crime fighting beyond the sets of television series such as CSI.

While the children learned how to examine fingerprints, hair samples, identify tyre prints and use digital microscopes, they also had the chance to question Constable Steven Docherty of Shettleston Police Office about his day-to-day work. Questions about DNA were high on their agenda as they put Steven through his paces – without the good cop, bad cop routine.

The course is the brainchild of ComputerXplorers, an educational franchise company which operates in 20 countries and offers information technology courses to children aged from three to 13.

John McGill, who set up ComputerXplorers South West Scotland earlier this year, said: ‘We’ve taken the pupils through some of the steps that the CSI investigators go through, fingerprinting, powder analysis, digital photograph analysis, and dental imprinting. With that, the kids have a great time. They bite into a piece of fruit and someone guesses who bit the fruit by looking at dental imprints in styrofoam plates.

‘The first analysis is with the eye,’ John explained. ‘To deduce who bit the the apple – and it’s not a serious crime – requires analysis of top and bottom teeth. We use digital imaging as well, and the whole point of our classes is to bring technology into the fun experience. We’re training kids for job that don’t yet exist but it’s clear technology is going to be a huge part of that.

‘It’s a real core life skill we’re trying to teach them through the fun, and through the educational aspects of CSI and forensics.’

Not everyone is good at sports, John said, so learning collaboration and presenting to peers in his class means that children can enjoy their creative side.

Headteacher Linda Logue said: ‘This class has been very popular and after consultation with parents, we hope to be running another in January.

‘The children are very motivated and actively engaged in every session, learning information and communication technology and problem solving skills without realising it.’

Giving it Wellie in breast cancer fight

Staff, friends and clients of a beauty salon have stepped out to show their support for Breakthrough Breast Cancer in a sponsored walk which raised some £2,500.

More than 30 people and two canine friends took part in the five-kilometre walk organised by Ellen Conlin Hair and Beauty at Mugdock Country Park in Milngavie.

The team, which drew volunteers from salons in Hyndland and Giffnock, braced the wet weather and swapped heels for Wellington boots to raise money for the pioneering charity which aims to save lives through research, campaigns and education.

Managing director of Ellen Conlin Hair and Beauty, Ellen Conlin-Main, said: ‘The walk was a great way to raise money for a very important cause. The team put in a huge amount of effort and it was a great way to bring everyone together out with the salon.

‘Despite the miserable weather, we all had a lot of fun. I would also like to say a huge thank-you to all who supported us, especially our clients and, of course, to the people that made donations. The total we managed to raise was fantastic and I hope that we will able to do something very similar again soon.’

Wintering in Ross Hall Park

The weather doesn’t affect the Friends of Ross Hall Park at Cardonald. The hidden gem of a Park will announce their new logo at an award ceremony in Cardonald Library on Saturday 12 December. The prize will go to the school pupil whose design has been selected by the Friends.
At the Friends’ most recent meeting, they agreed to hold a ‘litter pick’ on Saturday 3 April and an open day on Saturday 19 June next year. Said Henry Dougary, on of the Friends: ‘We are planning ahead and are thinking about the Ross Hall House boiler house which heated the water for the swimming pool. It is a listed building but we will use money to save and restore it.’

Scarborough makes big splash on the Clyde

 

The 90-metre long ship, commissioned by the government of Trinidad & Tobago (T&T), is one of three that form part of a £150m contract. BAE will take the vessels from scratch to sea trials on behalf of the Caribbean republic and will provide five years of in-service support.

The UK Ministry of Defence is providing T&T Coast Guard crews with training.

The Port of Spain – the Scarborough’s sister ship – has been launched at Portsmouth. The third ship will be built on the Clyde.

BAE’s Govan operation recently launched HMS Defender – the fifth of six Type-45 destroyers for the Royal Navy.

Glasgow tells defence leagues ‘you shall not pass’

By Elyas Hussain

More than 3,000 people marched through Glasgow against a proposed demonstration by the English Defence League (EDL) and Scottish Defence League (SDL) at Central Mosque.

The counter-demonstration started at Glasgow Green, where speeches were given by councillors, MSPs and MPs from all parties, trade unions representatives, leaders from the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Sikh faiths and other campaigners.

The event was organised by Scotland United a coalition of anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigners.

However, the EDL/SDL application to demonstrate along Clyde Street was refused by Glasgow City Council.

Organiser Aamer Anwar said: ‘The fascists have not been granted permission by Glasgow City Council, which makes it illegal to march anywhere and if they do then they will be arrested.

‘We would like to thank the council for refusing the fascists the right to be here, and we are proud to stand up against these thugs by uniting our multicultural Scottish communities.’

Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said: ‘I am proud to be part of our multicultural communities, and the benefits that these communities bring to our society are brilliant.

‘They (fascists) claim that the migrants are milking the system and swamping us. If you look at the facts, they all contribute to our society really positively, both culturally and economically and will always be welcome here.

‘We will not allow these fascists to march in our streets and we will remain united against all forms fascism and racism.’

Glasgow Central MP, Mohammed Sarwar, said: ‘I am proud to be here and stand up against the far-right fascist who blame the Muslims for everything in which there is no truth in their lies.

‘Our communities will not accept them coming to our city, and we will drive them away every time they come here. They will never march here and divide us and as we have shown them today, we stand united.’

Brian Smith, from Unite Union, said: ‘The EDL/SDL fascists and extremists, they deny that the Holocaust happened. They will never be allowed in Scotland because we all remain united against them.’

After the speeches, there was a march on George Square.

Police officers attended a confrontation in Gordon Street, where a group 10 members of EDL/SDL were taunting protesters. The officers then split them up by creating a wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holyrood approves three more primary schools

 

Pollokshields and Garrowhill are two of the latest beneficiaries of the Scottish Government’s £1.25bn schools building programme.

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Fiona Hyslop’s, announcement includes rebuilding projects at Garrowhill Primary in the east of the city and Glendale Primary in the south.

The latest tranche of rebuilding also allows Glasgow City Council to nominate a third school project. A total of 21 primary schools are now part of the programme to replace crumbling post-war buildings with modern facilities.

In September, the Government announced that 14 secondary schools will be rebuilt or modernised.

The Cabinet Secretary said: ‘This Government inherited a legacy of 260,000 pupils in poor or bad condition school buildings and in just two-and-a-half years that number has dropped by over 100,000.

‘We are on track to deliver in excess of 250 new or refurbished schools in the lifetime of this Parliament through £2bn already under way, supported by decisions made by the Scottish Government.’

Welcoming the news of a new Garrowhill Primary, Glasgow East  MP, John Mason, fired a broadside at the Labour-led council, saying they had failed in their responsibility to keep schools in good repair.

‘The Scottish Government’s school building fund is meant to provide additional support, but the Labour council really needs to start pulling its weight on schools.’

The rebuilding project will be managed by the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), a limited company wholly owned by Holyrood ministers, set up to govern infrastructure investment in Scotland, working in partnership with the private sector.

Established last year, the Government claimed the SFT would cost less than public finance initiative deals with the private sector. Infrastructure investment in Scotland over the next 10 years has been put at some £35bn.

Egelstaff claims women’s badminton crown on home turf

By Clare Carswell

 

Glaswegian Susan Egelstaff was crowned queen of the court on home soil after she won the women’s singles title at the Bank of Scotland International Badminton Championships at Kelvin Hall.

The 27-year-old Scot beat the 2005 and 2006 winner, Ella Diehl of Russia, in two games, 21-18, 21-10, on 22 November, to take her first international title.

‘Ella’s a world-class player with a higher rank than me, so I had to play the best I could,’ the Commonwealth bronze medallist said.

Representing Scotland in the women’s doubles final was Edinburgh-born, Glasgow-based Emma Mason. She partnered Mariana Agathangelou of England, who won the title last year with another Scot, Jillie Cooper.

In the first match of the day, Mason and Agathangelou were beaten in two swift games, 21-16, 21-16, by Valeria Sorokina and Nina Vislova of Russia, who are ranked number 14 in the world.

Cooper and new partner, Samantha Ward of England, were defeated in the semi-finals by their fellow Britons.

The day held a silver lining for Mason, who received the Robert McCoig Memorial Award from Badminton Scotland patron HRH Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, for the most meritorious performance.

Mason, who snapped her Achilles 18 months ago said: ‘For any Scottish player it’s a great honour, especially coming back from such a long injury.  It’s good to know others appreciate how hard it was to come back.’

Scotland’s best chance of glory in the men’s finals disappeared in the third round, when Sourabh Verma of India defeated the ninth seed, Glasgow’s Kieran Merrilees.

A Scot to watch for the future is Glasgow’s Kirsty Gilmour, who at 16-years-old reached the third round of the women’s singles and displayed great flair in her win against Audrey Bonneville of Canada.

Glasgow welcomed more than 250 badminton players from 30 nations to the five-day event, which began with qualifiers on 18 November.

During the championship week, more than 3,000 Scottish schoolchildren received specialist badminton coaching as Kelvin Hall’s indoor running track was converted into the venue for the Bank of Scotland Play Badminton Carnival.

The Deputy Championship Director, Colin M Atkinson, said:  ‘The carnival is hugely important. It’s one of the main reasons the championships are such a success and gives the children the opportunity to play at a major sporting arena.’

Peer scheme could create 11,000 lifesavers

Glasgow could have thousands of lifesavers in its schools if a ground-breaking partnership between the city’s education services and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) takes off.

Secondary school pupils are being taught simple life-saving skills and are taking those lessons into primary schools as part of an innovative peer tutoring scheme.

The programme, which is backed by the Scottish Ambulance Service, St Andrew’s First Aid and the Glasgow/BHF Heartstart initiative, was showcased at Garrowhill Primary in the East End, with seniors from Bannerman High School acting as mentors.

Pupils will learn, then pass on, emergency life support skills which cover cardiopulmonary resuscitation and how to deal with bleeding and choking.

Under the guidance of Paramedic John Gallacher, colleague Anne Harrison, who is Community Resuscitation Development Officer, and John Breen, Bannerman High Employability Officer, two dozen pupils were taken through three emergency scenarios and asked to put what they had learned into practice.

The lessons, which dealt with conscious, unconscious and cardiac arrest casualties, are built around simple but effective routines.

Jonathan Findlay, Glasgow City Council’s Executive Member for Education, said: ‘Our aim is to have S4 pupils and P6 trained up in life-saving techniques – that is nearly 11,000 young Glasgow people who will be able to help out if faced with a life-threatening emergency.’

Garrowhill Headteacher Richard Buchan said: ‘

We’re always looking for ways to make learning real and meaningful and, rather than doing a worksheet, the children are hands-on and using a life-saving skill.

‘I also think the peer tutoring is a really good link to have. They are really good role models for our children and are raising aspirations as well in terms of what our pupils can hope to achieve when they go to S5. Hopefully, they’ll become buddies themselves and pass on their knowledge and skills to younger pupils.’

John Breen said: ‘We have six primary schools that feed into Bannerman, and I would like to see all P6s trained. It will take a lot of time but once it starts it’ll be far easier to roll out across all the schools.’

River City duo pull together for SCIAF’s festive gift drive

River City stars Libby McArthur and Deirdrie Davis have lined up behind aid agency SCIAF’s festive Real Gifts campaign to deliver gifts to transform the lives of people in poverty.

The actresses – who play sisters Gina Rossi and Eileen Donachie in the television soap – hope SCIAF’s Christmas message will make a real difference to thousands of lives.

The Real Gifts can be the chickens, goats or seeds steering a family towards self suffiency. Or the Real Gift could provide safe, clean water and a first step on the ladder to education for children. Gifts can also be vital tools and medicines. Real Gifts can be ordered online at www.sciaf.org.uk/realgifts

 

 

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