Health
Kincardine and Mearns Summer edition 2023
Welcome to our new and improved Newsletter packed with lots of updates and information for communities across Kincardine and Mearns. Staff from K&M Area Team and the K&M Community Planning Partnership have joined forces to bring you this Newsletter. We would love to hear from you too, and if you have any news or stories that you want to include, please get in touch using the contact details at the end of this Newsletter.
| Kincardine and Mearns Summer edition 2023 |
| In this newsletter, you will find lots of useful information and links relating to – |
| Go to this Sway |
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Supporting Aberdeenshire in the Cost-of-Living Crisis and over the festive period
 Supporting Aberdeenshire in the Cost-of-Living Crisis and over the festive period People are being encouraged to reach out for help over the festive period if they are struggling with the cost of living at this time of year. More and more organisations from across the Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership are publishing information about warm spaces, food banks or support on offer. It is recognised that an increase in the cost of living plus winter weather impacts are making life difficult for a lot of people across Aberdeenshire and beyond. Christmas is famously a time of year when many struggle, but it is also harder to admit to facing challenges. Those can be the mental health impacts of the festive season or the financial ones. Whilst no one agency can “fix” the issues being faced by communities, there is a concerted effort to make sure that people are aware of the support which is out there. The message is – you don’t need to suffer in silence. Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action has a new interactive Warm Spaces map for Aberdeenshire on their website which can be found here. All sorts of venues are offering warm spaces to the public in Aberdeenshire such as local libraries, halls, council venues, community centres, and churches. AVA has captured all these spaces in one place and their interactive map shows you exactly where and when in your community these warm spaces are happening. The webpage also provides a form for those hosting a new warm space to let them know so they can add it to the map. There is useful advice on the Fire Service website about staying safe during an emergency or in the winter months here. From a health perspective, a new leaflet has been published by the NHS full of tips on staying well this winter which is available to read here. Aberdeenshire Council has a long-established Cost-of-Living advice page on their website here, which signposts to support on offer and which includes support from the UK and Scottish Governments, charities and council services. You can find support and advice on housing arrears, fuel poverty, school meals, uniform allowances and more importantly for many, there is a list of food banks or community larders which can be accessed by anyone. You can also find a link to the Council resilience leaflet with tips on how to get ahead of a winter storm. Christmas itself can be a difficult time, but there are many community services and voluntary organisations open to supporting people over the holidays. Find festive period information here and look out for charitable posts offering Christmas lunches and support across Facebook from AVA. The Council free Live Life Essentials membership offers access to more than 50 sports venues and libraries operated by Live Life Aberdeenshire, whereby people can access showers, WiFi and device charging for free, among other benefits including some exercise sessions. Council libraries are also working with partner groups to give out knitted blankets to households as part of the ‘Cosy Bosie’ project.  Cllr Anne Stirling is the chair of the Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership. She said “This has to be tackled right across Aberdeenshire with a collective response if we are to stand any chance of providing meaningful help to people. With any crisis like this we need to work together and make sure people know what to do if they are struggling. There is no stigma to asking for help, that is why we are working together to make support available.” Aileen Longino, AVA Development Officer, said: “AVA could see warm spaces springing up in communities all across Aberdeenshire as a result of the Cost-of-Living crisis so we created a comprehensive map for users to see them all in one place. Aberdeenshire is great at springing into action in a crisis, and these spaces help communities come together, and support those struggling to heat their homes. Warm spaces are comfortable welcoming spaces where folk can relax and keep warm for a few hours. Whilst we want to encourage people to use their local warm space if they need it, please make sure it is safe to do so given the current wintery conditions on roads and pavements. If your house is cosy stay at home! Our interactive map captures all these warm spaces in one place, whether they’re in village halls, libraries or community spaces – each one ensuring folk of a warm welcome, when they need it. If you host a Warm Space that isn’t on the map, please let us know”. Jillian Evans, Head of Health Intelligence with NHS Grampian, said: “Our guide isn’t just limited to the traditional health messages we want to share; it also reflects the current challenging times we find ourselves in and recognises that can have a major impact on people’s health as well. Prevention is always better than cure and we want to ensure everyone in Grampian has easy access to the information they need to stay well. Over 24 pages, the booklet – entitled ‘Keep Warm, Safe, and Well this Winter’ – covers everything from healthy eating to dealing with the cSupporting Aberdeenshire in the Cost-of-Living Crisisand over the festive period |
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Kincardine and MearnsCommunity Planning E-Bulletin
Edition #28
This bulletin focuses on what is happening locally, and provides useful information and guidance.
This month, find out about The Whole Family Wellbeing Fund and community news local to you. To access click on this link.
Kincardine and MearnsCommunity Planning E-Bulletin
Edition #27
Lots of great information and stories in the bulletin this month. Click on the link below to watch Johnshaven “Stories From Our Home” video, find out which projects received public backing in the Stonehaven Participatory Budgeting vote and lots more about what’s going on in K & M.
Kincardine and MearnsCommunity Planning E-Bulletin
Edition #26
This bulletin focuses on what is happening locally, and provides useful information and guidance.
If you have information which you think we should include in a future bulletin, please e-mail or forward to kincardineandmearns@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Who has inspired you in your community? Inspiring Aberdeenshire 2022 open for nominations!
It has been a year like (almost) no other, and communities all over Aberdeenshire are being asked to nominate their heroes for the 2022 Inspiring Aberdeenshire awards.
To find out more and nominate visit
https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/inspiring-aberdeenshire-2022
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| 2022 has been designated Scotland’s Year of Stories. This will be a year in which stories inspired by, created, or written in Scotland will be showcased and celebrated. |
To find out more about these stories and what else is going on in K & M click here to access the full bulletin.
Kincardine and Mearns Community Planning E-Bulletin
Edition #24
This bulletin focuses on what is happening locally, and provides useful information and guidance.
Hot topics this month include news about the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, and the chance to be heard in the consultation on Youth Centre Provision in K&M.
To read more click on the link
#MindYerMind
Do you have a few minutes to answer ten simple questions about mental wellbeing, and how you look after yours?
Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership is launching a campaign to ensure people know the benefits of looking after their mental wellbeing, whilst also sharing hints, tips and advice on how to do this.
Your survey answers are important to us because if we are running a campaign for people in the North East, we want it to be based on thoughts and experiences of people from the North East.
The survey is completely confidential and is available on this link:
#MindYerMind
K & M – Dae Ye Ken
Partners in Kincardine and Mearns are working together to deliver the five-week ‘K&M – Dae Ye Ken?’ initiative.
Designed to help tackle not only some of the unique challenges which have surfaced in these challenging times, the initiative will also demonstrate how there can be health, financial and environmental benefits to many residents within the community.
The partnership – comprising Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership, Home Energy Scotland and Kincardine and Mearns Citizens’ Advice Bureau – know the Kincardine & Mearns area well and will be on hand to offer help and advice.
Weekly topics such as employment, saving fuel and reducing bills, food, finance and benefits, health and wellbeing will be highlighted and discussed between January 11th and February 12th.
WEEK 1 – MONDAY 11 JANUARY 2020 – HEALTH & WELLBEING
Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership (Public Health)
This first week of ‘K&M – Dae Ye Ken?’, we bring you a broad range of information and advice on helping you keep well and fit over these Winter months. To find out LOTS more, click on the links below’ and see attached poster!
Monday – 5 Ways of Wellbeing
https://mailchi.mp/e25d215c4b2e/k-m-dae-ye-ken
Tuesday – Alcohol Awareness
‘At 3pm Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) South Community Forum will host a Forum meeting on the theme of ‘being part of an alcohol free community’ . Click below to join’
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82300010808?pwd=YWFZL2JyQXFNRnNkREpGdG44SUFXZz09
Meeting ID: 829 5730 9360
Passcode: 066417
https://mailchi.mp/af1098bf39d5/k-m-dae-ye-ken-health-wellbeing-week-alcohol-awareness
Wednesday – Eating Well
https://mailchi.mp/5218515d7cc5/k-m-dae-ye-ken-eating-well
Thursday – Mental Health (Zoom meeting by PILLAR Kincardine)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82957309360?pwd=N1FtL3Z5QWR3SjE0aFlZVWZBTXZ1dz09
Meeting ID: 829 5730 9360 Passcode: 066417
Why not have a look at the mental health newsletter, link below?
https://mailchi.mp/84130b0875ea/k-m-dae-ye-ken-mental-health
Friday – Physical Activity
https://mailchi.mp/2548f6b6922e/k-m-dae-ye-ken-physical-activity
Kincardine & Mearns Mental Health & Wellbeing E Bulletin #5 September 2020
A chance to share what we know about mental health & wellbeing in K & M.
Welcome to the fifth K & M Mental Health & Wellbeing E Bulletin. This month we mark suicide prevention week and world suicide prevention day alongside taking a closer look at self management and resilience.
Thinking about suicide is very common.
“It has been said that suicide and indeed talking about suicide is one of the last taboos. However, having lost my brother to suicide last year I recognise that talking about it is what we MUST do if we are tackle the misconceptions, stigma and lack of understanding that surrounds this subject.
I’m advised that up to 1 in 20 people are thinking about suicide at any one time – that’s a huge number and indeed constitutes enough people to fill Hampden stadium five times over. The vast majority of these people do not go on to commit suicide, but these numbers demonstrate the need for us all to have a greater awareness and really have that conversation.
Lesley and I hope this Suicide Prevention Week e-bulletin can help start that journey; informing and encouraging an open dialogue about not only suicide, but mental health in general. You will learn about personal journeys, how you can how support and raise awareness locally and the fact that a directory of help and advice can be in your pocket or bag only a single click away.
And one final thought to carry with you, as old Bob Hoskins used to say, ‘It’s good to talk’ ”.
Roddy MacInnes
Community Planning Officer K&M
Click on the link to access the full bulletin and learn more about the support out there https://mailchi.mp/3bb2e53222bc/k-m-mental-health-wellbeing-e-bulletin-4238378
Kincardine & Mearns Mental Health & Wellbeing E Bulletin #4 August 2020
A chance to share what we know about mental health & wellbeing
in K & M.
Welcome to the fourth K & M Mental Health & Wellbeing E Bulletin. This month a closer look support for the older generation.
The number and proportion of people aged 60 years and older in the population is increasing. In 2019, the number of people aged 60 years and older was 1 billion. This number will increase to 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050. This increase is occurring at an unprecedented pace and will accelerate in coming decades, particularly in developing countries.
Click on the link to find out some of the support and resource available for our older generation.
https://mailchi.mp/f2323958eebc/k-m-mental-health-wellbeing-e-bulletin-4230310
K&M Communities 