Latest news with #Communities
Edinburgh Reporter
8 hours ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Bids invited for West Lothian grass roots mental health fund
A £15m programme described as a 'lifesaving' by West Lothian's Third Sector is set to open the purse strings for its latest round. The fund, first launched at the height of the Covid pandemic, has so far delivered £2m to local volunteers who promote better mental health within communities. Up to 150 grass roots organisations have been supported to help those most in need. And, each year, West Lothian's share of the national pot- around £470,000- could have been spent three times over given the number of applications. Difficult decisions have to be taken. For West Lothian this year, a further £470,000 will be made available. Applications to the Fund will open in September and around 80% of organisations will be considered for two years of funding to support their projects. It is expected that the Scottish Government will make a similar level of funding available for 2026/27. Alan McCloskey, the CEO of Voluntary Sector Gateway West Lothian (VSGWL) said: 'This funding saves lives.' The head of the local Third Sector umbrella organisation added: 'Over the past four years, £2m from the Scottish Government`s Communities Mental Health and Well-being Fund has been provided to 150 small, grass roots grass roots organisations to support their initiatives. 'We know that the money helps organisations to support vulnerable adults across West Lothian from the impacts of social isolation, loneliness, poverty, and inequality. It is fantastic that we will be able to help projects with much needed additional funding over the coming two years as well.' The fund has been heavily oversubscribed every year, with applications seeking around £1.3million annually. Funding helps organisations with costs such as staffing, equipment, venue hire, training and volunteer expenses. Projects have tackled social isolation, loneliness, mental health inequalities, and supported those most affected by the pandemic. This includes projects supporting a range of at-risk groups, including women, particularly those experiencing gender-based violence; people with a long-term health condition or disability and those from a minority ethnic background. Volunteers who work with people affected by psychological trauma have also benefited from the fund since 2021, along with those who have experienced bereavement or with neurological conditions or learning disabilities. West Calder and Harburn's Community Development Trust is one of the organisations which has benefited. Good Connections supports people in the West Calder and Polbeth areas to access activities, services and opportunities that improve their lives. It uses a Social Prescription model whereby a Well-being Link Worker offers 1-2-1 sessions to help identify what a client wants to get out of the service, what is available locally and then supports them to access those opportunities. The project also provides activity groups where they are lacking in the area such as walking, yoga and arts & crafts for well-being. Matt Pearce, the manager of West Calder and Harburn Community Development Trust, said: 'Good Connections has received funding from the Communities Mental Health Fund for three years now and it has enabled us to support so many people during hard times in their lives. The impact has been huge.' 'The project is run by West Calder & Harburn CDT and Polbeth Community Hub offering support across the communities including from our local Community Woods and Garden. It has helped hundreds of people find activities and groups to get involved in to improve their mental health and supported them to access additional services as well.' Adele Prendergast, the manager of Polbeth's Community Hub said: '86% of people who accessed our project over the last two years have seen a meaningful improvement in their mental well-being and 100% of our regular group attendees said that the activities had had a positive effect on their mental health. 'They also all said they would recommend others join our groups. This is the impact funding like this has'. By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Eastern Oregon's old-growth trees are dying at ‘alarming' rates, UO finds
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Older trees in an Eastern Oregon forest are perishing 'at an alarming rate,' . A new study led by James Johnston, an assistant research professor for the University of Oregon, found that about 25% of trees over 300 years old died in the Malheur National Forest from 2012 to 2023. Portland named among 'cities on the rise' as Oregon falls in state business rankings Scientists noted the 1.7-million-acre site is known to host some of the state's most ancient trees, some dating back more than 500 years. But drought conditions, pests and competition between trees of different ages have created a 'triple whammy' for the older trees in roadless areas. 'In the moistest and most productive Douglas-fir-dominated forests in Western Oregon, setting forests aside as protected reserves has proven to be a successful strategy for protecting old trees,' Johnston said. 'But this research shows that we need active management to remove younger trees in order to protect old trees in dry forests of Eastern and Southern Oregon.' Scientific journal will publish Johnston's findings in its October 2025 issue. He, who serves UO's Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments, first launched the study for his doctoral dissertation about a decade ago. Cram Fire doubles in size, approaches town of Ashwood When researchers revisited the area, they located 1,617 trees that were recorded for the original project. UO reported that about 33% of the trees between 150 and 300 years old had died in the time since, in addition to the 25% of ancient trees that had withered away. According to the university, trees that hadn't been burned in a wildfire in the past 130 years were more susceptible to death. Scientists said wildfires help thin out forests, therefore removing younger trees and diminishing competition for the ancient trees that need water and other nutrients. The study also noted it is 'generally' illegal to cut down trees in federally protected lands. Similar to a , researchers listed drought conditions and insects as other causes of the Malheur National Forest's alarming tree deaths. Portland is hot. Here's everything you need to know to stay cool this week 'Although Eastern Oregon's forests are considered dry forests, meaning they've adapted to seasonal dry spells, they still need water to survive,' UO wrote. 'And the area is significantly drier than it once was. To top it all off, several species of defoliating insects, such as western spruce budworm and Douglas-fir tussock moth, chowed down on the trees during the study period.' Researchers estimate that less than 25% of ancient trees will remain through the next 50 to 60 years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
YouTube Updates Shopping Buttons for Shorts, Expands Access to Communities
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. YouTube's rolling out an updated shopping button for Shorts, while it's also giving more channel managers access to its Communities option, providing more ways to engage with your audience in the app. First off, on shopping in Shorts. YouTube's announced an updated display for product listings within Shorts clips, with product stickers to be displayed more prominently on screen. As you can see in this example sequence, now, when you tag a product in a Short, you'll be able to place a product-specific sticker wherever you choose on the playback screen. As explained by YouTube: 'Up until now, tagged products appeared in a banner in the bottom left-hand corner of Shorts. Once clicked, the banner would then open a list of tagged products for viewers to shop. Now, the shopping button on Shorts is getting an upgrade. When you tag products in your Shorts, viewers will see a shopping product sticker. When viewers tap the sticker image, they'll be redirected to the retailer's website for that product.' YouTube says that if multiple products are tagged, tapping the down arrow on the sticker (as you can see in the example above) will open a product list. 'Stickers are generated for the first product in the list of tagged products, and you can rearrange the list to determine which product a sticker will be generated for. Size and placement can only be changed using the YouTube main app, so if you're uploading via desktop or Studio Mobile, and you'd like to change the size and placement, you'll need to go to the YouTube main app.' So, more options for your promotions, with a much more upfront presentation style in the display. And it could be worth considering: 'In an experiment in the U.S. in May 2025, Shorts with shopping product stickers saw over 40% more clicks on products than Shorts with the shopping button.' Some advertisers likely prefer the previous display, but the updated format will provide more options on this front. YouTube's also expanding access to its Communities feature once again, with all creators that have access to posts now getting Communities as well. YouTube's channel Communities provide a text-based discussion board element to channels, adding another, more social media-aligned way for creators and their fans to interact. YouTube began testing Communities last July, and expanded them to more channels in February this year. And now, a heap more channels will get access. YouTube says creators who are invited to enable their Communities will receive notifications via email, and a banner notification displayed on their channel pages on mobile. YouTube's also adding new sorting options for Community posts: 'By default, the 'Top Posts' are shown, and you can toggle to see 'Newest' posts. These sorting options mirror the experience available on the main app.' 'Top Posts' ranks comments based on their likeliness to interact, while the 'Newest' view is a reverse chronological feed. 'In recent months, we've improved our ability to reduce the visibility of lower quality post content, and raise higher quality content in the top feed, and the team is hard at work on additional features to further improve the experience.' These updates could make Communities a more engaging, lively space, by making it easier for creators to ensure they prioritize key engagements. Finally, YouTube is also rolling out four new animated gifts that livestream viewers can send during a broadcast. As you can see in these examples, the new gifts are 'Victory Spin.' 'Hooray,' 'Seal Splash,' and 'Rockstar,' providing additional options for viewers to both get attention and donate to streamers in the app. Not sure how much people will like the new options, but YouTube clearly thinks that these align with viewer responses to livestreams and streamers in the app. The new gifts are currently only available to creators and viewers in the U.S. Recommended Reading YouTube Adds Simplified Ad Campaign Creation Within Studio Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Journals
17-06-2025
- Health
- Business Journals
How H2M architects + engineers brought fresh food to Troy through adaptive reuse
For people living in food deserts, it is common to subsist on prepackaged, ultra-processed foods from convenience stores and fast-food establishments. However, these types of foods have been linked to a higher risk of a wide range of health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In fact, a 2023 study by the American Cancer Society found that people with little or no access to healthy foods have a shorter lifespan on average than those with greater levels of access. To address these disparities, which disproportionately affect low-income Americans, developers should be incentivized to locate and operate new supermarkets within food deserts. New York City, for example, administers both the Healthy Food & Healthy Communities (HFHC) Fund and Food Retail Expansion Program to Support Health (FRESH), two programs that offer zoning and financial incentives to encourage the development of grocery stores in underserved areas. However, in lieu of grants or other public funding sources, adaptive reuse can provide a cost-effective way to provide critical life-improving resources in dense areas with limited open space. Last year, Bargain Grocery, an affordable grocery store operated by the not-for-profit Compassion Coalition, opened its second-ever location in Troy, New York. Compassion Coalition uses the proceeds from both the new Bargain Grocery and the original location in Utica, New York, to fund its mission of providing food, clothing, transportation, and shelter to the underprivileged — raising approximately $20 million dollars in support so far. Rather than identify a site for a ground-up building construction, the developer First Columbia Real Estate partnered with H2M architects + engineers to reuse a 15,000-square-foot cardboard manufacturing facility built in the mid-1800s. Our adaptive reuse work involved the preparation of historic surveys and architectural designs that respect the character of the edifice, including a new refrigeration area, dual-level loading docks, and an accessible path into the grocery store. The building also received electrical system upgrades, structural fortification, and a brand-new heating, ventilation, and cooling system. By utilizing the principles of adaptive reuse and paying close attention to historic preservation guidelines, we transformed and reenergized an older but structurally-sound building into a valuable community resource with a completely new purpose. The load-bearing brick-and-timber-frame building features all-new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and technology, but retains its 19th-century aesthetic to help preserve Troy's history as a center for manufacturing. Adaptive reuse also allowed us to complete the work with less construction waste and for less money than traditional design and construction methods. The technical ingenuity of the store's design and its impact on access to fresh food in the Troy community earned the Bargain Grocery project team a State Historic Preservation Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Achievement from the New York State Historic Preservation Office. The awards, given out annually as part of the New York Statewide Preservation Conference, recognize the most inventive and culturally significant preservation and rejuvenation projects across New York State. Old factories, banks, schoolhouses, churches, storefronts, and municipal buildings — whether historic or not — still have plenty to offer for those willing to think outside the box and redefine what a grocery store can look like. By collaborating with architecture and engineering consultants well-versed in adaptive reuse, developers and municipalities can make the most of their unused space to transform food deserts into flourishing oases. H2M architects + engineers is a full-service consulting and design firm offering the expertise of over 580 architects, engineers, planners, designers, inspectors, surveyors, and scientists. Our professionals combine technical experience and specialized market knowledge to meet architectural, engineering, and environmental challenges head-on. H2M offers a practical approach with creative results. For more information, visit Katrina N. Pacheco, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, MCPPO, has more than 30 years of architectural design experience, including expertise in the production, evaluation, and construction administration of over 100 public safety buildings. Katrina also serves as Director of AIA's Eastern New York chapter and teaches Professional Practice at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
National Post
16-06-2025
- Health
- National Post
Subway® Canada's week-long Never Miss Lunch campaign asks Canadians to turn Cookies into Care
Article content Starting today to June 22, Canadians can support Never Miss Lunch by purchasing a Subway cookie benefiting Food Banks Canada.* Article content TORONTO — Subway Canada's annual Never Miss Lunch charitable campaign starts today, supporting children nationwide who are experiencing food insecurity. From now until June 22, every cookie purchased helps Food Banks Canada fill food packs with nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables and dairy products, benefitting children in over 235 communities. Article content 'No child should have to face the stress and uncertainty of hunger—especially during the summer months, when access to fresh food becomes more difficult for families,' says Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada. 'Thanks to dedicated partners like Subway, we can bridge that critical gap by providing access to nutritious and fresh foods for children throughout the country all summer long. Together, we're not only giving children food for fuel, we are also nurturing their potential and hope for a brighter future.' Article content Now in its sixth year, the Subway Canada Never Miss Lunch program is proud to support Food Banks Canada, where donations will help distribute 215,000 food packs to children across hundreds of communities this summer. Since 2019, Subway Canada's Never Miss Lunch campaign has contributed to filling over one million nutritious food packs for children. As the exclusive Fresh Food Sponsor, Subway Canada plays a key role in ensuring that every pack includes not just shelf-stable items, but real, fresh food to fuel kids' bodies and minds. Article content 'At Subway, we know that providing children with fresh, healthy food options and nourishing young minds and bodies is the first step towards giving kids the foundation to excel,' says Courtney Hindorff, Managing Director at Subway Canada. 'No child should have to start their day worried about where their next meal is coming from. With Never Miss Lunch, we're harnessing the power of community to put healthy, fresh foods within reach for kids—because supporting healthy futures starts with healthy, fresh meals.' Article content Childhood food insecurity remains a pressing concern nationwide. According to Statistics Canada's most recent Canadian Income Survey, nearly 33% of all Canadian children under 18 live in households that struggle to afford enough food, amounting to approximately 2.5 million children facing hunger at home. Article content * Article content ® Article content will donate the equivalent of the average estimated net proceeds per cookie sold June 16-22, 2025 to Food Banks Canada. Guaranteed min. donation: $765K CAD for 2025. Article content About Subway ® Restaurants Article content With nearly 3,000 locations nationwide, Subway Canada is dedicated to serving freshly made sandwiches at great value to millions of guests. Subway restaurants are owned and operated by a network of dedicated Subway franchisees who are passionate about consistently delivering a high-quality, convenient guest experience and contributing positively to their local communities. Article content Subway ® is a globally registered trademark of Subway IP LLC or one of its affiliates. © 2025 Subway. Article content About Never Miss Lunch Article content The Never Miss Lunch program is Subway Article content ® Article content Canada's commitment to children in communities across the country. In partnership with Food Banks Canada's After the Bell program, the initiative aims to provide nutritious food to kids in need during the summer break, when many community-based lunch programs end. As the exclusive Fresh Food Sponsor, Subway Canada provides fresh fruits and vegetables for food packs, which helps to ensure the packs are balanced and nutritious. Now in its 6th year, Subway Article content Canada has helped Food Banks Canada deliver over one million food packs to hundreds of communities across Canada. Article content About Food Banks Canada Article content Food Banks Canada is the nation's leading force in the fight against hunger, advocating tirelessly for meaningful actions to counter food insecurity. With nearly 2 million visits to food banks monthly, on average, their mission is clear: to relieve hunger today and prevent it tomorrow. Collaborating with over 5,100 food banks and organizations nationwide, they invest in research, champion vital work, and work towards a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
