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Edinburgh charity launches community hub to help young adults with additional needs live more independently
Edinburgh charity launches community hub to help young adults with additional needs live more independently

Scotsman

time6 days ago

  • General
  • Scotsman

Edinburgh charity launches community hub to help young adults with additional needs live more independently

Teens+ was established in 2006 to support school leavers in Edinburgh with complex needs who were typically excluded from further education and life's 'next steps'. In 2023, Teens+ launched its Next Steps programme to meet growing demand for greater independence among young people in Edinburgh with additional support needs. Many were eager to move beyond traditional day services and pursue meaningful life goals and opportunities they often miss out on due to limited progression routes in conventional care settings. Next Steps was created to bridge that gap, offering a more flexible, empowering path forward for both Teens+ students and others in the Lothians. Since then, Next Steps has engaged over 150 young people with additional support needs across the Lothians through adapted Duke of Edinburgh Award excursions, social enterprise, volunteering, a calendar of social events, and more. 'No matter the goal, big or small, Next Steps supports young people in engaging in society in ways that are meaningful to them,' says Caitlin Nightingale, Next Steps Manager. 'Next Steps creates opportunities for social inclusion and provides young people with access to new skills and training opportunities that align with their interests and goals in life. This Next Steps Hub gives them space to grow, connect, and thrive. Whether it's writing a CV and applying for a job or learning to budget, shop and cook, we're helping young people take real steps towards independence.' 'Fisherrow is a vibrant community, and that's exactly where our young people belong,' adds Simon Pearce-Madge, Head of Teens+. 'The Next Steps Hub provides flexibility and reduces reliance on paid building-based support. It allows young people to transition from traditional day services to more flexible, community-based support. The Next Step Hub will support those who are ready to move on but need some skills development to be able to do so, wherever they are coming from. "The hub gives them the freedom to drop in, learn new skills, and be part of everyday life. It also allows us to open up our service to others for whom one-to-one support is excessive for their needs.' 'My son Lewis has been part of Next Steps since it launched in 2023, and the change in him has been incredible,' says parent Donna Leitch. 'He's more confident, eager to try new things like cooking and volunteering, and even stayed away from home overnight for the first time on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, something we never thought possible. The social side has been a huge hit too, especially the discos. He's started taking real pride in his appearance, learning to shave, choosing his own haircuts, and heading out to socialise on his own.' The move completes the charity's ambitious growth target to support more young adults with additional support needs in East Lothian. The new Next Steps Hub will: Support 10 young people in its first year, growing to a capacity of 30 by 2027 Add 6 local jobs paying the Living Wage or above, following the creation of 18 jobs at its Teens+ Centre in Eskmills, which opened in 2022 Open at Fisherrow Community Centre in Musselburgh on September 15th 1 . Contributed Next Steps supports young adults with additional support needs as they move beyond traditional day services and into more independent, fulfilling lives Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 4 . Contributed Next Steps Manager, Caitlin, and Teens+ Head of Service, Simon Photo: Submitted Photo Sales Related topics: EdinburghMusselburgh

Edinburgh charity launches community hub to help young adults with additional needs live more independently
Edinburgh charity launches community hub to help young adults with additional needs live more independently

Scotsman

time6 days ago

  • General
  • Scotsman

Edinburgh charity launches community hub to help young adults with additional needs live more independently

Teens+ was established in 2006 to support school leavers in Edinburgh with complex needs who were typically excluded from further education and life's 'next steps'. In 2023, Teens+ launched its Next Steps programme to meet growing demand for greater independence among young people in Edinburgh with additional support needs. Many were eager to move beyond traditional day services and pursue meaningful life goals and opportunities they often miss out on due to limited progression routes in conventional care settings. Next Steps was created to bridge that gap, offering a more flexible, empowering path forward for both Teens+ students and others in the Lothians. Since then, Next Steps has engaged over 150 young people with additional support needs across the Lothians through adapted Duke of Edinburgh Award excursions, social enterprise, volunteering, a calendar of social events, and more. 'No matter the goal, big or small, Next Steps supports young people in engaging in society in ways that are meaningful to them,' says Caitlin Nightingale, Next Steps Manager. 'Next Steps creates opportunities for social inclusion and provides young people with access to new skills and training opportunities that align with their interests and goals in life. This Next Steps Hub gives them space to grow, connect, and thrive. Whether it's writing a CV and applying for a job or learning to budget, shop and cook, we're helping young people take real steps towards independence.' 'Fisherrow is a vibrant community, and that's exactly where our young people belong,' adds Simon Pearce-Madge, Head of Teens+. 'The Next Steps Hub provides flexibility and reduces reliance on paid building-based support. It allows young people to transition from traditional day services to more flexible, community-based support. The Next Step Hub will support those who are ready to move on but need some skills development to be able to do so, wherever they are coming from. "The hub gives them the freedom to drop in, learn new skills, and be part of everyday life. It also allows us to open up our service to others for whom one-to-one support is excessive for their needs.' 'My son Lewis has been part of Next Steps since it launched in 2023, and the change in him has been incredible,' says parent Donna Leitch. 'He's more confident, eager to try new things like cooking and volunteering, and even stayed away from home overnight for the first time on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, something we never thought possible. The social side has been a huge hit too, especially the discos. He's started taking real pride in his appearance, learning to shave, choosing his own haircuts, and heading out to socialise on his own.' The move completes the charity's ambitious growth target to support more young adults with additional support needs in East Lothian. The new Next Steps Hub will: Support 10 young people in its first year, growing to a capacity of 30 by 2027 Add 6 local jobs paying the Living Wage or above, following the creation of 18 jobs at its Teens+ Centre in Eskmills, which opened in 2022 Open at Fisherrow Community Centre in Musselburgh on September 15th 1 . Contributed Next Steps supports young adults with additional support needs as they move beyond traditional day services and into more independent, fulfilling lives Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 4 . Contributed Next Steps Manager, Caitlin, and Teens+ Head of Service, Simon Photo: Submitted Photo Sales Related topics: EdinburghMusselburgh

Amanda Holden's husband makes cheeky comparison as she makes 'naked' confession
Amanda Holden's husband makes cheeky comparison as she makes 'naked' confession

Daily Record

time20-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Record

Amanda Holden's husband makes cheeky comparison as she makes 'naked' confession

Amanda Holden admits she likes to walk around nude in her own home, including spending time in the garden naked, leading to a cheeky comparison from her husband Amanda Holden has shared a cheeky insight into her home life, revealing that her husband Chris Hughes likens her to a certain TV character due to her "naked" habits. The 54-year-old telly star confesses she's quite fond of wandering about her house in the buff. The Britain's Got Talent judge was left blushing when she discovered a newly installed camera at her residence had been recording her. She had arranged for an electrician to fit the camera onto a drainpipe, expecting it to be activated later on. Yet, Amanda recounts how the electrician, upon his return, mentioned he needed to review the footage to ensure the camera's angle was correct. She light-heartedly remarked that electrician Andy would need to "delete the footage". In a candid chat with The Times, Amanda divulged her penchant for being "naked all day", although she does don pyjamas when hitting the sack. She explained: "My husband says I'm like [the Sesame Street character] Elmo; I go around naked all day and wear pyjamas to go to bed." Confirming she sleeps covered up, Amanda replied: "Yes. It's weird. I like pyjamas buttoned up to the neck. I'm Wee Willie Winkie, even on summer holidays. I just feel snug." Elmo, the beloved Sesame Street character, is indeed known for wearing pyjamas to bed, but is typically seen without clothes during the day. Amanda Holden recently opened up about her penchant for nudity at home during a segment on her Heart Radio show with co-host Jamie Theakston. In one episode, they discussed an email from a listener whose child's school had reported an "incident" during their Duke of Edinburgh Award. The listener revealed the youngsters had followed a foodpath that went through a nudist beach. The listener said "everything was okay" but the teachers at the school "just wanted to let them know". Jamie, aged 54, quipped: "You know those kids have done that on purpose. I love the fact that the teachers are concerned about their mental health and the kids have had an absolute hoot." Amanda, clearly amused, retorted: "Mental health seeing a bunch of nudey wrinklers on the beach? No disrespect, you know I'm naked most of the time in my house. Naked barbecues, naked lawnmowing.." To which Jamie wittily responded: "We're not going to get 16 seconds of this are we?" resulting in laughter from Amanda. Reflecting on the incident later with her home camera, Amanda had previously labelled it as "potentially terrible". When Jamie enquired whether the moment was "career-threatening," she confirmed with a "yes". She recounted a story involving her electrician Andy, saying: "I get him round the other day because I needed something else putting up, and he goes, 'I'll have a look at what we're doing to make sure the angle is alright on that camera', he said, 'It's been going for the last couple of days'. "I went, 'I beg your pardon? !' He said, 'Oh yeah, I've downloaded the app', he said, 'I just need to make sure the angle is right'." Britain's Got Talent panellist Amanda then turned to co-presenter Jamie and remarked: "Can you imagine what I've got up to in my garden in a couple of days?". Whilst Jamie pondered what Amanda might have been doing in her outdoor space, she revealed she had cut the grass in the nude and exposed her chest to spouse Chris Hughes. She continued: "I'm always naked in my back garden. "I've definitely been naked, and for a joke the other day, I was sorting something out in the garden and my husband waved at me from the bedroom window, and I flashed my boobs at him, because I thought this is funny and I went 'wahoo' [flashing] like that." ‌ Amanda disclosed she had forgotten about the camera as it camouflaged with her drainpipe. "I had no idea it was up, and now Andy is going to be reviewing this footage and I need it all deleted," she confessed. Amanda then clarified that the electrician could access the camera remotely via his smartphone, with all footage being automatically stored in a digital archive. "It exists! Naked lawnmowing and me flashing my boobs to my husband," she continued. Jamie cheekily suggested her antics would create brilliant television content, which she enthusiastically welcomed. "I'd go [to] Netflix, Netflix can have it," she joked. In a frantic bid to reach her electrician, she issued an urgent plea on air: "If Andy is listening, get round [to] my house! Delete [the footage from] Monday and Tuesday." She added with urgency, "And I'm not joking Andy, I need that camera turned off because I've got all the school mums coming round, and that is terrible."

Amanda Holden's ‘naked' confession as husband makes TV character comparison
Amanda Holden's ‘naked' confession as husband makes TV character comparison

Daily Mirror

time20-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mirror

Amanda Holden's ‘naked' confession as husband makes TV character comparison

Amanda Holden admits she likes to walk around nude in her own home, including spending time in the garden naked, leading to an unusual comparison from her husband Amanda Holden says her husband Chris Hughes compares her to a TV character as she made a 'naked' confession. The 54-year-old television presenter admits she regularly likes to walk around the house in the nude. ‌ It recently left Amanda red-faced when she realised a camera installed at her home had been filming her. She had the camera installed on a drainpipe by her electrician, believing it would be made operational after a few days. ‌ However, Amanda says that when the tradesman returned, he told her he had to check the footage to make sure it was at the right angle. She joked that electrician Andy would have to 'delete the footage'. ‌ Now, in a conversation with The Times, Amanda revealed she likes to go around 'naked all day'. Although she admits she does wear pyjamas to bed. She explained: 'My husband says I'm like [the Sesame Street character] Elmo; I go around naked all day and wear pyjamas to go to bed." When asked if she sleeps clothed, she replied: "Yes. It's weird. I like pyjamas buttoned up to the neck. I'm Wee Willie Winkie, even on summer holidays. I just feel snug.' ‌ Sesame Street character Elmo is known to wear pyjamas to bed. However the majority of the time, the red monster is not seen wearing clothing. Amanda has recently discussed her love of being naked around her own home on her Heart Radio show with Jamie Theakston. On a recent show, a listener wrote in to say they had received a message from their child's school saying there had been an 'incident' as they completed their Duke of Edinburgh Award. ‌ The listener revealed the youngsters had followed a foodpath that went through a nudist beach. The listener said 'everything was okay' but the teachers at the school 'just wanted to let them know'. Jamie, 54, joked: 'You know those kids have done that on purpose. I love the fact that the teachers are concerned about their mental health and the kids have had an absolute hoot.' ‌ A stunned Amanda replied: 'Mental health seeing a bunch of nudey wrinklers on the beach? No disrespect, you know I'm naked most of the time in my house. Naked barbecues, naked lawnmowing…' Jamie responded: 'We're not going to get 16 seconds of this are we?' Which prompted laughter from Amanda. Discussing the incident with her home camera, Amanda previously described it as 'potentially terrible'. When Jamie asked if the moment was 'career-threatening,' Amanda replied 'yes'. ‌ Recalling the exchange with her electrician Andy, she explained: "I get him round the other day because I needed something else putting up, and he goes, 'I'll have a look at what we're doing to make sure the angle is alright on that camera', he said, 'It's been going for the last couple of days'. 'I went, 'I beg your pardon? !' He said, 'Oh yeah, I've downloaded the app', he said, 'I just need to make sure the angle is right'." ‌ Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda then turned to co-star Jamie and said: "Can you imagine what I've got up to in my garden in a couple of days?" As Jamie speculated what Amanda could have done in her garden, she confessed she had mowed the lawn naked and showed her chest to husband Chris Hughes. She added: 'I'm always naked in my back garden. "I've definitely been naked, and for a joke the other day, I was sorting something out in the garden and my husband waved at me from the bedroom window, and I flashed my boobs at him, because I thought this is funny and I went 'wahoo' [flashing] like that." ‌ Amanda explained she forgot the camera was there because it blended in with her drainpipe. "I had no idea it was up, and now Andy is going to be reviewing this footage and I need it all deleted," she revealed. Amanda then explained that the electrician could view the camera remotely through his mobile phone, with all recordings being automatically saved to a digital file. "It exists! Naked lawnmowing and me flashing my boobs to my husband," she added. Jamie playfully proposed that her escapades would make TV gold, which she playfully embraced. "I'd go [to] Netflix, Netflix can have it," she quipped. Desperately hoping her electrician was tuned in, she made an urgent appeal: "If Andy is listening, get round [to] my house! Delete [the footage from] Monday and Tuesday. "And I'm not joking Andy, I need that camera turned off because I've got all the school mums coming round, and that is terrible."

Amanda Holden's co-star complains about her 'naked' on air admissions
Amanda Holden's co-star complains about her 'naked' on air admissions

Daily Record

time16-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Record

Amanda Holden's co-star complains about her 'naked' on air admissions

Amanda Holden has a habit of oversharing on Heart FM with her co-star Jamie Theakston seemingly making it clear that he's had enough of her 'naked' confessions. Amanda Holden's co-star Jamie Theakston has voiced a "complaint" about her "naked" confession. The pair have hosted the breakfast show on Heart FM together since 2019. On one of their recent shows, a listener called in to reveal they had been informed by their child's school about an "incident" that had occured as they completed their Duke of Edinburgh Award. ‌ The listener explained that the youngsters had followed a footpath that took them through a nudist beach. They added that the teachers had reassured that 'everything was okay' but they 'just wanted to let them know'. ‌ Amanda and Jamie were both left gobsmacked by the story, the Mirror reports. Jamie, 54, joked: 'You know those kids have done that on purpose. I love the fact that the teachers are concerned about their mental health and the kids have had an absolute hoot.' ‌ Amanda then replied: 'Mental health seeing a bunch of nudey wrinklers on the beach? No disrespect, you know I'm naked most of the time in my house. Naked barbecues, naked lawnmowing…' Jamie responded: 'We're not going to get 16 seconds of this are we?' His comment prompted laughter from Amanda, who recently revealed her love of being naked at home led to an awkward moment. She described the situation as 'potentially terrible'. When Jamie asked if the moment was 'career-threatening,' Amanda replied 'yes'. ‌ The incident happened when Amanda revealed she has recently had a camera installed in her garden. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Amanda explained that she had her trusty electrician Andy set up the device but she was under the impression it would not be operating for a few days. ‌ She explained: "I get him round the other day because I needed something else putting up, and he goes, 'I'll have a look at what we're doing to make sure the angle is alright on that camera', he said, 'It's been going for the last couple of days'. 'I went, 'I beg your pardon? !' He said, 'Oh yeah, I've downloaded the app', he said, 'I just need to make sure the angle is right'." Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda then turned to co-star Jamie and said: "Can you imagine what I've got up to in my garden in a couple of days?" ‌ As Jamie tried to guess what Amanda may have done in her garden, she confessed that she had mowed the lawn naked and showed her chest to her husband Chris Hughes. She said: 'I'm always naked in my back garden. ‌ "I've definitely been naked, and for a joke the other day, I was sorting something out in the garden and my husband waved at me from the bedroom window, and I flashed my boobs at him, because I thought this is funny and I went 'wahoo' [flashing] like that." Amanda insists she forgot the camera was there because it blended in with her drainpipe. She said: "I had no idea it was up, and now Andy is going to be reviewing this footage and I need it all deleted". ‌ Amanda explained that the electrician could view the camera remotely through his mobile phone, with all recordings being automatically saved to a digital file. She added: "It exists! Naked lawnmowing and me flashing my boobs to my husband". Jamie replied that her escapades would make TV gold, which she playfully embraced. "I'd go [to] Netflix Netflix can have it". Addressing Andy on air in case he was listening, she said: "If Andy is listening, get round [to] my house! Delete [the footage from] Monday and Tuesday. "And I'm not joking Andy, I need that camera turned off because I've got all the school mums coming round, and that is terrible."

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