Hemiplegia Awareness Week

As a patron of the HemiHelp Charity, I’m always delighted to promote the charity and help raise awareness of Hemiplegia in any way that I can.

For readers who don’t know, hemiplegia is a disability caused by damage to the brain, most often before or around the time of birth. It results in a weakness and lack of control in one side of the body, not dissimilar to the effects of a stroke. The physical severity of the condition varies from one person to the next, from someone with little or no use of one hand and a sever limp to another person who’s hemiplegia may only show when attempting specific physical activities. Half the children affected by hemiplegia have additional difficulties, both physical and mental.  Every day in the UK between one and two babies are born with it, which means that up to one child in 1,000 is affected by this lifelong condition.

It is a condition that I was born with, yet for me prior to becoming an MSP I never really thought of myself as a disabled person. My parents never discouraged me from trying anything and so I tried everything, from Irish Dancing to the Sea Cadets. I was the only female on the school football team, the goalkeeper in the netball team and one of four squad members of the badminton team. Yet hemiplegia has always been a part of my life. My proudest moment so far came the day I learned to ride my bike without stabilisers, not a great achievement for most 11 year olds but for me it was the culmination of a lot of effort.

More recently I’ve had cause to bemoan the difficulties facing people with Hemiplegia. As friends will know, I’m getting married in November and getting comfortable wedding shoes has been difficult. So far I’ve bought three pairs, all of which have been unsuitable.

That is why the services that HemiHelp offer are so important.  From the helpline that is run by volunteers who have personal experience of hemiplegia, the “try it” fun days that occur

throughout the country, the conferences run for parents and professionals, the pen pal system or the transition service which supports people aged 16-25 who need assistance  moving from education to employment, HemiHelp is there every step of the way.  The diversity of services they provide is nothing short of astounding.

As someone who has hemiplegia, it is an honour to be a patron of HemiHelp and I am all too aware of how important it is to raise awareness of the condition. Better awareness enables families and individuals to get the support they need and leads to increased understanding, allowing those affected to reach their full potential.

That is why I have decided to write this blog. The HemiHelp awareness week runs between 12-16th of October and involves a range of fun activities to raise awareness. As always, the week’s events kicked off on Mitten Monday, which encourages people to wear a mitten as a symbol of support for those with hemiplegia.

The key focus of this year’s campaign is to help people with hemiplegia raise understanding with people they interact with regularly. In particular, in key daily contexts such as schools and workplaces. To do this, HemiHelp have developed ‘My HemiCheck’ a pioneering online tool to make this easier.See My HemiCheck at http://myhemicheck.hemihelp.org.uk/

I would like to thank all of those at HemiHelp for their commitment for in making Hemiplegia Awareness Week a success and I hope you will have learnt a little more about the condition at the end of this week.

HemiHelp is the UK’s national charity for hemiplegia and its primary aim is to help each child with the condition reach their full potential. It provides information, support and events for children and young people with hemiplegia, their families and the professionals who support them.

Siobhan McMahon MSP wears it pink in Holyrood in aid of Breast Cancer Now

Central Scotland Labour MSP Siobhan McMahon has shown her support for women with breast cancer by dressing up in pink and encouraging her constituents to take part in Breast Cancer Now’s flagship fundraiser, wear it pink, on Friday 23^rd October.

wear it pink, the UK’s biggest pink fundraiser, calls on supporters across the country to ditch the day-to-day colours and pull on some pink to raise money for Breast Cancer Now’s life-saving breast cancer research.

Siobhan McMahon joined fellow parliamentarians in wearing it pink in Holyrood to encourage people across Scotland to get involved. Now in its 14^th year, wear it pink raises over £2 million each year for world-class research into breast cancer, and this year it is back and bigger, brighter and bolder than ever before.

Anyone can take part, whether in school, at work or at home. All you have to do is wear something pink and donate whatever you can.

Siobhan McMahon MSP said:

“Right now breast cancer is at a tipping point. Every year in Scotland around 4,600 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and sadly nearly 1,000 people still lose their lives to the disease. This is why we all must come together to support Breast Cancer Now’s cutting-edge research, and, in wear it pink, there is a fun and simple way for everyone to get involved. 

“Together, we can make a big difference for women with breast cancer, now and in the future; I hope everyone in the local community will join me in wearing it pink on Friday 23 October and show their support for Breast Cancer Now.”

Launched in June 2015 with the ambition of ensuring that no one dies from the disease by 2050, Breast Cancer Now is the UK’s largest breast cancer charity, created by the merger of Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

This is a day when we stand out, stand together and stand for something: wear it pink on Friday 23 October to support Breast Cancer Now’s life-saving research. For more information or to register for wear it pink visit www.wearitpink.org. 

 

About Breast Cancer Now:

• Breast Cancer Now is the UK’s largest breast cancer charity working in Scotland.
• Breast Cancer Now’s ambition is that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live. The charity is determined to stop women dying from the disease, working in a new, collaborative way and bringing together all those affected by the disease to fund research, share knowledge and find answers.
• Breast Cancer Now’s world-class research is focused entirely on breast cancer. The charity supports nearly 450 of the world’s brightest researchers at more than 20 locations across the UK and Ireland.  In Scotland we support 21 scientists, working on research projects in locations such as Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling. Together, they’re working to discover how to prevent breast cancer, how to detect it earlier and how to treat it effectively at every stage so we can stop the disease taking lives.
• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in Scotland.  Over 4,600 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and around 1,000 people die from the disease in Scotland each year.
• Breast Cancer Now launched in June 2015, created by the merger of leading research charities Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
• For more information on Breast Cancer Now’s work, visit org or follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.

Siobhan McMahon MSP Meets Malawian Farmer at SCIAF’s 50th Anniversary Reception

With Mary Jackson and Mercy Glyn.

Central Scotland Labour MSP Siobhan McMahon attended the 50^th anniversary reception of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) at the Scottish Parliament last week.

At the event on September 16th, Ms McMahon met with Mary Jackson and Mercy Glyn, who were visiting SCIAF from Malawi.  Mary is a farmer who benefitted from a SCIAF project and featured in the charity’s record-breaking WEE BOX Lent appeal which raised over £3.4million for its work in some of the poorest countries in the world.  Mercy works with SCIAF to help poor families in Malawi to work their way out of poverty.

The changing climate has made life harder for Mary as she can no longer rely on predictable seasonal rains. SCIAF gave her farm training, seeds and tools to help her cope with the erratic weather. Now Mary can grow more food and earn money to support her family.  Mary is now visiting Scotland to say ‘thank you’ to all the schools, parishes and people who have helped her and many others to work their way out of poverty.

Siobhan McMahon MSP said:

“I was delighted to be able to attend the SCIAF event at Holyrood last week to celebrate their 50^th anniversary. It was fantastic to meet and speak with Mary and Mercy and find out about some of the fantastic work that SCIAF are doing in Malawi.

“I was lucky enough to visit Malawi, a country they call the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’, in the summer of 2012. It was a fantastic experience which I found both harrowing and inspiring and I’ll always retain an interest in the future of the country and its incredible people. I’ve been a keen supporter of SCIAF’s work during my time in Holyrood and I’d like to wish them all the best for the future.”

Mary Jackson said:

“I’m really proud to be here in Scotland representing women in Malawi. Before the SCIAF project, nobody helped us. Life was very hard. Sometimes my children couldn’t go to school because the walk is very far and they were too hungry. Now they have enough to eat and they’re doing really well in school. If they continue to study hard they will achieve great things and will have a good life. I won’t have to worry about their future.”

SCIAF’s mission is to create a more just world for all in which everyone can live life, and live it to the full.  SCIAF is a registered Scottish charity, no: SC012302.

SCIAF works with people in some of the poorest countries in the world, providing emergency aid and practical long term support to those affected by hunger, poverty, war and disasters. In Scotland it brings together people in parishes, schools and across Scotland to lobby governments and big business with campaigns to address the causes of global poverty and injustice.

Siobhan McMahon MSP Backs 25th Anniversary of World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

With Janice Preston, General Manager of Macmillan in Scotland raising awareness of World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in 2014

A Local MSP is calling on people in across Central Scotland to help raise money for a cancer charity – by drinking coffee and eating cake.

Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is celebrating its 25^th birthday.

And the charity is hoping this year’s event will be the biggest ever with coffee mornings taking place across Scotland on September 25th.

Central Scotland MSP Siobhan McMahon said: “Macmillan want to make sure no one has to face cancer alone but they can’t do it without the amazing people who take part in coffee morning every September.

“Last year Macmillan raised a record-breaking amount of money from the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning and I really hope they can repeat that again this year.

“It’s a fun and easy way to raise money to help Macmillan be there for people with cancer and their families when they are needed most.”

The official World’s Biggest Coffee Morning day is on September 25^th but events can be held any time.

To find out more and to register visit: www.coffee.macmillan.org.uk, call 0845 602 1246 or text COFFEE to 88080.

To access support from Macmillan visit www.macmillan.org.uk or call 0808 808 00 00.

Tweet @macmillanscot using hashtag #coffeemorning

Siobhan McMahon MSP Encourages Central Scotland Charities and Businesses to Come Together in Support of #GivingTuesday

Central Scotland Labour MSP Siobhan McMahon has thrown her support behind #GivingTuesday. After a very successful first year in the UK, the #GivingTuesday campaign is asking people to come together and give their time, money or voice to charity on one global day of giving.

This year, #GivingTuesday will take place on Tuesday 1^st December.

Last year was the first year that #GivingTuesday took place in the UK, which is consistently ranked as one of the most generous nations in the world. Over 800 charities and businesses signed up as partners of the campaign, including household names such as BT, Facebook, Argos, NSPCC and Cancer Research UK.

#GivingTuesday trended on twitter for 11 hours, with over 2,500 tweets sent each hour about the campaign. More than £2,500 was donated each minute, and JustGiving reported that donations were up by 46% compared to the previous year. The campaign also secured the backing of celebrities including Helen Mirren, David Tennant, Tom Daley and Lily Cole.

Partner organisations are encouraged to take the campaign and do something of their own with it. As a result of the great work of #GivingTuesday partners last year, Marie Curie had a successful day on social media with a reach of nearly 400,000 on Facebook and their thank you video was viewed nearly 20,000 times. Global Giving took nearly £26,000 this year compared to £3,819 last year, an increase of 580% as a result of #GivingTuesday.

Siobhan McMahon MSP said: “#GivingTuesday is an extremely exciting opportunity for charities and businesses in Central Scotland.

“It has immense potential to motivate and mobilise charities, businesses and the public in our local area and create a movement that will get more people engaged in charity giving.

“I am proud to support #GivingTuesday and look forward to celebrating the generosity of my constituents and the great work our local charities do.”

Ben Russell, Director of Communications at the Charities Aid Foundation, said: “After a very successful first year of #GivingTuesday, it’s fantastic to see so much enthusiasm for the #GivingTuesday movement from so many amazing organisations – including some of the top businesses and charities in the country.

“#GivingTuesday is an opportunity to give something back, we hope that with the support of politicians, businesses and charities, we can get the whole nation thinking about charity at the start of the festive season.

“We want to encourage businesses, charities and individuals to take up #GivingTuesday really run with it – and make the second year of the campaign even more successful than the first.”

Visit the #GivingTuesday website to see the complete list of partners.

To follow the campaign and find out more information please email givingtuesday@cafonline.org or follow on Twitter @givingtuesdayuk