One Goal Many Voices Unlimited Potential

The Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities will meet on Tuesday 30th April 2019 to discuss poverty in relation to health inequalities. The meeting will be chaired by Richard Lyle MSP, Co-Convenor of the CPG. VHS is Secretariat of the Group. Speakers are Douglas Hamilton, Chair of the Poverty and Equalities Commission and Wendy Hearty, Project Manager for the Scottish Basic Income Feasibility Study. Douglas will update on the work of the Commission and Wendy will report on the new report exploring the…

This cross-sectoral round table is a collaboration between VHS, Support in Mind Scotland and Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh. There is an urgent need to shine a light into the evident chasm into which people fall at age 65 if they either have a long-standing mental health condition (e.g. schizophrenia) or if they develop one (e.g. depression or anxiety). The round table discussion will focus on what happens to people with mental health conditions other than dementia once they become…

This free to attend briefing and discussion event is a joint collaboration between VHS and the Scottish Rural Health Partnership. The event will explore a range of topics concerning the relationship between cultural interventions and our health and wellbeing, with the focus on rural Scotland. Engagement with culture and the arts has tangible effects on people’s health. It supports individuals to thrive, and can aid recovery, shorten the length of hospital stay and reduce reliance on GP visits and medication. It…

VHS MEMBERS ARE WARMLY INVITED TO AN EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING Thursday 28 February 2019, 13.00 to 15.15 A free event for all VHS Members. Includes a networking lunch, Extraordinary General Meeting and a session where our two speakers, Paul Okroj and Gina Alexander, will explore rights, equalities and people’s stories. The purpose of the Extraordinary General Meeting is to ask our Full Members to vote for (or against) the adoption of our proposed new constitution, which includes revised charitable purposes.…

Briefing and discussion  An opportunity for third sector organisations to actively engage with Audit Scotland on their latest progress report and recommendations on integration: Health and Social Care Integration: Update on Progress published 15th November 2018. The report says significant changes are required in the way that health and care services are delivered and that change cannot happen without meaningful engagement with staff, communities and politicians: ‘While some improvements have been made to the delivery of health and social care…

Public health is about helping people to stay healthy, and protecting them from threats to their health. Public health is another way of talking about improving health and wellbeing in our communities, but the language and organisation of public health can often seem far removed from third sector endeavours to support people’s health and wellbeing. Is public health a frog or a bicycle? Book your place at the Gathering here. Right now, the future of public health in Scotland is being transformed,…

Following on from the VHS Annual conference exploring a possible ‘Manifesto for culture, health and wellbeing’ and as  part of VHS’s commitment to keep the conversation going on culture and  health, we will have a small gathering to look at the next steps. The meeting will take place on Monday 4th of February at 12.30pm in our office in the Mansfield Traquair Centre. The planned agenda is: Discussing how to take forward The Forest of Ideas created at the conference…