Latest news with #LouiseRussell
Daily Record
18-07-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Results helpline to support Lanarkshire pupils with SQA results
The pupils and students- along with their parents and carers - will be able to get support with their results through Skills Development Scotland's (SDS) Results Helpline, which opens from 8am on results day which is Tuesday, August 5. Young people in North and South Lanarkshire can call a dedicated helpline offering expert advice to anyone receiving their full Higher, National, and Advanced results early next month. The pupils and students- along with their parents and carers - will be able to get support with their results through Skills Development Scotland's (SDS) Results Helpline, which opens from 8am on results day which is Tuesday, August 5. The SDS Results Helpline will once again be staffed by expert careers advisers to assist anybody that needs help with their options and next steps, providing impartial career information, advice, and guidance. The team of qualified advisers from Scotland's national skills agency will be at the end of the phone line to offer guidance on colleges and universities, UCAS Confirmation and Clearing, apprenticeships, jobs and other training, volunteering, or staying on at school. The number for the 2025 SDS Results Helpline is 0808 100 8000 and will be open from 8am to 8pm on August 5 and 6 and 9am to 5pm on August 7 and 8. Dave McCallum, Head of Career Information, Advice and Guidance Operations at SDS said: 'Our message for young people and their parents and carers as their results arrive is not to panic. Everything might seem overwhelming right now but remember that this is just one step on their journey. 'Our experienced advisers are here to provide expert support and guidance, offering information on a wide range of options and opportunities. They are also trained to help young people recognise that they are more than their exam results, giving them the confidence to see their strengths and abilities beyond qualifications.' Local SDS Careers Adviser Louise Russell is part of the Results Helpline team who will be taking calls from young people, parents and carers from across the country. Louise said: 'Whether a young person didn't receive the results they were hoping for, or they exceeded their expectations, we are here to help them navigate the next steps and make the best decisions for their future.' The SDS Results Helpline has been going for 33 years and has helped tens of thousands of young Scots. There's also an SDS careers adviser linked to every secondary school in Scotland, with almost a quarter of a million school pupils from P7 to S6 receiving careers information, advice and guidance each year. Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: 'Young people have so many different ways to achieve their qualifications, with many eagerly anticipating their results coming through next month. 'It is important that no matter how they do, young people and their families have access to trusted and reliable information on potential next steps. That is what the advisers at the Skills Development Scotland helpline provide. 'I would encourage everyone looking for impartial and expert advice on the options available, whether that is in work, training or further study, to consider contacting the helpline.' Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) helps young people get ready for the world of work by connecting them with employers and supporting them to explore a wide range of career pathways. DYW Co-ordinators are based in secondary schools across Scotland, working alongside SDS careers advisers to support pupils with their next steps. Michelle Fenwick, Director - DYW National Projects, said: 'As results are released, it's important that young people know there are many routes to success and that support is there for them. 'Through our #NoWrongPath campaign, and in partnership with SDS, we're helping young people understand that the world of work is full of opportunity. 'Whether a young person is going into further or higher education, training, employment or still considering their options – the Results Helpline is a great way to get guidance, reassurance, and a sense of direction.'
Daily Record
18-07-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Results helpline to support West Lothian pupils with SQA results
The pupils and students- along with their parents and carers - will be able to get support with their results through Skills Development Scotland's (SDS) Results Helpline, which opens from 8am on results day which is Tuesday, August 5. Young people in West Lothian can call a dedicated helpline offering expert advice to anyone receiving their full Higher, National, and Advanced results early next month. The pupils and students- along with their parents and carers - will be able to get support with their results through Skills Development Scotland's (SDS) Results Helpline, which opens from 8am on results day which is Tuesday, August 5. The SDS Results Helpline will once again be staffed by expert careers advisers to assist anybody that needs help with their options and next steps, providing impartial career information, advice, and guidance. The team of qualified advisers from Scotland's national skills agency will be at the end of the phone line to offer guidance on colleges and universities, UCAS Confirmation and Clearing, apprenticeships, jobs and other training, volunteering, or staying on at school. The number for the 2025 SDS Results Helpline is 0808 100 8000 and will be open from 8am to 8pm on August 5 and 6 and 9am to 5pm on August 7 and 8. Dave McCallum, Head of Career Information, Advice and Guidance Operations at SDS said: 'Our message for young people and their parents and carers as their results arrive is not to panic. Everything might seem overwhelming right now but remember that this is just one step on their journey. 'Our experienced advisers are here to provide expert support and guidance, offering information on a wide range of options and opportunities. They are also trained to help young people recognise that they are more than their exam results, giving them the confidence to see their strengths and abilities beyond qualifications.' Local SDS Careers Adviser Louise Russell is part of the Results Helpline team who will be taking calls from young people, parents and carers from across the country. Louise said: 'Whether a young person didn't receive the results they were hoping for, or they exceeded their expectations, we are here to help them navigate the next steps and make the best decisions for their future.' The SDS Results Helpline has been going for 33 years and has helped tens of thousands of young Scots. There's also an SDS careers adviser linked to every secondary school in Scotland, with almost a quarter of a million school pupils from P7 to S6 receiving careers information, advice and guidance each year. Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: 'Young people have so many different ways to achieve their qualifications, with many eagerly anticipating their results coming through next month. 'It is important that no matter how they do, young people and their families have access to trusted and reliable information on potential next steps. That is what the advisers at the Skills Development Scotland helpline provide. 'I would encourage everyone looking for impartial and expert advice on the options available, whether that is in work, training or further study, to consider contacting the helpline.' Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) helps young people get ready for the world of work by connecting them with employers and supporting them to explore a wide range of career pathways. DYW Co-ordinators are based in secondary schools across Scotland, working alongside SDS careers advisers to support pupils with their next steps. Michelle Fenwick, Director - DYW National Projects, said: 'As results are released, it's important that young people know there are many routes to success and that support is there for them. 'Through our #NoWrongPath campaign, and in partnership with SDS, we're helping young people understand that the world of work is full of opportunity. 'Whether a young person is going into further or higher education, training, employment or still considering their options – the Results Helpline is a great way to get guidance, reassurance, and a sense of direction.'
The Courier
24-04-2025
- General
- The Courier
Give a Dog a Bone charity to open Dunfermline site next week
A 'unique' dog charity that aims to tackle loneliness in older adults will open a site in Dunfermline next week. Give a Dog a Bone, which offers animal companionship, will open in the former Pagan Inspired unit on High Street on Tuesday. The Glasgow-based charity already has hubs in Alloa and Troon. Louise Russell, chief executive, told The Courier there are a number of reasons for opening in Dunfermline. She said: 'First of all, the original three community spaces are central and in the west. 'It was our priority, as a charity, to move to the east. We've been wanting to do that for a few years. 'We identified Dunfermline as a place that has an older adult population and, with it being the city centre, it has a high footfall. 'We're not a household name and we need people to be walking by to see the dogs and see what we're doing. 'It has to be a fairly densely populated area for it to work.' Louise says Give a Dog a Bone – which describes itself as a 'unique' organisation – will work in two distinct ways in Dunfermline. She said: 'The first project is where we offer financial support to the over-60s to afford a rescue pet. 'It's a win-win as the person gets a friend and the pet gets a home. 'That's great for those who want or can have an animal. 'The community space project is where we give them the opportunity to look after animals without having to take them home.' The hub will be open from Tuesday to Saturday, with activities like art therapy and singing classes for over-60s. There will also be a free tea and chat service, allowing anyone of any age to meet the dogs. Louise said: 'The whole concept is to try and get older adults out of their homes and back into their communities. 'What you'll find is that they'll become a community within a community. 'We have examples like two men in their 80s who met through Give a Dog a Bone and now they'll go watch football matches together. 'There have also been two ladies who lived streets apart but never really spoke with one another. They met through us and struck a friendship. 'What we find is that people who visit the space don't come once, it becomes a part of their lives. 'We want people to feel that it's a safe space and that, more often or not, they'll come back. 'The dogs are fantastic for that, they're great icebreakers. It gets people to relax and enjoy the space we're offering.' The Courier has taken a look at empty shop units in Dunfermline and what is planned for them.
