TEENS+ held their first ever Jumble Sale at our Ravenscroft Centre in Gilmerton on Sunday 9th June. We were absolutely delighted with the quantity AND quality of the ‘stuff’ that was donated for us to sell and the buyers who came along certainly didn’t go away empty handed! This was a bit of a pilot event to see if there was interest in a good old fashioned Jumble Sale – and we’re delighted it was such a success having raised more than £975! This will now be an annual event and we’ll be going bigger and bolder next year, so watch this space.

Thank you to everyone who donated things and a HUGE thank you to those who helped set up in advance, man the stalls on the day and clear up afterwards.

Conor Dempsey, a friend of TEENS+ is taking on the challenge of the Tour de Forth to raise funds for TEENS+. Taking place on Sunday 2nd June 2019, this cycling event raises vital funds for locally based charities. Conor is taking part in ‘The Classic’, a 97.3km route that goes around the River Forth via the Forth Road and Kincardine bridges and finishes at Ingliston in Edinburgh.

Conor said “At 97.3km it will be by far the longest cycle I’ve ever done so please give generously using the Donate Now button to support the amazing work being done at Teens+. My work will be matching the donation amount up to £200 so everything donated up to that amount will be doubled! Please help us reach the target, as every little helps.”

If you’d like to support Conor in his challenge, you can donate via the link below;

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/conordempsey1?page=2#donationsList

Everyone at TEENS+ wishes Conor the very best of luck – and some kind Scottish weather!

World Sleep Day is an annual celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep. Getting the right amount of sleep is as important as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Jane used this day as an opportunity to present a lesson to our students & staff, highlighting the critical elements of sleep and how we can increase the quality of our sleep.

Research has linked poor sleep quality and lack of sleep to obesity, depression and impaired learning. This is particularly relevant at Teens+, as we place a huge focus on creating opportunity for our young people to learn everyday. Many people are falling far short of the amount of sleep they need each night which can have a truly detrimental effect on their physical and mental health. The Mental Health Foundation has stated that “sleep deprivation is a seriously neglected health issue in our population”.

To read more about the importance of sleep, and how to promote healthy sleep in children and young people, please see our sister website Sleep Scotland.