Hamilton Parkwalk forcharity

Cadzow Nursery School in Hamilton is celebrating after becoming Scotland’s first certified‘mum-friendly workplace’.

Statistics show that very year across the UK, as many as 54,000 mums feel that they have to leave their jobs.

And the Hamilton nursery is spearheading an initiative by the Scottish Government to tackle maternity discrimination.

Leanne Kelly is the manager at Cadzow and said: “We try to accommodate the needs of mums returning to work as much as possible, as they bring life skills and life-learning that can be utilised in different ways.

“That’s why we were thrilled to be asked to take part in the pilot training.

“We already do a lot to support our staff during maternity and on their return to work, but the training was an opportunity to reinforce messages about maternity rights and why they’re so important.

“I would encourage other employers to sign up and do the same.

“Working with Outside the Box has provided us with valuable training in understanding the challenges women face returning to work after maternity leave.

“It has encouraged us to reflect on our current policies and procedures allowing us to see the strengths we already have in place supporting mothers in a predominantly female workforce, but also allowed us to identify any gaps to ensure our practice fully supports our current and future workforce, who are vital in providing the service we deliver.”

The training was created by community development charity Outside The Box and funded by the Scottish Government’s Workplace Equality Fund. It is led by community development advisor Jill Keegan, who developed the programme after facing maternity discrimination at a previous employer.

She said: “Mums Returning to Work has been developed to support employers and employees create a space for open discussion about what works. We want the website and training to open up the conversation and empower employers and employees to stand up for women’s rights in their equal access to the workplace.”

Employers can sign up at www. mumsreturningtowork.org. Alzheimer Scotland is bringing its memory walk programme to Hamilton.

The charity has launched its events in a bid to make sure nobody faces dementia alone.

A memory walk fundraising event will take place at Hamilton Park racecourse on Sunday, September 15.

Organisers say the familyfriendly walks provide a positive opportunity to support people living with dementia or to remember those lost to the illness.

All money raised is reinvested to help Alzheimer Scotland provide highquality, dementia-specific activities, support and care for people with dementia as well as funding a 24-hour freephone dementia helpline on 0808 808 3000.

Sally Mcnaught, head of localities fundraising at Alzheimer Scotland, said: “Our memory walk events provide a positive way for communities to get together locally to walk in honour of someone they care about.”

To sign up, visit www. memorywalksscotland.org.