Seasonal Closure
Upmo’s last day before seasonal closure will be Friday 24 December, we will re-open as normal on Wednesday 5 January 2022.
Festive Celebrations
We are delighted to share that Upmo will be having two Festive Discos, one at Prestonpans Community Centre and the other at St Margaret’s House. Both will take place on Thursday 9 December, 6.30 - 8.30pm
We ask that you email in advance to book a space as we have limited capacity. For Prestonpans, contact Hayley: hayleyhunter@upmo.org and for St Margaret’s House, contact Louise: louisecartwright@upmo.org.
Plus, we will be having a Christmas Jumper Week! We invite all students to wear a festive jumper from the
6 – 10 December when they attend Upmo.
Upmo Retail Market
After our very successful markets with Edinburgh Social Enterprise and The Ripple, we are pleased to announce that Upmo Retail will appear at the Out of the Blue Christmas market! Our new collection includes tote bags, t-shirts, badges and cards. If you’d like to purchase any items but are unable to attend, email mariebutler@upmo.org.
When: Saturday 4 December, 11am – 5pm
Where: Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust, 36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh, EH6 8RG. £2 Entry.
Co-op Partnership
We are delighted to be selected as one of three local charities to receive support from the Co-op to raise money for our creative activities over the next year. You can help us raise funds by becoming a Co-op member, and choosing Upmo to raise funds for as you shop! More information here.
Short Breaks Survey
We are currently scoping the possibility of Upmo offering Short Breaks for students. At this early stage, we would like to hear your thoughts. We will send you a link to a survey via email. If you need an alternative format for the survey, such as a word document, contact
Siobhan: siobhanscott@upmo.org.
Media Permissions Form
We have recently updated our Media Permissions Form, which can be reviewed by students themselves, or parents/carers dependent on individual circumstances. As needed, your Case Manager will be in touch.
The Media Permissions Form determines whether we can photograph or film students while at Upmo and use for purposes internally and externally. As always, we use all material sensitively and respectfully, and never share personal identifiers such as surnames. The reason to update this is due to GDPR regulations and to ensure we have the most up-to-date information.
Recruitment
We are currently recruiting new Project Workers to join our team, if you know anyone who may be interested, please encourage them to get in touch with Cara: hello@upmo.org. More information here.
Covid Guidelines
As you will be aware, our phased return to services is underway. Changes to the guidelines have helped us to welcome back more students and services, and we are delighted to be moving forward. However, changes must be delivered cautiously, and we continuously review the latest information from Scottish Government as we receive it, working closely with our peers in the sector to determine how we approach return.
The Omicom Covid variant has now been detected in Scotland and we are keen to ensure we continue to keep our staff and students safe.
Here are some things you can do to help:
- Get the covid vaccine and booster, you can find information here.
- Stay home and book a PCR test if you display any of the following symptoms a continuous cough, fever/high temperature (37.8o or greater), loss of, or change in smell or taste. You can book a test here.
- Wear a mask.
- Take Lateral Flow Tests at least twice weekly, you can order test kits for free here
- Remember these tests should only be used if you have NO symptoms otherwise book a PCR test.
- Wash your hands and use hand sanister regularly.
- Keep your distance where possible, no hugs or high fives!
We would like to say a massive thank you to all our students, staff, parents and carers for their understanding during this difficult time, we couldn’t do it without you!
If you have any questions, please email aliceryan@upmo.org
