[Closed] Lee Craigie - Scotlands new Active Nation Commissioner

just saw this on FB - great news indeed !

WTF is an active nation commissioner? what will she achieve? I'm struggling not to be completely underwhelmed by this, she seems a cracking lass, best of luck to her, but the diet and worshipping of alcohol of this country is ****in horrendous, and schools attitude to exercise a joke as well.

I'll file this with as much relevance as DMBiS or whatever the hell they're called this week.

And she's riding the wrong way on that cycle path.

Nobeer - I may be reading it wrong, but I think you've just listed exactly why the role is needed, and why she's the right person to start to tackle it.

lol!

MCTD, I hope you're correct, I'd be bloody delighted to eat my hat on this subject.

Active Nation?, Sounds like a job title dreamt by "The Department of Social affairs and Citizenship" (the thick of it), what next?....a snooper squad?

Great news, terrible (but predictable) stw response

I have met Lee loads and she is awesome, and I am sure will do a great job!

Excellent! I'm a big fan of herding more litter droppers out into 'The Countryside.' More car parks should be built in rural areas, with little coloured waymarkers erected to direct them to the best places to leave their disposable BBQs and empty out their pockets.

I wish Lee all the best. No doubt she will do some good work.

Good luck to her. I don't see what it's got to do with schools Nobeer. My youngest plays basketball at break times, rugby in PE and theres lots of activities available from Active Schools. Our swimming pools are free during holidays. If parents want their kids to do activities there are plenty of opportunities. Whether you can drag them (parents) away from their sofas and phones long enough to take their kids somewhere is another matter. But we can't expect teachers to do everything for us.

Chuffed for her, but feel a bit sorry for her at the same time.
Used to getting stuff done, she'll no doubt have some head banging meetings to contend with in this role.

Bet when she's mired in the minutae of government policies, she'd rather be mired along the side of Cam Loch instead 😀

Hopefully she'll set up some sort of grant scheme for bikepacking gear.

My kids (Edinburgh) are constantly doing active schools stuff. their school is terrific at doing "stuff" outside. I think schools are significantly better at getting outdoors than when I were a lad.

Showing some commitment here the Scottish Government - we have to give them that.

Good luck Lee.

I don’t see what it’s got to do with schools Nobeer.

Bigger picture mate, assuming this is a SG initiative? We have to start educating at a young age. My daughters PE was cancelled more than it was on the 7 years she was at primary school, the daily mile lasted about 3 weeks until it started raining, and the school dinner options were basically pizza, hotdogs or fish and chips. Even at high school, the healthy options include those fruit smoothies that have more sugar than Coke.

Which is fine for us as we're a very active family, but there's a hell of a lot of folk who do **** all, and the opportunities at school are all they'll get. I'm not expecting 'everything' from teachers FWIW.

Do something tangible - Frinstance, why are kids allowed to roam about at lunchtime? kebab shops and chinese takeaway are open for them, canny believe the shite you see some kids eating nowadays.

Showing some commitment here the Scottish Government – we have to give them that.

It is exactly that.

We (like so many places) are at such a low starting point on all this.

But at least *trying* to take a different path as a country now, in many areas. Compare that to the Westminster fuddle and political bellends.

Yes, we face huge challenges. But a role like this at least brings health, sustainable transport and wellbeing to the table and her job is to keep reminding those whose focus is elsewhere that these things cannot be ignored.

I know I am an optimist, but the longer I live in Scotland, the more I see a very different country and attitude starting to emerge. I may not see its full impact, but my kids may.

There were a lot of suits in that clip. Suits and active stuff don't mix. Nice idea but it will fail when all the committees and their working groups eat up (literally) all the budget.

Suits and active stuff don’t mix

There are literally dosens of wedding photos with me proving you sooooooo wrong on this point.

Unfortunately they tend to confirm Nobeers opinion on alcohol 😀

But seriously you can be active with out being head to toe sports wear first step don't make it "excercise"

Good news indeed and I almost feel sorry for the folk who say 'we cannot do that, because..'
Yes, she will find it hard going at times and just like her trail life, there will be points where she wonders why she bothers. And then there will be the moments when you understand why it is worthwhile.

"Suits".
The chairman of Scottish Athletics wears a suit to his day job, most of the time.
He also walks the walk, running ultras on a regular basis. Rides a bike too, but doesn't wear a suit for that either.
Even I have been known to wear a suit, but only when expected of me, like in court. The politics of sport are really hard work as I know from bitter experience but they can also be incredibly rewarding, when a plan comes together and people have great days out. Yes, I'm like Matt; an optimist. I see improvement and can see more coming, albeit slowly.

Matt, I do agree, we are definitely improving, I just get frustrated at the rate of change. There was an article on a national commercial radio news a few weeks back about 2/3 of people being overweight.

The first advert afterwards was for a Domino (or some other god awful shitehole place) cheesburger stuffed Pizza.

Holy lumping ****.

My big worry about this is 'Tokenism' . Where the politicians think creating a job description is the same as solving the problem without any actual resources. However, you do have to start somewhere so good luck to Lee

I'd eat it Nobeer

Cheeseburger pizza?

I'm up for that!

At least you'd exercise it aff Josh, there's kids in my daughters year that look like they'd nail 2 or 3 of them!.

Active stuff can be as simple as walking to work. Or going for a walk in your lunchbreak. That can be done in a suit. For what it is worth I have ridden my bike in a suit many times.

Good news.

You have to start somewhere: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step". The problem is that everyone wants quick fixes whereas the obesity problem has built up over decades and will take a similar length of time to fix.

Years ago there was a programme about obesity in America, one of the case studies was a life insurance firm who'd noticed that there was a big increase in uptake of their medicaid programme. Looking at the data they noticed that a common factor in the referrals was obesity so they got some consultants in to help.

Their headquarters was one of those huge American campus style affairs covering about a square mile. The consultants did three things:

1. They looked at where everyone worked and reassigned their allotted parking spot to the furthest available point from their desk.
2. They turned off the lifts, everyone had to use the stairs.
3. They took the chairs out of all the meeting rooms.

All low to zero cost but it was effective, within a year the referrals had dropped.

It's that kind of lifestyle changes that are needed and for politicians to acknowledge that the results might not be apparent for several election cycles.

Reporting to Michael Matheson. FML.

Active transport in schools is a joke, prime example being the brand new combined campus (red) built next door with xhundred parking spaces and absolutely no modification of the surrounding road infrastructure. The cycle paths in the town are shown in blue with the remainder of the route being narrow streets. No routes made one way to optimise traffic flow and no through roads broken to create quiet routes for cyclists.

Matt, I do agree, we are definitely improving, I just get frustrated at the rate of change. There was an article on a national commercial radio news a few weeks back about 2/3 of people being overweight.

I know. I was reading a thing about data from an activity app. Turns out 52% of UK folk with that app walked less than 850m a day.

A. Day.

Incredible.

That said, I'll say it again. A job like this brings the basics and positivity, as well as accountability to the table at every government meeting.

I was chatting to someone in Estonia about changing driving Vs walking or cycling to school - apparently since the revolution they have increased the number of kids walking to school, and a driving culture that gives lots of space and consideration to children on the street. I saw drivers pause on corners to allow children to cross.

It can be done. We have to keep going.

And I need to ride my bike to work more.

850m.

****in mental.

I've known Lee for over 10 years. Very determined lass.

She'll do well in that role. If any of the bureaucrats underestimate her, they'll get a surprise.

"It will never work, stuff like this never works, it's pointless"

"They Should be doing something about this"

and repeat, it's depressing that any attempt to work at social change is seen as pointless interfering and that unless 10 other things (that will change and be opposed by the same people) are done this isn't worth thinking about.

Small changes can make big differences.

You can only learn what works by trying things and finding out what doesn't.

850m.

**** mental.

I get off my bike at work after a 10 mile commute, lock my bike amongst the cars. Out of those cars step generally obese people, into the lift lobby, take the lift anywhere from 1-6 floors, walk max 50m to their desk. It's all I can do not to say "do you like being obese?".

Either kids don't want to exercise or the parents don't (or both in our house lol). I really can't see having an "active nation commissioner" doing anything.

I really can’t see having an “active nation commissioner” doing anything.

Perhaps try and work out and deliver strategies to help when

Either kids don’t want to exercise or the parents don’t

Activity isn't just exercise its a change in behaviour. The other option is to completely give up on people, like we did with smoking.

Exactly.
Look at what happened when we got on top of drink driving - it was a real culture change.
Smoking, look at how being in the pub has changed and how normal that's become.

Activity isn’t just exercise its a change in behaviour

being unhealthy is cheaper than healthy. Poverty needs sorted.

Right so we have a start, can we multi task here or are we only allowed to tackle getting people more active after we have fixed poverty?

being unhealthy is cheaper than healthy.

An oft repeated myth. In financial terms, I can make healthy food for much cheaper than ready made stuff, it takes more effort, this is where the lazy folk struggle.

this is where the lazy folk struggle.

And where the misunderstanding is that all people are lazy, some lack the skills, some lack the knowledge or motivation. Kind of exactly why we need these departments out there.

I would think one of the qualities that helps with a job like that is not being sanctimonious. Empathy goes a long way to understanding why people are doing what they are doing.

Who said all people are lazy? I never said that. I know loads of folk who can't be arsed cooking, bugger all to do with knowledge or skills, telly is bloody full of cooking programmes, cheap, healthy options are everywhere.

And you calling anyone sanctimonious? Eh? What next? Tj calling someone argumentative? JHJ calling out the conspiracy theorists? 🤣

Wish there had been a kebab shop open at lunchtime when I was meant to be at School.
I had to keep drinking until 5pm just to get a chippy.

We have a few cycle paths here in Dumfries. However maintenance is poor and getting worse due to council funding issues
http://www.gosmartdumfries.co.uk/

We also have an advocacy group who are likely going to be all over this:
https://cyclingdumfries.wordpress.com/

I’ve been cycling to work for 38yrs now and not seen an increase in cyclists commuting. I have seen an increase in the uptakevof mountainbiking due to 7Stanes. Only recently one of our apprentices decided to give it a go and is hooked.....

However driving standards on and around town leave a lot to be desired!!!

Many school dissuade kids from cycling to school unless they have done a Bikeability course, many kids are more than capable at a much younger age(I coach at a Go Ride club)

My son was into bmx, ice hockey and then rowing into his mid teens. Cubs, scouts and DofE all had an element of exercise. Son now runs and still Cycles a bit. His 2 kids, both girls, dance and do gymnastics.
Daughter wasn’t interested in sports at all, but was never overweight. Nowvin her early 30s she is addicted to the gym, cycling, swimming and running and encourages her 2 kids to be as active.

However I know many people who will never be persuaded to get on a bike for any reason and this initiative is unlikely to register with them.

MrsT is a civil servant and has been mentioned and suggested above the amount of money that will be swallowed up by “jobsworths” having meeting about meetings will be insane😖 Then there are 32 councils who “do their own thing”

Wish her luck tho.......

Lol @ geex 🤣🤣🤣

AFAIK Lee's job is about activity, not just cycling.

Another campaign just popped up:
https://www.bikebiz.com/features/making-our-roads-safer-needs-a-fresh-approach

I’ve been cycling to work for 38yrs now and not seen an increase in cyclists commuting.

I've got to say it's the opposite for me. There was a time there was one active bike in the bike shed and that was mines to now seeing the shed full in the summer and a significant amount during the winter. Same for recreational cycling, I could easily go road biking and see not one single other cyclist, now it's half a dozen before I've left the town. And I'd say the same about running too, when I started running there were a handful of folks you'd see, now it's like sauchiehall street. Locally we have a sizable athletics club and a well turned out park run. Conversely the pubs are all empty.

As for the kids, looks like wee lucky in that respect also. Load of free after school stuff and in a school stuff.

Edit: my point being I do think things are significantly better and someone else stoking the fire has to be a good thing.

Conversely the pubs are all empty.

Agree with everything else K, but no here they ain't, pubs are rammed, all the time.

Aye it's probably misleading, the sots are more than likely in the house.

Tj - Or going for a walk in your lunchbreak

Just so long as that’s not a school lunch break, the kids should be locked up in the school with forced meal choices and prescribed activities - because that will have a long lasting effect as soon as they are free to make their own decisions.

I was reading a thing about data from an activity app. Turns out 52% of UK folk with that app walked less than 850m a day.

That would be me. I cycle 11 miles to work, walk less than 50m to my work station; repeat in the reverse direction going home. Not many days during the week that I walk 850m.

Great news about Lee though; even if it only makes a small difference and improves the lifestyle of just a few people it will have been worth it.

There are about 370k primary school kids spread over 2k primary schools across Scotland. If she can get to visit all kids at some point during their time at primary school, I think she would inspire enough of them to make a noticeable difference in the space of a decade.

Obviously thats a lot of schools to get around but in heavily populated areas they can be done mnultiple schools at a time by booking out venues. A TED type talk, an expo type setup with all sorts of activities demonstrated that the kids might not even have heard of.

Just needs the investment, whilst this would be a lot, the payoff would make it look like pocket change.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bx76r7

Cheers, looks good, apart from having to listen to McNeish... 😊

Could have came up with another name, that one is already taken with the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. Fairly popular it is too so it's a bit of a fail not to have noticed, or noticed but went ahead with it anyway.