Kirsten

Fundraising | Marketing | Comms

[Kirsten @ciorstan_b]

@ScotRail I also haven't received any of the password reset emails. Yes, I have an account. Yes, it's the correct email address. No, the emails aren't in my junk.

[Kirsten @ciorstan_b]

@ScotRail @Sarah_McDiarmid Same for me. Surely launching it just before 7am on a weekday was a huge misjudgement too? A midweek afternoon or anytime at the weekend would've given time to fix any bugs 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Revive MS Support @revivems]

Save the Date! ✨🥂

Our Ladies' Lunch returns Sunday 25th October, supporting people living with MS 💙

Join us for an afternoon of entertainment and great company all for a life-changing cause. More details and tickets coming soon - watch this space!👀

[Revive MS Support @revivems]

Join us on the green this June! 🏌️

Bookings are now open for the Revive MS Support Golf Day at Mar Hall on Sunday 7th June.
⛳ 18-hole Texas Scramble
⛳ On-course competitions
⛳ Meal & prizegiving

Fourball teams & individual places available. Book now: https://t.co/iIhL7fxDBC

[Ben DC @BenDC_]

🚨FIRE UPDATE🚨 - I think it’s fair to assume this whole corner of Glasgow Central has now gone thanks to the fire.

So sad. Such a beautiful building. They don’t catch fire by themselves, what the hell happened, and why does this KEEP happening to our historic buildings?!!

[Kirsten @ciorstan_b]

❤️🐘

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

Dame Daphne Sheldrick believed elephants can read your heart – and once you've earned their trust and affection, they never forget it.

This Valentine's Day, we'd love to help you find your orphan match. Perhaps a spirited troublemaker who keeps the Keepers on their toes. A gentle soul who comforts newer arrivals. Or a resilient survivor who refused to give up. Meet the orphans in our care and see who's your perfect partner:
https://t.co/NBlFMZ14PE

[Lemma Wild @lemmawild]

In November 2022, a reporter named Alvin Kaunda was filming a segment at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya. He was attempting to deliver a serious report about conservation while surrounded by orphaned elephants. One of the babies got curious and began exploring the journalist's ear with its trunk. Kaunda tried to stay professional and kept speaking, but the elephant eventually draped its trunk over his face and tickled his mouth. He finally broke character and burst into laughter.

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was founded in 1977 by Daphne Sheldrick in memory of her husband, David, the founding warden of Tsavo East National Park. Based in Nairobi, it runs the world’s most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program. To date, the organization has successfully raised more than 320 orphaned elephants, many of whom have lost their mothers to poaching or drought, and eventually reintegrates them back into the wild.

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

Lenny, Mwana, Zigi and Sulwe are the epitome of what we are working towards: elephant families living wild, free, and without a care in the world.

When their mothers were orphaned as infants, our Orphans’ Project saved them, raised them and returned them to the wild - where they are now nurturing this new generation of elephants. Tossing and tumbling in the cooling muddy water, trunks happily flailing about, these babies can grow up carefree, knowing they are under the protection of our wider field teams.

Your donations keep the wheels turning – literally, supporting our Anti-Poaching Teams, Aerial Unit and Veterinary Initiative. Support elephant conservation in action: https://t.co/NVpsbuFaAn

[Stan Collymore @StanCollymore]

Suicide.

I'm choosing to be deliberately blunt and provocative in this post because it's necessary. Government, charities, football clubs are all pushing water up a hill in highlighting what is undoubtedly a major health crisis.

You take a rope.
You put it up in a garage or a tree nearby or far away.
You're thinking about every loved one you'll leave behind as you put that rope around your neck.
Then you drop.

Some are decapitated.
Some aren't.
All are found by someone who has a lifetime of trauma that will never leave them.
A son.
A daughter.
A brother.
A sister.
A mother.
A father.

I know 2 men who hung themselves.

One was found by his Mom.
One was found by his brother.
Neither have recovered fully. 20 and 30 years on.

A life sentence for people who were already worrying, terrified their loved one may do something.

So just visualise the above and ask, "is there another way"?

A segway for a moment.

I do a few Q&A's every year. Tales of yesterday with a 99% male audience of my age group.

After the stories and fun, my last question back to the audience is..

"Hands up if you struggle with a mental health issue".

Nobody ever puts a hand up. Despite 1 in every 3 of 500 attendees statistically struggling.

"Ah, nobody, that's fucking brilliant! Well I do! ". I then graphically tell people, stunned into silence about how a rope around my neck in the middle of nowhere jolted me to go home and cry like a baby to my Mom.

After the Q&A has finished, something always happens. I'll be chatting to a few guys, saying bye and one by one, men will come over and whisper " I struggle".

Or my mailbox the next day will have 30 emails from guys, their partners or kids saying " Dad/Uncle /Brother was there last night and what you said hit them hard".

And that's how some people realise that it's time to speak to a pal or family member or even rant to me in an email. It works, I often get a follow up email a year or 6 later saying that they took responsibility for their suicidal feelings and are now flying.

Humans are programmed to want to live, to have families and to keep the species growing and thriving. So for a human to want to short circuit that desire isn't normal, and it should never be spoken of as normal. It's the ultimate red flag.

If you suspect your mate, Dad, Brother, Uncle is struggling mentally, they deserve your intervention.

They deserve a " are you OK, please tell me what's up".

They deserve an opportunity to get past wanting to hang a rope over a tree or in a garage and slowly struggle until they die and you find them.

If you've been there and trust me I have plenty, then you'll know that text out of the blue, or a footie mate or one of your kids asking jow you are can open the curtains to some sunshine.

Because when suicide is your only answer, the room is already dark, and you can't see a way out.

So please, fucking pretty please, ask that husband, Dad, Uncle, Cousin, footie pal TODAY how they are.

You may be shocked what comes back but extremely glad that you asked.

For those who struggle, you're not alone.

[Kirsten @ciorstan_b]

No, you're crying 😭

[WeRateDogs @dog_rates]

This is Manolo. His family wanted to give him the best last day, so they took him to the park with a sign inviting strangers to give him treats. His human said, "This was such a perfect way to celebrate the life of a dog who truly loved spending time with people and their dogs. Run free and fast forever, Manolo. I will never stop missing you." 14/10 for all

[Kirsten @ciorstan_b]

Some wise words here...

[Lara Lewington @LaraLewington]

I was asked recently when doing a journalism masterclass for @JSchofieldTrust what I’d tell young me.

‘It’ll all be worth it’ was my first thought, whilst pushing through the tiredness of ten shifts a week, and the self-doubt of youth. Some days doing a 4am-2pm followed by a 3pm-11pm, I just wanted to progress, fast! I was also collecting rejection letters in piles, determined every no could be one closer to a yes - and if it didn’t work out, at least I’d tried for the dream career. I was always easy going, made genuine friends, worked hard, did my best and all those things… but I didn’t have experience, or the confidence of age.

So now, 27 years since I started working in television, here’s what I’d tell 19-year-old me:

Don’t be so intimidated by everyone more senior. Sure be respectful, but they were young and insecure once.
Some people will simply be mean, don’t let it bother you so much, they may be having a bad day, or be feeling troubled inside - it’s not you.
Imposter syndrome is normal - many people without it are to be avoided.
Don’t beat yourself up over every stutter and stumble. perfection is the enemy of greatness.
It’s actually quite healthy to feel threatened by the competition - just don’t let it show!
And finally, (and this was to me specifically) eat less sugar - I used to eat five or six chocolate bars a day, it was easy, and I was addicted, and always had coughs and colds, it was no substitute for proper eating - and the energy I believed it was giving me was of course followed by many crashes. No-one who’s met me in the past couple of decades would even recognise that chocolate monster.

It’s all easy with retrospect, but I remember it wasn’t at the time!

[Kirsten @ciorstan_b]

Magnificent! But NSFW in the slightest 🤭

[The Sting @TheStingisBack]

Happy Birthday to National Treasure, Brian Blessed
Here's Brian swearing like a magnificent bastard.

[Kirsten @ciorstan_b]

💕

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

"To be a baby elephant must be wonderful. Surrounded by a loving family, 24 hours a day – I think it must be how it ought to be, in a perfect world." – Dame Daphne Sheldrick

At Umani Springs, this perfect world unfolds daily. Four babies – Mwana, Lenny, Sulwe, and Zigi – are being raised by their orphan mothers in the wild, but they also enjoy the presence of the same supportive human family that once raised their mothers as orphans.

It’s the best of both worlds for these wild-born babies, who are flourishing in a unique, protected forest environment. Dive into this ‘perfect world’ in our newest Field Notes edition: https://t.co/Wsh8EalbVZ

#WildBornBabies

[WeRateDogs @dog_rates]

This is Boksil. She is reaching levels of cozy previously unheard of. 12/10 a trailblazer (IG: with_bokdanji)

[Kirsten @ciorstan_b]

This is amazing. A charity so close to my heart, showing just how resourceful and compassionate humans can be 💕🐘

[Sheldrick Wildlife Trust @SheldrickTrust]

A life-or-death situation, twofold: a mother elephant and her tiny calf had fallen into a well and were hopelessly stuck within its watery depths.

The mum was submerged, using her trunk as a snorkel, whilst her baby struggled to keep her head above water. When our teams arrived, the exhausted calf couldn't tread water much longer.

Immediate action was needed. We guided ropes around the calf and dragged her to solid ground, carrying her to shade, away from her mother's distressed calls. Meanwhile, our bowser and supplemental water pump began the slow work of filling the deep well, raising the water level so the mother could float to freedom.

Hours later, when the water reached the lip, we threw ropes around the mum and used the bowser and Land Cruiser to pull in tandem and haul her out. The moment she stood on all four feet, we released her calf.

They ran straight to each other, reuniting with palpable relief. We flew home to the most wonderful sight below: baby happily suckling from her mum, finally free and together.

This ⬆️ epic emergency unfolded back in 2024; many more emergencies have unfolded since then. In the past week, we've rescued a calf from a well, and attended 14 veterinary treatments. Your donations power these rescue missions. Support our emergency rescue operations: https://t.co/ZLJQceLG0f

#ConservationInAction

[Jamie Hogarth. @jamiehogarth]

https://t.co/sZJldajDNh

A masterclass incarnate.
Goodnight Patricia Routledge 🖤

[Revive MS Support @revivems]

Ready for a frightfully fun afternoon?

Halloween Quiz at Revive MS Support Centre
📅 Sat 25 Oct, 1pm
💷 £5 pp
🍹 Bar • 🎟 Raffle • 👻 Costumes encouraged

Tickets at reception or online: https://t.co/yx5tdnKxzS

[Revive MS Support @revivems]

Our Christmas Fayre is back! 🎅
Join us Sunday 2nd November for a festive day packed with stalls, treats, and seasonal cheer🎄

All profits raised will help Revive continue to support those living with MS 💙

Find out more and buy your tickets - https://t.co/lzp5nuZcMX

[Buitengebieden @buitengebieden]

Kids.. 😊

[Revive MS Support @revivems]

Huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Mambo Italiano Bingo event on Saturday! 🍝

With your amazing energy and generosity, we raised an incredible £1700 for Revive! 👏💙

Every penny will help us continue supporting people living with MS 💙