New Year, new coach-led adult swim sessions

Scottish Swimming announces the 2015 Adult Swim Series

These events are for adult swimmers who would like to take part in coached sessions in a 50-metre pool. The events are open to all and will be fun and informative. and follow on from the successful Come and Try Open Water Swimming event held in June last year.

The Adult Swim Series has been devised following research on swimming paricipation and questionnaires completed by adult swimmers in late 2014 about what gets them motivated to go to the pool and what would make their swimming session more meaningful.

Results of the survey suggest that there is a big demand for coach led swimming sessions, with 90 per cent of surveyed adults either likely or very likely to attend such sessions in the future. The main drive for adults to attend is to improve their swimming, train for an open water, Masters swimming or triathlon event, or simply to get fitter and meet friends at the pool.

The benefits of swimming are wider than the actual health benefits, as one past participant put it:

“The health benefits I can see with swimming here is that it brings people together from any background, so that’s like elderly who are not working anymore, people who are working, or students like myself. It’s creating a routine that keeps people healthy – that is in a physical sense, but also in a mental health sense, because it’s motivating.”

The social aspect is especially important for people that have attended sessions already. For one past participant It was more motivating than trying to work on their own, while another one said “it was good fun, enjoyable yet educational and improved my swimming and my motivation following the session.”

The Swim Series starts in Edinburgh this Saturday with sessions in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Stirling to follow over the coming months:

Saturday 17th January (A few places still available)
Edinburgh 5.30pm-7.30pm Royal Commonwealth Pool

Sunday 22nd February
Aberdeen 10am-12noon Aberdeen Sports Village

Saturday 21st March
Glasgow 2pm-4pm Tollcross International Swimming Centre

Saturday 11th April (Intermediate and Masterclass only)
Stirling 10am – 12pm National Swimming Academy, Stirling University

Sunday 31st May
Open Water Style Session
Stirling 3.30pm-5.30pm National Swimming Academy, Stirling University

There are different session types available depending on your swimming ability and level of fitness:

Skills and Drills: Beginners: This session will cater for the competent swimmer who would like to focus on their technique and perhaps work on one of their weaker strokes. This session would be ideal for those wishing to improve their front crawl breathing or to learn how to get more out of their swimming sessions by using coaching equipment.

Skills and Drills: Intermediate: This session is for the competent swimmer who would like to improve their technique and fitness through learning new skills and drills. This class will be suitable for an able recreational swimmer or perhaps a triathlete or individual hoping to take part in a participation event.

Masterclass: This session is for the more able swimmer who is perhaps competing or training with a Masters club or group. The session will focus on everything from speed of turns, starts and distance off the wall, to streamlining and core strength building.

All sessions are listed at www.scottishwimming.eventbrite.co.uk.

For more information on adult swimming in your area go to: www.scottishswimming.com/adults

Boost for Scottish social enterprise

Addtional £0.5 million to support new not-for-profit companies

Individuals looking to start up new businesses that improve people’s life chances will continue to benefit from dedicated funding and support. The Scottish Government’s Social Entrepreneurs Fund will receive a further £500,000 from April to find and nurture entrepreneurs with a social or environmental mission.

Under the Fund, people with ideas for viable businesses that can help vulnerable people can apply for advice, support and start-up funding. Since its launch in 2009, the Social Entrepreneurs Fund has helped more than 280 people test and develop their enterprising ideas.

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Alex Neil was today at one of Edinburgh’s Social Bite cafés, where pre-paid meals feed the homeless and its profits go to charity. Around a third of Social Bite’s employees have suffered from homelessness.

The Social Entrepreneurs Fund will be managed by business support company Firstport.

Mr Neil said: “Social enterprises do tremendous work to help the most vulnerable people by improving their confidence and boosting skills, while tackling inequalities in society and growing the economy.

“The Social Entrepreneurs Fund has already made a huge difference to the lives of many. and our sustained investment will help ensure that social entrepreneurs get the support they need to get their businesses off the ground.

“Social Bite is just one great example of how the Fund is helping new business go from strength to strength. Already a popular café and having smashed its Christmas appeal to give homeless people meals, it’s looking to expand and is great role model for other businesses to follow.”

Social Bite hit the headlines over the holiday period when a social media appeal to give homeless people a Christmas dinner went viral – the social enterprise had hoped to raise enough money to pay for 800 plates of turkey over Christmas by asking for £5 donations but instead received enough for more than 36,000 dinners!

Josh Littlejohn of Social Bite said: “Social Bite has greatly benefited from the funding and advice provided by Firstport and the Social Entrepreneurs Fund. We now employ 45 people, including 14 from homeless backgrounds and importantly our customers have the benefit of knowing that they are supporting a good cause when they purchase food from our shops.

“I believe that social enterprise will become a bigger part of the economy and will be able to take on the big profit maximising chains.”

The Minister also met Bruce Gunn, owner of socially-driven courier company Delivered Next Day Personally and Fiona MacNeil, owner of Gilded Lily which runs programmes to support women from disadvantaged backgrounds into social enterprise during his visit.

Firstport chief executive Karen McGregor said: “Recent economic challenges means that social problems in Scotland are more pressing than ever. This has driven an even stronger interest in the concept of social entrepeneurship and it’s ability to transform lives and communities.

“We are delighted that the Scottish Government recognises this potential by further investment in the Social Entrepeneurs Fund, which combined with Firstport’s free business advice and resources, really strengthens the support available to budding social entrepreneurs throughout Scotland.”

More low wage employers named and shamed

GMB trade union calls for guilty directors to be barred

A further 37 employers who failed to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage – including one in Edinburgh – have been named today by Business Minister Jo Swinson.

Between them they owe workers a total of over £177,000 in arrears and have been charged financial penalties totalling over £51,000.

The government has already named 55 employers since the new naming regime came into force in October 2013. They had total arrears of over £139,000 and total penalties of over £60,000. One of the previous offenders was private school Cargilfield in Cramond, who were fined last June for underpaying a member of staff by over £3700.

HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) National Minimum Wage enforcement budget will be increased by a further £3 million in financial year 2015 to 2016 – taking the total to £12.2 million. The extra money will go towards increasing the number of HMRC compliance officers to identify businesses that exploit their workers by paying them below the National Minimum Wage.

Business Minister Jo Swinson said: “Paying less than the minimum wage is illegal, immoral and completely unacceptable. If employers break this law they need to know that we will take tough action by naming, shaming and fining them as well as helping workers recover the hundreds of thousands of pounds in pay owed to them.

“We are also looking at what more we can do to make sure workers are paid fairly in the first place. As well as being publicly named and shamed, employers that fail to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage face penalties of up to £20,000. We are legislating through the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill so that this penalty can be applied to each underpaid worker rather than per employer.”

Employers who are unsure of National Minimum Wage rules can also get free advice via the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368.

The 37 employers are:

Kings Group LLP, Hertfordshire, neglected to pay £53,808.91 to 53 workers
Kings Group Lettings LLP, Hertfordshire, neglected to pay £26,893.43 to 49 workers
Chi Yip Group Ltd, Middleton, neglected to pay £15,566.78 to 13 workers
Kingsclere Nurseries Ltd trading as Abacus Day Nursery, Newbury, neglected to pay £12,904.19 to 8 workers.
Ms Thap Thi Ly trading as Sweet N Sour, Fleetwood, neglected to pay £11,039.14 to 2 workers
Michael Kearney trading as Electrical Estimates, Ceredigion, neglected to pay £5,557.91 to 4 workers
ABC Early Learning and Childcare Centre UK Ltd, Wolverhampton, neglected to pay £5,329.25 to 68 workers
C J Hartley Ltd trading as Headwork, Sheffield, neglected to pay £4,762.64 to 4 workers
Mrs Kelly Jayne Lockley trading as Diva Hair Design, Walsall, neglected to pay £4,103.65 to a worker
Browncow Tanning Ltd trading as Fake Bake Hair & Beauty Boutique, Glasgow, neglected to pay £3,406.66 to 2 workers
J Wood Joiners & Builders Ltd, Edinburgh, neglected to pay £3,373.19 to 4 workers
Louise Ross Trading as Luxe Salon, Leeds, neglected to pay £3,368.13 to a worker
H&M Hennes & Mauritz UK Ltd, London, neglected to pay £2,604.87 to 540 workers
Building Projects Ltd, Dundee, neglected to pay £2,345.85 to 3 workers
David A Farrer Ltd, Morecambe, neglected to pay £2,261.00 to a worker
Julian’s Hair Salon Ltd, Newbury, neglected to pay £2,131.35 to a worker
Motorists Discount Store Ltd trading as TMS Autoparts, Manchester, neglected to pay £2,025.19 to a worker
Ms Dawn Platts trading as Level 2 Hair Studio, Barnsley, neglected to pay £1,186.89 to a worker
Myers and Family Ltd, Wakefield, neglected to pay £1.598.82 to a worker
Welcome Break Holdings Ltd, Newport Pagnell, neglected to pay £1,318.70 to 19 workers
Callum Austin Ltd trading as Jason Austin Hairdressers, Kettering, neglected to pay £1,899.66 to 2 workers
Mrs Karen Riley Trading as Crave, Preston, neglected to pay £1,179.09 to 7 workers
RPM Performance Rally World Ltd, Maldon, neglected to pay £998.71 to a worker
Ego Hair & Beauty (Anglia) Ltd, Colchester, neglected to pay £985.55 to a worker
Mr Jinit Shah trading as Crystal Financial Solutions, Middlesex, neglected to pay £941.65 to a worker
Counted4 Community Interest Company, Sunderland, neglected to pay £930.73 to a worker
HAE Automotive Services Ltd, Harrogate (ceased trading), neglected to pay £798.16 to a worker
Vision on Digital Ltd, Ossett, neglected to pay £683.86 to a worker
Ultimate Care UK Ltd, Ipswich, neglected to pay £613.79 to 7 workers
Century Motors (Sheffield) Ltd, Sheffield, neglected to pay £571.72 to a worker
Mr D Eastwell & Mr G Brinkler trading as The Salon, Letchworth Garden City, neglected to pay £409.85 to a worker
Rumble (Bedworth) Ltd, Nuneaton, neglected to pay £404.41 to a worker
Shannons Ltd, Worthing neglected to pay £313.76 to a worker
Holmes Cleaning Company, Worksop neglected to pay £240.48 to a worker
Learnplay Foundation Ltd, West Bromwich, neglected to pay £224.73 to a worker
Adrien Mackenzie trading as Maverick Models, Manchester, neglected to pay £205.52 to a worker
QW Security Ltd, Hartlepool, neglected to pay £126.20 to a worker

The 37 cases named today were thoroughly investigated by HM Revenue and Customs after workers made complaints to the free and confidential Pay and Work Rights Helpline.

The scheme was revised in October 2013 to make it simpler to name and shame employers that do not comply with minimum wage rules, but the GMB trade union says the enforcement rules should also be changed so that trade unions can make complaints to HMRC on behalf of members.

Commenting on the latest announcement Martin Smith, GMB National Organizer, said: “Far too few wage-dodging employers not paying the national minimum wage have been bought to justice. Government needs to make a real commitment to making work pay by more aggressively seeking out offenders to prosecute them. The enforcement rules should also be changed so that trade unions can make complaints to HMRC on behalf of members.

“As part of the public disgracing for the firms named GMB is calling for the directors of these companies to be placed on a “wage offenders register” at Companies House and be deemed an unfit person to hold any further directorships.

“There needs to be a recognition that a national minimum wage of £6.50 is near impossible to live on as it is without relying on state benefits. There are bucket loads of evidence that an uplift of at least 50p per hour would help the low paid and start to stimulate the economy and that all the big firms including the retailers can afford it.

“There is no justification for the national minimum wage not keeping up with inflation. The Low Pay Commission should recommend a rate of at least £7 per hour from October 2014 to make up the ground lost since 2006.

“It is time for the Low Pay Commission to do what it says on the tin – fight for the low paid.”

House Full! Community theatre production is a sellout!

All three performances of North Edinburgh Theatre project’s ‘1d tenement opera‘ production have sold out.

Yes, tickets were free so technically the tickets haven’t exactly ‘sold out’ but you know what I mean – there are no tickets left!

If you do have a ticket for any of the performances, lucky you – I believe you’re in for a real treat. If you don’t have a ticket it’s worth checking with the Box Office just in case there are any returns – good luck! And finally, if you do have tickets but find yourself unable to attend – hand your tickets back in as someone will snap them up!

The show premieres tonight in North Edinburgh Arts and runs until Saturday. Best wishes to the cast and crew – break a leg, as they say in this wonderful business called show!

If you are interested in joining North Edinburgh Theatre project, they will resume during February. Contact admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk for more details.

Lazarowicz: Axe the House of Lords

Lazarowicz calls for new elected Senate of Nations and Regions

Speaking in a debate at Westminster on House of Lords reform called by SNP MP Pete Wishart yesterday, Mark Lazarowicz MP called for it to be axed altogether and replaced with a new elected Senate of the Nations and Regions to be created following a major Constitutional Convention.

Speaking afterwards, the North & Leith MP said: “I strongly welcome Labour’s plan for a new elected Senate of the Nation and Regions to be created by a major Constitutional Convention: I believe it should be 100% elected by PR to represent fully the nations, cities and regions of the whole of the UK.

“The Commons would remain preeminent but as well as acting as a platform for all parts of the UK to make their voices heard the Senate would hold over-mighty governments to account and make governments think again on legislation.

“We need to act now to move to an elected second Chamber which is why the Constitutional Convention is so important to thrash out the exact form it will take and not take decades to reach a new settlement.”

Ed Miliband announced Labour’s plan for a new elected Senate of the nations and regions in November. Mark Lazarowicz is a longstanding supporter of an elected Second Chamber and proportional representation and he intervened in the debate today to make the case again. He said the Government’s response showed no urgency to move towards a more democratic Second Chamber, let alone a fully elected one.

Health and social care integration plans unveiled

Edinburgh’s health and social care chiefs have unveiled details of how they will strengthen ties and improve people’s well-being through the integration of services.

Both organisations must integrate the planning and delivery of certain services through legislation set out by the Scottish Government relating to all Scottish local authorities.

Integrating adult health and social care services will allow the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian to:

Train and support staff to work together to meet people’s needs;
Improve health and reduce inequalities;
Give communities an active role in designing and delivering services;
Use shared resources in the most cost-effective way.

A Draft Integration Scheme will set out how the agencies will work together to deliver services through what will be known as a new organisation, the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board. A Shadow Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership Board has been operating since 2012.

A report recommending that the draft is approved to go forward for consultation will be considered by members of the Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee on 20 January.

A targeted and extensive consultation plan on the draft with relevant organisations and the public will run until 20 February, with the results set to be submitted to the Scottish Government for approval by 31 March.

Councillor Ricky Henderson, Health and Social Care Convener for the Council, said: “These are exciting plans and are the start of a new phase of development for health and social care in Edinburgh. I am confident that they will lead to an improved and more targeted service for everyone who needs it.

“It’s important to recognise that health and social care staff from the NHS and Council already work together very effectively to deliver integrated services, and the details will build on what is a very solid foundation.

“It’s vital that we engage with all the relevant groups so that everyone has the chance to have their say on how integration should work. They will be at the heart of the scheme’s decision making process and together we can shape a more streamlined service which will lead to improved health for citizens.”

Professor Alex McMahon, Director of Strategic Planning, Performance Reporting and Information, NHS Lothian, said: “We welcome and support these proposals on the integration of health and social care services for adults in Edinburgh.

“Having worked closely with our partners at the City of Edinburgh Council to develop this joint plan, this new approach will build on the integrated work and good relationships which already exist between health and social care colleagues and services.

“We look forward to continuing to work together on the development of these important proposals as we move forward.”