The devastating earthquake in Turkey has had a real impact at our club and particularly for our committee member Nazmi and defender Baris who both hail from the country
We will be collecting donations from the list below at our game on Saturday at Christie Gillies Park.
Building greener kitchens, accessing renewable funding and preventing heat loss through windows and doors are among the main events being planned for this year’s Green Home Festival, organisers have revealed.
Air source heat pumps, effective insulation and electric vehicles (EVs) will also be high on the agenda at the second five-day event, which is being organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV).
Running from 14-18 August as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe and delivered via a mix of in-person and virtual presentations, the festival will once again deliver practical assistance and advice to help Scotland become a net zero nation.
With a focus very much on consumer issues, CICV organisers have followed up on the success of last year’s inaugural event with another line-up of topical talking points, including:
The festival is again likely to attract Ministerial attendance from the Scottish Government, with other special guests also being pencilled in to appear to extol the virtues of green energy and low-carbon living.
One of the CICV organisers, John McKinney, Secretary of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, said: “Last year’s inaugural Green Home Festival delivered a wealth of demonstrations and hands-on guidance about efficient use of energy and smart interaction with the built environment.
“As we all try to minimise carbon emissions and do our best to mitigate the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, it is likely that interest this year will be even greater, and the proposed programme is designed to have a greater focus on consumers and practical domestic advice.
“The construction industry has demonstrated unprecedented levels of co-operation in the common interest in recent years and this festival will once again illustrate that it can work together with the public to help build a greener Scotland for everyone.”
Presenters at the show will include experts from the CICV and other organisations including the Architects Climate Action Network, Edinburgh University, BE-ST, and the Energy Savings Trust, with venues, dates and booking details to be revealed later this year.
Co-organiser Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, added: “Representatives from across the construction industry in Scotland have once again been working hard to put together a programme for the festival which is relevant to a wide audience and of real practical value to consumers.
“There is a tangible feeling that the will to act is now there in the broad mass of companies, organisations and individuals who want to reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient.
“As the agenda firms up and the festival begins to take shape over the coming months, we expect that its professional perspective and focus on a more sustainable and healthier environment will attract a wide audience from Scotland and beyond.”
The second Green Home Festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation as the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum in March 2020.
Made up of 28 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.
Mental health and chronic pain are having the most significant impact on economic inactivity rates in Scotland, according to a new report from the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee.
The report considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Scotland’s labour market, looking specifically at long-term illness and early retirement as drivers of economic inactivity.
The Committee found that although the pandemic has not significantly impacted economic inactivity in Scotland, it has clearly highlighted the extent to which a healthy working-age population is required to sustain a healthy economy.
The Committee heard that implementing remote and/or flexible working practices may improve employees’ wellbeing, bring more people into the labour market, including disabled people and people with chronic or mental illness, and support older workers to remain in the labour market for longer.
However, evidence from employers highlighted that many employers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, require additional support to implement flexible working and improve reasonable adjustment policies.
The report expresses disappointment that due to budgetary pressures, the Scottish Government’s plans for a ‘Centre for Workplace Transformation’, which would seek to embed some of the learning gained from the pandemic, was not delivered on target in 2022.
Additionally, the Committee noted that best practice from wrap-around employability services, like the Fair Start Scotland programme, which provides tailored support to get working-aged people who are disengaged from the labour market back into employment, should be shared across all of Scotland’s local authorities.
Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee, Siobhian Brown MSP, said: “Whilst our report found the pandemic has not had a significant impact on economic inactivity levels, issues such as poor mental health and chronic illnesses, are part of the complex challenges to Scotland’s economic and social recovery from COVID-19.
“Increased partnership working between the Scottish Government and employers to support investment in employees’ wellbeing and embedding post-pandemic opportunities for flexible working is crucial to supporting more people into the labour market.
“Remote and flexible working practices could also support more disabled people and those living with chronic health or mental health conditions into the workforce, whilst also enabling older people to stay in the labour market for longer.
“It’s important that as a priority, the Scottish Government sets out what additional support it is providing for employers to develop practical resources to support the adoption of flexible working policies and share best practice, which are vital to improving Scotland’s economic activity levels.”
Climate campaigners have slammed the latest oil company profit announcement as ‘sickening’ as BP revealed £23billion profits after tax in the past 12 months. As with Shell last week, the profits are the largest in the company’s entire history.
Climate scientists and energy experts have been clear that in order to stay within internationally agreed climate limits, there can be no new investment in fossil fuel development.
BP’s CEO Bernard Looney recently told shareholders that BP would be focusing on maximising profits and narrowing BP’s portfolio of green energy investments in favour of more oil and gas.
A Channel 4 investigation in 2022 found that “BP invested £300m into renewables and ‘low carbon’ in the first half of 2022 — equivalent to just 2.5% of its £12.2bn profits for that time period. By comparison, it invested £3.8bn in new oil and gas projects — more than 10 times its low carbon investments.”
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s oil and gas Campaigner Freya Aitchison said:
“The announcement of yet another sickening profit for an oil giant should anger us all. Fossil fuel companies are being allowed to bank billions in profits whilst millions of ordinary people struggle to pay their bills.
“Bosses and shareholders at these big polluters are being allowed to get even richer by profiteering from one of our most basic needs. The harm caused by the fossil fuel energy system couldn’t be clearer.
“These companies are not serious about climate action or transitioning away from oil and gas, the evidence shows they are spending just a tiny fraction of their profits into truly green projects. In fact, BP is actually scaling down its investments into green energy and planning to be drilling for more oil and gas for decades to come.”
“The Scottish Government must seize the opportunity of its Energy Strategy to instead chart a clear path away from oil and gas and towards an energy system that is built on clean, reliable renewables. Ministers must listen to the science which tells us that to meet climate targets in a fair way, fossil fuel extraction needs to be phased out in the next decade.”
The online world benefits all of us including children and young people. It can help them learn, play, and keep connected with friends, but we also know there are risks involved (writes Carla Malseed – Local Campaigns Manager for NSPCC Scotland):
TOMORROW (7th February) will mark the 20th anniversary of Safer Internet Day, and this year’s theme is “Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online.”
More children and young people are spending time on the internet than ever before.
And we are encouraging and supporting parents, carers and professionals to open the conversation around how they can support children to keep safe. Talking with children about online safety is vital and can help them to understand what is and isn’t appropriate.
But we understand that knowing where to start can be a little daunting. Asking your child what platforms, apps and sites they are interested in is a great place to begin. Exploring the apps that your child uses, will help you to understand what they are viewing on a regular basis. By discovering more about privacy and safety settings, you’ll be able to decide which are the right ones to use and therefore help to keep your child safe.
Asking questions about what they do online can identify what your child already knows about keeping safe in the digital world. You could ask ‘what’s your favourite game to play online?’ or ‘how to do you speak to your friends online?’ to help give you a clearer picture how they are spending their time.
Finding out about location sharing is also vital, as some apps and sites use GPS technology to show where users are posting content.
Consider the different communications features available too, for example, check their privacy settings are switched on to prevent unwanted contact and group chat settings can be set so that only your child’s phone contacts can be added.
Learning the basics together can help you to know how to report and block people and content, and help prevent your child from being exposed to anything inappropriate or harmful. It’s always important to remind your child they can come to you if they see anything that upsets or worries them.
We know that a child’s safety online is incredibly important, but we also understand that for parents it can be overwhelming. Here at the NSPCC, we have resources and tools to help you keep your child safe whilst using the internet and to give you peace of mind. A bespoke workshop is available on YouTube to help you get a better understanding of online safety – www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO6Ux7qfYXk
More information about online safety can be found on the NSPCC website – www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/online-safety-blog/SID-2022/
MILES Briggs is calling on people living with epilepsy in Lothian and across the local authority to take part in a new national survey to understand the affect epilepsy can have on mental health, launched this week by Epilepsy Scotland.
Epilepsy is defined as the tendency to have repeated seizures which start in the brain and there are an estimated 58,000 people in Scotland living with epilepsy, which is the most common neurological condition.
This new national survey looks to understand the experiences of people of all ages living with epilepsy across Scotland and seeks to identify which specific support measures should be highlighted.
Miles Briggs said: “I am delighted to support Epilepsy Scotland in promoting this vitally important national survey to understand the specific mental health needs of people living with epilepsy in Scotland.
“There are an estimated 8108 people living with epilepsy in my region in Lothian, which can have a serious and detrimental impact on their mental wellbeing and general day-to-day activities.
“Depression and anxiety are just some of the mental health issues that epileptic people are more likely to develop as a result of the condition.
“I would encourage all my constituents and people across Scotland with epilepsy to make their voices heard through this vital survey.”
Lesslie Young, Chief Executive of Epilepsy Scotland, added: “We are pleased to have the support of Miles Briggs in promoting our ‘It’s Time to Talk about Epilepsy’ mental health survey to people living in Lothian and across Scotland.
“Epilepsy can have a significant impact on a person’s mental health and almost every person we support through our national helpline is affected by mental health struggles.
“To someone living with uncontrolled seizures, there is a significant psychological impact of never knowing when the next seizure is going to happen. For some who have controlled seizures, the medication can have side effects which affect mood and mental health.
“I would encourage anyone living with epilepsy to share your experiences through our survey, to ensure your voice is heard.”
The survey will run for six weeks and will close on Monday 13 March 2023.
To complete the survey, please go to:
The State of the UK’s Butterflies 2022 report, released today by wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, has revealed the alarming news that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s.
Decreases in butterfly populations on this scale are a huge cause for concern as butterflies are an integral part of the UK ecosystem and their precipitous decline is a clear warning signal of the wider biodiversity crisis.
In Scotland, butterfly species that require specialist habitats have greatly declined. But the figures show increases too, as many countryside-wide species have increased in Scotland. While this increase bucks the trend elsewhere in the UK, it’s a clear indicator of climate change.
Scientists at Butterfly Conservation are today warning that time is running out for UK’s butterflies as long-term trends show that most butterfly species have declined in either abundance, distribution, or both in the past five decades. The news follows the release of the new Red List of British Butterflies last May, which showed half of all the remaining species in Britain are now classed as threatened or near threatened.
Habitat loss across the UK has led to dramatic declines in those species that require flower-rich grassland, heathland, and woodland clearings to thrive. These specialist species have, on average, decreased by more than a quarter (27% decrease) in abundance and lost over two-thirds (68% decrease) of their distribution since 1976.
Butterfly species that can breed in the farmed countryside and urban areas have fared less badly, but as a group they have still declined by 17% in abundance and 8% in distribution.
However, despite the gloomy picture painted by the long-term trends, the report points to numerous examples proving that targeted conservation action can turn around the fortunes of threatened butterflies at site, landscape, and national levels.
In Scotland this includes conservation action for priority species such as Northern Brown Argus and Pearl-bordered Fritillary. But, while managed sites such as Mabie Forest in Dumfries and Galloway are showing increases in numbers, colonies are disappearing elsewhere in the landscape. This shows that conservation efforts and partnership working towards better land management in Scotland are important to our natural environment now, more than ever.
Alongside this, climate change appears to be a large factor in the increased abundance of some species in Scotland. For example, White-letter Hairstreak and Holly Blue have spread north from England and become established in Scotland, while other species, such as Ringlet, Peacock and Comma, have greatly extended their ranges in the country.
Tom Prescott Butterfly Conservation’s Senior Conservation Officer for Scotland said: “Scotland is the only UK country for which the all-species butterfly indicators show long-term increases in abundance and distribution.
“However, this hides the true picture, which is that those species requiring specialist habitat are in significant decline while those that live in the wider countryside are increasing as a result of climate change allowing them to increase their range.
“Thanks to tens of thousands of people who contribute sightings through projects such as the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and Big Butterfly Count, we have amazing data to plot the changing fortunes of our butterflies.
“We use this to inform our conservation work and the work we have been doing to increase numbers of Pearl-bordered Fritillary at Mabie Forest Reserve in partnership with Forestry and Land Scotland is evidence that where conservation action has been carefully targeted and sustained in the long-term it has had real impact.”
Julie Williams, CEO of Butterfly Conservation, said: “This report is yet more compelling evidence of nature’s decline in the UK. We are totally dependent on the natural world for food, water and clean air.
“The state of our species and habitats shows that the natural world is in trouble. We need swift and effective action on this. The decline in butterflies we have seen in our own lifetimes is shocking and we can no longer stand by and watch the UK’s biodiversity be destroyed.”
The State of the UK’s Butterflies 2022 has been produced by Butterfly Conservation working together with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and British Trust for Ornithology. The report is based on nearly 23 million butterfly records, almost all of which were contributed by volunteer citizen scientists, that assesses the UK’s 59 species of breeding butterflies.
The full report can be found HERE
*More information on the latest Red List assessment of butterflies can be found here https://butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blog/half-of-british-butterfly-species-on-new-red-list
A community growing hub which helps people who have been homeless has become the latest local project to benefit from the Council’s community benefits scheme.
Following a great deal of community-based support from buildings solutions service John G Mackintosh (JGM), Pilton-based charity Fresh Start is now benefitting from a new solar power pack – meaning green-fingered volunteers can put the kettle on and enjoy a chat and a tea break while their garden tools charge up.
Allowing everyone involved in the Fresh Start community garden at Ferry Road Drive to shelter from the elements, JGM’s community benefits also includes a new leisure unit, new tables and growing tubs worth £12,000.
Fresh Start is an Edinburgh based charity helping people who have been homeless get established in their new home. Working with volunteers and community organisations, it delivers a range of services which provide practical and social support to help people resettle successfully.
Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “When someone has experienced homelessness, it can be a daunting and difficult transition to a new home, a new local community and a new way of life.
“We have an incredible third sector in Edinburgh and charities like Fresh Start offer support to people as they settle in. Gardening is a great way to connect with others and with nature in your area. It’s also an opportunity to learn new skills and I’m really pleased we’ve been able to support this community growing initiative. The donations and time clearly mean a lot and will make a big difference.
“As the largest social landlord in the city the Council has a great number of projects underway at any given time to improve or build new homes. Our community benefits scheme is a way for the contractors we employ in housing to give back and we’ve been impressed by John G Mackintosh’s response.
“It follows their £3.5m contract with us to upgrade vents at six multi-storey Council blocks in Moredun, and now this investment providing safe and warm homes is going full circle.”
Adrienne Mee, Community Growing Manager at Fresh Start, said: “The help we’ve received for the project has exceeded our expectations. The installation of the container is perfect for our planned tool lending library as well as shelter from the weather during gardening sessions. In the spring we will be able to offer garden workshops and tools for people in the area.
“It’s a great resource and we hope it will encourage people to have a go at gardening and help them develop their back greens or grow fruit or vegetables on their balconies. The tables and planters will help us to make this a really nice area for people who live in the flats to relax and enjoy being outside once the weather warms up.”
John Gellatly, Director of John G Mackintosh (JGM), said: “When JGM first became aware that as part of the Communities Benefit program there was an exciting opportunity to put something back into the community that was tangible, we were excited about the potential of this.
“After initial discussions and consultation, we were made aware of the Community Garden project at West Pilton, where JGM met up with the Council and Fresh Start to discuss the project further. We established the best position to site a lockable 20 foot container and agreed the design and layout of the paving to interwork with the existing garden area and the new storage container.
“Using JGM’s experience in the sector, it became apparent that in providing a solar panel solution for the container this attribute would add significantly to the benefits and flexibility that the users would have in using the container for their desired requirements.
“Over two visits JGM firstly did all the groundworks and sited the container in the chosen position and on their second visit the solar panel and internal electrics were added. Some additional works were carried out to install shelving and line the walls within the container, plus some planters and picnic bench seating were supplied to enhance the experience of the end users.”
As Breathing Space Day approaches on 1st February 2023 the message for people across Scotland who might be feeling down is one of hope and support.
Scotland’s mental health service, Breathing Space, is encouraging people to open up when they are feeling down, instead of hiding behind the phrase we all use, ‘I’m fine’.
Opening up to friends, colleagues, or family is a good place to start but the service’s trained advisers know it’s not for everyone. It recommends finding ways to support one’s own breathing space in ways to suit them which might include a brisk walk, a favourite TV show or podcast, a good book, a feel-good play list or simply some time to sit quietly with their thoughts and feelings.
Breathing Space benches across the country provide spaces for a quiet moment or a quick chat. Breathing Space unveiled its 50th bench recently in Golspie, Highland, in partnership with Change Mental Health as they marked50 years of supporting people.
Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Looking after our mental health and wellbeing is as important as looking after our physical health. That message is especially relevant now, given the continuing challenges which we all face in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis.
“Breathing Space is a free service providing vital out-of-hours support to people across Scotland who are feeling low, stressed, or anxious. I am pleased to highlight the help available and to support Breathing Space Day.
“I would urge anyone who is experiencing low mood, anxiety or distress in their lives to get in touch with Breathing Space or to look at the range of helpful advice on the website.”
Tony McLaren, National Coordinator of Breathing Space, said: “We are all finding our way in uncertain times right now. If you are struggling to find your own breathing space, please don’t hide behind ‘fine’. Our team are here for you and you can lift the phone or contact us on webchat to open up.
“Our advisors at Breathing Space are available in the evenings and at the weekends on 0800 83 85 87 or through web chat, to listen and offer information and advice.”
A new study of a whale which stranded off the Pembrokeshire coast in 2012 has revealed it to be the first short-finned pilot whale ever to be found in British waters.
The short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus, is more frequently found in tropical to warm temperate seas and is not normally encountered in Europe north of the Bay of Biscay.
The whale, which stranded on 1 March 2012 at Hazelbeach near Neyland, Pembrokeshire, was initially identified as a long-finned pilot whale, Globicephala melas. Long-finned pilot whales are far more commonly found in British waters and strand frequently. The two species are similar and difficult to distinguish based on skeletal remains.
However, features of the Hazelbeach whale’s skull and teeth, described by scientists in a newly published article in the journal Mammal Communications, confirm that it is a short-finned pilot whale, the first found in British waters.
Dr Andrew Kitchener, Principal Curator of Vertebrates at National Museums Scotland, where the whale’s remains are now held, said: “This is one of a growing number of examples in our collection going back to the 1980s of what we would normally think of as warm-water species being found for the first time in British waters.
“Others include striped dolphins, pygmy sperm whales and a Fraser’s dolphin. It’s important to develop our understanding of changing marine populations and their distributions, and the existence of collections and research facilities such as ours are crucial to building that understanding over time.
“This discovery means that we can no longer assume that every stranded pilot whale in Britain is a long-finned pilot whale.”
Rob Deaville of the Institute of Zoology in London where the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme is based, said: “The identification of this short-finned pilot whale in UK waters adds to the evidence of a clear trend of cetacean life being affected by climate change, part of a wider impact on our seas and oceans.”
