Channel 4 has commissioned a new peak-time interior design contest based in Sheffield in which competitors will take part in a series of design challenges to win their own dream apartment.
In Design Your Dream (w/t), contestants will each be assigned an empty apartment within the Eyewitness Works in the heart of Sheffield to showcase their unique design talent.
The hopefuls will be judged across a series of design challenges within the apartment and elsewhere. Contestants will compete against each other, whittled down until there is only one remaining. The winner of the competition will become the owner of their very own two-bedroom apartment within the historic development in South Yorkshire.
The 8 x 60 series is produced by Remarkable Factual (part of Banijay UK) with executive producers Joff Wilson and Breid McLoone. The series is commissioned for Channel 4 by Deborah Dunnett, Commissioning Editor, Features and Daytime, and Jo Street, Head of Features and Daytime.
The series is made in partnership with Manchester-based social impact property developers Capital&Centric.
Deborah Dunnett, Commissioning Editor, Features and Daytime at Channel 4, comments: “Everybody has their own vision of what makes a home stand out. This series promises to show off the creative talents and tastes of interior designers from around the UK – for a truly spectacular prize.
“I’m looking forward to working with Remarkable and thrilled that the vibrant city of Sheffield is going to be the home of this innovative competition format.”
Kitty Walshe, CEO Remarkable Factual, comments: “We are delighted to be working with Channel 4 on this project. It’s a big factual entertainment format with a really dramatic elimination mechanic that will have viewers on the edge of their seats.
“The life-changing prize is one of the biggest on UK television and we’re excited to be making this innovative new format that’s unlike anything else out there.”
Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital&Centric, said: “Our Eyewitness Works building in Sheffield is packed full of original features and when restored it’ll be a genuine, design-led community.
“It’s going to be awesome to see how the designers put their creative spin on this historic space, with the winner eventually calling it home.”
Filming on Design Your Dream (w/t) will take place this summer, with casting currently in progress.
Budding applicants with a passion for interior design can apply for the series at www.designyourdream.tv
Ye’ll huv hud yer culture, then? No Scottish cities make final cut
Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough selected
Three Scottish bids lose out
Winner will be announced by the Culture Secretary in May
Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough are today unveiled as the four areas shortlisted to be UK City of Culture 2025.
The four locations were approved by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries based on independent advice made to the government by a panel of experts led by Sir Phil Redmond.
The finalists were whittled down from a record twenty initial bids to eight outstanding longlist applications which also included Cornwall, Derby, Stirling and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.
Three Scottish bids were initialy submitted: Stirling, The Borderlands region (comprising Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Northumberland, Cumbria and Carlisle City) and The Tay Cities region – but while Stirling survived the first cut, none made the final shortlist.
All bids were asked to explain how they would use culture to grow and strengthen their local area, as well as how they would use culture to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The vast benefits of winning the prestigious title include attracting millions of pounds in additional investment to help boost regeneration, a year in the cultural spotlight with hundreds of events encouraging long-lasting participation in the arts, and growth for local tourism.
Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: “The UK City of Culture competition shows the important role that culture can play in levelling up our towns, cities and rural communities – bringing investment, great events, thousands of tourists, and opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds.
“We have seen a huge positive impact in this year’s host city, Coventry, with millions of pounds in investment and thousands of visitors.
“This has been a record year for bids, which is great to see. Congratulations to the four shortlisted places – I wish them all the best of luck.”
Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 has seen more than £172 million invested in funding music concerts, public art displays, the UK’s first permanent immersive digital art gallery, a new children’s play area in the centre of the city, the new Telegraph Hotel and improvements to public transport.
More than a third of event tickets (43 per cent) issued to Coventry residents as part of the City of Culture went to financially stretched people or those facing adversity and a third of the cultural programme was co-created with local communities. A further £500 million has been ploughed into the city’s regeneration since it was confirmed as the UK City of Culture.
More than £150 million of public and private sector investment was invested into 2013 winner Derry-Londonderry while the 2017 winner Hull saw a 10 percent increase in visitor numbers during its tenure.
Sir Phil Redmond, Chair of the City of Culture Expert Advisory Panel, said: “Culture can act as a catalyst for community engagement, civic cohesion and a driver for economic and social change as previously seen not just in Derry-Londonderry (2013), Hull (2017) and Coventry (2021), but all those other places who went on a journey to develop their own cultural strategy.
“Simply taking part has proved a catalyst in itself. We have had a great longlist to select from, which made the shortlisting difficult, but I am now looking forward to visiting each of the shortlisted places with the panel to witness culture’s catalytic effect in action.”
Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive, Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “This is such an exciting moment for the shortlisted cities and we wish them all the best for the next stage.
“Holding the title in Coventry has been a privilege and has made a considerable impact already on the City and its citizens. We can’t wait to see what comes next for those who’ve used the bidding process to truly consider the value of culture – all will have inspired the next generation of artists, organisations, funders and supporters.
“The expert advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, will now visit the four shortlisted places before making their final recommendation in May. The winner will be announced this year in Coventry.”
The competition, delivered by DCMS in collaboration with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, brings culture into the heart of communities and gives people an opportunity to get involved in everything the arts have to offer.
The eight longlisted bidders received, for the first time, a £40,000 grant to strengthen their applications which were scrutinised by the expert advisory panel against published criteria.
The unsuccessful areas will each receive detailed feedback on their bids. Ministers and officials will also engage with them on how best they can maintain momentum and realise their ambitions in the future.
Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater are calling for everyone to make litter history – by joining a Spring Clean challenge from 21 March – 21 April.
Lorna Slater joined the two charities at a launch event yesterday (Friday, 18 March), at the iconic Blackness Castle in Linlithgow, kicking off four weeks of litter-busting action to help clean up Scotland.
It’s everyone’s responsibility to reduce litter and help protect our neighbourhoods and heritage. But Keep Scotland Beautiful’s research has revealed that 88% of Scots agree that litter is a problem across Scotland – including at some of Scotland’s most beautiful sites. And 70% are concerned about litter in their area.
The environmental charity has been working with Historic Environment Scotland to explore ways to reduce litter at visitor attractions and areas of national significance.
If you feel frustrated about litter in your community or the places you visit, you can do something about it. Spring Clean Scotland is the perfect opportunity to make a difference by picking up litter on your local beach, streets, parks and beyond. Get involved and help make the places we care about cleaner and safer for people and animals.
Every action, however small, makes a difference. Just half an hour of picking up litter and disposing of it safely can help an area look cleaner and feel safer, and evidence shows it also prevents more litter being dropped.
Why not organise a litter pick with friends, family, workmates or your wider community? Or find one to join in with on Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Clean Up Scotland map.
We know young people feel strongly about caring for the environment and want to do something about the harmful effects of litter.
Your school can get involved too. As part of Spring Clean, there is a Live Lesson open to all schools across the UK.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slatersaid, “No one should have their visit to one of Scotland’s heritage sites ruined by litter and mess. To help make sure our historic locations are in good condition for others, please put your rubbish in the bin, recycling it where possible.
“We are consulting on proposals to help rid Scotland of the problem of litter and flytipping. I would encourage everyone to have their say and to take part in a Spring Clean near you.”
Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, Barry Fisher, said: “Across Scotland we have seen a steady increase in the amount of litter over the past decade. While this is a real challenge, we are heartened by the incredible work of litter picking heroes up and down the country.
“Our communities already play a vital role in taking action to tackle litter. Across Scotland we have seen lots of people giving up their time to clean up their local areas despite the challenges of the last two years.
“We are delighted to have launched our challenge with Historic Environment Scotland at a beautiful part of our heritage, Blackness Castle, to help highlight this issue. We would love as many people as possible to join in, make litter a thing of the past, and give Scotland a spring clean this March and April.
“For those that wish to take further action, the Scottish Government is currently consulting on a revised National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and you can still respond until the end of March and have #YourSayOnLitter.”
Alison Turnbull, Director of External Relations and Partnerships at Historic Environment Scotland, said, “We’re delighted to help launch this year’s Spring Clean at Blackness Castle. Litter can have a big negative impact on historic sites such as this, limiting access and enjoyment for visitors, as well as posing issues of health and safety.
“However, we believe our historic environment is also part of the solution to tackling litter. We want our historic sites to inspire positive behaviour change, connecting communities with their local area and restoring pride in our local environments.
“We hope people across Scotland will be inspired to get involved and help us make litter history.”
Inspired to take positive action? Learn more and sign up to join here:
The City of Edinburgh Council has pledged its support to Edinburgh’s vital gig economy workforce, a significant and growing aspect of the city’s labour market.
It comes as the City looks to promote better access to fair work standards for people following a series of discussions with workers, trade unions, academics, Scottish Enterprise officials, and civil servants from the Scottish Government.
This inquiry, led by Edinburgh’s Gig Economy Task Force and spearheaded by the Council, was the preliminary piece of work to understand the key issues as well as the immediate actions to be taken alongside the long-term legislative changes that need to be considered so gig workers feel empowered, are treated equally and are able to make a fair wage for a fair day’s work.
Next week (on 24 March) a report from the Task Force will feedback its seven recommendations* to the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee.
If agreed these recommendations will be developed into an action plan to be brought back to committee in Autumn this year (2022). This will focus on short, medium and long-term priorities which the Council and partners across the city will be asked to focus on to improve access to fair work for people working across the gig economy, including zero hours contract workers.
One key area recognised by the inquiry was to understand gig workers’ rights to accessing the data collected on them and what transparency exists on the way company algorithms use this data to determine how jobs are offered, how much workers earn, and other challenges workers face.
If agreed, as part of the recommendations the Council will build on the findings, and continue to work with gig workers, businesses and the Scottish Government to understand more about existing rights of access to worker’s’ data while also considering whether data driven innovation tools could be used to help gig workers analyse and better understand their earnings and conditions.
The other recommendations* focus on issues relating to licensing and regulation of the gig economy, public sector procurement, alternative business models and establishing a gig economy worker’s charter for Edinburgh.
The short-life Task Force was established in November 2021 as part of the work plan for the Living Wage City Action Group, and after the Council welcomed the UK Supreme Court’s decision to confirm the status of Uber drivers as workers.
Its objective was to understand the real experiences of workers in the gig economy in Edinburgh, while also looking to explore actions that will tackle the concerns and challenges they face and could improve working conditions, rights and quality of employment.
During its inquiry the Task Force recognised that flexibility and ease of access to employment can be a positive aspect of these roles for some workers, usually those using it as a ‘top-up’ to another income stream or those who have caring responsibilities, or for example students.
However, the growth of the sector has been associated with concerns over low rates of pay, poor income security, risk of in-work poverty, poor opportunities for progression, as well poor working conditions and worker safety.
It is recognised that a growing number of people are becoming reliant on gig economy work as the sole source of income, and they tend to be the people most impacted by poor working conditions and unreliable pay.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee and chair of the Gig Economy Task Force said: “As part of the action plan for the Living Wage City accreditation, and as part of our fair work agenda, I knew it was vital that we did some work to look at the gig economy in Edinburgh and the impact on pay, rights and working conditions.
“The Gig Economy Task Force was put together with the aim of getting a clear understanding of where the real issues lie, what powers the council has to improve conditions now, and where we need to focus on, and implement changes, in future.
“It’s pretty clear that there is a strong power imbalance. For many gig economy workers their shifts, performance monitoring and pay are controlled by an algorithm. This can be incredibly disempowering. We need to look at who has access to data, and how that data is used, and understand what reforms could empower workers.
“We also came to the conclusion that we need to look at current licensing powers, and procurement. And look at strengthening workers’ rights, raising awareness of those rights and understanding how the categorisation of workers impacts on their working conditions. For example gig economy workers are classed as ‘self employed’ – but the reality of their day to day working lives is very far from what most of us would consider self employment.
“I hope we’ll come together next week at Committee and agree the recommendations, so that we can get on with these actions, starting the journey to dramatically improving the working conditions for the growing number of gig economy workers in our city.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee said: “This task force was established in response to a motion that we raised regarding Uber and was widened to include other gig economy and zero hours workers by the convenor.
“Our intention is to highlight the rights that these workers should already have and to find ways of supporting their efforts to achieve safer working practices and fairer terms and conditions.”
The Gig Economy Task Force was chaired by the Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, and comprised workers who have first-hand experience of the gig economy and precarious work in Edinburgh, as well as workers’ representatives, academics, alongside relevant policy leads from the Council, Scottish Government and its agencies.
*Gig Economy Task Force Recommendations:
A costed proposal for a dedicated workers’ hub in Edinburgh, providing access to advice and support.
A costed proposal for ongoing campaign work to provide information on and raise awareness on worker rights in Edinburgh, good working practices, and how to access support.
Licensing: The Council should facilitate and host further work with gig economy and precarious workers, businesses and government on issues relating to licensing and regulation of gig economy and precarious employment.
Procurement: The Council should facilitate and host further work with workers, businesses and government on issues relating public sector procurement fair work and the gig economy.
Data Rights and Access: The Council should facilitate and host further work with gig economy workers, businesses and government on issues raised during this inquiry relating data rights and access for workers in the gig economy.
Alternative Gig Economy Business Models: The Council should facilitate and host further work with gig economy workers, businesses and government to hear more about examples observed in other European cities.
A workers’ charter for Edinburgh: Building on all of the above, the Council should facilitate further engagement with gig economy workers and businesses.
The development of this Task Force has been informed by the Council’s Fair Work Action Plan and Edinburgh Economy Strategy, both of which emphasise the importance of fair work that provide citizens with dignity and security of income.
Scotland’s offer to provide refuge and sanctuary to displaced Ukrainians, as part of the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, is now open.
Accessible through the UK Government’s online portal, a distinct route to accommodation, support and care in Scotland – the Warm Scots Welcome – is now available to people displaced by the invasion of Ukraine.
Acting as a ‘super sponsor’, the Scottish Government’s route removes the need for applicants to be matched to a named individual before they are cleared to travel to the UK through the visa system.
The Scottish programme is available as an option to Ukrainians when applying for a visa under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, by opting for the organisational sponsor route, and selecting “The Scottish Government” from the drop-down box in response to the question “Which organisation is sponsoring you?”
Scottish people willing to volunteer and provide homes for Ukrainians arriving through the sponsorship scheme are encouraged to sign up at the Homes for Ukraine portal.
Their details will be shared with Scottish Government so that appropriate matches can be arranged while immediate support is provided to those arriving.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Our distinct offer for a warm Scottish welcome to the displaced people of Ukraine is now open, as part of the UK’s Homes for Ukraine.
“We intend to fully harness the thousands of individual offers from people in Scotland willing to provide Ukrainians with a home. And I encourage those who want to help to express an interest on the Homes for Ukraine portal.
“We still believe visas should have been waived for those fleeing the appalling and illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, but we established this Scottish scheme, embedded within the UK system, to provide help right now to those who need it.
“Our programme will allow significant numbers of people fleeing Ukraine to come to Scotland immediately, and will be able to come to Scotland for safety and sanctuary first.
“To those Ukrainians arriving in our country, I can say we will treat you with compassion, dignity and respect, and I extend a warm welcome to Scotland, our home – and, for as long as you need it, yours too.”
It is also possible for Ukrainian displaced people to come to Scotland by the other two routes: the family visa route and the individual sponsor route.
The Scottish Government is working with partners – local councils, the Scottish Refugee Council, the NHS, Disclosure Scotland, NGOs, faith groups and others – to complete safeguarding checks, put in place wider health, education, practical and befriending support, and arrange longer term accommodation.
The process for Ukrainian applicants to apply is this:
The Covid Corporate Financing Facility, which provided a quick and cost-effective way to raise working capital for large firms, comes to an end with every penny repaid.
The Bank of England facility provided almost £38 billion of support to more than 100 of the UK’s biggest firms, and made a profit for the taxpayer whilst protecting millions of jobs.
Firms that employ almost 2.5 million people were directly supported including those in the car industry, travel, hospitality, and high street stores.
The Chancellor has hailed the success of a Covid scheme that provided almost £38 billion of support to some of the UK’s biggest employers during the pandemic, protecting millions of jobs whilst making a return for the taxpayer, as it comes to an end today.
Household names, such as Gatwick Airport, the Football Association and the National Trust, were among more than 100 of the UK’s biggest employers that benefitted from the Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF). The scheme has recouped every penny that was lent – plus a profit of over £60 million.
Rishi Sunak said the Bank of England administered scheme, which was launched in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, was another example of the government offering support at unprecedented speed to protect millions of jobs and taxpayer’s money simultaneously.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “We not only took unprecedented action but did so at unprecedented speed to protect jobs and businesses throughout the pandemic.
“The CCFF scheme ensured that many of the UK’s biggest employers could continue to pay wages and suppliers, protecting millions of jobs – and on top of that every penny has been repaid.”
The final CCFF repayments were made today, with all companies paying back what they owed. The scheme has made a profit of over £60 million for the taxpayer because the rate of interest applied to the cash provided by the Bank of England was priced at rates comparable to the market before Covid. Companies therefore paid back a slightly larger amount at maturity compared to the finance they borrowed initially.
Peter Vermeulen, Chief Financial Officer at the National Trust, said: “The HM Treasury team did an amazing job during the height of the pandemic. The National Trust, like many other large organisations, experienced an unprecedented liquidity squeeze, accompanied by enormous levels of uncertainty around the future.
“The CCFF was set up swiftly and in a highly transparent manner. The team at HM Treasury issued clear guidance and worked tirelessly to support us with the application and the associated legalities.
“We cannot commend the team highly enough for the excellent work they have done. It was an essential lifeline for the National Trust and has safeguarded some of the essential work we do on cultural and natural heritage, for the Nation. Thank you.”
Mark Burrows, Chief Operating Officer at The Football Association, said: “The pandemic was a serious challenge for The FA. We were faced with huge losses from cancelled events and competition disruptions affecting our broadcasting rights.
“As a not-for-profit organisation that reinvests its surplus into grassroots football, being able to rely on the security of CCFF as a quick and cost-effective way to raise working capital meant we were able not only to continue to support our business, but grassroots football across the country.”
Through the purchasing of short-term corporate debt – known as commercial paper – the CCFF provided a quick and cost-effective way to raise working capital for companies who were fundamentally strong but were at risk of experiencing severe disruption to cashflows.
Because it lent directly to large companies, the scheme also provided banks with the space to lend to a wider population of firms who could have otherwise gone bust during the pandemic.
The scheme helped companies across a range of sectors including the car industry, travel, hospitality, and high street stores. It kept cash flowing and delivered on the government’s commitment to do everything it could to support the economy and protect jobs.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Salt Awareness
14th to 20th March 2022 is Salt Awareness Week. It is estimated that in the UK we consume around 8.4g of salt a day which is 40% more than the recommended 6g a day. Too much salt in your diet can have a negative effect on your health and can increase the risk of water retention, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and kidney disease. Here are some tips to help you reduce your salt intake:
Reduce salt gradually
By gradually reducing the amount of salt in your food, your taste buds will adapt over time. Try tasting your food before you add salt. You may find that your food is tasty enough. You could try experimenting with different flavours to replace added salt, such as herbs, spices, lemons, or limes.
Check food labels
Around 75% of the food we eat contains hidden salt. Food labels use a traffic light system, which allows us to see if a product contains a low (green), medium (amber), or high (red) amount of salt.
Check the labels to see how much salt is in your food before you buy. Different brands of similar products contain varying amounts of salt, so look at the label and choose products that contain less salt. Salt is made up of sodium chloride and sometimes the label will list ‘sodium’ but not ‘salt’.
You can work out how much salt is in a product by multiplying every 1g of sodium by 2.5.
Make a swap
Swap your high salt foods with foods lower in salt. Try snacking on fruit and vegetables, plain rice cakes, unsalted nuts and seeds or lower salt alternatives to your usual snacks.
Foods such as processed meats, stock cubes, ready-made sauces and powdered soups can contain high amounts of salt. Try swapping these for lower salt versions or make your own soups, with little or no added salt. You can also reduce the amount of salt in your diet by having smaller portions of foods that are higher in salt.
Adopting these tips can be challenging, but reducing your salt consumption gradually over time can help to reduce your risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.
A short-life taskforce has been established to monitor, identify and respond to any potential disruption to food security and supply resulting from the impact of the war in Ukraine.
The Scottish Government has set up the Food Security and Supply Taskforce jointly with industry. It will be co-chaired by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon and Chief Executive of Scotland Food & Drink, James Withers.
Drawing on technical and scientific knowledge and expertise from across a range of sectors, agencies and organisations, the taskforce will include key food and drink industry leaders and will meet frequently over the coming weeks.
Ms Gougeon said: “The truly terrible events in Ukraine and the resulting western sanctions on Russia are, rightly, changing the way the world does business. Our immediate focus as a Government continues to be on doing everything we can within our power to support the people of Ukraine and address their humanitarian need.
“We need to take action now to better understand the potential impact of disruption to the food supply chain in Scotland, how industry and government might work together to manage and mitigate those, and be alert to the resulting impact on the cost of food products.
“Over the last two years, our food and drink sectors have experienced a series of shocks in terms of disrupted supply chains and new barriers to trade through COVID and Brexit. It is clear that the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine will have further impacts – not least through the hugely challenging increases in energy bills which affect households and everyone in the food industry, from farmers to hauliers, processors to retailers.
“That is why the Scottish Government has convened a taskforce jointly with industry to monitor, identify and respond to these issues, as well as recommending actions that can be taken by business, the Scottish and UK Governments to mitigate the challenges.
“Crucially, the taskforce will also consider how we can continue to get products and food supplies to Ukraine we must not forget that there is a population still there that will desperately need our help and support in the weeks ahead.
“I welcome the involvement of food and drink industry leaders across Scotland and look forward to working together to strengthen food security and supply.”
James Withers said: “The establishment of this taskforce is a welcome and an important step.
“The immediate focus from the war in Ukraine is on the humanitarian fallout. However, it is also critical that we assess urgently the potential impact of the conflict on national food security and supply.
“From wheat and barley to sunflower oil, Ukraine and the surrounding region is a major player in terms of global food supply and agricultural production.
“Immediate supplies of food and animal feed are secure, even if prices are rising sharply. However, whilst much still remains unknown in terms of the impact of the war on global supply chains, there is clearly a shock to the system coming.
“We must understand its implications for Scotland’s farmers, food manufacturers and consumers and consider any short or medium-term action we can take to mitigate their impact.”
Opportunity for classrooms to collaborate and compete, with prizes worth over £8,000 up for grabs
The popular game-based learning programme SplashLearn has announced the second UK edition of its massively popular SpringBoard Maths Challenge.
The maths competition is a calendar marked event and is highly anticipated by teachers across the US and Canada. The SpringBoard Maths Challenge 2022 is open to all classes from Year 1 through Year 6 in the UK and will run from March 1 – May 8, 2022.
Participation in the challenge, which is free, is designed to give teachers and schools the opportunity to engage their primary school students through fun maths challenges aligned to the national curriculum. The 10-week competition provides the perfect opportunity for teachers in Scotland to engage pupils in maths learning to master their maths skills and boost their confidence, all whilst having fun throughout the process.
After creating an account on SplashLearn, teachers can enrol their classes for SpringBoard 2022. Once enrolled, students can immediately start solving maths problems that will earn them points individually as well as adding up and counting towards the total class score.
The best performing classes with the highest points win weekly prizes at both a county and national level. The final winners will be announced at the end of SpringBoard, with prizes worth in excess of £8,000 up for grabs.
Joy Deep Nath, co-founder, SplashLearn, said: “SpringBoard is a maths competition, but over the years it has grown to be a platform for social and emotional bonding for both students and teachers alike.
“Of course, it also helps teachers to tackle the attainment gap and ensures students are prepared for the next school year. There is a growing appreciation for SpringBoard as an effective tool to challenge students in a familiar, secure and friendly setting to practice with their peers, which is paramount in the present times.”
Arpit Jain, CEO, SplashLearn, said: “SpringBoard, over the years has become like a tradition. It brings teachers and students together in an environment that enables competition as well as collaboration but most importantly celebrates learning.
“The fun and playful aspects of the competition ensures students stay motivated engaged, excited and continue learning, which is so important. I wish every school the greatest success, and every child a very happy learning journey.”
Catering for Year 1-Year 6 pupils, the SplashLearn programme is available completely free of charge to all schools and teachers in the UK, with the maths content covering more than 570 skills through 2000 activities and games.
Registration for teachers and entry to the competition is already open, and teachers can sign up for the SpringBoard Maths Challenge 2022 by visiting this page.
Firefighters in Scotland were called to tackle almost 80 deliberately set fires every single day during Spring last year – more than two thirds than during the same period in 2020.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews were mobilised to a total of 4,287 incidents of deliberate fire-raising between March and April 2021.
The figures have been released to coincide with the launch of the service’s #SpringSafety campaign.
This is an increase of 71 per cent on the year before, when SFRS crews were turned out to 2,493 needless emergency incidents.
The data shows how deliberate fires in Spring last year included 582 in the city of Glasgow (an increase of 54% on 2020) and 337 in Edinburgh (up 71%).
Other notable year-on-year increases included a 209% rise in the Perth, Kinross, Angus and Dundee area (up from 130 to 402); 94% rise in East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde (up from
188 to 364); and 86% in Falkirk and West Lothian (up from 190 to 354). [See full regional year-on-year breakdown below]
The 4,287 deliberate fires were largely comprised of outdoor incidents impacting fields, refuse, and countryside, but also involved hundreds of building and vehicle fires.
This behaviour could place lives at risk, warned Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Alasdair Perry, Head of Prevention and Protection for SFRS.
DACO Perry said: “We take a zero-tolerance approach to deliberate fire-raising and it is a small minority of individuals who are potentially putting themselves, our firefighters and innocent bystanders at risk of serious harm and injury.
“Make no mistake – fire can cause injury and death, it can be devastating to properties, businesses and the environment.
“Last year, we witnessed a shocking rise in deliberate fire-raising during the Spring period. The fact that our firefighters are called to thousands of deliberately set fires each year is completely unacceptable.
“These incidents are a needless drain on our resources and can impact on our response to genuine emergencies.”
DACO Perry warned that the SFRS will continue to do everything in its power to help Police Scotland trace those risking the safety of communities across Scotland.He said: “It absolutely goes without saying that we want to prevent fires – not fight fires.
“As a result, our firefighters work extremely hard to engage with the public and promote safety messages, and parents, guardians and carers can also help by making sure that children and young people are aware of the risks.
“But let me be very clear – we operate a strict zero tolerance approach to deliberate fire-raising. It is a criminal offence and can have devastating consequences.
“We will continue to work very closely with our police and local authority partners to provide evidence that will ensure those responsible are identified and held to account for their actions.”
Anyone with information about deliberate fire-raising should contact the free and confidential Crimestoppers helpline on 0800 555 111.
