TUESDAY 30th APRIL from 1.30 – 2.15pm
Our Time to Remember event is in just over 2 weeks!
The event will feature live music as well as space for remembrance, and the opportunity to make a keepsake in memory of a loved one.
Sign up for free today at https://bit.ly/4awO4hh
An interactive tool that lets residents map out the community services and issues they care most about has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council.
As part of a 16-week budget consultation that went live on Tuesday (9 April), the council is engaging with residents in new ways to capture hyperlocal feedback on specific issues.
People will be able to geotag areas where council services are being delivered well or areas where spend could be made differently. This information will help to inform the challenging decisions councillors need to make next year and, in the future, to balance the city’s budget.
As the way we use and access public services shifts, the council needs to deliver services efficiently and invest in the future of Edinburgh and its population, which is expected to grow by almost 60,000 people over the next 20 years.
To prioritise investment in the next budget year and beyond, the consultation seeks community-level views on where the Council could save money, where it is doing well and where it needs to improve. It forms the first phase of a wide-ranging budget engagement programme agreed by members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee in March.
Residents who take part in the online consultation may also be invited to sign up to series of focus groups to take place in the Autumn, to discuss their concerns, ideas, and ambitions for Edinburgh in-depth.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “The council continues to face high and growing demand for services, and the reality is that this demand exceeds the funding that’s available.
“As we grapple with these additional pressures, we’ll face significant financial challenges and some tough decisions. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ambitious for our capital city – or our commitment to protect those services that we know many of our most vulnerable residents rely upon.
“Just as our 2024/25 budget invests millions of pounds towards protecting and improving vital frontline services, we want to continue to get the basics right and plan for our future. Be it continuing to improve our roads, parks, and greenspaces, supporting our schools, addressing poverty and homelessness, or working towards tackling our climate crisis, we need your views to make sure this continues in your communities.
“We remain the lowest funded local authority in Scotland, and I won’t tire of fighting for fairer funding from the Scottish Government for our capital city so that we can continue to deliver the best for Edinburgh.
“We’ve already had to make £400m in savings over the last decade despite the unique challenges and growth Edinburgh faces and – if this squeeze on local authority budgets continues – we face a further £143m reduction by 2028/29.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Finance and Resources Convener, said: “The council is facing the same hard choices about spending that many of you are experiencing. We’re trying to make our income stretch further and we’re making every effort to reduce costs without cutting the services or facilities that you rely on.
“Your local councillors will be thinking about the impact that any changes could have on our citizens, our communities and our workforce – but we want to be sure that we’ve not missed anything that’s important to you.
“That’s why we’re asking you to take part in the ongoing discussion about the financial challenges we’re facing. I’m hoping that you’ll choose to take part online or by contacting your local councillors.”
The Scottish Government is taking action to improve the rights of tied pub tenants across the country.
A new Scottish Pubs Code will enable eligible tied pub tenants to sell a guest beer from brands that have small production levels or switch to a market rate lease under which they could purchase products from any supplier.
Ministers will lay secondary legislation in Parliament next week which, if approved, would see the Code come into force on 7 October 2024. It will be overseen by an Adjudicator who is expected to be appointed next month, subject to parliamentary approval.
A tied lease involves tenants buying some or all of their alcohol and other products and services from the pub-owning business.
Ministers expect the legislation will deliver a fairer tied pubs sector, with risks and rewards being more equally shared between tenants and their landlords. In 2023, it was estimated that there were just under 700 tied pubs in Scotland.
Small Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “We need to do all we can to protect pubs, bars and licensed clubs in Scotland, which in 2022 supported 34,000 jobs throughout the country and play an important role in our communities.
“I am pleased that we are now free to introduce measures contained in the Tied Pubs Act and give tenants more freedom to choose the lease which best suits their needs and diversify the number of products they can sell.
“It’s in everyone’s interest that the sector prospers and I look forward to working with tenants, pub-owning businesses and the new Scottish Pubs Code Adjudicator to deliver these important changes.”
CAMRA: ‘LONG OVERDUE’
Welcoming the Scottish Government’s announcement, CAMRA’s Scotland Director Stuart McMahon said: “Today’s announcement that the Scottish Government recognise the importance of protecting pubs, the role they play in our communities and are now introducing a new, legal Pubs Code for Scotland, is fantastic news for licensees and pubgoers.
“As well as making sure tied tenants can earn a decent living, the new Pubs Code looks set to make it easier for tied tenants to sell more locally brewed beers, increasing choice at the bar for customers of tasty and distinctive products from small, local and independent breweries – particularly cask ale.
“These new protections in law are vital so tied tenants can make a long-term success of their pubs and shape the unique character of their businesses to become an integral part of their community.
“This requires a balanced relationship between licensees and pub companies, preventing any unfair practices like pub companies taking more than is fair or sustainable from tied licensees’ profits – or making it harder to sell a range of locally-brewed products.
“This fair deal for tied pub tenants to protect pubs at the heart of communities can only be achieved by a robust and long-overdue statutory Scottish Pubs Code and the new Pubs Code Adjudicator to enforce it.”
Do you know someone who is over 50, smokes and lives alone or uses medical oxygen or has mobility issues?
Phone 0800 0731 999 or text FIRE to 80800
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Traffic Light Food Labels
Reading food labels can be confusing, and it can be hard to know where to look, with the back-of-pack labels often feels like navigating through a maze.
Most food and drink manufacturers, as well as supermarkets in the UK, now voluntarily display front-of-pack information in a colour-coded ‘traffic light system’. Energy, fat, saturated fat, total sugars, and salt content are commonly displayed in green, amber and red on the front of many food and drink packets to help consumers make informed choices.
By being aware of the nutrient content of foods, reading food labels correctly and making healthy swaps, you can keep your heart healthy and live a little longer too.
Here are some tips to help you make the healthiest food choices possible:
Energy value
The energy value of food or drinks is measured and displayed on packets as both calories (Kcal) and kilojoules (kJ).
On average, men need to consume around 2500kcals per day and women need approximately 2000kcals. This should be taken into account when choosing your food and drink options. Lower calorie options are often healthier, but make sure you check the sugar and salt content.
If you regularly consume more calories than you burn off, then it is likely you will gain weight. Increased weight is associated with a higher risk of developing heart diseases
Go green
You should aim to choose foods that have as many areas highlighted in green as possible. Traffic light labelling can help you to make healthy informed decisions about what brand or type of food you buy.
For example, if you are selecting a pre-packed sandwich or a jar of sauce, look at which one has more green sections on the front.
Amber: proceed with caution!
If you notice that food has amber front-of-pack information, then proceed with caution. This food can still be healthy, and it is advised to opt for foods with mainly green and amber labels, but just be aware not to consume too much of it.
Make sure that you are aware of your intake. If you are buying more than one item of food for a meal and they all have amber warnings for salt, then swap one for a healthier lower-salt alternative.
Remember high levels of salt, sugars and saturated fats can all impact your heart health.
Red: STOP!
Are you regularly choosing foods that have lots of red on the labels? Be careful!
Consuming foods that are high in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt have a negative impact on your heart and it is generally advised to avoid those with red labels.
Eating these on occasion as a treat and part of a balanced healthy diet is fine, but when they are consumed regularly, they can increase your blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels (LDL).
This puts an increased strain on your heart and heightens your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The public is being urged to look out for signs of their personal information being misused as the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) finds a rise in scams fuelled by identity theft.
Reports of insurance fraud resulting from stolen identities provided to the IFB by UK insurers, police and regulators have nearly doubled in the past 12 months.[1]
Stolen identities are highly valuable to criminals as they can be used for a range of harmful scams, leaving victims in financial hardship and emotional distress.
In an urgent bid to protect more people from being targeted, the IFB has launched a campaign to encourage the public to be vigilant.
Ursula Jallow, Director at the IFB, said: “We’ve seen a worrying rise in insurance fraud made possible by identity theft. Stolen personal information can be used for every financial crime imaginable, and victims of impersonation who are often elderly or vulnerable, face devastating consequences.
“We urge everyone to be cautious when sharing personal details and to spread the word to their friends and family. If anyone thinks their information has been used in an insurance scam, they should report it to our confidential CheatLine.”
The IFB often finds that drivers who are cheaper to insure are frequently impersonated by Ghost Brokers, who take out policies in victims’ names and doctor these to sell them on at higher prices.
Misrepresented motor insurance policies are also used by fraudsters to facilitate dangerous Crash for Cash scams and to insure vehicles linked to serious crime.
In a recent IFB investigation with Hertfordshire Police, it was found that hundreds of identities had been stolen by a gang who took out fraudulent motor insurance policies to steal brand new cars from dealerships via finance deals.
In another investigation, the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) and the IFB suspected that a gang had impersonated over 200 people – from personal to commercial policyholders – to either make bogus claims in their names and divert funds to third parties, or pretend victims had caused collisions to fraudulently obtain compensation.
Cifas, a not-for-profit organisation which protects public, private and voluntary sectors from fraud, says identity fraud dominates the National Fraud Database (NFD) making up 64% of all cases. Concerningly, their records also show most victims of impersonation are now over 61 years old.[2]
Cifas believes that the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in this age group being more susceptible to social engineering tactics and enticing offers to ‘sell’ their identity. They have also seen more younger age groups sharing sensitive information on social media and messaging apps.
Campaign video:
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/932461573/8027f625eb
Stephen Dalton, Director of Intelligence at Cifas, said: “Identity fraud continues to be a favoured tactic for many criminals when exploiting innocent people to steal their identities and use personal details to fraudulently open and abuse financial products and services.
“It’s therefore vital that individuals protect their information by never divulging financial details or credentials that could be used against them. We support IFB’s campaign to bring this important issue to the public’s attention and remain committed to working with our insurance members to keep the public safe from fraud and financial crime.”
Protecting your identity
Fraudsters can attempt to impersonate someone with just a few stolen details (such as a name, date of birth or home address) and this can be used for most frauds; including insurance, banking and credit fraud.
Victims may be pursued by third parties looking to recover costs of financial arrangements made in their name, which can impact their credit score making it difficult to get loans, credit cards or even mortgages for years to come.
Simple measures can help to protect personal information:
If anyone thinks their identity has been compromised for an insurance scam, this can be reported to the IFB’s confidential CheatLine online or via its phoneline (powered by CrimeStoppers) on 0800 422 0421.
Cifas’ victim of impersonation advice has guidance to help people targeted by identity theft.
The Strachan House care home in Blackhall will be opening their doors to the local community for a day of tea and entertainment on Saturday 20th April.
Taking place between 10am and 4pm guests will be able to enjoy home-made cream cakes prepared by Paul Dow the home’s Head Chef, and will have the chance to meet the team and take a tour of the home.
Fran Fisher, General Manager at Strachan House says: “I’m excited about welcoming new visitors and existing friends of the home to our open day.
“Looking for care can be a little bit daunting, but our team here at Strachan House will do all we can to provide all of our guests with the guidance and support they may need, and answer all of their questions, big or small.
“Our open day is a great chance to enjoy some delightful entertainment in a homely and friendly setting- hope to see you all there!”
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.
Our Centenary Dinner is fast approaching. We’d love to welcome more former members to the night. We have one former member of the club coming all the way from Australia.
If you would like to come along please let me know so I can add you to one of our Former Members Tables. Tickets are £100 and this includes a champagne reception with canapés, a three course meal with wine and beer.
I hope to see you on the night
Richie
Two scientists who discovered they could use seaweed waste to produce a bio-degradable alternative to chemical plastics are taking their technology to the next level – after spinning out from Edinburgh Napier University (ENU).
Mark Dorris and Dominic O’Rourke founded Mercel after realising they could make high-value nanomaterial from brown seaweed extract, with zero waste.
They made the discovery during their research with the Advanced Materials group in ENU’s School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment.
Having appointed Alastair Kennedy as Chief Commercial Officer, the three-strong firm are now planning to set up a new base for the company in Fife, to develop the product’s uses and license the technology for wider production.
They have already started testing it as a replacement for synthetic plastics in a range of practical uses, including as a binder for laundry products, a waterproof coating, and a delivery system for medical ingredients.
The material could offer a sustainable substitute to some widely used synthetic chemicals, such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – known as ‘forever chemicals’ because of the difficulty and cost in disposing of them.
Mercel is now working with nine companies on 13 different projects to explore real-world applications.
The technology has been tested on sargassum seaweed – which has drawn worldwide headlines for washing ashore in huge quantities from the Atlantic Ocean.
By spinning out, Mercel joins an impressive list of companies that began life as projects at the University, including the likes of Cyacomb, ZoneFox, and Celtic Renewables.
Last year ENU was named among the UK’s top ten universities for generating spin-out firms by one of Europe’s largest venture capital teams.
Mark Dorris, Mercel Founder and Chief Technical Officer, said: “There are very few ‘eureka’ moments in science – but this was one of them.
“Coming from industry previously, we had no connections, no money, and no experience of seaweed.
“At many points we were hanging on by our fingertips. We drunk the last chance saloon dry. We had job offers but decided ‘we can’t let this go’.
“We immediately saw the potential of using brown seaweed cellulose from existing seaweed processing to produce nanocellulose.
“The seaweed is typically harvested for alginate, which is used mostly as a food thickener, and the cellulose left behind was historically viewed as a waste product.
“We’re aiming this at hidden plastics, binders, thickeners: many of the chemical ingredients you read on the back of a bottle and wonder what they are. They’re hard to replace, but that’s what this can do.
“Regulation on synthetic chemicals is increasingly being tightened, so we are hoping to create something future-proof – as it is completely natural, sustainable, and non-animal in its origin.
“We want it to be the best choice rather than just being the green option.”
Fiona Mason, Head of Business Engagement and IP Commercialisation at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “The climate crisis demands urgent action, and Edinburgh Napier University is committed to playing a role in finding solutions.
“The creation of Mercel demonstrates our dedication to translating cutting-edge research into real-world applications that can make a tangible difference.
“Mercel’s success is a source of great pride for us, and we commend the devoted research team behind it.
“Their expertise, passion, and commitment, supported by our skilled Business Engagement and IP team from the Research Innovation and Enterprise Office, have been instrumental in making this happen.”
MUSICAL families, top new young talent and a rich mix of cultures feature in the Northern Streams Festival of Nordic & Scottish Music, Song & Dance 2024 in Edinburgh.
Taking place 26-28 April, this year’s festival features artists all based in Scotland with backgrounds and repertoire from Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Shetland, and North-East Scotland:
Event organiser, Fiona Campbell, said: “I’m really excited about this year’s Northern Streams line-up.
“We have amazing talent in Scotland who are exploring the music and song of Scottish and Nordic cultures and coming up with new sounds, whilst respecting the past. This was one of the founding ideas behind the festival. And we have a variety of ways people can take part with concerts, workshops and a session.”
All events take place at The Pleasance, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ.
The outline festival programme is:
Friday 26 April
7.00pm Evening concert
Brian Ó hEadhra & Fionnag NicChoinnich with Órla Ní Eadhra and Ró Ó hEadhra (BFÓR) + Erin Mungall-Baldvinsdottir with Evie Alberti, Becka Gauld and Ben Shanks. Featuring Nordic and Scottish music and song from talented artists based in Scotland, including from Gaelic, Icelandic and Finnish cultures.
Saturday 27 April
Workshops:
11.00am – 12.15pm
Brian Ó hEadhra and Fionnag NicChoinnich North Atlantic Songs
12.30pm – 1.45pm
Erin Mungall-Baldvinsdottir and Ben Shanks Icelandic/Finnish Songs
2.00 – 3.15pm
Miguel Girão Tunes from the Wedding Traditions of Shetland
3.30 – 4.45pm
Sir-Reel Clarks North East Scotland Tunes
7.00pm Evening Concert
Sir-Reel Clarks ft Aaron Clark + Miguel Girão and Amy Laurenson. Featuring Nordic and Scottish music and song from talented young artists based in Scotland, including BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023 winner, Amy Laurenson, and North East Scotland champion, Aaron Clark.
Sunday 28 April
2-5pm Open Music and Song Session – FREE entry
For more details of the Northern Streams programme, guest artists or for booking links, visit www.northernstreams.org.
Ticket prices range from £7 for a workshop – £15 for the concert tickets, with concessions and discount deals worth checking if you plan to attend more than one event. Book your tickets in advance for a chance to WIN an IKEA Voucher! (terms and conditions are on the Northern Streams website ‘Contact Us’ page)
Other ways to get details are by email: eltmsa@yahoo.co.uk or tel: 0795 191 8366, or Facebook – TMSAEdinburgh&Lothians and Twitter@northernstream1.
The Northern Streams festival is organised on a voluntary basis by the Edinburgh & Lothians Branch of the Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) and acknowledges support from Tasgadh Traditional Arts Small Grants Scheme and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in association with The City of Edinburgh Council.
