Scottish Minister urges UK government: take more refugees

“By providing a place of sanctuary here in Scotland we can transform the lives of individuals who have seen their world destroyed through no fault of their own’ – John Wilkes, Scottish Refugee Council.

The UK should accept more refugees from the crisis in Syria and the Middle East, International Development Minister Humza Yousaf said yesterday.

In a letter to the Home Secretary Theresa May, Mr Yousaf has called on the UK Government to commit to offer more UK resettlement places for refugees affected by the crisis.

Mr Yousaf’s call comes on the eve of an international Global Resettlement Pledging Conference to be hosted in Geneva by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at which member nations including the UK will be invited to offer further support for refugees.

Mr Yousaf said: “Refugee integration in Scotland has enhanced our diversity and communities, with refugees making a valued contribution to our economy, society and culture.

“We have always made clear that Scotland is ready and willing to play its part in offering a safe and secure home to Syrian refugees, and we welcomed the introduction of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme, as part of which refugees are already arriving in Scotland.

“But the number of refugees being supported through the VPR scheme remains small, at several hundred over three years with less than 100 arriving to date. This compares with pledges of 20,000 humanitarian admissions by Germany, 5,600 resettlement places by Australia and 1,500 by Austria.

“The crisis in Syria represents the biggest refugee crisis since the end of the Second World War. Scotland remains committed to offering support and protection to the victims of the crisis and the Scottish Government believes that, given the extreme gravity of the situation, the UK can and should be doing more to help alleviate the suffering and Scotland is ready to play her part.

“The Global Resettlement Pledging Conference represents an opportunity for the UK to pledge to do exactly that.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council John Wilkes said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to stand with the people of Syria and echo the minister’s call for the UK Government to provide sanctuary to greater numbers of Syrians in desperate need.

“We urge the UK Government to adopt the proposals contained in Oxfam’s recent report, A Fairer Deal for Syrians, and sign up to the target of resettling around 9,500 Syrian refugees in the UK.

“The scale and gravity of the crisis in Syria is immense, with nearly four million refugees expected by the end of the year, half of whom are children. These are people who have witnessed and survived unimaginable horrors and are desperately in need of safety and support.

“By providing a place of sanctuary here in Scotland we can transform the lives of individuals who have seen their world destroyed through no fault of their own.

“Scottish Refugee Council and many of our partners are ready to offer a welcome to these men, women, and children from Syria, and to make sure they have access to the services and support they will need to settle in to their new environment.”

Man dies in Ferry Road accident

A man has been killed after falling under a truck during a street altercation. Jaime Brynes, 36, died in hospital following the accident on Ferry Road in Leith yesterday morning.

Mr Brynes is believed to have fell into the road during a heated argument on the pavement. His death is being treated as non-suspicious, police said.

The section of road between North Fort Street and Newhaven Road was closed for several hours while the emergency services attended the scene and did not reopen until mid-afternoon.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police in Edinburgh attended a road traffic collision involving a truck and 36-year-old Jaime Brynes on Ferry Road at around 9am.

“The Scottish Ambulance Service treated Mr Brynes at the scene but he later passed away at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. “His death is being treated as non-suspicious and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.”

Good food for ALL: a taste of things to come?

Do we have the ingredients for a well-fed North Edinburgh?

That was the question posed at a conference organised by Pilton Community Health Project at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre last week – and more than forty delegates replied: yes we have!

The event examined food poverty in Scotland – what it is and it’s impact on poorer communities – and what is being done to tackle the problem. The conference was also an opportunity to celebrate successes and to showcase good work, share ideas and discuss and develop a plan to bring to bring more resources to North Edinburgh to tackle food poverty in the area.

A broad spectrum of speakers helped fashion the discussion over the course of the day. Bill Gray of Community Food & Health (Scotland) set the food poverty context, Broomhouse Health Strategy Group’s Lucy Aitchison talked specifically about their health project and explained why it works well and Mary Anne Macleod of the Poverty Alliance gave a presentation on national best practice.

There was also an opportunity to ‘tour’ information stalls to find out what’s happening locally – the Granton Gardeners, Fresh Start and Edinburgh North West Foodbank were all on hand to offer advice and information, while Granton Improvement Society also had an information stall.

The event was all about information, ideas and discussions and all of these ingredients were present in abundance – look on the conference as an appetising starter … a taste of things to come, maybe?

A conference report is currently being produced and it’s hoped the Good Food for ALL conference will result in an agreed community manifesto to tackle food poverty in North Edinburgh.

Edinburgh College student is apprentice of the year

Edinburgh College student named oil and gas apprentice of the year

An apprentice from Edinburgh College is celebrating after been named apprentice of the year by OPITO, the oil and gas industry’s skills organisation. Michael Williamson, 23, beat off competition from students at three other colleges to win the 2014 Apprentice of the Year Award, which honours the top apprentice on OPITO’s UK Upstream Oil & Gas Technician Training Scheme.

Michael is the sixth Edinburgh College student in a row to win the coveted annual award.

Originally from Whalsay on Shetland, Michael is currently an instrument technician apprentice at Edinburgh College. He was selected after demonstrating an outstanding ability and attitude during the four-year national apprenticeship scheme, which has so far seen more than 1,500 young people enter the industry, creating a sustainable pipeline of technicians coming in at a grassroots level.

Split into two phases, the apprenticeship sees students take part in a 21-month full-time course at college, before embarking on a two year worksite placement.

The former mussel farmer, who previously completed an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering with Shetland Island Council Ferries, received his award at a prestigious lunch in Aberdeen to mark the 15th anniversary of the Technician Training Scheme. The milestone event celebrated the roles of leaders and apprentices across the UK oil and gas industry in addressing skills issues.

Michael said “I was quite taken aback by winning the award. I didn’t even expect to be nominated, let alone win, so I was over the moon. I chose to retrain as an instruments technician mainly as a stepping stone into the oil and gas industry, and also because two apprenticeships are better than one!”

“My studies are progressing well, the theory side is a bit challenging but manageable as long as I keep my head down and get through it. I hope to continue to gain experience and knowledge of the industry and progress towards starting my own limited company and be self-employed further down the line.”

Mike Jeffrey, Head of Engineering at the college, said: “We are thrilled that Michael has been recognised with the OPITO Apprentice of the Year award. Edinburgh College is one of three training centres for OPITO in the UK and the consistent quality of our apprentices has now been recognised with this award six times. The college has successfully trained hundreds of apprentices for the oil and gas industry.”

Operators and major contractors have invested more than £120million in the Technician Training Scheme since it was established in 1999 with 13 trainees and four industry sponsors. Since then, the programme has grown to see around 130 new apprentices taken on every year across 15 sponsoring companies, making it one of the biggest industry-led MA programmes in the UK.

The Technician Training Scheme is managed by OPITO in partnership with the Engineering and Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB). The awards were held as part of National Oil & Gas Skills Week, a UK-wide initiative that saw more than 75 companies take part in around 50 events in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, North Shields, Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, London.

John McDonald, managing director of OPITO UK, said: “Skills Week has demonstrated that there are some outstanding companies and individuals working in our sector who are delivering tangible benefits around the skills agenda at both a company-wide, local and national level.

“The high standard of entry we received for the inaugural awards was matched only by the passion and enthusiasm shown by this year’s apprentices for the industry they have chosen as a career.”

Barratt Homes launch festive food bank support

Barratt Homes has set up a foodbank collection point at their regional head office in Edinburgh.

The foodbank, which will operate until 19 December, has been set up in aid of Edinburgh North West and Central foodbanks, part of The Trussell Trust Network which provides food packs to people who are in crisis.

The foodbank collection point has been set up for Barratt employees, family and friends to donate urgently needed goods like coffee, UHT milk, custard, tinned meat and chocolate. The team at Edinburgh North West and Central foodbanks will make several collections from Barratt throughout December before processing the items and delivering to those that are in need.

Alison Condie, managing director Barratt East Scotland said; “With the party season commencing, we felt it was important to give something to those in need and we are delighted to support Edinburgh North West and Central foodbanks. We’ve had a great response from employees so far and we hope to donate a significant amount of food over the festive period.”

Ewan Walker, operations manager, Edinburgh Food Project, added; “We need to receive over 4,000kg of food each month in order to meet demand and this increases by 50% in the run up to Christmas when we give out extras such as mince pies and selection boxes. We really appreciate large companies like Barratt coming on board, setting up their own collection points. Not only does it boost food donations, but it raises awareness of our cause with employees.”

Barratt East Scotland’s foodbank collection will run until Friday 19 December.

Politicians welcome school meals cash

Edinburgh’s education leader has welcomed the news that the Scottish Government has agreed to meet additional costs for providing free school meals for all P1 to P3s. The government will provide £4.5m capital funding for the City of Edinburgh Council to build new dining accommodation and upgrade catering facilities across the city.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Convener of the Education, Children and Families Committee, said he was pleased that the Government had met their commitment to fully fund the policy.

He said: “There have been a number of discussions between the Council, Cosla and the Government over recent months regarding the additional capital funding needed to fully deliver the extended entitlement to free school meals in Edinburgh.

“There was a real danger that that we would not be able to fully deliver this policy due to the additional costs involved but I’m pleased the Government has put the funding in place.”

The £4.5m from the Scottish Government will result in:

New gym halls at Cramond and East Craigs Primary Schools
An extension to Towerbank Primary School’s dining hall (pictured above)
Additional dining accommodation at Sciennes Primary School
Minor works to other schools to provide additional dining capacity and upgrade catering facilities

Cllr Godzik continued: “The minor works required in some schools have already been completed or will be complete before January 2015. Obviously the new buildings and extensions will take some time to deliver but we will put in place interim measures in those four schools to ensure those pupils who want to receive free schools meals from next term can do so.

“It has been an uncertain few months for many parents and staff at the affected schools but I’m sure everyone is relieved that the funding has been agreed. We will of course ensure parents are kept up to date as the plans progress.”

Learning Minister Dr Alasdair Allan said: “Free school meals will also play an important role in improving attainment in schools, through offering children healthy and nutritious lunches that will help them achieve their best in class.

“It’s never too early for children to start learning about the benefits of healthy eating and free school meals, in addition to learning through Curriculum for Excellence, will play a big role in helping to deliver that message.”

News of the investment has been welcomed by Edinburgh MSP Colin Keir. The funding will lead to new halls being built at East Craigs and Cramond Primary Schools in his Edinburgh Western constituency.

Colin Keir MSP said: “This news is very welcome. I have been campaigning since I was the local councillor for a separate dining hall for East Craigs as the current hall doubles as a gym. This is good news too for Cramond Primary where I’m sure news of this investment will also be warmly welcomed. Investment in these new halls will not only improve the accommodation and facilities but also allow them to provide the Scottish Government’s promise of free school meals for P1-3 pupils.

“In the aftermath of the former Labour government’s financial crash and in the teeth of the Tory/Liberal Democrat austerity agenda slashing budgets, it is testament to the good stewardship of the Scottish Government that this extremely welcome investment has been achieved. ”

A report outlining the background to the Free School Meals will be discussed at the Education, Children and Families Committee tomorrow (Tuesday 8 December).

'Tis the season … for mobile phone scams

It may be the season of goodwill, but Police Scotland would like to remind the public that not everyone has goodness in their heart …

Over recent months, there has been an increase in adverts on social media selling sites advertising high price mobile phones.

This scheme requires the victim to forward their mobile phone and a sum of money, in return a new high value mobile phone will be dispatched to you.

The truth is that no mobile phone arrives and you have lost your original phone and a sum of money.

Whilst not trying to undermine the entrepreneurism of sellers, Police Scotland would like to remind the general public that although many use social selling sites safely, use caution in any transaction they intend becoming involved in and do not provide bank details or send any high value items or cash to sellers in advance.

If anyone has any information about the incident they are encouraged to contact Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

or online at http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Top teachers?

Nominations for the Scottish Education Awards 2015 awards are now open. Celebrating the hard work and success in Scottish education, the awards recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people.

There are 17 awards available across a range of categories covering all areas of education. New awards for this year include learning for sustainability, making languages come alive and transforming lives through partnerships.

If you know of a school or teacher that deserves to be recognised for their hard work visit the Scottish Education Awards website for more information and to submit a nomination.

Nominations must be submitted by Monday 16 February 2015.

Call for clarity on free school meals

The Scottish Government has welcomed progress being made across Scotland in preparation for the introduction of free school meals for all P1 – 3 pupils next month – but Green MSP Alison Johnstone says the policy must be supported with modern facilities.

The measure, which comes into effect on 5 January, is expected to benefit around 135,000 pupils across Scotland and will save families of every eligible child at least £330 a year.

Following agreement with COSLA, the Scottish Government is providing revenue funding of £70.5 million over two years to deliver the commitment, supported with additional capital funding for local government of £24.8 million to ensure demand is met.

The introduction of free school meals for all P1-3 pupils has been supported by campaigners against child poverty, including Child Poverty Action Group Scotland, Children in Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland, the Church of Scotland and trade unions.

Last week Learning Minister Dr Alasdair Allan welcomed the hard work that has been ongoing across Scotland to prepare for the increased demand in schools. He said: “School lunches are hugely important in supporting a pupil’s ability to learn and January 5, 2015 marks the beginning of a new era in Scottish education.

“This Government is proud to be implementing free school meals for all P1-3 pupils. Delivering a saving of at least £330 a year for eligible families is just one aspect of this Government’s work to tackle the scourge of child poverty in Scotland.

“Free school meals will also play an important role in improving attainment in schools, through offering children healthy and nutritious lunches that will help them achieve their best in class.

“The implementation of free school meals for P1-3 comes in addition to a range of legislation and policies that have been developed by the Scottish Government over the past decade to ensure that our children and young people are offered balanced and nutritious meals at all stages of their school life. Most recently, the Better Eating, Better Learning guidance sets the agenda for the coming decade to drive further improvements to both school food and food education.

“I have been impressed with the work that local authorities are doing to prepare. I encourage everyone with an interest to make sure they are up to date with the new arrangements.

“The Scottish Government has worked very closely with COSLA and local authorities throughout this process and I look forward to January 5, when we will see this very positive measure coming into effect.”

Positive progress indeed, but Green MSP Alison Johnstone is calling for more details of how the policy will work in practice.

Earlier this year Freedom of Information requests by Ms Johnstone, the Scottish Greens’ education spokesperson and MSP for Lothian, revealed that many local authorities had no school kitchens and dining facilities already at capacity.

She said: “Free school meals is a sound policy but it must be matched with modern facilities. We know that many local authorities are struggling to cope as it is, so I want to hear in detail how well they have been supported in preparing for this welcome initiative.

“We have a great opportunity to improve our supply chains and invest in the skills of the catering workforce. The Scottish Government should be ready to find the funds necessary to make the most of this opportunity.”

Gearing up for winter weather

Did you see some snow on Sunday? Preparations are well under way as Scotland gets braced for winter’s icy blast …

With the cold temperatures experienced at the weekend expected to continue into this week, Transport Minister Derek Mackay visited a salt depot near Glasgow to see the preparations that are being made for the wintry weather.

Gritters have already been out on trunk roads across the country in recent days in response to the winter conditions and Mr Mackay saw salt being loaded onto some of the state of the art spreaders used by the Scotland Transerv team at Polmadie.

He also took part in discussions with the Met Office, Police Scotland, Traffic Scotland and the Trunk Road Operating Companies, to ensure that the response to the current yellow weather warning for snow is as co-ordinated and effective as possible.

On a wider basis, agencies and organisations are working together to put their response plans into gear to keep any disruption as a result of difficult conditions to a minimum.

The Scottish Government’s Ready for Winter campaign draws all of these efforts together to offer information and advice on the simple steps that people, businesses and communities can take to prepare for and reduce the risks of winter weather.

Transport Minister, Derek Mackay said: “While this weather is not unusual in Scotland at this time of year, some areas are seeing their first snowfall of the season.

“A wide range of agencies and organisations are working together to implement their response plans with the aim of keeping disruption in difficult conditions to a minimum.

“The efforts being made by the team here at Scotland Transerv are being replicated by the Trunk Road Operating Companies across the country and the focused response to weather events will continue throughout the winter.

“We have more salt in stock today than we used across the whole of last year and our winter control rooms are monitoring conditions 24/7 ensure the winter fleet are treating and patrolling where and when they are needed.

“Motorists can see details of where and when the gritters will be in operation through the interactive winter treatments map on the Traffic Scotland website and the latest live information on conditions is available on the Traffic Scotland Twitter feed, smartphone App, internet radio and website.

“The Scottish Government’s annual preparedness campaign, Ready for Winter, is a good reminder of the simple actions we can all take to be prepared. It urges motorists to check conditions before they travel, leave some extra time for their journeys and make sure their vehicle is well maintained with an emergency kit.

“So far this year, the campaign has visited 31 communities across the country, giving advice to 36,000 members of the public. Its posts on Twitter have reached 360,000 people and the Readyscotland app has been downloaded more than 2,000 times. Lots of useful information on how we can all take an hour to prepare for winter is available at Readyscotland.org.” (see below)

Take an hour to get ready for winter and all kinds of severe weather

Severe weather can strike at any time so taking action now will serve you well in winter, and all year round.

In the last few years, we’ve seen it all – snow, floods and strong winds. And it doesn’t take much for it to impact on our daily lives. Like getting stuck indoors for a few days, or losing your phone communication, power or water supply.

Severe weather can cause a range of problems – but you can be ready for them. By doing a few small things now, you can save yourself a lot of trouble later on.

You can also do your bit to help out in your community.

In this section, you will find information and useful tips on how to prepare:

• In your home

• On the move

• In your community

• In your workplace

For more information on the opinion of the Scottish general public on preparing for emergencies, please refer to the latest edition of the Emergency Preparedness Survey.