Day: April 18, 2019

£38 million to reduce fuel poverty

 

People across Scotland at risk of fuel poverty will benefit from further investment to make homes warmer and energy efficient with funding announced yesterday.

The Warmer Homes Scotland initiative has awarded a minimum of £38 million to managing agent Warmworks to continue to deliver the government’s fuel poverty scheme over the next two years.

The announcement comes as the 15,000th Warmer Homes customer welcomed a new gas central heating system being installed at their home in Dundee.

People at risk of fuel poverty are eligible through the scheme to have improvements made to their property such as new heating systems and insulation.

Since the launch of Warmworks in 2015, thousands of people across Scotland have been helped to become warmer in their homes, with households saving an average of over £300 per year on their energy bills.

The extension of the Warmer Homes Scotland to 2022 demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to eradicating fuel poverty and increasing energy efficiency, housing minister Kevin Stewart said.

After meeting the 15,000th Warmer Homes Scotland customer, Mr Stewart said: “I welcome the contract extension with Warmworks to continue our work to eradicate fuel poverty. This funding will have a huge impact for people seeking to make essential improvements to the energy efficiency of their home.

“We have taken a world leading approach to tackling fuel poverty with the introduction of the Fuel Poverty Bill and setting an ambitious target that, by 2040, no more than 5% of Scottish households are in fuel poverty.

“I’m delighted to see for myself the excellent work being done in homes across Scotland, making them warmer and more affordable to heat.”

 

 

 

 

Letters: Brainwashed Britain?

Dear Editor

The banking organisations, through incompetence, nearly made the country bankrupt but the debt was passed on to the people to shoulder. They had to accept a lot of unemployment, higher prices in the shops, frozen wages and severe cuts to public and social services.

To avoid any resistance, the authorities launched a campaign of diversion and blame. Everyone can remember how different sections of society were blamed in turn: the unemployed for not working, the disabled for being on benefits – all were targets to be blamed.

This went on for many years and people had taken enough of austerity; there was a growing mood for change, calling for the authorities to take the banking industry into public ownership and impose tighter controls over financial institutions.

This fast-growing popular demand was greatly feared by the political elite. It took them quite a while to develop an idea to divert these demands, but after eight years they were successful. It was a continuation of the blame game, but this time not blaming our own people but any and all those coming from Europe – and the idea of a Referendum was born. They concentrated on three main issues: Control, Laws and Migration.

  1. Since the referendum we have lost thousands of people wh o formerly worked in our social services and the NHS: these services are now struggling to keep going.
  2. Most laws from the EU have been beneficial, adding to workers’ rights and conditions of employment. EU laws also protect the environment. The UK Parliament as a law-making body remains in control.
  3. This is the most mentioned issue. For whom are the demanding control? The British people have already said they wanted the banks to be publicly owned and demanded tighter controls on financial institutions. Control is such a loose word that can be manipulated by individuals for the benefit of the few.

The promoters of the referendum conducted a continuous campaign of national ‘brainwashing’. Putting relentless pressure on people is not a new idea, as a look back at recent history will confirm.

But unfortunately nearly 50% of the population were aware of the implications of a break with Europe that is our biggest trader of imports and exports, and closest.

A. Delahoy,

Silverknowes Gardens

Health and social care: An improving picture but more needs to be done, says EIJB Chair

The length of time people are waiting for care assessments in the Capital has fallen by almost 50% under the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), (writes its Chair, Councillor Ricky Henderson). Continue reading Health and social care: An improving picture but more needs to be done, says EIJB Chair

Rainbow Club’s sensory garden opened

The community turned out in force yesterday to celebrate the opening of the Rainbow Club’s Sensory Garden, with local councillors Hal Osler and Cammy Day joining community police officers, local adults and children to mark the event, at which Harry Macdonald’s memorial bench was also unveiled (writes Wilma Clelland).
Rainbow Club chairperson Eileen Brash cut the ribbon and then we had light refreshments, with an Easter bunny leading the egg hunt,for the local children!
We raised the money through the Living Through Landscapes Project, which supports people living with dementia by creating inspiring outdoor spaces, also Waitrose, Community Matters, the Scotmid Community Project and fundraising from ourselves at the Rainbow Club.
The bench was paid for from a legacy left by Harry Macdonald, who was a member of the church for over 60 years.
Wilma Clelland
Drylaw Rainbow Club Day Centre
Thanks for the words and pictures, Wilma

New plans unveiled as Thistle prepares to celebrate 75th anniversary

Leading health and wellbeing charity Thistle has submitted detailed plans to City of Edinburgh Council for the development of new ‘Garden Rooms’ adjacent to its existing Centre of Wellbeing in Craigmillar. Continue reading New plans unveiled as Thistle prepares to celebrate 75th anniversary

Man shot dead in Chester Street

A man has died after a shooting in the West End. Armed police attended the incident in Chester Street at around 8pm last night. The victim is understood  to be former Edinburgh boxer Bradley Welsh, (42),who recently featured in the film Trainspotting 2. Continue reading Man shot dead in Chester Street