… but only for the super-elite
Becoming socially mobile – moving into a higher professional or managerial job from a working-class background – doesn’t necessarily mean moving away from where you grew up, according to new research published by the Sutton Trust today. Continue reading London’s streets ARE paved with gold …
Let your water babies make a splash in 2020 at Gracemount Leisure Centre, who are offering free swim taster sessions. Continue reading Let your water babies make a splash in 2020!
Granton Castle Walled Garden
Sunday 26 January from 1.30 – 4pm
SCOTLAND’S ‘woke’ kids are bullying their parents into becoming more eco-friendly to save the planet, according to new research by leading comparison site Moneyexpert.com.
Pester power is becoming a force for good as half of mums and dads (48%) say they have been pressured to go green and save energy by the mini-Greta Thunbergs in their own home.
And while you might expect vocal teenagers to drive behaviour change – two thirds (65%) of parents say the pressure is coming from kids as young as 4!
The study, to mark Big Energy Saving Week, may highlight the visibility and influence that the teenage climate-change activist, and recent events such as the Australian bush fires, are having on the nation’s kids, and their family’s energy consumption habits at home.
Four in five (80%) parents say the ‘mini Greta’ in their home has talked more or asked more questions about the environment and the climate crisis over the past 12 months.
Wildlife TV presenter and conservationist Michaela Strachan said: “We are in crisis mode when it comes to looking after our planet. We all need to radically change our behaviour to live in a more sustainable way and we need to do it now.
“Last year was a serious wakeup call when we all became aware of just how serious the challenge has become. It is so inspiring to see that children are leading the way, taking action, encouraging their parents to change and becoming future eco warriors.”
And as a consequence of this planet-friendly pester power, the most common changes made are walking or cycling more (44%), making more of an effort to turn off the lights (35%), turning down the thermostat (21%), washing clothes at lower temperatures (18%), and taking shorter showers (14%).
However, despite kids heaping on the pressure, four in five (80%) parents say that it’s actually their children who are the biggest energy-wasters. Half (49%) of parents say they still have to nag their eco-warrior kids to switch off lights in unused rooms, and 29% say their child takes longer than usual in the shower.
Over the past 12 months 92% of parents have made environmental changes to their lifestyle and to the running of their home, with three in five (61%) admitting that if it wasn’t for their child, they wouldn’t have realised the importance and impact of their current actions.
However, despite being inspired to take positive actions, only a quarter (27%) of parents say they currently use a renewable energy provider. And it appears they are a little “green” about how it works.
30% say they won’t switch because they believe green energy is more expensive than their current energy provider, and more than one in 10 (11%) believe switching won’t make a tangible difference to the climate crisis.
However, recent analysis by Moneyexpert.com highlighted that for the cost of powering a home with average gas and electricity yearly consumption, savings of over £300 per year can be made by switching to green energy rates.
A fifth (20%) hold the misconception that a renewable electricity supplier sends energy direct from solar and wind farms into people’s homes, when in reality, everyone gets their electricity from the same grid and it’s a question of how a supplier sources electricity that matches what you use.
Jason Smith, CEO of Moneyexpert.com, said: “Typically the focus of Big Energy Saving Week is about making ethical choices about energy consumption – and in light of the climate crisis, we want to make people aware that it is absolutely possible to save money in an environmentally responsible way.
“Misperceptions about the cost of green energy are getting in the way of people taking steps that are both purse-friendly and planet-friendly. With a couple more months of winter, and high energy bills ahead, now is a great time to listen to your kids, re-evaluate your current expenditure, and explore whether there’s a better deal available from a renewable energy supplier.”
For information on how you can save both money and energy and find a green energy provider, visit Moneyexpert.com.
Leading Scottish butcher Simon Howie is on track for ‘dram good’ sales of haggis this month as millions of families across the UK prepare to celebrate Burns Night. Continue reading Scottish butcher toasts Burns as haggis sales soar
Miles Briggs MSP has backed Asda’s work with independent alcohol education charity, Drinkaware, to provide free information and advice on alcohol to customers in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Continue reading Miles Briggs MSP backs Drink Free Days campaign with Asda
Edinburgh College celebrated 50 years of its Sighthill Campus on Monday with a Civic Reception hosted by the Rt.Hon. Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh which saw former students and staff, as well as Deputy First Minister John Swinney, come together to share stories and memorabilia.
Sighthill Campus, which was previously home to Stevenson College prior to the merger which formed the current Edinburgh College, first opened on 6 January 1970 – welcoming students from various educational annexes from across the city.
Stevenson College was born from the Ramsay Technical Institute, which taught Motor Vehicle and Electrical Installations; Torphichen Street which housed the Department for General Education; and James Gillespie’s old school at Warrender Park, known as Dean College which taught Health Education.
The original departmental structure of the College consisted of five departments, namely; Building Services, Engineering, General Education, Health Education, and Commerce. The new Department of Commerce was established in order to focus on Business Machine Operators, Data Processing and Computer Operators to meet an ever-increasing demand in these, at the time, new industrial fields.
The College, which was named after famous Scottish civil engineer Robert Stevenson, continued to thrive and on 1 October 2012 was part of the merger of three colleges across the region to form Edinburgh College and has since been referred to as Edinburgh College, Sighthill Campus.
Today, Edinburgh College delivers more than 700 courses to more than 26,000 students across its four campuses – Granton, Midlothian, Milton Road and Sighthill.
Around 1,300 staff are involved in the delivery of life-changing education across four faculty areas – Creative Industries; Engineering and Built Environment; Health, Wellbeing and Social Sciences; and Tourism, Hospitality and Business.
At the anniversary event, former students and lecturers from pre-Stevenson Colleges, Stevenson College and Edinburgh College shared stories of their time both studying and teaching, while Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney MSP delivered a keynote speech highlighting the everlasting importance of further education institutions in providing education and skilling the nation’s workforce.
In addition, a timeline mapping major college events over the past 50 years and various items of memorabilia were on display, while students from Sighthill Campus’ Music Box performed and Professional Cookery and Hospitality Schools College Partnership students served drinks and canapés to the 100-plus guests in attendance.
John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, said: “For 50 years, Stevenson College campus – one of three institutions which now form Edinburgh College – has been a pioneer in offering life-changing opportunities to students in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“In that time the campus has seen many great achievements and continues to do so, and like many of Scotland’s regional colleges it has remained at the very forefront of developing its own agile responses to what it offers as local economic needs have changed.
“I would like to congratulate the College on reaching this landmark milestone, and wish it and its staff and students the very best for the next half century.
“May your passion and determination continue to inspire our communities for many more years to come.”
Lord Provost Frank Ross said: “On behalf of the people of Edinburgh, I was delighted to congratulate the Sighthill Campus on its golden anniversary celebration.
“Since its beginnings in January 1970 as Stevenson College, the campus has provided an all-encompassing facility, bringing together a broad number of courses of study and inspiring countless students.
“Throughout its 50-year history, the campus and its teaching has continued to thrive and be a key part of the community. It has continued to evolve, to grow, and to support and reflect the changing landscape of our city, and I am enthused that this dynamic approach will continue going forward.”
Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “It is an honour to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of this wonderful centre of education as Principal.
“Of course, there have been many changes over that fifty-year-period. Then the College was home to 3,000 students and now Edinburgh College is one of the UK’s largest further education institutions– teaching more than 26,000 students who come from a vast variety of backgrounds, including many students from countries across the world.
“We look forward to continuing using this space to continue the tradition of providing high-quality education and working with industry partners, ensuring we play our part in equipping the workforce of the future with the skills they need to achieve their goals.”
Dogs Trust, the UK’s leading dog charity, visited Edinburgh yesterday in a fake puppy smuggling van as part of its Don’t Be Dogfished campaign, to help stop dog lovers falling victim to the cruel puppy smuggling trade.
Members of the public in Edinburgh were invited to come down to the Grassmarket to speak to Dogs Trust experts about how to avoid being misled when buying a puppy online.
The Don’t Be Dogfished campaign, which launcheed on the 17th January in London, has taken to the road on a national tour with a fake puppy smuggling van that has been specially adapted for the campaign.
The van, which is based on those used by perpetrators, illustrates the hidden reality of puppies bought online and the cramped and filthy conditions they are often subjected to as they are illegally trafficked to the UK.
Celebrity dirt artist ‘Ruddy Muddy’ has created a heart-wrenching mud-art mural to bring the hidden horrors of smuggling vans to the surface for all to see. Likewise, the interior of the van has been dressed to depict the real-life scenarios some of the puppies rescued by Dogs Trust have subjected to.
Catherine Gillie, Regional Manager at Dogs Trust, said: “Today we’re launching a campaign warning people ‘Don’t be dogfished’ – to help stop people being duped into buying puppies that have been illegally imported into the country by devious dealers.
“People think they are getting a healthy, happy puppy but behind the curtain lurks the dark depths of the puppy smuggling trade. Many of these poor puppies suffer significant health conditions or lifelong behavioural challenges, and sadly some don’t survive, leaving their buyers helpless and heartbroken – as well as out of pocket.
“This is why we are touring the country in a van like those used by puppy smugglers to educate the public on the shocking realities of the puppy smuggling trade and advising them how they can take action to avoid being ‘dogfished’. If it seems too good to be true, as hard as it is, walk away and report it.”
The tour comes as shocking new statistics released today by Dogs Trust reveals how unsuspecting dog lovers in Edinburgh may have been conned or ‘dogfished’ into buying puppies illegally imported into the UK, leaving them heartbroken and almost £500 on average out-of-pocket. (1)
The UK’s leading dog charity polled over 2,000 puppy owners to see how many buyers might have fallen victim to illegal puppy smuggling, where puppies are brought into the UK from central and eastern European countries to sell on for vast profits. Many described how sellers falsified paperwork, offered discounts for a quick sale or lied about the age and breed of the dog.
All is not what it seems
Over a third (37%) of puppy buyers in Edinburgh were not allowed to see the puppy more than once while 25% were not allowed to see the puppy with their mum – two signs that all might not be what it seems.
More than one in 10 (12%) puppy buyers in Edinburgh said their seller lied to them about the dog they were buying, lying about things such as the age, breed and whether they had been vaccinated and microchipped. 29% said they had concerns, related to health or behaviour, about their puppy within just a few weeks of buying them.
Horrific conditions and unnecessary suffering
Worse still some reported terrible conditions where their puppies were “locked in a small cage away from mum”, were so sick they “very nearly died”, or were “scared of their own shadow and very wary of humans”.
More than one in 10 puppy buyers polled in Edinburgh (12%) said within their first year their puppy had developed significant health or behaviour problems, such as diarrhoea and anxiety, causing terrible suffering for their beloved pet whilst costing them on average almost £500 in additional vet bills.
Some of those people even said their puppy had either died or had to be put to sleep, due to the severity of their condition.
Over 201,300 dogs were advertised online in 2019 on four of the UK’s biggest classified websites.
More than half (53%) of those polled in the city said they felt puppy smuggling was a big issue in the UK, yet 29% said they would not know they need to speak to their local Trading Standards if they suspected their puppy was smuggled, with contact details able to be found on the ‘Don’t Be Dogfished’ website.
The Don’t Be Dogfished campaign is asking potential new owners to take the following steps to avoid being misled when buying a puppy:
The findings reveal the importance of puppy buyers insisting on these essential checks, as they are often avoided by shifty sellers who put owners under pressure to part with their cash or ‘rescue’ the puppies from poor conditions.
For more information about the Don’t Be Dogfished campaign and advice about how to avoid being misled when buying a puppy online, search ‘Dogfished’ or visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/dogfished
Police have released an image of a man they wish to speak to in connection with an assault that took place inside Garibaldi’s nightclub, in Edinburgh city centre.
The incident occurred around 2.25am on Saturday, 4 January, 2020 where a 30-year-old man was assaulted. Continue reading Police issue CCTV appeal following night club assault
Starting this Friday: FREE swimming sessions for women & girls at Craigroyston High School!
All swimming abilities & all ages from P6 up welcome. All places MUST be booked in advance – book online here: https://www.joininedinburgh.org/activity/17585/
