Month: January 2020

Inside Story: Report raises health concern over home air pollution

There is growing evidence that respiratory problems among children may be exacerbated by indoor air pollution in homes, schools and nurseries, according to a joint report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the Royal College of Physicians.

The report, informed by a RCPCH commissioned systematic review of 221 studies, presents evidence linking indoor air pollution to a range of childhood health problems including asthma, wheezing, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and eczema.

Sources of indoor air pollution include smoking, damp, the burning of fossil fuels and wood, dust, chemicals from building materials and furnishings, aerosol sprays, and cleaning products.

The authors warn that indoor air quality tends to be poorer in low quality housing where ventilation may be inadequate or insufficient.

The report recommends that local authorities should have the power to require improvements where air quality fails to meet minimum standards in local authority schools and houses. This should be extended, according to the authors, beyond damp and mould (where powers already exist) to include other pollutants.

The report recommends:

  • Legally binding performance standards for indoor air quality to include ventilation rates, maximum concentration levels for specific pollutants, labelling of materials, and testing of appliances
  • Air quality tests when local authority construction is complete and before the building is signed off
  • Compliance tests after construction stages and assessment of buildings once occupied – this may require ring-fenced resources for local authorities to take enforcement action

The report recommends local authorities should follow the NICE guidelines for ‘Indoor air quality at home’. It warns “exposure to indoor air pollution from cookers, damp, cleaning products and fires can irritate the lungs and exacerbate asthma symptoms.”

It encourages people to ensure rooms are well ventilated by opening windows or using extractor fans, especially when cooking, drying clothes inside, or using sprays, solvents, and paints.

Professor Jonathan Grigg, Paediatric Respiratory Consultant from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said: “We’re finally paying attention to the quality of our outdoor air and this is long overdue.

“It’s harder to get population level data on the quality of indoor air but the evidence in this report paints a worrying picture. Children in the UK spend most of their time indoors, with just 68 minutes spent outside on an average day. Too many of our homes and schools are damp and poorly ventilated – this is adversely affecting the health of children.”

The report says local authorities should provide free indoor air testing for residents. It recommends a national fund to support improvements for low income residents who report issues with ventilation and air quality.

Professor Stephen Holgate, Special Advisor for the Royal College of Physicians said: “Poorer households have fewer choices about where to live and where to go to school. More than three million families live in poor quality housing in the UK.

“Most will not have enough money to make improvements and have no option but to make do with damp, under-ventilated environments. We need to offer support at local authority level – likewise with schools. If we ask our children to spend their childhood days in unhealthy spaces, then we’re storing up problems for future health.”

The report ‘The Inside Story: Health effects of indoor air quality on children and young people’ makes further recommendations:

  • A cross-governmental committee to co-ordinate working in health, environment, education and homes for indoor air quality
  • Advice for the public about the risks of, and how to prevent, poor indoor air quality
  • Investment in high quality research and evidence to support decision making.

The Inside Story: Health effects of indoor air quality on children and young people is jointly published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

It is funded by Allergy UK, Airtopia, Asthma UK, British Heart Foundation, British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Dyson, and the Greater London Authority.

Council will set budget on 20 February

The city council has announced a new timetable to enable councillors to agree a three-year budget on 20 February.

Following confirmation from the Scottish Government that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work intends to outline his spending plans on 6 February, a special Finance & Resources Committee has been added to the council diary on 14 February, where proposals for spending and investing will be considered in more detail.

A series of proposals developed by Council officers, which have been shared with all political groups in the City Chambers, will be developed into Coalition proposals and published on 10 February.

No decisions have yet been made and officers continue to explore a number of options based on previous feedback from residents and council employees.

However whether the budget is for one year or three, one thing is inevitable: communites face yet more cuts to services.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Despite the uncertainty brought about by delays to the UK Government’s budget announcement, we’re committed to setting a balanced three-year budget for Edinburgh – paving the way for record capital investment in our schools and transport over the next 10 years.

“We’ve already started outlining our long-term plans for making the city more sustainable and accessible while managing our city’s growth more fairly and effectively. But to reach these goals, we need to act now and make the smartest use of the resources we have available.

“Yes, there will be some difficult decisions we’ll need to make – that’s no secret. But it’s extremely disappointing that budget information, much of it inaccurate, has found its way into the public domain, causing unnecessary alarm in our communities.

“We won’t let this cloud the process or stand in the way of our priority, which is to agree the best budget for the people of Edinburgh; one that supports people out of poverty, responds to the climate crisis and allows our residents to share in our city’s success.”

The ciy council is currently run by a SNP – Labour ‘Capital Coalition’ – the majority SNP group supported by Labour’s twelve  councillors.

Council Depute Leader, Labour’s Cammy Day, added: “While many Councils across the country will be meeting next month or even later to set a one-year budget, we’re going further, outlining our spending plans until March 2023.

“Despite challenging budgets and continued pressure on local government finance, we will set a three year budget to allow the Council, partner organisations and our residents some certainty for the next few years.

“We will prioritise and invest in the areas our citizens have told us really matter to them, with a focus on poverty and sustainability. I’m confident that our future planning will see the capital city with a positive and progressive outlook for the future.”

Sell out performance in support of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre

Leading mental health charity, Penumbra, hosted a sell out performance of ‘The Bench’, a play written and produced by Watch This Space Productions last week. Jay Lafferty of Watch This Space put on the special free showing of the performance in support of the work of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre which is managed by Penumbra.
 
Penumbra is a leading mental health charity providing a range of support services to around 1800 people each week. Penumbra works with partners across 17 local authority areas to provide innovative mental health support in a community setting.
The Edinburgh Crisis Centre is managed by Penumbra as a partnership with NHS Lothian, City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Carers’ Council, and supports around 2000 people each year.
People can contact the Centre for support by email, text or freephone: mailto:crisis@edinburghcrisiscentre.org.uk – 07974 429075 – 0808 801 0414.
 
Watch This Space Productions’ performance of The Bench took place on Thursday in the Traverse Theatre.
 
Edinburgh Crisis Centre Manager, Barrie Hunter, commented: “Our team here at the Edinburgh Crisis Centre provides short term emotional and mental health support to around 2000 people in the city who are in distress or who are at risk of suicide and self-harm, and we provide a safe and non-judgemental environment where people can talk in confidence.
“There’s constant demand for support from the Crisis Centre, and it’s not unusual that we get several calls in the space of a few hours from people who are extremely distressed and need support immediately.
 
“It’s vital that people know they can ring up, text or email and get face to face support – potentially on the same day – and stay overnight if they need to. This is especially important because a mental health crisis is an extremely difficult thing to experience and key to recovery is early support.
 
“That’s why we’re so delighted that the hugely talented team at Watch This Space Productions have really got behind the work of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre in raising awareness of what we do through The Bench. The performance was a sell out and no wonder because of the talented team behind it.”
 
Jay Lafferty of Watch This Space Productions added: “We are delighted to be able to support Penumbra’s work. Since its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 ‘The Bench’ has been on a nationwide tour.
“In early 2019 the play was published by Josef Wineberger and is currently being translated into German and French. We are excited to be back in Edinburgh for this one off performance and feel that the topics addressed in the play fit well with the work undertaken by the Crisis Centre.”

New Girlguiding units to open in Craigmillar this week

Girlguiding Edinburgh are opening a brand new Brownie and new Guide unit in the Craigmillar area this week.

Girls aged 7-10 are invited to join Brownies and girls aged 10-14 are invited to join Guides. If you’re a girl or you know a girl who likes going on adventures, trying something new and meeting new friends then what are you waiting for?

Come along and take part in all the fun that guiding has to offer!

Time and Location

The new units will open on Thursday (30 January). Brownies and Guides will run between 6-8pm at St Teresa’s in Craigmillar, 120 Niddrie Mains Rd, Edinburgh EH16 4EG. The units will then meet on a weekly basis.

For more information and to register please contact www.girlguiding.org.uk and choose the 82nd City of Edinburgh Brownie or Guide unit or call 0131 226 4511.

Octopus tops as energy giants brought down to size

Small and medium-sized energy firms have cemented their place at the top of the rankings in the annual Which? customer satisfaction survey, while less impressive ratings left the biggest providers stuck among the also-rans yet again. 

The consumer champion surveyed more than 8,000 people across the UK about their energy supplier and asked them to rate companies on a number of criteria including value for money, customer service, bill accuracy and digital tools.

Octopus Energy, which now supplies more than a million homes, topped the table for the second year in a row. It received an outstanding 83 per cent customer score and five-star ratings for billing accuracy, customer service and complaints handling.

Only a small margin separated the next five energy companies – Ebico, Bulb Energy, Pure Planet, People’s Energy and Powershop. They all performed exceptionally well when it came to billing accuracy.

Among the top six companies were three newcomers – People’s Energy, Powershop and Pure Planet. Despite only entering the market within the last three years, they were all rated very highly for billing accuracy, and well on bill clarity and value for money, equalling more established rivals.

The biggest six energy companies – British Gas, Eon, EDF, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE (now part of Ovo) – all finished in the lower third of the table, with Scottish Power languishing in the bottom three after achieving a lowly customer score of 51 per cent.

Customers with these six energy giants were more likely on average to have encountered problems with their provider. A third of British Gas customers, three in 10 Scottish Power customers and around a quarter of EDF Energy, Eon, Npower and SSE customers told us they had experienced a problem within the last year. In comparison, just one in 10 (11%) Octopus Energy customers said they had a problem with their provider.

SSE and Eon were the highest-scoring among the biggest energy firms and came in joint 24th with smaller firm E. SSE’s household energy business was recently purchased by Ovo, which means customers could see changes in their service in the future.

Eon is also set to take over Innogy, Npower’s parent company, in the next 12 months. These two major acquisitions could shake up the market and mean customers see changes.

Robin Hood Energy suffered the biggest fall in the rankings after it plummeted from second place last year to a mid-table ranking, tied with Boost Energy and Utilita.

While Robin Hood customers were generally positive about value for money and billing, a smaller proportion of people told us they would recommend the firm compared to last year.

Although a number of small companies dominated the top of the rankings, not all of the small and medium-sized firms performed well. Newcomer to the survey Ampower performed badly with a disappointing customer score of 53 per cent. Customers rated its billing, customer service and digital tools as poor.

Together Energy finished bottom of the table, despite having secured a mid-table position last year. It scored poor two-star ratings from customers for billing accuracy, clarity, customer service and value for money.

Last year, First Utility was rebranded as Shell Energy, and it has since dropped from a mid-table position to the bottom seven. While customers praised it for billing accuracy, its customer service was rated poorly.

Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which? said:  “Consumers have dozens of energy suppliers to choose from – and it is clear that some newer challenger providers are better than their larger counterparts at keeping customers happy and delivering a better service.

“Customers shell out hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds a year on their gas and electricity bills so it is right that they expect good service from their energy supplier.

“If you are one of the many customers out there who feels their supplier is falling short, consider moving to one that can offer a better service as well as cheaper prices – you could save hundreds of pounds a year.”

For the full results, including how customers rank their energy supplier’s customer service, value for money, bills, complaints handling and more go to www.which.co.uk/energy-table 

Skills development training for community activists

This course is for community activists and others who wish to develop and practice their skills in facilitating deliberative (e.g. citizens’ assembly type) events – for example to support the development of local climate emergency response plans. Continue reading Skills development training for community activists

Four-year-old praised for raising fire alarm at family home

A four-year-old girl who raised the alarm after spotting a potentially devastating fire at her family home in Fife has been praised for her “brave and instinctive” actions.

Hollie Aitken was at home in Cowdenbeath with mum Siobhan Mullen last Wednesday afternoon, when a fire began to develop involving a bin and garden furniture at the back door.

Siobhan, 25, was upstairs in the bath when little Hollie went downstairs to find her favourite toy – and spotted smoke and a bright glow at the rear patio doors.

Nursery pupil Hollie ran upstairs to warn her mum, allowing the pair to immediately exit the house and dial 999.

Two fire appliances from nearby Lochgelly Community Fire Station were mobilised to the house, on Arthur Street, where crews worked to extinguish the flames.

Dad Kevin Aitken, 27, said: “It was a frightening experience for Hollie and Siobhan, and we know it could have been so much worse had Hollie not acted so quickly.

“Hollie only turned four in December but she’s such a confident and intelligent girl.

“We are so lucky that Hollie reacted like she did – to instinctively go and warn her mum, which allowed them both to get out of the house and call the fire service.

“The fire engine arrived straight away and the fire was very quickly extinguished. Fortunately were able to limit the damage to the back patio and the rear of the house.”

Firefighters at Lochgelly welcomed Hollie and Siobhan to the station for a tour, and to thank the youngster for her bravery on the day.

Dad Kevin said: “Hollie had such a fantastic time visiting the station, sitting in the fire engine and getting a shot of the hose. The firefighters were brilliant.

“We can’t thank them enough. Hollie’s not stopped talking about it all since.”

Watch Commander Jenny Murray, who was part of the crew from Lochgelly turned out to tackle the fire, said: “We were delighted to welcome Hollie and her mum Siobhan to the station for a tour, and to meet some of our firefighters who attended on the day.

“She was such a wee character, going around and shaking hands with everyone, and she really made our day.

“It was important that we thanked and recognised Hollie for her actions. While the home did have a working smoke alarm fitted, it would appear that as the living room door was shut it had not yet activated.

“Instead, Hollie’s brave, instinctive and quick-thinking actions allowed those inside the house to quickly and safely evacuate, and for the early intervention from the fire and rescue service to prevent further damage to the property.”

WC Murray added: “Incidents such as this also highlight the importance of having a fire escape plan at home. It doesn’t take long to make a plan and it could save lives in the event of a fire, especially if you check and practice your escape plan regularly.

“We offer everyone in Scotland a free home fire safety visit, in which we will help you sort out a fire escape plan and provide information about smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms.”

To arrange a FREE Home Fire Safety Visit, you can: call 0800 0731 999; text “FIRE” to 80800; complete an online form at firescotland.gov.uk; call your local fire station

Stand Together: Holocaust Memorial Day

Join Edinburgh University Students’ Association, the Black & Minority Ethnic Students’ Campaign, & Edinburgh University Jewish Society to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2020.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 marks 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

We’ll be joined by a Holocaust survivor & representative of the Holocaust Educational Trust (UK) Francoise who will be sharing her story & reminding us why it’s vital we continue to bear witness for those who have endured & been impacted by genocide.

Following Francoise’s talk there will be a small, informal reception & opportunity to discuss the night’s event.

To reserve your place, please click on the ticket link above & book via Eventbrite.

To find out more about Holocaust Memorial Day & how you can take part, visit www.hmd.org.uk/.

The theme for HMD 2020 is Stand Together. It explores how genocidal regimes throughout history have deliberately fractured societies by marginalising certain groups, and how these tactics can be challenged by individuals standing together with their neighbours, and speaking out against oppression.

In the years leading up to the Holocaust, Nazi policies and propaganda deliberately encouraged divisions within German society – urging ‘Aryan’ Germans to keep themselves separate from their Jewish neighbours. The Holocaust, Nazi Persecution of other groups and each subsequent genocide, was enabled by ordinary citizens not standing with their targeted neighbours.

Today there is increasing division in communities across the UK and the world. Now more than ever, we need to stand together with others in our communities in order to stop division and the spread of identity-based hostility in our society.

HMD 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz – this is a significant milestone and is made particularly poignant by the dwindling number of survivors who are able to share their testimony. It also marks the 25th anniversary of the Genocide in Bosnia.

HMD-2020-theme-vision

#StandTogether online Commemorative Project

Millions of people were stripped of their humanity and murdered during the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution. Each person was unique, with their own interests, friends and family. Take part in our online project to #StandTogether with thousands of others in remembrance, and share information about one of these people on your Facebook or Twitter account.

Take part in #StandTogether

Marking Holocaust Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

Holocaust Memorial Day is an important reminder of the millions of people who were murdered, or whose lives were changed forever, during the Holocaust and other genocides.

“By marking this date, we must reflect upon and learn the important lessons from these horrendous acts of violence and terror. We pay tribute to the survivors, who were forced to flee their homes and livelihoods in the face of unthinkable persecution. We also honour the legacy of those who demonstrated immense bravery and courage fighting for liberty, freedom and justice, many of whom, sadly, paid with their lives.

“This year is particularly poignant as we observe the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and 25 years since the genocide in Srebrenica. The theme for this Holocaust Memorial Day – ‘Stand Together’ – highlights the importance of our collective societal responsibility to stand against hatred and prejudice and to promote strong, inclusive and respectful communities.

“We all need to work together to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, race, faith or sexuality is treated with equal respect and dignity. Today’s announcement of funding for security measures to protect our places of worship against hate crime will help promote the very clear message that hatred and prejudice will not be tolerated in Scotland.”

UK Government to give £1M funding to the Auschwitzs-Birkenau Foundation

A £1m donation to help preserve the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and ensure the lessons of Auschwitz live on will be confirmed today.

A £1m donation to help preserve the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and ensure the lessons of Auschwitz live on for generations to come will be confirmed today.

The funding will come from the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick confirmed.

The announcement comes ahead of a speech by the Foreign Secretary at a Holocaust Memorial Event on Wednesday, in which he will emphasise the importance of Holocaust remembrance and education as a means of ensuring such atrocities never happen again.

The Communities Secretary attended the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem on Thursday at which leaders from over 50 countries assembled to mark the anniversary.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation endowment fund supports the consolidation, restoration and long-term maintenance of the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps.

Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon Dominic Raab said: “I remember as a young boy the regular heart-rending laments by my grandmother for the family lost to Auschwitz and the other death camps.

“The Government is supporting the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, because we must never forget history’s darkest moment, and we must educate future generations so it can never be repeated.”

Communities Secretary, The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick said: “I was honoured to attend the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem last week. It was heartening to see leaders of all faiths and nations come together to remember the Holocaust and renew our promise to the victims and survivors.

“This £1m funding for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is part of delivering on that promise. Today on Holocaust Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the camps, the UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish countrymen and women.

“As the father of children whose great-grandparents endured and survived the concentration camps of the Holocaust, I know how important it is that future generations are aware of the stories of survivors.

“This donation will help to support the preservation of the site so that we can never forget the horror of the Holocaust. We cannot, and will not, let such evil happen again.”

Pollution causes 157 deaths in Edinburgh in just one year

  • Proportion of air pollution-related deaths highest in Edinburgh, and lowest in Aberdeen
  • Estimated 628 air pollution-related deaths in Scotland’s cities in just one year
  • Councils need more money and power to reduce killer air pollution

More than one in 29 deaths in Scotland’s largest cities and towns are related to long term exposure to air pollution, according to new estimates in Centre for Cities’ annual study of the UK’s major urban areas – Cities Outlook 2020.

The proportion of deaths related to the deadly toxin PM2.5 are highest in Edinburgh, with the latest data linking it to 157 deaths in just one year, or 3.7% of all adult deaths in the city.

But Glasgow has seen the most deaths overall in Scotland – 354 in just one year.

In total, an estimated 628 people were killed by PM2.5-related deaths in Scottish cities in just one year.

Aberdeen has the smallest proportion of deaths related to PM2.5 Scotland. There, PM2.5 caused 63 deaths – or 3.0% of all adult deaths in the city.

The proportion of deaths in Scottish cities linked to PM2.5 toxins is lower than the rest of the UK due to their distance from London – by far the biggest emitter of PM2.5 in the UK – and from continental Europe, as some emissions are blown over the English Channel.

But action can still be taken in Scotland to reduce air pollution-related deaths. Transport is a significant, but not sole contributor to air pollution; burning fuels is also a major cause. For example, half of deadly PM2.5 toxins generated in cities and large towns come from sources such as wood burning stoves and coal fires.

PM2.5-related deaths in Scotland
Rank City Total number of PM2.5-related deaths PM2.5-related deaths as a percentage of total deaths
1 Edinburgh 157 3.7%
2 Glasgow 354 3.4%
3 Dundee 55 3.1%
4 Aberdeen 63 3.0%
Deaths in people aged 25 and over, 2017

 Half of local authority leaders polled by Centre for Cities highlighted the environment as a major concern, but progress has been slow and they must do more to prevent more avoidable deaths from air pollution. Cities in Scotland should:

  • Introduce Ultra Low Emission Zones to charge car and van drivers in city centres.
  • Ban the use of wood burning stoves and coal fires in areas where air pollution exceeds guidelines (in coordination with the Scottish Government).

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government should do more to help local politicians in Scotland act by providing financial incentives for cities to improve air quality through the establishment of an Environmental Impact Bond.

Finally, the UK Government should make securing plans with the EU to tackle cross border air pollution a key component of the future relationship. It should also adopt the World Health Organization’s stricter guidelines on PM2.5 – as the Scottish Government has already done – and make a legally binding commitment to meet this by 2030 at the latest.

Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, said: “More than half of people in the UK live in cities and large towns. And while they offer people good employment and lifestyle opportunities, Cities Outlook 2020 shows that they also having a damaging effect on their health, with air pollution killing thousands of people living in cities every year.

“Politicians often talk tough on addressing air pollution but we need to see more action. People in Scotland should be at the centre of the fight against its toxic air and councils should take the steps needed, including charging people to drive in city centres and banning wood burning stoves.

“To help the Government needs to provide the Scotland councils with extra money and introduce stricter guidelines. Failure to act now will lead to more deaths in Scotland.”