The UK’s banks have made hundreds of millions of pounds from cash machine cuts and bank branch closures in the last two years, while fees paid by consumers to access their own cash have soared, research from Which? has revealed.
New figures obtained by the consumer champion show the amount paid by consumers to withdraw cash jumped by £29m to £104m last year – as many free machines vanished or were converted to charge fees.
In contrast, this seismic shift in the cashpoint network has saved the banks £120m since January 2018, according to the new figures from Link, which runs the UK’s largest cashpoint network.
More than 8,700 free ATMs have closed since changes to how the Link cashpoint network is funded were pushed through with no regulatory oversight in January 2018, following lobbying by the banks.
Between 2018 and 2019 the percentage of fee-charging machines jumped by 37 per cent (from 11,120 to 15,277) and they now comprise a quarter (25%) of the entire network of 60,291 machines – leaving countless communities having to pay up to £2 just to withdraw their money.
These changes have seen the number of times people have had to pay to withdraw cash increase from 46m in 2018 to 73m in 2019 – a rise of 59 per cent in a single year.
The banks are also saving vast sums through branch closures – with 1,203 having closed since January 2018 alone. These ongoing closures have drastically reduced people’s ability to access free withdrawals across the UK.
Which? first raised the alarm in December 2017 that incoming cuts to the way cashpoints are funded would lead to a rapid reduction in access to free withdrawals across the country.
And two years on these new figures show the sheer mismanagement of the cash landscape, which is seeing people cut off from cash – or forced to pay significant fees to access it.
Which? previously revealed that deprived areas are losing free cash machines at a much faster rate than affluent ones across the UK – hitting those who can afford it the least.
Digital banking and payments have brought many benefits to consumers in the UK, but it’s crucial that the transition is better managed to ensure all those still reliant on cash aren’t forced to pay just to access it.
Which? is calling on the government to intervene with legislation that protects free access to cash for as long as it is needed.
Gareth Shaw, Head of Money, Which?, said: “Massive cuts to the UK’s bank branch and cash machine networks have been highly lucrative for the big banks – but highly costly for millions of consumers. Entire communities have been cut off from cash or forced to pay hefty fees to access their own money.
“Banks must take greater responsibility for ensuring customers are supported to make the transition to digital if branches close and that those who are reliant on cash are not left behind by changes to the banking landscape.
“The Budget is a major opportunity for the government to introduce much-needed legislation that protects access to cash and free withdrawals for as long as this vital payment method is needed.”
MET OFFICE: Yellow Warning for Wind and Snow
Today:
Unsettled weather turning bitter with wintry showers carried on strong to gale westerly winds, interspersed by brief interludes of weak sunshine. Best of the limited shelter across southern areas of Dumfries and Galloway. Maximum temperature 4 °C.
Tonight:
Gales continuing to bring wintry showers, with east in best of shelter. Fresh snow gathering away from the lowest levels, but even here chance of some later slushy deposits. Minimum temperature 0 °C.
Chief Meteorologist Frank Saunders said: “In the wake of Storm Ciara, it’ll remain unsettled and very windy across the UK and it’ll turn colder with wintry showers and ice an additional hazard, as we head into the new week.
A wind and snow warning is in force for parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland on Monday as well as a further yellow wind warning in the south west of England.”
You can keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings from the Met Office using our forecast pages and by following us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as using our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.
PARASITE became the first foreign language film to win Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards last night.
The South Korean film, directed by Bong Joon-Ho, tells a story of greed and class discrimination through the relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kims.
Parasite picked up four Oscars on an unforgettable night for international cinema. Bong Joon-Ho won the Best Director award and the subtitled film also won both the Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature awards.
Accepting the Best Picture award for Parasite, Director Bong Joon-Ho said: “After winning Best International Feature, I thought I was done for the day and was ready to relax!
“When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart which is “The most personal is the most creative.” That quote was from our great Martin Scorsese.
“When I was in school, I studied Martin Scorsese’s films. Just to be nominated was a huge honor. I never thought I would win. When people in the US were not familiar with my film, Quentin always put my films on his list. He’s here. Thank you so much.Quentin, I love you.
“And Todd and Sam, great directors that I admire, if the Academy allows, I would like to get a Texas Chainsaw, split the Oscar trophy into five, and share it with all of you.
“I will drink until next morning. Thank you!”
If PARASITE was a surprise winner – 1917, The Irishman, Joker and Once Upon A Time in Holywood were all widely tipped for the Best Picture accolade – the other big Oscar winners were more predictable.
RENEE ZELLWEGGER won Best Actress for her superb performance in JUDY, JOAQUIN PHOENIX was Best Actor for his tour de force JOKER.
LAURA DERN (Marriage Story) and BRADD PITT (Once Upon A Time in Holywood) won Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor statuettes respectively.
TOY STORY 4 won Best Animated Feature and Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s (I’M GONNA) LOVE ME AGAIN from Rocketman was voted Best Original Song.
Got a spare 6 minutes to save the planet? With a climate crisis looming, every second counts. So local Edinburgh businesses and artists are being invited to give just a few minutes of their time to share their top tips for sustainability at a special ‘Let’s Talk Waste’ event in the capital later this month.
Brought to you by The Leith Collective – crafters, makers, artists and business owners will come together on Thursday 20th February to discuss ways in which they are reducing their waste and making a difference.
Taking place at Ocean Terminal, the evening will feature a diverse range of speakers; from a craftsman who creates unique works of art from items otherwise destined for landfill, to an accountant who has transformed his office into a completely paperless environment.
The event is part of The Leith Collective’s ongoing ‘Plastic Resolution 2020’ campaign which aims to encourage people to reuse, recycle and upcycle everyday items.
‘Let’s Talk Waste’ event organiser and founder of The Leith Collective, Sara Thomson (above), said; “I’m a big believer that knowledge is power, and that by sharing inspirational stories and exchanging top tips in this accessible, easy-to-digest 6 minute format, everyone can learn something new, and together we can make a massive difference.”
EVENT INFORMATION
‘Let’s Talk Waste’ will take place at The Image Collective Gallery, Ocean Terminal, on Thursday 20th February, 6pm – 8:30pm. Refreshments will be provided.
Local businesses, artists and makers are invited to book a 6 minute slot at the event and share their top tips for reducing waste. Slots are free of charge but availability is limited. To reserve your spot email info@theleithcollective.com.
The event is free for anyone to attend but space is limited. To reserve your place head to www.facebook.com/leithcollective.
Twenty sports clubs across the Lothians and the Scottish Borders have benefitted from a share of £10,000 from Aldi as part of the supermarket’s Scottish Sport Fund.
Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is an initiative that aims to help people of all ages take part in physical activity within their local communities by giving clubs the chance to secure up to £500 funding. Since launching in 2016, over 394 clubs across Scotland have benefitted from a funding boost of more than £190,000, helping to improve community access to sports across the country.
Last year, sports clubs such as Watsonians Ladies Rugby, Bathgate Amateur Swim Club, Lennel Lawn Tennis Club and Leith Community Archers each received £500 from Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund. Applications were submitted from across the Lothians and the Scottish Borders and a judging panel from Aldi was given the tough job of reviewing the submissions and selecting the beneficiaries.
Leith Community Archers, a charity run by local volunteers that promotes sport recreation and community bonding through archery, has used their funding to purchase new bows that have been specially modified for wheelchair users.
George Fyvie, a volunteer at Leith Community Archers, said: “Several of our members are wheelchair users, and until recently we only had one modified bow available to use. Thanks to Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund, we now have three new, specially made bows, meaning more of our members can take part.
“Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is a fantastic initiative and an incredibly valuable source of funding for clubs like ours that rely on donations and volunteers. On behalf of everyone at Leith Community Archers, I’d like to thank Aldi for their support.”
Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is open to any sporting organisation in Scotland that meets the application criteria, from rugby clubs to after school groups and everything in between. Groups can apply for funding for a wide range of purposes, including new strips and equipment or facility fees and coaching.
Meanwhile, four schools across Scotland each recently won £20,000 to spend on new equipment as part of the supermarket’s Kits For Schools initiative, which aims to provide pupils with a range of exciting new sporting opportunities ahead of Tokyo 2020.
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Aldi Scotland, said: “Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is part of our wider commitment to help cultivate a healthier, happier Scotland whilst encouraging people to lead more active lifestyles in the long run.
“It’s extremely heartening to see the difference the funding can make to clubs such as Leith Community Archers, and in turn improve the lives of people in their local communities.
“There are so many fantastic sports initiatives across the country, many of which are run by volunteers, and we hope to be able to help even more of them as we look ahead to re-launching the fund for its fifth year.”
Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund is part of the retailer’s wider commitment to help cultivate a healthier Scotland, including weekly Super 6 fruit and veg deals, a pledge to reduce salt levels in products in line with Government targets, and replacing confectionery, chocolate and sweets at tills with dried fruit, nuts and water.
For more information about Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund please visit: www.aldi.co.uk/scottishsportfund
Half of Scots fear the loss of their independence if they could no longer drive, a survey has revealed as RoSPA launches a new road safety campaign that aims to keep people behind the wheel safely for longer.
This figure rose to one in three of those aged 65 and over. However, this age group is disproportionately vulnerable to death and serious injury on Scotland’s roads, and is more likely to have to retire from driving for health reasons.
In 2018, more than two in five drivers who were killed on Scotland’s roads were 60+ (22)*, and more than a quarter of those seriously injured were in that bracket. In all, in the same year, 43 car drivers in this age group were involved in crashes in which someone died.
Life on the Road aims to enable drivers aged 65 and over to stay on the road safely for as long as possible, by encouraging take-up of further training in later life, and by providing key information around age-related health issues.
A new website, www.LifeOnTheRoad.org.uk, has been created to deliver a raft of information, while RoSPA is also running three assessment days in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow to offer the over-65s a chance to take free experienced driver training.
The campaign also encourages younger family members to speak to their parents and grandparents if they are concerned about their driving. The survey revealed two-thirds of Scots said they would talk to relatives if they had concerns, and encourage them to get professional advice.
Steve Whitehouse, RoSPA’s road safety manager in Scotland, said: “We know those who are over 65 are disproportionately susceptible to being killed or seriously injured on Scotland’s roads, and what’s worse, the number of casualties in this age group is reducing more slowly than for all other ages.
“Although people aged 65 or over do more to self-regulate their driving behaviours than anyone else – for example, by sticking to roads they know or reducing the amount of night-time driving they do – there are a range of age-related conditions that could lead to safety issues on the road. But, that needn’t mean losing your licence, and by keeping an eye on these conditions and taking further training, more people will be able to drive safely for longer.
“Driving, and the independence it brings, is so vital for so many people, and we want to keep everyone on the road, safely, for longer.”
The survey also revealed attitudes about who Scots feel are the best and worst drivers; 17 to 24-year-olds are rated as the worst, with 37 per cent rating them as “poor”. More than a quarter of people (29 per cent) label those aged 65+ as “poor” drivers.
Only 23 per cent rate those in the oldest age band as being “good” or “very good”, and surprisingly, only 4 per cent of those aged 65+ rank people of their own age as being “very good” drivers.
The survey, of 1,002 adults in Scotland, revealed that those aged 35-44 and 45-54 are thought to be the best drivers, with nearly 77 per cent of people rating them as “good” or “very good” in each case.
Steve added: “We’d encourage everyone, of any age, to take further driver training, as it will refresh your skills, reassure you of your ability, and enable you to prove to your relatives – and everyone else – just how good a driver you are.
“You can do this by attending one of our assessment days, booking a RoSPA experienced driver assessment, or joining the RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders network.
“There’s a lot of great work being done in the young and inexperienced-driver arena to help them become safer motorists, so we want to help those aged 65 and over to add to their skill and knowledge base too, and support the self-regulation they already undertake.”
For more on the Life on the Road campaign, see www.LifeOnTheRoad.org.uk.
The assessment days are taking place in Aberdeen on Monday February 24, in Edinburgh on Tuesday February 25, and in Glasgow on Wednesday February 26.
For more information, or to book, call 0121 248 2099.
North Edinburgh Arts are running the popular Film Club during the schools mid-term break.
Lots of popular movies next week – see below:
Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation celebrates six years of the incredibly successful ‘Bog Squad’ initiative next month.
Begun in 2014 this ‘Squad’, of volunteers established and managed by Butterfly Conservation Scotland, is tasked to carry out rehabilitation works on damaged peat bogs across the Scottish Lowlands. These volunteers are working on the front lines in the battle against the climate crisis.
Scotland’s bogs are vast stores of carbon laid down by slowly decaying vegetation in wet, acidic conditions over thousands of years. Unfortunately, many of Scotland’s bogs have been damaged by attempts at drainage and burning, causing them to become net carbon emitters.
Scottish peat bogs are also key wildlife habitats providing homes for species such as the bog specialist Large Heath butterfly, which has declined in range across the UK by over 50% since 1976. Other increasingly rare butterflies such as the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Green Hairstreak benefit from lowland bog habitat too.
Since 2014 Bog Squad volunteers have been putting in huge efforts to save our peatlands and their habitats. Restoration work has focussed on blocking old drainage ditches and removing water-sapping invasive scrub, allowing Sphagnum mosses, the driving force behind peat formation, to flourish again.
Funded by the SNH-led Peatland ACTION project, the Bog Squad have carried out work at 26 bogs across Scotland with 330 hectares of bog improved. Nearly 300 individual volunteers have joined in to carry out this vital work.
Bog Squad spokesperson David Hill said: “It’s been fantastic to work with so many enthusiastic volunteers over the last six years. Lowland bogs are such wonderfully rich places for wildlife. Added to that their potential value in battling climate change makes restoring them a real win-win both for wildlife and people.
“Butterfly Conservation Scotland warmly welcomes the Scottish government’s announcement in the budget that peatland restoration measures will receive £20m next year, up by £6m.
“We are particularly pleased that the funding will continue for at least 10 years, allowing peatland restoration techniques to be refined, and for businesses engaged in restoration to acquire the right machinery and train their staff.
“This will be a significant improvement in our ability to conserve these areas which are so valuable for wildlife, for purifying water, and for locking up carbon.”
Police have confirmed that a 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with culpable and reckless conduct at Easter Road stadium.
The incident took place on Friday 20 December, 2019, when a glass bottle was thrown from the stands on to the pitch, narrowly missing players from both Hibs and Rangers football clubs.
Inspector Colin Fordyce, of Leith Community Policing, said: “Thankfully no one was injured as a result of this incident. Mindless behaviour like this will not be tolerated in any football stadiums across the country.
“The safety of football supporters, players and management is the top priority of football clubs and Police Scotland, with every step taken to identify those responsible for inappropriate behaviour.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the public who came forward with information relating to our investigation.”
The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, March 5.
