Month: June 2020

Council to place 500 staff on furlough

As the City of Edinburgh Council announces 500 staff will go on furlough, UNISON has stepped up to ensure they are protected and has called for long term investment to protect local jobs and services after years of cuts.

Tom Connolly, UNISON City of Edinburgh branch secretary, said: “Our members have responded heroically to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis – providing support to the most vulnerable members of our communities, looking after the children of key workers and collecting our refuse to name but a few examples.

“As we begin to move out of lockdown our communities will need even more support than ever before. After years of cuts, only sustained long term investment will protect jobs and services at Edinburgh City Council.”

The union has ensured that furloughed staff will continue to get full pay and pensions contributions.

Tom Connolly added: “It is regrettable that UNISON members may be finding out about the councils furlough announcement through the media.

The unions had initial contact from the employer on Monday (8 June) about the proposal to furlough groups of staff.  Immediate reassurance was sought and given that every member of staff would continue to receive full pay, full pension contributions, and all other benefits associate with their job during the period of furlough.

“It was also recognised that by using the furlough scheme in what had to be specific income generating sectors, and had needed to be closed down due to COVID-19,  the council would benefit financially by the sum of £500,000 .

“We continued in dialogue with the employer up to late on this afternoon and are fully confident that our members affected will be fully protected, we would accept nothing less.

“What is  clear, our council has suffered year in and year out from the constant cuts to funding from both the Westminster austerity agenda and real term cuts to local government funding from the Scottish government. The huge responsibilities placed on local government by the pandemic has massively impacted on an already precarious financial position.

“The issue of funding for council services now and in the future must be addressed and all costs associated with the provision of added services resulting from COVID-19 should be fully met by the Scottish Government.

“As we begin to move out of lockdown our communities will need even more support than ever before. Only sustained long term investment will protect jobs and services at Edinburgh City Council.

“Negotiating on behalf of and supporting our members during this time of crisis has been of paramount importance to UNISON and that is what we will continue to do.”

Coronavirus is 2020 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year …

… and ‘Scotland’ is the most popular word in Scotland!

  • The word coronavirus appears for the first time in the 500 Words stories in 2020.
  • Young writers used it 459 times, with Wuhan and Covid-19 also featuring among the total of 134,709 entries to the competition.
  • The competition closed on 27th February – before the UK’s first recorded coronavirus case and before lockdown in the UK, showing how engaged many children were with the emerging pandemic.
  • Children have responded to the developing threat to the world’s health by becoming problem solvers and finding a cure for the disease.
  • The Australian bush fires and their impact on wild animals, especially kangaroos and koalas, feature strongly in the stories. Awareness of environmental activism has also risen, with mentions of Greta Thunberg up 1755% on last year.
  • Technology also features widely, with YouTube the most frequently referenced platform. Mentions of Instagram are not far behind however, increasing 99% in 2020.
  • ‘As cool as a crab with sunglasses on’ is just one example of children’s ability to invent fun similes and use language inventively.
  • The Oxford Children’s Word of the Year will be announced ahead of the 500 Words final.
  • The final will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on Friday 12th June 2020, with the winning stories read by celebrities including David Walliams, Dua Lipa, Joanna Lumley, Jodie Whittaker and Mwaka Mudenda.
  • Along with competition winners, special guests will include 500 Words judges Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Malorie Blackman, Francesca Simon and Charlie Higson, and honorary judge Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall.

 

There is a somewhat apocalyptic feel to many of the entries in this year’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show’s 500 Words story-writing competition and run in partnership with Oxford University Press.

The devastating impact of coronavirus, the terrible bush fires in Australia and ongoing fears of the effects of climate change show that Britain’s children are very much in touch with the most pressing issues of our time and respond to them with sensitivity, compassion, and a desire to find positive, practical solutions.

From the 134,709 entries, analysis by lexicographers at Oxford University Press has revealed fascinating data and discoveries about how children use language to express themselves.

This is the 10th anniversary of 500 Words. The competition was originally created by Chris Evans for the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in 2011 and has now received over 1 million entries, generating more than 440 million words.

Why coronavirus? 

Previous Children’s Word of the Year include Brexit (2019), plastic (2018), Trump (2017), and refugee (2016), indicating the influence of global affairs on children’s creativity.  Standing out this year was the first appearance of the word coronavirus and associated names or words, such as Covid-19 and Wuhan.

Coronavirus was used 459 times in 2020, with words associated with the pandemic also increasing in frequency, including NHS, virus, antibodies, epidemic, and lockdown. Boys and girls wrote almost equally on the topic; however, the subject of the unfolding coronavirus pandemic was more widely covered in older children’s writing (10-13 years).

In many stories, the word is specifically associated with China. Given that the closing date of the 500 Words competition was 27 February 2020 (which was, coincidentally, the day before the first case of transmission within the UK was documented), this can be understood on the basis that news stories had been reporting on the rapidly emerging crisis in the city of Wuhan and later across China.

Many narratives contained realistic physiological and medical details associated with the coronavirus:

‘The nurses came running over. I felt a pain in my neck, I started to gasp for air. My body started shaking I couldn’t control myself. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, a mask covered my mouth, my heart rate dropped, my temperature raised and I have the corona virus’ (The Ex, girl 13)

On the other hand, the young writers also show a delightful blend of humour, fantasy, and creativity as they write about searching for cures and dive into science fiction.

A boy of 10 writes about a getting a blue magic potion from The Smurfs and from a girl of 8 we have: That night I had an interesting dream, a magical sparkling unicorn came and whispered to me the secret ingredients of the cure for the Coronavirus. (The Magical Cure).

In Microbial Madness (from a girl of 12), Salmonella, Flu, and Legionnaire’s Disease join forces against coronavirus, while we have a triumphant diary entry which finds the cure on Day 2370: The cure was successful, we did it. We are putting every penny of our funding into distributing the cure. We will use drones to spray droplets of the liquefied version of the cure. Well, I guess I have no more time to write, I have a planet to cure! (Inside the life of a Coronavirus doctor, boy 11). 

Climate change, current affairs, and activism

Children’s concern for the environment has been growing since plastic was the Children’s Word of the Year in 2018. Indeed, mention of this word has increased by 32% year on year (2019 – 20), while phrases such as global warming, save the planet, and climate change jumped in use; by 126%, 156%, and a staggering 839% respectively.

In light of this, it is perhaps unsurprising that Greta Thunberg has seen her appearance in stories increase 1755% on last year. In one wonderful, feminist mash-up – notably written by an 11-year-old boy – she is working with three other iconic women to bring about political and societal change: ‘The P.O.W (Protectors Of Women) Brigade were having a meeting in their secret cellar beneath the magnificent Buckingham Palace. The head of the team Emmeline Pankhurst was leading the meeting… “Now down to business. Rosa Parks, Greta Thunberg and Marie Curie – I would like you three to take this one: a man in America doesn’t believe that world problems and gender inequality is happening.’ (The P.O.W Brigade)

Sharing the young activist’s anxiety across a range of issues, many stories were set in the future, imagining earth suffering catastrophic environmental damage as a result of climate change – ‘Earth looked like a tiny burning speck, red flames visible even from here. Her sobs became uncontrollable. Earth was finished, climate change had seen to that. Her home, family and friends were gone for good. All over, time up. The end.’ (The End, girl 12) 

Throughout December 2019 and January 2020, the media was filled with heart-rending stories about the Australian bush fires. Responding to this, the UK’s children wrote about the threat to Australian wildlife, most notably koalas and kangaroos.

In such stories, the narrator often tries to save animals trapped by the fires, with many showing empathy with animals in danger, while others narrate tales through the eyes of the creatures in peril – ‘What caught their eyes was the poor kangaroo in front of them crying, looking at the fire rapidly moving towards her joey.’ (Set alight, girl 12)

A number of stories also featured the series of storms that swept across Britain last winter, particularly Ciara and Dennis – ‘It was the night of the storm Ciara, the wind whistled, the thunder was as loud as seven cars falling from the sky, fences blew over, as the wind was so powerful and strong. I laid in my bed with my eyes shut as tight as possible. I could hear bins, trampolines and all sort of things falling over.’ (The silhouetted figure, girl 10).

Technology and social media

Technology and gaming once again featured strongly in the submissions for 2020’s competition and as in 2019, the Xbox is the leading games console mentioned. However, other platforms have seen large rises in their inclusion in stories, which are mainly written by boys.

The games Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox, Call of Duty, and Just Dance all experienced increased mentions, by an average of 75%. Albeit that Fortnite, while remaining the second most-included game in related stories, saw a fall in its use by 33%.

In a revealing insight that many parents will recognise, one youngster wrote vividly about being denied access to his favourite tech: ‘Tom was a 13 year old boy. He never did any work because he was too busy playing on Nintendo, watching TV or playing on his iPad…. He was about to grab his Nintendo when he realized that it was not there. So, he went to find the TV remote but that was not there either…. “Where is my technology?” asked Tom. “I have taken it away until you do some science,” answered Mum.’ (Life without Technology, boy 9)

YouTube continues to be by far the most-mentioned platform, although Instagram is beginning to rival it – increasing 99% in 2020. Girls write about social media far more than boys, especially older girls who also appear to be spearheading the rise of TikTok.

With almost chilling acuity, fake identities and catfishing are also brilliantly observed: ‘My name is Tilly.  I’ve got darkish hair but on insta it will be raven black. I’ve got brown eyes, but soon they’ll sparkle like emeralds. (Evil Instagram, girl 10).

Reflecting the use of Insta as part of creating a new portmanteau word and promoting a message about having a positive self-image, Pickle the Pig’s Story is something of a latter-day morality tale: ‘She looked back at her phone and realized that she posted the ugly picture of herself on Instasnort a couple of seconds ago.  However, it had received a million likes and many kind comments of all types.  From that day Pickle had understood that you must be yourself not what someone else said you should.’ (girl 11) 

The big names of 2020

Famous people, real or imagined, continue to feature strongly in many stories, as do mythological and fictional characters. Once again, Santa tops the list with 2,293 mentions, with Donald Trump continues to provide a rich source of material in 2nd place overall and heading the list of ‘real’ people. Boris Johnson enters the list for the first time, with 278 hits.

The top 25 ‘famous people’ (including fictional and mythological characters) are:

1) Santa – no change

2) Donald Trump – ↑ 3

3) Zeus – no change

4) Adolf Hitler – ↑ 4

5) Cinderella -↑ 6

6) Christiano Ronaldo – ↓ 2

7) Lionel Messi – new entry

8) Harry Potter – ↓ 2

9) Snow White – ↑ 6

10) David Walliams – ↑ 12

11) Tooth Fairy – ↓ 4

12) Cleopatra – new entry

13) Queen Victoria – new entry

14) Pegasus – ↓5

15) Gingerbread Man – ↑ 4

16) Little Red Riding Hood – new entry

17) Henry VIII – new entry

18) James Bond – new entry

19) Boris Johnson – new entry

20) Albert Einstein – new entry

21) Sherlock Holmes – new entry

22) Mo Salah – new entry

23) Neil Armstrong – new entry

24) Easter Bunny – ↑ 1

25) Usain Bolt – new entry.

 

The top 10 ‘real people’ are:

1) Donald Trump

2) Adolf Hitler

3) Cristiano Ronaldo

4) Lionel Messi

5) David Walliams

6) Cleopatra

7) Queen Victoria

8) Henry VIII

9) Boris Johnson

10) Albert Einstein

And now for something completely different

This year’s 500 Words has again demonstrated that children delight in the unusual. Whether it is creating an invented word, fun similes, or dramatic and witty story openers, there has been another feast of creativity for the judges to revel in.

At nineteen letters long, the Transligualiminator was a real eye-catcher: ‘Finally, after weeks of preparation, the new life-changing device was ready for sale. Timmy Rykon called it The Transligualiminator. It could be a phone, a microwave, or it could dispense anything including nachos, fire-balls or socks. (The Transligualiminator, boy 11).

Could the charming simile as cool as a crab with sunglasses on (girl 9) be set to replace the more usual and staid cucumber? Many must surely have felt as confused as a blind goldfish (boy 9), or that awkward moment in a conversation when things fall as silent as an exam hall (girl 9)?

Helen Freeman, Director, Oxford Children’s Dictionaries & Language Data at Oxford University Press says: “Once again, the analysis of the children’s writing has revealed how tuned in young people are to global events and how real-world  events can inspire such a variety of stories and writing styles, from apocalyptic science fiction, to fairy tales, and humour.

“It’s striking that so many children are choosing to explore these themes and ideas in their writing, and it’s a complete delight for us to read their stories in this special 10th anniversary year.”

Zoe Ball, Radio 2 Breakfast show presenter comments: “The OUP’s analysis is so fascinating.

“Revealing, to no surprise, that kids are so aware of everything that’s going on in the world around them and then are able to turn it into the most brilliant, engaging and imaginative stories!”

While Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2 Content Commissioning says: “I’d like to thank OUP for their incredible work analysing this year’s 134,709 stories and building a unique Corpus of words from the entries to 500 Words.

“I’d also like to thank all the talented children who entered in the competition’s 10th year, as well as the teachers and judges who initially judged the entries – we could not have done it without you!”

The Top 10 words which are used more in the stories of Scottish children than in any other are: 

  1. Scotland
  2. gran
  3. wee
  4. vikings
  5. couch
  6. bunker
  7. Edinburgh
  8. Glasgow
  9. celtic
  10. Liath

MSP welcomes news that tourism and hositality could resume next month

Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, has welcome the news that tourism and hospitality businesses in the capital may be able to reopen on July 15th.

The announcement was made by the Rural Economy and Tourism Secretary, Fergus Ewing, in The Scottish Parliament yesterday (see below). 

The provisional date of 15 July has been set for when tourism businesses may be able to resume operations, dependent on public health advice and progression to Phase 3 of the Scottish Government lockdown route-map. 

A new Scottish Recovery Tourism Taskforce has been set up to prepare for this and assist with the ongoing reset of the sector. The taskforce will look at the sector’s recovery needs as well as actions being taken by the UK Government and the development of a new domestic visitor marketing campaign. 

Commenting, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald, said: “The tourism and hospitality sectors in Edinburgh are vital to the city’s economy and there is no doubt that they have bene some of the hardest hit by lockdown. 

“I very much appreciate the support that has been given by governments to both sectors to help get them, and their employees, through these unprecedented times. 

“Whilst there is absolutely no guarantees that at this stage, this provisional announcement of 15th July is very welcome news for so many in the sectors.

“It is going to take a long time for the industries to recover but I am glad that The Scottish Government recognise this and are doing all they can to support the industries through this incredibly difficult time.”

Sector prepares for return to business

Further measures have been announced by Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing to support Scotland’s vital tourism industry.

A new Scottish Recovery Tourism Taskforce will assist with the ongoing reset of the sector –  and a provisional date of 15 July has been set for when tourism businesses may be able to resume operations, dependent on public health advice and progression to Phase 3 of the Scottish Government lockdown route-map.

The taskforce will look at the sector’s recovery needs as well as actions being taken by the UK Government and the development of a new domestic visitor marketing campaign.

The taskforce is in addition to the £2.3 billion package of support for businesses across Scotland which includes measures specific to the tourism and hospitality industry such as a full year’s non-domestic rates relief and specific grant schemes which are not available elsewhere in the UK.

Mr Ewing made the announcements during a statement to Parliament yesterday. He said: “The coronavirus pandemic has presented challenges across the entirety of the Scottish economy, but it is very clear there are exceptional circumstances facing this sector that must be recognised.

“We have acted as quickly as we can to address the significant financial challenges faced by businesses and provide a comprehensive package of support. We are also pushing the UK Government to do more, including a review of VAT rates and to consider extensions to schemes such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

“I’ve been engaging with businesses since the beginning of the outbreak and I have heard their calls for more clarity which today I can provide. Businesses should start to prepare for a provisional return to trading – with appropriate safety guidelines – on the 15th July 2020.

“This date cannot be definitive and is conditional on public health advice and progression to Phase 3 of the route map. Businesses must now use this time to satisfy the necessary regulations and adapt to the new way of living.”

Six in ten nervous about returning to work following lockdown

‘We are personally urging CEO’s to review their thought processes and empower their staff to work from which ever location makes them feel safest and most comfortable’ says Ruari Fairbairns

A nationwide YouGov survey, commissioned by One Year No Beer, has revealed that 60% of the UK workers who are no longer travelling to their usual place of work and now working from home  are nervous about returning to work following lockdown.

The survey also identified that women surveyed appear to be considerably more nervous with 70% of them opening up about their fears of returning to the workplace, opposed to 49% of men.

 61% of 18-34 workers who are not currently in their usual place of work agreed that they were nervous about returning and surprisingly fears were lowest amongst those aged 55 years and over.

Geographically, Midlands came out on top with 72% of all workers no longer travelling to their usual place of work nervous about returning to work, and those most relaxed about getting back to old routines were workers residing in the South (51%).

Whether people had children in their household or not seemed to have little impact on their attitudes towards returning to work with 63% of those with children in the household  opening up to anxiety around returning to the workplace, compared to 60% of those with no children in their household.

Ruari Fairbairns, founder and CEO of One Year No Beer, comments, “As the CEO of a company that operates its entire workforce remotely, I’m not sure why there is such a sense of urgency from employers to get their staff back into the work place, especially if they still feel so uncomfortable returning to work at this stage of the pandemics lifecycle.

 “With so much access to technology and productivity software, there is no need to be sitting in an office with each other right now (or ever) and the flexibility and freedom that working from home affords, by far outweighs any benefits of working in an office.

“We are personally urging CEO’s to review their thought processes and empower their staff to work from which ever location makes them feel safest and most comfortable.”

The same survey also revealed that nearly three-quarters of UK drinkers were drinking the same (45%) or more (29%) during lockdown, leaving only 25% drinking less. 18% believed they would emerge from lockdown drinking more than they did pre-lockdown.

Fairbairns continues, “I think a lot of people will have formed habits during this time they wouldn’t have before, and some may be challenging to shake.

“In hard times it’s easy to let things creep in that you wouldn’t normally do and if people are anxious about returning to work, the concern here is that they will start to lean more so on alcohol as a coping mechanism.”

Passionate about transforming the world’s relationship with alcohol and helping people, ‘Live Life Better’ One Year No Beer is a digital network, which has been designed to transform behaviour and support mental health.

Fairbairns concludes: “At One Year No Beer we focus on the habit-changing process, rather than just deleting alcohol from your life.

“We’ll help you break down and rebuild new habits as well as develop a new mindset that gives you complete control, something that will last way past finishing your challenge.”

For more information visit https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/

Lucky for some! Cash for 13 swimming clubs

The Swimathon Foundation is delighted to announce the award of grant funding to 13 Scottish swimming clubs, swimming schools and independent aquatic organisations, through its Covid-19 Relief Fund. 

The Foundation has been overwhelmed by the number of applications received and has taken the decision to boost its original commitment of £30,000 to £50,000 to cover these grants across the United Kingdom for small swimming and aquatic organisations who have suffered short-term financial hardship due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Long time Swimathon supporter and former Commonwealth and World champion, Mark Foster, said: “It is fantastic to see the Swimathon Foundation support the swimming community at this difficult time.

“These grants will be a lifeline to many people and will play a crucial role in helping to support local clubs and individuals who do so much to keep swimming communities active. Swimathon has been a force for good in swimming communities all across the UK for over 30 years and it is fantastic to see the Swimathon Foundation support people in their time of need.”

Anthony Kendall OBE, Chair of the Swimathon Foundation echoed these sentiments: “In these difficult times for all swimming organisations, the Swimathon Foundation has been determined to play its part in supporting those smaller, local groups that are the foundation of swimming participation throughout the UK.

“We have been taken aback by the number of people who need help during these unprecedented times and that is why we have increased our overall donation to £50,000. Swimming is a vital community activity and we are proud to play our part.”

Sharon Macdonald, Director of Development for Scottish Swimming said: “We are delighted that 13 clubs in Scotland have benefitted from the Swimathon Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund.

“The fund will help many clubs during this challenging time to make up for losses incurred due to clubs not operating normally. It is an essential fund to support clubs to get through this difficult time and be ready to meet their members needs when pools re-open.”

The Swimathon Foundation has awarded 101 grants across the United Kingdom to small swimming and aquatic organisations at the heart of the swimming community.

One of the organisations that the Swimathon Foundation is supporting include the Carnoustie Claymores based in Angus, who have been keeping members active by running regular quizzes, land training and challenges via Zoom.

Without additional funding, they have been left unable to pay their coaches and having subsidised the membership fees of some of their members due to the impact of coronavirus on many families, are running at a serious loss.

The Swimathon Foundation is a remarkable ‘force for good’ in communities all across the UK. Its main pool-based ‘Swimathon’ has raised over £50 million for charities since it was started some 33 years ago.

‘Swimathon’ is the UK’s biggest pool-based recreational swimming event. It takes place annually at some 600 pools across the UK and some 750,000 people have taken part since the first event in 1986. As a result of coronavirus, this year’s event is now scheduled to take place later in the year.

For more information about The Swimathon Foundation, visit www.swimathonfoundation.org. 

People at risk of losing sight due to fear of hospital during coronavirus pandemic

Up to 50 per cent of people with acute or urgent eye conditions may not have been attending scheduled eye-healthcare appointments because of concerns over coronavirus.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland is urging people to continue treatment which, in some cases, may be vital to prevent permanent sight loss.

According to the UK Ophthalmology Alliance, ophthalmic professionals across the UK have found that up to 30 to 50 per cent of people with acute or urgent eye conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of sight loss, have missed appointments during the peak of lockdown.

James Adams, director of RNIB Scotland, said: “It is very concerning if people are not attending appointments or seeking advice for any sudden changes in their vision. Some treatments being missed can stabilise conditions and keep people from losing their sight unnecessarily.

“The precautions currently put in place by NHS Scotland are there to help patients and medical staff keep safe during the ongoing pandemic. We strongly advise people to attend their appointments or to discuss any concerns they have with hospital eyecare staff.”

RNIB Scotland is highlighting the provisions in place to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Some of the precautions include having fewer people attending at one time in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, reducing the amount of time patients and consultants spend together, and reducing waiting times.

Andrew Ferguson, chair of Eye Health Scotland and a consultant ophthalmologist in NHS Forth Valley, said: “Hospital Eye Services in Scotland are re-starting clinical work, albeit in a limited way due to distancing and safety requirements in order to keep the risk of Covid transmission at very low levels.

“Where possible we are using alternative methods of communicating remotely, but in many cases a face-to face visit to the eye clinic remains essential to avoid sight loss; and in that regard I would empathise the importance of attending if a hospital appointment is offered.

“However, I want to reassure patients that eye units are taking every possible precaution and the risk of catching Covid-19 in an hospital eye clinic is extremely low.”

For more information on what to do if you have concerns about your sight during the coronavirus pandemic, call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit rnib.org.uk/eyehealth.

‘For better or worse’: New plaque for Melville Monument

The city council is to draw up new wording to tell the story of the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Edinburgh is a progressive, diverse and welcoming City and we must continue to fight against racism in all spheres of Government and across society.

“I share the anger of people that we are still, in 2020, debating the issue of racial prejudice – something that should be consigned to the history books. The Black Lives Matter demonstration at the weekend, where no arrests were made, proves the overwhelming power of peaceful action.

“What is essential is that we tell our City’s story more accurately – for better or worse. We have a lot to celebrate about the contribution black and ethnic minority Edinburghers have made and are making to our City’s progress and success and that should be clear.

“Yet, we also need to address and talk openly about those moments in Scottish history where people have been killed, enslaved or discriminated against, simply because of their race.

“As part of this, we’ll be reviewing our own museum and gallery collections through the lens of BAME history to make sure that Edinburgh’s stories are accurately told.

“Building on the progress we’d already made with Prof Geoff Palmer and others, I’m pleased to say that we’ve come to a form of words on a plaque at the statue of Henry Dundas (above) – and this will be published tomorrow (Wednesday 10 June).

“It will be finalised and installed at the foot of the Melville Monument as soon as possible. This is just one part of Edinburgh’s history and one small change we can make. We should make many more.”

Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, was a leading figure in the Scottish Enlightenment – but the Royal High School and Edinburgh University educated advocate also did all he could to delay the abolition of slavery while president of the Board of Control of the East India Company, which was heavily involved in the slave trade.

Drilling down the data: community funding maps

Interactive breakdown of emergency funding

A new collection of digital maps is to display the funding being given to support communities across Scotland affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

The online dashboard enables users to view financial support by local authority across four main funds. An overview map also shows total and per capita funding in each area.

In March, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell announced a £350 million package of emergency funding for communities to help tackle harms caused by the pandemic.

Speaking ahead of yesterday’s Holyrood debate on the next steps for communities, Ms Campbell said: “We are aware of the financial pressures many households are currently facing and these maps show the swift action and substantial financial support we have provided to help people at this difficult time.

“We have reached every local authority, delivering for communities across Scotland.

“Our £70 million Food Fund, for example, has made sure people in the shielding group can access the food they need while self-isolating. It has also funded essential free school meals for 175,000 children and young people and supported others at risk from the virus or struggling financially.

“Today I will outline our next steps to support communities across Scotland as we move towards recovery and renewal. When this crisis hit, we proved change could be made rapidly and we must build on that momentum to achieve our long-term goals of reducing poverty and inequality.”

Find out more about funding provided and access the Community Funding Mapping hub.

Helping communities affected by COVID-19

As part of its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Scottish Government announced an additional £350 million to help communities and local government respond to the crisis.

This includes:

  • a Food Fund to support those who would otherwise be unable to access food through the usual routes.
  • a Wellbeing Fund to support organisations providing important services to people most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
  • a Supporting Communities Fund for community anchor organisations to help support local responses to the pandemic.
  • a Third Sector Resilience Fund to support third sector organisations that deliver services and products but find themselves in financial difficulties directly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic

To provide emergency funding to key national partners who identified an urgent need for support, we established an Immediate Priorities Fund which was drawn from both the Food Fund and Wellbeing Fund.

Our mapping tool shows how funding has been allocated across these four funds. Funding is shown by local authority area for each fund, based on total amounts awarded. Other information, including number of awards, is also set out.

An overview map brings all this funding together, also showing the additional resource provided for the Scottish Welfare Fund and other ‘hardship funding’ monies for local authorities to spend on their own COVID-19 priorities. The overview map also shows funding by local authority level on a per capita basis.

Note: These dashboards are provided for general information purposes only and use data from various sources. Due to the nature of the data, and the ongoing status of these funds, we cannot guarantee that at any particular instance it is complete, accurate or up to date.

We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to tackling poverty and increasing social inclusion in our society.

So we have created a range of funding streams to help agencies and local communities tackle inequalities.

Empowering Communities Fund

The £20 million Empowering Communities Fund, established in 2015, enables communities to tackle poverty and inequality and take forward regeneration in their areas on their own terms. This helps communities find solutions that work for them and to deliver long-term improvements.

The Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund

This £15 million Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund has been awarded to third sector organisations that tackle inequalities and poverty, support parents and carers, improve learning and build skills.

It replaced the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund and Strategic Funding Partnerships and is designed to help children, families and communities across Scotland.

Utilita Hub raises funds for Leith Foodbank

Utilita, the UK’s leading Smart Pay As You Go Energy supplier, is running ‘The Utilita Energy Hub-to-Hub Challenge’ in Leith to support South Leith Parish Foodbank whose vital fundraising and community-building activities have been curbed by the coronavirus crisis.

The charity fundraiser kicked off on 18th May and includes a team from the Leith Energy Hub either walking, running, cycling or skipping the equivalent distance from the Utilita Hub in Newport in the Isle of Wight to the Hub in Leith – totalling a whopping 516 miles.

They are clocking up the miles by making the most out of outdoor spaces, such as doing laps in their local park until they reach the 516-mile milestone.

To promote positive physical and mental health during the lockdown, members of the Utilita Energy Hub team are also recording their weekly body mass index, to demonstrate the health benefits of the challenge.

Debra Clason, Utilita Hub Manager in Leith, said: “The Utilita Energy Hubs exist to give local communities a place to go to talk about reducing their energy usage, as well as providing a space free of charge where local community groups and good causes can host their own activities, so we wanted to fill that current void with something equally as community-centred, whilst keeping the staff active to promote positive physical and mental wellbeing.

“Each Energy Hub has chosen a local charity or support group to raise money for, reflecting Utilita’s ethos of engaging with and supporting local communities.

“The team in Leith chose to fundraise for the South Leith Parish Foodbank because on a daily basis, we see people access the service, some of whom are also our customers. It’s a sobering thought to think there is an increasing need for reliance on food banks in the UK, with many families just one pay cheque away from becoming homeless.

“The energetic Hub team will happily put in the leg work and would be grateful for your donations via a dedicated JustGiving page to help them on their way.” 

Rev Iain May, Chair of the South Leith Parish Church Food Bank, said: “The support from Utilita is really appreciated. In Leith, there are over 6,000 people, including over 1,500 children, who live on or below the poverty line.

“The efforts of the team from Utilita will make such a difference in allowing us to provide essential food to those in need in these challenging and difficult times.

 “The support of the local business community here in Leith has been amazing, and Utilita has been in many ways at the forefront of this recently. So thanks again for all many miles, running, cycling, skipping that Utilita staff are doing, it will really make a difference.”

Visit the Leith Energy Hub JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hub2hubchallenge

The Utilita Hub teams have been busy taking part in the challenge across the UK, clocking up more miles each day – please see an infographic providing an update on how far they have travelled below.

You can download this here: https://we.tl/t-7mqEN1fpzT