Day: August 20, 2020

Tourism receives hi-tech boost

A new organisation has launched to help Scotland’s beleaguered tourism sector make a sustained recovery driven by technological innovation.

Traveltech for Scotland will build a support network for travel technology pioneers whose ingenuity could help turn the sector around following the devastating impacts of Covid-19.

The venture will create opportunities for businesses, including digital tour operators, online booking providers and companies developing robotic devices that improve the hotel experience.

Traveltech for Scotland will foster an online community of entrepreneurs, promote industry events and create a digital marketplace to encourage growth in the sector.

It builds on the country’s traveltech leadership, demonstrated by pioneers such as flight-booking giant Skyscanner, hotel guest app provider Criton and trip-planning company Whereverly.

The £342,000 initiative – led by the University of Edinburgh and funded via the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise – will tap into Scotland’s research excellence and seek to nurture the country’s tech graduate talent.

Traveltech for Scotland involves two strands of the University of Edinburgh – its commercialisation service, Edinburgh Innovations, and the Edinburgh Futures Institute, which has a particular focus on harnessing big data and digitisation to promote social good.

Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing, said: “The tourism and hospitality sector has been hit hard by this pandemic and we do not underestimate the crisis this has created.

“Protecting jobs and businesses is a key focus of the Scottish Government’s efforts to respond to the pandemic.

“As we start to see more and more of the sector re-opening, the launch of Traveltech for Scotland will support the sector further in its road to recovery. I welcome this innovative approach and look forward to seeing how the community is strengthened as a result.”

The Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, Steve Dunlop, is confident Traveltech can support economic recovery in communities that rely on tourism and help the sector to ‘build back better’ by developing sustainability and resilience.

Mr Dunlop said: “By bringing together our digital and visitor economies, there’s a real opportunity for the Scottish technology sector to lead the way in creating innovative solutions to the challenges faced by the tourism industry on a global scale.”

The newly appointed Director of Traveltech for Scotland, Joshua Ryan-Saha, of the Edinburgh Futures Institute, believes it is in moments of great crisis that new ideas are born.

He said: “The travel industry faces unprecedented challenges and we need to invest now in Traveltech to build a better, more resilient and sustainable future for Scotland’s travel industry.”

COVID-19 has impacted heavily on the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, forcing redundancies and reduced operations for airlines, hotels, bars, restaurants and tech businesses, and leading to the cancellation of Scotland’s major events and festivals in 2020.

In 2018 Scotland’s tech industry was valued at £4.9 billion, with over 100,000 people employed in the sector. Demand for tech recruits continues to grow rapidly: it is estimated that Scotland needs around 13,000 new people to work in tech every year.

The CEO of the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA), Marc Crothall, said the launch marks a vital step forward in providing Scotland’s tourism businesses access to new technology solutions, which can build customers’ trust around virus control and safety.

He said: “It will offer reassurance that challenges can be overcome to aid a sustainable recovery for the industry and, I hope, put Scotland on the map as a leading destination for travel technology.”

Traveltech for Scotland is initially a three-year project funded under Scottish Enterprise’s Cluster Builder programme – supported by the 2014-20 European Structural and Investment Fund through a programme of jointly funded projects with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and managed by the Scottish Government.

A total of up to £342,000 has been allocated towards creating a Cluster Builder for traveltech in Scotland over three years. The ERDF contribution is up to £171,000.

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has welcomed the boost. He said: “The creation of Traveltech is a positive move for Edinburgh’s tourist industry, which has been hit so hard by Covid-19 and lockdown.

“Social distancing has created many challenges for tourist businesses and the development of technology to allow companies to make a profit and keep people safe is welcome.”

New support for Scottish grassroots music venues

Applications open at 12 noon on Wednesday 26 August

New support has been made available for grassroots music venues across Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund. 

The £2.2m fund, which was announced by Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop on 10 July 2020, will be delivered through Creative Scotland.  

The purpose of the fund is to provide grassroots live music venues, that were financially sustainable before Covid-19, with the funds to prevent permanent closure and help with sustainability.  

Eligible venues should: 

  • Be permanent, indoor venues in Scotland in the grassroots sector (i.e. those working with new, developing, musical talent), which have a public audience 
  • Have a capacity of under 600. Applications from venues with capacities of up to 1,000 will be considered if a significant grassroots focus can be demonstrated. 

Venues may apply for grants of between £5,000 and £50,000. 

Online application forms will be available on the Creative Scotland website at 12 noon on Wednesday 26 August 2020. 

Applications must be submitted by 12 noon on Thursday 3 September 2020. 

 

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Grassroots venues are the heartbeat of Scotland’s music scene, and they have been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. We are all extremely keen to see grassroots venues reopen again but further work is needed to ensure this can be done in a safe and sustainable manner.  

“This £2.2m funding will provide some much needed stability for grassroots venues over the coming months and I am determined to continue working with the sector on what further help we can provide. It’s a long road to recovery but hopefully this marks the beginning of a brighter future after the very recent dark times.” 

Iain Munro, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland said: “In these extremely challenging times, this fund will provide much needed emergency support to Scotland’s grassroots music venues which are an important part of Scotland’s music ecology, developing music and audiences as well as supporting the talent for which Scotland is so renowned.

“As we look to move forward through the Covid-19 crisis, grassroots venues will, when it is safe to do so, play a crucial role in bringing people of all backgrounds together to experience the joy of live music.” 

Scotland in recession after GDP fall

Scotland’s GDP increased by 5.7% in June, according to statistics announced yesterday by the Chief Statistician. The growth in the latest month follows an increase of 2.3% in May, and falls of 19.2% in April and 5.8% in March.

Although output has increased for the last two months, it remains 17.6% below the level in February, prior to the direct impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In June there has been a wider pickup in activity than in May, with output increasing in all the main industry sectors, and in most of the sub-sectors within these.

For Quarter 2 as a whole (April to June), GDP is provisionally estimated to have fallen by 19.7% compared to Quarter 1 (January to March), after a fall of 2.5% in Quarter 1. Across the two quarters of contraction, output is estimated to have fallen by a total of 21.7% compared to 2019 Quarter 4.

This is the third release of new monthly GDP statistics for Scotland, and the first to include a provisional estimate for the whole quarter. These statistics have been produced by the Scottish Government to help track the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are badged as experimental statistics (not national statistics) which means they are still in development.

The Monthly GDP Estimate for June.

Commenting on the GDP publication, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “These figures confirm the significant impact of coronavirus on Scotland’s economy.

“The UK Government has put in place unprecedented measures to support people, right across the country, through the pandemic.

“We are supporting almost 900,000 jobs in Scotland through the pioneering furlough and self-employed schemes and have loaned more than £2.3 billion to 65,000 Scottish businesses. This is on top of an extra £6.5 billion of funding for the Scottish Government.

“The UK Government is doing all it can to drive our economic recovery. That includes our £1k job retention bonus, a £2 billion Kickstart scheme to create thousands of high quality jobs for young people, cutting VAT to restart tourism businesses and boosting hospitality businesses with our ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme.

“We know that there are very real challenges ahead of us. The UK Government will continue to do everything possible, working with the Scottish Government, to support people in Scotland through this difficult time.”

Estimated GDP figures for June 2020 have been published by the Scottish Government.

Scotland’s onshore GDP (not including offshore oil and gas extraction) is provisionally estimated to have increased by 5.7% in real terms during June. This follows an increase of 2.3% in May and falls of 19.2% in April and 5.8% in March.

During March and April, output fell in nearly every part of the economy. In May the results were more mixed, with some parts of the economy seen to begin a pickup in activity, but many industries across the services sector experiencing further falls or remaining flat. In June, a much wider pickup in activity can be seen, with output estimated to be increasing in all Scotland’s main industry sectors, and in most of the sub-sectors within these.

The estimates show Scotland’s economic recovery in June was slower than the UK’s as a whole. The UK’s monthly GDP grew by 8.7% in June 2020, following growth of 2.4% in May 2020, whereas Scotland’s GDP grew by 5.7% in June and 2.3% in May.

Growth in Scotland’s retail, wholesale and motor trades sectors contributed 1.5 percentage points to Scotland’s GDP growth in June, compared with roughly 2.8 percentage points for the overall UK.

Despite the increases in May and June, Scotland’s GDP remains 17.6% below the level in February 2020, while the UK’s GDP as a whole has reduced by 17.2% compared with February 2020.

The unprecedented nature of this drop in output can be contrasted to the financial crisis and recession in 2008 and 2009, where Scottish GDP decreased by around 4% over the course of 18 months. Throughout the 2008 Recession, UK GDP shrunk by no more than 2.1% in a single quarter.

These results are provisional and likely to be revised in the coming months.

Scottish teenagers to get access to pot of money over the next nine years

Thousands of teenagers in Scotland are set to benefit for the first time from money in Child Trust Funds (CTFs) that has been waiting for them since they were young children.

Since 2002, around 6.3 million CTF accounts have been set up across the UK, roughly 4.5 million by parents or guardians and a further 1.8 million set up by HMRC where parents or guardians did not open an account. In Scotland there are approximately 447,000 accounts.

This means some children do not know there are accounts in their name, so are unaware their money is waiting for them.

From 1 September 2020, the oldest children will turn 18 and be able to access their money.

Around 55,000 accounts will mature each month and HMRC has created a simple online tool to help young people find out where their account is held.

If a parent or guardian is unsure of where their child’s CTF account is held they can also use this tool.

For those who do not have the identifying information required to access the tool, HMRC will provide alternative, non-digital routes to finding a CTF provider upon request.

HMRC and The Share Foundation are also working together to help children in need of further support.

HMRC will send details of the CTF provider by post within three weeks of receiving their request.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, said: We want to make sure all young people can access the money which has been set aside for them, to invest in their future and continue a savings habit, as they turn 18.

“If you’re unsure if you have an account or where it may be, it’s easy to track down your provider online.”

UK Government Minister for Scotland, Minister David Duguid, said: “This will be a welcome boost for many Scottish young people, particularly welcome in what has been a difficult year for many.

“I encourage all young people aged between 16 – 18 years in Scotland to check if they have a dormant Child Trust Fund. This money, provided by UK Government, is rightly yours. It only takes a few minutes of your time to check your eligibility online.”

The accounts were set up to encourage positive financial habits and a saving culture among the young account holders. HMRC is working with the Money and Pension Service (MaPS) and the CTF providers to continue to provide financial education to the beneficiaries.

CTFs were originally set up for children born between 1st September 2002 and 2nd January 2011, with a live Child Benefit claim.

Parents and guardians received a voucher to deposit in a Child Trust Fund (CTF) account on behalf of the child. At 16 years, the child can choose to operate their account or have their parent continue to operate it, but they cannot withdraw the funds.

At 18 years of age, the CTF account matures and the child is able to withdraw money from the fund or move it to a different savings account. Over 700,000 accounts will mature each year.

The accounts are not held by HMRC, but by a number of CTF providers who are financial services firms. Anyone can pay into the account, with an annual limit of £9,000 and there’s no tax to pay on the CTF savings interest or profit.

European Movement in Scotland shouts ‘Enough’

Scotland’s leading pro-European campaign organisation, the European Movement in Scotland, (EMiS) has launched a campaign through its affiliated local groups across the country to defend democracy and highlight the sectors of the economy already damaged by Brexit.

The campaign, designed to galvanise Scottish opinion in the face of serious threats to our economic and political future, proclaims: “It’s time to join forces and shout ‘enough'”.

Letters to Scotland’s MPs and MSPs will be sent by grassroots activists from Fife to the Highlands and from Glasgow to Perthshire, saying: ‘The very concept of democracy is being weaponised. A cornerstone of democracy is the right to oppose, to challenge, to debate.

‘And yet, since the vote to leave the EU in June 2016, many people have come to believe that it means the opposite. Attempts to debate the manner of our departure from the EU have been dismissed as undemocratic.” The campaign will demand that Scotland’s elected representatives stand up for democracy and the country’s economic interests.

EMiS chair, former MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, Mark Lazarowicz, said: “Whatever people’s views on the EU, on Scotland’s future, we all need to wake up to the steady dismantling of our democracy; to understand that we risk sleepwalking into something which is a democracy in name only. 

“As soon as it’s COVID-safe, we intend to take our peaceful campaign out onto the streets to defend democracy.”

Over the coming days the rolling campaign will “alert people who may not yet have taken an active interest in the Brexit debate to the practical implications of our final departure, which will impact all of us in some way, and some of us – farmers, researchers, patients dependent on imported medicines – to an extreme extent.” 


Activists point out: “Brexit was supposed to resolve NHS funding issues, according to the (fake) promise on the bus. But the ramifications of leaving the EU for both the NHS and social care will compound the current coronavirus crisis.”

In agriculture and food, the campaign will demand that high food standards are protected in any trade deals, that climate change mitigation is prioritised, animal welfare is safeguarded and support is extended to fragile rural communities in areas such as North and West Scotland.

Scottish Engineer to extend food deal

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT from The Scottish Engineer

Following the incredible success of the government Eat Out To Help Out scheme we have decided that ending it on Monday 31st August is just a little bit too soon.

And with this mind we are thrilled to announce from Tuesday 1st of September we will be running our very own scheme – “EAT HERE TO HELP YOU” which will be running right through to the end of November!

In these difficult times, we understand money can be tight and as a business we wanted to support you, our amazing community as much as possible and this our little “THANK YOU” to you all.

Similarly to the government scheme, everybody dining with us Monday to Wednesday will be entitled the 40% discount off food and walk ins are always welcome, but with demand expected to be high and social distancing and safety always paramount, booking in advance is advisable.

We can’t wait to welcome you down!

Stories and Scran!

Join us for an evening of food and entertainment, hosted by our Citizen Writers in Residence Eleanor Thom and Leyla Josephine. With live readings, audio recordings and a film created by Citizen participants, our community meal will showcase the insightful and thoughtful work of local people from North Edinburgh and Musselburgh.

Our Community partners Scran Academy will cook and deliver a free meal to those joining the event within an Edinburgh or Musselburgh postcode. If you’re watching from further afield, we can provide you with an ingredients list and recipe card, so that you can recreate the meal at home to eat with us during the event.

To book a free meal (numbers limited, so don’t miss out!) or receive an ingredients list and recipe card contact us on citizen@edbookfest.co.uk.

This live event is part of Citizen, our long-term creative programme working in partnership with organisations across Edinburgh, offering local people a platform to explore identity, connection, place and everything it means to live in our world right now. Find out more at ontheroad.edbookfest.co.uk.

Part of our Made in Scotland series of events.

Also supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery

LifeCare talk: History of Cramond Island

LifeCare, the older person’s charity based in Stockbridge is pleased to announce August’s installment of its very popular monthly History Talks which cover local history and are delivered by local people and organisations.

The talk will be on Cramond Island and will be given by Ian Rodger of Cramond Heritage. 

It will take place on Tuesday 25th August from 3pm – 4pm on Zoom.

To book a place, please contact the Community Engagement Facilitator, Aleks Pacula alekspacula@lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk

Second COVID newsletter produced

North Edinburgh’s COVID-19 Food Share Consortium has produced a second newsletter.

The limited print run eight page publication will initially be distributed through the Group’s food distribution network and will also be available at local projects and offices.

For further information please email northedinnews@gmail.com

NEN_2_8pp_A4_AUG20_LRDownload

Have you seen Selim?

VULNERABLE MISSING MAN – SELIM EL SYED – LEITH

Police are appealing for the public’s assistance in tracing Selim El Syed (54) who has been reported missing from Leith.

Selim was last seen in the East Hermitage Place area around 3.30pm on Monday (17 August 2020).

He is described as Bangladeshi, around 5 ft 5 ins tall, of slim build with dark hair. He has a noticeable gait and when walking may appear to shuffle.

Inspector Grant McCulloch said: “We are very concerned for Selim’s welfare and officers are currently carrying out a number of searches to trace him. He is known to travel to rural parts of Scotland by bus and train and will sleep outdoors.

“I would urge anyone who has seen Selim, or has any information on his whereabouts, to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1409 of 19 August.”