CRIMESTOPPERS have launched their annual campaign aiming to tackle firework misuse and deliberate fire-setting, and to encourage people to contact them 100% anonymously if they know or suspect someone is involved.
The campaign is supported by the Scottish Government’s Building Safer Communities team.
Firework misuse can have a massive impact on communities in Scotland, with some local areas experiencing ongoing and sustained anti-social behaviour and risk to life linked to fireworks.
In some communities people may be afraid to engage with those responsible for anti-social behaviour for fear of being targeted, which is why our anonymous service is so valuable.
The Crimestoppers campaign omplements two national Scottish Government campaigns, and provides extra support for areas in Edinburgh, Glasgow and West Lothian which have experienced higher levels of firework misuse. These communities have been involved in the preparation of the campaign.
National Manager for Crimestoppers in Scotland Angela Parker explained: “With no public displays this year, some communities could be at increased risk of serious firework misuse and deliberate fire-setting.
“Firework misuse puts people, property and pets at risk, so we have worked closely with a range of partners to devise a campaign that will enable local people to fully understand the law around misuse of fireworks, and the penalties.
“Last year, our charity in Scotland received 63 pieces of information that helped prevent attacks, fire-setting and serious misuse, so we know, together we can make Bonfire Night safer for everyone.”
Ash Denham MSP, Minister for Community Safety, said: “The Scottish Government’s ambition is for all of Scotland’s communities to be safe places for everyone to live, work and enjoy. We all have a part to play in making that vision a reality.
“Misuse of fireworks can be hugely damaging and distressing and will not be tolerated. I would encourage anyone who witnesses or has information about criminality relating to fireworks to report it so that action can be taken to prevent further harm to our communities.
“Crimestoppers’ unique reporting service allows people to provide information about crime entirely anonymously. By using this service people can help to prevent, detect and solve crime within their local community.”
The campaign is also complemented by a youth programme, Fearless.org, raising awareness among 11-18-year-olds about the risks, and encouraging anonymous reporting about planned attacks and deliberate fire-raising.
https://youtu.be/oK6J6-CpfhI
Underage sales of fireworks
We are also encouraging people to let us know about anyone who’s selling fireworks to underage people.
In Scotland, it is illegal to sell outdoor fireworks to anyone who is younger than 18 years old. And it is illegal to sell indoor fireworks (such as sparklers) to anyone who is younger than 16 years old.
Other contact numbers
In an emergency: contact Police or Fire on 999 Non-emergency: Police Scotland 101 Underage sales:Scotland Trading Standards Office (and for unsafe or unlicenced storage by shops and dangerous fireworks)
If you know or suspect who is misusing fireworks or causing deliberate fires in your area, or selling them illegally, you can contact Crimestoppers 100% anonymously.
Your computer’s IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted us. For telephone calls, we have have no caller line display, no 1471 facility and have never traced a call.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Friday 16 October):
Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the usual run-through of today’s COVID statistics.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,196. That is 16.9% of people newly-tested, and the total number of cases now stands at 45,232.
416 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, 309 in Lanarkshire, 161 in Lothian and 104 in Ayrshire & Arran. The remaining cases were spread across 9 other health board areas. Only Shetland today has no reported cases.
I can also confirm that 629 people are currently in hospital, that is an increase of 27 since yesterday. And 58 people are in intensive care, that is 6 more than yesterday.
I’m also very sad to report that in the past 24 hours, 9 additional deaths were registered of patients who had first tested positive over the previous 28-day period. That means that the total number of deaths under the daily measurement is now 2,594.
Again, I want to send my deepest condolences to all those who have lost a loved-one to this virus at any point during this pandemic, but obviously of course, in particular to those who have more recently been bereaved.
There are a few items I want to briefly cover today before the Chief Medical Officer and I take questions from the media.
As I often do on a Friday, I will shortly give an update on the quarantine requirements for international travel. I will then say a word about the opening of two new walk-through testing sites. And finally, I want to say something about this weekend. Before that, though, let me start by saying a special word about schools.
Obviously many schools will soon be returning from the October break while others are just now preparing to start the half-term.
I wanted to take this opportunity today to say a very big and a very heartfelt thank-you – to teachers, to other school staff, to pupils and to parents across the country.
I know that you have faced many challenges over the past few months. I also know that, because of the restrictions, the October break will not be all that you might have hoped that it would be.
But we must not lose sight of what you have achieved during this first half term.
It is down to your efforts and your ability to adapt in extremely difficult circumstances that schools have been able to return.
As a result, the vast majority of pupils are now able to have the classroom, and the wider school experience that was lost back in the Spring. And I don’t think we should underestimate that it is a real achievement that young people have been able to have that normal schooling experience for the last number of weeks that they lost out on for much of this year.
So that, I think, is something important, and something positive in this difficult period for all of us to mark and reflect on.
Now, I know there will be further challenges ahead; I think that is almost inevitable.
And I don’t want to stand here today and give any sense that I am under-estimating how difficult it will have been so far, not least for teachers.
However, I just wanted to put on record my thanks to all of you for the really important work that you’ve done and, so that you know, that in spite of all of the difficulties it is hugely appreciated, and it is very important for, not just the wellbeing of our children and young people now, but I think, for their future prospects as well.
So thank-you to everybody for that.
This is how the restrictions help stop the spread of coronavirus ⬇
Remember, don't meet people from other households inside their home or yours. Only meet one other household in public places (max. 6 people).
Let me now turn to my first update of today. That concerns the list of countries that are subject to quarantine requirements.
We announced last night that Italy, San Marino and the Vatican City state will now be added to the list of countries with quarantine requirements.
That means that, from 4 am on Sunday, people travelling to Scotland from these places must self-isolate for 14 days on their arrival or return here.
We’ve also announced that Greece and all of the Greek islands, apart from Mykonos, will now be removed from the list.
So from Sunday people arriving from Greece, or a Greek island other than Mykonos will no longer have to self-isolate.
However, if you have arrived from these places in the past two weeks – or if you arrive later today or tomorrow – you will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
These changes are just an example of how quickly levels of the virus in any country or area – here at home and of course overseas – can change.
That is nature of an accelerating global pandemic. And that, of course, underlines why we are continuing to advise all of you against any non-essential travel overseas right now.
That’s not an easy or a welcome thing to be doing, I know, but it is a reflection of the uncertainty and volatility that all of us continue to live through.
My second update for today is about the opening of two additional walk-through testing centres.
One of those sites opened in Dundee city centre today. Another will open in Sighthill in Edinburgh tomorrow (Saturday).
These add to the seven walk-through centres already open – two in Glasgow, one already in Edinburgh, and one each in Aberdeen, St Andrews, West Dunbartonshire and Stirling.
A number of others are due to open in the coming weeks.
Many of these centres are within walking distance of student campuses – deliberately so – and so are particularly useful for our student populations. But it is important to note that they are open to all members of the public and you can book a test by going onto the NHS Inform website should you experience any of the COVID symptoms.
There are of course a few points that I would ask everybody to remember if you experience symptoms and book a test.
Firstly, please don’t use public transport to travel to any testing centre.
If you don’t have a car and if you’re not able to walk or perhaps cycle to a testing centre, please book a home testing kit through NHS Inform.
In addition, you should start to self-isolate from the moment you start feeling the symptoms of COVID.
You shouldn’t wait to get a test or to get your test result back before you start self-isolating.
That means staying at home with the sole exception of, if you need to, going to a testing centre for your test.
Finally today, I want to say just a word or two about this weekend.
I appreciate – I think probably we all feel this – that it’s at the weekend when the temptation to bend the rules a bit will be at its strongest, whether that’s about meeting up with others, or going round to somebody else’s house, a member of your family or a friend.
I also know that for football fans, and this weekend in particular perhaps for Celtic and Rangers fans, that temptation might be even greater.
Tomorrow, of course, sees the first of these Glasgow derbies to be played without fans in the stadium.
It is also taking place at a time when we have additional restrictions on household visits and hospitality.
So with that in mind, I want to underline a few key points, ahead of the match. And I should say that both clubs and the SPFL are also emphasising these points to supporters, and I’m very grateful to them for that.
The first thing to say is that you mustn’t go round to somebody else’s house to watch the match.
None of us – not just football supporters but none of us – should be going into each other’s homes at the moment unless it is for an essential purpose such as childcare or looking after a vulnerable person.
And I’m afraid – and I know that this statement is possibly a controversial one in Scotland, I readily acknowledge that – I’m afraid that watching football, no matter how essential I know it might feel to some, does not fall into that ‘essential’ category.
In addition, people should not be gathering outside or around the stadium. There will be nothing to see there so there is no point at all in turning up.
Finally, please don’t travel in order to try to watch the match.
I know there might be a temptation to try to get around local or national restrictions in this way. But it’s really important that you don’t do that.
In general right now, people in the central belt should be avoiding travel to other parts of Scotland, and all of us should be avoiding travelling to areas in England that have high infection levels.
So please, don’t travel to other parts of Scotland or across the Border just in an attempt to watch the match in a pub. It’s really not worth the risk.
Nobody likes the fact that these restrictions have to be in place but they are vital to protecting all of us, and keeping us safe.
So please comply with the restrictions. By doing that, you will be playing your part in helping us to get the virus under control. And you will be helping to hasten the day when we can all watch and enjoy the things we love doing – whether that’s football or the many other things that we find ourselves not able to do normally right now.
I’ve spoken about some of the restrictions as they relate to football but I want to close today with my usual reminder to everybody – because this is not just about football supporters, this is about all of us right now.
So let me give a general reminder of all of the rules and guidelines.
As I said earlier, except for very specific purposes like childcare or caring for somebody who is vulnerable, none of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now.
That is really tough. I feel that just as all of you find that tough – not being able to see family and friends at their homes, or in our homes. But this is perhaps the single most important thing that all of us can do to limit the risk of transmission, to make sure it doesn’t jump from one household to another. Because we know, once it gets into a household the risk is that it infects everybody in that household.
When we do meet up outdoors, or in indoor public spaces where they are still open, we shouldn’t meet in groups of any more than 6 and those 6 people should be from no more than two households.
Please only car-share if it is essential to do so. And if you must car-share, remember to take sensible precautions – wear face coverings and keep the windows open to allow ventilation.
Work from home if you can – that has been our consistent advice and that remains the advice. My plea to employers is to facilitate your workers working from home if it is at all possible.
Download the Protect Scotland app if you haven’t already done so. That’s an important way of extending the reach of Test and Protect.
Wear face coverings when you are out and about, particularly in enclosed spaces. The law mandates that. As of today that law extends to staff canteens. From Monday it will be extended to communal areas like corridors in workplaces but already in shops and public transport it is the law to wear a face covering. But try to wear one wherever you are when you are out and about because it does help protect against you passing on the virus or other people, if they’re wearing face coverings, passing it to you.
Remember to avoid crowded places – indoors in particular, but even outdoors where there can be a risk of transmission.
Clean your hands regularly and thoroughly, and clean hard surfaces that you’re touching, because we know that from hands and also from surfaces, that’s a way of the virus spreading from one person to another.
Keep two metres distance from people in other households because the farther apart you are, the less risk there is of the virus hopping from one person to another.
And as I’ve already covered today, self-isolate and get tested if you have any of the symptoms. Remember, those symptoms to look out for are a new continuous cough, a fever, high temperature, or a loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell. With any of these, please act immediately to isolate and book a test, don’t hang around and wait to see if you feel better in a day or two.
All of these rules take a lot to remember, they take even more effort to abide by every day, but it’s really important now that we do.
We are in a precarious position, many countries across the world are facing the same challenges right now.
The position we are in requires some really tough restrictions from government, such as not going into other people’s houses, pubs and bars, not being able to open as normal.
But our best defence, our first line of defence against this virus – and this is as true today as it was back in the spring – is me, you and everybody else complying with all of this basic hygiene advice.
As I said yesterday, and it’s important to remember as we head into winter we’re all feeling, I think, more and more fatigued and in despair at this pandemic and everything it’s doing to our lives, but remember, we are not powerless. None of us are powerless; by following the FACTS advice, all of us can strike a blow against this horrible virus, so please remember to do that.
Thank you again for listening.
Ahead of the Old Firm match, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Director of Public Health has issued a plea to football fans to abide by the restrictions in place to avoid increasing pressure on hospitals which have seen a significant increase in COVID-19 hospitalisations.
There are currently 289 patients with a positive test in last 28 days in hospitals across Greater Glasgow and Clyde and staff at acute sites are working extremely hard to manage the increase, with appropriate red and green pathways established to minimise the spread of the virus.
Dr Linda De Caestecker, said: “I am directly appealing to football fans ahead of the weekend to ask them please do not to go to anyone else’s house, or travel outside of Greater Glasgow and Clyde to watch the football.
“If you do, you are putting others at risk. The current restrictions are in place to minimise the spread of the virus. If you do not follow them, this will increase the rate of transmission of COVID-19 in the community and in turn, the number of people who being hospitalised by the virus. Sadly, this will also mean more people will die.”
Greater Glasgow and Clyde currently has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Scotland. Any unnecessary travel, meeting indoors with other households or meeting more than one other household outside, significantly increases the spread of the virus and reduces the impact of the measures in place.
Dr De Caestecker added: “Cases across Scotland are on the rise, and the more the public can do to follow the rules now, the lives will be saved.”
Fund Guidance to be published: Thursday 22 October
Applications invited from: 12 noon, Monday 26 October
Crafts Council& Craft Scotland, Help Musicians, Society of AuthorsandVisual Arts Scotlandhave been confirmed as partners to assist Creative Scotland in the delivery of the Scottish Government’s £5million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers.
Subject to confirmation, BECTU will also be partnering with Creative Scotland on the delivery of this funding.
The specific sector expertise of these partners will help ensure the hardship funds reach as many freelancers across different creative sectors as possible, working with Creative Scotland who will deliver the funds to creative freelancers who work in the sectors not covered by the partner organisations
Eligibility criteria for the fund will be published on Thursday 22 October followed by the fund opening for application at 12noon, Monday 26 October.
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Culture is vitally important to all of our lives in Scotland. This is an extremely worrying time for many people involved in culture and creative industries, particularly creative freelancers and practitioners whose work is integral not only to the economy, but to the wellbeing of individuals and communities.
“Many continue to face uncertain futures while much of their sectors remain unable to operate, and it is important that we can offer financial support while we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic.
“This fund will provide emergency support to creative freelancers in Scotland who are experiencing hardship as a result of the pandemic. Working closely with partners in industry to deliver this fund will help Creative Scotland ensure support reaches people as quickly as possible.”
Iain Munro, CEO at Creative Scotlandsaid: “There is no end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant impact it is having on Scotland’s creative sector.
“With welcome financial support from the Scottish Government, this Hardship Fund offers much needed support for creative freelancers who have been particularly hard hit by the inability to work due to necessary restrictions. Creative Scotland is working hard with our partners to ensure this support reaches those in need as quickly as possible.”
CraftsCouncil’sExecutive Director, Rosy GreenleesOBE said: “We are delighted to partner with Craft Scotland to deliver much needed financial support to craft freelancers in Scotland.
“We know that craft professionals from curators, and educators to individual makers and businesses are struggling. Creative Scotland’s investment will offer a lifeline to ensure the Scottish craft sector remains a thriving and creative force.”
Help Musicians’ Chief Executive, James Ainscough said: “With no end in sight to the restrictions that prevent musicians earning a living from live performance, we are delighted to see Creative Scotland providing this much needed funding for the community of Scottish musicians.
“The team at Help Musicians are pleased to play a supporting role by administering this funding, ensuring that musicians experiencing financial hardship are given a real financial boost as quickly as possible.”
Society of AuthorsChief Executive, Nicola Solomonsaid: “This funding will be invaluable to the many Scottish writers, illustrators and translators who have fallen between the gaps in financial support during the health crisis.
The grants we will now be able to distribute through the Authors’ Contingency Fund will enable some authors to keep working in spite of financial losses, others to stay afloat while dealing with their own ill health, others to fulfil caring responsibilities – and others simply to keep a roof over their heads. We are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference for Scottish authors.”
Sarah Calmus, President of Visual Arts Scotlandsaid: “Visual Arts Scotland are proud to be partnering with Creative Scotland to help deliver these new funds which follow on from our own Emergency Art Workers Support Fund.
“In this unprecedented period, Visual Arts Scotland are dedicated to helping the creative community and are committed to stand in solidarity through distributing funds to Visual Artists who are most in need of support at this time.”
The Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers is one of a series of Scottish Government emergency funds for creativity and culture being administered through Creative Scotland.
These funds have been put in place to help mitigate the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on the creative and cultural sector. There are five new emergency funds which were announced by the First Minister on Friday 28 August and which are being delivered through Creative Scotland as follows:
£15million Culture Organisation and Venues Recovery Fund which opened for applications on Thursday 17 September with a deadline of Thursday 24 September. 348 applications have been received totalling over £22million. Application assessments are now taking place and decisions will be communicated early November.
£5million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers, for which an open call for partner organisations to help us distribute this fund was launched on Friday 11 September, with a deadline of Friday 25 September. 18 Expressions of Interest were received with five organisations now selected. The £700,000 Screen element of these Hardship Funds opened for applications on Tuesday 22 September and closed on Friday 2 October. Assessments are taking place and decisions being communicated to applicants.
£3.5million Independent Cinemas Recovery and Resilience Fund, which opened for applications on Monday 14 September with a deadline of Monday 5 October. 27 applications have been received totalling £3.55million. Assessments are taking place and decisions will be announced w/c 26 October.
£3.5million additional funds for Creative Scotland’s Open Fund which is open for applications to individuals and organisations now. The application threshold has recently been increased from £50K to £100K.
£3million Youth Arts funding package comprises of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund which will be open to applications until Thursday 12 November; the £700,000 Small Grants Scheme which launched onThursday 24 September and will be open to applications until Monday 2 November; £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund, and anadditional £1,050,000 allocated to support a number of targeted national and local area youth music and wider youth arts organisations. These organisations will be invited to apply for the Youth Arts Targeted Fund by Tuesday 13 October.
£1.5million for the Culture Collective programme (part of the £5million Sustaining Creative Practice Fund, referred to in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government), supporting organisations employing freelance artists to work in and with communities across Scotland. More details to be announced in the coming weeks.
Previously announced funds from the Scottish Government are:
Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on the Creative Scotland website and publicised through media and social media communications.
With different parts of the country under different lockdown rules, the idea of celebrating Halloween may seem an impossibility. But Catherine Lynch of education experts PlanBee says you can keep your children spooked out – and stay within the law.
Halloween 2020 is going to be a bit different to previous years. Groups of children putting their hands into several bowls of communal sweets feels like something from another life. But we can incorporate dressing up, community spirit, an evening walk and trick or treating while observing social distancing. Here’s how…
Many communities are organising a Halloween trail for their young trick-or-treaters. Instead of knocking door to door, why not take your children on a trail, too? If you would like to take part in a Halloween trail, or organise one yourself, you could put this spooky picture from PlanBee in your window.
Parents can scan the QR code in the picture to receive a free Halloween activity pack with colouring sheets, puzzles and activities.
Take your children on walks around your local area and see how many Halloween pictures you can spot. You could give your child the chance to pick a treat from your own selection each time they spot a picture on the Halloween treasure hunt.
And while you’re at it, this short guide to the history of Halloween will ensure you can answer any questions your youngsters might have about the origins of this popular autumn celebration.
It all started with Samhain, an ancient Celtic pagan religious festival that marks the end of the harvest and the start of winter. The celebrations included lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off ghosts. This festival is thought to date back to Neolithic times, pre 2500 BC.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III decided 1st November should be a time to honour all saints. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows’ Eve, and later Halloween. All Hallows’ Eve, is a Christian religious observance that includes going to church and lighting candles on the graves of the dead. Traditionally, Christians didn’t eat meat on this day and Potato Pancakes were a popular choice of food.
Over time, Halloween became the more commercial and secular celebration we have today that includes trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, wearing costumes and eating treats.
The decision by the Pubs Code Adjudicator for England & Wales to fine Edinburgh-based Heineken UK’s pub arm, Star Pubs and Bars, £2 million for serious and repeated breaches of the Pubs Code should be a wake-up call for the Scottish Government.
That’s the message from CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, which is calling on the Scottish Government and all parties in the Scottish Parliament to give their backing to the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Bill being put forward by Neil Bibby MSP.
Licensees in Scotland are currently exempt from regulations that are in place across the rest of Great Britain which stop large pub companies from taking more than is fair or sustainable from pub profits by forcing licensees to buy their beer from them rather than on the open market.
It means whilst Heineken’s pubs arm Star Pubs and Bars were found to be making pub tenants sell “unreasonable levels” of the company’s beer and cider brands, the Pubs Code Adjudicator can only stand up for publicans and fine pub companies for unfair practices south of the border because no legislation exists in Scotland.
The proposed Scottish Tied Pubs legislation is due to be debated and voted on by MSPs next month and would give tied pub tenants protections in law from unfair practices from pub-owning businesses.
Commenting, CAMRA Chief Executive Tom Stainer said: “This announcement from the Pubs Code Adjudicator is a good and deserved outcome for Star’s tied pub tenants – but disappointingly only for those in England and Wales.
“It isn’t fair that Star’s tenants in Scotland don’t have the same protections in law from any unfair practices like pub companies taking more than is fair or sustainable from tied licensees’ profits – or making it harder to sell a range of locally-brewed products.
“The fact that the Adjudicator for England and Wales has felt the need to use their financial penalty powers clearly shows that pub companies need to be regulated, in law. We are appealing to MSPs from all parties to support Neil Bibby’s Pubs Code Bill, which calls for a powerful pubs code to govern the relationship between pub companies and their tenants to ensure licensees are treated fairly.
“The pub sector as we know it is currently under threat due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. Pub companies operating across Scotland need to be supporting their tied tenants through this, treating them fairly and making sure they can earn a decent living. One way the Scottish Parliament can help is by voting in favour of the Tied Pubs Bill next month.”
Two Midlothian based entrepreneurs have successfully launched a new clothing brand following support from Business Gateway.
Launched in April 2020, MC Apparel is a fashion clothing brand created by Midlothian locals Michael Surgeon and Liam Chisholm. The team identified the opportunity and were motivated to launch their second business after their first paused trading due to COVID-19.
Working closely with Business Gateway, MC Apparel received a variety of start-up support services including support to create a business plan, marketing and networking opportunities, as well as accessing online resources such as webinars and advertising tutorials.
This guidance from Business Gateway ensured the team were able to adapt their business model to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic and increase margins by shifting from early drop-shipping to stock holding, this enabled MC Apparel to improve quality control and reduce delivery timescales for customers.
Michael Surgeon, Founder of MC Apparel, said: “We gained a wide range of support from Business Gateway and this meant the process of launching our new business went smoothly.
“The team at Business Gateway Midlothian have been very supportive during this period and the online workshops we attended were invaluable, helping us to develop a digital marketing strategy that allowed us to reach our target audiences even with the challenges of lockdown.
“I would recommend anyone who is starting out in business to get in touch with Business Gateway. They are always there when you need them and if they don’t have the answer, they can signpost you to the right person or resource.”
When COVID-19 restrictions ease, the team at MC Apparel are looking forward to organising photoshoots to showcase the clothing range and have plans to collaborate with local fashion brands to give away 20 t-shirts to support a local charity.
Annie Watt, Business Gateway Lead Officer, said: “It’s impressive to see how Michael and Liam have adapted to lockdown, identifying an opportunity to launch a new business and taking it forward.
“They have been incredibly proactive, accessing a range of Business Gateway resources, attending workshops and arranging one-to-one sessions via Zoom to receive guidance and support on development plans.
“Recent research by Business Gateway revealed that despite the challenges, COVID-19 has not hampered peoples’ appetite to start a business, and Michael and Liam’s experience is a testament to this.
“While it is a difficult trading environment, I would encourage anyone with an idea for a new business to get in touch and see how our resources, advice and support can help get it off the ground.”
Morrisons has removed glitter entirely from its own-brand ranges of greetings cards, gift wrap, seasonal items and horticulture in stores.
This means all Morrisons cards, crackers, wrapping paper, present bags, flowers, plants and wreaths are now 100 per cent glitter-free. Glitter is made from tiny particles of plastic and is an ecological hazard if it becomes dispersed on land, rivers and oceans – where it takes hundreds of years to degrade.
The move extends to non-seasonal as well as seasonal lines meaning Morrisons shoppers can shop more sustainably all year round. Soluble inks, foil and paper reliefs will instead be used to decorate Morrisons FSC certified paper cards, wrap and bags to give them a festive feel.
Morrisons has also removed all plastic toys from its Christmas crackers, which will be completely plastic-free this year.
All contents – such as games and gifts – will now be made out of paper, metal or wood and are designed to be kept and reused. The cracker shells will be made from FSC accredited cardboard and decorated with a metallic basked ink – which means they can be recycled at kerbside, along with their packaging.
In a further move to make Christmas more sustainable, Morrisons has also reduced the amount of plastic packaging on cards and decorations. The majority of Morrisons cards will come boxed in recyclable cardboard and 100 per cent of packaging on cards and decorations can be easily recycled by local authorities.
The supermarket is also introducing a wide range of ‘no plastic’ felt, hessian and wooden Christmas decorations.
The move to ban glitter and reduce plastic in Christmas ranges means that Morrisons will be removing more than 50 tonnes of plastic from its shelves during the festive period, and more across non-seasonal lines all year round.
Christine Bryce, Morrisons Home Director. said:“Every time a cracker is pulled, or a card is opened, plastics have been used…but just the once. So, we’ve taken glitter and plastic out of our festive range this year – so that our customers can enjoy their festivities without worrying about the environmental impact.
“This means that we’re now 100 per cent glitter free across all our own brand ranges which is an important step in the fight against plastic pollution.”
Morrisons glitter-free Christmas cards are in store now. Crackers, decorations, wrapping paper and gift bags will be appearing on shelves throughout October and November.
In May, Morrisons increased its target to reduce own-brand plastic packaging from 25% to 50% by 2025.
A national campaign to reach the 9 million people in the UK who are unable to use the internet fully returns next week – held virtually for the first time ever.
As the UK is thrown into a harsh Winter with intensifying restrictions, Get Online Week will see hyperlocal community partners assist and facilitate digital learners at hundreds of events.
For the first time in the campaign’s 15 year history, community organisations will run hundreds of life-transforming events in a variety of locations – all with no cost to the attendees. These COVID-safe events will minimise the need for in-person contact, with local support for those needing help to get online.
Pandemic restrictions show the internet is an essential skill critical for everyday life. It allows almost half of all British workers to work from home1, helps isolated people stay connected, and makes sure children can stay on track with their schooling. 4 out of 5 people polled in a recent survey say digital technology has been a vital support to them in lockdown, and 78% say the pandemic has escalated the importance of digital skills.2
However, 7.6m workers are facing redundancy or reduced hours and pay due to COVID-193, and 82% of jobs required digital skills, even before the pandemic4.
Improving the UK’s digital capability is the solution. It will reduce the devastating economic fallout of the pandemic by protecting livelihoods, in turn, it will improving the wellbeing of millions of people.
Supported by BT and the Department for Education, Get Online Week is here to help make sure that everyone in the UK has access to free, friendly and local support to improve their digital skills.
From Zoom interview masterclasses and CV workshops to online coffee mornings and Skype quizzes, events right across the UK will help people grow their essential digital skills and confidence with digital.
Get Online Week is delivered by Good Things Foundation, the UK’s leading social and digital inclusion organisation. The charity helps people develop and improve their digital skills and teaches them how to use the internet safely and confidently, so they can be happier, healthier and better off.
Helen Milner, Chief Executive at Good Things Foundation says: “Now more than ever, digital skills are critical to the wellbeing of the most vulnerable people in our society. Locked-out and locked down, they’re facing a bleak winter.
“Get Online Week will begin to transform the lives and experiences of the 9 million who lack confidence, helping them find the support and resources they need to stay connected to society and essential government services.”
Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s consumer brands says: “As our world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, having the skills and confidence to access digitally-enabled services has never been more important – whether that’s being able to message a loved one on WhatsApp, or order groceries or prescription medicines online.
“It is clear these services are a lifeline for millions of people across the UK and we have a responsibility to make sure those with lower digital skills are not left behind, especially in the face of such uncertain times. This is why we are proud to support Get Online Week 2020, so we can continue our work to ensure everyone is able to learn the skills they need to access vital services and stay connected to friends and family.”
If you’d like to take your next step to making more of the internet – or want to help someone else do so – you can find your nearest Get Online Week event at www.getonlineweek.com.
Centre for Cities has launched a new interactive online tool to track unemployment in the 63 largest cities and towns in the UK. You can explore this here.
You can see here some key statistics from the newly released data today covering the period up to September 2020:
The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits has increased by 1.4 million since March and now stands at 2.7 million people.
Birmingham has overtaken Blackpool as the place with the highest unemployment rate in the country. Almost one in ten adults in the city are claiming unemployment related benefits.
Slough, Luton, London and Crawley remain the places that have had the largest increases in people claiming unemployment-related benefits since the March lockdown.
Slough, Luton and Crawley have also all had the largest increases in unemployment in the past month.
While also slowing down, the number of young people claiming unemployment-related benefits is rising at a faster rate than the number of adults overall.
Half of large cities and towns have seen no change or decrease in claimant count compared to last month.
Percentage point change in unemployment claims March – September 2020
HIGHEST
LOWEST
Rank
Place
Percentage point change
Rank
Place
Percentage point change
1
Slough
5.6
1
York
2.3
2
Luton
5.4
2
Exeter
2.4
3
Crawley
5.1
3
Oxford
2.6
4
London
4.8
4
Swansea
2.6
5
Bradford
4.4
5
Cambridge
2.7
6
Northampton
4.3
6
Preston
2.7
7
Brighton
4.2
7
Warrington
2.8
8
Birmingham
4.1
8
Mansfield
2.9
9
Liverpool
4.1
9
Barnsley
2.9
10
Blackpool
4.1
10
Belfast
3
Percentage point change in unemployment claims August – September 2020
HIGHEST
LOWEST
Rank
Place
Percentage point change
Rank
Place
Percentage point change
1
Crawley
0.5
1
Blackpool
-0.3
2
Slough
0.3
2
Mansfield
-0.1
3
London
0.2
3
Barnsley
-0.1
4
Derby
0.2
4
Exeter
-0.1
5
Bradford
0.2
5
Doncaster
-0.1
6
Coventry
0.2
6
Preston
0.0
7
Aberdeen
0.2
7
Portsmouth
0.0
8
Birmingham
0.2
8
Glasgow
0.0
9
Oxford
0.1
9
Swindon
0.0
10
Brighton
0.1
10
Edinburgh
0.0
Overall unemployment claimant count rate, September 2020
HIGHEST
LOWEST
Rank
Place
Percentage
Rank
Place
Percentage
1
Birmingham
9.8
1
York
3.6
2
Hull
9.7
2
Exeter
4.2
3
Blackpool
9.5
3
Cambridge
4.3
4
Bradford
9.5
4
Oxford
4.6
5
Liverpool
8.9
5
Oxford
4.6
6
Luton
8.7
6
Reading
5.1
7
Slough
8.5
7
Edinburgh
5.1
8
Sunderland
8.3
8
Warrington
5.4
9
Middlesbrough
8.3
9
Preston
5.4
10
Blackburn
8.2
10
Norwich
5.6
Further analysis of this data by Centre for Cities Senior Analyst Elena Magrini can be read here.
All of our work on unemployment and the labour market can be read here.
Cat lovers have a lot to celebrate this Black Cat Day (27 October) with Cats Protection’s news that black and black-and-white cats are no longer overlooked as they once were.
Since we created the awareness day in 2010 to highlight that black cats took longer to rehome than other cats, they now spend 11 days less on average in care than before, prior to moving to their new loving homes.
Around 65,000 black or black-and-white cats have been homed through our adoption centres in the decade since the campaign started, a remarkable 44% of all cats homed through our centres during that time.
We would like to thank readers for their support and for helping us make a real difference. Not only do these cats now spend less time in our care, but each year thousands celebrate the day and engage with our #BlackCatDay hashtag on social media.
Throughout the campaign, Cats Protection has explored reasons why black cats might be less popular, working to change perceptions and buck the rehoming trend. These included black cats being seen as unlucky or not photogenic in selfies.
We would love to invite readers to celebrate and showcase their black cat knowledge by hosting a quiz for friends and family while also raising vital funds for their local branch or centre.
