Day: November 14, 2020

New online community requests Veteran stories for new app

  • As generations pass since the two World Wars, the history of our fallen has the potential to be forgotten as sentiment wanes
  • Memories will have added longevity by engaging users with a web-based platform that appeals to families and younger people
  • The free app, Faces of Valour, will launch in 2021 combining the community stories and military history

As generations pass, are we likely to move further from the emotional resonance our generation has over the history and memories of our fallen heroes? Those who fought for our freedom and way of life. There is no blame to be placed, it is human nature that as time passes our understanding and emotions begin to deplete.

However, Canada based Memory Anchor are pleased to be developing a brand-new mobile application, Faces of Valour with the mission to address this. The app, which will be launching soon, will combine many resources which include the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) who honour and care for 1.7 million men and women, in 23,000 locations worldwide that died in the first and second world wars.

Whilst the app is in development, the co-founders of the project are hoping to collate as much information as possible from communities in Canada, the UK, and US. The community hub has been launched to coincide with the Remembrance services to engage with people who have stories to tell and information to share.

Ryan Mullens, co-founder of the Faces of Valour from Memory Anchor comments: “When we decided to create the Faces of Valour app, it was always our intention to create a unique and interesting way for people to interact with military history and honour those that have fallen to protect our freedom and way of life.

“By creating an app that offers physical interaction, modern technology and can appeal to more generations will help us to retain the memories of our loved ones we lost. With each generation we move further in time from the conflicts, but this should not mean that those people and their sacrifices should be lost or forgotten. 

“By collecting information, pictures and real-life stories of family members and loved ones, will ensure the app is rich with information when it is launched.”

The team have begun to build a community across the UK, Canada and the US to act as a resource by providing information, pictures, images of service records, medals and so much more – that will ensure the family members, friends and loved one’s memories are available for the world to engage with.

Anyone wishing to engage with the community can visit the website www.memoryanchor.com and register for free.

Matthew Cudmore, co-founder of Faces of Valour comments: “We are so excited to launch our community site and begin to collate lots of stories of real people.  We are so grateful to our professional partners at Beechwood, Veterans Affairs Canada and of course the CWGC. The development of the app has been the focus for Ryan and I for months, and we can wait to bring it to market soon. 

“For now, we are excited to focus on our community in time for Remembrance celebrations, in whatever form they may take this year. With every story we are told we hope to continue to tell that story for many years to come.”

You can follow the Faces of Valour team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Barratt Homes helps Edinburgh communities with charity donations

LifeCare and Tiphereth have each received a £1,000 donation as part of Barratt Homes East Scotland’s regular Community Fund giveaway.

Elderly care charity, LifeCare, will be using the cash boost from the five-star housebuilder to upskill its frontline workers to better deal with the changes to their working environment caused by COVID-19. For Tiphereth, the donation will help towards the refurbishment of one of its facilities, allowing them to welcome more people back to the organisation’s day service.

LifeCare specialises in dementia care, home care and incare for older people, allowing them to live with dignity. By helping older people keep connected to their communities, and to the things they love and enjoy, Life Care aims to guard the elderly against social isolation and the trap of defining people by dementia, poor mobility or advanced years.

Tiphereth is a unique community in Edinburgh where people with learning difficulties, staff and volunteers work and grow together. Through undertaking work for local community groups as well as their own cookery, art and gardening projects members increase their self-confidence while developing lifelong skills.

Alison Condie, managing director at Barratt East Scotland, said: “LifeCare and Tiphereth carry out incredible work supporting the vulnerable and people with learning difficulties.

“We’re pleased to be able to help them and hope that our donation will allow them continue to provide these crucial and important services through what are difficult times for us all.”

Speaking of the donation Vicki Bradley, Fundraising Manager at LifeCare added: “We are delighted that Barratt Homes has chosen to donate £1,000 to LifeCare.

“The people who use LifeCare services are amongst the most vulnerable in society and many are still shielding, so it is extremely important that our workers are knowledgeable in how to keep their clients and themselves safe. COVID-19 has not only changed the way we work but has added extra costs to all that we do, so we are very grateful to Barratt Homes for their generosity to help us continue to support those who rely on our services.”

Gordon Hudson, Fundraiser Manager at the Tiphereth said: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to Barratt Homes from everyone at Tiphereth. While our residential homes have been able to operate throughout lockdown, getting our day service back to 75% capacity has used up 100% of our staff.

“The donation will go towards bringing an extra building up to normal office standard, allowing us to utilise our locations differently and establish safer smaller groups.  This, in turn, will help us welcome more people back, offering respite to parents.”

Now in its second year, the Barratt Homes Community Fund has pledged to donate £1,000 each month to a charity or organisation in the East of Scotland. Charities are nominated by and voted for by employees of Barratt Homes and the focus for the fund continues to be on organisations that improve the quality of life for those living in the area.

The Barratt Homes Community Fund will be continuing into 2021.

Interested charities can enquire about donation opportunities at charity.eastscotland@barratthomes.co.uk

For more information on Barratt Homes, visit the website.

Book your place at the #BigClimateDebate

Wednesday 18 November: 5.20 – 7.20pm on Zoom

The #BigClimateDebate has now arrived. Join the most important discussion of our time.

We will hear the major political parties’ proposals to tackle the climate emergency and their achievements to date. Our guest politicians will give a short presentation on their party’s environmental actions and policies and then debate your questions.

Book your ticket here: https://thebigclimatedebate.eventbrite.co.uk

Our panellists are:

Sarah Boyack – Labour MSP for Lothian

Deidre Brock – SNP MP for Edinburgh North and Leith

Finlay Carson – Conservative MSP for Dumfries and Galloway

Christine Jardine – Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West

Alison Johnstone – Green MSP for Lothian

British beavers face fragile future

Britain’s beavers could be major allies in tackling the climate and extinction crises – but without more public and government support face a fragile future, says Beaver Trust as it launches a new documentary film exploring the country’s relationship with the endangered but controversial species.

The charity’s short film, Beavers Without Borders, explores the benefits and challenges of reintroducing beavers to Britain’s landscapes. It hopes the documentary, launching on YouTube on 15 November, will appeal to a wide audience and promote discussions around ensuring a better future for the species.

“It’s a critical time for beavers, with the UK Government deciding on their future in England, and calls for the Scottish Government to allow their relocation in Scotland,”said James Wallace, Beaver Trust’s Chief Executive.

“We hope our film evokes the buzz of life in beaver wetlands, inspires people to welcome beavers back, and helps nurture a reconnection between people and the rest of nature.”

Beavers Without Borders follows science communicator Sophie Pavelle on a journey around Britain’s beaver reintroduction sites – hearing from farmers, anglers, scientists and conservationists about the issues, the importance of community support, and how we might learn to live alongside beavers again.

It highlights how beavers are superb ecosystem engineers, with their small dams creating nature-rich wetlands that support wildlife, absorb carbon dioxide, reduce flooding, and improve water quality. But the animals can have localised impacts on agricultural land too.

Now back in Britain after being hunted to extinction over four centuries ago for their meat, fur and oil, beavers remain at risk as a wild species.

The Scottish Government last year declared Scotland’s beavers a protected species. But it still doesn’t allow relocations within Scotland, and says beavers can only spread naturally from their current ranges in Argyll and Tayside – despite having identified over 100,000 hectares of suitable habitat elsewhere, and many landowners being ready to welcome the animals and their biodiversity-boosting activities.

Although some Scottish beavers are relocated to England, the current block on their relocations within Scotland leaves Tayside farmers with little option but to apply for a licence to kill the animals when they damage crops. Last year, 87 beavers – a fifth of the population – were shot.

The UK Government decided this summer that England’s first breeding wild beavers for 400 years could remain in Devon, following the River Otter trial that highlighted their benefits. Elsewhere in England, beavers are being introduced in enclosed areas – but the Government has yet to recognise beavers as native, or provide a licensing and management system allowing beaver releases in the wild.

Beaver Trust says the Government’s national strategy and funding to protect and manage wild beavers should be informed by the lessons learnt by people involved in or affected by reintroductions.

Those sharing their experiences and expertise in the Beavers Without Borders film include Devon-based farmer, ecologist and author Derek Gow – a key figure in UK beaver reintroductions.

“This wonderful film illustrates succinctly the critical importance of the beaver for nature recovery. Without the assistance of this creature’s fabled engineering skill sets, it is impossible to imagine a future where nature can begin to recover itself.

“By returning the beaver to Britain’s impoverished wetland environments, we are blessing them with the ability to heal themselves,” said Derek.

While beavers on floodplains can cause local problems for farmers, Germany’s Gerhard Schwab explains how people in Bavaria have learnt to co-exist with, and benefit from, the species – including through incentives for farmers to include buffer strips free of cultivation or chemicals along rivers.

At Aberfeldy in Highland Perthshire, Sophie meets Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, who works to resolve beaver-related tensions between communities and landowners in Tayside – including by trapping and relocating beavers as an alternative to culling, and through simple mitigation measures.

In Dunkeld, angler Duncan Pepper explains how beavers’ activities in Tayside have improved conditions for river-dwelling fish and so boosted Atlantic salmon populations.

Chris Jones of Woodland Valley Farm – home of the Cornwall Beaver Project – shows how releasing beavers into enclosed areas three years ago has boosted birds, dragonflies and other wildlife.

James Wallace, who is also the film’s executive producer, said: “Policies, education and funds are needed to help us all learn to live alongside these remarkable but sometimes troublesome animals – with the voices of people living in and managing our landscapes heard, incentives for community-led river restoration, and support to promote acceptance of beavers”.

https://youtu.be/9Fh6WAcf_Mg

The film’s writer and director Nina Constable said: “Filming Beavers Without Borders, and meeting individuals dedicated to restoring our natural world, has been an incredible experience.

“Hopefully the film will raise awareness about what we can do right now to give nature a helping hand, while debunking some myths surrounding beavers and offering hope at a time when we all need it.”

A free live YouTube premiere of the film, followed by a live question and answer session with Nina Constable and Sophie Pavelle, will be held online tomorrow – Sunday 15 November from 7pm – 8pm.

To register for the event and view the documentary’s official trailer, visit 

https://bit.ly/366N2Zg.

Beavers Without Borders has been supported by The European Nature Trust, Hagan Family Foundation, and SCOTLAND: The Big Picture.

Beaver Trust is a charitable alliance helping communities build resilience to climate change, recover wildlife and reconnect with nature by restoring our rivers with beavers. See beavertrust.org.

Game of Thrones star supports children and families in exclusive video

Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie supports vulnerable children and families across Scotland by backing charity fundraiser

  • Pregnant Game of Thrones star supports vulnerable children and families in Scotland
  • Charity says funds are needed to keep children safe now more than ever.

Scottish actor Rose Leslie has pledged her support to the Banchory Bangle – an annual fundraising raffle in aid of Children 1st, a charity which works with families across Scotland to protect children from harm and help them recover from trauma and abuse.

Rose, who is expecting her first child with her husband and fellow Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, said ‘now more than ever’ vulnerable children and families across the country need support.

In an exclusive video for the charity, Rose, who also stars in Death on the Nile, a film adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel, says: “I’m thrilled to be involved with this Children 1st fundraiser for the Banchory Bangle raffle.

Every penny raised goes to Children 1st who do incredible work with children, families and communities across Scotland. Now more than ever they need our help. If you can, please buy some online raffle tickets and support children and families this year!”

For the first time in 43 years, Deeside’s annual Banchory Bangle fundraiser has gone online to ensure the charity can continue to keep children safe and families strong through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Banchory Bangle, which is designed by prominent Perthshire artist and engraver, Dr Malcolm Appleby MBE, and raffled annually by the Children 1st Deeside Committee has raised over £160,000 funds for the children’s charity since it began in 1977.

In previous years raffle tickets for the bangle have been sold through local Deeside shops, but with coronavirus measures leading to closures of many stores, the Children 1st Deeside Committee decided to sell tickets online and by email.

Nicky Bradford, from the Children 1st Deeside Committee hopes that with Rose’s support, they can raise more money for the children and families in Scotland who need it most.

She said: “We are incredibly grateful to Rose for supporting the 43rd Banchory Bangle. This is an amazing opportunity to win an iconic piece of jewellery and support Scotland’s children and families. We are really excited to be holding this raffle online for the first time and can’t wait to see those sales coming in.”

Susan Bradley, Head of Public Fundraising, Children 1st said: “We are absolutely delighted with the support Rose Leslie is giving to Children 1st. The bangle is an incredible piece of artwork with has been lovingly crafted.

“The decision to make the bangle tickets available online is fantastic. Not only can people purchase tickets safely during this very difficult time, but anyone, no matter where they are, can purchase one.”

First prize in the raffle is the original 2020 Banchory Bangle in silver and 18ct gold made by Malcolm Appleby, second prize is a copy of the bangle in silver and third prize a copy of the bangle in bronze.

The draw will take place on 29th November and you can find out more about the online event, which includes a Q&A with Malcolm Appleby at https://banchory-bangle-2020.eventbrite.co.uk/

To be in with a chance buy raffle tickets today at https://bit.ly/bangleraffle

Cut down on sugar in your drinks

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Cut down on sugar in your drinks

TODAY 14th November is World Diabetes Day. Consuming too much sugar in your diet can lead to weight-gain as well as increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Over a quarter of the added sugar in our diets is believed to come from the drinks we consume. The focus of this week’s tip is on reducing the amount of sugar in your drinks.

Choose sugar-free or reduced-sugar drinks

When you feel thirsty, water is always the best option. Try swapping your sugary soft drink for a glass of water or a sugar-free or reduced-sugar drink. If you are not keen on the taste of water, you could try adding a slice of lemon and/or some mint leaves.

 

Save sugary drinks for an occasional treat

If you don’t want to stop drinking your favourite sugary drink permanently, try limiting the amount you drink by consuming it less frequently and in smaller quantities. Unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies also contain sugar, so try to limit your intake to no more than 150ml a day.

Avoid adding sugar, syrups and honey to hot drinks

If you usually add sugar, syrups or honey to hot drinks, why not gradually reduce the amount you add, until you can cut it out altogether. Alternatively, you could use an artificial sweetener, however this will not help you to adjust your taste preference for sweet drinks.

Cut down on sugar from alcoholic drinks

Alcoholic drinks can be high in sugar. A pint of cider contains around five teaspoons of sugar. Try to reduce your sugar intake by consuming alcoholic drinks less frequently, in smaller measures and by combining alcoholic drinks with sugar-free or reduced-sugar mixers, such as sugar-free tonic water.

A recent report from Action on Sugar identified very high levels of sugar in ready to drink alcoholic beverages, such as cans of ready mixed cocktails (http://www.actiononsugar.org/media/actiononsugar/Alcohol-Survey-Report.pdf).

For more healthy tips, recipes and advice, please visit heartresearch.org.uk.

Local salon up for Salon Awards

MARKDAVID salon based in Stockbridge, has received the news it has finalised for the Salon Awards in two categories – Best Customer Experience and for the Best New or Refurbished Salon category.

With the salon being open for only just one year, this is an incredible achievement, being the third awards the salon has finalised for since opening and during such a turbulent year.

The Salon Awards are the only virtual hair and beauty industry awards where hair and beauty can compete at a local level in their fields of expertise.

Focused on improving standards, elevating business, rewarding individuals, and showcasing the professionalism of their industry locally, and with an impressive audience and reputation with its industry peers, the Salon Awards are a fantastic platform for hair and beauty professionals with a devotion to showcasing talent and giving those the opportunity to be recognised by their industry.

To enter the awards, the MARKDAVID salon had to provide written entries showcasing passion and personality and outlining why they should win the chosen category. Questions had to be answered fully and be supported with evidence, picture and videos in the format specified.

Out of 1000’s of entries collated and judged, MARKDAVID was chosen as the finalist for two categories. The winners of each category will be announced at a virtual ceremony on Saturday 12th December through the Salon Awards portal and will include a live DJ set and a showcase of sponsors and partners.

Mark McCarthy, Owner of MARKDAVID, commented: “I am absolutely delighted our salon has been announced as the finalist for two categories in the Salon Awards. The salons design and interior means a great deal to me and is something I took a lot of time and effort to decide on to create something I knew my clients would love.

“Our customer service is something we pride ourselves on too and we are constantly trying to think of new ideas to offer our clients something new and different from other salons and thinking of ways we can go the extra mile and exceed their expectations.

“To win either or both of the awards in December would be amazing and would end the year on such a high!”

Upskilling and reskilling opportunities for employees

More employers across Scotland can now apply for funding to provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities for their existing staff.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) helps businesses continue to invest in their workforce and is available for all of Scotland’s employers who are subject to the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy. For the first time, the fund will now be available for both levy payers and SMEs, across the private, public and third sectors.

In August the Scottish Government announced immediate investment in jobs to provide the foundations for a strong economic recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19). As part of this, the FWDF, which is now in its fourth year, was doubled to £20m for 2020/21, with £13 million made available through the first phase to allow colleges to provide additional support for levy paying employers.

The second phase of the fund, backed by £7 million, will also be utilised to respond directly to the impacts of the pandemic, and will open to applications 16 November 2020.

Of this, £5 million will be available to support SMEs through a college and Open University in Scotland partnership, while Skills Development Scotland will offer a new option which will test the use of private training providers for levy paying businesses who require specialist training.

Business, Fair Work and Skills Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Opportunities for training are essential for both employers and employees, and in August we doubled funding for our Flexible Workforce Development Fund to £20 million for 2020/21 to ensure businesses across Scotland can continue to invest in their workforce.

“As this fund adapts and responds to the impacts of the pandemic, we will also see the introduction of additional delivery partners including the Open University in Scotland and private training providers for employers who require more specialist training.

“By strengthening upskilling the existing workforce, in partnership with colleges, we can retain jobs and support employers as they pivot and adapt to a new and very different working environment as a result of the pandemic.”

Andrew McRae, FSB’s Scotland policy chair, said: “This new funding could help many Scottish smaller businesses, and their staff teams, navigate the current crisis and ensure they’re prepared to take advantage of the recovery when it comes.

“FSB has been making the case to open up this cash pot to local firms, and we’d encourage all sorts of smaller operators to investigate how to access this support to build their business and develop their employees.”

Susan Stewart, Director of The Open University in Scotland, said: “The Open University in Scotland has led in the development of new skills for those facing redundancy, furlough or sectoral job pressures as a result of COVID-19.

“We welcome this funding which allows us to deliver support at scale to small and medium sized businesses across Scotland providing vital training as they adapt to new ways of working post pandemic.

“We will help businesses with a tailored, flexible package of online training to boost productivity and upskill and retrain employees particularly in those areas where skills gaps exist across Scotland like business management, digital, health and social care and the green economy.”

Find out more about the FWDF through The Open University, Scottish Funding Council, Our Skillforce.

More information on Phase 2 of the FWDF will also be available here shortly.

SNP retain council seat in by-election

The SNP’s Ethan Young has won the vacant council seat in the Craigentinny Duddingston ward.

The by-election was brought about by the resignation of SNP councillor Ian Campbell, who resigned for health reasons back in February.

The SNP candidate was well ahead in First Preference votes and was elected at Stage Six:

ETHAN YOUNG (SNP) … 2920

Eleanor Price (Scottish Conservatives ) … 1420

Margaret Graham (Scottish Labour) … 1205

Ben Parker (Scottish Greens) … 1185

Elaine Ford (Scottish Lib Dems) … 631

Andrew McDonald (Independent) … 93

Tam Laird (Scottish Libertarian Party) … 42

The result makes no difference to the running of the city, where the SNP remains in charge with the support of Labour in the ‘Capital Coalition’.

Despite efforts to encourage people to vote, the turnout was just 31.6% – fewer than one in three voters cast their ballot.

Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Andrew Kerr, said: I’d like to thank all those who took part in the by-election, despite the challenging circumstances we face. It’s been a difficult year but local democracy is still extremely important, so I’m pleased to welcome Ethan Young, who will help represent the community as we work to emerge from the crisis, and on a range of other issues affecting the ward and city.

“I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and planning that has gone into staging this election. I’ve heard from many constituents who have praised the safe, physically distanced voting process, which is with thanks to our Elections Team, who have spent months preparing for the event.

Find further details of the results on the Council website.