Police are appealing for the public’s help to trace a 38-year-old woman reported missing in Edinburgh.
Tara O’Donnell was last seen in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh around 12.15 pm on Wednesday 2nd December 2020 and there are concerns for her welfare.
It is thought that she may currently be in Edinburgh or have travelled to the Belfast area of Northern Ireland.
Tara is described as about 5 foot 3 inches, curly red/auburn hair, average build, wearing a waist length yellow rain coat.
Anyone who may have seen Tara since this time, or who has any information on her whereabouts, is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 1698 of 03/12/2020.
POLICE are pleased to confirm that Tara O’Donnell has been traced safe and well. We would like to thank the public for their assistance.
Sweet potatoes make a tasty alternative to white potatoes and they are very versatile. Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes count towards your 5 a day and they are packed with vitamins and fibre to keep you healthy.
Sweet potatoes can be mashed, baked, roasted and boiled in the same way as white potatoes.
We provide some tips to help you include sweet potatoes in your meals:
For a healthy lunch, why not swap your regular baked potato for a baked sweet potato (without butter). Choose a healthy filling, such as vegetarian chilli, tuna, baked beans or cottage cheese and serve with a healthy salad.
Try switching from regular mashed potato to mashed sweet potato. Alternatively, you could make your mash with 50% white potatoes and 50% sweet potatoes. Instead of adding cream, butter or salt, try adding a splash of milk or low-fat crème fraiche and a pinch of nutmeg before mashing. Mashed sweet potato makes a great topping for shepherd’s pie or fish pie, or you can serve it alongside a roast dinner.
Ditch your deep-fat fryer and switch from chips to sweet potato wedges, baked in the oven. Cut your sweet potatoes into wedges (keep the skins on for extra fibre), toss them in a small amount of oil and add some dried herbs and/or spices, such as Cajun spice mix, cumin or paprika. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of reduced calorie crème fraiche.
WHAT: The perfect Christmas roast dinner delivered to your door by Deliveroo, from Aldi and top chef Neil Rankin
WHEN: Available to order via Deliveroo on 12th December, for delivery on 13th December
PRICE: £5 donation to food charity Neighbourly
Aldi has announced ‘Christmas on a Plate’, the perfect roast dinner delivered to your door by Deliveroo, in collaboration with top chef Neil Rankin.
The launch comes as the supermarket’s research reveals 36% of Edinburghians are planning more than one Christmas dinner this year, despite nearly one in ten Edinburgh residents saying cooking a roast dinner is too stressful. Aldi’s ‘Christmas on a Plate’ is a delicious alterative, helping to take the pressure off cooks this festive season.
The partnership with Great British Menu star Rankin and Deliveroo sees a Christmas dinner delivery roll out across Edinburgh on Sunday 13th December, giving customers the chance to order a perfectly cooked roast in return for a £5 donation to food charity Neighbourly.
With the option to order either traditional turkey or a vegan meal, the roasts have been expertly curated by Rankin and will include tasty side dishes and ingredients from Aldi’s Specially Selected range.
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director for Buying at Aldi, comments: “After a year unlike any other, we want to give our customers a treat by taking the stress out of cooking at home, which is why we’ve partnered with Neil Rankin and Deliveroo to create Christmas on a Plate.
“Our research has shown that people will be celebrating in many different ways this year, but one thing is for certain – the nation is still gearing up to enjoy an amazing Christmas dinner and that’s where we’re best placed to help, with beautiful food at great value.
“We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy quality food not just at Christmas, but every day of the year, and that’s why all proceeds of our initiative will go to Neighbourly, supporting local charities and communities.”
Aldi’s ‘Christmas on a Plate’ roasts will be available for the cost of a £5 charitable donation per meal from Deliveroo’s app.
Customers will have the option to also donate more money to the Neighbourly charity on the page if they do not wish to order an additional meal.
Customers will need to keep their eyes peeled for the order page, which will launch at 12PM on Saturday 12th December for pre-order the following day.
Shoppers will need to be quick, as always with Aldi’s limited-edition products, once it’s gone, it’s gone.
o Calls to abuse charities have hit unprecedented highs throughout 2020 lockdowns
o Safer ageing charity, Hourglass revealed earlier this week that 1 in 5 over-65s in UK have experienced abuse, with almost 2.7 million victims thought to be affected across the country
o UK’s only safer ageing charity looks to provide 24/7 helpline access as it sends open letter to the Home Secretary calling for support in ensuring that the abuse of older people is taken as seriously as other forms of abuse
With calls to abuse charities hitting record highs during the 2020 lockdowns, the UK’s only charity focused on the abuse of older people is taking steps to secure round the clock support for those in need.
Hourglass, formerly Action on Elder Abuse, has launched a bid to help make its vital helpline available 24/7 after earlier this week revealing polling data showing that 1 in 5 (22 percent) people either had personal experience of abuse as an older person (aged 65+) or knew an older person who had been abused. It found that well over half (53%) of people in the UK felt that the abuse and neglect of older people had increased as a result of lockdown, highlighting the real need for ongoing targeted support.
Launching Safer Ageing Week on Monday (30 November), Hourglass announced a raft of new measures and ways in which the public can access its support.
The charity, founded in 1993 by Baroness Sally Greengross, has long relied on a helpline staffed by volunteers and employees, and the charity is now calling for financial support to make this provision open all hours.
Until 2020, the charity received no government or statutory support and relied exclusively on donations. Calls to the charity’s helpline have increased dramatically throughout this year’s lockdowns (up 110% between 23 March 2020 – 31 Aug 2020 compared to 1 December 2019 – 22 March 2020).
The charity, which has operations across England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, received some emergency funding in response to the pandemic and has invested heavily in new services to deal with the complexity of demand.
Hourglass deputy CEO and Policy Director, Veronica Gray, said: “We have seen abuse charities across the UK and Ireland report calls spiking during the pandemic.
“Likewise, we have seen call attempts during our closed hours steadily grow and we need support now to ensure this is the final winter without a 24/7 elder abuse helpline.”
Chair of Trustees for Hourglass, Caroline Cox, added: “Hourglass has launched Safer Ageing Week to ensure people are mindful of the rights of older people to have a safe and secure environment when they are at their most vulnerable.
“On Monday, we began using text messaging via our helpline staff, instant messaging via our website, and launched the UK’s first Knowledge Bank for older people at risk of abuse. However, whilst all our information online is available 24/7, we rely on staff and volunteers to give that vital in-person advice via the helpline or messages. That has only ever been available during business hours and we need to make this provision available round the clock.”
The charity has also sent an open letter to the Home Secretary and to her counterparts in the devolved administrations. The letter calls for support in ensuring that the abuse of older people is taken as seriously as abuse against other populations. The charity believes the polling figures underscore the inequality in support for older people who are at risk of or have experienced abuse.
The charity is urging those keen to support the 24/7 campaign to make a donation by visiting www.wearehourglass.org.uk/donateor Text SAFER to 70460 to donate £10.
Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to give £10 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SAFERNOINFO to 70460.
Workers in food manufacturing already face a higher risk of getting Covid-19
Huge influx of Christmas temporary staff could see cases “rocket”
Ministers must update health and safety guidance and place a legal duty on employers to publish their risk assessments, says TUC
The TUC has warned that food processing factories could become “super spreaders” of Covid-19 in the run up to Christmas.
People working in food plants already face a higher chance of contracting Covid-19 due to the lack of airflow, lack of social distancing and low temperatures, says the TUC.
With the number of temporary workers in food manufacturing set to increase by more than 40% this Christmas, the union body says the risk of workplace infections will grow.
Since March, several UK food factories have been forced to close during the pandemic after reporting hundreds of cases of coronavirus, among them suppliers to major supermarkets. Last month, turkey meat manufacturer Bernard Matthews reported 147 positive cases across two sites.
Food processing has the third highest rate of outbreaks of any sector across Europe, after care homes and hospitals, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Control.
Temporary workers
Food manufacturing companies across Britain are currently advertising for temporary workers as they gear up for the busy Christmas period. They include:
Dessert factory Bakkavor, which had 115 staff test positive for Covid-19 over the summer. The company is seeking hundreds of seasonal staff to meet demand for Christmas.
Meat supplier Cranswick, previous hit by outbreaks that led to three workers losing their lives, which is recruiting for at least 130 Christmas jobs in one factory.
Safety guidance is “out-of-date”
The TUC warns that current workplace safety guidance for food production is “out-of-date”.
New scientific studies have shown the significance of airborne transmission with Covid-19 aerosols remaining suspended in the air for hours. But the existing government guidance is still largely based on stopping spread of droplets which fall to the ground in seconds.
The TUC says ministers must update the guidance to deal with issues including:
Ventilation: the current guidance fails to offer advice on effective ventilation beyond opening windows. And it doesn’t state what additional measures should be implemented in instances where this is not possible to achieve.
Face coverings: the government should issue detailed standards on the quality of face coverings. The World Health Organisation says there should be three protective layers.
Workplace temperature: studies show that coronavirus thrives in the cooler temperatures found in meat packing factories. But there is no mention of workplace temperatures in the current official guidance.
Social distancing: the current guidance states that, where two metre distancing is not possible, working side-by-side is preferable to face-to face. The TUC says this rule should be reviewed based on the most recent scientific findings.
The TUC says ministers must “stop dragging their feet” and make it a legal requirement on employers to publish their risk assessments so that workers have confidence that the necessary precautions are in place.
TUC polling published in September revealed that just two-fifths (38%) of workers say they know their employers have carried out Covid-Secure risk assessments. And only four in ten (42%) reported being given adequate PPE.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:“There is a real danger that food factories could become ‘super spreaders’ of Covid-19 as they produce turkeys and other seasonal fare for Christmas.
“Out-of-date guidelines on food production, combined with the seasonal increase in staff, will put factory workers at an even higher risk of infection.
“Ministers urgently need to update the guidance for food production. They must require employers to publish their risk assessments. And they must resource the HSE properly, so it can get into food factories and crack down on unsafe working.
“That’s how to make sure everyone is safe at work this Christmas.”
Enforcement not doing enough to contain outbreaks
The TUC says comparatively little enforcement action is taking place. The number of notices issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for Covid-19 related reasons is very low, with just 31 issued to manufacturing employers since April.
The TUC wants to see a big rise in workplace inspections. And the union body says that employer compliance, as measured by the HSE, is at odds with the rise in workplace infections because government safety measures are not up-to-date and not doing enough to protect workers.
Iconic jewellers Hamilton & Inches has unveiled inspiring plans for an extensive design-led regeneration of its Grade A listed George Street home as it invests in the long-term future of the business.
With modifications across all areas, the Edinburgh-based jewellers – which has held a Royal Warrant for over 120 years – will work to carefully renovate the 19th century building, transforming its showroom, workshops and service department to create an even more memorable experience for Hamilton & Inches customers.
Home to an expert team of silversmiths and jewellers, the restoration project will see each floor of the five-story Georgian building refurbished to meet growing demand. At an uncertain time for Scotland’s high streets, this investment signals the business’s confidence in and support for Edinburgh’s retail economy.
Renovations are now underway and the showroom, situated at 87 George Street, will close from 28 December to 26 January while the restoration work continues. Customers can continue to shop all collections, including those exclusive to Hamilton & Inches, through the online showroom at HamiltonandInches.com and by appointment at its dedicated offices or by video conference.
Victoria Houghton, Hamilton & Inches CEO, said: “Hamilton & Inches has stood the test of time, with 154 years of passion, artistry and dedication to craftsmanship. Now, as a dynamic, independent business we are investing in our future, ensuring we preserve our heritage while also showcasing our broad, contemporary offering, from handcrafted pieces made in our onsite workshop, to leading global brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe.
“This investment marks an exciting new chapter for Hamilton & Inches. The showroom restoration will allow us to continue to provide unrivalled service in a spectacular setting, while upgraded workshop facilities will ensure the traditional skills of our craftsmen continue to flourish for the next 150 years, and beyond.”
The reimagined showroom, created by award winning design practice Waldo Works, will feature uninterrupted display areas curated to suit Hamilton & Inches’ contemporary collections, with an expanded Rolex and Patek Philippe presence; private consultation rooms; and an upgraded service department which will include a new state-of-the-art watch workshop.
Working in collaboration with leading conservation practice Simpson & Brown Architects, founder of Waldo Works, Tom Bartlett, said: “We were thrilled to be asked to work on the restoration of the Hamilton & Inches showroom and have delved deep into the history of the space and brand.
“Waldo Works are contemporary designers and with this in mind we set about refining and re-defining the existing interior to meet a forward looking and modern approach to shopping. However, we have rooted this design in the materials of tradition.”
The pillared showroom, which dates back to 1835, retains many of the building’s original features, including an Adam fireplace, making it an important testament to 19th century Scotland. Hamilton & Inches has worked closely with Historic Environment Scotland on the proposals to ensure these Grade A listed features remain central to the aesthetic of the new space.
Teaming up with reputable organisations in the area, key partners in the restoration project also include Edinburgh contractors SJS, bespoke joinery and furniture specialists Laurence McIntosh and Chartered quantity surveyors McLeod & Aitken.
With a slew of one-star ratings and concerns over hygiene and cleanliness, Britannia has once again been ranked the UK’s worst hotel chain, according to Which?’s annual survey.
Described by one guest as a “filthy hovel” and another as “by far the dirtiest hotel room I have ever stayed in”, Britannia props up the table in Which?’s rankings of large UK hotel chains for its eighth consecutive year.
Which? asked more than 4,000 people to rate their experiences at UK hotels, broken down into large chains and small and medium-sized chains. Guests were asked to rate the hotels on a range of criteria, including bedrooms, bathrooms, cleanliness, customer service, and value for money.
Britannia received a dismal customer score of 37 per cent and failed to score more than two stars in any of the criteria ranked by guests, with one-star ratings for its bedrooms, bathrooms, and communal areas and facilities. It was the only hotel in the survey to receive one star for cleanliness, and despite being one of the cheapest hotel chains in the survey at an average of £58 per night, guests still only gave Britannia one star for value for money. One of the most scathing reviews submitted to Which? by a Britannia guest was unprintable.
When Which? visited the Folkestone Britannia, also known as the Grand Burstin, as part of a separate investigation into hotel hygiene, researchers found stray hairs and stained towels upon an initial inspection. Following further tests using UV fluid and germ powder, researchers also found surfaces that had not been thoroughly cleaned between stays. At the chain’s Brighton hotel, the Royal Albion, Which? conducted swab tests that revealed traces of enterococci bacteria on the toilet seat and bathroom door handle.
When presented with Which?’s findings, Britannia said: “We are totally committed to providing a safe environment for visitors. We have so far spent around £2 million on COVID-19 precautions, but we accept there is more to do.”
Cleanliness aside, the chain still managed to disappoint. In the standard room in the basement of the Folkestone Britannia that Which? checked into, there was graffiti carved into the ageing wardrobe, pillows “flimsier than bookmarks”, and broken glass on the carpet at breakfast.
Also at the bottom of the table, but still scoring significantly higher than Britannia, were Mercure (60%) and Days Inn Hotels (62%). Both only managed to muster three stars across most criteria, but when it came to cleanliness, Which?’s swab tests came back without any cause for concern.
At the other end of the table – both in terms of performance and price – was Sofitel, the luxury chain with three London properties at Heathrow, Gatwick and St James.
At a steep £148 a night on average, guests did comment on the premium price paid for a night at a Sofitel hotel – but many told Which? it was worth it, commending its “outstanding service” and “impeccable cleanliness”. One guest told the consumer champion their Sofitel room was “probably the best hotel room I have ever occupied.”
However, when Which? visited the Sofitel St James to conduct swab tests as part of its hotel hygiene investigation, it also found low levels of faecal enterococci on the toilet seat of the room it was checked into. Sofitel said it believed this to be an isolated issue, but conducted a “thorough review of its cleaning protocols” in response to Which?’s findings.
With the exception of value for money, where it scored three stars, the luxury chain scored five stars in every category, and received an impressive customer score of 86 per cent. It is also the first chain to have knocked Premier Inn off the top spot in five years, suggesting that guests were happier to throw a bit of money at their hotel stays this year, given the surge in popularity of UK holidays following the pandemic.
In response to Which?’s investigation into hotel hygiene, a spokesperson for Accor/Sofitel said: “We have developed some of the most stringent hygiene and prevention measures in the hospitality industry to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our guests.
“These protocols have been further intensified in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and include more frequent cleaning of hotel rooms and public spaces with hospital grade anti-viral cleaning products and disinfection of all high touch areas. While we are pleased that these measures are reflected by the survey’s other scores, we are surprised and disappointed by the swab test result.
“Whilst we believe this to be an isolated issue we have undertaken a thorough review of the hotel’s cleaning protocols. It should be noted that our guests have independently awarded this hotel a maximum rating on its standards of cleanliness and the hotel has also passed an independent audit by an EHO consultant.”
Premier Inn came in just below Sofitel with a score of 82 per cent and was praised for its reliable quality at a reasonable price. Guests frequently described the rooms as clean and comfortable, with countless respondents telling Which?, “you know what you’re getting [with Premier Inn]”.
Both Sofitel and Premier Inn were named Which? Recommended Providers, along with Holiday Inn Express and Hilton Hampton, on account of their high scores and their approach to refunding customers over the pandemic.
When Which? asked people to rate their experiences at small and medium-sized hotels, it was Warner Leisure (81%) and Hotel Du Vin (77%) that came out on top, with both also being named Which? Recommended Providers.
Abode hotels received the lowest score of the eight small and medium-sized chains ranked in the survey, but still with a respectable score of 63 per cent, and four-star ratings for cleanliness, customer service and value for money.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:“It appears that not even a global pandemic could force Britannia to clean up its act. At best, it’s drab and dated, and at worst it’s downright filthy – and after eight years at the bottom of our survey, our message is loud and clear: avoid these hotels.
“While Premier Inn remains a firm favourite, it’s clear that this year, UK hotels have become more than just a place to lay your head, but a destination in themselves. With fewer of us travelling abroad this year, our survey shows that when it comes to holidaying at home, we’re quite happy to pay more for a little luxury.”
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs, who is Co-convenor of the Cancer Cross Party Group at the Scottish Parliament, has submitted a motion at the Parliament calling on the Scottish Government to consider prioritising people receiving palliative care and their immediate families in the forthcoming rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
The motion acknowledged the immense strain that the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary public health response have placed on many people with pre-existing medical conditions, especially people diagnosed with a terminal illness and who are receiving palliative care.
Prioritising people who have a terminal illness for a Covid-19 vaccine would allow them to live life as fully as possible with family and friends in the limited time they have left.
The motion also urged the Scottish Government to consider allowing clinicians discretion to fast-track individual patients and their immediate family members whose need for vaccination is deemed to be most urgent where it is clinically safe and appropriate to do so.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“The arrival of a vaccine for Covid-19 is what we have all been waiting for and means that Scotland can start recovering from this cruel virus.
“With the rollout out of the vaccine to start next week, the Scottish Government is now facing the difficult decisions of who should get the vaccine first.
“My motion at the Scottish Parliament, has called on Ministers to allows clinicians discretion to fast-track individual patients and their immediate family members, so that the people diagnosed with a terminal illness can see their families and loved ones in the limited time they have left.”
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for designated visitors of care home residents will start this week with a trial across five local authority areas.
From tomorrow (Monday 7 December), lateral flow testing of designated visitors will be trialled in 14 early adopter care homes in North Ayrshire, Fife, Argyll and Bute, Inverclyde, and Aberdeenshire.
Testing kits will then be sent out to all care homes from Monday 14 December, as announced by the First Minister on Wednesday, once guidance and training materials have been finalised following the trial.
For any care homes unable to make use of lateral flow tests before Christmas, PCR testing of visitors will be available when necessary to facilitate visiting over the festive period.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This is a positive step for care homes, residents and their families and friends, that will provide another important layer of protection against COVID, alongside the essential PPE and infection prevention and control measures already in place.
“I’m very pleased to say we will be able to significantly accelerate the delivery of testing kits to all cares homes from 14 December, following the necessary trial phase to ensure we have the right guidance and training in place.
“This will require a significant amount of work from care homes, and we will continue to work closely with Health and Social Care Partnerships, Scottish Care, CCPS and COSLA as test kits are rolled out to ensure they have the support they need to deliver testing for designated visitors.
“However, it’s important to remember that testing does not replace the other vital layers of protection we have against COVID, and all of these – reducing contacts, keeping our distance, wearing face coverings, and vaccines when they come – work most effectively to stop the virus when they are used together.”
Visiting arrangements will be different for each home but it is anticipated that testing will take place in a designated area in the care home. Visitors will self-swab and the test will be conducted by care home staff.
Where the test is negative visitor will continue to the visit using full PPE and infection prevention and control measures measures as outlined in current visiting guidance, where there is a positive result the visitor will be advised to leave the home, self-isolate and book a PCR test either online at NHSInform.scot, or by calling 0800 028 2816.
A new report has calculated that churches across Scotland have delivered 212,214 acts of support during lockdown.
The Stories of Hope report, which was requested by the Scottish government and produced by the Evangelical Alliance and Serve Scotland, found that these acts were delivered by 3,212 volunteers and impacted 55,671 beneficiaries.
The study details how churches in over 180 locations, often in partnership with others, developed support networks and established projects to support the most vulnerable and isolated in their communities.
Projects were active across the country from the Highlands to the Borders, across the breadth of denominations and in partnership with a number of charities including CAP Scotland, the Bethany Trust, and Glasgow City Mission.
Kieran Turner, Public Policy Officer for the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland said: “2020 has been a year of disruption for all of us and churches, like many other essential services have had to adapt.
“This report has highlighted the significant impact churches up and down the country have had in supporting the most vulnerable in society.”
The report also highlighted the importance of churches partnering with local businesses and other agencies as more than two-thirds of the projects identified were delivered in partnership to provide support to those in need.
Supermarkets, community councils, businesses, NHS boards, housing associations, voluntary support groups, and food banks have all worked with churches on the ground in these projects. In addition, 11 local authorities were identified, sometimes by multiple projects, as providing emergency funding for weekly support costs.
Kieran Turner continued: “Churches have re-purposed existing services and staff and volunteers have been quickly redeployed. New projects have been set up to deliver food, phone the elderly and isolated, support those homeless or claiming asylum, and connect with children and young people who were struggling with their mental health.
“For many, these services were literally a lifeline – often the only contact in a day when all other normal support networks and buildings were closed.”
Case study: MARIE
Marie is a young mum who lives with her partner and four children in a two bedroom flat in a tower block in Aberdeen.
She first connected with Seaton Community Church through the Mums & toddlers group. When lockdown happened as she faced real financial hardship with a young baby she turned to the church’s packed lunch project for help.
The church provided daily meals and also supported the family through this daily connection with mental, emotional and spiritual support. This lifted a huge financial and emotional pressure off her shoulders and Marie has now become part of the wider church community, watching church online as well building deeper friendships with others locally.
The online survey was gathered data from May 2020 to July 2020 by the Evangelical Alliance with the aim of understanding the range and focus of church-based projects taking place across Scotland during the pandemic.
