The precious metals used in catalytic converters means they are an attractive target for thieves. Here are some tips to help prevent catalytic converter theft:
– Park your car in a locked garage where possible, or in a well-lit and well-populated area.
– Park close to fences, walls or a kerb with the exhaust being closest to the fence, wall or kerb to make the theft more difficult.
– Avoid parking your vehicle half on the pavement and half on the road.
– If parking in a public car park, consider parking alongside other cars and facing your bonnet towards the wall if possible.
– If there is a fleet of vehicles, park the low clearance vehicles to block the high clearance vehicles.
– If your catalytic converter is bolted on, you can ask for your local garage to weld the bolts to make it more difficult to remove.
– You can also etch a serial number on the converter.
– You can even purchase a ‘cage clamp’ or ‘cat guard’ which is a cage device that locks in around the converter.
– Speak to your dealership about the possibility of adding a tilt sensor that will activate the alarm.
– Ask your manufacturer or dealer if they can give you any other advice.
– If you see someone acting suspiciously under a vehicle, report it to the Police. Obtain as much information as possible, including any vehicle registrations.
Remember: If you see anyone acting suspiciously near to your property or vehicles please contact the police immediately with as detailed a description as possible of any person(s) or vehicle(s) involved.
Please call ‘999’ if an emergency and urgent police assistance is required or 101 to report the matter to the police
In honour of Veganuary a time of year when vegan lovers can share the joys of all things vegan, Need2Know Books are looking for the best mouth-watering vegan recipes from members of the public.
Using a range of aromatic ingredients alongside a variety of vegan staples the hunt is on to find the best of the best in vegan cooking. So, if you fancy trying your hands at a bit of creative vegan culinary enter Need2Know Books’ Vegan Recipe Challenge.
There are lots of free giveaways for the best eight entries with the top two winners winning a free copy of the Essential Guide to Vegan Cooking and Food for Health, a must have guide on how to get optimal nutrition from food. A selection of the best original vegan recipe entries will be given a chance to be featured in a fully illustrated colour cookbook published by Need2Know Books.
Ian Walton, the director of Need2Know Books says: “We want vegan food lovers to explore new ways of cooking vegan food. Using a variety of flavours and textures the challenge is to create an original culinary masterpiece that is simple to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
“So, whether you want to put a new spin on brown rice and lentils, or butternut squash with pumpkin seeds, creating something new is the challenge.”
Need2Know Books publishes a variety of essential guides that cover issues concerning health, mental health, fitness and diet. A range of essential guides are available that give dietary advice and guidance on children’s nutrition, weight loss, and food for health. All Need2Know Books highlight important ‘essential things to know’ written in easy to read language without unnecessary and confusing jargon.
Covid has certainly changed our home habits with many of us spending more time in the kitchen experimenting with new foods and flavours. Research has found that cooking at home has increased by 40% since the first lockdown in March 2020.
The love of vegan cooking has been growing in the last few years. Recent data revealed the number of vegans in the UK now exceeds three-and-a-half million, or 7% of the population. These figures indicate that veganism has seen a 700% growth in the UK in the last two years.
In the United States a similar pattern can be seen. A new study has revealed that the number of Americans following plant-based diets is up nearly 9.6 million over the last 15 years. This is a 300% increase and nearly 3 percent of the population in the United States are following a vegan diet.
Kelly Fairchild, a global business development manager from Ipsos Retail Performance said: “Plant-based diets are fast becoming mainstream, but the change hasn’t been a steady one.
“Recent years have seen rapid adoption of vegan diets and more meat-free products making their way onto shelves. As the dialog around veganism shifts from one of animal welfare, to wider concerns around climate change and personal health, we are seeing more and more people adopt this once minority dietary preference.”
The growing love affair with vegan eating and living is affecting all of our lives and can no longer be ignored. As more meat free products become available from the big chain supermarkets the opportunity to experiment with exciting new dishes will inevitably continue to grow.
To enter Need2Know Books’ Vegan Recipe Challenge send your recipe and a picture of your best dish. Remember to personalise it with a catchy title and a good quality photo. Shortlisted recipes will be featured on the company’s social media channels. Recipes need to be clearly written with appropriate ingredients, measurements and cooking time. All sorts of recipes will be considered from tasty dinner meals, to exotic breads, and yummy desserts.
Eight winners will be chosen in total with six given a book of their choice from Need2Know Books’ extensive book catalogue. The top two winners will receive a free copy of The Essential Guideto Vegan Cooking and Food for Health. The best entries will be eligible to feature in a new fully illustrated cookbook published by Need2Know Books.
Kind Aldi customers have donated over 1000 unused pairs of socks since Boxing Day
Sock Amnesty boxes will remain in store until the end of the month
Aldi is reminding customers that they can help the homeless by donating unwanted and unused socks in store until the end of January.
The supermarket’s ‘Not Socks Again?! campaign launched on Boxing Day and kind Aldi customers and colleagues have already donated over 1000 pairs of new socks to support the work of three homeless charities: Simon Scotland,Aberdeen Cyrenians, and Trust in Fife.
Sock Amnesty boxes will remain in stores across Scotland until the end of January where people can drop off any unused socks they received for Christmas. Aldi is also donating £250 to each charity to further support the vital work they do in the community.
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, commented:“A massive thank you to all our customers and colleagues who have donated socks to this campaign so far.
“With one week to go, we wanted to remind people that they can still put any unwanted, new and unused socks to better use and they will find our Sock Amnesty boxes in store until the end of the month.”
This thoughtful initiative builds on Aldi’s commitment to supporting communities across Scotland. Since 2016, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund has supported over 458 local clubs with more than £240,000 worth of donations.
Aldi is also Kiltwalk’s official ‘Supermarket Partner’ and in 2019 was responsible for fuelling over 20,000 Kiltwalkers across events in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Dumfries.
Meanwhile, since July 2019 Aldi has helped over 200 charities provide over a million meals to vulnerable people across Scotland through its partnership with community engagement platform, Neighbourly. The supermarket is also set to relaunch its popular Supermarket Sweep programme later this year in support of local foodbanks.
Litter pickers across the UK are reporting a huge increase in the number of dumped contaminated disposable face masks being spotted during their patrols, as the number of single use masks used in the UK during 2021 is feared to reach 19.5 BILLION.
“The scale of the problem of carelessly dumped disposable face masks is massive – we use 52 million single use plastic masks a day and sadly some of these are being dropped, or simply fall from people’s pockets – sightings are increasingly common now”, explains Charlotte Green of UK waste company TradeWaste.co.uk
The number of disposable face masks that will be used across the UK in 2021 has been calculated at 19.5 billion. A proportion of these are discarded either carelessly or accidentally, meaning many end up being blown into woods making their journey into streams, rivers and eventually the sea.
What 19.5 billion single use face masks in numbers looks like:
52 million a day
1.6 billion a month
19.5 billion a year – weight equivalent to 5 ½ Eiffel Towers
The problem of how to dispose of masks is tricky, with no easy way to recycle and conflicting ways to handle potentially contaminated masks – the real problem is the littering caused by careless users.
Litter pickers across the country are reporting an increasing number of masks being collected during their rounds. In Fife, the Street Champions group reported finding 1 mask for every 60m they patrolled near a shopping area in Rosyth – they have collected a total of 3,500 since March. This is common across the whole of the UK.
Max Ratcliffe, aged 6, from Menston in West Yorkshire took part in a home-schooling project to examine litter and its effect on the environment in his local wood.
He was shocked by how many masks he spotted, with 1 dumped mask found every 50m on a path popular with dog walkers. “I think it’s really bad. People should put them in the bin. Animals might eat them, and they might die”, reported Max.
Used masks are not only a littering issue, but also a health and safety one.
“Used masks are tricky and you should not touch a used mask – they should be treated like any other potentially contaminated material and only handled professionally using the right protecting equipment”, explains Charlotte Green, of TradeWaste.co.uk.
“There are obvious risks associated with coming into contact with a used mask.
“The way to tackle this potential environmental disaster is for everyone to move towards washable reusable masks, not only will this cut down on single use mask litter, but it also reduces the environmental impacts of manufacturing 19.5 billion plastic masks in the first place.
“As a country we have worked so hard to reduce plastic consumption, yet we are sleepwalking into another nightmare.”
“DITCH YOUR DISPOSABLE” CAMPAIGN
Ditch your Disposable Face Mask in 2021 and save £190
A single use disposable face mask costs 18p
Over a year using 3 per day this is £197.10
A washable face mask costs £1.40 (Pack of 5 is £6.99)
If you can use 5 masks by washing them, then over a year this is a saving of £190.11
The public will be given a chance to have their say on proposals to deliver residential-led development at 22-25 Seafield Road.
Manse (Seafield) LLP will be holding a web-based, digital consultation for their exciting residential-led mixed-use development at Seafield Road. This is at the site of the current Peter Vardy Vauxhall Garage along with neighbouring Arnold Clark and Buccleuch Property sites on Seafield Road.
The wider Seafield area, of which this forms part, is allocated for residential development in City of Edinburgh Council’s Choices for City Plan 2030. This is the first stage in the development of the Local Development Plan, which guides future development in the city.
Manse (Seafield) LLP has now submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN), which signals the intent to submit a planning application following the consultation with the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Scottish Government has suspended in-person public consultation events due to COVID-19.
Full details about the proposals will be made available to the public at 9 am on 28 January on the dedicated project website: (http://seafieldroad.scot/). An online consultation will take place between 3pm and 7pm.
Consultants will be available during those hours to answer any questions and receive feedback through a two-way chat system. Feedback can also be submitted via the website and information will be made available in paper format, if requested.
Any representations or suggestions for changes to the proposals shared during the online event will be included in a Pre-Application Consultation report to accompany future applications.
Manse will work with the City of Edinburgh Council, Craigentinny and Meadowbank Community Council, and other stakeholders, to ensure the delivery of this new, exciting community quarter in line with the aspirations of the emerging Local Development Plan.
Commenting on this, Colin MacPherson from Manse LLP said:“We’re thrilled to be giving the public the chance to have a say on the future of Seafield.
“These proposals will greatly assist in the regeneration of this part of the city, and we are consulting extensively to ensure that that the public have an opportunity to input their views and help us shape our ambitious proposals.”
Local councils have seen greater reductions in funding over the last seven years than other areas of the Scottish Government budget.
Funding received by councils from the Scottish Government increased by £500 million in 2019/20, but Covid-19 will drive large rises in costs and spending, combined with falling income.
An overview of local government finances in Scotland, published today by the Accounts Commission, reports that councils received higher revenue and capital funding than in previous years and many were able to increase their financial reserves. However much of the additional funding councils received from the Scottish Government must be used for specific purposes, including over £200 million for expanding early learning and childcare. And capital finance funding will drop by 30 per cent in 2020/21.
Looking ahead, Scotland’s councils face significant additional pressures due to Covid-19. This includes substantial and ongoing reductions in income, increased costs and the administration of business support grants and other measures of support to their communities during Covid-19.
The Commission has also repeated its serious concerns about the financial stability and leadership of Integration Joint Boards (IJBs), the bodies set-up to manage local health and social care services. Most IJBs couldn’t deliver services within their budgets and needed extra money from health boards and councils. There were also changes of chief officer in 12 IJBs, and this leadership instability makes it harder to manage both finances and the major changes needed in health and social care.
Elma Murray, Interim Chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “Councils and Integration Joint Boards play a vital role in supporting Scotland’s communities. Even before Covid-19 the pressures and demands on council services had intensified. At the same time reductions in local government funding over the past seven years have been greater than in other areas of the Scottish Government budget.
“Covid-19 has fundamentally affected local government services, increasing their reliance on working with their partners and communities. The financial impact of the pandemic on our public services is extreme and creates increased uncertainty of how those services will be provided in the future.
“Good governance, strong financial management and transparency of decision making will be critical as councils and IJBs deal with the impact and consequences of the pandemic.
Councils have seen greater reductions in funding over the last seven years than other areas of the Scottish Government budget a report from the Accounts Commission states today (Tuesday).
The report also highlights that Scotland’s councils face significant additional pressures due to Covid-19. This includes substantial and ongoing reductions in income, increased costs and the administration of business support grants and other measures of support to their communities during Covid-19.
Commenting on the report today and ahead of the Scottish Government’s Budget on Thursday, COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson Councillor Gail Macgregor said: The messages in today’s Accounts Commission report paint a full picture – on the face of it, there looked to be increases in Local Government funding in 19/20 but much of this was for Scottish Government’s OWN commitments, and came after years of reductions.
“These messages should be listened to AND ACTED UPON as they come from an independent, well respected non Local Government body.
“This report lays out why we need fair funding for Local Government in Thursday’s Budget. The trend of recent settlements for Local Government needs to change because on top of existing pressures, the COVID pandemic – as the Accounts Commission report recognises – has placed unprecedented strain on the finances of Scotland’s Councils this year.
“This year, across every community in Scotland, Local Government’s essential role has been magnified and once again we have delivered for our communities.
“Nobody in Scotland has been unaffected by this pandemic and the financial impacts of COVID-19 are severe. Individuals, families and businesses have all felt the effects and continue to look to Councils for support every day.
“Sustaining this lifeline support is placing extreme pressure on already strained budgets and without fair funding for Local Government this year, the consequences for the most vulnerable in our communities would be unacceptable.
“That is why we need fair funding for 2021/22 that respects our communities. Without this, there will be further cuts to services, reductions in spending locally, increases in the inequalities exposed by the pandemic and a much slower recovery.”
I learned this morning of the deaths of two local people who were discovered at home by their neighbours last week. Both were older, and both lived alone.
Voluntary organisations have been doing a sterling job during the pandemic, maintaining contact with some of the most vulnerable members of the community and making sure they have food and other essentials and are able to stay warm.
Community organisations can only reach out to those people they know about, however; their members or client group. There may be many more vulnerable people out there who are not active in local groups, some of whom have no family support. Suffering quietly. Alone.
What can we do to help?
AGE CONCERN offers the following advice:
Saying hello seems like such a small thing. But 1.9 million older people often feel ignored or invisible. A smile and a wave could make a huge difference to those people.
We all feel awkward sometimes, so it’s totally understandable that you might not want to stop and have a conversation. Never underestimate the power of a quick ‘good morning’ though.
How else can I support an older neighbour?
It’s easy to forget that older people sometimes just want someone to pass the time of day with.
Even a small act can make a big difference. Knock on your neighbour’s door and ask them if they need anything. You could:
invite them round for a cup of tea and a slice of cake
drive them to a medical appointment
pick up some shopping for them
ask if they have anything that needs taking to the tip
offer to sweep up leaves or salt an icy front step
offer a mince pie and mulled wine at Christmas.
A word of caution
Do make sure you’ve introduced yourself properly first, telling them who you are and where you live.
Not everyone wants to be friendly with their neighbours, so try to judge the mood when you first approach them.
Once you’ve got that good rapport with your neighbour, it’ll be much easier to do something nice for them.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT HELPLINE
The Scottish Government has set up a helpline for vulnerable or isolated people who do not have family or community support but need assistance.
If you, or someone you know, needs help call the Scottish Government helpline on 0800 111 4000. The helpline is open from 9am-5pm.
LOCAL COMMUNITY HELPLINE
A coalition of North Edinburgh voluntary sector organisations has set up a community helpline for local people.
Advice and support is available on 0131 356 0220 from 9 – 4pm Monday – Thursday and from 9 – 3pm on Fridays.
The next steps will be taken toward introducing new Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) to help alleviate parking pressures around Edinburgh, if approved by councillors this week.
On Thursday (28 January), Transport and Environment Committee will consider the results of an informal consultation on proposals for new controls in Leith, Gorgie and Shandon, as well as details on the operation of measures. Designs for parking controls have been amended following consultation and, if approved, we’ll commence the legal processes for introducing them.
This is the first of four phases of implementation of parking controls around the city, developed as part of the Strategic Parking Review, which was originally approved in 2018. The review has taken a holistic approach to parking pressures across Edinburgh, assessing the city on a street by street basis.
This has led to the identification of areas where parking controls may be required to resolve challenges facing residents, in particular from non-residential parking.
The report also updates on timescales for phase two (Roseburn, Corstorphine, Willowbrae and Saughton), phase three (Southside and Fettes) and phase four (Newhaven, Trinity, South Morningside, Portobello, Stenhouse and Saughton), which have been impacted by COVID-19.
Transport Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This review responds to the concerns of residents across the city, many of whom have told us that they want to see controls introduced to help limit the impact of non-residential parking.
Thanks to an in-depth, citywide analysis we have been able to identify the areas most in need of restrictions. Of course, the way we travel has changed immeasurably over the last year, but the introduction of new CPZs will be extremely beneficial to managing parking pressures when we eventually return to some sense of normality.
Not only do these controls help residents to park near their homes, but they can encourage those travelling into and around the city to consider alternative, sustainable modes of transport.”
The city council began the Strategic Parking Review in 2018 in response to comments from residents, community councils and ward councillors across the city, which demonstrated increasing support for new parking controls to limit non-residential parking.
An in-depth review split the city into five areas, further subdivided into 124 investigation areas, helping to generate heat maps for each location showing relative parking pressures by street. As a result, a series of new parking controls were approved in 2019, to be implemented in four phases.
On Thursday, committee members will also be asked to agree proposals to commence the legal process for introducing limited parking controls in Sighthill Industrial Estate to help manage parking demand there, as well as restrictions on the availability of permits for new or redeveloped properties.
The report details an approach to consultation for future phases in light of COVID restrictions, with virtual drop-in sessions, detailed plans online and opportunities to feed back on proposals via websites, interactive plans and questionnaires.
Consultation on phase two of the Strategic Parking Review is expected to begin in February.
Outfox the Market has knocked Octopus Energy off the top spot in Which?’s annual energy satisfaction survey, while the traditional industry giants languish at the bottom of the rankings yet again.
In a year when millions of people have been living under lockdown and racking up substantial gas and electricity bills, finding a good-value energy supplier that offers excellent customer service has never been more important.
The consumer champion surveyed more than 8,000 people in September 2020 about their experiences with their energy provider across a range of categories including bill accuracy, customer service, complaints handling and value for money.
Outfox the Market, which was founded in 2017, finished at the top of the table, rising from 19th position last year.
The small energy provider frequently offers some of the cheapest deals on the market and received an impressive customer score of 82 per cent, with five-star ratings for billing accuracy and value for money.
It had the highest proportion of customers (93%) that experienced no issues in the last 12 months, but was not named a Which? Recommended Provider as it did not provide enough information on its procedures and was ordered to make its payment into Ofgem’s feed-in tariff scheme.
Following two years at the top, Octopus Energy was second in this year’s satisfaction survey but still achieved an impressive 80 per cent customer score. It is now one of the UK’s largest energy providers, supplying 1.5 million homes, however this rapid growth has not stopped it from keeping customers happy.
Octopus Energy achieved a five-star rating for bill accuracy and four stars for bill clarity, customer service, complaints handling and value for money. For the fourth year in a row, Octopus Energy was also named a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP), along with digital-only challenger Pure Planet for the second year in a row.
Along with excellent customer scores, energy firms must meet additional criteria including no regulatory intervention, with good procedures and performance when it comes to complaints and customer waiting times, to be named a WRP.
Avro Energy rounds off the top three firms, with a respectable 76 per cent customer score. The challenger firm finished in 16th place last year but has made improvements and almost nine in 10 (89%) of its customers said they’ve had no issues in the past 12 months. It received a five-star rating for bill accuracy and four-stars for all other categories including customer service and value for money.
Also among the top energy companies were People’s Energy, Pure Planet, So Energy and Utility Warehouse – and all four impressed customers when it came to billing accuracy and clarity.
The rise of challenger energy companies and major acquisitions has meant the end of the traditional “Big Six” energy companies, but the former giants, excluding SSE (owned by Ovo), still account for more than half of the energy market and continue to score below average in Which?’s satisfaction survey.
These traditional big firms (British Gas, EDF Energy, Eon, Npower and Scottish Power), plus SSE, make up six of the bottom eight energy firms.
Npower was the lowest-ranked energy provider with a customer score of just 54 per cent. While it received three stars for bill accuracy and customer service, customer feedback meant it got two stars for bill clarity and complaints handling and a dismal one-star rating for value for money.
Scottish Power finished second from bottom with a customer score of 55 per cent. It also received a one-star rating for value for money, and just two stars for bill clarity, customer service and complaints handling.
Eon finished third from the bottom, tied with SSE, receiving a customer score of 60 per cent. While it received four stars for bill accuracy and three-stars for customer service, it managed just two stars for value for money.
SSE, which is owned by Ovo, received three stars across most categories but also performed badly when it came to value for money and achieved just one star in this category.
Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which?, said:“Year after year, challenger and small energy companies outperform the traditional providers in our satisfaction survey – delivering better customer service and offering excellent value for money.
“There are impressive energy companies, from small firms such as Outfox the Market to rapidly expanding companies like Octopus Energy, so customers do not have to put up with substandard service from any provider.
“Anyone unhappy with their provider should do their research and consider switching to one that can offer a better experience overall – you could save more than £150 a year.”
OVER 1 MILLION calls have now been handled by Breathing Space, Scotland’s mental health phone service, since it began in 2002.
The milestone is being marked on this year’s National Breathing Space Day, the annual awareness date, which takes place on 1st February.
With over 9,000 calls to Breathing Space each month the service continues to grow and evolve with the introduction of a new pilot webchat service now offering online support.
Tony McLaren, Breathing Space National Coordinator, said: “Our Advisors work hard to ensure that every caller receives a caring and compassionate response. Sometimes, just being listened to can make all the difference to how someone is feeling.
“This last year has been particularly challenging, and anyone can find themselves in a position where they might need help with their mental health.
“Breathing Space Day encourages people in Scotland to take some time out for activities which improve mental wellbeing, such as enjoying nature, exercising or maintaining connections with others.”
The event also highlights the range of support available from the Breathing Space helpline and webchat service, which provides free, confidential, listening and advice for anyone who is experiencing low mood, anxiety or distress in their lives.
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: “Looking after our mental health and wellbeing is just as important as looking after our physical health. That message is especially relevant at the moment, given the current restrictions in place to protect us from the COVID-19 virus.
“Breathing Space continue to do vital work to support people across Scotland who are feeling low, stressed or anxious. That’s why last Spring we provided an additional £500,000 to help expand their capacity to offer compassionate support to many more people.
“Today’s milestone of handling over one million calls is a remarkable achievement – I would urge anyone who is experiencing low mood, anxiety or distress in their lives to get in touch with the service through the helpline or by looking at the range of helpful advice on the Breathing Space website.
“I also echo Breathing Space’s call to encourage people to take time out to do something they enjoy, within the restrictions – such as keeping in contact with friends and family, and taking some daily physical activity where possible.”
Callers contact Breathing Space for a wide range of reasons, including relationship issues, stress, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. However, over the last year the service has seen an increase in issues such as bereavement, work and money worries, and loneliness.
Breathing Space’s trained advisors ensure that each call is treated with patience and respect, knowing that it can often be the first time that a caller has contacted the service or talked about a problem.
Sometimes, when people call they’re not sure why they’re phoning or find it difficult to speak. This is where the experience of the Advisors can help, giving callers the space to think and talk when they are ready.
The message from Breathing Space is that it’s important to support your mental health through activities such as exercise and relaxation, particularly during these times of heightened stress and anxiety.
And if you’re worried or feeling down, please get in touch for some ‘breathing space’.
Breathing Space is available in the evenings (6pm to 2am weekdays) and 24 hours at the weekend (Fri 6pm to Mon 6am) on 0800 83 85 87. The web chat service can be accessed from www.breathingspace.scot.
