Month: January 2021

Can Do Collective Celebrates Resilient Business Pioneers

Can Do Collective extends support to more Scottish businesses and champions collaborative working in wake of pandemic

The Can Do Collective – a connected community of enterprise support organisations and leaders on a mission to build a world-leading entrepreneurial, innovative and creative society – is concluding the year celebrating a 25 per cent increase in community size.

The growing portfolio of businesses is also demonstrating that collaborative working has helped them to pivot, grow and adapt amidst the challenges that 2020 has presented.

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on businesses across Scotland.For many it has meant they have had to evolve and adapt their products and services, and support for their wider business community, in new and different ways.

For the Can Do Collective, it has meant taking all of their events online, however an online and virtual approach has allowed the Can Do Collective to increase their events programme from five events in 2019, to more than 33 virtual events and gatherings in 2020.

Funded by The Scottish Government and supported by a dedicated team within independent charity Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation, The Can Do Collective is keen to demonstrate ways in which collaborative working between Scottish businesses can help to accelerate growth and nurture entrepreneurial spirit.

Rachael Brown, Can Do Collective Convener and CEO, The Future Economy Company explains; “We’ve seen many examples of how the Scottish business community has stepped up to provide a flexible, fast and appropriate response to individuals in need this year. 

“Business support communities have removed subscriptions and paywalls, more events and conferences have moved online and there has been a marked increase in the frequency of events.

“In times like these, community and peer to peer support is so vital.  Now more than ever, there’s an opportunity for businesses to really show their human side, to come together in trust and credibility.  We’ve been truly encouraged by the sense of community spirit, entrepreneurialism, agility and creativity we’ve witnessed and the willing to work collaboratively for the greater good.”

A number of businesses have shown great strength, resilience, agility and entrepreneurial spirit in the face of Covid-19 and have continued to support their respective business communities in challenging times.  

One of the virtual events that the Can Do Collective has initiated as part of their new virtual events programme, is the Partner Spotlight webinar series, which has seen business leaders from around Scotland share their leadership journey and advice for drawing on community, creativity and resilience. 

Here, some of them share their journey through 2020 : –

Social Investment Scotland:

One of those leaders is Alastair Davis, Chief Executive of Social Investment Scotland (SIS) – the leading social enterprise whose aim is to help social enterprises to scale and grow their business. 

He explains: “The global pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way we all work.  Back in March, there was a realisation that Covid-19 was going to have a significant impact.  So as a team, we quickly started to think about ways to support our community.  We wanted to go out to them and say, ‘we’re here to support you’. 

“Organisations really appreciated that proactive, calm approach.  We were there from the start offering help, support and advice.  I’m really proud of that, and indeed the ways it has continued throughout the rest of this year.

“This year’s events have also shown us the energy that can be created when you work quickly, collaboratively, and responsively.  It has actually driven us to accelerate many of our plans and strategies, and we have been able to design, develop and launch things really quickly.  That’s certainly something I’d like to hold onto as we look post pandemic.

“It’s also taught us the value of investing in relationships and collaborations.  It’s so important to build communities like that created by the Can Do Collective that are supportive, curious and helpful.  Now more than ever, trust, credibility and collaboration are vital and will allow us to bounce back post pandemic, in whatever way that means for different businesses.”

Interface:

Interface is an organisation that connects businesses with academics. 

Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director, of Interface, explains the ways they have adapted to support their community through the global pandemic: “A huge part of our work is about keeping in touch with businesses to understand the difference we are making, and the ways in which we can continue to support them further.  

“That put us in a strong position to be able to proactively support our community.  We were immediately helping to address challenges faced by the businesses we work with.  Many of them had to look at adapting their existing products, and many had to look at creating new products.  

“Proactive but empathetic has been our approach in helping businesses navigate through the pandemic, and also look ahead to recovery and green shoots.

“We’ve also been hugely excited about some of the new things we’ve been able to do.  For example, we’ve developed a campaign around ‘Adopt a business’.  We asked our academic community about ways they could help the tourism and hospitality industry, practically, as they start to think about  restarting and recovery. 

“We were overwhelmed by the interest from universities to offer practical help.  Working with VisitScotland and Scottish Tourism Alliance , we then had over 80 businesses keen to work with academia.  It’s a programme we’ve been able to launch and establish really rapidly but has also been brand new for us.

“We know the next few months are not going to be easy, but collectively, we in Scotland have an opportunity to come together to bring energy to the economic recovery and ensure we continue to build networks to nurture and support.  Support groups and organisations like the Can Do Collective are vital for us all to continue to seek knowledge, ask for help from others, and support one another.”

Scottish Edge:

A business that has been involved with the Can Do Collective since its inception, Evelyn McDonald, Chief Executive of Scottish Edge, The UK’s Biggest Business Funding Competition, discusses ways in which their business has had to shift and evolve:

“I’ll admit, I found the initial few weeks after lockdown began in March, extremely challenging. 

“We had launched a competition at the end of January, and at the beginning, we kept going.  But there came a point when I had to make the difficult decision that we couldn’t continue.  Matched with the challenges all small businesses have had this year – having to put a couple of our team on furlough and having to cut costs and plan for the worst – it was pretty painful.

“But once we’d made the decision to pause the competition and focus on our 335 alumni of businesses, we knew immediately it was the right thing to do. 

“We’re really lucky to work with people who have great ideas, right at the early stages of their business and we became very focussed on providing support to those business, with a specific focus for those who have loans with us.

“We’ve been supporting with information on grants and loans, events, training, as well as peer to peer mentoring.  The great thing for us is the feedback we’ve had from our community.  We will hopefully come out of this with a stronger, more connected group of businesses.

“We’ve now announced our next competition, which we’re all incredibly invigorated by – it’s lovely to be looking forward to the next round which we will be launching in July and we will be inviting those previous applicants back and also opening to new ones.  The competition round subsequently attracted 327 applications, the largest number to date.

“What’s been truly valuable throughout is the support from the wider Can Do Collective network.  We know there are a lot of willing hands and willing hearts out there to help us. A trusted network and group of people that are open to collaboration is what can help us all recover and look forward to 2021 with renewed energy.”

Recover and Reset: TUC General Secretary’s New Year message

In her New Year message, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady thanks key workers for keeping the country running through the pandemic. And she calls on the government to invest in levelling up all parts of the UK and achieving full employment: 

Amid the grief and hardship of the pandemic, 2020 will be remembered for everyone together out on the doorstep to celebrate our key workers. 

We all knew who kept this country running through the pandemic. Not hedge fund chiefs, corporate outsourcing giants or government ministers. 

But supermarket staff, delivery drivers, telecoms workers, bus drivers, social care workers, health professionals and all our key workers. 

Ordinary working people stepping up to do their jobs in extraordinary times. 

And yet, even as we applauded them, this government let them down. 

Leaving them to struggle in services threadbare after ten years of austerity cuts, too often short staffed and with inadequate PPE. And then, adding insult to injury, freezing their pay.  

So our wish for 2021 can be expressed in two short words: recover and reset.  

New Year hope comes in the form of a vaccine, created by brilliant scientists and delivered by our precious NHS. 

And this is the time to genuinely level up across the UK 

But to do that, government must come up with a realistic plan. 

The chaos has to stop. 

This festive season, across much of the country, pubs and restaurants are silent, high streets deserted, theatres closed and whole sectors in limbo. We face another national lockdown. 

With the new strain of the virus spreading so fast, the roll-out of the vaccine must be more comprehensive and faster too – before a real recovery is possible. 

And all at a time when trade with our nearest neighbours in the EU is set to become more expensive and more bureaucratic. 

Working people, and the businesses that employ them, urgently need transparency and security. 

We need to know that government will do what it takes to support working families – protect the NHS, save jobs and get the economy back on its feet. 

Throughout 2020’s national crisis, the UK’s trade union movement worked hard to protect livelihoods, and to support public health. We can be proud of the jobs we saved and the workplaces we made safe. 

Now we must make Britain’s economic goal for 2021 full and decent employment. We cannot afford the cost of mass unemployment. It is never a price worth paying. 

The chancellor must guarantee full furlough until we are through the crisis. 

He must invest in good new jobs – in the green tech we need to tackle climate change and in the public services we all rely on. 

And to smooth the disruption of the government’s third-rate Brexit deal, he needs to boost UK manufacturing with a £10bn recovery fund to create good new jobs. 

Real recovery must mean higher living standards for working families – not just those the top. So we need to reset our country too. 

Reset our labour market – banning the zero hours contracts that keep workers poor and powerless. Delivering the enhanced rights at work that ministers have long promised. 

Reset raging inequality so that those with most pay their fair share, everyone earns enough to live on, no child need go hungry and public services are properly funded. 

Reset regional divides – levelling up our country and bringing good jobs and investment to the parts of the country that need them most.  

And government must act to end the systemic racism that harms Black and ethnic minority workers and families.  Whatever our race, religion or background, all working people deserve dignity and fairness at work. 

Recover and reset. That’s how we build a society that works for everyone. 

In 2021, trade unions will be out there fighting for that vision, for our members, and for all working people. 

I wish you, your family and workmates happiness, good health and security in 2021 and always. 

Starving rats feast on discarded Christmas leftovers

Pest controllers are issuing a stark warning to householders to be more careful with Christmas leftovers, after a surge in rat problems caused by a “perfect storm” of carelessly discarded Christmas food waste, cold weather and the skyrocketing population of rats this year.

“The problems are huge – the rat population going into Winter was 25% higher than last year, and we are entering a cold period – rats are moving around trying to find food and shelter – many are attacking domestic bins, and anyone being careless about their Christmas rubbish will pay the price”, explains Jenny Rathbone from Pest.co.uk

Most homes produce large quantities of food waste over Christmas and with less frequent waste collections – bins are overflowing. The advice is to avoid placing any food waste outside of a secure bin. The warning is even extended to cardboard and wrapping paper, which make perfect bedding materials for rats seeking shelter.

2020 has been a bumper year for rats – with the UK population up 25% caused by lockdowns, vacant commercial property, and poor waste management. However, many rats are now being forced to move towards residential areas are commercial food sources are drying up.

The other worrying news is that 74% of rats now carry a “hybrid-resistance” to common pest control poisons – which could mean next year rat infestations are harder (or more expensive) to control.

The recent 2019-20 Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use survey of rats showed that three-quarters of rats in the UK carried a resistance gene to popular rodenticides, and even more worrying in some locations in the UK, 20% have two different genes, making them super resistant.

“More and more people are seeing rats in the open – this is a sign that numbers are very high. We are heading for a cold snap, and rats are busy raiding food sources and bedding down – calls for infestations are already increasing”, says Rathbone.

Pest.co.uk is issuing the following advice to anyone worried about rats over the Christmas and New Year break:

  1. Do not leave any food waste unprotected – Any excess rubbish containing food of any sort should be kept secure, do not leave any bags anywhere outside of a bin, especially Christmas dinner leftovers
  2. Consider placing a brick or heavy object on top of your wheelie bin
  3. Keep all areas of your home clean and tidy
  4. Block up any gaps or holes in brickwork
  5. Remove cardboard and wrapping paper – these are idea bedding materials for rodents

“The advice is really simple – do not leave any Christmas waste in the open or outside a secured bin.

“Do not, under any circumstances, leave any Christmas food waste inside your home – as the rat threat level is currently extremely high”, warns Jenny Rathbone from Pest.co.uk

Call to increase funding for drugs rehabilitation beds

National Records of Scotland figures released in December) revealed that the number of drug related deaths in Edinburgh and the Lothians have risen from a previous record high last year of 152 to a new record high of 155.

The number of drug related deaths in Scotland have risen from 1,187 in 2018 to 1,264 in 2019 (the latest figures available).

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has called on increased funding for rehabilitation beds in NHS Lothian, to support drug addicts in their recovery from drugs.

Current services in NHS Lothian include:

In NHS Lothian we provide no residential rehabilitation beds as such.  What we do provide is a service called LEAP Lothians and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme which operates in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council to provide a quasi-residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation service.

The city council provide supported accommodation for Lothian patients during the treatment which is provided by NHS Lothian.  This offers around 100 treatment places per year and a treatment episode of three months followed by up to two years of aftercare.  In 2018/19, 72% of patients were admitted with alcohol problems, 43% with a cocaine problems, 35% with opiate problems and 31% with benzodiazepine problems.

Two thirds of patients had problems with two or more drugs which is why the percentages are greater than 100.

The Scottish Conservatives have called for a dedicated £20 million Scottish Recovery Fund, backed by recovery organisations including Favor Scotland, Phoenix Futures and Jericho House, to replace the cuts to rehab over the last 13 years.

In Edinburgh the number of drug related deaths has risen by 1, from 95 to 96, in East Lothian the number of drug related deaths has remained the same at 18, in West Lothian the number of drug related deaths dropped by 2 from 25 to 23 and in Midlothian the number of drug related deaths has risen from by 4 from 14 to 18.  

In the last 10 years the number of drug related deaths has more than doubled in Lothian from 73 deaths in 2010 to 155 deaths in 2019.

The number of drug related deaths from Heroin, in Lothian, has risen from 56 in 2018 to 69 in 2019.

Drug related deaths from Benzodiazepine rose from 94 in 2018 to 109 in 2019, with “street” Benzodiazepine drug related deaths rising from 69 to 85, of which Etizolam rose from 42 to 72.

Drug related deaths from cocaine rose from 51 in 2018 to 62 in 2019 and the number of alcohol related deaths dropped from 25 in 2018 to 22 in 2019.  

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Every single drug death in Scotland is a tragedy and it is deeply concerning that the number of drug related deaths has risen year on year.

“Cuts to drug rehab beds and addiction programmes by SNP Ministers have been counterproductive in reducing drug related deaths in Scotland.

“The Scottish Conservatives have called on a £20 million Scottish Recovery Fund, to shift the focus from methadone prescriptions to drug rehabilitation programmes.

“SNP Ministers have failed to prevent people from using drugs in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s or to support people off drugs if they have become addicted.”

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/deaths/drug-related-deaths-in-scotland/2019

Council area120092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Scotland5454855845815276147068689341,1871,264
City of Edinburgh4547485764716990849596
East Lothian67868111011121818
Midlothian97488768191418
West Lothian2112131910161519222523
Lothian8173739090105100128137152155
NHS Board area (2019)All drug-related deathsHeroin / morphine 2MethadoneHeroin / morphine, Methadone or Bupren-orphineCodeine or a codeine-containing compoundDihydro-codeine or a d.h.c-containing compoundAny opiate or opioidBenzodiazepinesGabapentin and/or PregabalinCocaineEcstasy-typeAmphet-aminesAlcohol
Any benzo-diazepineof which:of which:
any “Prescrib-able” benzo-diazepine 3any “Street” benzo-diazepine 3
of which:of which:
DiazepamEtizolam
Scotland1,264        645        560        959        55        116        1,092        888        195        179        814        752        438        365        25        51        137        
Ayrshire & Arran108        58        50        85        1        8        98        78        4        2        76        70        40        24        0        4        5        
Borders16        4        3        7        0        3        10        10        5        5        8        7        6        1        2        2        3        
Dumfries & Galloway35        16        10        21        3        2        27        16        2        2        16        14        9        9        2        1        1        
Fife81        38        40        61        11        6        71        54        22         20        47        40        42        15        4        9        9        
Forth Valley75        46        40        61        5        2        67        63        20        20        58        52        39        20        0        5        7        
Grampian82        46        32        58        4        14        68        40        36        36        14        3        25        45        2        2        17         
Greater Glasgow & Clyde404        198        191        315        5        39        349        306        11        5        305        300        111        107        6        11        39        
Highland24        13        10        18        1        2        23        9        3        3        9        7        7        4        0        0        2        
Lanarkshire163        83        64        122        8        8        137        106        7        3        104        101        41        48        6        2        13        
Lothian155        69        72        110        11        18        126        109         60        59        85        72        73        62

Green boost to cut industry carbon emissions

Six projects across the UK will today receive a share of £8 million in government funding as part of a drive to create the world’s first net-zero emissions industrial zone by 2040.

  • Projects in the West Midlands, Tees Valley, North West, Humber, Scotland and South Wales win share of £8 million government backing to develop ways to cut carbon emissions from major industrial areas
  • UK drive to lead global green industrial revolution will create 4 low-carbon industrial hubs by 2030 and at least one net zero emission cluster by 2040
  • new funding is latest phase of government’s £170 million Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge which has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs as UK builds back greener

Six projects across the UK will today receive a share of £8 million in government funding as part of a drive to create the world’s first net zero emissions industrial zone by 2040.

Projects in the West Midlands, Tees Valley, North West, Humber, Scotland and South Wales will see local authorities working with industry to develop plans to reduce carbon emissions, with one scheme alone – across the North West of England and North East Wales – aiming to create over 33,000 new jobs and more than £4 billion of investment as it bids to become the world’s first net zero industrial zone.

A net zero industrial zone will see all industries in a region collectively reducing their carbon dioxide emissions to as close to zero as possible using low-carbon energy sources and new technology like carbon capture.

All 6 areas receiving funding today have high concentrations of industrial activity and will get a share of up to £8 million towards the development of decarbonisation plans.

Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The UK is leading the world’s green industrial revolution, with ambitious targets to decarbonise our economy and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“As we continue to level up the UK economy and build back greener, we must ensure every sector is reducing carbon emissions to help us achieve our commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.

“This funding will help key industrial areas meet the challenge of contributing to our cleaner future while maintaining their productive and competitive strengths.”

Decarbonising UK industry is a key part of the government’s ambitious plan for the green industrial revolution, which is laid out in its Ten Point Plan and Energy White Paper and is set to create 220,000 jobs as we build back greener over the next decade.

The Industrial Clusters Mission aims to support the delivery of 4 low-carbon regional zones by 2030 and at least one net zero green hotspot by 2040, kickstarted by the government’s £170 million Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge.

The 6 winners will now produce detailed plans for reducing emissions across major areas of industrial activity, where related industries have congregated and can benefit from utilising shared clean energy infrastructure, such as carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) and low-carbon hydrogen production and distribution.

All the winners have produced initial plans for reducing emissions across major industrial clusters across the UK and, in subsequent years, will build on these preliminary successes by bringing together industry and public sector bodies in a comprehensive effort to devise a route to net zero emissions.

Bryony Livesey, UKRI Challenge Director, Industrial Decarbonisation, said: Today’s announcement shows that the industrial clusters campaign is proceeding at pace. This second phase of the competition asks companies and partners to plan for comprehensive changes to industries, products and supply lines.

“This is a crucial step in the government’s plans to develop cost-effective decarbonisation in industrial hubs that tackle the emissions challenge UK industry faces. The move to low carbon industry is a huge opportunity, with the chance for the UK to take the lead and seize a large share of a growing global market.”

Project title: Scotland’s Net Zero Roadmap (SNZR)

Region: Scotland
Project Lead: Neccus

To achieve net zero by 2045 Scotland needs to decarbonise industry, transport, heat and power. Scotland’s Net Zero Roadmap project (SNZR) will provide the roadmap to enable large-scale industrial CO2 emissions reduction in a way that focuses on ensuring the continued, but evolving, contribution of high-value industry and employment in a future net zero economy.

Led by Neccus, an alliance of industries and experts, the SNZR will provide the roadmap that enables the deployment of options in a way that ensures competitive decarbonisation through continued and growing prosperity across the economy.

Scotland is in a strong position to lead this new large scale CO2 management industry. Offshore Scotland has some of Europe’s best-characterised and largest CO2 storage sites while CCS and hydrogen will create opportunities for jobs and economic activity and help transition staff employed in sectors such as oil and gas.

Christmas waste in numbers

300,000 tonnes of waste chucked out this week

The staggering amount of waste generated at Christmas can be finally revealed, with a total of 302,913 tonnes of waste being dumped this week alone across the UK, as bins are filled to the brim.

“Even with a slightly toned-down Christmas this year, we all know how full the bins get after Christmas – it’s now clear the huge environmental impact all this waste has.

“The numbers are simply astonishing – 2,000 tonnes of uneaten cheese chucked out for example”, explains Charlotte Green from recycling firm TradeWaste.co.uk

The online survey carried out by TradeWaste.co.uk asked 4,500 people about the contents of their Christmas bins – the results are remarkable, with food waste and food packaging creating the most waste this year.

“People seem to have taken to eating well this year, with lockdowns and all the doom and gloom – it seems comfort eating has become a national institution, however nearly 5,000 tonnes of half-eaten mince pies where thrown out – seems a terrible shame to me!”, adds Green.

Christmas food lovers (and haters) chucked out this year:

  • 141,525 tonnes of food packaging
  • 50,544 tonnes of leftover Christmas dinners
  • 24,600 tonnes of glass drink bottles
  • 7,500 tonnes of drink cans
  • 4,800 tonnes of leftover mince pies
  • 2,000 tonnes of cheese

It is not only leftover food waste which is filling the nations bins – wrapping paper, cards, decorations. Of course Christmas trees are all being thrown out this week – all 12,000 tonnes of them.

Luckily much of the waste created at Christmas can be recycled with trees being shredded into chippings, cards being munched for paper and some wrapping paper can be recycled too.

The interesting one is Christmas lights – these should not be put in a general waste bin, instead they need to be taken to a local authority waste site and put in the small electricals skip where they can be processed.

Seasonal goods we are chucking out this week include:

  • 30,000 tonnes of Christmas cards
  • 17,444 tonnes of Christmas wrapping paper
  • 12,500 tonnes of Christmas decorations
  • 12,000 tonnes of Christmas trees
  • 68,488 miles of broken Christmas lights

“It’s really difficult to reduce waste at Christmas, but we can all do our bit. It’s really important to split up all the waste you have and put it in the correct bin – some need to be processed differently – like broken Christmas lights.

“I just want to know who is chucking out all the mince pies, seems such a travesty!” concluded TradeWaste.co.uk‘s Charlotte Green.

New Year honours for Scottish Amulance Service staff

Two Scottish Ambulance Service staff members have been awarded the Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.

The prestigious honours have been awarded to Steph Jones, of Edinburgh, and Araf Saddiq, of Chapelhall. The awards acknowledge ambulance personnel who have shown exceptional devotion to duty, merit and conduct.

Steph, interim Ambulance Control Centre (ACC) Head of Clinical Services, has been instrumental in developing the Service’s New Clinical Response Model – aimed at saving more lives by more accurately identifying patients with immediately life-threatening conditions – and adapting the clinical triage model in the ACC to improve patient flow. She is the youngest SAS staff member to receive the award.

Araf, a Paramedic based at Douglas Ambulance Station, has contributed significantly in helping the Service to engage with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. In 2003, Araf became the first Muslim Paramedic employed by the Service. 

Steph, 34, first joined the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) in 2006, starting as a call handler. She also worked as a dispatcher and supervisor within the ACC before moving to Dunfermline Station 2010 as a technician, paramedic and team leader.

In 2016, Steph undertook a short secondment to Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance before becoming a member of the clinical team working on the New Clinical Response Model project with Neil Sinclair. 

She said: “I was speechless and completely overwhelmed when I found out. I think it’s the highest accolade someone in the Ambulance Service can ever get. I take a lot of pride in what I do and it is so nice to be recognised. This year has been challenging for everyone and to be recognised amongst people who have done so much during the pandemic is incredible.”

Steph joined the Service on her 20th birthday, after studying professional dance and choreography. Her current role involves improving the clinical aspects of the Control Rooms for patients who call 999 and leading and developing clinicians and pathways which keep patients safe throughout their journey with the Scottish Ambulance Service.

 Steph said: “As incredible as it is personally to be recognised, it’s also amazing for the ACC to be recognised.

“They can often be overlooked in the patients’ journey but all the call handlers, dispatchers, clinicians and managers within the ACC play a vital part in patient care, safety and survival and I am honoured to have been recognised for such an amazing award whilst working with such wonderful colleagues every day.”

Araf, 55 and a dad of three, joined the Scottish Ambulance Service in 1997 as an Ambulance Care Assistant. He volunteers tirelessly in his own time across a wide range of communities to raise awareness of the Service and provide a greater understanding of BAME communities and their needs.

As a member of the Scottish Ambulance Service BAME Forum, Araf, known to his colleagues as Harry, contributes valuably towards increasing the understanding of race issues and has strived to improve the diversity of its workforce, by working with the Service Equalities Lead to support and encourage increased numbers of applicants for posts.

He said he was surprised when he first received the letter announcing his award: “I thought it was a joke at first – I had to read it two to three times.

“I’m am deeply honoured and humbled to be presented with this award recognising my voluntary contributions towards diversity and inclusion within the Scottish Ambulance Service and my work within the community.

“This is a huge testament to the fantastic work the whole team are doing, we all have a common goal in making our Service a place where all are welcome regardless of race, colour, religion, gender and sexual orientation, a service that is representative of the community we serve.

“Once again, I am honoured to have been chosen for this prestigious award and it is wonderful that the hard work is being recognised.”

During the COVID 19 pandemic, Araf has been advising the community about how to stay safe and observe good practice.

Keeping an eye on health promises

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has called for clarity over upcoming NHS Lothian infrastructure projects.

Last month (w/c 14th December) it was announced that the Scottish Government was withdrawing £45 million funding for a new Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion hospital. An initial agreement for the new hospital had already been agreed and a business case submitted in May 2019.

In a Written Answer from the Scottish Government this month, Lothian MSP Miles Briggs, was informed that an Initial Agreement, IA, had been submitted from NHS Lothian for a new Edinburgh Cancer Centre and a decision would be made this month (December) by the Capital Investment Group, CIG, based on the strategic case.

The new Edinburgh Cancer Centre would provide services for Cancer patients across the South East of Scotland.

At the start of this year, prior to Covid-19, it was announced that plans for a new Edinburgh Cancer Centre would be delayed to 2030 from the original planned date of 2025. The Scottish Government committed to investing £20 million in the current Edinburgh Cancer Centre to keep it going until the new Centre is ready.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The confusion around new NHS Lothian infrastructure projects is extremely concerning and clarity is urgently needed on what projects are being funded.

“We are in desperate need of a replacement Edinburgh Cancer Centre, which will benefit the whole of the South East of Scotland, and is expected to be another decade before it is ready.

“The wait for routine eye treatments, such as for Glaucoma, are already incredibly long in NHS Lothian and patients deserve better than being short changed by SNP Ministers.

“I will hold SNP Ministers to their word to get these essential projects in NHS Lothian funded.

“SNP Ministers have underfunded NHS Lothian for the last 10 years. We need to see the health board receive their fair share of health funding in the upcoming budget.”

Aldi donates over 6,600 meals to Edinburgh and Lothians charities over the festive period

Local charities across Edinburgh and the Lothians have helped Aldi donate around 6,644 meals to people in need this Christmas Eve. 

The supermarket paired up its stores with local charities, community groups and food banks to make the most of unsold fresh and chilled food after stores closed on 24th December.  

Around 210 tonnes of food were donated throughout the UK, with more than 500,000 meals donated and over 750 UK causes benefitting from the initiative in total.  

The donation is Aldi’s largest to date and helped 10 charitable causes across Edinburgh and the Lothians at a time when more people are experiencing financial hardship and food insecurity due to Covid-19. 

This year, for the first time, the initiative will also extend to New Year’s Eve, when Aldi expects to donate a further 200,000 meals to charitable causes across the country. 

Aldi has also worked with partner Neighbourly to prioritise donations to charities and community groups focused on feeding children over the school Christmas holidays. 

The festive food donations are part of Aldi’s successful partnership with Neighbourly, a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations. Thanks to this, all of Aldi’s 900 UK stores now donate surplus food to good causes seven days a week, all year round. 

Luke Peech, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: “We’re proud to support good causes across Edinburgh and the Lothians this festive period, helping them to provide fresh and filling meals over the Christmas period.  

“The feedback has been overwhelming and we’re really pleased to have extended the initiative, so we can do what we can for those in need within the community in what was an incredibly tough year for so many.” 

Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added: “Sadly, this festive season has been the busiest on record for the nation’s charities and food banks. I’m sure Aldi’s donation has been a lifeline for many.” 

‘Sobering’: Scotland enters post-EU era

The impact of the UK Government’s ‘damging’ Brexit deal on the people and economy of Scotland has been revealed in Scottish Government analysis.

The analysis lays out the challenges presented in mitigating the wide ranging impact of the deal, and underlines why the Scottish Government believes the best future for Scotland is as an independent country within the EU.

The comparison between the benefits of being a full member of the European Union (EU) and the position after the end of the transition period shows no corner of Scotland’s life and work will be untouched.

The UK deal, which has been denied consent by the Scottish Parliament, means Scotland has been taken out of the Single Market and the Customs Union, hitting jobs and living standards hard.

This initial analysis lays out what Scotland has lost by leaving the EU with this deal – and what it would regain by re-joining – highlighting the impact on Scotland’s economy, trade in services, fisheries, participation in EU programmes, internal security, free movement of people and the environment.

It includes detail on various sectors, including food, for example, where the UK Government has not secured any legally binding protection within the EU of existing UK Geographical Indicators (GIs) – nor any preferential arrangements for the recognition in the EU of potential future UK GIs.  

Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said: “This analysis is sobering reading for anyone with Scotland’s best interests at heart.

“Post-Brexit relationships with the EU could have taken many different forms and the damaging outcome with which we are now faced is the result of a political choice by the UK Government, and firmly against the wishes of Scotland.

“As a responsible government we are doing everything we can to mitigate against the consequences of the UK Government’s actions, but we cannot avert every negative outcome.

“We know that businesses are already struggling under the burden of COVID-19, and are now faced with the need to prepare for the economic shock of this hard Brexit.

“Our position is clearer than ever – Scotland now has the right to choose its own future, as an independent country and seek to regain the benefits of EU membership.

“This analysis demonstrates the substantial benefits that we would regain by becoming an independent member state in our own right.”

The analysis of the deal’s impact can be read online.

The analysis, published on Hogmanay, may also be seen as the opening salvo in May’s Holyrood elections. Happy New Year! – Ed.