Month: February 2021

The Wee Museum of Memory at Ocean Terminal: Keeping people connected during lockdown

A key-worker project based at Ocean Terminal has been working hard to keep older people connected during lockdown. 

The Wee Museum of Memory (based on the second floor of the waterfront centre in Leith) is run by The Living Memory Association and prior to lockdown welcomed around 150 visitors per day. Now, they’ve had to take the project online to help keep people connected while restrictions are still in place. 

The museum is home to over 10,000 objects from 1930s school desks and 1970s record players to Leith/Edinburgh boundary plaque and a 6ft model of a Granton trawler.

The pieces in the museum help stimulate memories and get people talking to each other. With the physical location closed, the project co-ordinator Miles Tubb and his volunteers wanted to make sure there were still opportunities for people to connect through sharing stories and life experiences.   

Working closely with the team at Ocean Terminal they have been able to continue to bring people together albeit virtually through a series of podcasts and videos recorded at the museum’s studio at the centre.  

These weekly podcasts feature some of Edinburgh’s most loved residents including 76-year-old Evelyn Whitfield (above), one of the team’s longstanding volunteers. Evelyn has volunteered at the museum for 15 years.

During lockdown, whilst caring for her husband, Evelyn has been working alongside Miles to manage the project’s social media channels and compile their newsletters. In the latest episode of the podcast Evelyn joins Miles to reminisce about her memories of Leith. 

Another guest on the series is 75-year-old Edinburgh musician, John Robertson. John has been involved with the Edinburgh music scene for over 40 years and even played in a support band for The Who. 

Michelle MacLeod, Centre Manager at Ocean Terminal, said: “The Wee Museum of Memory at Ocean Terminal is hugely popular, attracting people of all ages and from all over the world.

“A lot of the museum’s older visitors and volunteers are among those more likely to feel cut off and isolated during these times so we have been only too happy to find a way to help.

“By making it possible for them to access the museum’s facilities at the centre, I’m delighted that Miles and his amazing volunteers can continue to reach out to people via their podcasts.”   

Miles Tubb, Project Co-Ordinator, The Wee Museum of Memory (above) added: “As a key worker project, we’re immensely grateful to be able to access our resources within Ocean Terminal during lockdown.

“It allows us to keep sharing memories and to do our best to keep people connected and lessen isolation during lockdown. We don’t want to let lockdown stop our visitors being able to reminisce about the good times and our weekly podcasts and YoutTube videos have been a great way to keep connected and let our visitors know that we’re still here.” 

Tune into the podcast series here. New episodes are live every Tuesday.

You can view The Wee Memory Museum’s YouTube channel here. 

A National Care Service for Scotland?

Coalition of Care and Support Providers welcome Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland

CCPS (Coalition of Care and Support Providers) has welcomed the publication of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland and its call for a renewed purpose for social care with human rights at its heart.

CCPS are delighted by the commitment to a new narrative which replaces crisis with prevention and wellbeing, burden with investment, competition with collaboration and variation with fairness and equity.

We strongly endorse the call to put people front and centre of social care delivery – people who are supported by social care, their families and carers, and people who work in social care services.

We agree that Scotland already has strong foundations on which to build a National Care Service. We want to work with the Scottish Government, national and local stakeholders – including those who support people and people who are supported – to redesign the system to make the ambitions set out in the Review happen.

We wholeheartedly back the Review’s assertion of a duty to co-produce a new system with people who it is designed to support.

Over the coming weeks we will be working closely with our members to explore the Review’s recommendations in detail. As the membership body for third sector providers, we are especially interested in participating in the conversation about the Review’s recommendations on commissioning and procurement.

In 2020, we published our own contribution to that conversation, a series of Big Ideas about changing the way social care is planned, purchased, and paid for. We are grateful to the Review team for citing those ideas. In particular, we thank them for including as one of their recommendations, our suggestion to press pause on all current procurement in the context of a National Care Service, with a view to rapid, carefully planned implementation.

We agree with the Review team that implementation is the most significant challenge. Now is the moment for whole system change, hand in hand with the implementation of The Promise and the recommendations of the Social Renewal Advisory Board.

We would echo the Review Team’s own words – ‘If not now, when? If not this way, how? And if not us – who?’

Annie Gunner Logan, Chief Executive of CCPS said: “CCPS congratulates Derek Feeley and the Review team on completing a mammoth task in record time and their willingness to listen to many voices including those of providers and the people we support.

“Reform of social care in Scotland is long overdue. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed fault lines which require radical overhaul and long-term change. It has also revealed what can be achieved when obstacles are removed in a crisis.

“We are heartened by the direction of travel set out in the Review. The challenge now must be to turn aspiration into implementation. Change is needed urgently but how it is achieved matters too.

“The debate about a National Care Service must not become a bunfight at the expense of those who provide social care and the people they support.

“The upcoming election period provides an opportunity to discuss the Review’s recommendations openly and widely. But when the votes have been counted, and Scotland gets down to the series business of design and implementation, their voices must be in every room, every step of the way.”

Responding to the publication of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland Report yesterday, GMB Scotland’s Women’s Campaign Unit Organiser Rhea Wolfson said: “Scotland has a once in a generation opportunity to transform social care, if the recommendations of this report are underpinned by proper value for the workers who will deliver it.

“We are pleased the report acknowledges our campaign for a £15 an hour minimum wage in social care and we would stress to the government and the industry this is very achievable with collaboration and political will.

“The report is clear that if government and the industry invest properly in the sector and its people, the economic multiplier effects of social care spending could have transformative effects not just for workers’ pay and the quality of care, but for the equalities agenda and the wider economy.

“The COVID-19 pandemic ruthlessly exposed the long-standing crises in social care which everyone well understood, and for a workforce of mainly low-paid and often exploited women this has meant a chronic struggle for proper value and respect.

“After the crises and tragedy of the last eleven months, and with tough times still ahead of us, there is hope in these recommendations.

“If we are serious about what we really value as a society, then we have a chance to finally get the social care agenda right.”

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Milestone: Ten Million Jabs

More than 10 million people receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in UK

More than 10 million people in the UK have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, marking a significant milestone for the largest vaccination programme in British history.

Figures out yesterday show the NHS vaccinated a total of 10,021,471 million people between 8 December 2020 and 2 February 2021, including 9 in 10 people aged 75 and over in England.

This is equivalent to vaccinating the total capacity of 111 Wembley stadiums in just 8 weeks and is an important step towards hitting the Prime Minister’s target of offering vaccines to the top 4 priority groups by the middle of February.

These top 4 groups account for 88% of COVID deaths, which is why the vaccines will play such a crucial role in saving lives and reducing the demand on the NHS.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This terrific achievement is testament to the monumental effort of NHS workers, volunteers and the armed forces who have been working tirelessly in every corner of the UK to deliver the largest vaccination programme in our history. Every jab makes us all a bit safer – I want to thank everyone for playing their part.

“Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic. The unprecedented national effort we have seen right across the United Kingdom means the majority of our most vulnerable people are now inoculated against this awful disease.

“The UK government has worked rapidly to secure and deliver doses to all of the UK, demonstrating the strength of our union and what we can achieve together.”

Vaccines have been offered to all elderly care home residents and staff in England and Wales, with staff returning to homes where residents may have been unable to get a vaccine due to medical conditions, or because of a local outbreak.

A study published in the Lancet yesterday shows the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine provides a sustained protection of 76% during the 12-week interval between the first and second dose.

It is also the first study to show the vaccine may substantially reduce transmission, suggesting those who have already been immunised with this vaccine cannot infect others.

All vaccines being used in the UK have undergone robust clinical trials and have met the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.

The vaccination programme continues to expand, with thousands of vaccination centres open – ranging from GP and pharmacy-led services to hospitals and large-scale vaccination centres – to provide easy access to those eligible, regardless of where they live.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “The UK’s vaccination programme is in full swing and almost 1 in 6 people across the UK are already protected from serious illness.

“The NHS is doing everything it can to protect the most vulnerable and will continue to expand the vaccination programme ever further in the coming weeks to save as many lives as possible.”

The public has a vital part to play in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and the government has called on people to:

  • help out: help those eligible for the vaccine by supporting friends, family and loved ones with their appointments, as well as volunteering to help those in the community
  • join up: sign up to clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, as well as treatments
  • stay informed: keep up to date with accurate and trusted NHS advice and make sure to share the facts with friends and family

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “There are many people and groups responsible for the UK’s vaccination programme, and we owe our thanks to our brilliant scientists, to Kate Bingham and the Vaccine Task Force which has procured over 400 million doses of seven different types of vaccine, to the manufacturers and the delivery drivers, the pharmacists, the military medics, countless volunteers.

“But to get this life-saving medicine into the arms of the nation at the kind of speed that we’re seeing, we are relying on the doctors, nurses and all the staff of our NHS.

“It is thanks to their effort – the most colossal in the history of our National Health Service – that we have today passed the milestone of 10 million vaccinations in the United Kingdom, including almost 90% of those aged 75 and over in England and every eligible person in a care home.”

A total number of 10,021,471 have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. 498,962 people have received their second jab.

NHS Lothian opens third mass vaccination centre at Royal Highland Centre Ingliston

A retired legal secretary was among the first in line when the vaccination centre at the Royal Highland Centre opened its doors for the first time yesterday.

Elizabeth Anne Kirk, 68, from Linlithgow, was given the vaccine at the first of the vaccination centres on the site.

She said: “I’m very excited. I haven’t been going out much recently so I feel more relaxed having had the vaccine, although I’ll still be very careful. The whole process has been easy and well organised and the staff are very friendly, which is important. There really is nothing to worry about.”

The newest mass vaccination centre, the third in Lothian, is in the Members’ Pavilion which has nine vaccination stations available. It will be capable of vaccinating more than 1,000 people every day, seven days a week.

It will initially be staffed by vaccinators from NHS Lothian, before the British Armed Forces staff the centre for around two weeks.

It will revert to the NHS vaccinators after more training and inductions are carried out to boost the ranks.

David Small, Director of Primary Care Transformation and executive lead for the vaccination programme, NHS Lothian, said: “It is very exciting to see a new mass vaccination centre open, especially one that is being supported by our colleagues from the British Armed Forces.

“The swift opening of this venue will allow us to increase our capacity across the Lothians and allow us to start vaccinating 65-69-year-olds sooner than we expected.

“I’m incredibly proud of all of the work and effort done by our teams to get this venue up and running. It has taken a lot of work, but we are now seeing the delivery of this lifesaving vaccine to thousands of people across Lothian.”

Teams have been working hard to transform the events venue into a centre capable of vaccinating hundreds and thousands of people each day.

This is the first of two vaccination centres planned for the Royal Highland Centre. A second larger centre is expected to become operational in March.

Alan Laidlaw, Chief Executive of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, said: “We can think of no greater use for our facilities at the Royal Highland Centre than to support the national vaccine programme.

“As an event venue attracting upwards of one million people each year and home to Scotland’s largest outdoor event, the Royal Highland Show, we are hopeful that the mass roll out of the vaccination will see the safe return of events in 2021.”

People aged between 75-79 and those most clinically vulnerable will continue to be given appointments to be vaccinated by their GP, while those aged between 70-74 and 65 to 69 are being invited into these mass vaccination sites and smaller community venues for their injections.

Smaller community clinics will deliver vaccinations in the local area for people with complex needs or who, for other reasons, absolutely cannot and would not be expected to travel to a mass centre.

Mr Small added: “We have already vaccinated the vast majority of the first groups to be prioritised, including frontline health and social care staff; care home staff and residents and people over the age of 80.

“More than 90,000 people have already had their first dose of the vaccine. 

“Our message is clear – for this programme to be successful we need to vaccinate as many people as we possibly can.   This will help save lives, provide protection and allow us to get back to normal.

“When you receive an appointment, I really would urge you to keep it, even if it is at a centre which is not closest to your home. Attending your appointment is the most important thing you will do this year.”

 Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs said: “NHS Lothian now have everything in place to really ramp up vaccination efforts. 

“I welcome the use of our armed forces to speed up vaccinations and help overcome Covid-19. It is clear that everyone is on board for getting people vaccinated as fast as possible and this bodes very well.”

Advice for attending vaccination centres

Patients are asked to stay safe by following the Scottish Government guidance currently in place, by wearing a mask and maintaining physical distancing as they travel to and from vaccination centres across Lothian.

Parking will be available around some venues and public transport operators are all following Scottish Government transport guidance for safe travel.

Please arrive on time for the allocated time on your appointment letter. Arriving too early can cause unnecessary queues.

When you arrive, make sure to wear a mask and bring your appointment letter with you to avoid any unnecessary delays.

The vaccination programme is one of three critical ways we are all working together to beat this virus, along with the testing programme which helps prevent its spread and the rules in place that we all know to follow. These three planks form our route out of this pandemic.

More details and information about the venues can be found on NHS Lothian’s website https://www.nhslothian.scot/Coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/default.aspx

Or for more information about the vaccine and appointments on NHS Inform.scot

BOGOF! Consumers warn government off meddling with food and drink promotions

A survey by BritainThinks, commissioned by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), has found that 73% of in-store shoppers say they usually or always purchase products that are on promotion when shopping, with a quarter (25%) of respondents suggesting that if there were no promotions, they would be concerned about the affordability of their shopping.

Nearly two thirds of participants (62%) also agreed that promotions are an important way to save money on food and drink, with nearly three quarters of participants (72%) wanting promotions to continue, finding them useful for saving money, stock up on food for the future and trying new products.

The findings come following news that the government remains committed to plans that would restrict promotions, including multibuys and buy-one-get-one-free deals.

Commenting on the findings, the FDF’s Chief Scientific Officer, Kate Halliwell, said: “The survey results clearly demonstrate that a large majority of in-store shoppers use promotions as a way to save money on their food and drink shopping. We’re extremely concerned that removing these promotions will add to the household’s food bill.

“There is evidence that during a recession, many people increasingly rely on promotions to help them save money. It’s predicted that the average shopping basket may increase by £600 a year without promotions in retail. We have already seen evidence of rising food costs – at the start of lockdown we saw a spike of 2.4% increase in food prices, fuelled by a 15% fall in promotions which accounted for over half of this inflationary spike.

“We urge the Government to consider these findings as they press on with their plans to restrict retail promotions and think about the impact this may have on the shopping basket and for shoppers during an incredibly difficult economic time.”

Scottish Ensemble embrace digital, young people and mental wellbeing with new appointments

Scottish Ensemble starts 2021 as it means to go on with the appointment of three new board members by chair Samantha Barber.

Scotland’s award-winning ensemble has been treating audiences both old and new to an array of digital content and collaborations since the global pandemic began and the appointment of three new board members carries their commitment to reaching new audiences and promoting mental wellbeing well into the future.

Together, the new appointments draw on expertise from the fields of digital/ technology, mental health, young people, tackling social disadvantage, strategy and governance and will help the ensemble continue to innovate at a time of ongoing uncertainty and change.

James McAulay, the CEO & Co-Founder of Encore – one of the world’s largest online booking platforms helping musicians earn money playing at events, concerts, weddings and recording sessions – joined the board in December 2020, as its youngest member to date.

Before starting Encore, James studied the cello at the Music School of Douglas Academy in Glasgow and led the NYOS cello section at their BBC Proms performance with Nicola Benedetti in 2012. James brings extensive digital expertise and a passion for strings and composition to the table.

Morag Burnett began her career in arts management and has since worked with international NGOs and foundations for over 20 years in Honduras, the Dominican Republic, New York, London, Mexico City and most recently Tbilisi, Georgia.

Morag is deputy chair of the innovative, London-based Lankelly Chase foundation, working to change systems that perpetuate disadvantage and she hopes to bring this experience into her new role.

Amy Woodhouse, currently Head of Policy, Projects and Participation for Children in Scotland, the national network organisation improving children’s lives, has a particular interest in how music, and the arts more widely, can be used to promote mental health and wellbeing and will join the board in March 2021.

She brings an understanding of mental health improvement and participatory approaches to the board.

Chair of Scottish Ensemble, Samantha Barber said: “We are truly delighted to welcome Amy, Morag and James to the Scottish Ensemble board. Together they bring skills and experience that we know to be of utmost importance as we enter 2021.

“These new appointments and all that they represent in terms of knowledge and know-how will enable us to remain resilient and continue innovating in the way for which we have become known. I know that all of my colleagues on the board and across the organisation will join me in wishing them a warm welcome; we look forward to their input and to exploring new ideas and perspectives over the coming year.”

In addition to the new board members, SE also announce that after over 14 years in various roles throughout the organisation, Lesley Paterson retires in 2021 having completed her full term as a board member.

And finally, Chief Executive Jenny Jamison will be heading off on maternity leave in March and William Norris of William Norris Arts Management will be stepping into her role, supported by the wider SE team.

Having previously held the post, among others, of Managing Director for Southbank Sinfonia and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (Toronto) William’s past work has explored innovative concert formats and looked at ways to reach new audiences and SE are delighted to welcome him to the team.

Electric scooter rider injured in Ferniehill – man charged

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was found injured in the south of the city after riding an electric scooter.

Shortly before 12.15am this morning (Wednesday, 3 February, 2021), a witness contacted emergency services after finding a man injured in the roadway on Ferniehill Road.

Officers and the Scottish Ambulance Service attended and the 40-year-old rider was taken to hospital with serious, but not life threatening, injuries.

Enquiries are ongoing to establish how he came to sustain his injuries and officers are asking anyone who may have seen the rider prior to him being found injured to contact police.

Police Constable James Lamb from Police Scotland’s Road Policing Unit based in Edinburgh said: “First and foremost we are seeking to understand how the man became injured. He suffered a head injury and was found in the eastbound lane of Ferniehill Road, just off Gilmerton Road, near to the junction with Ferniehill Avenue.

“I would ask anyone in the Moredun and Gilmerton areas who may have seen a man riding an e-scooter late last night, or any properties who may have private CCTV covering the area, to check their systems to see if this can help our enquiries.

“Similarly any drivers in the area who may have seen the rider prior to him being found injured, and especially if recording with dash cam, should provide any relevant information or footage to officers as soon as possible.”

Those with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 and quote incident number 0019 of 3 February. An anonymous report can be given to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Following a previous appeal regarding a man found injured after riding an electric scooter in the Ferniehill Road area of Edinburgh on Wednesday, 3 February, Police Scotland can now confirm that a 48-year-old man has been charged in connection with a number of road traffic offences.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Self-Isolation support extended

The £500 Self-Isolation Support Grant is being significantly extended to more people on low incomes.

The grant will be available to workers earning the Real Living Wage or less, as well as those in receipt of a council tax reduction because of low income.

People with caring responsibilities for someone over 16 who is asked to self-isolate, where the carer themselves meet the other eligibility criteria, can also get the grant.

In addition, the Scottish Government is lengthening the period during which people can apply for the Self-Isolation Support Grant. They will now be able to apply within 28 days of being told to self-isolate.

The changes will take effect from 16 February to allow local authorities time to change their systems and application forms, but eligibility will be backdated to 2 February. This means an additional 200,000 people will be eligible for the grant if they are asked to self-isolate.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Supporting people to self-isolate is critical to controlling the spread of the virus. We always said we would review this grant to make sure it worked for people who face financial hardship as a result of self-isolation. That is why we are making changes to considerably increase the eligibility of the grant to those on low incomes. 

“These are important changes and will be accompanied by a national and local media campaign to increase public awareness of support available. We know self-isolation is necessary to stop transmission of coronavirus, and recent research shows that 62% of symptomatic people and 80% of their close contacts comply fully with isolation guidance and I would like to thank them for this.

“While self-isolation can be difficult for everyone, we want to break down any financial barriers to complying. I am grateful to COSLA and local authority staff for their hard work to introduce these changes and offer support through the National Helpline and Local Self-Isolation Assistance Service to all those who need it.”

The Self-Isolation Support Grant is already available to low income workers who will lose earnings as a result of having to self-isolate, or having to care for a child under 16 who has to self-isolate.

You can call the Self-Isolation Support National Helpline on 0800 111 4000.

Two new stores: Aldi to invest over £6.7m in Lothians as part of continued expansion

Aldi, the UK’s lowest priced supermarket, is to invest more than £6.7 million in two new stores in Edinburgh and Midlothian this year, creating 42 jobs.  

The supermarket will open a new store at Hermiston Gait in Edinburgh and Thornybank Industrial Estate in Dalkeith before the end of the year. 

Aldi continues to lead the way on championing great quality Scottish produce with twenty five percent of its range now locally sourced in Scotland. The supermarket now has 96 stores throughout Scotland and is set to reach its 100th store milestone by the end of the year. This investment is part of the supermarket’s long-term target to reach 1,200 stores in the UK by 2025.  

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “With shoppers increasingly looking to make sure they get unbeatable prices on their weekly shop without compromising on quality, our stores are becoming ever more popular.  

“This investment in Aldi stores over the course of this year will help make the UK’s lowest-priced supermarket more accessible to even more people, and bring us closer to our long-term goal of having 1,200 stores across the UK by 2025.” 

“We have been investing in Britain for more than 30 years now, but we know that there are still areas that either don’t have an Aldi at all, or that need another store to meet customer demand. 

Last summer, Aldi announced it was looking for new store locations in 19 towns and cities across Scotland – including Stonehaven, Castle Douglas, and Peebles – as part of its longer-term expansion plans. 

Aldi has recently increased its minimum hourly rates, paying a minimum hourly rate of £9.55 nationally, up from £9.40. Store colleagues will now be able to earn up to £10.57 after three years nationally and £11.32 after two years in London. The new rates of pay are also boosted by the fact Aldi is still one of the only UK supermarkets to pay for breaks taken during shifts, which means Aldi colleagues remain the best-paid in the sector. 

The supermarket, which opened new stores in Livingston and Stewarton during 2020, has also announced plans to increase the amount of food and drink it buys from British suppliers by £3.5bn a year by 2025, as it continues its rapid expansion across the UK.

Aldi is widely recognised as the biggest supporter of local suppliers and has already put plans in place to expand its Scottish range to hit 500 locally sourced product lines in the next two years. 

Aldi is also investing £500m in new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and its supply chain in 2021, which will create over 4,000 jobs as well as new opportunities for British food and drink producers.