Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a series of robberies and housebreakings which are believed to be linked.
These include a robbery within a property at Ferniehill Grove around 7.55pm on Sunday, 28 February.
Five unidentified men forced entry to the property, stealing personal items and electronic equipment. All of the men are described as being 25 to 30-years-old.
One is descried as being 6ft tall and of a heavy build. He was wearing a dark blue ski mask, dark blue Reebok hooded top and black/grey trousers.
Another man is described as being 5ft 8in tall and wearing a red ski mask with light bits, a dark hoody and tracksuit bottoms.
The remaining three men are described as being of skinny build and wearing a dark blue ski mask and dark clothing.
They are believed to have made off from the address in a grey or silver Vauxhall Insignia car.
The incident is being treated as having potential links to two recent incidents in the city. The first happened around 3.30pm on Sunday, 21 February where a report was received of three suspects, all wearing dark clothing and ski masks, forcing entry to an address on Saughton Road. They made off in what was described as a blue Vauxhall saloon car.
The other incident happened around 5pm on Wednesday, 24 February on Sinclair Place, Gorgie, where two suspects wearing dark clothing and face masks were disturbed while attempting to force entry to a property on Sinclair Place.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait of Edinburgh Division CID said: “Our enquiries into each of these incidents are ongoing and, while we are keeping an open mind, we believe they are potentially linked.
“We would urge anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity to get in touch with us, particularly if you have seen a grey, silver or blue Vauxhall saloon car acting suspiciously in the areas. We would also be keen to speak to anyone who may have dashcam or private CCTV footage.
“Anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident 3519 of 28 February or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Aldi’s award-winning range of Scottish pies are on sale now for British Pie Week
Hap-pie days, its British Pie Week (1st – 7th March) and what better way to celebrate these marvellous meaty creations than by sampling Aldi’s delicious range of filled pies baked to perfection right here in Scotland.
Starting at only 89p, Aldi’s award-winning range features firm favourites with hungry Scots, including Steak & Gravy Pies (2 pack, £1.39), Scotch Pies (2 pack, 89p), and Brownings the Bakers’ famous Kilmarnock Pie (150g, £1.39).
If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, why not try Aldi’s Macaroni Pies (2 pack, 99p) or Chicken Curry Pies (2 pack, £1.29), perfect as a mid-afternoon snack. Or why not indulge in one of Aldi’s award-winning Specially Selected Luxury Pies, including Steak & Ale Pie, Steak & Black Pudding Pie, or Chicken & Leek Pie (250g, £1.99).
Looking for a traditional treat for two? why not pick up Aldi’s Top Crust Steak Pie (£2.29, 371g), or for the perfect meal for all the family the Large Top Crust Steak Pie (£3.69, 660g) is guaranteed to go down a storm.
Sure to get mouths watering, Aldi’s range of Scottish pies are available now from all 96 stores in Scotland.
The full range includes:
• Specially Selected Luxury Pies. Choose from Steak & Ale, Chicken & Leek, and Steak & Black Pudding (£1.99, 250g)
• Frasers Scotch Pie (2 pack) (89p)
• Frasers Scotch Pie (4 pack) (£1.59)• Frasers Macaroni Pie (2 pack) (99p)
ScottishPower today confirmed it will commit to the Young Person’s Guarantee as part of its overall plan to support the UK’s Green Recovery.
To avoid a ‘lost generation’, the new Young Person’s Guarantee aims to ensure all 16-24 year olds in Scotland get the chance to succeed through an apprenticeship, job, training, further education or volunteering.
The commitment by ScottishPower marks the start of 2021’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week (1-5 March).
ScottishPower is one of the largest employers in Scotland and currently has around 5,500 staff at sites across the UK, including 1650 at its Glasgow-based HQ. It is the UK’s only integrated energy company and generates 100% green electricity.
A Principal Partner for the United Nations climate change conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow later this year, it is investing a total of £10bn in the clean energy generation and networks infrastructure needed to help the UK decarbonise.
Under the Guarantee, it is making five commitments to help young people at this critical time:
prepare young people for the world of work through work experience, volunteering and work-based learning opportunities
engage with and provide opportunities to young people who face barriers to work
create work-based learning, training and upskilling opportunities for young people
create jobs and opportunities for young people through apprenticeships, paid internships and work experience
create an inclusive workplace to support learning and enable young people to meet their potential
ScottishPower already has a range of successful apprenticeship schemes, scholarships, internships, summer placements and other opportunities to support people either entering the workplace for the first time, from school leavers to graduates, or those returning after career breaks.
Under Young Person’s Guarantee, it is committing to furthering its opportunities for young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds around the UK. This will include grassroots pre-employment schemes in local communities for young people in and around Glasgow.
Sheila Duncan, ScottishPower’s HR Director, said: “The theme for Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2021 is Business Backing Talent and what better way to show our commitment to the future of our young people than by committing to support Young Person’s Guarantee.
“Young people are quite simply the future of our business and we know how successful our apprenticeship and employability schemes can be in terms of attracting, training and retaining talent.
“The past year has been incredibly difficult for our young people and accessing opportunities to help energise their careers shouldn’t seem out of their reach.
“I’m delighted we’re supporting the Guarantee and we’re fully committed to ensuring there are a wide range of exciting opportunities available to them as we strive to deliver a better future, quicker.”
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Apprenticeships are a key part of our work to support our young people, who have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic.
“The Scottish Government is committed to helping our young people and we have dedicated £25 million to increase apprenticeship opportunities in response to Covid-19.
“Not only do these valuable opportunities provide essential experience to progress, they are also hugely beneficial to our employers and businesses.
“Apprenticeships are also a crucial aspect of our million Young Person’s Guarantee, which since November has created around 18,000 opportunities for people aged between 16 and 24 to help them into work, education or training.
“I want our young people and employers to know we support you and will continue to do all we can to build a strong economy recovery for Scotland.”
NHS Lothian today opened the doors to a new mass vaccination centre which will help provide thousands more doses of the lifesaving vaccine.The new centre has been created in the former Royal Bank of Scotland Younger building at the Gyle.
The centre will open with eight stations, capable of providing 480 appointments every day, but will have the capability to double in size.
Pat Wynne, Director of Nursing for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “A significant amount of effort has gone into the preparation of the site to ensure that it runs as quickly and smoothly as possible.
“I am extremely proud of the work undertaken by our staff and our Royal Bank of Scotland partners to get this site up and running and ready to receive patients.
“We are moving through our vaccination programme as fast as the vaccine supply allows. When you do receive an appointment, we would urge you to keep it, even if it is at a centre that seems far away from your home.
“In order for the programme to be successful we need to vaccinate as many people as possible. This will help save lives and provide protection to all our communities across Lothian.”
NHS Lothian has been working with councils, health and social care partnerships and other partners in recent weeks to deliver the mass vaccination programme.
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.
The opening of the Younger building follows closely on the heels of other mass vaccination sites, following the EICC, Pyramids Business Park, the Royal Highland Centre and the drive-through at Queen Margaret University.
Malcolm Buchanan, chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Throughout our 300-year history, Royal Bank of Scotland has been focused on supporting and helping our customers and communities through the challenges of everyday life.
“The last 12 months have been some of the most challenging in living memory and today we are proud to play our part in supporting the biggest mass vaccination programme our country has ever undertaken.
“This is just one of many ways in which Royal Bank of Scotland has been supporting the response to COVID-19. The generosity and care of colleagues and customers has helped us support charities helping individuals and families affected directly and indirectly by the pandemic.
“Covid-19 has been one of the worst things we have ever experienced but it has also brought out the best in the people we live with and work beside. Everyone wants to make life better.
“We are delighted at Royal Bank of Scotland to be able to partner with NHS Scotland and transform our Younger Building into a vaccination centre. These actions today will lead to a happier and more positive tomorrow for so many.”
Paul McGirk, Chief Executive of Hub South East, NHS Lothian’s Development Partner, said: “We are delighted to be working with NHS Lothian in the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination centres across the region – surely one of the most important infrastructure developments in recent times.
“Our contractor, Morrison Construction, our designers and the rest of our supply chain partners pulled out all the stops to ensure that the QMU site was handed over safely, to a high quality and on time for its first patients to receive vaccines today. Following the opening of the EICC Centre last week, and with more set to open in the coming weeks, this has been a fantastic partnership effort by everyone involved.”
If patients absolutely cannot keep the appointment they have been given, they are being asked to call the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013 or visit https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine to rearrange their appointment. If they are aged 75 and over, they should phone their GP practice to rearrange their appointment.
A report outlining a revised timetable for the City of Edinburgh Council’s City Plan 2030 will be now be considered by councillors on Wednesday, 10 March.
The report, which will be made public on Thursday (4 March), will say that the proposed plan will now be considered by councillors in the summer with the preference being for a committee in August.
The proposed plan was due to be considered by the Planning Committee this month but Scottish Environment Protection Agency was subject to a significant cyber attack just before Christmas which is still affecting its services.
This is having an impact on work on the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment required for the proposed plan as well as many other matters.
Cllr Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener, said: “The proposed plan will be ambitious and will help us build a more sustainable future as the Capital grows in the coming years. When complete, the proposed plan needs to be robust and not open to challenge on the credibility of the flood risk evidence, which is why we need to postpone its completion.
“I have every sympathy with SEPA and the challenges they are experiencing as a result of this incident and appreciate they are rightly focusing at the moment on immediate risks of flooding or significant breaches of the other regulatory responsibilities they have.”
Action to tackle deep-rooted inequality and child poverty will be accelerated through £7.4 million of additional investment.
The funding will be made available to local authorities specifically to help disabled parents and enhance the support they get. The funding will also be allocated to the Social Innovation Partnership which invests in alternative approaches to tackling poverty and improving lives.
In addition to the £23.3 million committed in the 2021-22 Scottish Budget, this investment brings the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Fund to a cumulative total of £50 million from 2018–2022, helping towards our ambition to eradicate child poverty and to halve the disability employment gap in Scotland.
Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell said: “This increased funding delivers not only on our commitment to invest £50 million through our Tackling Child Poverty Fund, but also to target support to disabled parents to access employment.
“The impacts of COVID have been particularly damaging to disabled people’s employment prospects and it is right that we invest now to enhance the support available.
“Our long-standing Social Innovation Partnership is supporting life-changing and innovative work to tackle child poverty and this increased investment will help to accelerate action.
“We remain firmly committed to eradicating child poverty in Scotland and halving the disability employment gap, and this new investment takes us one step closer to realising these ambitions.”
The £7.4 million is made up of £2.4 million for the Social Innovation Partnership, with an extra £5 million provided through the Parental Employability Support Fund, targeted specifically at supporting disabled parents.
During such a hard time for closed businesses, it comes with great sadness and disappointment that our beer garden has been left in this state.
Last night between 9.30pm – midnight, a group of 4 have been caught on cctv completely abusing the area, breaking and throwing garden furniture, trying to smash down the smoking shelter, dumping all their trash as well as risking their own safety by climbing onto our restaurant roof.
We would kindly ask the community to share this and help it reach the people involved, before we have to forward the faces (who from cctv look as if they have visited before) to the police .
Attached are some photos of the mess. Thank you for your support.
More than 5,300 homes and businesses across central Scotland to get much faster gigabit broadband.
Includes premises in Ayrshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Stirlingshire, Greater Glasgow and Lothian.
More than 5,300 homes and businesses in Ayrshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Stirlingshire, Greater Glasgow and Lothian will get access to gigabit speeds thanks to the first £4.5 million to be awarded from the UK government’s nationwide gigabit programme.
These premises currently have slow speeds and were already due to benefit from superfast broadband through the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100 (R100) programme, which is scheduled to invest £83 million in central Scotland.
But now, thanks to an agreement between the UK and Scottish governments the properties will get gigabit-capable full fibre broadband built directly to their doorsteps.
While superfast provides minimum speeds of 30 megabits per second, gigabit broadband delivers lightning-fast speeds capable of reaching 1,000 megabits per second.
The move will future-proof people’s internet connections in these areas for the next thirty to forty years and allow them to take full advantage of cutting-edge technologies such as 8K TV and virtual reality streaming.
Matt Warman, UK Minister for Digital Infrastructure said: “The first pound to be spent from our £5 billion pot for gigabit broadband will be in Scotland.
“That’s because it is our mission to deliver lightning-fast next-generation internet connections to all parts of the UK as we build back better from the pandemic.
“And this is just the start. Other areas of Scotland and the rest of the UK will benefit from our record investment in this national broadband upgrade and we’ll announce more regions shortly.”
Scotland’s Connectivity Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “The past year has demonstrated beyond doubt just how vital digital connectivity is across all areas of our lives – from health, wellbeing and education to social and economic recovery.
“That’s why the Scottish Government is investing £579 million in funding towards the £600 million cost of our Reaching 100% programme, building the infrastructure which, together with commercially-driven work, will ensure access to superfast broadband speeds to 100% of homes and businesses across Scotland.
The vast majority of connections being delivered to more than 120,000 premises through our investment in the three R100 area contracts – 100% in South, 86% in North and, now, 95% in Central – will be through fibre directly to the premises, delivering gigabit capability, providing connection speeds 30 times faster than our superfast commitment, and resilient, future-proofed connectivity for decades to come.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart said: “It’s great news that Central Scotland has been announced as the first area to benefit from the UK Gigabit Programme, and pleasing to see the UK and Scottish governments working together in partnership to level up communities.
“The UK Government will spend more than £5 billion to help those in areas that need improved connectivity most. This will help us to build back better from coronavirus and create new jobs and economic opportunities.”
The Scottish Government’s R100 programme is in the process of ensuring that all homes and businesses across Scotland can access superfast broadband. The vast majority of connections will be gigabit-capable and delivered via full fibre cables built directly to premises – known as Fibre to the Premise (FTTP).
In Central Scotland there are some premises which were set to be delivered via Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) technology.
The UK Government has committed to delivering nationwide coverage of gigabit capable broadband through its £5 billion UK Gigabit Programme, with a minimum target of 85% coverage by 2025. The £5 billion will be used to subsidise building in hard-to-reach areas that aren’t set to benefit from planned industry rollout.
On the basis that the UK Gigabit Programme would have to revisit these 5,368 premises at some point in the future to convert them to FTTP, the Scottish and UK Governments have agreed a technology ‘flip’ from FTTC to FTTP. This offers the chance to reduce build costs, enabling delivery of the connections earlier and at greater value for money.
The UK government will shortly be announcing further areas of the UK that will be the first to receive a share of the £5 billion and be connected through the UK Gigabit Programme.
The Improvement Service and the Open University (OU) in Scotland are working together to offer all community council volunteers the opportunity to upskill and reskill using OU courses.
Throughout the pandemic the Improvement Service’s Community Councils (CCs) project supported by Scottish Government has been trying to find ways to support CCs as they adapt to new ways of working and the OU was one of the organisations we reached out to and asked how they could help.
We asked Scotland’s CCs what skills they would find helpful to have or improve on and we are delighted to present these free online courses which the OU have tailored to suit the needs of Scottish CCs.
Many CCs have fully embraced the digital journey during the pandemic and there are courses here to help you continue that journey such as using Microsoft Teams and succeeding in a digital world. In addition to digital skills there are also courses on a range of other topics that community councillors have suggested including finance, fundraising, community and business skills.
These courses are totally free – all community councillors have to do is register for a free account and then you can begin your learning journey with the OU.
The OU has many courses to choose from but if you would like to suggest additional topics for training not covered that would benefit CCs in Scotland please let us know by e-mail: scottishccs@improvementservice.org.uk
So what are you waiting for? Brush up on your skills or learn some brand new ones with the OU, just click on the link below to begin your journey:
In our efforts to make as much noise as possible ahead of the Budget, we’ve drafted an open letter to send to the Chancellor urging him to do the right thing and provide support to those who have thus far been excluded from support through no fault of their own.
Please help us and sign this letter and share! The letter can be found at this link:
You can simply add your name to the end of the letter by typing directly into it.
Please keep your signature to one line with your name and if you wish you can add profession/ organisation/ affiliation/ business name/ category for exclusion.
The letter will be published tomorrow evening.
Thank you!
Best wishes from the ExcludedUK Team.
#relentless #wearenotgoingaway #franticfebruary
PS: This is for anyone excluded from UK Government Covid-19 support OR wishing to show support … please sign!
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