Matilda will be the most popular costume for World Book Day 2021, according to search trends.
Costumes for the character from the Roald Dahl favourite are the most searched for in the UK. Miss Trunchball and Miss Honey from the book are also expected to be amongst the most popular.
The analysis, compiled by www.takepayments.com, reveals Diary of a Wimpy Kid follows Matilda in the list of costume inspiration parents are searching for the most.
Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland are also top search terms, whilst David Walliams and Julia Donaldson are the most searched for authors.
Futurist (Eh? – Ed.) Tracey Follows predicts* that characters from the books of Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo will also heavily feature this year.
World Book Day 2021 takes place tomorrow (4th March). With schools not expected to reopen until at least 8th March and lockdown restrictions still in place, this year organisers are encouraging families to dress up at home and get involved online.
There will be special free digital events including ‘Share a Story Live’ and author academy videos will be available online.
Books are once again being offered for just £1 through book tokens with more than 15 million tokens being made available to children across the country.
Bosses are also being encouraged to allow their staff to go home early so they can share stories with the children in their lives.
Google search trends on the biggest UK events have been compiled by www.takepayments.com as part of a 2021 report which can be found here.
* Tracey Follows is a professional futurist who runs the consultancy, Futuremade. She helps brands and businesses spot trends, develop foresight and fully prepare for what comes next. She is the author of the forthcoming book The Future of You, out March 2021.
National charity Heart Research UK have launched their first charity cookbook, featuring 17 recipes from celebs, chefs and some of the web’s biggest food bloggers.
The e-book, which is available to download here for a suggested donation of £5, features a selection of well-balanced recipes from some of the best known faces in food and fitness, including Joe Wicks, The Hairy Bikers, Heart Research UK ambassador Sally Bee, Gennaro Contraldo, Michelin Star Chef Tom Kitchin, Masterchef winner Shelina Permaloo and many more.
Recipes range from light breakfasts and brunches, through to healthy snacks, show-stopping main meals and family favourites, and even a few desserts.
Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion and Education at Heart Research UK, said: “As someone who loves cooking and eating nutritionally balanced dishes, I know that healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring or expensive.
“We put together this cookbook to provide everyone, from families and first time cooks to the home-chef extraordinaire, a selection of recipes that are healthy, full of flavour and unpretentious.
“I often advise people on making dietary changes to reduce their risk of heart disease and manage their weight. A healthy, well-balanced diet contains plenty of fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods and not too much fat, sugar or salt. By using this cookbook, we hope you will discover some delicious new recipes that will enable you to keep looking after your heart.”
The cookbook can be downloaded here, for a suggested donation of £5.
All of the money raised will support Heart Research UK’s life-saving work, funding pioneering research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.
The safety of campaigners, election workers and the public is central to plans for the Scottish Parliament election, Parliamentary Business Minister Graeme Dey has said.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Mr Dey said Scottish Government guidance will be published shortly setting out what is permitted under public health restrictions. This approach has been discussed with all political parties.
The Electoral Commission is also publishing guidance for candidates for the election, which takes place on 6 May.
Under the plans, leafleting could start from 15 March if sufficient progress is made for the current rules on socialising to be eased to allow outdoor meetings of four people from two households.
Strict safety measures will also need to be observed including physical distancing and wearing of face coverings.
Because of the ongoing threat from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, face-to-face campaigning on the doorstep cannot commence at the same time as leafleting.
Instead, the provisional intention is to allow door-to-door canvassing from 5 April provided the current Stay at Home restrictions have been lifted and the infection rate across Scotland has fallen to 50 per 100,000.
This is the infection rate which the World Health Organisation considers as evidence the pandemic is sufficiently under control to allow safe community activity.
However, activities such as street stalls, physical hustings and giving voters a lift to polling stations will not be permitted for the duration of the campaign.
Mr Dey said: “An enormous amount of work has taken place across our electoral community to ensure that the election in May can be conducted safely. It is as a result of the hard work of electoral professionals over the course of the winter that I am confident the election can go ahead on 6 May.
“It is fundamental for a democracy to hold scheduled elections, provided it is safe to do so. This parliament has sat for a year longer than originally intended and many countries have already held elections successfully during the pandemic.
“It is also the case that eight local government by-elections were held in Scotland over October and November safely and fairly.
“I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all those involved in preparations for polling and the counting of votes and also members of political parties across the parliament who continue to engage constructively in the lead up to the election.”
Malcolm Burr, convener of the Electoral Management Board, said: “Returning Officers take the management of all elections very seriously. On 6 May, we will be just as committed to ensuring the safety of voters, candidates, staff, and others as we are to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
“There will be challenges caused by the pandemic, but with the right planning, support from Public Health officials, guidance from the Electoral Commission and the directions to Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers, a safe and well-run election can take place with results in which voters can have confidence.”
For more information on the safety of the election and campaigning read the full parliamentary statement.
First of all, sincere thanks to all of you who have contributed to our first Crowdfunding campaign.
We have almost achieved our initial target which will enable us to pay legal and design fees and allow us to move forward with our ambitious community plans. If you have contributed, thank you.
If you have not, then please consider doing so. No matter how small, the donation will be appreciated.
The campaign ends on 13th March. Let’s make one final push and remember that any excess over the original target will be spent on costs pertaining to other parts of the project such as accessibility plans. It will not be wasted.
https://youtu.be/GOasoH0SrW4
Now, following the success of our digital appeal earlier in the year, which helped so many families with children at Victoria Primary School access online learning, we are preparing to launch a new digital campaign.
This time it’s to help the more elderly in the community who are feeling cut-off and isolated because they cannot keep up with the online communications necessary in these difficult times. They may have no digital access or no knowledge of how to use it if they have.
We will be working once again with the Pilmeny Development Programme (PDP) this time recruiting both older and younger members of the community and helping organise digital learning and support sessions in line with COVID-19 regulations.
Can you help us to develop a sustainable, community-based, skills-sharing network? Bringing generations together is what we’re all about! Get in touch through the volunteering page on the website.
If you haven’t already done so, please fill out our membership application form and send it in as soon as possible. Once your membership status has been verified, this will ensure you have a say at our forthcoming AGM, which must be held before 4th May. The date and details will be given out shortly.
Meanwhile, good news on the environmental partnership initiatives some of our volunteers have been helping with.
There’s been no public fanfare because of Covid, but the Little Birdhaven at Western Harbour, a collaboration with The Shoreline Project and a mini orchard for Victoria Park in collaboration with Friends of Victoria Park, have both received funding and support because of the hard work put in by the volunteers.
You can inspect the new information banner (illustrations courtesy of pupils from VPS) at Western Harbour (between the wilded plot and the John Lloyd Centre) and watch the currently tiny trees growing steadily.
Over in Victoria Park, funding has been secured from the Alpkit Foundation to expand the mini orchard by the beech hedge with suitable fruit trees which will be planted by pupils from Trinity Academy and Trinity primary School in the autumn. You can read more about all this on our social media pages.
Special thanks to volunteer Lucy Metcalfe for leading the way on this.
If you would like to join in with any of our projects, sign up on the volunteering page of the website and watch out for further news of yet more greening projects coming up soon.
Finally, as always, a reminder to watch the website for news and blogs and don’t forget our social media platforms.
Check out Instagram for example, where there’s a “new” picture of “old” Newhaven posted every week.
BEAR Scotland honour the memory of former chairman by supporting new industry talent
Road maintenance giants BEAR Scotland have launched a scholarship for civil engineering students at Edinburgh Napier University in memory of former chairman Bill Taylor.
From academic year 2021/22 onwards, the Bill Taylor Scholarship (BEAR Scotland) will provide £3400 to support an undergraduate through the latter years of their degree.
Mr Taylor (above), who passed away in 2016, had been involved in the management and maintenance of the Scottish trunk road network for 20 years.
The scholarship in his name will be open to students pursuing MEng and BEng (Master and Bachelor) civil engineering courses at the University. Students will be eligible to apply during their second year, with the award confirmed upon successful entry into year three.
Applications will be reviewed by a University panel, who will consider each individual’s academic ability, background and financial needs, with BEAR Scotland then interviewing the shortlisted candidates before making the final selection.
As well as financial support, the scholarship will see each year’s successful student offered work placements and a place on BEAR Scotland’s graduate training programme after completion of their degree. BEAR Scotland will also continue to support the University’s careers events and its wider work placement programme.
Mark Godsell, BEAR Scotland Commercial Director, said: “We have longstanding links with Edinburgh Napier University and have a number of its alumni in our ranks.
“It is a good partnership that works well for both parties. Students get practical work experience and also potential to enter and progress within the highways industry. We get a pipeline of strong talent into our teams.
“The new Bill Taylor Scholarship cements that relationship further, allowing us to extend our support to an Edinburgh Napier undergraduate to let them fulfil their potential as they complete their degree programme and transition into their career.
“We are committed to investing in future talent. It will be great to award the first recipient in September and get to know them initially through work experience and then as they join us as a graduate.”
Bradley Doran, Graduate Engineer BEAR Scotland, undertook a work experience summer placement at BEAR Scotland between his third and fourth year while studying at Edinburgh Napier before joining the company and then getting involved in the graduate programme.
He said: “The work experience was great – it was a major reason I applied to BEAR when I graduated. The graduate programme is good because you get to see a project right through from beginning to end – from investigation, through to design and then construction. You get a wide experience and you aren’t pigeon-holed so it stands you in good stead for your Institution of Civil Engineers attributes.”
Dr Andrew Maciver, BEng/MEng Programme Leader at Edinburgh Napier, said: “The Bill Taylor Scholarship offers fantastic opportunities for our Civil and Transportation Engineering students to be supported by BEAR Scotland while studying for their degree and gaining valuable work experience before joining their graduate training programme after graduation.
“We are thrilled to be further strengthening our partnership.”
Bill Taylor had been with BEAR Scotland for 13 years prior to his death following a battle with a long-term illness, holding the positions of operations director, managing director and chairman.
He had earlier served as general manager of the Tay Premium Unit and as unit manager with Amey in the south-east.
New survey finds young people are some of the most anxious when thinking about their financial security and futures, as country begins to emerge from lockdown
Rapper Nova Scotia The Truth – who spent award win on Zoom rather than at annual celebration – fronts new campaign to encourage people to think about what they want from their future
Bank calls on the public to consider their financial situation as research shows more than half have parked a key ‘life moment’ during lockdown
New research from Royal Bank of Scotland has found that more than half (56%) of 18–34-year-olds in Scotland put a ‘life moment’ (e.g. wedding, graduation, buying their first home) on hold during the last 12 months.
Of those with life moments planned, almost a third (31%) said ‘financial insecurity’ caused by the pandemic had affected these plans, with one in ten (10%) citing a loss of employment and 8% affected by their lack of financial knowledge.
More than a fifth (22%) of all 18-34-year-olds said they feel anxious about money troubles in a post-Covid world compared with less than one in ten (9%) of those aged 55+.
As the country takes the first steps towards re-opening, Royal Bank has committed to improving the nation’s financial capabilities by offering every person a free Financial Health Check, to reduce money anxieties and help them achieve their goals.
To encourage signups for the service and urge young people to think about their future, the bank has enlisted the support of rapper and DJ, Shaheeda Sinckler aka Nova Scotia The Truth, who was crowned Scottish Album of the Year winner 2020.
The 25-year-old rap artist, who lives in Edinburgh but had plans to buy a new home in Glasgow, has seen her life put on pause with live gigs postponed, missed family moments and adjusting to a virtual existence with college, career planning and even collecting her SAY Award from behind the screen, rather than on-stage at Edinburgh’s Summerhall.
Shaheeda has been commissioned by the bank to write and produce an exclusive new track about the implications of 2020 and making future dreams happen – it’s due for release later this year.
Despite the increased financial anxieties among young people, almost 2/5ths (39%) do believe the pandemic has made them better at financial planning and when asked about the things they are looking forward to once restrictions allow it, key sources of excitement for 18-34-year-olds in Scotland include:
· Going on holiday (74%)
· Date nights (50%)
· Attending a live gig (48%)
· A return to education (22%)
· Buying a house (20%)
Shaheeda Sinckler, Nova Scotia The Truth, said: “At the start of 2020, I planned to move back to Glasgow and focus on gigging but because of the pandemic, I’ve had to stay at home with my family. It’s not been the easiest year but I’m lucky I’ve been able to focus on creative projects and do my college work virtually, I know not everyone has been so fortunate.
“The pandemic has given us time to reflect on our lives and the way we structure them and for me, that involved streamlining my finances to make sure I’m setting myself up well for when life goes back to normal. If you’ve got a plan in place now and the right support, you can achieve your goals quicker.”
Malcolm Buchanan, Chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “The impact of the pandemic on people’s plans – and their financial situation – has been immense.
“Directly or indirectly, everyone has been touched by it. Through our conversations with our younger customers and colleagues, a group who are normally working towards their future plans and goals, it is clear that many dreams and life moments have been paused. This is understandable given the climate.
“Shaheeda’s story has shown that it has impacted everyone, whether in the public eye or not.
“It has been challenging and there is a long way to go but we’ve seen that some people have reappraised what they want from life, whether it is a new life goal or even plans to set up their own business in the future.
“Regardless of how long it takes for people to get back on their feet, we want to help give everyone the support and skills they need to help them make their dreams a reality and help them plan for the future.”
Royal Bank is making financial management easier by providing the following:
· Financial Health Check – A free 20-minute conversation with a senior advisor who provides guidance to make banking simpler, and tips for everyday spending or achieving future goals. This could include setting savings targets, advice on tracking monthly spending and creating budgets. Customers can choose to chat in a branch or over the phone. personal.rbs.co.uk/personal/financial-health-check.html
· Royal Bank of Scotland app – Customers using Royal Bank of Scotland’s award-winning app will now be able to easily see where their money is going with the new ‘spending’ tab which will show them how much they’re spending each month, helping them stay in control of their money.
· MoneySense – MoneySense provides parents and teachers with the tools to give young people the confidence to use money responsibly on their own. MoneySense is fully digital and downloadable, it can be delivered by teachers in schools. It’s the longest-running bank-led financial education programme for young people in the UK.
Entries to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Virtual Heart Hero Awards 2021 are now open and the charity is asking you to nominate your local heart hero.
It is an opportunity to honour the health professionals and members of the public going above and beyond to help save and improve the lives of those with heart and circulatory diseases. And this year there is an additional reason to celebrate, as the BHF marks its 60th anniversary.
Last year five inspirational Scottish winners were honoured, including:
9-year-old Fraser Cameron, from Giffnock, who scooped the Young Heart Hero Award after walking 100 miles with his dad Ewen in memory of his granny who died from heart disease, raising more than £3,000 for the BHF.
The Paul Lynas Memorial Group, from West Lothian, who won the Fundraising in the Community Award, after raising more than £35,000 in honour of their friend Paul Lynas who died after a sudden cardiac arrest at the age of just 37.
Margaret McWilliam, from Aberdeenshire, who was honoured with the Charity Champion Award after raising tens of thousands of pounds for the BHF and helping hundreds of people learn life saving CPR.
Liz Douglas, from Aberdeenshire, who was given the HealthCare Hero Award for her work as a nurse over the last twenty years, supporting patients and their families with heart and circulatory diseases.
Staff and Students at the University of St Andrews, who took the Retail Partner Award after helping to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the BHF and providing much needed stock for BHF shops, reducing waste in the community.
The last 12 months have been the hardest in the BHF’s 60-year history. The Covid-19 crisis has had a devastating impact on its income and as a result, research funding had to be cut in half this year.
As a result, a special award is being added this year – Innovative Fundraiser – to acknowledge those who found new and creative ways of raising money as fundraising events across the country were postponed and cancelled.
A ‘Heart Hero’ can be anyone: From a nurse or doctor working in the field of heart disease who has helped a family, to a young person with heart disease who has shown incredible courage and determination, or a fantastic fundraiser.
All nominees will be invited to a star-studded online awards ceremony premiering live on YouTube on World Heart Day on September 29th, when the winners will be announced.
There are three categories for nominations: My Healthcare Hero, Innovative Fundraiser and Young Heart Hero (under 18).
James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “Following the huge success of last year’s Virtual Heart Hero Awards, this year’s event will again be virtual. It has been an incredibly challenging year for heart and circulatory disease patients and their families, for our research community and for the BHF.
“That is even more reason to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our supporters who have gone above and beyond, despite the pandemic, to help us beat heartbreak forever”.
For more information about the criteria and to nominate your 2021 BHF Heart Hero visit, www.bhf.org.uk/heartheroes.
The Scottish Road Safety Framework, with input from IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, has set the goal of having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.
Central to the road safety vision for Scotland, fully endorsed by IAM RoadSmart, is the ‘Safe System’ approach with its five core pillars which include: Safe Road Use, Safe Vehicles, Safe Speeds, Safe Roads and Roadsides and Post-Crash Response.
IAM RoadSmart, a strong advocate of road safety targets, is also using last week’s Scottish announcement to urge the Department for Transport to reinstate targets in England.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “For every nation, the setting of road safety targets has been a catalyst for improvement in road deaths and injury numbers.
“Road safety organisations across the UK agree that targets work but the Department for Transport in London no longer use them. So today we have to ask the question, if Scotland can set road safety targets, why can’t England?”
Indeed, the unveiled Scottish Road Safety Framework sets a clear strategy for improvements while working alongside other government policies in environment, health and transport.
Meanwhile, IAM RoadSmart is also welcoming the inclusion of targeting the improvement in the number of motorists involved in accidents while driving for work, an area in which it is well placed to help Scottish companies adopt best practice in fleet safety.
The adoption of specific measures to promote safer motorcycling is also strongly welcomed by IAM RoadSmart.
However, while welcoming the announcement, IAM RoadSmart has urged a word of caution. Neil added: “It is vital that investment in road safety does not become a victim of any post pandemic spending cuts.
“Given the broad nature of the impact road safety has this should include protected funding for Police Scotland to deliver enforcement, Road Safety Scotland to deliver education campaigns, and for Transport Scotland and local councils to deliver engineering solutions and maintain our existing roads properly.”
To download Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030, click here.
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of children’s services, has called for the Scottish Government to urgently increase mental health spend in its budget.
The call comes as new figures published today (2nd March 2021) from Public Health Scotland indicate that at the end of December 2020, 1,560 children and young people had been waiting over a year for mental health treatment.
These figures are the worst on record and represent a near tripling from December 2019 (589).
The SCSC has urged greatly increased investment in services for children and young people to tackle a current mental health pandemic. It has also called for a ‘national crusade’ as referrals begin to return to pre-lockdown levels.
The call comes amid growing concerns over a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted by the pandemic. Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access services.
However, just over 50p in every £100 of the NHS budget is being spent on specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). A frighteningly low figure even though mental health services are literally creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand.
The figures from Public Health Scotland also indicate that only four Scottish health boards are meeting the Scottish Government’s waiting time target of 18 weeks from referral to treatment over the quarter to December 2020. One out of four individuals are not being seen within this already lengthy 18-week target.
While 4,091 children and young people were treated over the period October to December 2020 by child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), only 73.1 per cent were seen within the 18-week waiting target and only four health boards met this target.
The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the Covid-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a highly challenging environment for both our young people and our mental health services.
“We welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is intending to invest more than £1.1 billion in mental health services overall, but significantly greater funding is needed to address the current crisis facing our children and young people.
“While referrals are beginning to return to pre-lockdown levels, it is vital that children and families are provided with the support they so desperately need, especially given the impact of the pandemic on mental health. The fact that more than 1,500 of our most vulnerable children have been waiting more than a year for treatment in this respect is deeply disturbing.
“We would urge the Scottish Government to look to not just the NHS, but the third sector and other private sector organisations to play a key role in this, renewing its focus on prevention and early intervention.
“Our mental health services must receive the funding they vitally need or we face having a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.”
