A Kelso-based agricultural society is ready to re-open this year after overcoming the challenges of the past twelve months, thanks to support from Bank of Scotland.
The Border Union Agricultural Society (BUAS), formed in 1813, would typically hold four major events a year but saw them all cancelled thanks to the pandemic.
The Championship Dog Show qualifier for Crufts, the Border Union Agricultural Show in July and the BUAS’ annual Kelso Ram Sales, the biggest of its type in Europe, and the Borders Countryside Education day for all primary 5s in the Scottish Borders, were all cancelled in 2020.
The Society’s income was also hit by the cancellation of weddings, events and seminars that were frequently held in its main hall and the showground.
The BUAS received support from Bank of Scotland with a £210k Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme loan.
The funding has helped the business to pay ongoing business costs not covered by government support schemes and cancellation costs for events.
Now, the Society has become the site of an NHS vaccination clinic to support vaccination efforts in the Borders, and is hoping to hold some of their events this year.
Verity Mutch, administrator at the Border Union Agricultural Society, said: “After the first lockdown last March we saw all of our main events and hall hires for the year cancelled. This was extremely difficult for the Society as we missed out on our main sources of revenue for the entire year.
“Thankfully Bank of Scotland have been very supportive. We’ve been working with them since 1964 and knew they’d be on hand to help us through this difficult time.
“Over the coming months we are hoping to hold some of our events again – albeit in a scaled back capacity. While we took the difficult decision to cancel our agricultural show in January, we hope to hold our ram sales again in September and potentially our dog show in October.”
Julie McLaren, relationship manager at Bank of Scotland, said: “Despite the cancellation of its major annual events, BUAS has worked hard to keep operations running and is now in a position to welcome both members and visitors back once restrictions allow.
“At Bank of Scotland, we’ve supported the business through this challenging period and look forward to seeing the events back on our calendar as soon as possible.
“As with BUAS, we will remain by the side of business in Scotland as we support firms through the remaining months of the pandemic.”
Police are appealing for information after two “bogus workman” incidents in the Corstorphine area.
The first incident happened at a property on Broomhall Avenue and was reported around 12.35pm Wednesday (21 April).
Two unidentified men claimed to have carried out work on a neighbour’s roof which had extended to the house owner’s property.
They persuaded the resident to give them a low three figure sum of money for their work. It eventually turned out now work had been carried out.
The second incident happened at Craigmount Place in Edinburgh around 10.45am and again involved two men attempting to persuade work was needed on the roof of an elderly resident’s property.
However, they ultimately left empty handed after the resident spoke to his bank who raised concerns this may be fraudulent.
Both incidents are being treated as linked and enquiries are ongoing.
Both men are white. One was in his mid to late 40s, of slim build with short brown hair. He was wearing a red jumper and brown trousers. The second is described as wearing a dark jumper.They were using a white panel van.
Detective Constable Jenna Lawrie of Corstorphine Police Station said: “We are carrying out extensive enquiries to identify these men and would urge anyone else who believes they may have seen him to get in touch.
“We would urge everyone to be wary if anyone attending unexpectedly at your property and always to ask for identification.
“False callers are often well practiced and can be very convincing. A genuine caller will expect you to check for identification and will not put you under any pressure if you check.
“Anyone who has information about these incidents is asked to call 101, quoting incident 1283 of 21 April, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
A French Navy Commando dog has today (23 April) received the highest honour available for animals – the PDSA Dickin Medal* – for his life-saving actions while on duty.
The vet charity posthumously awarded Belgian Malinois Leuk with the prestigious award, also known as the animals’ Victoria Cross, for his unstinting bravery and life-saving devotion to duty.
A private ceremony took place in Brittany, where a monument commemorating all dogs who have died serving with the French Navy was also unveiled.
Leuk served with the famed French Navy Special Forces ‘Commando Kieffer’ unit, where his extraordinary abilities had gained him the nickname of ‘Leuk la Chance’ (Lucky Leuk) during his last rotation. He is the first French Military Working Dog to receive the PDSA Dickin Medal in its 78-year history.
PDSA Director General Jan McLoughlin, who presented the medal virtually, said: “Leuk’s actions undoubtedly saved the lives of his unit on multiple occasions. He pushed through flames and bullets to succeed, fearlessly exposing and taking down enemy insurgents; he truly is a worthy recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal.”
The world-renowned PDSA Dickin Medal was introduced by PDSA’s founder, Maria Dickin CBE, in 1943. It recognises animals that display conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty in the field of military conflict, and is the highest award any animal can receive.
Leuk’s story
Born on 20 September 2013, Leuk joined the K9 division of the French Special Forces Commando Kieffer unit in July 2015. He began working as a French Navy Commando attack and explosive detection Military Working Dog, and his exceptional skills quickly became clear.
Leuk was trained in a wide range of insertion and extraction techniques, including airdrops, combat swimming, and hoisting onto ferries. His specialty was to follow a drone in order to check for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
He was paired with his handler in May 2017 and their partnership lasted for the rest of Leuk’s operational career. In March 2019 they were deployed to Mali, where his actions undoubtedly saved the lives of his team on several occasions.
On a two-day mission in April 2019, in thick vegetation and with all other options exhausted, Leuk was deployed to flush out two nearby insurgents with automatic weapons. By this time the area around the enemy encampment was on fire, but Leuk ran through flames and bullets, attacking relentlessly for seven minutes, allowing his team to safely close in and neutralise the threat.
As the mission continued, Leuk was sent to another location where four enemies were positioned. He created a diversion by attacking one of them, enabling his team to succeed again.
Towards the end of the operation Leuk was tracking IEDs, but he suddenly stopped and intercepted an armed insurgent, who had not been detected. Due to Leuk’s actions his team were quickly able to capture the enemy before anyone was harmed, and the operation was completed with no loss of life in the team.
Leuk’s final mission took place in May 2019 – he was killed by an enemy whose position he had single-handedly exposed.
When Leuk was repatriated, his body was covered with the French flag. His human comrades formed a guard of honour – a tradition usually reserved for fallen soldiers – as a symbol of their respect and gratitude for his exceptional contribution on the battlefield.
Commenting on the award, PDSA Director Jan McLoughlin said: “Leuk’s exceptional abilities and determination were apparent to all who served with him, and he was clearly a respected and vital part of the team.
“His bravery and devotion make him a thoroughly deserving recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal.”
Commander Nicolas, the CO of Commando Kieffer, said: “It is a great pride for all of us to see Leuk honoured in this way with the prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal.His story helps to demonstrate just how important animals are to our armed forces, and the key roles that they play.
“To see Leuk’s name now listed alongside such distinguished company is a fitting testament to this exceptional dog. More than that, his death also led us to erect a monument dedicated to the French navy commando dogs who were killed in action since Word War 2.”
The PDSA Dickin Medal is a large, bronze medallion bearing the words ‘For Gallantry‘ and ‘We Also Serve‘ all within a laurel wreath.
The ribbon is striped green, dark brown and sky blue representing water, earth and air to symbolise the naval, land and air forces.
To date, it has been awarded to 36 dogs (including Leuk), 32 pigeons, 4 horses and a cat.
Leuk is the 73rd recipient of the PDSA Dickin Medal, and the first French Military Working Dog to receive the honour.
The last recipient of the award was British Military Working Dog, Kuno.
He received the award in November 2020 for his life-saving actions during his second deployment in Afghanistan, when he tackled an insurgent during a night raid, breaking a deadlock.
He was injured during the mission, and became the first military dog to be fitted with a prosthetic paw.
NSPCC Scotland is urging primary schools across the country to sign up to its free virtual programme to help children learn about their right to be safe from abuse and neglect.
The children’s charity is highlighting its online assembly, which is hosted by celeb duo Ant and Dec and was first launched in October, as schools open again for the summer term.
The ‘Speak out. Stay safe’ assembly helps children understand, in an accessible and age-appropriate way, how to recognise different forms of abuse and empower them to speak out if they need to.
It also focuses on some of the additional worries that children have been experiencing during the pandemic and lets them know about the Childline counselling service, which is run by the NSPCC.
Before the pandemic, staff and volunteers from the children’s charity tried to visit every primary school in Scotland every two years, delivering interactive assemblies and workshops.
However, due to social distancing measures in place they have been unable to visit schools since March last year, so instead the NSPCC has made a 30-minute online assembly. This is being offered to all primary schools in the UK, along with supporting teaching materials with classroom activities.
Alan Stewart, Service Manager for NSPCC Schools Service in Scotland, said: “Over the past year, because of the pandemic, children have spent a lot of time away from school and cut off from their usual support networks. We know for some children home isn’t always a safe place and that many will have faced increased risk of harm.
“Although our trained ‘Speak out. Stay safe’ staff and volunteers can’t currently go into schools, it is essential that every child knows who they can turn to if they need help and support.
“I encourage all primary schools to sign up, so that we can work alongside teachers to help as many children as possible to recognise and discuss any worries they have.”
When children returned to school in the Autumn term last year, 171 primary schools in Scotland signed up to the virtual programme, with more than 32,000 children across the country watching the assembly.
Carronshore Primary School, in Falkirk, was one of those that signed up. A teacher at the school said: “I found the materials excellent and extremely worthwhile. The pupils engaged really well and evidenced their learning through our Pupil Talking Circles, which reflected on the programme and how safe the pupils felt in the school building and in the playground.”
The assembly and resources are also available in British Sign Language (BSL).
Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline seven days a week on 0808 800 5000, or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can call Childline on 0800 1111 or they can get in touch via www.childline.org.uk
With Scotland going to the polls in just two weeks, and the election campaign back underway, COSLA says that Local Government must be an election priority and called on the political parties to make it one.
COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison said: “Scottish Local Government plays a vital role in the lives of people within our Communities and this has never been more needed than in this past year.
“We have not heard much about Local Government in this year’s campaign so far and that is disappointing.
“COSLA has already called on all political parties to acknowledge the rightful role of Local Government in their manifestos ahead of this year’s election.
“Local Government is the anchor in our communities with a committed workforce who are invested in their communities and take pride in supporting people through good times and bad.
“We run the nurseries and schools that educate our young people and help build them into confident young people.
“Care of the elderly and vulnerable within our communities has never been more important and again it is Councils who rise to meet this challenge. Our waste collection/disposal service keeps our communities clean and removes potential hazards. If it hadn’t continued during the pandemic we would have all suffered.
“We help individuals and businesses in times of crisis, often when there is no one else to turn to and again this is something that was highlighted during the pandemic.
“It is also important to look at how we help with the health of the nation. It should not be forgotten how much we support the Health Service– be that with gritting roads and pavements or running sport and leisure facilities. We are also responsible for services that help address isolation and mental health.
“In terms of our economic impact, Councils are often the biggest single employer in most parts of Scotland, mostly employing people from within their own council area who have local knowledge.
“This means we have employees on the ground, ready, skilled and able to deal with emergency or crisis issues on, if necessary, a street by street basis. Councils have been instrumental in supporting business throughout this crisis and will be crucial as we look to rebuild an economy fit for the future.
“The new Parliament provides the opportunity for parties to put people and communities at the heart of their manifestos through Local Government and the vital services we deliver.”
FUSE aims to help inspire the next generation of retail and hospitality
Future leaders of retail and hospitality can broaden their skills and knowledge as St James Quarter and FUSE team up to create their first ever virtual training academy – open to anyone currently out of work or looking for a job in retail and hospitality.
Throughout May, The FUSE Academy will host the top names in retail and hospitality, who will share the secrets of carving out a successful career in the industry. Each inspiring and informative session is free to attend and will give expert insight as well as providing valuable training tips for interviewing and creating the perfect CV.
Working with partners across Edinburgh, St James Quarter launched FUSE to provide a high-quality recruitment and training service for the 3,000 jobs it will bring to Scotland when its doors open in June. As well as finding the suitable candidates for each role, FUSE focuses on developing careers by offering training and providing people with opportunities to achieve accredited qualifications.
St James Quarter Managing Director Nick Peel (above) and Retail Director Gill Moore (below) will kick off the virtual FUSE Academy with an inspiring and in-depth look at their careers and previous roles, which include senior positions at Arsenal Football Club, Rangers Football Club and Harvey Nichols Middle East.
FUSE Manager Calum Nicol, who will co-host the CV workshop session, said: “FUSE is about more than filling roles, it’s about finding the right job for the right person and allowing people to carve out successful careers.
“At FUSE we pride ourselves on helping job seekers not only find work but expand their career prospects by connecting them to courses and accredited qualifications. The FUSE Academy is the perfect way to discover career opportunities and expand your own skillset by learning from some of the biggest names in Scottish retail and hospitality.”
As well as featuring speakers from FUSE and Fair Start Scotland, The FUSE Academy will also welcome experts from some of the biggest brands opening at St James Quarter, including Bross Bagels, Bonnie and Wild and the PVH Group, who represent Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.
St James Quarter Marketing and Brand Director, Rochelle Burgess, who will be part of The FUSE Academy’s Expert Panel discussion, is delighted to be involved in the virtual training sessions.
She said: “As someone who started out working on the shopfloor, I am so pleased to be able to share my experiences from my career so far.
“There is a common misconception that there are limited career opportunities within retail and hospitality, but The FUSE Academy will dispel those myths, while allowing those who attend to gain valuable CV and interview skills.
“The jobs that St James Quarter brings will have a positive impact on Edinburgh and could also be the first step in a new career for someone, that legacy is something that really excites me.”
The FUSE Academy begins on 6 May, with each 45-minute session covering a different topic each Thursday, throughout the month.
What stories might Edinburgh’s picturesque streets, historic buildings and beautiful outdoor spaces tell us if they could speak?This is a question set to be answered by the City’s exciting new marketing campaign: ‘Forever Edinburgh – The Story Never Ends’.
Delivered jointly by the City of Edinburgh Council, ETAG and VisitScotland, the campaign will bring to life the Capital’s dynamic stories and the unique experiences to be had around every corner in the city. The campaign promotes the city’s fabulous attractions, shops, bars and restaurants at a time when lockdown is easing, allowing people greater freedom to travel, meet up and spend time together once again.
Alongside showcasing all that the city has to offer, both in the centre and its eclectic neighbourhoods, the campaign will also shine a light on Edinburgh’s abundance of outdoor spaces, including coastal and waterway locations, and support the recovery of regions surrounding the city. The aim is to show how versatile the city we love to live in is and how it delivers a fantastic visitor experience throughout the year.
Over the next six to twelve months, the campaign will feature a series of summer and winter-themed films that will bring Edinburgh’s fascinating stories to life, from its fantastic folklore and magical myths to its historic shores and waters.
It will tell stories from beyond the grave and take a look at Edinburgh’s tasty past and present. Themed itineraries will invite citizens and visitors to explore undiscovered parts of Edinburgh, with more exciting chapters still to be revealed.
The campaign will also include inspiring imagery and dedicated story-themed content and itineraries on Edinburgh.org. This will be supported by targeted social media promotion and collaboration with industry partners and tourism businesses to help them tell their own stories to their loyal fans and audiences.
The overall aim will be to position Edinburgh as the top UK city break destination among domestic overnight visitors across Scotland and England as it emerges from lockdown, while encouraging citizens to engage more with Edinburgh’s cultural offer.
We want to encourage businesses and residents to get behind the campaign by sharing their own stories of Edinburgh using #ForeverEdinburgh, to inspire their friends and fellow citizens and help them plan their next outing in Scotland’s capital city.
Councillor Adam McVey, City of Edinburgh Council Leader, said:“Forever Edinburgh – The Story Never Ends’ is designed to inspire people to get out and about safely and confidently as they seek out old favourites and discover new ones – creating memories that will last a lifetime. All the while supporting our vibrant local businesses as Edinburgh gets back to its fabulous self.
“This campaign puts our people, place and environment at its heart and mirrors our longer-term tourism strategy, approved just before the pandemic took hold. We’re sticking with our long-term goals and have mapped out a sustainable way forward for our tourism sector which Edinburgh’s residents asked for. Ultimately, we need a Team Edinburgh approach to deliver on those aspirations.
“So, I encourage our residents, our businesses from retail and hospitality and our tourism tourism sector to celebrate all that is great about our Capital by telling their own stories and bringing the beauty of our city and landscapes to life.
“Our story is ever-changing and never-ending, and we want our residents and visitors to be a part of that too, helping support our local economy and our City’s fair, inclusive and sustainable recovery.
Donald Emslie, Chair of Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, said: “The reopening of the sector on 26th April is hugely welcome news and after the turmoil of the last year, it is vitally important that we support the recovery of our tourism and hospitality sector throughout the coming weeks and months.
“We are looking forward to encouraging residents and visitors to get out and about to experience the best our city has to offer and supporting our local businesses in the process.
“We will of-course be doing this in the face of strong competition from destinations right across the UK, all of whom will be working just as hard to attract visitors, particularly from UK and Scottish markets.
“We are therefore delighted to have been champions of the Forever Edinburgh initiative since last year. Chairing the Forever Edinburgh Working Group over the last few months has ensured a true partnership approach which has been gratefully recognised by both VisitScotland and Scottish Government whose funding support has allowed us to develop a promotional platform that can work for all tourism and hospitality businesses across the city.
“We’d like to invite everyone right across the city to get behind the campaign and to create and share their own stories with locals and visitors alike.”
Paula Ward, Regional Leadership Director at VisitScotland, said:“Edinburgh is Scotland’s tourism crown jewels and this exciting campaign will help to reinvigorate the city’s tourism sector as it recovers from the devastation left by the pandemic.
“It is the city’s stories and people that are the foundation of what makes Edinburgh a world-class visitor destination. Forever Edinburgh will not only showcase the experiences and businesses found across the city but will act as a springboard for the surrounding regions, with dedicated regional pages, spreading the benefits of tourism to the capital in a sustainable and responsible way.
“For tourism is a force for good – creating economic and social value in every corner of Scotland and enhancing the well-being of everyone who experiences it.”
The ‘Forever Edinburgh – The Story Never Ends’ campaign has been part funded by the Scottish Government’s Regional Recovery Fund and VisitScotland’s Market Readiness Fund.
It will build on last year’s successful launch of Forever Edinburgh – a city-wide collaboration of business from the tourism and hospitality sectors, alongside the Council and other partners, including VisitScotland, ETAG and Scottish Enterprise – and the #ShopHereThisYear, a year-long inspirational digital campaign, aimed at Edinburgh residents encouraging them to support local businesses in neighbourhoods across the city, which kicked off late last year.
Salmond says: “The BBC are the broadcasting Bourbons – they have learnt nothing from their blatant bias of 2014”
The BBCs coverage of the Scottish election campaign and what has been described as its “virtual blackout” of ALBA will be the subject of special Ofcom election Committee hearing today (Friday 23rd April).
ALBA leader Alex Salmond said: “The BBC’s record as a public service broadcaster in Scotland is lamentable and there is no better illustration than their conduct during this Scottish election.
“However, they are no longer a law unto themselves and I am grateful to Ofcom for convening an emergency meeting of their Election Committee to consider BBC coverage – or more accurately, lack of coverage – of ALBA. It is much appreciated that Ofcom have responded so quickly in fulfilling their responsibilities to ensure fair and balanced coverage of the Scottish campaign.
“The exclusion of ALBA from the leadership election debates is deplorable but even worse is the blackout from the news on a daily basis.
“On the odd occasion when they deign to interview ALBA representatives, the tone of the interviews has been unremittingly hostile.
“Aggressive questioning is perfectly acceptable if part of a range of coverage. However, inaccurate smearing is quite another when it dominates the few interviews BBC apparatchiks deign to grant ALBA.
“The BBC even allow smearing of ALBA by the other party representatives who are covered every day in every election programming with not even attempts by the interviewers to maintain any semblance of balance.
“Given that the BBC has fine some journalists and producers still working for them, we can only conclude that this is now the official house style to denigrate ALBA and the quest for Scottish independence. Indeed it is obvious that some journalists are asking questions to editorial direction.
“BBC outlets dominate broadcasting coverage and that means they dominate the election campaign during a pandemic. They have ample time and opportunity to show fairness to new parties emerging onto the political scene.
“The fact that they have so blatantly and so arrogantly failed to do so, shows that they are now a de facto state broadcaster rather than a public service one. The day that Greg Dyke was effectively sacked as Director General in 2004 is the day that the rot set in to the BBC and it has been downhill ever since.
“The BBC disgraced themselves in their coverage of the 2014 referendum and like the Bourbons they have learnt nothing.
“Every other broadcaster regulated by Ofcom have at least made some attempt at balance in their coverage and are not the subject of complaint by ALBA.
“STV for example did not (wrongly in ALBA’s view) include ALBA in their leader’s debate but did interview an ALBA MP immediately afterwards. Other radio and television outlets have all included ALBA in their round of leadership interviews and on a reasonably fair basis with the other parties.
“Ironically one of the BBC’s many personal attacks on me is that I co-host a political programme which is broadcast on RT. That programme, produced independently by a Scottish company, is a model of fairness and balance compared with anything the BBC now seem remotely capable of.
“ALBA are now calling time on the BBC exactly in the interests of political fairness and balance.”
The UK’s biggest mobile providers have fallen short on value for money and are being outperformed by smaller rivals who piggyback on their networks, according to Which?’s annual customer satisfaction survey.
During the pandemic, more people than ever have turned to their phones and technology as a way to keep in touch with family and friends.
The Big Four mobile providers – O2, EE, Vodafone and Three – serve nearly nine in 10 UK customers.
However, in Which?’s annual customer satisfaction survey, smaller providers that use the Big Four’s networks managed to outdo them across the board – including on value for money, customer service and network reliability.
O2 scored the highest of the Big Four providers and earned joint fifth place out of 15 providers, alongside Utility Warehouse.
It received a high rating for ease of contact, but its customers considered it below average for value for money. Only a quarter (23%) rated it as being ‘excellent’ in this area.
However, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile, which all piggyback on O2’s network, triumphed over their larger rival in Which? rankings. GiffGaff came in first place and earned strong ratings in several categories with 91 per cent of customers saying they’d recommend it to a friend.
Tesco Mobile came in joint second place with Sky Mobile and SMARTY. Both Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile scored higher than O2 on value for money – an area all of the Big Four providers fell short on in our survey.
EE and Vodafone came in the bottom half of the rankings. Both EE and Vodafone performed poorly on value for money. This is perhaps unsurprising given that 7 per cent of their customers received incorrect or unexpectedly high bills – the highest across all the providers.
Three earned the lowest score of the Big Four providers. Value for money and network reliability were key weak points for Three.
Three customers were the most likely to experience network outages lasting more than one whole day (8%) and one in ten (10%) experienced unexpected or unreasonable price hikes.
One Three customer responding to Which?’s survey said that a universal change in tariff had made it more expensive for them to use the provider despite having a substantial balance to use up.
Like O2, Three was beaten by a smaller operator using its network. SMARTY is owned by Three and is a new entrant to Which?’s survey at joint second place.
The highest-scoring mobile providers are eligible for Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) status, which also requires providers to offer reasonably priced contract deals, including Sim-only.
Ofcom now requires all providers to notify customers when their telecoms contracts come to an end. Which? encourages consumers to compare the deals available when their contract comes to end – even if they’re planning to stay with their current provider – to ensure they aren’t overpaying.
Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, said: “Our research found that the biggest mobile providers are being outshone by their smaller rivals.A provider should not only give you good network reliability but also value for money and customer support when you need it.
“If customers are out of contract but happy with the service they’re receiving, they should try negotiating a new deal but if all else fails it might be time to switch.”
Read more about Which?’s mobile switching service:
