Local vet nurse Rachel Sibbald of Abercorn Vets has been shortlisted for the esteemed title of Vet Nurse of the Year in the prestigious Petplan Veterinary Awards 2021.
Now celebrating its 22nd year, the awards continue to go from strength to strength, with Petplan receiving well over 31,000 nominations this year.
The awards recognise the nation’s most outstanding veterinary professionals, who have been nominated by their colleagues and pet owners for their continued hard work and dedication to keeping pets healthy, despite facing huge challenges and restrictions this year.
Like last year, the awards will be taking place virtually, with comedian and actor Marcus Brigstocke hosting proceedings.
Commenting on her nomination, Rachel said: “It is a huge surprise to be in the final and I am extremely grateful to whoever nominated and therefore secured my place in this event, especially after the tough last year everyone has had.”
Isabella von Mesterhazy, head of marketing at Petplan, commented: “The judges had a very tough time picking the finalists in each category this year. The quality of entries has been incredibly high and we’re delighted to have received so many nominations from the veterinary community and indeed pet owners themselves.
“The awards recognise outstanding individuals and teams who go the extra mile to care for the nation’s pets. The Petplan Veterinary Awards provide an opportunity to say thank you for the exceptional work carried out by members of the veterinary profession and are particularly special this year given the extra devotion displayed while continuing to care for the nation’s pets during COVID-19.”
Winners will be announced during the virtual awards ceremony on 6th May at 8.30pm on Facebook @PetplanUK. We hope you will join us online for this celebratory event and to thank the nation’s veterinary professionals.
For further information on the awards and to follow the finalists’ progress visit www.petplanvet.co.uk.
· Young people look set to prioritise shared life experiences post-pandemic
· Royal Bank of Scotland working with award-winning rapper, Nova Scotia the Truth, to encourage more young adults to set a financial plan to help them achieve future goals
As the country takes its first steps towards re-opening next week, research from Royal Bank of Scotland has revealed what 18–34-year-olds in Scotland are looking forward to most once restrictions allow it, indicating young Scots will prioritise shared life experiences over materialistic goals.
The top 12 list in full:
1. Spending time with friends and family (85%)
2. Going on holiday (74%)
3. Date nights (50%)
4. Attending a live gig (48%)
5. Going to/ taking part in a sports match (28%)
6. A return to education (22%)
7. Getting back to the workplace (21%)
8. Buying a house (20%)
9. Graduating (14%)
10. Taking driving lessons (14%)
11. Going travelling (14%)
12. Getting married (10%)
After an extended period in lockdown, social interactions, unsurprisingly, come out top with 85% of young people surveyed wanting to catch up with their loved ones and half of 18-34-year-olds looking forward to date nights (50%).
However, young people also look set to prioritise their longer-term career goals with one in five (22%) looking forward to returning to education and 21% excited to get back to their place of work.
This could correspond with recent data released by the Office for National Statistics (March 23rd 2021) which showed that young people have been disproportionately impacted by job losses in the past year with under-25s making up two-thirds of the 693,000 total redundancies recorded since the start of the pandemic.
Similarly, in line with the surging demand for houses seen over the past year, buying a house ranks 8th on the list with a further one in five (20%) of young people looking forward to taking their first or further steps on the property ladder once the effects of the pandemic allow them to do so.
Closing out the list, milestones such as graduating (15%) and getting married (10%), which have been impacted hugely be postponements throughout 2020, are still exciting prospects for young people, as well as expanding their horizons through taking driving lessons (14%) and travelling the world (14%).
The survey was undertaken by Royal Bank to gather insights into how the pandemic has impacted young people in Scotland, what it has meant for their money and how they are planning for the future. It found that more than a fifth (22%) of 18-34-year-olds surveyed said they feel anxious about money troubles in a post-Covid world compared with less than one in ten (9%) of those aged 55+.
Royal Bank has now 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 promote the service, the bank is working with Scottish Album of the Year rap artist, Nova Scotia the Truth, who has been encouraging her fans and online followers to consider setting a plan to manage their money post-pandemic.
Malcolm Buchanan, Chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Through our conversations with our younger customers, we understand the financial, emotional and psychological impacts of the pandemic have been immense. The resilience shown by so many Scots across all age groups in adapting to such touch conditions has been truly inspiring.
“We recognise that every dream needs a plan, whether that’s buying a first home or saving for a holiday, and we’re committed to supporting customers achieving their own unique financial goals. As economic conditions improve, we aim to play our part in helping to give everyone the skills and expertise they need to build for a brighter 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.
Bold plans for the transformation of Edinburgh’s historic George Street would encourage more people to visit the area, according to a public survey.
More than 650 people responded to the survey on final proposed concept designs for the George Street and First New Town Public Realm Improvements Project, which were unveiled in February.
These include significantly widened pavements, landscaped spaces for play and relaxation and a cycling thoroughfare, where motor traffic is largely removed, to create a people-friendly setting.
Two thirds (66%) of respondents said they would be more likely to return to the street as a result of the improvements, with shopping, window shopping and socialising in bars and restaurants amongst the top reasons for spending time there.
When asked about modes of travel, only 13% said they would drive to the New Town in future, with 67% saying they’d walk, 44% would cycle and 58% opting for the bus. Participants also suggested how they would like to see the redesigned street’s open spaces to be animated – preferences included public art, community events and small markets.
66% of respondents to a survey about proposals to transform George St said the new designs would make them more likely to visit the street. Find out more about the feedback received, which will help us refine plans: https://t.co/W7xUjnRCd7pic.twitter.com/4QRgIZPQXh
— The City of Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC) April 22, 2021
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “These concept designs for George Street build on years of engagement with local people, businesses and active travel and mobility organisations, so I’m delighted with the positive response we’ve had from these very groups, along with the general public.
“Our vision for this street is a relaxed, open and accessible space, where people want to spend time, visit local shops, restaurants and cafes and enjoy the unique historic setting. Feedback so far has demonstrated that our plans will encourage people to do just that, as well as choosing to travel there by foot, bike or public transport.”
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “It was really exciting to see plans for this iconic part of the city brought to life earlier this year, and I know lots of people enjoyed watching the animated videos and imagining how they could enjoy the street in future.
“Now, thanks to feedback gathered over recent months we’ll be able to refine designs before moving forward with the project and delivering the many benefits it will bring.”
Concept designs for George Street result from several years of development and engagement to refine design objectives with the public and stakeholders, including community councils and heritage, business, walking, cycling and accessibility groups.
In February and March further engagement involved key groups, while the public were invited to see the designs for themselves and tell us how they might enjoy a revitalised George Street through the online survey and interactive virtual events.
Feedback from organisations like Living Streets, Edinburgh Access Panel, Spokes, Edinburgh World Heritage and New Town and Broughton Community Council has been broadly supportive of proposals, while the majority of residents and businesses told us they found engagement sessions useful.
Issues raised during the engagement period, which will require further exploration as the project progresses, include the scale of greening/planting on the street, servicing hours for businesses and taxi access in the evenings.
Feedback gathered will inform a final iteration of the design proposal before being brought to Transport and Environment Committee in June. The required statutory processes under which the scheme will be constructed would begin this autumn.
