Tourism organisations will be able to apply for funding to promote key visitor destinations in a responsible and sustainable way, helping the sector to recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Administered by VisitScotland, the £3 million Destination and Sector Marketing Fund will support eligible groups develop strong visitor marketing campaigns that position Scotland as a year-round destination to the UK and Irish markets.
The fund opens for applications on 1 June and will be split into three tiers, focusing on city, regional and national tourism groups. It is part of the £25 million investment in the tourism sector and will help deliver the post-Covid recovery programme developed by the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG) and the Scottish Tourism Recovery Task Force.
Tourism Minister Ivan McKee said: “It’s been an incredibly difficult year for our tourism and hospitality sectors but, as we begin to reopen the economy and domestic travel resumes, this new fund will help to promote some of Scotland’s most scenic beauty spots to our closest markets.
“The fund stems from the work of the Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce and demonstrates our commitment to getting the sector firmly back on its feet again – a commitment backed by £25 million investment. Scotland is one of the world’s most iconic destinations and we must work together to deliver a sustainable recovery.”
Director of Industry & Destination Development at Visit Scotland and Chair of STERG Riddell Graham, said: “The Destination and Sector Marketing Fund has been designed to help accelerate the recovery of Scottish tourism in the immediate to medium term by focusing on the domestic market.
“By using the latest insights, groups across Scotland will develop and promote visitor experiences both sustainably and responsibly to help stimulate demand in the domestic market all year-round.
“VisitScotland is focused on the recovery of the industry, building a destination and visitor experience which allows tourism and events to flourish now and in the future. We’ll continue to work with, and support, businesses to ensure we rebuild this vital part of Scotland’s economy.”
The Fund will be split into three tiers: City Region Award Programme (with awards on offer between £50k and £100k); Regional Destination Organisations and Pan Scotland Sector Groups (with awards between £40k and £80k); and Local Destination Organisations, Marketing Groups and non-Pan Scotland Sector Groups (with awards between £10k and £20k).
At the end of March the Council installed new numbered signs at Portobello Beach on top of the marker posts at the far end of the existing beach groyne structures.
A jointly produced information video of the signs is now being released as part of the projects continuing efforts.
The signs provide an immediate and visually prominent location reference, not just to members of the public but also to attending emergency services, lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and search & rescue helicopters.
Numbered 1 to 6, these signs are plotted on all emergency service, call and mapping systems:
Marker 1 – Pipe Lane
Marker 2 – Bath Street
Marker 3 – Bellfield Street
Marker 4 – John Street
Marker 5 – Bedford Terrace
Marker 6 – End of promenade at Joppa Road.
Police will continue working with partners as the year continues at Portobello.
In a beach or coastal emergency, please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, has announced that the recipient of the 2021 Bookbug Hero Award is Kylie Watt, Nursery Practitioner at Longridge Nursery, West Lothian.
Nominated by her colleagues, Kylie has been recognised for dedicating her working career of over 20 years to children and early years education.
The Bookbug Hero Award was announced during Bookbug Week, an annual celebration of Scotland’s national book-gifting programme and Song and Rhyme Sessions.
Bookbug has been central to the nursery’s inclusive and nurturing approach as they returned after a prolonged lockdown due to COVID-19.
Kylie’s work helped transition the children back into the nursery environment and also helped make parents feel involved and valued. She delivered reading sessions in small groups, using books to introduce and consolidate learning objectives such as exploring and recognising rhyme, counting syllables in words, letter recognition, story sequences and retelling the story.
The stories also linked in with health and wellbeing, supporting children in their return to nursery. Kylie’s sessions explored emotions and feelings to enable children to express their own during a difficult transitional period of settling into the new routine of COVID-19 nursery life.
Kylie has been praised for using Bookbug as a consistent point of involvement and contact for parents, to build a bridge between the home and nursery setting. She has equipped the parents with information on how to use Bookbug Bags well and spend quality reading and bonding time with their children. She also maintained online communication with parents during the pandemic.
The nursery also uses a self-developed book-borrowing scheme, which became more important than ever with the closure of libraries during the pandemic. Kylie has provided parents with resources so they are able to explore and address many issues with their children that they may have been anxious about or lacked the knowledge or skills to discuss at a stage appropriate level.
These resources supported the parent-child bond by dealing with events cooperatively and holistically in a method that a child can comprehend. Kylie also fostered a nursery bedtime read initiative as an addition to the Bookbug Explorer Bag gifting.
The Bookbug Hero Award is run in association with Walker Books and seeks to honour someone working with Bookbug who has used the programme to make a real difference to the lives of the young children, families and the communities they work with. As the winner of the Bookbug Hero Award, Kylie will receive a bundle of picture books worth £500 from Walker Books.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:“Congratulations to Kylie Watt on winning the 2021 Bookbug Hero Award. In an especially difficult year, Kylie has gone above and beyond to support the children of Longridge Nursery, their parents and her colleagues.
“It is wonderful to hear how Bookbug has been used to assist transition back into the nursery, and how a strong reading culture has supported the young people’s health and wellbeing. Our thanks to Walker Books for sponsoring this important award.”
Kylie Watt said:“I am so proud to be announced as the winner of the Bookbug Hero Award. It was a lovely surprise that my colleagues and parents from Longridge Nursery Class nominated me and gave me recognition for doing a job that I love.
“The award confirms that what I am doing to promote literacy development within our early year’s setting is having a positive impact on our families and children.
“Bookbug Explorer Bags have been an important part of promoting a love of books and the book bags have really helped us on our literacy journey because they give all children the opportunity to access high quality children’s literature and literacy resources.”
Kayleigh Brand, parent, said:“Mrs Watt is an amazing member of staff at Longridge Nursery. She is loved by both the children she helps and teaches, and also by the parents. She always goes above and beyond for the kids, making sure they get every opportunity to practice in multiple activities, such as the Bookbug Bags and big book reading packs they get weekly.
“She also makes sure the parents are aware of what is going on, even in these difficult times. Mrs Watt is an amazing asset to the nursery and deserves to be rewarded or all of her hard work!”
Miss Harte, staff at Longridge Nursery said:“Kylie is fabulous. Her commitment to ensuring each child gets a pack of stories at the Bookbug event and each week with her lending library is second to none.
“When it’s Book Week Scotland, she always comes up with a new and inventive way to engage the children with stories and makes it exciting for the staff team to be involved.”
Jane Winterbotham, Publishing Director at Walker Books, said:“We’re thrilled to be a part of the Bookbug Hero Award, helping to recognise the individuals who go above and beyond to support their community and engender a lifelong love of stories.
“Huge congratulations to Kylie for this well-deserved recognition of her skills and passion!”
The panel for the Bookbug Hero Award included:
Scottish Book Trust staff
Chae Strathie, Children’s author
Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Honorary Fellow, University of Dundee Founder of connected Baby
Neil Mathers, Chief Executive, Children’s University Scotland
Udita Banerjee, Head of Visibility and Inclusion at Families Outside
Myra Mains, Bookbug Co-ordinator and Bookbug Hero Award Winner 2020
Those highly commended for the Bookbug Hero Award included:
David Murray, Mobile Library Driver at South Ayrshire Libraries (South Ayrshire)
David impacted every baby and toddler in South Ayrshire as he volunteered to deliver the Bookbug Bags throughout lockdown. David’s initiative and willingness to help meant South Ayrshire was able to meet its commitment to deliver Bookbug Bags to every child throughout lockdown.
Shona Macmillan and Lindy Cameron Saunders, Development Officer and Gaelic Development Officer at Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (Western Isles)
Shona and Lindy have gone above and beyond what was expected of them delivering English and Gaelic Bookbug Sessions to families living in rural areas on the Isle of Lewis. Mairi Graham, parent said: “Shona and Lindy’s sessions were a lifesaver for us during lockdown, having just had a newborn, it was a great activity to keep both a baby and two year entertained.”
Nina Greenoak, Bookbug Session Leader Volunteer (West Dunbartonshire)
Nina is a mum who at the start of lockdown set up a Bookbug Zoom Facebook group delivering Bookbug Sessions to a community of over 270 families on a weekly basis. Nina’s enthusiasm and encouragement provided invaluable support to families with songs, stories and rhymes for them to enjoy together at home.
The shortlist for the Bookbug Hero Award included:
Julia Lawrie Morrison, Bookbug Session Leader Volunteer at The Childlike Reader (Aberdeenshire)
Joolz Christie, Library Assistant at Dingwall Library (Highland)
Diane Ireland, Customer Services Advisor at Windmill Library (Fife)
Debbie Smilies, Community Early Years Practitioner at Highland Council (Highland)
Teresa Argent, Early Years Officer at Bowhouse Early Learning Centre (Falkirk)
Nikki Kirkwood, Senior Early Years officer at Easter Carmuirs School (Falkirk
A Skye beauty spot,Loch Coruisk in the Cuillins, has been named as one of the seven natural wonders of the UK according to the Royal Geographical Society in partnership with outdoor brand Merrell.
Mary-Ann Ochota, TV presenter and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) said: “One of the few positives to come out of the pandemic is the opportunity many of us have had to explore the natural wonders on our doorsteps. And hopefully this summer will offer even more chances to explore new places in the UK.
“This list will have a couple of sites that might be familiar, but there’s also likely to be some hidden gems that you might never have heard of. These seven locations are really extraordinary – I think most of us would be amazed to learn that they’re right here in our own country.”
The survey found less than half of Scottish adults have heard of the Skye landmark.
The Skye beauty spot was joined on the list by Wastwater (Lake District), Dovedale (Peak District) (above), the Needles (Isle of Wight), the Jurassic Coast (Dorset), Pistyll Rhaeadr (Wales) and the Giant’s Causeway (Northern Ireland).
More than 1,000 assaults on officers and staff included coronavirus related context during 2020-21, according to latest analysis by Police Scotland.
The 1,087 reports were identified by searching cases for keywords relating to coronavirus such as ‘spit’, ‘cough’ and ‘Covid’.
The figure contributed to a total of 6,942 recorded assaults on officers and staff, 413 more than the year before, an increase of 6.3% year on year.
Reported assaults are also up 18% on the five year average, continuing a long-term trend of increasing assaults against the police.
There were 550 assaults in Edinburgh (E division) with a further 402 in Lothian and Borders (J), but specific Covid-related numbers are unavailable. The highest number of assaults recorded was in Greater Glasgow, where 1577 assaults were recorded, of which 336 were Covid-related.
Deputy Chief Constable, People and Professionalism, Fiona Taylor said: “Officers and staff stepped-forward to help combat the spread of the virus, conducting in excess of 120,000 interactions with members of the public to explain rapidly changing guidance, encourage everyone to do the right thing and enforce the law where required.
“I am grateful to the vast majority of people who responded with remarkable co-operation and support for their police service.
“Officers and staff work with dedication and a commitment to helping people and violence and abuse against them is utterly deplorable and unacceptable. It is not simply part of the job and will not be tolerated.”
Police Scotland has brought additional focus to tackling the concerning issue of violence and abuse against officers and staff under the Your Safety Matters initiative, led by DCC Taylor.
The initiative, in which staff associations and unions are represented, contributed to the development of the Chief Constable’s Assault Pledge, backed by the Lord Advocate and the Cabinet Secretary of Justice.
The pledge was launched in August 2020 and promised to provide appropriate support to colleagues where violence occurs, as well as calling on wider society and the public to support policing.
During the last year, Police Scotland has established an enhanced Operational Safety Training programme which increases the annual refresher course from one day to two days and introduces new techniques and de-escalation tactics.
New guidance for officers and staff has also been published to support better reporting of health and safety incidents and assaults.
DCC Taylor said: “Tackling the concerning trend of increasing assaults on officers and staff is a priority for Police Scotland.
“It causes physical and psychological harm to dedicated public servants. There is also a cost to the public purse through days lost to ill-health or personal injury claims.
“We will continue to work to better understand how we prevent violence and abuse against officers and staff, what impact it has on our colleagues, and how we can better support them to do their job.”
Police Scotland recently asked for public views on armed police officers using Body Worn Video cameras to record certain incidents. Almost 9,000 people took part in that survey and the majority thought the use of BWV would increase trust and confidence in the police and make them feel safer.
This positive response means we will now equip our armed police officers with body worn video cameras this year. In addition, we expect to start a national consultation with the public in the summer about providing BWV cameras to more officers and staff right across Scotland.
We have improved our infrastructure to support more take-up of existing Taser provision and are engaging with partners and elected representatives about plans to increase the numbers of Specially Trained Officers equipped with this important safety kit.
Focus on the critical issue of officer and staff safety will continue in 2021-22 and further details will be released as progress is made.
Edinburgh College Graduate Photography Exhibition to make a welcome return
Edinburgh College HND Photography students will showcase their unique talents in an exhibition culminating their two years of training in Professional photography.
Entry to the exhibition is free of charge and there is no need to book. COVID-19 health and safety will be in place to keep those in attendance safe.
The College’s Photography department has been running its annual exhibition show since the mid-1990s, and this year 70 students from the HND and BA courses will be showing over 150 images covering a variety of genres including photojournalism, documentary, fashion, advertising and the environment.
Unfortunately, last year all end of year shows had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, and so students who graduated then were not able to show their work. Now they will have the opportunity to show it by exhibiting alongside this year’s HND students.
The exhibition will be a celebration of Scottish Photography and the achievements of Edinburgh College students and it will be biggest student graduate photography show held in the country.
The youngest of this year’s exhibition cohort, George Norris, is 19 years of age, while the eldest, Lorna Fleming, is 67, with all ages represented in-between. The HND is a practical course which encourages students to work on live client briefs to strict deadlines, so preparing them for the world of work.
Graham McGirk HND Photography course leader said: “Having this platform to physically show their work is a big deal, after students have worked under such incredibly difficult circumstances over the last 18 months.
“This is the first step back to normality and we’re really looking forward to seeing the work hanging up at the Drill Hall and hope people will enjoy coming to see it.”
Jon Lee BA Photography course leader said: “The quality of work this year has been outstanding and we’re confident this show will be our best yet.
“It will be a superb showcase for our students and we look forward to seeing them flourish in their future careers.”
HND student Lorna Fleming, 67, from near Kelso said, “Completing the HND in Photography has proved to me that it is indeed true that you are never too old to learn.
“Photography has changed since I was a junior member of my local camera club aged 16 and at times I have struggled with technology but being part of a wide age range has been a brilliant experience.”
HND student George Norris, 19, from Musselburgh, said: “It’s been difficult with the challenges covid has brought, but I’m really proud of my achievements and I’m feeling positive about the future. I hope to take my education further in photography by entering the BA degree course.”
The BA degree in Professional Photography is unique in Scotland as it is accredited by the British Institute of Professional Photography as well as endorsed by the Association of Photographers.
More information and updates on the Exposed 21 exhibition can be found on Facebook.
The College’s annual Glow Festival, taking place from 7-18 June, will also feature work from across all of the creative courses run by Edinburgh College when it goes live on 7 June.
7N Architects are delighted that our proposals for Edinburgh City Council’s flagship regeneration project at Fountainbridge have taken another major step forward with Cruden Homes and Buccleuch Property confirmed as preferred developers for the site.
The project will deliver a vibrant, liveable, neighbourhood that will reinvigorate the canalside and will include new affordable and private homes, commercial, social enterprise and community spaces alongside a new 1,000 sq ft office building for early-stage tech companies to ‘scale up’.
It’s been a long road since the community workshops that we facilitated in 2013, but we are excited that the original community vision will now be delivered.
2. Follow the instructions on our website to send a letter to S1 Developments and tell them what you think of the development directly. Make yourself heard!
A VERY HIGH risk of wildfire is in place across all parts of Scotland until Tuesday 1 June, the country’s fire and rescue service has warned.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS)has urged people who live within or who may enter rural environments to exercise caution.
The ‘very high’ warning –released in conjunction with the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF) – remains in place from Sunday 31 May until Tuesday 1 June.
Wildfires have the potential to burn for days and devastate vast areas of land and wildlife; and threaten the welfare of nearby communities.
Area Commander Bruce Farquharson, the SFRS Wildfire Lead, said: “We are asking the public to exercise extreme caution and think twice before using anything involving a naked flame.
“Many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant damage.
“Livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland and sites of special scientific interest can all be devastated by these fires – as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities.
“These fires can also have a hugely negative impact on the environment and the release of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.”
Human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting, so it is crucial that people act safely and responsibly in rural environments, and always follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.”
The competition is now live and applications are encouraged from towns and cities across the UK
Winner will have baton passed to them from Coventry – UK City of Culture 2021
UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has today launched the competition to find the UK’s next City of Culture.
The competition, delivered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in collaboration with the devolved administrations, will use culture as a catalyst for levelling up areas outside London and put culture at the heart of their plans to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
The new winner will take on the baton from Coventry and be at the centre of the UK’s cultural spotlight for a year.
For the first time, groups of towns will now be able to join together and apply for the title to be awarded to their local area – widening the scope of which areas of the country could benefit.
Towns and cities will need to articulate a strong and unique vision for their future growth, celebrating local heritage and using culture to bring communities together, build a sense of place and inspire local pride.
Bidders will also be asked to demonstrate how investment in culture and creativity will drive growth, how they will open up access to culture and to develop partnerships and celebrate links with places across the UK.
UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “UK City of Culture is a fantastic showcase of the huge impact culture has in towns and cities across the country. From Derry-Londonderry, to Hull and Coventry, previous winners have shown how the competition can deliver greater cultural participation, drive economic regeneration and boost local pride.
“I encourage towns and cities across the UK to put forward bids for 2025 and champion their local arts and culture scene. I’m also delighted to confirm the competition will run in future years, as a sign of our commitment to levelling up culture across the whole of the UK.
Scottish Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “I encourage Scottish towns and cities to take this opportunity to celebrate their local culture and consider bidding to be UK City of Culture in 2025.
“The competition can have a transformational impact on host communities and has the potential to bring a major boost to Scotland as we look ahead to the recovery and renewal of the culture sector.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “The UK City of Culture competition offers a wonderful opportunity for the winning city to make its mark on the UK’s cultural landscape.
“Through raising a city’s creative and cultural profile and drawing in visitors, winning this prestigious title can also provide a real social and economic boost.
“It would be brilliant to bring the prize to Scotland for the first time and I’d strongly urge Scottish towns and cities to get involved.”
The future for the competition has also been confirmed, with Oliver Dowden announcing today that UK City of Culture will become a regular event in the country’s cultural calendar – running in 2029 and beyond.
The first city to take up the mantle was Derry-Londonderry in 2013, followed by Hull in 2017. The City of Culture title attracted millions of visitors and drew in significant investments for both cities. The cultural programmes have had a lasting positive impact on local people, with surveys showing that communities felt prouder and more positive about the place they live after their City of Culture year.
Bidding for the title in its own right can have a hugely positive impact on a place – helping to bring partners together and develop strategic cultural leadership. To encourage as many places as possible across the UK to bid and to benefit from the UK City of Culture process, DCMS will offer funding of up to £40,000 to up to six longlisted places to help develop their applications.
Coventry City of Culture 2021 is already providing a blueprint for how culture can be at the heart of social and economic recovery.
It is expected that Coventry’s status as UK City of Culture will see a significant boost in visitor numbers and economic investment with over £110 million in additional investment secured over the 2018-22 period. The programme aims to attract around 5,000 volunteers and create more than 900 jobs.
The bids for the 2025 title will be assessed by an independent panel chaired by Sir Phil Redmond. He is joined this year by Claire McColgan, Director of Culture Liverpool, as Deputy Chair.
The panel of 11 members will include representatives for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. It will visit each of the shortlisted cities, to be announced later this year, before each city or town makes a final pitch to become the next UK City of Culture.
The formal application process for the 2025 competition is now open. The winning city or town will be announced in Spring 2022. Prospective bidders will be invited to join a two day workshop in Coventry which will provide further detailed information and advice on the bidding process.
Sir Phil Redmond, UK City of Culture Chair, said: “I am delighted with the announcement of the competition for 2025, with its expected continuance as a regular feature in our cultural calendar.
“The UK City of Culture years provide the UK with an opportunity to project its creativity to the world while providing cities the opportunity to revaluate their place in the UK, to come together, forge stronger partnerships and reset both internal and external perceptions as Derry-Londonderry 2013, Hull 2017 and currently Coventry 2021 are experiencing.
“It is the excuse for people to talk to each other, rather than at each other.
Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “The impact that winning the UK City of Culture title has on a city is huge.
“Over the last four years in Coventry, we have seen significant investment come into the city as a direct result of being UK City of Culture 2021, leading to an ambitious reimagining of the city’s public realm and cultural infrastructure as well as supporting the extraordinary artists, freelancers, cultural organisations and charities that make this youthful and diverse city so exciting.
“Our year as UK City of Culture has just begun, but we can already sense the long-lasting impact on the city, its business and its communities. We wish the best of luck to those cities, towns and regions who are competing for the 2025 title.”
