Month: May 2021

Teachers At Risk

‘In too many schools verbal and physical abuse against teachers is going unchallenged’

Violence and verbal abuse of teachers is at risk of becoming normalised in some Scottish schools, teachers are warning, exacerbated by the rise of so-called ‘restorative’ approaches to pupil behaviour management which are eroding teachers’ authority and making them equally culpable for pupils’ behaviour.

Members of NASUWT Scotland-The Teachers’ Union are warning that the poor implementation of restorative behaviour schemes is putting both the learning of pupils and the welfare and safety of teachers at risk.

Restorative behaviour programmes typically centre on the use of restorative conversations between teachers and pupils to address incidents of poor behaviour, in lieu of other sanctions.

While the NASUWT does not necessarily disagree with the principle of such schemes, the Union is concerned that in too many schools the way such schemes are being implemented is effectively making teachers responsible for pupils’ behaviour and allowing school managements to abdicate their responsibilities for addressing pupil behaviour.

NASUWT Scotland members will call for clear guidelines to be introduced for all schools to support teachers in maintaining discipline and protect them from violence and abuse at the Union’s Scotland Annual Conference, which will be held virtually tomorrow (Saturday).

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “In too many schools verbal and physical abuse against teachers is going unchallenged.

“There is a growing culture in schools of ‘blame the teacher’ rather than holding pupils accountable for their behaviour and this is being aided and abetted in some cases by the misuse and abuse of restorative behaviour policies, which are becoming synonymous in too many cases with no punishment or sanctions for unacceptable behaviour.

“While good behaviour management policies encourage pupils to reflect on their own behaviour, they also have in place clear and consistently enforced sanctions for verbal abuse or physical violence and make clear to all pupils that such behaviour will not be tolerated. Evidence shows that positive pupil behaviour stems from a whole school approach where managements lead and support staff in maintaining good discipline.

“No teacher should go to work with the expectation that they will be either verbally or physically abused. All teachers are entitled to dignity at work and a safe working environment.

“Teachers are being disempowered by the failure of government to ensure that across the country, behaviour policies are supporting teachers in maintaining high standards of discipline.

“It’s about time the Scottish Government made strong and unequivocal statements about the rights of teachers to a safe working environment, and took action to ensure that these rights are being delivered.”

Gaza ceasefire welcomed

The Foreign Secretary has welcomed the ceasefire reached in Israel and Gaza yesterday. Dominic Raab said: “The UK welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza, an important step to ending the cycle of violence and loss of civilian life.

“Hamas must end all attacks on Israel. It is also now important for Israel to facilitate rapid humanitarian access in and out of Gaza.”

The UK will provide new funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA to help provide food, water, and emergency shelter to Palestinians affected by the recent escalation in violence in Gaza, the UK’s Minister for the Middle East James Cleverly announced yesterday.

The UK support comes as UNRWA launches an emergency appeal calling for urgent support to meet immediate humanitarian needs. Existing UK aid to UNRWA is already helping the Agency to provide food supplies to more than one million refugees in Gaza this year.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza was already concerning, with the percentage of the population living in poverty expected to increase this year from 53 per cent to 64 per cent. COVID is still spreading in Gaza and 2 million Palestinians have been living under severe movement and access restrictions.

Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly, said: “Palestinian and Israeli civilians should not face the brunt of this conflict, and no child or family should go without food, water or shelter. Today’s UK support will help UNRWA deliver life-saving humanitarian aid to those that need it most.

“The international community needs to ensure UNRWA is able to save lives and reduce the suffering.

“The escalation of violence and loss of life in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories has shocked all of us. Both sides must work towards an immediate ceasefire, to prevent the further loss of life and a worsening humanitarian situation.”

Members of the Edinburgh Action for Palestine campaign will continue to stage their weekly protest on Princes Street this Saturday from 11am – 12pm.

EA4P strongly opposes all forms of racism, including anti-semitism.

Scottish Cup Final: Police Statement ahead of cup clash

On Saturday, 22 May, 2021, St Johnstone and Hibernian go head to head in the Scottish Cup Final.

There is always significant interest in these extremely important fixtures and despite the match being played behind closed doors, this weekend’s game will be no exception.

The game is eagerly anticipated and passions can run high. However, fans can be assured that preparations for policing any gatherings in relation to the match are well underway with public safety being Police Scotland’s primary concern.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: “The Scottish Cup Final on Saturday is an important day for everyone involved with St Johnstone and Hibernian football clubs and we will have an appropriate policing plan in place to maintain public safety.

“It is vitally important that both sets of fans avoid gathering in large groups and stick to the regulations in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“I also want to take this opportunity to remind people that the use of pyrotechnics is extremely dangerous. We have seen from events in recent weeks that the consequences of their use can be severe, you might not just injure yourself using them, but you could also seriously injure those in your vicinity.

“Police Scotland is already working with both teams and our partners, including the Scottish Government, to ensure the match goes ahead safely and supporters follow the restrictions for their own safety and that of the wider public and our officers.

“Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage with the public, explain the legislation and encourage compliance, but officers will not hesitate to use enforcement powers as a last resort.”

Pandemic policing: public feels safe with Police Scotland

Survey finds strong levels of public confidence in Police Scotland

Strong levels of public confidence in Police Scotland have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the majority of people supporting our approach to keeping people safe.

When asked for their opinion of policing in their local area and concerns regarding their safety and wellbeing, 84% of respondents who took part in the ‘Your Police’ 2020/21 survey also said they felt safe. 

The survey – which launched on 9 April last year – received more than 36,500 responses from people across Scotland. This will help us to build on our understanding of the views and priorities of Scotland’s diverse communities.

During the survey period, the average public confidence level was 57% – an increase of nine percentage points from pre COVID-19. We learned that the factors which affected public confidence most were local changes to transmission rates and lockdowns, in particular the announcement of the national lockdown which began in January. The restrictions and increasing infection rates were factors for both Police Scotland and other public organisations, in general.

The survey feedback has helped shape and enhance Police Scotland’s response to our communities over the past year, as our officers, staff and Special Constables have continued to play a key role in the national effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.

This response has included:

  • Increased police presence at identified key locations. This was particularly important to those living in rural areas with lower COVID-19 rates, who had concerns about domestic tourists from Scottish regions with higher infection rates visiting their area.
  • The use of enhanced technology. This included the introduction of online reporting for members of the public for perceived breaches of the COVID-19 regulations as well as the use of video appointments for the public and for community meetings, allowing for safe and accessible face-to-face contact.
  • Increased engagement with more than 250 organisations representing the interests of diverse communities and businesses. This helped improve awareness of the needs and challenges faced by those living with physical, sensory and learning difficulties, when practicing social distancing and using face masks. An event exploring public confidence within ‘seldom heard’ communities will also take place on May 19, co-hosted by Police Scotland, to help further enhance our support to these groups – further information below.
  • Tracking responses received from those living and working in communities with tighter restrictions and outbreaks. Monthly public confidence trackers have been created for each Local Policing Division to support local planning, accountability and scrutiny.

Deputy Chief Constable Will Kerr, Local Policing, said: “Despite the continued challenges to policing during such an extraordinary time, Police Scotland has continued to maintain high levels of public confidence, and I am particularly pleased that such a significant proportion of the population continue to feel safe in the area they live.

“The strong relationships we have with our communities have been absolutely crucial, and providing reassurance to the people we serve during this challenging time has been a key priority.

“The ‘Your Police’ survey is the largest of its kind in the UK to involve the public in a conversation about policing and COVID-19, and I would like to thank the tens of thousands of people who took the time to get involved.

“The results were reviewed on a weekly basis, helping us to respond to emerging issues, and shape our approaches to policing at a national and local level. The survey has been relaunched to allow the public to continue letting us know their views and opinions over the coming months, and I would encourage you to take part.”

In addition, there was an extremely high level of satisfaction recorded among those who were in contact with police during this challenging time. More than 70% of people, who either reported or witnessed a crime, said they were satisfied with their experience when dealing with Police Scotland.

Furthermore, over 80% of respondents were satisfied with how they were treated by call operators and attending officers, and 87% felt that their needs were properly understood.

DCC Kerr added: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our fellow citizens for the overwhelming support and co-operation policing has experienced during this very challenging year.

“Our officers will continue to respond with good sense, exercising discretion and when necessary, taking enforcement action where required.”

To take part in the Your Police 2021-22 survey, please visit – https://consult.scotland.police.uk/surveys/your-police-2021-2022/

Gladstone’s Land reopens for a taste of the past

One of the Royal Mile’s oldest buildings, the National Trust for Scotand’s Gladstone’s Land, starts a new chapter of its 500 year-old history as it re-opens to the public today after a £1.5m restoration, including a brand new coffee shop and ice cream parlour, continuing the spirit of the building’s long commercial use.   

At the top of the Royal Mile on the Lawnmarket in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, the six storey tenement represents a new approach from the conservation charity, with visitors actively encouraged to connect with the property by interacting with the exhibits to find out about its fascinating history. 

Items can be picked up, chairs sat on and drawers and cabinets can be opened to reveal secrets about the property’s past. Interactive food tours are also planned for later in the month where visitors can even taste what our predecessors would have eaten. 

Rescued from demolition by the Trust in 1934, over the last 40 years the focus had mainly been on the life and times of merchant Thomas ‘Gledstanes’. He bought the building in the early 17th century, extended it and commissioned its famous Renaissance-style painted ceilings. 

Now though, thanks to years of meticulous historical research led by visitor services managers Dr Kate Stephenson and Anna Brereton (pictured ), the lives of other residents of the property over the centuries are being told too, with three floors of rooms laid out to reflect how they would have lived and worked.

The real-life stories of individual residents and the trading history of the address shows the rise and decline of the address and also reflects the fortunes of the Old Town as a whole, bringing Gladstone’s Land to life in a wholly new way.

Based on the will of wealthy 17th-century merchant John Riddoch, one room shows the recreation of his stockroom with the likes of ginger, sugar, pepper and cinnamon abounding. Another space shows a drapers based on the surviving trade accounts of a late 1700s business trading in silks, laces and printed cottons, including costumes for visitors to try on. 

A whole new floor of Gladstone’s Land is opening for the first time, presenting an early 20th-century boarding house inspired by Mary Wilson, a widow who in 1911 placed a newspaper advertisement offering a room in her apartment as suitable lodgings for ‘two or three respectable men’. 

On the street level, a new coffee shop has been created which is peppered with references to the property’s past. Gladstone’s Land can lay claim to be the oldest continually trading place of commerce in Edinburgh and the coffee shop (an important part of Edinburgh’s culture for centuries) continues that tradition. 

As well as the decoration of the space and ingredients in dishes inspired by the property’s past, the ice cream parlour on the same floor includes a specially created ice cream flavour. Researchers developed elderflower & lemon curd as the property’s first bespoke flavour, using documents related to the first sales of ice cream in Edinburgh in the 1900s and tastes associated with the property’s history.

Self-catering apartments on the upper floor have also been redesigned to create beautiful flats for holiday lets, profits from which will support the Trust’s wider conservation activities. 

General Manager for Edinburgh & East Stuart Maxwell said: “When we closed in February 2020 we expected that we’d be opening the doors to the new Gladstone’s Land in August last year but world events took over. We’re really pleased to reveal what’s been going on behind the hoardings and give people the chance to reconnect with this incredibly special place. 

“Work really started many, many years ago when the team came up with the idea of shifting the focus away from the prosperous merchant who owned the property to the people who actually lived and did business there and who may resonate more so with people today. By poring over documents such as wills, ships’ logs, trade accounts and newspapers we’ve been able to put together an incredibly detailed portrait of the individuals who inhabited the property over the last 500 years. 

“And we’re then presenting it in a way that is quite new for the Trust. Visitors are allowed to touch almost everything in the property and there are surprises at every turn for the curious. As well as the sense of touch, the immersive experience will involve sight, smell and taste too. There’s something there for everyone, from the specialised historian to the first-time museum goer. 

“We know how much people love Gladstone’s Land and we can’t wait for them to reconnect with its impressive history, and explore the new experiences that have been added to bring those centuries to life.”

www.nts.org.uk

www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land

www.twitter.com/GladstonesLand

www.facebook.com/GladstonesLand

“Indescribable sadness”

BBC lambasted for Panorama Diana interview gained by deception and subsequent cover-up

Statement from the Duke of Cambridge:

“I would like to thank Lord Dyson and his team for the report.

“It is welcome that the BBC accepts Lord Dyson’s findings in full – which are extremely concerning – that BBC employees:

  • Lied and used fake documents to obtain the interview with my mother.
  • Made lurid and false claims about the royal family which played on her fears and fuelled paranoia.
  • Displayed woeful incompetence when investigating complaints and concerns about the programme.
  • Were evasive in their reporting to the media and covered up what they knew from their internal investigation.

“It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said. The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse and has since hurt countless others.

“It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC’s failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her.

“But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived. She was failed not just by a rogue reporter, but by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions.

“It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others.

“This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events.

“In an era of fake news, public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important. These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down too.“

Prince Harry added a statement last night:

Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest.

The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.

To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these – and even worse – are still widespread today. Then, and now, it’s bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication.

Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for.

The BBC published Lord Dyson’s independent investigation into the circumstances around the 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales yesterday. The inquiry report severely criticises the national public broadcaster.

The BBC also isued the following statement:

‘The BBC Board appointed Lord Dyson to lead the investigation on 18 November 2020. Lord Dyson examined documents and records from the time and interviewed a wide range of people involved in the making of the programme.

‘Lord Dyson says: “The report demonstrates, I believe, that this has been the thorough and fair investigation I set out to do. All key individuals gave comprehensive testimony and I am grateful for their cooperation.

‘It enabled my investigation to establish facts based on evidence and for me to draw the detailed conclusions that have been set out today.”

‘BBC Director-General, Tim Davie says: “I would like to thank Lord Dyson. His report into the circumstances around the 1995 interview is both thorough and comprehensive. The BBC accepts Lord Dyson’s findings in full.

“Although the report states that Diana, Princess of Wales, was keen on the idea of an interview with the BBC, it is clear that the process for securing the interview fell far short of what audiences have a right to expect. We are very sorry for this. Lord Dyson has identified clear failings.

“While today’s BBC has significantly better processes and procedures, those that existed at the time should have prevented the interview being secured in this way. The BBC should have made greater effort to get to the bottom of what happened at the time and been more transparent about what it knew.

“While the BBC cannot turn back the clock after a quarter of a century, we can make a full and unconditional apology. The BBC offers that today.”

‘BBC Chairman, Richard Sharp says: “The BBC Board welcomes the publication of Lord Dyson’s report which it unreservedly accepts. There were unacceptable failures.

‘We take no comfort from the fact that these are historic. The BBC must uphold the highest possible standards. I want to thank Lord Dyson for the thoroughness and diligence of his work.”

‘The BBC is today writing to a number of individuals involved or linked to these events to apologise directly. We recognise that it has taken far too long to get to the truth.

‘The 1995 Panorama interview received a number of awards at the time. We do not believe it is acceptable to retain these awards because of how the interview was obtained.’

The report and associated annexes are published here.

Enterprise boosts electric rental fleet with thirty new vehicles

·       30 new Renault ZOE available in Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, Aberdeen

·       Supporting local communities’ and businesses’ transition to shared low- and zero-emission motoring

·       Part of a wider investment including electric vans and hydrogen vehicles

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has unveiled 30 new electric Renault ZOE as part of its rental fleet in Scotland. They will offer more zero-emission transport options for businesses and local residents needing to drive as Scotland emerges from lockdown.

The vehicles will be located at Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. They are part of the company’s wider investment in offering sustainable motoring options in Scotland and across the UK.

Enterprise already offers a range of low emission vehicles and is rolling out a number of fully electric vans and working with Toyota to trial hydrogen cars with selected corporate customers.

Police Scotland is one of a number of organisations that is renting the new Enterprise Renault ZOE fleet. The Renault ZOE is a fully electric vehicle, with a 52-kWh capacity with up to 245 miles of range.

Enterprise is seeing growing support for its electric vehicle fleet, both rental and car club, across the UK. An analysis of user data shows that while the majority of renters drive fewer than 50 miles when they use an electric vehicle, many are regular users and happy to drive an electric car for 100 miles or more per day.

“We see rental as a way of facilitating change because it enables people to try out zero-emission electric vehicles for a short period of time,” said Diane Mulholland, General Manager for Enterprise Scotland.

“We will be using our new ZOE fleet to ensure our employees are familiar with EV technology and act as experts to help customers understand the benefits of these vehicles and overcome any concerns they may have.

“We are planning to encourage all our customers to try EVs. That means replacement customers who get a car from their insurance company when their vehicle is being repaired will have an EV option, as well as our business and leisure customers as lockdown eases.”

Enterprise is committed to the continued expansion of its fleet of fully electric vehicles in Scotland and in all other markets in which it operates. These vehicles will play a role in supporting Scotland’s move towards more sustainable transport, use of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) and introduction of Low Emission Zones in four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow next year. 

In order to ensure employee and customer safety, Enterprise introduced its Complete Clean Pledge in 2020, which is an industry leading initiative that demonstrates the company’s commitment to excellent customer service and maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness.

The CCP further enhanced how all Enterprise vehicles are thoroughly cleaned between each rental. This includes washing, vacuuming, general wipe down, and sanitising with a disinfectant that meets leading health authority requirements, with particular attention to more than 20 high-touch points.

Jock McFadyen: Lost Boat Party

SCOTLAND’S Dovecot Studios, in partnership with The Scottish Gallery, will mark the artist, Jock McFadyen’s 70th birthday year with an exhibition of recent paintings which describe the romance and grandeur of the Scottish landscape, alongside the urban dystopia for which the artist is known.

The exhibition runs from 11 June – 25 September 2021.

Christina Jansen, director of The Scottish Gallery, said: “McFadyen paints the exterior world with a cool detachment that carries an emotional punch, and Lost Boat Party perfectly describes his approach – floating through the landscape to find and show the strange enigmatic portion only seen when looking for something else.

“The painting, Lost Boat Party, is a monumental work, depicting a seaside funfair which appears to have detached itself from the land and is slowly drifting out to sea. The metaphor for the human condition is unavoidable, and many of the paintings in the exhibition describe the sea with all its implications of threat and indifference, as well as painterly possibility.”

Over 20 large paintings will feature in Lost Boat Party, highlighting McFadyen’s understanding of the sublime landscape tradition.

It is no accident that the artist was taught by a generation of abstract painters whose presence is felt in these paintings, describing the contemporary world; paintings such as Mallaig and Estuary Music are almost minimalist, and all the paintings – save for one which has a tiny figure, difficult to find at only half an inch tall – are void of human presence, instead inviting the viewer to inhabit the haunting and occasionally hostile panoramas of land and sea before them.

Over the last seven months, Dovecot has collaborated with McFadyen to make a new artwork inspired by his paintings.

The Mallaig Commission will be unveiled at the exhibition, along with documentation of the collaboration. In working with Dovecot, McFadyen joins a roster of Royal Academicians, including David Hockney, Graham Sutherland, Barbara Rae and Chris Ofili.

Naomi Robertson, Master Weaver at Dovecot Studios, explained: “Our initial aim was to explore the beauty in the paintings. We have experimented with how to amplify the complex undertones in Jock’s use of paint through the blending of yarn as well as the innate sensuality of the textile surface.

“The way in which the final work absorbs light emphasises a depth of colour that is just not possible with paint.”

The exhibition forms part of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2021 programme and is the second in four UK exhibitions celebrating the artist’s impressive 45-year career.

Lost Boat Party follows Jock McFadyen goes to the Pictures at City Art Centre, Edinburgh and will be followed by exhibitions at the Royal Academy in London in early 2022 and a full retrospective at The Lowry in Manchester.

McFadyen’s career has included solo shows at the Imperial War Museum, Camden Art Centre, The National Gallery, Talbot Rice, and the Pier Arts Centre. In 1991, the artist designed sets and costumes for Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s last ballet The Judas Tree at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

McFadyen’s work is included in over 40 public collections, including the V&A, SNGMA, Government Art Collection and Tate, as well as corporate and private collections in the UK and abroad.

A monograph on the artist was published by Lund Humphries in 2001 and in 2019 a second monograph, written by Rowan Moore, was published by the Royal Academy. McFadyen was elected to the Royal Academy in 2012.

Dovecot Studios: The Lost Boat Party exhibition 11 June 2021 to 25 September 2021

Applications are open for Nationwide’s Community Grants Programme

  • Nationwide’s Community Grants Programme now accepting applications from charities and projects helping solve housing issues across UK
  • Successful applicants are awarded grants ranging from £10,000 to £50,000, decided on by Nationwide’s Community Boards comprised of Nationwide members and employees
  • Nationwide pledges to make £22m grant funding available to housing charities and organisations by 2023

Nationwide, the world’s largest building society, has announced that applications for its 2021 Community Grants Programme are now open.

After a challenging year for everyone, but especially for those who are most vulnerable in our society, having a place fit to call home is more important than ever before. The programme forms part of Nationwide’s commitment to supporting communities by giving at least one per cent of its pre-tax profits to good causes.

The Community Grants Programme tackles local housing issues by giving charities, community land trusts and housing co-operatives access to grants between £10,000 and £50,000. Applications are open to any organisations that provide solutions to help:

  1. Prevent people from losing their home
  2. Help people into a home
  3. Support people to thrive within the home environment

Nationwide’s Community Boards, made up of community-minded colleagues working at the building society and it’s members, come together to decide which projects should be awarded a grant, and in doing so are supporting their own communities to find solutions to the housing crisis.

Beneficiaries of  Community Grants  include organisations that have helped to support vulnerable families with young children in crisis in Northern Ireland, supported women who have been sexually exploited to navigate the housing system in Luton and those who are homeless and facing poverty in Kingston.

There are currently 11 local Community Boards across the UK. Since 2018 Nationwide has funded 350 projects and awarded £14 million in total through the programme and in 2020/21, just under £4 million in grants were awarded to 99 projects. By 2023, £22 million will have been awarded in total.

This year Nationwide is capping the amount of Community Grant applications it will accept, meaning approximately one in four applicants will be successful. If the cap isn’t reached, applications will close at 11pm on Monday 21 June.

For more information about the scheme and to apply, visit: www.nationwidecommunitygrants.co.uk.

https://youtu.be/Fk9zq-Cd678

Rachel Smith, Senior Social Investment Manager at Nationwide Building Society, said: “The last year has been exceptionally challenging for many of us, but if there’s one thing it’s taught us, it’s the value and importance of community. Since 2018, our Community Grants Programme has supported charitable organisations seeking to make a difference to vulnerable people facing housing challenges across the UK. 

“Everyone should have a place fit to call home which is why our Community Grants Programme is so important to us. As a member owned organisation, we have always seen it as our place to help facilitate positive changes in local communities, and we are encouraging charities to apply to our Community Grants programme.”