Day: June 9, 2021

Edinburgh food and drink businesses target growth through The Academy

Four Edinburgh businesses are amongst the first cohort of businesses to sign up to The Academy, a new and unique training initiative to help food and drink businesses targeting growth, after the industry was one of the hardest hit by COVID-19 and Brexit.

Open to food and drink businesses of all sizes and ambition, The Academy, is a series of programmes being delivered by Scotland Food & Drink Partnership and training experts Levercliff Associates to support businesses sell themselves, build their brands, thrive and compete in highly competitive retail and foodservice markets.

The three training programmes – Seeding Growth, Accelerating Growth and Commercial Excellence – have been designed to support companies at various stages in their development.

The Academy programmes are the first major investment from the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s £5m Recovery Plan which is supported by The Scottish Government. It will run for two and a half years and aims to support over 200 Scottish businesses.

Mimi’s Bakehouse are kickstarting their growth journey by joining the Seeding Growth programme. A further three businesses including Bon Accord Soft Drinks, Scotch & Co and The Drinks Bakery are upskilling on Accelerating Growth.

Seeding Growth, which started in May and will run for twelve weeks, is aimed at companies whose primary focus is maximising their local markets and beginning to consider opportunities in the broader Scottish marketplace.

Natalie Togeher, Finance Manager at Mimi’s Bakehouse, said: “The past year has been beyond challenging but we have attempted and survived! We feel now is a great time to reflect on where the business is and how we can move forward in a sustainable way continuing to bring the best sweet treats we can to our customers.

“The Academy will help us with the direction of the business and understand planning decisions when it comes to potential new product lines.”

The Accelerating Growth course is aimed at established businesses already supplying large customers in Scotland and looking to advance in the wider UK market, and will start this month (June)and run for six months.

Andy Murray, Founder at The Drinks Bakery, said: “This last year has been a huge challenge for The Drinks Bakery as much of the hard work and momentum built up through 2019 came to an end and the large-scale contracts that we were so close to getting simply fell away.

“That said, we still saw growth through 2020, just from different channels. Our D2C channel took off through Amazon and a hastily set up webshop as people wanted to spoil themselves at home. Plus our range started to fly off the shelves in the delis and farm shops around the UK as more people shopped closer to home.

“The Drinks Bakery is now getting closer to partnering with the right sort of UK multiple retail and we’ve been exporting small amounts to Europe, UAE and North America over the last 2 years but things are about to get bigger.

“Being part of the Scotland Food & Drink Academy is exactly the support we need at this crucial stage of scaling.”

Lucy Husband, Market Development and Business Engagement Director at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “The Academy aims to bring a renewed sense of positivity and optimism for businesses when it comes to growing their brands. It is fantastic to see so many local food and drink businesses focus on their future and revisit their ambitions for growth after an extraordinarily difficult year.

“These programmes have a real focus on knowledge sharing, upskilling and innovating, and are fundamentally about helping businesses to deliver a real step-change for long term growth. Change that is rooted in the here and now in the commercial realities of the world we live in, but with an eye to the future.

“Whilst we don’t know what the future might hold, food and drink will undoubtably continue to be a key export and economic contributor for Scotland and we are thrilled to be able to support businesses grow their brand to compete in local, UK and international markets.”

Applications are now open for future cohorts of The Academy. The deadline for applications for cohort two of Seeding Growth which starts in September is Sunday 13 June, however applications will continuously remain open for future cohorts.

The first cohort of Commercial Excellence will start later this year. 

To find our more and apply, please visit: www.foodanddrink.scot/the-academy/

Bodysuit designed to support insulin pump users

An Edinburgh Napier product design student has created a bodysuit that aims to make it easier for women affected by type 1 diabetes to wear an insulin pump with any type of clothing.

Final year student Katarzyna Pohorecka has developed ‘Mude’ – a range of six nude-coloured bodysuits that contain a specially designed pouch that discreetly holds an insulin pump.

The work – which is being exhibited this week as part of the University’s online Degree Show – has been created after a gap in the market was identified for a product that allowed female insulin pump users to wear their pump under their clothes.

The inclusive range – which has been completely designed and sewn by Kat as part of her fourth year studies at Edinburgh Napier – comes in six different colours and in sizes XS to XXL.

Kat was inspired to create the range of bodysuits – which can also be worn as an individual item of clothing rather than as underwear – after her research showed that women regularly have issues wearing certain types of clothing, especially lighter clothes and dresses, while using an insulin pump.

Kat said: “My best friend has type 1 diabetes and she’s often remarked to me that she can’t wear certain items of clothing because they are just not compatible with her insulin pump.

“I started researching this area and I found that despite there being some accessories such as belts and bumbags to help with wearing an insulin pump, there was nothing specifically made with comfort and discreetness in mind.

“Mude – which takes its names from the word miód which is Polish for honey and nude which reflects the colours I have used – has been designed with these two aspects in mind. I wanted to create something that allowed women to wear any item of clothing along with their insulin pump.

“I’ve always been a believer that clothing – and the fashion industry as a whole – should be doing more to make clothing inclusive for all. I have designed the range in six colours and in a variety of sizes as I aim to make it as accessible for as many people as possible.

“Now that my time at Edinburgh Napier has come to an end, I’m really keen to continue pursuing my idea and would love to bring Mude to market, putting it on sale for those affected by type 1 diabetes who feel they could benefit from something like this.

“Design for a social impact has always been incredibly important to me and I’m hopeful of meeting this goal throughout the remainder of the year.”

The Edinburgh Napier Degree Show runs from 2 June. More information and to view this year’s work, visit here.

Age Scotland: Could lockdown have a long-term impact on our strength and mobility?

It’s something many of us have noticed over the past year. We’ve been getting our shopping delivered, the weekly Keep Fit class is on hold, and phone calls have replaced a cuppa with friends.

We’ve had to postpone regular activities, whether that’s a game of bowls or playing with grandchildren. And while many have tried to keep up that daily walk, the Covid-19 pandemic has kept others confined to home.

“Stay at home” has been the safest advice – with many older people either shielding or significantly cutting down their social interactions.

But now that the vaccine rollout is well underway and restrictions are starting to lift, what impact has this had on our longer-term health?

Age Scotland’s new research confirms the impact that lockdown has had on our daily life – almost two thirds of over-50s say they have been less active over the past year.

Around half are worried that spending so much time at home has led to a loss of strength and mobility.

This had led to concerns that the restrictions could have a serious impact on our health over the next few years. Tens of thousands of older people could be experiencing “deconditioning” – declining physical fitness caused by lack of activity and spending long periods of time sitting.

This can lead to a loss of muscle strength, balance, flexibility and overall mobility, which can leave people more vulnerable to falls and likely to require social care support in the years to come.

It can even lead to health problems resulting in higher mortality from cardiovascular disease,  diabetes and cancer.

One way to combat this is through an innovative app called LifeCurve, developed by researchers at Strathclyde University, It’s based on research that found that we lose the ability to do things in a particular order as we age.

Early on the curve, we might be able to go for a brisk walk, while as we get older we might start to struggle with housework, bathing or cutting toenails.

The good news is this is not set in stone at a particular age. We can improve our position on the LifeCurve by staying physically active and keeping up with regular daily tasks. This can slow the ageing process and help us to live a healthy, independent life for longer.

We can all try to build more physical activity into our lives, whatever our fitness and ability level. Age Scotland has developed its Around the House in 80 Days series of videos to help people of all ages stay fit safely at home.

For many people, the issue is a lack of confidence after around 15 months at home. It’s often tempting to offer to help an older relative or neighbour by doing the shopping or cooking a meal. But it might be more helpful to encourage them to do more independently.

Perhaps you could offer to walk with someone to the shops or try a gentle exercise class (in person or online) together?

Many Age Scotland groups, such as Men’s Sheds and walking clubs, are now re-opening safely, giving further opportunities for physical and social activity.

It might start with a small step, but it could go a long way to ensuring a healthier later life.

Scottish Ensemble & Social Bite serve up Sound Bites

Scottish Ensemble (SE) and Social Bite are teaming up this summer to spread the joy of shared food and live music with new collaboration Sound Bites.

Based on the notion that these simple pleasures are at the heart of peoples’ lives as social beings, Sound Bites connects the worlds of food and music with a themed picnic box available for audience members to enjoy during upcoming performances as part of month-long outdoor festival Live at No.40.

Scottish Ensemble will bring to life Vivaldi’s iconic masterpiece, The Four Seasons, as audiences enjoy a bespoke picnic of handmade goodies sprinkled with a touch of the Four Seasons by Scottish charity and social enterprise Social Bite. Each picnic basket will contain a duo of tasty baguettes with two different fillings, and depending on dietary preference, a selection of pies, frittatas, sausage rolls, salads and even some of Social Bite’s famous brownie bites.

In solidarity with the Social Bite cause to end homelessness and in keeping with its reputation for thinking outside the (picnic) box, 10% of ticket sales for Scottish Ensemble performances are being donated to Social Bite and its work helping and supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals and communities across Scotland and the UK.

Taking place from the 3 July to 1 August 2021, Live at No.40. will unfold at Scottish Opera’s Production Studio car park at 40 Edington Street, Glasgow. Joined by Scottish Opera and Citizens Theatre in a specially created outdoor theatre, Scottish Ensemble will perform four concerts over two days, accompanied by Scottish charity and social enterprise Social Bite.

At a time when the country is cautiously celebrating new beginnings, Vivaldi’s works of art speaks poignantly to disruption and the inevitability of change with piercing precision. By bringing audiences together, not only for possible the first live performance in over a year, but to ‘break bread’ with fellow music lovers, friends and family, SE and Social Bite mark an important milestone during a turbulent time. 

William Norris, Interim Chief Executive at Scottish Ensemble, said: “One of the things we’ve all missed in the last year has been sharing. Sharing time with friends. Sharing experiences. Sharing food. Sharing music.

“Our Sound Bites performances of Vivaldi’s ever-green Four Seasons promise to provide all of the above, but also share a portion of everyone’s ticket purchase with our partners in this project, Social Bite, who do incredibly important work in tackling homelessness.

“We’re really excited to be partnering with them on this project which marks our return to live performance in a characteristically different way.”

Co-founder and CEO of Social Bite, Josh LittleJohn MBE said: “This collaboration will not only be a brilliant celebration of enjoying food, drink and music together, something we’ve all missed over the past year, it’s also an opportunity to bring about real positive change.

“This fantastic event will deliver funding to our innovative programmes that support people out of homelessness and help them to build independent lives.

“We hope everyone who joins us at Sound Bites enjoys the performance, along with our delicious picnics – specifically crafted for this event by our talented kitchen staff of which 1/3 have come from a background of homelessness.

Thank you for your support and for joining us in our mission to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.”

Scran Café: Youth powered café launched by Scran Academy

Scran Academy, a leading social enterprise in Edinburgh, is delighted to announce the launch of the new Scran Café, a professional café within NHS Lothian’s Comely Bank Centre, planned, launched and run by inspiring young people aged between 13 and 21 from across Edinburgh.

The café’s initial focus will be to create a welcoming, relaxing and safe haven for as many as 100 frontline NHS workers and clinical trainees on a daily basis, offering freshly made meals, drinks and other refreshments. 

With an innovative social business model involving a voluntary, private and public sector collaboration, this unique partnership between Scran Academy and NHS Lothian will see more than 100 young people, too often judged and failed by both their city and country, access dedicated employment experience and skills support over the coming three years.

Through the charity’s existing community-based Academy School and Scransitions, a new 16+ employability programme, this ground-breaking social venture will empower these young people with the skills and confidence to lead in the hospitality industry. 

At the same time the programme will take a significant bite out of the poverty-related barriers, life challenges and injustices they face on a daily basis – being care-experienced, disengaged from mainstream school, at risk of homelessness, unemployed or suffering from poor mental health.

Scransitions is supported by The National Lottery Fund’s Young Start Project, the Edinburgh Thrive initiative and Walter Scott Giving Group, who have all generously enabled the £300,000 project to run for three years.

The Café will open to the public later in the year as restrictions are eased.  There are already strong signs that the café will become an essential resource to the wider community, instrumental in joining up other Scran programmes and initiatives.

Through the charity’s partnerships and intergenerational work including projects involving low-income family, elderly and homeless organisations, there are hundreds of individuals keen to access the cafe and get involved.

The cafe will also provide a free community library, with support from Edinburgh International Book Festival and other bookstores.

Founder of Scran Academy and social entrepreneur, John Loughton BEM (above), himself a young person who grew up struggling in North Edinburgh, said: “At Scran we do hand-ups, not just hand-outs.

“We must all respond and adapt to what is an oncoming crisis for today’s generation that has resulted from education systems failures, a bleak employment context and the rising grip of poverty and mental health. It’s brutal for young people and our work has never been more needed.

“What Scran’s story shows is that if we support local community organisations that are run with passion and authenticity, we can develop creative solutions to social inequality. It also shows that unlike the stereotypes so often in the media, young people make a real and positive contribution to society and your post code does not have to be your destiny. 

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank all our funders, schools and volunteers whose contribution to the operation of Scran has made a huge difference to the young people of Edinburgh.”

Walk This Way with SRUK

People living across Scotland are being invited to lace up their trainers and get walking this summer in aid of people living with a chronic, life-limiting autoimmune condition called scleroderma. 

The charity Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK (SRUK) is asking people to get involved with its nationwide walking challenge and raise money for vital research and support. Participants have the option of making their walk physical or virtual and as long or as short as they need.  

The fundraiser – called The SRUK Walk – aims to raise at least £19,000 to represent the 19,000 people in the UK living with scleroderma. The money will be used to support people affected by the condition and fund research to improve diagnosis, treatment and quality of life. 

Sue Farrington, SRUK Chief Executive, said: “Scleroderma affects thousands of people and there is currently no cure. Through our research, information and support services we’re taking steps to improve the lives of everyone affected by scleroderma. And now we’re asking the public to quite literally do the same. 

“The past year has taken a toll on many people with scleroderma who have been forced to shield and, in some cases, have their treatments put on hold. We want to make sure we can be there for everyone who needs us, which is why we’re asking people to put their best foot forward – a simple act that will help make a world of difference. 

We know how supportive people in Scotland can be, so we’re hoping as many people as possible get involved.”  

Scleroderma occurs when the body’s immune system becomes overactive and begins to attack healthy tissue, causing hardening of the skin and, in some cases, other organs. It is most common in adults over the age of 40 and can also affect teenagers and young adults, although this is much rarer. 

SRUK is the only charity solely focused on improving the lives of people with scleroderma and Raynaud’s in the UK through information, support and ground-breaking research. 

To get involved with The SRUK Walk or to find out more, visit www.sruk.co.uk/walk  

Acas insight into Fire and Rehire

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) asked Acas to conduct an evidence gathering exercise to learn more about the use of fire and rehire practices.

This was published yesterday and contains views from a range of participants about their experiences on the use of fire and rehire.

Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said: “Our findings provide valuable insight into the use of fire and rehire practices. We gathered a range of views from professional bodies with workplace expertise, including trade unions and employer organisations.

“Some of the participants told us about the business challenges of COVID-19 and how the use of fire and rehire can help reduce redundancies. Others believe that the practice is unacceptable, and that the pandemic has been used as a ‘smokescreen’ to diminish workers’ terms and conditions.

“There was also evidence that fire and rehire practices have been used for many years and predate the pandemic. We will take up the government’s request to produce further guidance that encourages good workplace practices when negotiating changes to staff contracts.”

Read the findings in ‘Dismissal and re-engagement (fire-and-rehire): a fact-finding exercise‘.

Accelerating green growth

A new investment programme to help deliver Scotland’s just transition to a net-zero emissions economy has been launched.

The Green Growth Accelerator will speed up delivery of low carbon infrastructure projects across Scotland and provide extra resources and technical support to local authorities to get projects off the ground more quickly.

Once fully opened the programme will unlock £200m of public sector investment to drive our transition to net zero – with further investment from private sector also anticipated.

Developed in collaboration with COSLA, it builds on the principles of the Growth Accelerator model which has already supported major economic investment opportunities including Edinburgh’s St James Quarter (below) and the Waterfront in Dundee (top).

Applications are now open for six projects to help test the Green Growth Accelerator model.

They will be developed with funding of £1m from the Scottish Government, who will work with COSLA and local authorities to learn from the first six projects ahead of a further roll out of the programme in 2022/23.  

The Green Growth Accelerator was announced by Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson ahead of a Scottish Government parliamentary debate on addressing the global climate emergency, during which Ministers will outline the government’s delivery plans over the course of the new parliament and urge collective action to deliver Scotland’s net-zero ambitions.

Mr Matheson said: “Scotland was one of the first countries in the world to acknowledge and respond to the global climate emergency and our dedication to ending our contribution to climate change by 2045 is absolute.

“Urgent, collective and collaborative action is required in order to ensure a just transition to net-zero. If we all play our part, Scotland can show the rest of the world how it’s done – and ensure our people, businesses and communities can benefit from a greener, more sustainable economy.

“By capitalising on our strengths in energy, natural capital, innovation, and our skilled workforce, we can be at the forefront of growing global low carbon markets in the future.

“The Green Growth Accelerator illustrates how, working together across government, business and communities, we can capitalise on the economic, environmental and social benefits that our journey to net-zero present.” 

The parliamentary debate ‘Addressing the Climate Emergency’ takes place at 15:20 today (Wednesday 9 June).

Forth Street attack: Can you help?

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a reported serious assault which took place in the Forth Street area.

The incident took place around 9.50pm on Monday, 7 June, when a 67-year-old man was struck in the face and suffered serious injuries as a result.

The suspect is male, aged between 30 and 40, 5ft 6 with a stocky build and unshaven face. He was wearing a dark beanie hat, hooded jumper, coat and baggy trousers.

Detective Constable Christina Yeoman, of Gayfield CID, said: “This appears to have been a shockingly unprovoked and random attack, which left the victim with multiple serious injuries.

“We’re asking for anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information to please come forward. If you believe you could help our enquiries, call 101 quoting reference 4086 of 7 June. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”

Living Well Locally: Councillors to discuss 20-Minute Neighbouhoods

Tomorrow (Thursday (10 June), members of the city council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee will consider a high-level strategy for 20-Minute Neighbourhoods in Edinburgh.

The model is a well-established approach used worldwide as a way of delivering services within communities. This includes finding ways for residents to access most of their daily services provided by the Council in a local, accessible and sustainable way, along with those delivered by our partners in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

This is a new approach for the Capital and the aim is to deliver more sustainable places, improve public services, and build on what is already a powerful sense of local community across Edinburgh.

Over the last year, the pandemic has seen a dramatic change to the way we all live and work in our local area, and while the concept was already underway in pioneer cities such as Paris, Melbourne and Portland, the global health crisis has highlighted even more strongly how important ‘liveable’ neighbourhoods are.

The emerging City Plan 2030 identified eight town centres as starting points and further work identified 11 more areas to prioritise as they are areas which have gaps in their service provision and/or no natural town centre.

Each of the 19 areas in total has its own unique cultural identity and local heritage and it’ll be important to clearly articulate the differing role each neighbourhood plays socially, culturally and economically as the strategy progresses.

The draft strategy outlines that, if approved, the first areas of focus will be where the need is greatest, whether that’s because of deprivation, poor connectivity, or demographic issues. For example, the council will:

  • Maximise the opportunities created by new school investments at Liberton and Currie
  • Work to deliver the new Pennywell Hub to provide a partnership between public and voluntary sectors
  • Build on the community-led Local Place Planning work in Wester Hailes and Leith
  • Work with the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership to combat loneliness and isolation, and build new networks of support and wellbeing
  • Look at new schemes to improve the quality of place in some of our busiest and most traffic-dominated centres such as Niddrie Mains Road.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Twenty-minute Neighbourhoods are about helping local people access the services they need, where and when they need them.

“Getting what you need in your community is about more than just having your services and amenities close at hand. It’s also about empowering communities, fostering stronger partnership working at a local level and, where appropriate, delivering multiple services from stand-alone ‘hubs’.

“We know from our Capital Resident’s Survey that 58% of people agree it would make sense to have all public services delivered from one location. We also know this can be a more efficient way of organisations working within our communities and getting better outcomes for our residents.

“Crucially, building thriving local neighbourhoods will not only boost quality of life and residents’ wellbeing but it will also be greener by cutting carbon footprint of frontline services and making support easier to reach within walking distance.”

Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “The Edinburgh Climate Commission supports our work on 20-Minute Neighbourhoods as the heart of a sustainable community and it’s clear the plans also support our wider Business Plan priorities in terms of ending poverty, increasing wellbeing, tackling inequality and focusing on prevention.

“The strategy we’ll be considering at Committee sets out a new way of working with our communities and we know from the experience of finding new ways to deliver services during the pandemic that communities want to work with us to co-design services, so it’s an exciting opportunity for Edinburgh.

“We’ll be working on supporting and creating environments where businesses can thrive and residents’ needs are met, helping to create a vibrant atmosphere and local identity.”

If approved, implementation of the strategy will begin immediately.

While the delivery of the strategy will be an ongoing programme of work, a detailed implementation plan will be developed, based on the ‘inform, engage, reflect and deliver’ model.

Potential locations for 20-Minute Neighbourhoods:

Corstorphine
Lochend / Restalrig 
Ratho 
Craigmillar / Bingham 
Moredun/Gilmerton 
South Queensferry 
Currie/Balerno 
Morningside / Bruntsfield
Stockbridge 
Gorgie/Dalry 
Muirhouse (above)
Tollcross 
Granton 
Nicholson Street 
Wester Hailes 
Kirkliston 
Oxgangs 
Leith / Leith Walk 
Portobello