NHS Lothian: right care, right place for minor injuries

If you have a minor injury please call 111 free to be referred to the right service.

They will arrange an appointment if you need to attend hospital. Or, if appropriate, they can schedule an appointment for a confidential assessment by video call with a Nurse practitioner.

Primed for manipulation

Best-selling Amazon products display evidence of fake and incentivised review practices, Which? finds

Best-selling products and brands on Amazon Marketplace display reviews from buyers saying they have been offered vouchers, freebies and money in exchange for posting five-star reviews and removing negative ones as the tech giant fails to adequately protect shoppers from fake and incentivised review practices, a Which? investigation has revealed. 

The consumer champion looked at dozens of popular products and brands on Amazon Marketplace and by using search terms such as ‘bribe’ and ‘incentive’ found repeated evidence of customers reporting that sellers had approached them with a view to manipulating the rating they left for the product.

Ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2021 (21 and 22 June), when many subscribers will be looking to grab themselves a bargain in the sales, Which? looked at Amazon ‘Best Sellers’ – lists of the most popular products based on sales – on the online marketplace’s website.

Five of the nine Amazon Best Sellers product categories that Which? analysed showed repeated evidence of incentivisation – smartwatches, dash cams, Bluetooth speakers, in-ear headphones and surveillance video equipment.

Twelve products (24%) across the top 10 best sellers in those five categories had reviews from customers stating they were being asked to post five-star reviews or alter or remove their negative feedback.

Several reported being chased via email to do so, while others said they were sent cards alongside their products requesting positive reviews in exchange for vouchers or free gifts. Seven (58%) of those items were Amazon’s Choice listings – the platform’s coveted recommendation label that is influenced by high ratings.

One customer told Which? he could not believe the persistence of one seller in trying to get his negative product review on Amazon changed or deleted – suggesting it is highly lucrative for sellers to do so.

Tim Winkle, 64, purchased a Teaisiy USB webcam last year and gave it a two-star review due to its poor quality. The third-party seller behind the product then emailed him asking him to alter or delete his negative review in return for a £10 gift voucher. After he refused, he then received a series of other offers by email over three months, reaching a peak of £50.

Which? also dug deeper into the brands whose listings included accusations of incentivised reviews and found 12 ‘repeat offenders’ where sellers were called out for using similar manipulative tactics across other products in their ranges.

It was not clear in some cases whether these sellers were acting independently or on behalf of the brand.

The problem was reported most prominently on Victure products, with 11 of its 29 (38%) product listings containing accusations of incentivisation tactics. These items included a baby monitor, wi-fi booster and wireless security cameras.

Victure, alongside Enacfire, are two brands that have also featured in previous Which? investigations as a result of suspicious review activity, and it is concerning that the brands are appearing repeatedly, despite Which? reporting its findings to Amazon.

This latest investigation comes after reports in May 2021 that Amazon had taken action to suspend the selling privileges of major tech suppliers Aukey and Mpow.

Which? found numerous examples of people writing negative reviews on Amazon to shine a light on unscrupulous behaviour from sellers. Three Peztio webcam buyers stated that the seller had offered them £40 to delete their negative reports of the product, which had an overall rating of 4.2 out of five stars.

One Peztio customer said they thought the seller was “clearly more interested in editing the public record than … improving their product.”

Many other customers gave five-star reviews alongside confessions about their motivation for doing so. One ASWEE listing for a smartwatch had two reviews from people stating they had been sent a prompt to write a great review in exchange for a £15 voucher. One went as far as to say: “the only reason I have posted five stars is because I want my £15 voucher as compensation.”

A number of Victure customers said that they had been offered complimentary gifts in exchange for five-star reviews, including an SD card.

Misleading reviews are a big problem on many of the world’s biggest platforms and Which? has also previously uncovered evidence of fake and suspicious review activity on eBay, Facebook and Google. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced its investigation into major websites that host reviews in May 2020. Yet more than a year on it appears Amazon is still falling at the first hurdle by failing to stop review manipulation on some of its best-selling products.

Amazon has a specific Anti-Manipulation policy for customer reviews stating that any attempts to manipulate reviews, including by directly or indirectly contributing false, misleading or inauthentic content, is “strictly prohibited.” The platform said that if it determines a seller or brand has attempted to manipulate reviews, it may immediately “suspend or terminate your Amazon privileges, remove reviews, and delist related products.”

Which? believes that stronger action is needed to address the ongoing problems caused by misleading reviews on online marketplaces and other platforms.

The consumer champion is calling for the CMA’s investigation to quickly get to the bottom of the problem of fake and misleading reviews. If it finds that sites that host reviews are not doing enough to detect and prevent misleading reviews, then strong action must be taken to prevent increasing numbers of consumers from being misled.

Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, said: “It’s really concerning that consumers are raising the alarm on misleading tactics by sellers being used on best-selling Amazon products – particularly at a time when more people are shopping online than ever before because of the pandemic.

“Amazon must, as an absolute minimum, do more to enforce its own policies – especially when evidence of manipulation is hidden in plain sight in its Best Sellers lists.

“The CMA needs to urgently get to the bottom of the problem of misleading and fake reviews and be prepared to take strong action to ensure consumers can trust the reviews that influence billions of pounds of spending every year.”

The 12 brands Which? found with more than one product impacted by incentivised reviews:

  • Anker
  • Apeman
  • ASWEE
  • Enacfire
  • Littlelf
  • Peztio
  • Popglory
  • Tozo
  • Wansview
  • Willful
  • Victure
  • Zhuolang

Tim Winkle, 64, bought a Teaisiy USB webcam in June 2020 so he could attend video conference meetings via Zoom.

He spotted the reviews on Amazon looked ‘very good’ but also noticed there ‘were some lower reviews’ as well but opted to purchase the webcam anyway.

When the product arrived, Tim found the quality was ‘very poor’ and therefore returned the webcam directly to Amazon. Tim ‘promptly’ received his money back and left a two-star review outlining his experience with the product.

In February 2021, Tim began receiving emails from the seller requesting that he delete his negative review in exchange for an Amazon gift card worth £10. When he refused this, the seller then offered Tim a £15 voucher, followed by £20, £30, £40 and £50 all of which he rejected.

The seller assured Tim it had ‘changed to another manufacturer’ to ensure the item’s quality improved and told him it was a ‘very small business that depends on reviews’ and would ‘not survive without [his] help.’

Tim said he had ‘no idea’ reviews could be manipulated in this manner.

His review of the Teaisiy webcam, as well as the listing for the item itself has since been removed from Amazon.

Advice to consumers:

  • Be more sceptical of brands you haven’t heard of. While some of the companies may well be honest start-ups, others attempt to take shortcuts to the top of the listings. Overwhelmingly, our research into fake reviews has found little-known or unknown brands being the main culprits. If you don’t recognise the brand, check online to see if it has a legitimate looking website, with clear contact details so you can get in touch if anything goes wrong.
  • Don’t just trust the overall star rating. Inspecting the comments can save you time (and money) in the long run. Although an item could have high overall reviews, there may be signs of incentivisation or other suspicious activity when you dig a little deeper. These can include: overly positive language that reads like an infomercial, and a wide selection of pictures – Which?’s investigations have found this is a common request from sellers who incentivise positive reviews.
  • Check the less positive reviews. Those who attempt to incentivise reviews commonly ask for five-stars, so it’s far more useful to look at four star reviews and below. Keep your eyes peeled for complaints about the item failing over time, problems specific to a particular feature that many reviewers are reporting, and signs of incentivisation – such as an offer of a reward for posting a good review. You can use the search bar to check for specific keywords if you want to dig deeper.

A spokesperson for Amazon told Which?: “Our objective is to ensure customers see authentic and relevant reviews so they can make better informed purchasing decisions. To do this, we use powerful machine learning tools and skilled investigators to analyse over 10m review submissions weekly, aiming to stop abusive reviews before they are ever published.

“In addition, we continue to monitor all existing reviews for signs of abuse and quickly take action if we find an issue. We are relentless in our efforts to protect the integrity of customer reviews. We remove fake reviews and take action against anyone involved in abuse. We have won dozens of injunctions against providers of fake reviews across Europe and we won’t shy away from taking legal action.

They added, however, that Amazon and other online retailers ‘cannot do this alone. Customers need to be able to trust the reviews they see online and the systematic manipulation of reviews needs consistent enforcement and global coordination with stronger enforcement powers given to regulators against bad actors.

‘We continue to work to protect the authenticity of customer reviews. We advise customers who doubt the credibility of a review on a product to click the Report Abuse link available below each review. We will then investigate and take necessary measures.’

An Enacfire spokesperson said: ‘I saw the reviews and [am] feeling very upset. It is absolutely damaging to our brand image. We will perform an internal investigation towards our distributors and external to those who [are] selling Enacfire products but not in our distributors list. The punishment [will] be stopping supplies to them.

‘By becoming one of our distributors and selling Enacfire products [on] Amazon, we require all of our distributors to obey all the policies from Amazon. The behavior was conducted by Amazon sellers who sell Enacfire products and our brand does not support the behavior of review manipulation, which seems to be a common problem with Amazon.’

A spokesperson for Wansview said: ‘We appreciate it that you informed us about the reviews that violate Amazon’s review policy. It is of great help to us to enhance our brand image.

‘We’ve known about the reviews you mentioned since January 2021 and have already discussed [them] with the retailer. We got to know they offered their products to improve customer satisfaction [and] to help increase the listing ratings. Due to [their] lack of policy learning, the retailer’s behaviour has violated Amazon’s policy and may mislead consumers’ brand recognition. After checking the review content, we have requested them to carefully study the Amazon policy and learn the latest Amazon rules. We urged them [to] stop such kind of review maintenance behaviour.’

‘As the brand owner, we have the responsibility to request our retailers [to] obey each platform’s selling rules and maintain consumers’ brand recognition. We will strictly request all the retailers who sell Wansview’s products to carefully study the Amazon rules immediately, and if they do not obey the policy, we will cancel their distributorship of Wansview branded items.

‘On the other hand, as the brand owner, we could improve our products’ quality to help the retailer gain customer satisfaction, offering good products and good customer support earns consumers brand stickiness. Thanks again for your email to help us regulate our retail rules and Wansview’s brand image.’

Strike action looms in social housing provider over “insulting” pay offer

The prospect of strike action across Hanover Housing Association services has moved closer after GMB Scotland served the social housing provider with statutory notice for an industrial action ballot against an “insulting” 1 per cent pay offer for frontline workers.

After months of fruitless talks, union members have roundly rejected the real terms pay cut offer for staff like care support workers, cleaners, and domestic assistants, compared to a 4.5 per cent increase package for key management personnel in Hanover in 2020.

In a previous consultative ballot, 81 per cent of GMB members voted against the pay offer and 79 per cent in favour of moving to industrial action against the offer. The full industrial action ballot will run from Monday 28 June to Monday 12 July.

Hanover provide and manage a wide range of housing and services across Scotland, mainly for older people to help maintain their independence within the community.

GMB Scotland Organiser Ude Joe-Adigwe said: “The prospect of a real terms pay cut for many key workers earning little more than the living wage is insulting and made worse by the pay disparity between staff on the ground and management in Hanover.

“And it’s another case in point about the scale of the challenge for the fair work agenda – the backbone of Scotland’s frontline response to COVID-19 has largely been delivered on the backs of workers’ earning just over or under £10 an hour and Hanover is no different.

“This dispute goes to the very heart of the debate over proper value for key workers and the services they deliver, and employers like Hanover need to become part of the solution instead of a persistent low pay problem.

“If we want to build a recovery then it’s got to be better than this and Hanover need to listen to the workers’ voice if they want to avoid the real possibility of industrial action later this summer.”

Raise a glass to the world’s tallest animal for World Giraffe Day 2021

Today, Glenmorangie has launched a charity cocktail to support the protection of the world’s tallest animal, the giraffe, on the longest day of the year.

 To celebrate World Giraffe Day the commemorative drink crafted by makers of tasty liquor Mothership, will raise funds towards the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), as part of the single malt whisky’s ongoing concerted effort to aid the animal in partnership with GCF and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). 

 The giraffe has long been a beloved symbol of the Highland Distillery. The same height as an adult giraffe, its stills allow more space for taste and aroma, which is why Glenmorangie’s spirit is so wonderfully delicate and fruity.

But the giraffe faces serious threats in the wild, from poaching to habitat loss. Numbers have fallen by almost 30% in just 30 years – and some types are now critically endangered.

Earlier this year, Glenmorangie supported RZSS with the wildlife conservation charity’s creation of a brand new habitat at Edinburgh Zoo, allowing giraffes to return to the capital for the first time in over 15 years.

 Featuring Glenmorangie Original, the ‘Camel Leopard’ cocktail is available online now via Mothership’s website and across its three Edinburgh venues, Bramble, Lucky Liquor and Last Word Saloon.

All proceeds will be donated towards GCF in their efforts to raise awareness of the plight of giraffes. With tropical and fresh notes, the cocktail unfolds with layers of complexity, making it the perfect drink to raise a glass to these magnificent creatures.

 Caspar MacRae, Global Marketing and Business Development Director of The Glenmorangie Company said: “For over 175 years we have created whisky in stills the same height as an adult giraffe, with this wonderful animal becoming a much-loved symbol of our brand.

“It seems only right that we should lend our support to protecting their future through our global conservation partnership with GCF and RZSS.

 “We have been working closely with Jason, Mike and Jon at Mothership for years – having dreamed up many of the delicious Glenmorangie cocktails in the past. Together, we will work to protect giraffes in the wild and shine a light on their predicament before it’s too late.”

 Jason Scott, co-founder of Mothership, added: “We’re pleased to once again collaborate with Glenmorangie, especially on such a special initiative, helping to save giraffes in the wild.

“With a balance of citrus, herbal and tropical flavours, this refreshing cocktail is perfect to raise a glass to the world’s tallest animal and enjoy on a long summer’s day.”

 Available until the 27th of June, Glenmorangie’s charity cocktail, the ‘Camel Leopard’ for World Giraffe Day 2021 is available at: mothershipscotland.com or Mothership’s venues Bramble, Lucky Liquor Co. and Last Word Saloon in Edinburgh.

A passport to summer fun!

While COVID-19 travel restrictions mean that many of us will be having staycations this year, Edinburgh Leisure has their own passport for a summer of fun for your children and the family.

With the summer holidays approaching, the city’s biggest sports and leisure provider, Edinburgh Leisure, is bringing back the summer fun safely to their centres. Whether you are looking for a one-off activity for the family to enjoy, or some fast-track lessons to help make up for lost time, Edinburgh Leisure has it covered.

For gymnastics and aqua camps, children can be booked in for a day or for the whole week. Early drop-offs and late pick-ups are available.

A must for anyone who enjoys water, at the Aqua Camp, children from the age of 7 years can enjoy a variety of pool activities whilst working towards recognised Scottish Swimming and Royal Life Saving Society awards.

Little gymnasts from Primary 1+ will be entertained by Edinburgh Leisure’s coaches with activities including technique practice, stretching, and conditioning, vault and bar sessions into Tumbles’ foam pits, beam sessions, coaching the coaches, learning how to judge, and working on a routine.

And with climbing set to feature for the first time at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, inspire them with the adventure and climbing camps at EICA Ratho. If your child is between 8-14 years old and new to climbing, the EICA’s week-long Adventure Camp brings together thrilling indoor and outdoor activities including climbing, Clip ‘n Climb, and abseiling.

For older children between 10-17 years, and more experienced climbers looking to get outdoors, Edinburgh Leisure’s Rock Camp combines bouldering and indoor sessions with outdoor ‘trad’ and sport climbing at some of Central Scotland’s most renowned crags.

And for children looking for some sports coaching lessons, there is lots of choice across the city whether your child wants to try something new, or just enjoy more of their favourite classes. Coaching sessions are available in tennis, swimming, gymnastics, diving, trampoline, climbing and dance.

And new for this year, is Swim Diving and Fun and Deep-Water Swimming and Fun sessions.

In Swim Diving and Fun, swimmers will learn how to shallow dive for swimming starts, this includes push and glide skills, handstands, surface dives and more. In Deep Water Swimming and Fun, the coaches cover the fun things everyone loves to do in deep water and how to keep safe near water. Being underwater is a lot of fun and there will be games and activities to help swimmers improve their underwater skills.

Also in the pool, there will be some Summer Diving session on the diving boards at the Commie Pool or for 9–14-year-olds, they can book into the pool with their friends for Edinburgh Leisure’s Junior Swim sessions.

And teens can also stay active in the holidays with the NRG Zone Gym Camps for S1 – 15-year-olds. With full access to Edinburgh Leisure’s well-equipped gyms, Edinburgh Leisure’s trained instructors will be on-hand to coach correct technique and use of equipment.

Gym access at any time accreditation is granted after completion of Edinburgh Leisure’s 5-day camp. Keep an eye on Edinburgh Leisure’s website for more information including how to book. It’s free to junior members but costs £21 for non-members.

And if you are looking for family activities, Edinburgh Leisure has lots of choices for the family to enjoy together and to burn off surplus energy.

The very first in Scotland, Edinburgh Leisure’s AquaDash and new AquaDash Extreme at the Royal Commonwealth Pool is a fantastic inflatable playground on water. Fun-seekers will slide, climb, and bounce their way through the thrilling obstacles, beating each one and racing friends and family.

Or take the experience to new heights with AquaDash Extreme, with its awesome addition of double slides from the 3m or 5m dive platforms. Spaces are popular, so make sure you book well in advance. Booking goes live 28 days before for each available session so ensure you check Edinburgh Leisure’s website regularly.

And Clip ‘n Climb at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena will have the family reaching new heights with 15 climbing elements providing a range of features and levels suitable for children and adults. And it is suitable for beginners.

There’s also a Family Climb Taster session at the EICA. Even if you’ve never climbed before, this 90-minute taster session is for you. Children must be 4 years+ with at least 1 adult 18 years+ in the group for up to 3 children, or 2 adults 18 year+ in the group for up to 4 children. Maximum of 4 children per session.

To find out more about the activities and book online, visit:

Holiday Club – Edinburgh Leisure

‘Curriculum for Excellence is the right approach for Scotland’

SQA to be replaced

‘Substantial reform’ for Education Scotland

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Organisation (OECD) has backed Scotland’s school curriculum in its independent review.

The Scottish Government last year commissioned the OECD to carry out a review of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). The remit of the review was to help the government better understand how the curriculum is being designed and implemented in schools and to identify areas for improvement across the country.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville today announced that all 12 of the review’s recommendations will be accepted in full, including recommendations on curriculum, assessment and qualifications which will see the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) replaced and Education Scotland substantially reformed.

The Scottish Government will actively consider what changes are required to our qualifications and assessment system. This work will be heavily informed by the next OECD report, expected in the autumn, and by consultation with young people, parents, teachers and the wider education system.

Education Scotland will no longer undertake inspections, with this work becoming a separate, independent role. The Scottish Government will engage widely on the options for the future of inspection.  

The OECD also suggests that the curriculum work currently undertaken by Education Scotland might best sit with any new curriculum and assessment body which will replace the SQA.

Publication of the OECD report into Scotland’s curriculum system, known as Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), meets another of the Scottish Government’s commitments for the first 100 days since the First Minister was elected.

Ms Somerville said: “The last few years have accelerated a debate about the future of Curriculum for Excellence and senior phase education in particular. The OECD report is crystal clear – Curriculum for Excellence is the right approach for Scotland.

“In fact, despite all the criticism here at home, the OECD tells us it is viewed internationally as an inspiring example of curriculum practice.

“However, 10 years on from CfE being introduced, it is right and proper that we review how it is being implemented. 

 “We accept in full all 12 recommendations from the OECD. We will replace the SQA. We will talk to young people, parents and teachers to build a system that works in line with CfE – exactly as the OECD recommends.

“Responsibility for inspection will no longer sit with Education Scotland and we will look at what further reform of the agency’s functions is required.

“Everyone across the education system, including at the SQA and Education Scotland, has worked tirelessly this year under very challenging circumstances. They are owed a debt of gratitude.

“What comes next is a period of change. But it is change in order to improve, to achieve more and to deliver for Scotland’s pupils.

“Our commitment is to do exactly that and we will work with everyone and anyone willing to help to make that a reality.”

EIS welcomes decision to axe SQA

The EIS has welcomed today’s announcement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is to be scrapped.

The announcement came following the publication of the OECD Review of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), which identified a ‘disconnect’ between the core aims of CfE and Scotland’s qualifications system.

Commenting, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The EIS welcomes the publication of the OECD report, and the announcement by the Cabinet Secretary that the SQA is to be scrapped and replaced by a new body.

“It is essential that any new body is properly configured and is accountable to the profession through a model of governance based on educational, rather than political, considerations and with a teacher voice at its heart.”

On the OECD report, Mr Flanagan said, “The OECD report highlights some of the strengths of the Scottish Education system, not least being Scotland’s place in the top 5 nations in the world regarding global competency, but it also confirms what the EIS has been saying for a number of years, which is that there is a disconnect between the BGE (Broad General Education 3-15) and the Senior Phase (15-18). 

“There is massive assessment overload in the senior phase, which squeezes out the time needed for both depth and breadth of learning – two of CfE’s big ambitions. This overload is also the driver of excessive workload, and that has been exposed clearly during the pandemic.

“The comparatively high level of teacher class contact time was another area highlighted, with the OECD highlighting the need for reduction in class contact time – a key priority for the EIS – if teachers are to be able to collaborate around curriculum and assessment. We welcome that EIS lobbying in this area has already had some impact, with the Scottish Government pledging to deliver an early reduction of 1.5 hours per week in teachers’ class contact time to bring Scotland closer to OECD norms.”

Mr Flanagan continued: “The report also seems to confirm that the Government’s focus on Standardised National Assessments has been a monumental distraction with little impact other than adding to the bureaucracy that bedevils teachers’ working lives.

“The absence of any comment on the pre-5 sector is both disappointing and worrying. CfE runs from 3-18 but we are seeing a continuing reduction in the number of nursery teachers deployed in early years, which is a betrayal of the Scottish Government’s previous commitment to protecting the role of the teacher in pre 5 provision.”

Larry Flanagan Audio Recording

St James Quarter unveils flawless views of the Scottish capital

Look 2.jpg

A new fashion district is arriving in Edinburgh … bringing with it never-before-seen views across the city.

St James Quarter unveiled the stunning, panoramic views of the east end of Princes Street, St Andrews Square, Edinburgh’s oldtown and Charlotte Square merging with the southside from 55 metres high above the Capital.

To showcase the new cityscapes, St James Quarter enlisted the help of top Scottish models and an award-winning photographer, Jon Enoch, who captured the dazzling views and the incredible garments from some of the enviable brands opening in The Quarter this month.

Guests can expect a shopping experience like they’ve never experienced before in Scotland’s brand-new fashion district – with several brands debuting in Scotland for the first time including; & Other Stories, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear and Bershka.

For more information, please visit: https://stjamesquarter.com/

St James Quarter Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/stjamesquarter/

St James Quarter Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/StJamesQuarter

Outfit Details:

Look 1 – Top, £375, PINKO available at Multrees Walk. Ring, £80, Pandora.

Look 2 – Suit, £174, Next. Shirt, £45, Calvin Klein.

Look 3 – Dress, £295, John Lewis & Partners

Check out SENScot’s Community Tourism programme

Image

SENScot@SENScot

This week we’re all about #community tourism. Join us throughout the week for conversations, videos and podcasts.

Check out our programme here:

https://senscot.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/programme-with-links.pdf

Bield launches award to celebrate acts of kindness

One of Scotland’s leading housing providers has launched an initiative to celebrate its community for their acts of kindness.

Housing and care provider, Bield, has launched a platform to recognise individuals going above and beyond in the community, naming the award – ‘You are one of a Kind’.

Running until March 2022, customers, owners, service users, staff and members of the local community will have the chance every month to nominate their local heroes or heroines who have gone out of their way to lend a helping hand.

At the end of each month, a board of judges will select a Bield customer along with a Bield staff member or volunteer to receive the One of a Kind Award and a £50 voucher.

This comes as Bield is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and is looking to get as many people as possible involved in the milestone.

Chief Executive of Bield, Dr Lynne Douglas said: “Many things can go unnoticed as people go about their day to day life and this award gives us the perfect opportunity to recognise all the little things that make a big difference to individuals and their communities – especially in the current climate.

“The community at Bield has rallied together throughout the pandemic so we are really excited to launch this initiative and give those people a platform to share their amazing efforts.

“Our first series of nominations have started to come through and the stories so far have been incredible – it is wonderful to see individuals supporting each other.

 “The Bield community is truly one of a kind and we felt this award will help showcase and celebrate the amazing people we interact with on a daily basis.”

This award further amplifies the importance the provider has put on kindness, last year it was added to its core values, building on the ethos staff and customers live by.

Customers, staff and volunteers can cast vote here: 

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Sw49M7C0qUOtpRsCxgri41WlGYsudCRGkIdsKknXwItURUZVOEFCMVpUSDNMNFRaU0VNTEpBMFZTQS4u

Bield is a registered charity which grew from humble beginnings, starting out with one housing development in Bo’ness which has gone on to become a major provider of housing and care services for around 20,000 older people across 22 local authority areas.

To find out more about Bield and its developments, visit www.bield.co.uk or follow on Facebook @bieldhousingandcare and Twitter @BieldScotland.

North Edinburgh Arts capital project update & AGM

Dear North Edinburgh Arts Friend, 

North Edinburgh Arts Board and Director have been working in partnership with Council officers to develop the Planning application for the MacMillan Hub submitted last week.

Details and a link to the full application on the planning portal can be accessed here:  www.northedinburgharts.co.uk/development

NEA are continuing to work on the costs and timetable for the MacMillan Hub, focusing on the extension and refurbishment of our building as an integral part of the Hub. Our Fundraiser, Roger Horam at Red Lynx, and Board continue to apply for funding and have had positive meetings with a range of statutory and third sector funders. 

On 3 June 2021 the Council agreed to put forward NEA for consideration as part of the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. On 10 June 2021 the Council agreed to put NEA, as a key part of the MacMillan Hub, forward for the UK Levelling Up Fund.

This fund needs support from our local MP, and we thank Christine Jardine MP for her support. We would be grateful, too, for your support of NEA’s ambitious plan, and welcome any input you may be able to make, on behalf of our community,  to decision makers at both the Scottish and Westminster Governments who will be assessing our applications for funding.

If you have any questions or want more information please get in touch with us by emailing our Director Kate Wimpress at director@northedinburgharts.co.uk

I also would like to invite you to our forthcoming General Meeting on 21 July 2021 at 6.30pm, most likely to be held via Zoom, and would be pleased to speak with you then if you are able to attend. 

Yours sincerely

Lesley Hinds

Chair, North Edinburgh Arts
on behalf of the North Edinburgh Arts’ Board of Trustees