With just three weeks to go until the much-anticipated St James Quarter phase one opening, the new fashion district celebrates launching its official social channels – by framing the perfect selfie spots to capture the city’s brand-new skyline!
Four giant picture frames can be found at some of Edinburgh’s most Instagrammable locations including Calton Hill, St Andrews Square, The Mound and Neighbourgood Market in Stockbridge, for followers to capture their own selfies and win £150 vouchers, #nofilter needed.
To enter, step into the frame, share your pic and tag and follow St JamesQuarter on Instagram and Facebook. The competition will run until Sunday 6th of June, with entries officially closing on Monday the 7th of June at 9pm.
Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton has lodged a parliamentary motion calling for the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation to accelerate the process by which it will come to a view on whether the Covid 19 vaccine rollout can be extended to children.
Mr Cole-Hamilton, lodged the motion after it was revealed that the number of Scottish children aged 0-9, hospitalised with Covid-19 has risen to 10. He is keen for the JCVI to come to a view as to whether or not it is safe to offer vaccines to young people given that it is already being rolled out to children as young as 12 in countries like Canada. This follows widespread reports various reports that the Delta strain of the virus could be more harmful to young people than previous variants.
Commenting, Mr Cole-Hamilton said:“I am in no way trying to influence the decision of the JCVI, nor am I asking them to cut corners, but I am concerned about the threat that the new Delta variant could pose to children.
“There is international data to support the benefits of some vaccines in children. If it’s is possible to safely vaccinate our children and young people I would like to see that done as quickly as possible.
“Canada is one of the first countries in the world to start vaccinating children, and they are confident enough to do so based on the existing data and the view of their own regulators. I’m not for a minute suggest that we follow their lead for the sake of it, but we do need to treat the potential threat of the Delta variant on young people for what it is- a matter of urgency.”
“The sooner we have a decision from the JCVI on use of the Covid-19 for children, the sooner we can put a plan in place for how best to protect them.”
The City of Edinburgh Council has set out its improved process to deal with issues some tenants face due to excessive dampness, mould and condensation.
The enhanced processes, that puts our tenants health and wellbeing at the forefront, are being rolled out now (from June 2021) to deliver a robust, streamlined, start-to-finish approach that will quickly address immediate moisture-related issues within Council homes, while also looking at the conditions and internal fabric to prevent problems arising in the longer term.
The report makes clear that the first step will be to remove and reinstate any walls or surfaces affected, alongside work to identify the causes and address them. It’s been designed to ensure that tenants are kept up to date through more frequent updates from locality officers and ongoing liaison so they know what to expect at every step of the process.
Significant capital investment will be at the heart of the programme to remedy the root causes of these issues. Work is already under way to proactively engage with our tenants to ensure that any homes affected are identified and appropriate remedial action taken.
In the short term, following the successful pilot dehumidifier programme, devices will now be made available as standard, with help to fund the running costs for the duration they are required. In conjunction, other immediate action will be taken to investigate if there are any underlying issues such as poor external fabric, poorly performing heating systems, issues with windows or doors, or ineffective extractor fans.
This will be complemented by the ongoing support of the Council’s dedicated Energy Advice Service, set up in 2018. It provides advice and support for tenants on energy efficiency and heating their homes and has supported nearly 3,000 households, with financial savings for tenants totalling over £590,000 and carbon savings of 1,485 tonnes.
The Convener and Vice Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee, Councillor Kate Campbell and Councillor Mandy Watt, have looked to tackle this challenge for the Council repairs service head on, listening to tenants’ concerns and taking more responsibility to make sure Council tenants live in homes that are clean, safe and warm.
Convener, Councillor Kate Campbell, said:“I’ve heard the concerns raised by our tenants and recognise that there were issues with the process. Previously if damp wasn’t identified, but there was mould and condensation, tenants were often given a referral to the energy advice service, but too often work wasn’t undertaken to identify any underlying issues which could be causing mould, and mould was not removed as the first step. This report sets out how that process will change.
“The first step will be to remove any mould or damaged surfaces and reinstate them. We’ll then take a robust look at what the cause could be, whether that’s leaks, issues with doors or windows, insulation, heating systems or extractor fans not working. After we’ve carried out these steps, we’ll bring in energy advice to make sure tenants are heating their homes in a way that works for them and is as energy efficient as possible.
“The new process will be more transparent from start to finish and it will be made clear at the beginning what tenants can expect. The process is designed to make sure we are dealing with these issues in the short, medium and long term, and there are checks along the way as well as six weeks after the work is completed.
“Through this new plan and revised processes we’re taking more ownership, more responsibility and giving more support to our Council tenants to make sure they are living in homes that are safe, clean and warm and ones that they are proud to live in. The health and wellbeing of all Council tenants is paramount which is why we asked for this report. We need to be confident that we are getting it right for all tenants who are experiencing these types of issues with their homes.
“This will be complemented by the current capital investment programme and the work we’re starting to retrofit existing homes to high energy efficient standards. This demonstrates our intention to improve the quality of all of our Council homes and bring them up to modern standard of energy efficiency which in turn will help to keep homes better ventilated, warmer and cheaper to heat.
“Fuel poverty is a critical factor and this report outlines the measures in place to address this worrying situation for families.”
Vice Convener, Councillor Mandy Watt, said:“I’m really pleased to see that we’ll be taking greater responsibility for fixing the problems of condensation, damp and mould that afflict some of the housing we own.
“By authorising our repairs team to tackle these issues head on, we’ve taken huge steps in the right direction. We’ll also be looking to invest in any structural improvements that are needed.
“As things progress, we’ll check with our tenants that what we’re doing works; and we’ll listen to their suggestions about any further measures we could take. The Covid-19 pandemic has created challenges for our repairs service team but we are all committed to getting this right for our tenants.”
Council tenants have suffered from living in damp housing in Edinburgh since long before coronavirus was ever an issue, of course – Ed.:
The Council says it is investing significantly in homes to make them easier and cheaper to heat.
In the last six years, over half of Council homes have benefited from energy efficiency measures including new heating systems, insulation and new windows and front doors.
A Whole House Retrofit (WHR) programme is currently in development and will inform the long-term investment approach for existing homes from 2023 onwards. The WHR approach will prioritise advanced whole house retrofit measures, which will help to design out poor performance and future maintenance risks. Once completed, homes will be better insulated, ventilated and affordable to heat.
The process for dampness, mould and condensation will be continually monitored to pick up any emerging issues, and a detailed review will be undertaken after a three-month period, to allow time for the process to be embedded and an assessment of its effectiveness can then be made.
This will include a review of tenant satisfaction and constructive feedback received, together with further tenant engagement. This will complement an existing in-depth review of a sample of escalated complaints, which includes cases where dampness, mould and condensation issues have been present.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met with the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to discuss the United Kingdom’s Covid recovery.
They were joined at yesterday’s meeting by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (CDL). The Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland joined virtually, along with other ministers and officials from the devolved administrations.
Ministers agreed that the meeting provided an important opportunity for dialogue between the UK Government and devolved administrations.
The Prime Minister reflected that, while there are divergent views on the question of the United Kingdom’s constitutional future and the UK Government and devolved administrations will not always agree, these differences should not prevent us from working together to ensure a strong recovery for all parts of the country.
The Chancellor set out the direct UK-wide support provided by HM Treasury in response to COVID-19, which was worth around £352 billion across 2020-21 and 2021-22, and how the sacrifices of the British people coupled with our comprehensive support package and on-going vaccine rollout have laid the foundations for recovery.
Looking forward, he said as we gradually lift restrictions to ensure we maintain control of the virus, there are reasons for cautious optimism with data showing our Plan for Jobs is working.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said that collaboration between the UK Government and devolved administrations on Covid recovery would allow us to emerge from the pandemic stronger. Ministers acknowledged the benefits of mutual aid and burden sharing on healthcare and agreed that there was a clear value in sharing data and best practice.
Summing up, the PM emphasised the importance of establishing a structured and regular forum for ongoing engagement between the UK Government and the devolved administrations to deliver tangible outcomes in the interests of people throughout the UK and of completing the Intergovernmental Relations Review.
Following yesterday’s four-nations summit on Covid recovery First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the meeting must prove to have been more than just a talking shop.
The First Minister said: “We are of course willing to work together on recovery from the pandemic, but the UK Government needs to listen and act on key Scottish Government concerns.
“Because of the powers that rest in Westminster the decisions the UK Government takes have a major impact on the kind of fair recovery we are trying to build in Scotland.
“I sought assurances that there would be no return to the cruel and damaging austerity of the past and that furlough and the £20 uplift in Universal Credit will be extended. The proof of the worth of this meeting depends on whether the UK Government takes these issues seriously and responds accordingly.
“This meeting also took place at a time when the UK Government is undermining devolution through the Internal Market Act and diverting funding away from the Scottish Parliament. This has to stop and instead the UK Government needs to start treating the Scottish Government and other devolved governments as equal partners.”
Attendees:
UK Government
Prime Minister (Chair) – Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – Rt Hon Michael Gove MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP
Secretary of State for Scotland – Rt Hon Alister Jack MP
Secretary of State for Wales – Rt Hon Simon Hart MP
Scottish Government
First Minister of Scotland – Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP
Deputy First Minister – John Swinney MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy – Kate Forbes MSP
Welsh Government
First Minister of Wales – Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS
Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething MS
Northern Ireland Executive
First Minister of Northern Ireland – Rt Hon Arlene Foster MLA
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland – Michelle O’Neill MLA
Embark on an island adventure this summer with Scottish small group tour specialist Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com). From white sandy beaches that rival the Caribbean, to serene mountain vistas and enticing local seafood – Rabbie’s tours will take you beyond the guidebooks for a fascinating insight into the history, culture and landscapes of the Scottish isles.
For food connoisseurs – Mull & Iona
Blessed with massive mountains and stunning lochs, journey to Mull and discover the Victorian harbour town of Oban for charming intimacy whilst savouring local seafood in quintessential Tobermory.
Tiny Iona is inhabited by only 120 people and is home to sandy beaches and one of Scotland’s most important religious sights, Iona Abbey. For nature enthusiasts, this tour takes in “The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” and ‘Nature’s Cathedral’, Fingal’s Cave – compiled of naturally assembled hexagonal pillars from a Paleocene lava flow. Rabbie’s three-day Mull & Iona tour departs from Glasgow, with prices starting from £185 per person.
For history enthusiasts – Isle of Skye
Venture through breath-taking landscapes, quaint villages and visit the famous Eilean Donan Castle on a journey to the ‘Misty Isle’. En route to the island’s capital, Portree, pass fertile plains, shimmering lochs, rugged mountain tops and dramatic coastlines.
Explore the natural wonders of Skye including the Trotternish ridge, with its spectacular cliffs and rock formations including the Old Man of Storr. When making tracks back south, travel through the Cuillin Hills, enjoy stunning views over Loch Doich and the Five Sisters of Kintail before trying to spot the elusive Loch Ness Monster. Rabbie’s three-day Isle of Skye tour departs from Glasgow or Edinburgh, with prices starting from £165 per person.
For nature lovers – Lewis, Harris & the Outer Hebrides
If you catch the white sandy beaches of Lewis and Harris on a sunny day, you’d be forgiven for thinking it could be a remote beach in the Caribbean. This stunning tour takes guests along Loch Broom, past the Summer Isles, to Stornoway – capital of the Outer Hebrides. Marvel at the mountains of Harris and visit the Maldives of Scotland at Luskentyre Beach where the pristine sand contrasts perfectly with its turquoise waters.
After a day exploring unspoilt beaches and stunning landscapes, visit the small port of Leverburgh for a delicious local lunch. Uncover the stories behind the Callanish standing stones and explore the site where the famous Lewis Chessman were discovered. Departing from Inverness, this three-day tour starts from £209 per person.
Rabbie’s offers worry-free sustainable staycations with its small group tours. Social distancing measures are in place with increased cleaning measures and reduced group sizes to ensure the safety of all guests.
For more information and to book, see www.rabbies.com or call +44(0) 131 226 3133.
A dynamic new visual storytelling campaign #FoodHeroScot has been launched by Medialiciously and its partners, to create a platform for hospitality businesses in Scotland; showcasing the importance of sustainable products, services and initiatives, whilst shining a light on an industry significantly impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The non-profit visual storytelling campaign, #FoodHeroScot, is supported by STV’s £1m Green Fund which aims to champion the efforts of sustainable Scottish SME businesses by raising their profile and communicating with consumers, whilst encouraging Scots to reduce their own carbon footprint.
The campaign has attracted support from a number of business figures across Scotland including Alan Mahon, Founder of Brewgooder; Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson, Managing Director of Boda Bars; Nick Nairn, Owner of Nairns Ltd; Ayleen Gonzalez, Policy Advisor at Talk Aid; Carina Contini, Director at Victor & Carina Contini; Karis Gill, Co-Founder of Social Stories Club, Loral Quinn, CEO of Sustainably; Kelly Wright, Founder of The Refillery and Calum Haggerty, Managing Director of COCO Chocolatier.
Lee Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Medialiciously and key founder of #FoodHeroScot said: “We are excited to be launching this innovative campaign and to be working with such great businesses and ambassadors in the hospitality sector who have shown their resilience and willingness to lead by example in driving sustainable impact.
“We want to leave a lasting impression by creating an ecosystem of businesses, partners, sector organisations and like-minded consumers that care about sustainability and the immediate impact of business and buying decisions on the planet.”
Alan Mahon, movement ambassador and founder at Brewgoodersaid, “The food and drink industry is one of Scotland’s most dynamic, purposeful and inspiring sectors.To be an ambassador for my peers and to help create a more inclusive, and more impactful industry is a genuine honour.”
Over the course of the next 12 months, the campaign will reveal ten powerful mini documentaries featuring businesses or social enterprises that will be shared on the #FoodHeroScot website and amplified through a media campaign delivered by STV, as part of their Green Fund commitment.
There will be three nomination and voting phases to encourage a fair competition process. In total, there will be 10 winning businesses and each of them will be gifted a support package worth over £25,000 of in-kind support packages including marketing and PR with the aim of shedding light towards the sustainability efforts of the winning brands.
Danielle Kelly, STV’s Director of Strategy and Sales Scotlandsaid: “#FoodHeroScot is a fantastic campaign which will showcase the innovation and creativity of Scotland’s hospitality industry in responding to the climate emergency.
“As Scotland’s Public Service Broadcaster, we are committed to raising awareness of environmental issues and helping to effect change. Our Green Fund shines a light on the great work of Scottish sustainable businesses and through this exciting new partnership we look forward to championing sustainability across the food and drink sector to help to drive Scotland’s economic recovery.”
The #FoodHeroScot campaign will also promote the positive contribution of partner food and drink brands through a directory style website, complemented by a growing collection of business leaders and global ambassadors adding their voice and influence on the campaign and providing a far-reaching legacy and change towards sustainability.
Lee Fitzpatrick concludes: “The Food and Drink industry across Scotland has been significantly affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic and it’s time to highlight their sustainable products, services and initiatives, supporting them in their recovery after such a devastating year for so many.
“We want this platform to spark important discussions and drive businesses to make a conscious change towards sustainability.”
Those interested in supporting the green recovery of the industry should visit www.foodheroscot.co.uk for more details around how to nominate businesses in the food and drink sector.
A University of Birmingham-led study of over a thousand dental professionals has shown their increased occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave of the pandemic in the UK.
The observational cohort study, published today (3 June 2021), in the Journal of Dental Research, involved 1,507 Midland dental care practitioners. Blood samples were taken from the cohort at the start of the study in June 2020 to measure their levels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The team found 16.3% of study participants – which included dentists, dental nurses and dental hygienists – had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, compared to just 6% of the general population at the time. Meanwhile, the percentage of dental practice receptionists, who have no direct patient contact, with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was comparable to the general population, supporting the hypothesis that occupational risk arose from close exposure to patients.
The study also found ethnicity was also a significant risk factor for infection, with 35% of Black participants and 18.8% of Asian participants having SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, compared to 14.3% of white participants.
Blood samples were taken from participants three months later, in September 2020, when dental practices in England had re-opened with enhanced PPE and infection control measures in place, and once again in January 2021, six months after the start of the study, during the second wave of the pandemic when healthcare workers were being vaccinated.
The results showed that of those who had previous COVID-19 infection, over 70% continued to have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies both at three months and six months later, and they were at a 75% reduced risk of re-infection with the virus.
The study also demonstrated the immunological impact of COVID-19 vaccination, with 97.7% of those without previous infection developing an antibody response at least 12 days after their first Pfizer vaccine. In those with evidence of previous infection, the antibody response was more rapid and higher in magnitude after a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Furthermore, none of the cohort with a level of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies greater than 147.6 IU/ml in their blood tested positive for COVID-19 throughout the six-month period from the first to the final blood tests.
First author Dr Adrian Shields, of the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, said: “Understanding what an antibody test result means to an individual with respect to their risk of infection is essential to controlling the pandemic.
“Our study has taken the first steps in defining the level of antibody in a persons’ blood necessary to protect them from infection for six months. Furthermore, by comparing the antibody levels we have found in dentists to those contained in widely available reference material produced by the World Health Organization, we hope the protective level we found can be easily confirmed and compared by other laboratories.”
Corresponding author Professor Thomas Dietrich, of the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry, adds: “Critically, only 5.3% of the cohort developed an antibody response that exceeded this threshold of 147.6 IU/ml following the first wave of the UK pandemic.
“This suggests that natural infection alone is unlikely to generate meaningful, durable herd immunity.”
Co-corresponding author Iain Chapple, Professor of Periodontology at the University of Birmingham and Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust, adds: “Dental professionals are thought to be at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 because they routinely operate within patients’ aerodigestive tract and regularly carry out aerosol-generating procedures that result in the production of airborne particles.
“Through our research, we have clearly shown that dental professionals were at increased occupational risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 prior to the new PHE guidance on PPE. The occupational health measures that have been put in place in general dental practice as a consequence of COVID-19 appear to remove that increased risk, however, this will need to be thoroughly investigated to see if they have successfully interrupted transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses.”
Co-corresponding author Professor Alex Richter, also of the University of Birmingham, said: “This is the first time the occupational risk of exposure to a potentially fatal respiratory virus has been studied in a large dental cohort.
“It is important that we now progress our research to ensure we have an understanding of how people are protected from re-infection with COVID-19 following natural infection and vaccination.
“The nature and duration of immunity in these cohorts will be critical to understand as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, particularly with respect to the efficacy of vaccination strategies -single-dose, multiple-doses, vaccine combinations – and in relation to novel viral variants of concern.”
Collective is delighted to present a new exhibition by Satellites Programme participant Becky Šik.
Central to the exhibition is Mercury, an experimental new moving image work. Structured rhythmically and associatively the new film interlaces an evocative, resonating soundtrack (made using homemade instruments and magnetic sound machines) with an array of high production source material.
This includes infrared night-time video of bats and 16mm footage documenting a teenager magnet-fishing in a canal; alongside a ‘cut-up’ narration juxtaposing stories of hobbyists and an amateur satellite tracker; and scientific and philosophic reflections on the nature of communication.
Concepts of ‘echo’ are central to this work, used as both metaphor and audio effect; as locating device and editing strategy. Mercury focuses on that which sits just beyond a human’s everyday perception, where invisible forces become tangible.
Bats use echolocation to navigate; solar winds interfere with radio communications; whirring magnets excite and resonate bass strings; a Theremin allows us to articulate music from magnetic fields.
The event opens this Saturday, admission free.
Find out more, including screening times and how to pre-book tickets on our website.
Satellites Programme is Collective’s development programme for emergent artists and producers based in Scotland.
Tax credits customers should be vigilant and alert to potential scams, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has warned, as the remaining annual renewal packs will arrive in the post this week.
In the 12 months to 30 April 2021, HMRC responded to more than 1,154,300 referrals of suspicious contact from the public. More than 576,960 of these offered bogus tax rebates.
In the same period, HMRC has worked with telecoms companies and Ofcom to remove more than 3,000malicious telephone numbers and with internet service providers to take down over 15,700 malicious web pages. HMRC responded to 443,033 reports of phone scams in total, 135% up on the previous year.
Anyone doing their tax credits renewal who has received a tax or benefits scam email or text might be tricked into thinking it was from HMRC and share their personal details with the criminals or even transfer money for a bogus overpayment.
HMRC’s Cyber Security Operations identifies and closes down scams every day. The department has pioneered the use in government of technical controls to stop its helpline numbers being spoofed, so that fraudsters can no longer make it appear that they are calling from those HMRC numbers.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “We’re urging all of our customers to be really careful if they are contacted out of the blue by someone asking for money or bank details.
“There are a lot of scams out there where fraudsters are calling, texting or emailing customers claiming to be from HMRC. If you have any doubts, we suggest you don’t reply directly, and contact us yourself straight away. Search GOV.UK for our ‘scams checklist’ and to find out ‘how to report tax scams’.”
Many scams mimic government messages to appear authentic and reassuring. HMRC is a familiar brand, which criminals abuse to add credibility to their scams.
Tax credits help working families with targeted financial support, so it is important that people don’t miss out on money they are entitled to. Customers have until 31 July to notify HMRC of any change in circumstances that could affect their claims.
Renewing online is quick and easy. Customers can log into GOV.UK to check on the progress of their renewal, be reassured it is being processed and know when they will hear back from HMRC.
Customers can also use the HMRC app on their smartphone to:
renew their tax credits
check their tax credits payments schedule, and
find out how much they have earned for the year
Tax credits customers must report the changes to HMRC. Circumstances that could affect tax credits payments include changes to:
· living arrangements
· childcare
· working hours, or
· income (increase or decrease)
Customers do not need to report any temporary falls in their working hours as a result of coronavirus. They will be treated as if they are working their normal hours until the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme closes.
Leading Scottish based events company, 21CC Group recently unveiled the output of months of planning with a new project delivered in partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh College.
The creative lighting design company were appointed to transform the iconic gasholder tower into one of Scotland’s biggest works of art, while providing opportunities for students at Edinburgh College to work on a live creative project.
Commenting on the success and long-term objectives of the installation, Geoff Crow, Director of 21CC Group explained: “We are immensely proud to have been appointed for this project, and of the results achieved by our technical production company, 21CC Productions.
“For us, it’s about giving Edinburgh a new landmark and students hands-on experience with cutting edge equipment, that will enable them to leave school, college or university with the practical skills and head start in some of the key sectors for industry growth across Scotland.
“Over the course of the next 2 years, we are also planning to work alongside Edinburgh College to further support the students with their practical experience on the ground, introducing them to some of the newest technology available and creating a platform for them to learn more about its practical application.”
Through providing students at the college with direct access to this equipment, it is hoped that the innovative lighting project will support the enablement of skills and create an opportunity for students to turn theory into reality across key industry sectors including theatre, media, marketing, lighting design, sound production.
Lead lighting designer on the project – and former pupil of Edinburgh College – Neill Fleming, Lighting Technician for 21CC Group, said: “As a former student of Edinburgh College myself, who has moved into a permanent role within the industry, I am so aware of the importance of real-life experience in creating true understanding and passion for the industry.
“This is an opportunity like no other, and our installation will enable existing students the opportunity to work alongside a leading team of professionals.”
The spectacular launch – including Edinburgh Castle-style chases around the structure – showcased the brand-new lighting displays at Granton Gasholder in all its glory.
The tower has been an important fixture of Edinburgh’s Waterfront for over a century, and the launch itself marked the beginning of a vital regeneration project undertaken by The City of Edinburgh Council, with the display proudly illuminating the skyline for a period of up to two years.
Geoff Crow, Director of 21CC Groupconcludes, “In a year where the event industry as a whole suffered greatly due the significant economic and social impact of Covid, this collaboration is significant on so many different levels, and a true symbol of hope at such a critical time.
“We are really looking forward to supporting the college further by taking some of these students and working to immerse them in some of our larger events later on in the year too.”
