Month: June 2021

Greg cycles length of Britain for Scotland’s mental health

Greg McAllister, an employee at leading industrial software provider Asset Guardian Solutions Limited (AGSL), recently embarked on a 1,000 mile cycle from John o’Groats to Land’s End, helping the company raise over £3,000 for its corporate charity partner, SAMH (the Scottish Association  for Mental Health).

Greg, an enthusiastic cyclist, decided to combine his passion with the company’s annual fundraising campaign to support SAMH and raise awareness of Scotland’s mental health and wellbeing challenge.

Greg explained: “Mental health is something that has always been there and during the last two lockdowns I have noticed how important it is to talk about it and not to shy away from it.

“With AGSL partnering with SAMH, I felt that it was a good time to set myself a goal. I have wanted to try some sort of endurance challenge for a while and during lockdown I was able to increase my running and cycling to a level that I felt I would be able to complete a multi-day challenge.

“Each day was tough, with poor weather conditions and minor injuries and so I took it slow and steady, but the fundraising campaign helped me keep focused. Luckily arriving at Lands’s End was nice and sunny to finish off! I’d like to thank Asset Guardian for the support they gave me before and during the cycle.”

Greg, who is a reigning world champion bagpiper, was backed by sponsors AGSL, McCallum Bagpipes, MG Reeds and The Rollin Drones, who helped support Greg in raising awareness of the charity and its national mental health programme.

Iain Rennie, Operations Director at AGSL said: “Everyone at AGSL is very proud of Greg and his dedication in completing this challenge.  His achievement in cycling the full length of the country should not be underestimated, especially doing it solo without other riders to take some of the load. 

“And of course the fundraising effort for our partner SAMH, where Greg’s contribution should help us break through our target for this year.”

Fiona Lewis, Corporate Partnerships Manager at SAMH, said: “All of us at SAMH are delighted to be Asset Guardian’s charity partner. It’s fantastic that the staff have decided to make mental health their cause.

“Greg’s achievement is incredible and we cannot thank him enough for showing SAMH and the mental health cause such tremendous support and dedication. The funds raised by Greg, and by colleagues throughout our partnership, will fund crucial mental health support for people across Scotland – a huge thank you from everyone at SAMH.”

SAMH and Scotland’s Mental Health Challenge

SAMH is Scotland’s mental health charity and provides local mental health support and accessible information. SAMH listens to what matters in each local community, and campaign nationally for the changes that make the big and little differences in life. Now more than ever, SAMH need to make change happen.

SAMH are standing up for Scotland’s mental health. It costs just £20 to run one support session with SAMH, where the charity can spend time with someone to help them in their recovery from mental ill health. 

SAMH is committed to supporting Scotland’s mental health, especially during this difficult time. and have created a dedicated online information hub, providing for advice and information on protecting your mental health during these developments.

Visit www.samh.org.uk/coronavirus. 

For more information on SAMH, please visit www.samh.org.uk.

Asset Guardian Solutions Limited specialises in protecting and securing industrial process software and is an official corporate partner for SAMH. 

All year round, employees strive to raise awareness of mental health by supporting the charity through fundraising campaigns. With positive mental health being part of the company’s corporate culture, it hopes to raise awareness of mental health challenges together with SAMH.

For more information on AGSL, please visit www.assetguardian.com.

Calling all suckers for science!

Edinburgh Science Festival is bursting with excitement to kick off tomorrow

The 33rd Edinburgh Science Festival – the world’s first science festival and still Europe’s biggest – kicks off its hybrid 2021 edition tomorrow with a theme of One World: Science Connects Us and Cirrus Logic as its Headline Sponsor.

Featuring over 220 in-person exhibitions & installations and a wide range of walks, tours and trails (mainly outdoors), it is a perfect opportunity for people to safely get some live science this summer.

Its ambitious digital programme of talks, workshops and downloadable resources for people of all ages means that this year’s Festival truly connects sci-curious people around the globe. And with over 80% of its overall programme free it has something for everyone, from fun family activities to though-provoking discussions.

Exploring science of all sorts – from the depths of the oceans via Pale Blue Dot at the National Museum of Scotland which celebrates Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2021 to the vastness of space and everything in between – the Festival’s fantastic live interactive events in and around Edinburgh turn the city into a science playground and kick-start a wider summer of science offerings from many of Festival’s partners.

Programming for the Planet as Scotland prepares for COP26 and celebrating women in STEM are two key focuses of the 2021 Festival.

The Festival champions and leads the way to gender balance in science events with 60% of the participants in this year’s Festival women.

The ambitious online programme is packed with inspiring speakers such as young climate activist Maya-Rose Craig, environmentalist and explorer Sacha Dench and sustainable food author Annie Bell, among many others.

Artists Shona Hardie and Kelly Wilson bring us a Women in STEM Street Art Trail and the team at Bright Side Studios deliver Elemental a new multimedia experience on the theory of the elements.

And in a year that couldn’t pass without some focus on the pandemic, the 2021 Edinburgh Medal is awarded to Prof. Heidi Larson for her work on vaccine confidence.

To explore the full Festival offer – just bursting with ideas – visit: www.sciencefestival.co.uk. 

Festival Director Amanda Tyndall said: “At heart we are deliverers of inspirational live experiences, and we are delighted that – while it won’t look quite the same as in a normal year – we are back in the live game, with a focus on getting out and about, connecting safely with science this summer and having some much-needed fun.”

Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “This year’s Science Festival offers online and in person experiences that will connect audiences to an excellent line-up of speakers and events highlighting the urgency of taking action to combat the climate crisis. I urge everyone to get involved.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events said: “Now that the industry is taking its tentative steps back towards live events, EventScotland is delighted to be supporting Edinburgh Science Festival as it kicks off this weekend, complementing their digital programme with fantastic in-person elements that are sure to educate and entertain budding scientists and casual spectators alike.”

Funding to help convenience stores to stock local produce

A funding programme to promote the sale of local produce in convenience stores across Scotland is underway.

The Go Local initiative, funded by the Scottish Government, will see at least 21 grants paid to convenience store operators, allowing increased sales of fresh, healthy, locally sourced products to customers.

The overall fund of £190,000 will be used to develop retail space in shops and the appointment of a dedicated specialist with extensive retail and sourcing experience to maximise consumer choice and available display space.

The Go Local programme, administered by the Scottish Grocers Federation (SGF), is now in its second year after an evaluation of the pilot phase showed the success of the initiative had far exceeded expectations.

Industry leadership organisation, Scotland Food &Drink will assist the project with local sourcing support.

A study found stores participating in the Go Local initiative each added an average of 30 square meters of added space, allowing a 34% increase in the number of local products stocked.

Outlets who took part in the project also saw a 40% increase in sales of local produce, while it is estimated additional local economic benefits were in excess of £157,000 per store.

Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “This funding comes at an important time and will help food and drink producers be part of our sustainable recovery and overcome the challenges presented by Brexit and the pandemic.

“We know that consumers are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and are looking for high welfare and production standards.

“A diverse and successful convenience store sector is ideally placed to give customers the greater choice of locally-produced, healthy produce they are looking for, while at the same time helping to achieve our net zero targets by reducing food miles.

“These grants and the specialist expertise on offer underlines our commitment to supporting this important sector and I would not only urge store operators to apply for funding, but for customers to continue supporting their local shops.”

SGF chief executive Dr Pete Cheema OBE said: “We are delighted the Scottish Government has continued its investment in the Go Local project, enabling convenience retailers to increase their range of local products.

“The sector has punched above its weight during these difficult times and the fact is it local shops who have made the difference.

“The results we have seen already have been impressive with a clear local multiplier effect, which benefits retailers and Scottish manufacturers, while demonstrating that convenience stores can also play a crucial role in the recovery and regrowth of Scotland’s food and drink industry.”

Hibernian and Civil Service Strollers agree strategic partnership

Hibernian FC have underlined their continuing commitment to developing players by agreeing a strategic partnership with fellow city club Civil Service Strollers.

The Lowland League side, who play their home games at Christie Gillies Park in North Edinburgh, have huge ambitions to develop both at youth and senior level, and discussions between Hibs and Strollers have led to a mutually beneficial link being forged.

This follows Hibs’ similar partnerships with English Premier League side Brighton, Scottish League Two outfit Stenhousemuir, and USL Championship team Charleston Battery over in the United States.

Hibernian Sporting Director Graeme Mathie explained: “This strategic partnership is another key step in our Player Pathway model.

“We have utilised the loan system as part of our player development strategy for some time now and are convinced that early exposure to men’s football is key to the transition of young players from the Academy into the professional game.

“Civil Service Strollers have been an excellent partner for us for a number of seasons now and we are delighted to formalise the relationship at this time.”

Talented younger players like Jayden Fairley, Jack Brydon and Callum Yeats – who made a move to Queen’s Park this week – have all progressed from playing with Civil Service Strollers into the football league with Stenhousemuir, and the hope is that more Hibernian players can be offered similar opportunities in the near future.

Graeme added that Strollers head coach Gary Jardine will be a huge asset to the partnership moving forward: “He has taken a number of Hibernian young players on loan both from his time coaching Edinburgh City, and over the last number of years with Civil Service Strollers.

“Gary has shown a willingness and desire to play young players and all Hibernian players he has worked with over the years have been far better equipped for the demands of professional football having spent time working with him.

“We have spent a considerable amount of time and effort developing our strategic partnerships over the last 12 months and it would be great to see a young player’s journey progress from Civil Service to Stenhousemuir, to Charleston Battery, to the Hibernian First Team to Brighton in the EPL in coming years.”

Keith Stewart, Civil Service Strollers club secretary, said: “Civil Service Strollers are delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside Hibernian and to have a part in a players progress to better themselves.

“We have always embraced the need for improvement and this partnership is a win-win for the clubs, young players and the future of our game.

“We would like to thank our manager Gary Jardine, Hibernian’s Graeme Mathie and the development team for their hard work setting this up and giving us the chance to work with such talented players.”

Civil Service Strollers continue their pre-season preparations with a home friendly against Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday.

Council hails further support to taxi and private hire trade

An additional grant is now available for taxi and private hire vehicle owners/operators.

This is in addition to the two £1,500 grants (over £12m Scottish Government funding) and further payments of £1,000 (just over £4.4m of the Council’s Edinburgh Discretionary Business Support Fund) the council has allocated to each taxi and private hire driver since the start of the pandemic last March.

Vehicle owners and operators can apply for a grant of up to £10,000 each, dependent on the number of vehicles their companies operate.

Cllr Catherine Fullerton, Convenor of Regulatory Committee, said: “We’re delighted the Scottish Government has responded so positively to our requests for further support for the taxi and private hire industry.

“We know all businesses have had such difficult time over the last 16 months and it was great to see drivers initially receive a £1,500 grant in April from the Scottish Government totalling over £6m.

“We were delighted to be able to make additional payments of £1,000 each from our Discretionary Business Support Fund, totalling just over £4.4m. We also welcomed the extension of the Scottish Government funding allowing us to pay out a further £1,500 again to all drivers last week. 

“I would encourage vehicle owners and operators to apply for this welcome further funding via our website.“

Surge vax clinics this weekend at Pennywell All Care Centre

Open this weekend – vaccine clinics for anyone over 40 – 1st doses, 2nd for those at least 8 weeks since first AZ vaccine at Pennywell All Care, Conan Doyle Practice, Sighthill Practice – just turn up you do not need to be registered with a GP.

@EdinburghHSCP

#NorthEdinburgh

Lothian’s on the road to net zero!

Arriving now: Edinburgh’s first fully electric double decker buses

Today sees the official launch of Edinburgh’s first fully electric double decker buses, thanks to major funding from SP Energy Networks working in partnership with Lothian buses.

The £1.7million project was funded as a flagship project of SP Energy Networks’ £20million Green Economy Fund to enable Edinburgh to take a major step in its journey towards the city becoming Net Zero by 2030.

These buses will bring immediate benefits to the city and the communities in which they operate, helping improve the city’s air quality and delivering multiple health benefits.

Lothian’s four brand new all-electric double decker buses will be introduced onto route 10, which connects outlying parts of the city, Western Harbour and Bonaly with Edinburgh’s city centre.

The City of Edinburgh Council has committed to establish a Low Emission Zone (LEZ), reducing the carbon footprint of public transport and the new Lothian electric buses are a statement of intent for the city’s transport network.

The launch of these buses will play a big part in the city’s green transport infrastructure.

Through the Green Economy Fund, SP Energy Networks is investing in the communities that it serves to support the UK and Scottish governments’ green energy ambitions. It also contributes to government plans to meet climate change targets, boost local economic growth, improve air quality across the country and deliver a better future, quicker for our communities.  

SP Energy Networks is part of the ScottishPower group, a Principal Partner for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow in four months’ time.

It is developing an energy model that will play a significant role towards reaching the UK’s world-leading climate change targets and is investing a total of £10billion in the clean energy generation and networks infrastructure needed to help the UK decarbonise and reach Net Zero emissions.

The new electric buses were built by Alexander Dennis, Britain’s biggest bus builder, at its Falkirk factory and will benefit from a smart management system which allows reduction in well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.

Transport Minister Graeme Dey, who attended the official launch of the new electric fleet at Dynamic Earth, said: “Scotland was one of the first countries in the world to declare a global climate emergency and with projects like this we continue to show our commitment to reducing emissions.

“As the country comes out of the pandemic and restrictions continue to ease, it is essential that our recovery is a green one, which has returning to public transport at its heart. This all-electric service is welcome news both for Edinburgh bus users and the environment.

“It’s also fantastic to see private sector organisations collaborate to tackle climate change. The funding from SP Energy Networks to support Lothian’s electric fleet with buses made in Falkirk is very much an initiative to be welcomed and encouraged.’’

Guy Jefferson, Chief Operating Officer at SP Energy Networks, said: “This is an historic moment in Edinburgh’s journey to Net Zero. The four new electric double decker buses will serve one of the busiest bus routes in the capital and provide a blueprint for other routes across the city.

“Edinburgh has ambitious plans to be a leading UK Net Zero emissions city by 2030 but for that to happen there needs to be big changes. The introduction of this new technology will improve air quality and noise pollution while supporting the city’s green recovery from the pandemic.

“We are committed to collaborating with government and industry to harness the knowledge, skills and resources we need to tackle climate change. Net Zero is now the prism through which we take all our business decisions. It’s one of the key drivers of our decision to become a Principal Partner of the COP26 global climate change conference, which is taking place in Scotland later this year.

“By working with our partners in Edinburgh and across Scotland through initiatives such as this we can deliver the cleaner, greener and better future we all want, quicker.”

Nigel Serafini, Interim Managing Director at Lothian Buses, said: “Across the last decade, Lothian has removed around 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from our carbon footprint through our fleet replacement strategies, and the introduction of Edinburgh’s first fully electric double decker buses allows us to continue on this journey, further reducing our impact on the environment.

“These new buses are fitted with the most advanced zero emissions technology and the introduction of these vehicles across our Service 10 further cements our commitment to meet the requirements of the Scottish Government and The City of Edinburgh Council’s climate change strategies.

“We’re delighted to have been able to partner with SP Energy Networks’ Green Economy Fund on this project and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This is a really exciting step forward for the city’s public transport network, and our own ambitions to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

“We want to make a green recovery from the pandemic and to do this we need to encourage more people to make sustainable transport choices. These buses offer a clean, reliable and environmentally-friendly alternative to the car.

“As we work towards the introduction of a Low Emission Zone in Edinburgh too, electric and other low emission buses will be essential for transporting people to the city centre while maintaining clean, breathable air.

“In the coming months we’ll be playing an important supporting role when Glasgow hosts the major COP26 climate change conference, and it’s innovations such as these that signal our firm commitment to tackling the climate emergency.”

The new vehicles also have USB charging points, on-board audio-visual next stop announcements and free Wi-Fi to provide a better overall customer experience.

So far, 35 projects have been awarded funding from SP Energy Networks across Central and Southern Scotland.

To find out more about the Green Economy Fund and the projects it supports, please visit: 

www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/green_economy_fund.aspx

ESTATE: last chance to see art installation in Muirhouse

Jimmy Cauty’s ESTATE ‘Municipal Disaster Zone Tour’ has stopped off in Muirhouse and there’s still time to experience this thought-provoking art installation before it moves on to Easterhouse.

ESTATE is a dystopian model village featuring four abandoned concrete tower blocks at 1:24 scale (approx 2 metres high) housed in a 40-foot shipping container in the goods yard off Muirhouse Avenue (beside North Edinburgh Arts).

The tower blocks – Icini Heights, HMP Camp Delta-Zulu, Roman Point and Watch Tower 4 – each serve a different function in the ESTATE and each building contains chilling scenes in miniature of mass social, economic and environmental devastation.

Visitors experience a mini-walking tour like no other. A dark, menacing environment is pierced by spotlights, floodlights and strobes against an aural backdrop of helicopters, alarms, sirens and even the dulcet tones of former Home Secretary Amber Rudd help to set the scene (and chill the blood).

There’s smoke, too, to add to a distinctly unsettling atmosphere; shrouding the brutalist tower blocks and giving them an even greater brooding presence. But for all all the darkness there is also light, and peering through the shattered windows of the blocks tiny scenes are picked out in beautiful detail.

There is so much to see through those blasted windows: a plastic duck here, a faded portrait of Queen Victoria there … but everywhere – destruction and desolation.

Cheerful it’s not, but ESTATES is a powerful experience which haunts you long after you leave the dark confines of the shipping container. As I stepped back into the Muirhouse sunlight I thought: “I must go back.”

You can still catch ESTATE at Muirhouse this afternoon and Saturday morning.

Recycl-age Art Exhibition at granton:hub

granton:hub are excited to announce more details about the granton:hub Recycl-age Art Exhibition happening July 9-11th. This event is FREE entry.

Our Recycl-Age Art Exhibition has been included in the Edinburgh Science Festival. The exhibition has also been selected to be part of the Coastal Knowledge and RSE Young Academy of Scotland project, as the satellite arts venue for a 3-day show and artist-run workshop, funded by Edinburgh Local.

The exhibition is featured in the Edinburgh Science Festival Programme under Coastal Knowledge.

The Recycl-age Art Exhibition will be held at granton:hub, Madelvic House, EH5 1HS, on 9th -11th July 2021 from 11am to 6pm each day.

There are 20+ artists exhibiting from painters, printmakers, collage artists, ceramicists, photographers, textile artists, jewellers, composers, poets and makers.

All the artworks that will be exhibited will either incorporate or be entirely made from recycled elements, or reflect on what recycling means, either figuratively or conceptually.

Find out more about the exhibition and view the artists exhibiting on the website:

https://grantonhub.org/recycl-age-art-exhibition-9-11-july-2021/

NHS Lothian: Stick with safety precautions to stay COVID-19 safe

NHS Lothian has urged people not to give up on vital COVID-19 safety precautions as Scotland enters a new phase of the pandemic.

Dona Milne, Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian, said that while fewer people were becoming seriously ill from the disease, the number of new cases in Lothian have reached levels last seen during the last lockdown.

And she warned that the stringent use of safety precautions – face masks, handwashing and social distancing – with vaccination and increased community testing – was still vital to get a grip on the virus.

Dona said: “The last time our numbers of infections were so high was in January when we were all living under stay at home restrictions as part of the national lockdown.  Covid hasn’t gone away and can still cause serious illness. It is critical we remember that.

“Thankfully fewer people are becoming seriously unwell – but that is only down to the success of the vaccination programme. It is not because of a reduction in the threat that COVID-19 poses to us all.

“We know that 1 in 3 people who have Covid do not show symptoms of the virus but can still transmit it, so we should all be testing ourselves twice a week to keep ourselves, family and communities safe. 

“Those test results help us to target an area before the virus really takes hold, causing a surge in cases. The earlier a trend is identified, the more effective the measures, such as increased vaccination, will be. In turn, this will then help to reduce the chances of more region-wide or national restrictions.”

At the moment, around 203 per 100,000 people in Lothian are testing positive for the virus, with around 200 new cases every day of mostly younger adults and school aged children. 

Dona added: “As the restrictions begin to ease and the list of things we can do begins to increase, it’s tempting to think that it’s safe. The virus is still around us and it doesn’t mean that these things can be done without face masks, handwashing and social distancing. We cannot afford to return to normal just because we want it so badly. Lives may depend on it.

“We know that the weather is better and people want to get together and mix with friends, especially outdoors. As our worlds open up these things are allowed, and as we know outside is always safer, but we still need to think about maintaining our distance and wearing face masks when we can’t. 

“The problem is that people are dropping their guard when they are inside and out and especially if alcohol is involved. If you are indoors, you must keep numbers to a minimum and ensure good ventilation.”

Over the last three weeks, the specialist health protection team in Lothian has dealt with scores of separate situations in a number of settings such as hospitality events, weddings, workplaces, a beach party and schools.

There were more than 5549 positive cases, which generated more than 20,861 contacts.Fortunately, the number of people testing positive are not having such a serious impact on the NHS because so many people over the age of 40 are either fully vaccinated or about to undergo their second dose.

However, Dona urged people not to give in and to stick with the restrictions for a bit longer to give the vaccination programme more time to vaccinate more people and provide vital protection for younger adults.

So far, a total of 974,843 doses of the vaccine have been administered in clinics across NHS Lothian and the vaccination programme is working as fast as the vaccine supply allows. Drop-in clinics for the over 40s have also been launched at all the of the mass vaccination sites, except Lowland, to provide a first or second jab and more protection to as many people as possible.

Dona added: “It would be unthinkable to have come this far and to throw away all of our good work now. We must continue to live within the restrictions for a bit longer to give us a little more time to vaccinate more people and give them the protection they need. 

“Everyone living and working in Lothian has done really well so far and I would thank them for all of their efforts so far. I would ask everyone just to stick with it for a bit longer. Please continue to follow the safety precautions, keep your vaccination appointment, maintain regular testing and self-isolate if required.”

2,999 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Scotand yesterday – the highest ever daily figure.