Month: July 2021

Chancellor: ‘Inspiring’ Scots get back to work after furlough

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak yesterday praised the “inspiring” people and businesses of Scotland during a visit to meet those supported by the UK Government’s £352 billion Plan for Jobs.

Rishi Sunak travelled to Fife, Edinburgh and Glasgow where he visited several businesses that have returned workers from furlough, held a roundtable of Scottish business leaders and saw how Scotland is creating jobs and leading our green recovery.

Around one in three jobs in Scotland have been supported by the UK Government’s support package and more than 90,000 Scottish businesses received more than £4.1 billion in loans since the start of the pandemic.

The Chancellor’s visit came as new figures released yesterday show that the number of people in Scotland on furlough has halved in the last three months, with just 141,500 jobs still furloughed.

 

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “It’s been inspiring to hear stories of people and businesses in Scotland that are now starting to feel the weight of the pandemic lifting off them as they get back to work – our Plan for Jobs is working and it’s great to see people succeeding after a year of uncertainty.

“It’s been a challenging time but the UK Government has delivered one of the most generous packages of support in the world, protecting one in three Scottish jobs.  

“Scotland will be key in ensuring the UK’s economic success – creating jobs, powering our growth and driving a green recovery by hosting COP26 later this year.”

During the visit, the Chancellor toured the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult Turbine in Leven, Fife. The turbine is the leading technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy.

He met SMEs who have used the turbine for development and have benefitted from UK Government funding for green ventures.

The Chancellor highlighted the important contributions Scotland makes to the UK, including towards the UK’s Net Zero transition and climate change leadership on the world stage, ahead of the COP26 Glasgow conference in November.

He also conducted a roundtable with Scottish businesses in the retail banking sector at the new Queen Elizabeth hub in Edinburgh, where he thanked them for their role in responding to the pandemic, keeping call centres and banks open for vulnerable customers, and distributing many of the UK Government business support schemes.

The Chancellor went on to see preparations for the International Festival and the Fringe. The UK Government gave £1m of funding to Edinburgh Festivals this year, to help the festival promote itself digitally to a bigger audience.

He visited a number of small businesses including Liggy’s Cake Company, which was supported through the furlough scheme and is now hiring new staff.

He also visited Dynamic Earth, an award-winning visitor centre in Edinburgh dedicated to educating people about the earth and environmental issues, and met with several staff who have returned from furlough and met a group of children taking part in the centre’s outdoor activities.

NUMBERS ON FURLOUGH FALL TO LOWEST LEVEL SINCE START OF PANDEMIC

  • Almost three million people have moved off furlough since March, according to latest data
  • More than half a million people left the scheme in the month of June alone, with fewer than two million people now remaining on furlough
  • Chancellor welcomes new data while meeting furloughed employees on a visit to Scotland

ALMOST three million people have moved off the furlough scheme since March as the economy began to bounce back and businesses reopened, according to new statistics.

Figures published yesterday which cover up until the end of June, show the fewest number of people on furlough since the scheme launched in March 2020, down from a peak of nearly nine million at the height of the pandemic in May last year.

1.9 million people remained on the scheme by the end of June, more than half a million fewer than the 2.4 million at the end of May.

The Business Insights and Conditions survey (BICS) shows numbers may have fallen even further – with estimates that between 1.1 and 1.6 million people are still on furlough.

It comes as the Chancellor visited Scotland where he has hailed the economic strength of the union and where the Government’s Plan for Jobs has supported businesses and families during the pandemic.

Ahead of meeting Scottish businesses and individuals in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife, where he talked to employees who have returned from furlough, Rishi Sunak welcomed the statistics.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “It’s fantastic to see businesses across the UK open, employees returning to work and the numbers of furloughed jobs falling to their lowest levels since the scheme began.

“I’m proud our Plan for Jobs is working and our support will continue in the months ahead.”

The figures also show a striking fall in the number of young people on furlough, who for the first time ever, no longer have the highest take-up of the scheme.

In the last three months, younger people have moved off the scheme twice as fast as all other age brackets, with almost 600,000 under 25s moving off the scheme.

Jobs in sectors including hospitality and retail are now also moving off the scheme the fastest, – with more than a million coming off the scheme in the last three months.

This decline means those in hospitality and retail no longer make up the majority of all those on furlough.

Furlough was extended until the end of September to allow for businesses to adjust beyond the end of the roadmap and to bring people back to work.

Starting on 1st August, the employer contribution to furlough costs will increase to 20% and that contribution level will continue until the scheme ends at the end of September.

The Government’s Plan for Jobs continues and is still in place to provide support, including Kickstart, traineeships and more work coaches to help people find jobs.

The government says this ‘is is the right thing to do’ to reduce long term economic scarring in the labour market and our ongoing Plan for Jobs means that we will continue to support people as the economy recovers.

A beating Heart for Newhaven!

£792,000 for Victoria Primary School community project

A primary school in Newhaven, which was about to fall empty, is set for a new role at the centre of the community following an award £792,000 from the Scottish Land Fund.

On hearing news of its successful application, Rodney Matthews, Chair, Heart of Newhaven Community, said: “This grant will cover the purchase price of the property and help with initial development costs.

“While the date when the children will move into their new school in Western Harbour is not yet known, we are now able to move forward confidently with our plans for what is a much-loved icon of Newhaven.”

In the project’s latest newletter, released this morning, The Chair told Heart of Newhaven supporters: “The site of Victoria Primary School IS going to be the Heart of Newhaven Community!

“This time last year the City of Edinburgh Council approved our request to take over the school and reduced the valuation price by £85,000 because of what we’ve promised to do, especially for the very young, the elderly, isolated and most vulnerable.  Provided we could pay them£700,000, they would sell the site to the community.    

“The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has just given us that whole amount – and more!

“This SLF was set up by the Scottish Governmentto help charities just like ours working to improve local communities in the ways we have set out for the site, in order for it to become a vibrant hub of activity of people of all generations working and playing together; as we have often said, ‘the beating Heart of Newhaven’.

“All approved. We are now poised to sign two contracts:  one with the SLFand the other with the Councilfor vacant possession of the site on a date yet to be announced, dependent on the completion of building works across the road. When we do get the keys, there will be much work to be done to get the building safe and ready for use, so bear with us. We will go as fast as we safely can.

“There will be plenty of exciting things to share to take us on through the challenge of the months ahead right through the inevitably unknown autumn and winter to come and into the spring of 2022  – when you will really begin to see things happen.”

The Heart of Newhaven funding announcement – and welcome news for three further community projects – was made yesterday (29 July) by Environment and Land Reform Minister, Mairi McAllan (below), while visiting EATS Rosyth.

Last November EATS Rosyth received £284,500 from the Scottish Land Fund in order to purchase a disused Clydesdale Bank Building in order to relocate and expand its community activities around cooking and food.

Ms McAllan said: “Communities across Scotland are achieving great things with support from the Scottish Land Fund. These awards will be a boost to the four communities who’ve worked so hard to keep their projects going through all the challenges of the last year.

“Visiting the Rosyth Community Garden and Orchard has shown the value of placing ownership and decision-making in the hands of local communities.

“By relocating the community hub to the new premises acquired through the Scottish Land Fund, EATS Rosyth aim to expand their existing services and offer a suite of new activities aimed at growing and sharing food, reducing waste, helping the environment, and improving food education.

“These projects will make a big contribution to their communities, to local resilience and recovery.”

Stephen Lynas, Chairman of EATS Rosyth said: “We’re grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for their assistance in helping us purchase the building. Following a successful round of fundraising and getting in place the various consents required, we will be starting the renovation works for our new hub premises in the very near future.

“We’re looking forward to providing a brand-new community facility that will give us with a fantastic platform to grow our services and support our local community in Rosyth and Southwest Fife.”

Other projects benefiting during the current round of funding include Forgan Art Centre, which has been given £292,800 to buy the Leng Home, a disused care home in Newport on Tay and turn it into a space for social and economic activities and to increase social interaction.

Forgan Art Centre Chairperson, Gillian Burch, said: “The management team at Forgan are really delighted that we have secured the funding to buy the Leng Home and take the Forgan Arts Centre forwards onto the next phase of its journey.

“The continued support from our local community, who want to see the Leng Home kept for community use, has encouraged us to keep going and we now look forward to expanding the Forgan Arts Centre in its new home.”

Carluke Development Trust has been awarded £112,000 to buy a two-storey house adjacent to Carluke High Mill, which the Trust already owns. This will allow it to continue its project to reduce dereliction and promote regeneration in the town.

Bill Anderson, Carluke Development Trust, said: “We are delighted to receive support from the Scottish Land Fund for the acquisition of the former Millers House that sits within the Carluke High Mill and ONECarluke Community Growing & Learning Garden site.

“The acquisition of the house will complete the community ownership of the whole site and allow the project to create a larger Community HUB and move into an even more exciting period of delivery and further development.”

And Edinbane Community Company on Skye has been given £135,000 with which to buy three serviced building plots on which it plans to erect six affordable homes that will be rented to the community.

Alistair Danter, Chair, Edinbane Community Company, said: “This is great news for the community who have been working for over three years to tackle the lack of affordable housing in Edinbane.

“We are immensely grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for its support of our community initiative, and we look forward to working with the private developer SLL to deliver six new affordable homes in 2023.”

The new Chair of the Scottish Land Fund, Cara Gillespie, said: “We are delighted to make these awards, the first for our new Committee. 

“It is a privilege to support communities with their efforts to improve where they live. These awards will make a positive difference, strengthening communities and empowering local people.”

The Scottish Land Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by The National Lottery Community Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Sandra Holmes, Head of Community Assets at HIE, said: “It’s great to see more dynamic communities taking control of resources for the long-term benefit of their local areas and people.

Having greater control over such assets will help ensure their long-term future. I am delighted we have been able to provide Scottish Land Fund support and wish all the groups the very best in their new ventures.”

Letters: Support Mary’s Meals and Make a Difference

Dear Editor,

I’d like to make your readers aware of a unique opportunity to make a big difference to the lives of hungry children in the world’s poorest countries this summer.

For anyone who becomes a monthly giver to global school feeding charity Mary’s Meals before the end of August, their first three donations will be tripled, meaning the impact of their regular gifts will go even further.

This is thanks to a group of generous supporters who are making funds available up to £100,000 for tripling donations from new regular givers for a limited period.

Your readers can help Mary’s Meals to access all the available funds by setting up a monthly Direct Debit by 31 August here. (marysmeals.org.uk/tripled).

Mary’s Meals feeds more than 1.8 million hungry children in 19 countries every school day.

This funding boost will bring fresh hope to families struggling amidst the continuing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has hit the world’s poorest countries especially hard, and will also help Mary’s Meals in its goal to reach two million children with a nutritious meal every school day.

I am proud to support Mary’s Meals and hope that this summer your readers can take advantage of this incredible opportunity to see their kindness go three times as far.

MARK BEAUMONT, 

Long-distance cyclist, broadcaster and author.

Campaign calls for dogs to raise £1 million for UK dog charities

Much-loved local rescue centre, Edinburgh Dog And Cat Home, is participating in the UK’s first Wagathon – a mini marathon for dogs!

The centre, which cares for abandoned, abused and neglected dogs, is asking dog owners to register their pooches to walk 9K for K9s and raise much-needed funds after the impact of the pandemic.

The Wagathon, which can be done in stages in case of little legs and paws, will take place over the August bank holiday weekend …

This August, the UK’s very first Wagathon™, a 9K walking challenge for dogs raising money for other dogs, is taking place. In a unique twist, the dogs taking part will be the ones signing up and being sponsored, rather than the owner.

The fundraising platform Give as you Live Donate is behind the campaign and asking owners to register their furry friends in order to give dog charities in the UK a much-needed fundraising boost.

The goal of the Wagathon™ campaign is to collectively raise a whopping £1 million for dog charities, and to reach this target, Give as you Live is calling for canine contenders to get involved. Although dog-owners will be the ones choosing a charity to support and registering their furry companion, the dogs themselves will be the ones being sponsored and completing the Walk 9K for K9s challenge.

Whether the chosen charity supports vulnerable dogs living in shelters, dog welfare, or training assistance dogs, Give as you Live Donate wants to ensure that vital funds are raised to support the ongoing work of all the much-needed charities.

Fundraising is even more important this year due to the limited opportunities there have been recently as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Annabelle Risdon, Director and Head of Partnerships at Give as you Live, commented: ‘The pandemic has impacted hundreds of dog-related charities resulting in thousands of lost donations to help support vital canine welfare.

“Our Wagathon™ initiative provides an opportunity for these charities to boost their donation drives this summer. The mission is to ensure all dog charities are supported in their quest to increase donations after such a difficult period.’

To be involved in Give as you Live Donate’s Wagathon™ mission to raise a million, dog owners can sign up their pooches for a national Walk 9K for K9s challenge.

Participants need to complete the 9k walk on the bank holiday weekend, Saturday 28th August to Monday 30th August. For dogs who might struggle with the distance, the walk can be spread across the weekend.

Alongside the Wagathon™ campaign and in celebration of National Dog Day, which takes place on Thursday 26th August 2021, Give as you Live Donate will also be running an online competition.

Dog owners could be in with a chance of winning a £100 donation for a dog charity of their choice and a £100 hamper full of treats and goodies for their dog!

If you are a dog owner who would like to join the Wagathon™ mission and help raise much-needed funds for a chosen charity, sign your pooch up here.

Ignite Fellowship seeks to elevate writing careers

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has today announced that applications are open for its Ignite Fellowship.

Now in its fourth year, the Ignite Fellowship recognises the achievements of professional writers and will offer tailored, practical and financial support to help writers find time and space to fire up their careers.

There are three awards available and Scottish Book Trust is working in partnership with the Gaelic Books Council, who will fund one of these specifically for a writer working in Gaelic. Applications from writers working in Scots are also strongly encouraged.

Last year’s fellows included: poet and performer Courtney Stoddart; artist and filmmaker Raman Mundair; and Gaelic poet and translator Niall O’Gallagher.

During her Ignite Fellowship, Courtney Stoddart has worked on her first poetry pamphlet featuring themes of race, identity and the ramifications of colonialism and imperialism.

She is being mentored by writer Rommi Smith. Raman Mundair has used her time during the Fellowship to bring her work into focus with her mentor. Niall O’Gallagher worked on his forthcoming fourth book, a verse-novella called Litreachan Plàighe (Plague Letters), told through a series of letters between characters who find themselves separated from one another.

The Ignite Fellowship provides a flexible programme to suit the individual needs of the selected awardees. Fellows will receive a £2000 bursary and tailored creative support to suit their individual projects. The fellowship will run for one year, from January 2022 to January 2023.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The Ignite Fellowship now moves into its fourth year and looks to elevate the careers of writers, poets, playwrights and more who are looking to take the next step.

“The Ignite Fellowship programme is flexible to meet the needs of the awardee, which we know is more important now than ever. We encourage those writing in English, Scots and Gaelic to submit.”

Catriona Lexy Campbell, 2019 Ignite Fellow, said: “The Ignite Fellowship has been an incredible opportunity, providing me with the time and space to develop this project with exceptional mentorship from Aisling Walsh.

“I’m so excited to see where the next stage of this project takes me and I’m so grateful to Scottish Book Trust for their support throughout this time.”

Writers based in Scotland are encouraged to apply for the Ignite Fellowship. Applicants must meet the criteria for Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Database, though do not need to be on the database to apply.

Applications are welcome from writers, comic makers, poets, illustrators, storytellers, playwrights and spoken word artists.

The Ignite Fellowship will support writers who are embarking on a particular project including novels, poetry, screenplays and radio scripts. To apply, writers must have a project that still needs work. This project can be in the very early stages of development, such as an idea, outline or pitch, or already a work in progress.

Alison Lang, Director of the Gaelic Books Council, said: “The Ignite Fellowship has so far offered Gaelic writers the opportunity to work on folklore, poetry and screen adaptations.

“We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Scottish Book Trust to support another writer in creating new work and developing their career, and we will welcome applications across all forms and genres of literature.”

Gaelic entries will be assessed by the Gaelic Books Council.

Awardees will receive:

  • A £2000 bursary
  • Tailored creative project support

    In addition to the tailored creative project support the following opportunities will also be available:
  •  
  • A week-long writing retreat at Moniack Mhor, alongside writers from Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards programme (subject to ongoing circumstances)
  • Optional training in Press, PR and Social Media and Performance and Presentation
  • A showcase event (to be organised with the selected writers)
  • Networking opportunities
  • Other reasonable support (including marketing, promotion and press) as needed
  • Reasonable travel expenses for all trips to attend programme commitments

     
    To apply for the Ignite Fellowship, please visit:

    https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/writing-and-authors/ignite-fellowship

     
    The deadline for applications is Wednesday 29 September, 12pm.


    If you have any specific questions about your application or eligibility please send them to: applications@scottishbooktrust.com

Hearts & Minds and new partners launch valuable new resources for carers of people with dementia

Valuable new resources launched for carers of people with dementia by exciting new partnership 

This week a partnership between Edinburgh charity Hearts & Minds, Designed by Society, Wee Culture and Edel Roddy launched a new website with valuable resources for unpaid and professional carers of people with dementia and anyone who has an interest in care for people in the later stages of dementia.

All of the partners have direct experience of working in the area of later stage dementia and developing resources. The project was funded by Dementia Series Development Trust.

The Treasure We Seek Project is based on the principles of the work of Hearts & Minds Elderflowers who use the art of therapeutic clowning to encourage moments of engagement, communication and movement with ladies and gents with dementia. The project took those principles and developed two sets of resources ‘Valuables’ and ‘Treasure Hunt’.

Edel Roddy, Project Lead explains: “The Treasure We Seek website was launched this week offering two free resources for people to feel connected to people living with later stage dementia.

“The resources have been developed with the hope they will be useful across a range of settings including schools, community groups, carers organisations and care settings, and we were thrilled with people’s responses. 

“Initial feedback highlighted that people have started to develop ideas about how they will try out the resources, and potentially make them their own, with friends, family and in work settings. Attendees at the launch even helped us think about other contexts in which these resources could be used, the possibilities of which feel exciting. 

“If you missed the launch you can find the resources on  www.thetreasureweseek.net and we’d like to hear from anybody who tests them out or has thoughts or ideas about this work they’d like to share.”

These resources will help relatives and professionals to cope and care and also to evaluate how they feel and take notice of their own wellbeing so they don’t feel stressed or isolated.


The Treasure We Seek website: www.thetreasureweseek.net

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

Hearts & Minds

Hearts & Minds is an award winning Scottish charity that works in collaboration with paediatric healthcare units, respite centres, schools for learners with complex additional support needs and Dementia units to deliver laughter, friendship and support to those who need it most.

Our Clowndoctors Programme supports children and young people to cope with life in a hospital, hospice or respite care setting and in schools for learners with complex additional support needs.

Our Elderflowers Programme helps people living with dementia or dementia-related conditions in hospitals and residential care homes. Through playfulness, smiles and laughter, we help all of these vulnerable people to deal with the anxiety, fear, confusion and sadness that their situations and conditions may bring.

https://www.heartsminds.org.uk/

Designed by Society

Dr Gayle Rice is an experience researcher and designer for Designed by Society. Her research background is qualitative and creative and focuses on people’s current and desired experiences. Her design practice involves designing to enable improvements in people’s experiences of social interactions.

Wee Culture

Belinda Dewar is a registered nurse, researcher, educator and practice developer with a career spanning over 30 years. She is currently Director of Wee Culture which aims to support people to explore and enhance culture. She previously held the position of Professor of Practice Improvement at the University of the West of Scotland and the Lead for My Home Life Scotland.

The Dementia Series Development Trust is a charity with a vision to improve the lives of those living with dementia through the funding of activities which support this aim. The Principles which guide the work of the DSDT are:

  • Proactive 

  • Pump priming 

  • Partnership

The Disruption Award funds projects which strive to disrupt some of the old ways that people think about dementia, and communicate new ideas that reframe it.

UK reports £5.7m in cyber crime financial loss so far this year

  • From the start of 2021, the UK has reported a total of 14,883 instances of cyber crime, with the total losses of £5.7m 
  • Despite 90% of offences being made against the public, UK businesses have reported £1.9M of losses – a third of the total figure 
  • Offences involving hacking, social media and email account for 6.3k of reported incidents 
  • Primary targets for cyber crime appear to be tech-savvy individuals under 40 

British people and businesses have suffered financial losses of £5.7m from a reported 14,883 cyber crime incidents since the start of the year. 

The new study from click fraud prevention experts PPC Shield indicates that malicious hacking, fraudulent use of social media accounts and email scams are the most common form of cyber crime so far this year – accounting for 43% of all reported incidents since 1st January. 

Also in the high-ranking categories are reports of malware/viruses, personal hacking and extortion. 

Data compiled from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau indicates that those under 40 reported the most incidents this year, at a total of 5,000. This suggests that scammers and hackers are predominantly targeting younger, more tech-savvy generations; Those used to juggling multiple social media accounts, email addresses and banking apps. 

Though cyber crime against corporate bodies only accounts for 10% of the UK’s reported offenses, their financial losses of £1.9M accounts for a third of the total figure. 

Concerning the effects on victims of cyber crime – ONS data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) indicates that 72% of those affected by cyber crime expressed that they had been emotionally affected by their experiences, with almost a third stating a moderate to severe impact as a result of the offense – predominantly annoyance and anger. 

A further 1 in 10 individuals experienced emotions such as anxiety, depression, fear or difficulty sleeping. 

Despite the personal nature of the crimes, 81% of offences were committed by an individual person (as opposed to a group) that was not known to the victim.  

Concerning the tools used to commit cyber crime, malware (software designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or network) is at its lowest point since 2007, according to Google’s Transparency Report. In contrast, phishing websites – which seek to gain passwords, credit card numbers and other private information without the use of applications – have seen an increase of more than 750% since 2007.  

In all cases of cyber crime that resulted in financial loss, one in three individuals discovered the offence through communications from their bank, building society or other financial institution. 

Including non-cyber assisted fraud, the UK has logged 253,736 reports that equate to total financial losses of £1.2bn this year. Health minister Lord Bethell has previously commented on the rise of phishing scams conducted over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase in fraudulent text and calls to mobile phones, with individuals posing as bank employees, HMRC and even the NHS charging for fake COVID tests and track & trace. 

A spokesperson for PPC Shield comments: “With the internet such an essential part of our daily lives, taking care online and using robust security measures are of utmost importance.

“Always be aware of what you are clicking on, and be especially wary of phishing sites and emails sent from companies or individuals that you are not familiar with.” 

The analysis was conducted by PPC Shield, which enables brands and businesses to optimize their online ad campaigns by filtering out and blocking fraudulent clicks to ensure an advertising budget is not wasted. 

www.ppcshield.io  

Faster, higher, stronger: some Olympic-themed fun to keep your children on track with learning

After a year that’s taken its toll on parents’ and children’s physical and mental health, we’re all longing for a bit of rest and relaxation. 

But the school holidays can leave children’s learning brains a little too relaxed. So with the Tokyo Olympics in full flow, keep the kids’ brains sharp with these Games-themed activities from former primary school teacher Abby Milnes of education champs PlanBee:

Learn about…

… time zones

There is an eight-hour time difference between the Games and the UK. This is a great opportunity to teach your children about time differences between countries and why they exist. Challenge your children to work out what time they will need to turn on the TV if they want to watch an event live (hypothetically of course; some of the events may be broadcast in the early hours of the morning in the UK!).

Download this FREE Time Zones Map to help teach your children about Time Zones.

… measuring time

Many of the Olympic events are measured and scored against how long it takes to complete the event. Events under a minute such as the 100m sprint, 200m kayak, team sprints in cycling etc will provide suitable contexts for younger children to think about when measuring time. Older children may like to take on slightly longer events.

This PlanBee lesson may help teach your younger child about measuring time.

Challenge your child to see how many things they can do within the same time as it took an athlete to complete their event. For example, the Olympic record for running 100m was 9.63 seconds set by Usain Bolt at the 2012 Olympics. How many blocks can your child stack in this time? How many ticks can they do on a sheet of paper? After showing children how to read the amount of time on a stopwatch, get them to time each other and take it in turns to see who can beat the record in your own events.

… measuring distance

Other Olympic events such as long jump, javelin, shot put and discus are scored and measured using distance.

Using a metre ruler or measuring tape, challenge your children to take part in a long jump event. They can take a run-up, or go from a standing jump. Mark where the back of their foot landed and help your child measure how far they jumped!

… averages

Some events such as gymnastics are scored by a judges panel. Each judge gives the performance a score which is then averaged out to give a final score. Challenge your child to take individual judges scores and find the average score by adding them up and dividing the total by the number of individual scores.

… variables

“I wonder… do you run faster on grass or concrete?” Challenge your children to think about conducting simple investigations with “I wonder…?” questions like the one above. Younger children may need help with timing but they should be able to make verbal conclusions with you such as “I ran faster on the concrete”.

Older children (7+) should be encouraged to think scientifically. Is it fair if you wear sandals to run on the grass, but running shoes on the concrete? No, they should be the same. What about the distance you run?

Other things they could test:

●        Do I run faster wearing trainers, or when I’m barefoot?

●        Will I jump further with a run-up?

●        Will I jump further with a long run-up or a short run-up?

●        Does someone with longer legs jump further?

… pentathlons

What’s the difference between a triathlon, a pentathlon and a decathlon? The number of events! (This is also a perfect opportunity to look at the prefixes tri- pent- and dec- to mean three, five and ten e.g. tri-angle, tri-cycle, pent-agon etc.)

Challenge your children to come up with their own events for a family tri, pent or decathlon! They don’t have to be Olympic events, just a number of events that an athlete will be timed to complete. They don’t even have to be sport related: Who will be the fastest person to put on their socks? Who will be the overall winner?

… drawing figures

Do you have a budding artist in the ranks? Why not challenge them to draw their favourite athlete from the Olympics. Up the challenge by asking them to draw the figure in motion as they complete their event.

Use these FREE Paper Mannequin Templates to help support your artist in their challenge.

… architecture

Having held the Games before in 1964, Tokyo already had venues to host different Olympic events. The newly built National Stadium was finished in November 2019. Challenge your child to investigate its design, including the different ways it has been designed to be eco-friendly.

Work together to create your own model of an Olympic stadium, making sure there’s enough room for a track and spectators.

… map skills

Some of the cycling events in the Olympic Games require a set route to be planned out over a certain area. Print out a map of your local area and identify where you are and any areas they are not allowed to go to. Together, plan out a cycling route for your own Olympic cycling event. You could repeat the route several times to try and beat your personal best!

Beware: If you are riding on roads, make sure your child can ride confidently on them and is aware of safety rules.

… clothing design

Take a look at the designs for the athletes’ kits. How is the country represented in the design? What functionality does there need to be? This could link nicely with investigating the different countries’ flags.

Challenge your children to design a uniform for the country of their choice using this FREE template: https://planbee.com/products/design-a-sports-uniform

  • PlanBee would love to see your OIympic achievements: give PlanBee a shout on social media or share your children’s work with them at info@planbee.com!
  • Want more in-depth learning about the Olympics? Check out  Olympics Topic with lessons in Art, History, Geography and more!

Record numbers vaccinated at Gyle Shopping Centre drop-in

NHS Lothian’s pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic scheme has seen its most successful day at Gyle Shopping Centre with 330 people attending.

The Gyle Shopping Centre pop-up clinic was launched on Tuesday (27 July) within an outlet at the centre alongside some of the biggest names in retail, allowing for those shopping or working nearby to drop-in to get their life-saving vaccine.

For the first time all three vaccines are available, allowing those in need of a second dose of Pfizer to be vaccinated. Moderna and AstraZeneca are also available at the centre.

The clinic is open to everyone over the age of 18 for their first or second dose, provided there has been an eight week gap between vaccinations.

Pat Wynne, Director of Community Nursing, NHS Lothian, said: “To see these numbers come through our clinic at Gyle is fantastic and it reinforces our decision to use pop-up clinics in order to move forward with our vaccination programme.

“We are really pleased to have teamed up with Gyle Shopping Centre and we are grateful to them for providing this space for such a prominent drop-in clinic and supporting our team with queue management. 

“Sites like Gyle Shopping Centre are great venues for us because they allow people to easily drop in when they are out shopping or taking a break from work. I would encourage anyone who is due to be vaccinated to consider coming to our Gyle clinic as soon as possible.”

The Gyle pop-up clinic will run until Saturday 14 August and is open every day between 10am to 6pm.

Mr Wynne added: “Pop-up clinics are part of the campaign to target younger people and make it as easy as possible for them to get the vaccine in the places they visit.

“We feel the clinic at Gyle will also help us target people between the ages of 18-29, who we especially need to come forward for vaccination. We remain determined to do everything we can to make sure as many people are vaccinated as possible.”

NHS Lothian’s vaccination bus, which is being run along with Lothian Buses, is continuing to visit sites across Lothian. More details on its locations can be found in the COVID vaccination hub on NHS Lothian’s website.