Young people looking to enter the workforce are to benefit from £70 million of investment from the Scottish Government.
The Young Person’s Guarantee aims to protect people from the economic impact of COVID-19 by offering every 16-24 year old in Scotland the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training programme or volunteering.
The announcement meets four of the commitments for the first 100 days of this government, and comes as a new report highlights the progress of the Young Person’s Guarantee.
Since it was officially launched in November 2020 funding has been committed to create up to 18,000 training, job and apprenticeship opportunities for young people.
The £70 million of investment includes:
£45 million for local partnerships to provide training, employer recruitment incentives, and mental health interventions for young people
£13.5 million for Colleges, Universities and the Scottish Funding Council to provide industry-focussed courses supporting up to 5,000 young people and employment support for 500 recent graduates
£10 million for the roll-out of new school coordinators and enhanced school provision to support young people access education, work and training
£1.5 million to increase places on volunteering and third sector programmes
During a visit to Young Movers, a youth charity based in Glasgow, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We know that young people have been badly affected by the pandemic and we are determined to do everything we can to support them.
“The Young Person’s Guarantee is a vital part of that support which aims to give all young people the chance to succeed despite the economic impacts of COVID-19.
“This investment of £70 million, which meets four of our 100 days commitments, will also ensure employers continue to benefit from the fresh talent and new perspectives that young people bring to workplaces across Scotland.”
Sandy Begbie, Chair of the Young Person’s Guarantee Implementation Group, said: “Inclusion was at the core of the Young Person’s Guarantee so I am particularly pleased by the increased opportunities created for young people who are furthest from the workplace.
“None of this could have been achieved without employers being engaged and I am delighted we have almost 100 employers and business groups signed up supporting the scheme.
“Our young people, who have been disproportionately impacted as a result of the pandemic, are an asset to Scotland and it has never been more important that we deliver against the Young Person’s Guarantee.”
– Morrisons has more rapid charging points for electric vehicles than any UK supermarket –
– Electric cars are charged six times more quickly than standard charging points used at other supermarkets –
– Morrisons will expand to a further 100 locations in the next twelve months –
– Its charging network has already saved 2,000 tonnes of carbon to date –
Morrisons is expanding the UK’s largest supermarket network of ‘next generation’ rapid electric charging points for electric vehicles, allowing customers to charge the majority of cars from flat to full battery in under 45 minutes.
Over the next twelve months Morrisons will add an additional 100 rapid chargers to its network. Having recently installed its 200th GeniePoint rapid charge point, Morrisons has also saved 2,000 tonnes of carbon along the way. The network now provides full coverage in both England and Wales, spanning from Redruth in the tip of Cornwall to Amble in the North East of England. A roll out in Scotland will begin this month.
Morrisons ‘next generation’ rapid chargers can charge an electric car up to six times quicker than standard charging points used by other supermarkets.
They will enable customers to charge their car up even during a short shopping trip or a quick visit to a Morrisons Cafe. A typical 30-40 minute charge will give drivers up to 100 miles of travel range. Over the course of the summer, Morrisons is expecting to serve over half a million kilowatt hours of green energy, as more families travel during their summer holidays in the UK.
Morrisons partnership with EQUANS means that customers will never be more than 50 miles from a rapid charger. The GeniePoint charging points have been located around the perimeter of Morrisons car parks to ensure they are available to those who need them and not obstructed by other customers.
Andrew Ball, Fuel & Services Manager of Morrisons, said: “We know customers don’t want to spend hours waiting for their cars to charge, which is why we’ve made the decision to install the next generation of rapid chargers.
“It’s important that we continue to offer our customers the convenience of charging their EVs as they shop or eat with us. This summer, whether they’re hitting the coast or visiting the beautiful countryside, customers can take comfort in knowing they are always close to one of our charging points.”
All of the electricity used for charging will come from zero-carbon energy sources like wind and solar.
Recent figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that there are more than 450,000 EVs on UK roads, of which approximately 50% are battery operated vehicles*.
Demand for reliable, rapid electric vehicle charging facilities is growing and drivers want to see chargers situated at convenient locations where their vehicles can be charged whilst they carry on with their day-to-day activities.
Morrisons customers can register to use the GeniePoint chargers via the web app www.geniepoint.co.uk, which is free to join. There is no monthly fee and drivers only pay for the electricity they use which costs 35-39p per kW hour. Customers can also pay for a charge via the GeniePoint App, available from the App Store or Google Play, or by RFID card.
All young people resident in Scotland under the age of 22 will be eligible for free bus travel from 31 January next year.
The Scottish Government has confirmed the timetable for the roll out of the scheme, delivered in partnership with the Improvement Service, the National Entitlement Card Programme Office and Young Scot.
Legislative changes to allow the scheme to be extended from its original commitment to provide free travel for under-19s will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament this summer.
Approximately 930,000 young people will join the third of Scotland’s population who already benefit from free bus travel through the Older and Disabled Persons Free Bus scheme.
Minister for Transport, Graeme Dey said: “It’s crucial to embed more sustainable travel behaviour from a young age if we are to achieve our world-leading goal of reducing the number of kilometres travelled by car by 20% by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2045.
“We also know that young people have been disproportionately impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so it’s never been more important that we support them to achieve their fullest potential. Reducing barriers created by transport costs is one really positive action we can take.
“Our National Transport Strategy commits to a fairer, greener transport system which will reduce inequalities and take action to protect our climate. I’m really pleased to be taking decisive action on both of those points by setting out this timetable to provide free bus travel for all under-22s living in Scotland.”
Dr Sarah Gadsden, Chief Executive of The Improvement Service said: “The Improvement Service is committed to providing better life chances for all children and young people. It’s a commitment fully reflected in our strategic priorities. We’re honoured to be a delivery partner for the Young Persons’ Travel Scheme.
“Together with the National Entitlement Card Programme Office, we’re moving at pace to the support the scheme’s roll out, drawing on our experience and expertise from managing the National Entitlement Card Scheme for over 15 years.
“We’re placing our assets at the disposal of the Young Persons’ Travel Scheme, enhancing them to make the application process as easy as possible, both online and when using traditional channels, and to reduce the administrative burdens on Councils.”
Kirsten Urquhart, Interim Chief Executive of Young Scot said: “Young people often tell us about the positive impact free travel would have on their lives. For some, it’ll help them to travel to work or take part in learning. For others, it’ll improve their wellbeing by making it easier to socialise and to meet with their friends and family.
“Free travel that is accessed easily by the Young Scot National Entitlement Card will open doors for young people – helping them to explore opportunities that many would previously not have had the financial means or confidence to take part in.”
Lorna Slater, the Scottish Green MSP for Lothian has welcomed the news that young people will be able to travel for free on the bus from January, thanks to the Scottish Greens!
The measure, secured by the Scottish Greens in budget negotiations, means anyone aged 21 or under will be able to travel across Scotland for free on the bus with a concessionary travel card from 31 January 2022.
The scheme had been delayed by COVID-19 and a shortage of silicone, vital in the manufacture of the concessionary cards.
Green MSP Lorna Slater said: “Free bus travel for young people in Lothian is not only a transformational policy in terms of family budgets, it will open up opportunities for young people, and can help shift people out of cars, aiding efforts to tackle the climate emergency.
“What’s more, as we recover from the pandemic, this policy will be vital in encouraging people back onto public transport safely to ensure we see a green recovery.
“The Scottish Greens believe public transport should be free at the point of use and serve all our communities, and in January we will see a major step forward to this aim.”
The 74th Edinburgh International Film Festival takes place at the heart of Edinburgh’s festival season, between 18 and 25 August, and presents a fantastic programme of feature and short films celebrating the long-awaited return to cinema.
This special programme of in-person and digital screenings includes 31 new features and 73 shorts – with 18 marking their world and 3 international premieres at the Festival – and with 50% of the new features in the EIFF 2021 programme from a female director or co-director.
The majority of Festival screenings take place at the Festival’s home, Filmhouse, with the Opening Gala and Special Preview at Festival Theatre and special screenings at partner venues across Scotland, along with introductions, Q&As, in person events and more screenings being available through a dedicated, accessible streaming platform Filmhouse at Home.
EIFF is supported by Screen Scotland, the PLACE Programme (a partnership between the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Festivals), the Scottish Government through the Festivals Expo Fund, the City of Edinburgh Council, EventScotland and the British Film Institute (BFI) using funds from the National Lottery.
EIFF 2021 PROGRAMME
Reflecting the diversity of stories and storytellers from across the world, EIFF’s 2021 programme includes two hugely anticipated musicals: hot from Cannes where it won the Best Director award, the UK premiere of Leos Carax’s Annette starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, co-written by pop legends Sparks and a Special Preview screening of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Festival Theatre with a starry cast including Sharon Horgan and Richard E. Grant, and newcomer Max Harwood in the title role.
The Festival opens with the European Premiere of Michael Sarnoski’s Pig with Nicolas Cage as a reclusive truffle hunter and closes with the UK Premiere of Here Today from the comedy legend Billy Crystal, also featuring Tiffany Haddish.
Following in the footsteps of Whisky Galore! which premiered at EIFF in 2016, two Scottish films exploring island life receive their World Premieres at EIFF: a documentary Prince of Muck following the continuing battles of elderly patriarch Lawrence MacEwen and Hebridean feature drama The Road Dance based on a best-selling book by STV News presenter John MacKay who also stars in the film.
Determination in the face of adversity and addressing the social issues permeating societies around the world are strongly represented in this year’s programme. The UK premiere of Haider Rashid’s Europa starring British-Libyan Adam Ali as a young Iraqi refugee sees him fighting to survive in the wilderness and with ‘Migrant Hunters’ on his trail while Oscar-nominated Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Man Who Sold His Skin focuses on a young Syrian refugee who agreed to having his back tattooed in exchange for a better life in Europe.
Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha’s Ballad of a White Cow sees a wife fighting against the broken justice system in Iran after her husband is executed for a crime he did not commit and New Zealand’s The Justice of Bunny King tells the story of a troubled single mother trying to get the custody of her children back.
In documentaries, Walk with Angels offers a visceral look at South Africa’s legacy of Apartheid and child trafficking and Rebel Dykes explores the underground lesbian community in London in the 80s and the country’s lack of response to the AIDS crisis.
Two very personal documentaries, Radiograph of a Family from Firouzeh Khosrovani centres on the director’s parents and uses them as a lens to look at Iran’s society split between secular and Islamic beliefs and Alicia Cano Menoni’s Bosco focuses on the director’s grandfather living in Uruguay and his ancestoral roots in a small Italian village.
Highlighting contemporary social issues, documentary The Gig Is Up shines light on the forgotten gig economy workforce, from Deliveroo to Amazon, and the European Premiere of Jennifer Ngo’s Faceless centres on the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Continuing the theme of the gig economy and its recent struggles, Laurent Garnier: Off The Recordtells the little-known story of the legendary French DJ and the political response to rave culture.
This year’s programme also showcases the best of horror from two EIFF-returners: impeccable Rebecca Hall in The Night House from the genre innovator David Bruckner and Martyrs Lane from Ruth Platt reinventing the classic ghost story. In animation, the legendary Academy Award-winning director and animator Phil Tippett presents the second instalment of his Miltonesque Mad God.
The quirky French feature comedy Mandibles sees two friends trying to train a giant fly to make money off of it and Norway’s Ninjababy beautifully blends animation and live action to tell the story of a young cartoonist and her unexpected pregnancy.
An ambitious programme of short films – fiction, animation, documentary and experimental aka Black Box – divided into 7 strands by theme, explore a fantastic range of topics and issues: in short animation, Imaginings delve into the recesses of the human mind and Family Values look at how our lives are shaped by values that are handed down to us; in short fiction and documentary, One Step at the Time is rooted in the present moment, showing snapshots from all around the world, Visions project forward, imagining our future lives or alternative realities; and in Black Box we find Interconnections exploring the themes of collaboration and interrelation and Interruptions, a diverse programme playfully confounding the aesthetic expectations of the audience.
Some of the highlights include Ba, about growing up in Soviet Kazakhstan, a child seeking refuge from his stark reality in Romanian Candy Can, animated Hangman at Home exploring the awkward intimacy of humanness and Keith Water, a stop motion animation made from found materials during the 2020 lockdown.
The shorts programme also includes SHORTCUTS – Views From The Four Nations, presented in Edinburgh and France through a partnership with the Dinard Festival of British Film, led by Artistic Director Dominique Green. DFBF and EIFF are twinning to show together a selection of the best of recent British shorts.
All short films are available to audiences digitally on Filmhouse at Home. EIFF Shorts and Experimental films are sponsored by Innis & Gunn, with support from the Culture & Business Fund Scotland, managed by Arts & Business Scotland.
Tickets go on sale at 12 noon TODAY (Wednesday 28 July) for Filmhouse Members, and then on general sale at 12 noon on Thursday 29 July.
Festival audiences will have a chance to vote for their favourite film which will receive the 2021 Audience Award.
For more information and a full schedule of physical and digital screenings please visit www.edfilmfest.org.uk.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s statement at a coronavirus media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday:
Good afternoon everyone, thank you very much for joining us at the slightly later time today.As you can see, I am joined by Jason Leitch and we will take questions shortly.
Before that though, I’ll give a quick update on the current state of the pandemic. And I’ll start – as I usually do – with a short summary of today’s reported statistics.
1,004 positive cases were reported yesterday – which is 5.6% of all tests carried out and it takes the total number of confirmed cases now to 342,059.
Now, while as you have heard me say very often in the past, we should never put too much emphasis on a single day’s figures, it is nevertheless I think worth mentioning that today’s positivity rate of 5.6% is the lowest it has been on a single day since 19 June.
I can also confirm that there are 472 people receiving hospital treatment – that’s 3 fewer than yesterday.
And 63 people are in intensive care, that’s 2 fewer than yesterday.
Sadly though, a further 7 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, and that takes the total number of deaths registered, under this daily definition, to 7,866.
As always, my sincere condolences go to everyone who has lost someone as a result of the virus.
Let me also provide an update on the vaccination programme.
I’m pleased to say, firstly that as of this morning, a new milestone has been passed. More than 4 million people – 4,000,653 to be precise – have now received a first dose of the vaccine.
That’s an increase of 2,031 since yesterday.
In addition to that, 16,826 people got a second dose yesterday and that means the total number of second doses administered is now 3,108,928.
All adults have now been offered a first dose of the vaccine – and 90% have taken up that offer and had a first dose.
In addition, approximately 70% of adults have had now had both doses of the vaccine – that includes 92% of those who are aged 40 or older.
Now obviously we will be working to increase these figures further in the weeks ahead – with a particular focus on the younger age groups.
But make no mistake, compared to any previous vaccination programme undertaken in this country – and indeed compared even to our own expectations at the start of the Covid vaccine programme – these are already quite extraordinary uptake figures.
And they do show how successful the vaccination programme has been so far.
There is lots there for us to be positive about, but as with all aspects of this virus we’re not complacent. We want to see as close to 100% of the eligible population vaccinated as we can get.
So if you haven’t yet had your vaccine it is not too late to do so, please take advantage of the many opportunities across the country and get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
There’s one other point on vaccination that I want to take a moment to particularly stress today.
The Scottish Government – in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation – is strongly recommending that pregnant women get the vaccine as soon as they are asked to do so.
Vaccination is the best way of protecting against the risks of Covid in pregnancy – and these include admission of the pregnant mother to intensive care, and also the possible premature birth of the baby. Already in Scotland alone, more than 4,000 pregnant women have received the vaccine, and there are thousands and thousands more across the world who have received the vaccine. The evidence of its safety is overwhelming.
Further information is available from the Public Health Scotland website, and also from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. But essentially, the message is if you are pregnant, and you are invited for the vaccine, please do get it – it will help you to protect yourself and protect your baby.
The progress of the vaccination programme is very important, of course in considering the current state of the pandemic.
The Scottish Government as you know, hopes to lift more of the remaining Covid measures with a move beyond level 0 from Monday 9 August, and this time next week, I will make a statement to the Scottish parliament setting out whether – and to what extent – we think we are able to go ahead with that.
What we will be doing between now and then is weighing up the different factors that will inform that decision. Several of these factors give us really strong grounds for hope, and that’s positive, although others remind us of the need for continued caution.
So I want to quickly summarise some of those in my remarks today.
First of all, there is no doubt – as I have said before and already highlighted today – we are in a much better place than we were last March at the start of the pandemic or at the beginning of this year or even at the start of this month.
Thanks to vaccination, the very high case numbers we have seen in the past 2 months or so haven’t resulted in same number of deaths or hospitalisations as in previous waves – though I think it is important to say that every single death or every instance of somebody requiring hospital treatment matters. That’s not something we should ever be complacent about.
Vaccination is also one of the factors that helps to explain why case numbers in Scotland are reducing as significantly as they are right now – and to give some context to that – case numbers have more than halved in the last 3 weeks.
Last week – up to 23 July – there was a daily average of 1,523 new cases.
That’s down from 3,305 per day on average in the week up to 2 July.
The average test positivity rate is also down from more than 10% at the start of the month to just over 7% now. As I said earlier, the test positivity reported today is actually the lowest we’ve seen since mid-June.
To put all of this in comparative terms, within the UK at the start of this month, Scotland accounted for 5 of the top 10 local authority covid hotspots across the UK. At this stage, we have none in the top 150 local authority hotspots across the UK.
We are now seeing hospital admissions start to fall as well. 421 people were admitted to hospital with Covid in the most recent week, down from 577 in the previous week.
As a result of that, we would hope to see the number of people in intensive care with Covid, and the number of people dying, also start to reduce soon.
So, in short, we have seen some very positive developments recently and that does give us, certainly gives me, grounds for optimism that we will be able to continue our progress out of restrictions.
That said, we do still need to be cautious.
It’s good that cases are lower than they were three weeks ago. That comes as a relief, I know, to all of us. But they are still 9 times higher than at the start of May. And we know that the Delta variant is significantly more infectious than previous variants.
So just as a sensible degree of caution up to now has helped us get case numbers back on a downward path, a sensible degree of continued caution in the period ahead will help avoid sending that progress into reverse.
It will also help us do something that is really important, to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect the most vulnerable in our society from Covid.
We know from our own quite recent experience how quickly progress can be reversed. And we can see it in other countries right now as well.
So while we should be pleased and indeed relieved about our current process, we should not take it for granted.
Covid is still capable of causing serious illness and death, and the of course the impact of long Covid should not be underestimated.
And, the virus can still put significant pressure on the NHS – and indeed, it is doing exactly that right now. Because, although case numbers are reducing, the lag effect means that we are not yet seeing just as big a decline on the pressure on the NHS. Hopefully that will follow in the days and weeks to come.
So, these are the factors we will be weighing up in the days ahead.
In short, to try to summarise that, I am confident we will make progress – and while we are already living with far fewer restrictions, than has been the case at previous stages of the pandemic, all of us want to see the remaining restrictions eased as quickly as possible – that’s important to all of us as individuals. It is very important to businesses and the economy as well. But we will need to do that with appropriate caution and an appropriate degree of care.
And we will weigh all of that up in the days to come. I will set out our conclusions this time next week in a virtual session of parliament.
But for today, let me finish again by stressing the three key things all of us can do – because all of us have a part to play here – to keep things moving firmly in the right direction.
The first of course is to get vaccinated.
Remember, if you are over 18 and haven’t had your first dose yet; or indeed if you turn 18 before the end of October; or if you had your first dose 8 or more weeks ago – you can simply go to a drop-in clinic to get your either your first or second dose as appropriate.
There are drop-in sites now in every mainland health board area. You can find out where they are through the vaccinations section of the NHS Inform website, or through your local health board’s website, or by following your local health board on social media.
You will see lots of examples right now, here in Lothian and Glasgow for example, of innovative locations for setting up vaccination sites to make it as easy and as accessible for people as possible.
That said, you can also book an appointment, if that’s easier for you. And you can do that also through NHS Inform.
Second thing we’re asking everybody to do is get tested regularly.
You can get the free lateral flow tests through NHS inform, by post or you can collect them from testing sites and local pharmacies.
Remember, if you test positive through one of these devices – or if you have symptoms of the virus – self-isolate, and book a PCR test as quickly as possible.
And third and finally, stick to the rules that are still in place for now, and keep following the basic hygiene measures.
All of these things are really helping us get the situation under control. If we can keep it under control, then we have a greater chance of continuing to move in the right direction.
So, meet other people outdoors as much as possible.
Having had some good weather in the past couple of weeks, I think we’ve got a few days ahead of not so good weather to put it mildly. But still, try and stay outdoors as much as you can.
If you are meeting indoors, open windows if at all possible – the better ventilated a room is, the relatively speaking, safer that’s going to be.
And for now, stick to the limits on group sizes. In someone’s home right now, you can currently meet in groups of up to 8 people, from up to 4 households.
And lastly remember, please remember physical distancing, hand-washing, face coverings – all of these things are as important now as they have ever been.
They are helping us get a really difficult situation at the start of this month back under control. And, they will help us continue to make the progress that all of us are desperate to see.
The University of Edinburgh, Queen’s University Belfast and University of Liverpool have been awarded over £7.1 million from the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) as part of a consortium to investigate the impact that nature can have in helping to prevent and reduce health inequalities in urban areas.
The Consortium, ‘GroundsWell: Community-engaged and Data-informed Systems Transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for Population Health’ will explore how transforming cities with nature can reduce health inequalities, primarily around chronic and non-infectious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mental health.
Over the five-year project, the interdisciplinary team will develop innovative approaches to work with communities where there are high levels of health inequalities. They will work with communities as key partners to develop and implement ways to improve health inequalities and prevent a range of chronic illnesses through harnessing the positive impact of nature.
Dr Ruth Hunter, from the Centre of Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and Groundswell Co-Director, said: “There is strong evidence that natural environments within urban areas, such as parks, woodlands (green spaces) as well as lakes and beaches (blue spaces), have positive impacts on health.
“These urban green and blue spaces could be huge assets for protecting and equalising health if they were available, accessible, valued and well-used, particularly by less advantaged groups. The problem is that they are not, which is what this project aims to address.”
Dr Hunter added: “We are delighted to receive this funding from UK Prevention Research Partnership. Working with a range of experts across health, data and community engagement, over the next five years we will seek solutions to improve our urban environment that will in-turn improve population health.”
UKPRP supports multidisciplinary teams looking at ways to prevent non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, poor mental health, obesity, cancer and diabetes. Non-communicable diseases make up the majority of illnesses in the UK and account for an estimated 89 per cent of all deaths.
Professor Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director for Public Health England and Chair of the UKPRP Scientific Advisory Board, said: “UKPRP is an important and timely programme that we need to address health inequalities and prevent the onset of non-communicable disease.
“The projects funded under this programme are pushing the boundaries of prevention research by taking multidisciplinary approaches to addressing the complexities of population health, with the aim of improving people’s lives and health.
“As we look to build back fairer from the pandemic, the creation of healthy communities and places is a key priority.”
The project will use a range of approaches to ensure that communities, including residents, businesses and organisations, are fully represented.
The Consortium will comprise of active, equal and embedded members and partners at all stages of decision making and will involve co-designing solutions that will benefit communities.
Professor Sarah Rodgers, from the University of Liverpool and GroundsWell Co-Director, said: “Working with local authorities and charities, we will record how our environments change through time.
“Knowing when parks were adapted to encourage new visitors and how this subsequently impacts health outcomes will help provide robust evidence on what works and for whom. Everyone should have access to the right environments to support their health and wellbeing.”
Professor Ruth Jepson, from the University of Edinburgh and Groundswell Co-Director, added: “We propose a new way of working which encourages communities and citizens to work with our partner organisations to plan, design and manage urban green and blue spaces so that they benefit everyone, especially those who need it most.
“Through our partnerships and with the active involvement of our communities, we will identify small and large scale projects which can be developed and evaluated. We will involve communities and citizens in all stages of the work; from planning and prioritizing, to collecting data through citizen science apps, to writing, speaking and blogging on what is working well and what is not.”
Broughton Property Management becomes part of Braemore brand
AN EDINBURGH estate agency, which has helped thousands of people find new homes since launching 24 years ago, is itself on the move – after joining forces with another agency.
Broughton Property Management, formerly based on Broughton Street, has been acquired by the growing Braemore brand, whose local roots also span more than two decades.
The agreement has seen its whole team of six staff, and its portfolio of 290 rental properties, transfer seamlessly into Braemore’s flagship branch on Morningside Road.
“We are delighted to welcome Broughton’s clients and all its team members into the Braemore Edinburgh family,” said CEO of Braemore, Andrew Seldon.
“This is a great opportunity for Braemore, allowing us to extend our footprint in Edinburgh and further progress our ambition of being the number one agency in the region.
“We inherit a prime portfolio of properties, ranging from modern city flats to leafy detached homes across all of Edinburgh’s most sought-after areas.
“It is a great people fit too, as we welcome a team brimming with the same local knowledge, industry insight, and high customer service standards on which we pride ourselves.”
He added: “Between both home-grown success stories, we pool almost half a century of Edinburgh expertise in meeting the needs of tenants and landlords, sellers and buyers.
“This creates a strong platform on which to innovate and strengthen our customer service, as well as expand further through more acquisitions in and around the capital.
“As lockdown restrictions begin to ease, this acquisition is a timely signal of our continued confidence in Edinburgh and its all-year-round appeal as a place to live, work, study and holiday.”
The deal is the second this year for Braemore, which also has a branch in St Andrew’s. In April, it strengthened its specialism in managing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) after acquiring the student rental portfolio of 90 HMOs in Edinburgh managed by Complete Letting (Scotland) Ltd.
Braemore is part of the Edinburgh-based Lomond group of residential letting and sales agencies across England and Scotland, and is the sister agency of fellow Scottish chain Stonehouse, which operates out of Aberdeen and the surrounding district.
New funds are available for Scottish based artists, companies, producers and venues for touring live theatre and dance work from Summer 2022.
With support from The National Lottery as well as enhanced funding of £375,000 from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland’s £2million Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance eligibility criteria is now live and will open for applications on Tuesday 17 August.
Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “It is fantastic to see the Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance re-open for applications. Delivered by Creative Scotland with an additional £375,000 of Scottish Government funding, the fund will help support a range of touring theatre shows for more people across Scotland to experience and enjoy in places which normally have fewer opportunities.
“Fulfilling one of our 100 day commitments, this fund will not only generate increased opportunities for new audiences to experience the best of Scottish theatre, it will provide artists, producers and companies with an opportunity to showcase their creative works after such a difficult year for the sector. I look forward to hearing more about the productions which will benefit from this funding.”
Since the Fund’s inception in 2018, £4.2million has enabled a wide range of new and topical re-stagings of acclaimed theatre and dance shows including circus for babies, gritty drama, and musical comedy capers exploring themes from international friendship to mental health to criss-cross Scotland.
From small, medium and large-scale venues pre-covid, shows have been specially created and re-imagined during the pandemic, to suit outdoor spaces and unconventional places such as allotments, woodland trails, garden centres, loch-sides, and people’s gardens.
Laura Mackenzie Stuart, Head of Theatre at Creative Scotlandsaid: “It’s with thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every week, and funding from the Scottish Government, that artists and companies can continue to re-connect with audiences as we slowly begin to emerge from the pandemic, bringing live in person performance back to communities throughout Scotland.
“Partnerships with established venues will play a vital role – being at the heart of the communities they work in year-round, every year. Whilst we have endured an incredibly challenging and disrupted period, those links have been kept vibrant and strong. They will be key as audiences begin once again to enjoy the uplifting experience of theatre and dance in person, and a physical reconnection with performing arts.”
