Underbelly, the producers of Edinburgh’s Christmas on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, have officially submitted planning applications for the Capital’s 2021 Winter Festival.
The new application includes complimentary additions to the already granted planning application for Edinburgh’s Christmas at East Princes Street Gardens and The Mound. The updated 2021 application also incorporates West Princes Street Gardens and George Street into the festive mix.
This year, 62 trading stalls and four attractions will pop up in East Princes Street Gardens. The Big Wheel, which has become a firm favourite in Edinburgh’s festive skyline, will also make an appearance in the east end of the city.
Additionally, at the west end, revellers can expect to see a further 15 stall concessions and 11 attractions including the Christmas Tree Maze and a Santa’s Grotto.
For the first time since 2018, Underbelly is seeking permission to reinstate a firm favourite to the Christmas programme, an ice rink. The magical ice rink will have a brand-new location at the westerly end of George Street between Charlotte Square and Castle Street.
Underbelly is meticulously planning Edinburgh’s Christmas with Covid-19 in mind and is dedicated to creating a safe and fun environment for the 2021 Christmas celebrations. Working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and Essential Edinburgh, Underbelly has taken on board feedback from previous years to create an unmissable festive programme.
Boosting domestic tourism and reinvigorating Princes Street and the surrounding areas, Edinburgh’s Christmas is designed to support economic recovery in the city centre, driving footfall to the wider city centre area, and to bring some much needed cheer and happiness to both residents and visitors to Edinburgh.
More information on the programme and what can be expected for this year’s Edinburgh’s Christmas will be announced shortly. Please make sure that you are signed up to the mailing list via the Edinburgh’s Christmas website.
Underbelly Co-Directors, Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam said: “The Underbelly team has been working tirelessly to create a bespoke Edinburgh’s Christmas programme that not only provides unforgettable memories and experiences, but also makes visitors feel safe and at ease at all times.
“It’s been a very challenging couple of years for everyone but our proposed plans for Christmas are designed not only to support economic recovery in the city centre, driving footfall to both the East and the West end of the City, but to also bring some much needed cheer and happiness to both residents and visitors.”
The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) has partnered up with Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity and leading first aid training provider, St Andrew’s First Aid, to provide free Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to ten Scottish Men’s Sheds.
The SMSA put a call out to the 190+ Men’s Sheds across Scotland inviting them to apply for the Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and received 44 applications showing a huge demand for this vital equipment (retailed at just over £1,500) to be located at Shed premises across Scotland.
The ten recipients will use the equipment to not only protect their members but – with the addition of an outdoor cabinet purchased by the Shed – will also make them accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sudden cardiac arrest strikes 7 million people a year worldwide with no warning and no pattern. There’s little time to react and even less time to think, this means an AED must be close at hand, easy-to-use and ready to shock.
Chris Jowsey, Treasurer of Glenkens Men’s Shed, said: “One of our members had a cardiac arrest whilst at the Shed and sadly passed away despite the prompt actions of his fellow Shedders to get medical assistance. We can’t help but wonder if we’d had a defibrillator that day, if the outcome might have been different.
“We are delighted to have received this defibrillator through the SMSA and St Andrews First Aid and to be able to make it accessible to our entire community.”
Tom Bennett of Springburn Park Men’s Shed (above) said: “We have been trying to raise funds for a defibrillator for over two years for our Shed located within a public park in our village.
“We are thrilled to accept and maintain this defibrillator and make it accessible to our members, other community groups, park users and the general public.”
Jim Dorman, Director of Campaigns and Public Engagement at St Andrew’s First Aid, said: “Knowing that these vital pieces of equipment will be available to both members of the ten Sheds and to the wider communities will hopefully bring considerable peace of mind.
“With every minute that passes following a cardiac arrest, the chance of survival drops by 10%. Swift use of a defibrillator is all the difference needed to significantly increase a person’s chance of survival. We are delighted to donate these defibrillators to help more communities save lives.”
The successful Men’s Sheds across Scotland are: Aberchirder & District Men’s Shed; Forfar and District Men’s Shed; Glenkens Men’s Shed; Inverurie & District Men’s Shed; Macmerry Men’s Shed; Mens Shed Dumfries; Pentlands Men’s Shed; Peterhead & District Men’s Shed; Springburn Park Men’s Shed; and Whale Firth Men’s Shed.
There is still time to apply for the prestigious ‘Scottish Men’s Shed of the Year’ Awards 2021 from the Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA).
2021 Timeline:
Deadline for applications: Midnight on Sunday 26th September 2021
Shortlist announced and open to public vote: Monday 4th October 2021
Closed to public vote: Midnight on Sunday 17th October 2021
Winner announced at SMSA AGM/Awards event: Thursday 4th November 2021
Faith leaders unite in commitment to address the challenge of the climate crisis
Fifty-two UK faith leaders have signed a joint declaration ahead of the COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow this November. It expresses the commitment of faith communities to address the climate crisis and their desire to see governments be equally committed.
The declaration builds on the Lambeth Declaration which preceded the Paris COP in 2015, and the Scottish Religious Leaders Forum Statement of Commitment for COP26 that was launched at the Ambition Summit in December 2020.
The leaders commit to reflect through prayer, meditation and worship; make transformational change in their communities; and be advocates for justice by calling on those in power to implement green policies.
They say: “Across our doctrinal and political differences, we know that we must change our ways to ensure a quality of life which all can share, and we need to provide hope for people of all ages, everywhere, including future generations.
“To offer hope in the world we need to have confidence that those in power understand the vital role they have to play at the Glasgow COP26.
“Our collective energy and prayers will be with those working for a successful outcome”.
Our faith communities are united in caring for human life and the natural world. We share a belief in a hopeful future, as well as an obligation to be responsible in caring for our common home, the Earth.
We recognise the opportunities that COP26 brings in addressing the urgent need for action in limiting the effects of climate change and the critical importance of decisions made in this conference to take forward the agreement made in Paris in 2015.
People have exploited the planet, causing climate change. We recognise that the burden of loss and damage falls most heavily on people living in poverty, especially women and children.
We acknowledge the commitments made through the Lambeth Declaration in 2015. Now, because of the gravity of our situation, the impact of climate change around the world, and the inequality of its effects we seek to strengthen those commitments.
We commit to respond to this challenge by:
Reflecting deeply in prayer, meditation and worship to discern how to care for the earth and each other, and to encourage our respective communities to do the same.
Making transformational change in our own lives and in the lives of our communities through individual and collective action.
Being advocates for justice by calling on governments, businesses and others who exercise power and influence to put into effect the Paris agreement; to make the transition to a just and green economy a priority; and to commit to science-based targets that are aligned with a healthy, resilient, zero-emissions future.
We remind governments of their commitments made in Paris in 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, and of Article 17 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights to protect the environment, the biosphere and biodiversity. We call upon them to take the urgent action needed to avert the loss, damage, and forced migration threatened by climate change.
We look to governments to work together and with others to create a positive vision for 2050 where addressing climate change is not just an opportunity to stop burning fossil fuels, but also: to achieve cleaner air and water; to reduce food wastage; to ensure a just and equitable sharing of the earth’s resources; and to protect the habitats we share with all other life on whose health we also depend.
Across our doctrinal and political differences, we know that we must change our ways to ensure a quality of life which all can share, and we need to provide hope for people of all ages, everywhere, including future generations. To offer hope in the world we need to have confidence that those in power understand the vital role they have to play at the Glasgow COP26.
Our collective energy and prayers will be with those working for a successful outcome.
Signed by:
UKSenior Faith Leaders
Archbishop Angaelos, Archbishop of London, The Coptic Orthodox Church
The Rt Revd John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, and lead Bishop for the Environment, Catholic Church in England and Wales
Imam Qari Muhammad Asim, Chair, Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board
Malcolm M Deboo, President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (Inc)
Revd Clare Downing and Mr Peter Pay, Moderators of General Assembly, United Reformed Church
Rabbi Joseph Dweck, Senior Rabbi, S&P Sephardi Community, UK
Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, The Baptist Union of Great Britain
Rev Sonia Hicks, President of the Methodist Church and Barbara Easton, Vice-President of the Methodist Church
Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Former Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism
Rt Rev Andy John, Bishop of Bangor and Senior Bishop in the Church in Wales
Rabbi David Mason, representing Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra (Imam), Christian – Muslim Forum
Mr. Patrick O’Mara, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United Kingdom
Mrs Trupti Patel, President of the Hindu Forum of Britain
Juliet Prager, Deputy Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
Imam Sayed Razawi, Chief Imam, Director General of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society
Rabbi Danny Rich, former Senior Rabbi and Chief Executive of Liberal Judaism in the United Kingdom
The Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, Head Priest of the London Buddhist Vihara
Dr Natubhai Shah, Senior leader, Jain Community UK
The Rt. Hon Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon, Director Network of Sikh Organisations (UK)
Jasvir Singh OBE, Chair of City Sikhs
Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia OBE KSG, Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha
Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and lead Bishop on the Environment, Church of England
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism UK
Scottish Religious Leaders & Representatives
The Rt Hon Lord Jim Wallace of Tankerness,
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Elizabeth Allen, Clerk, General Meeting for Scotland, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Imam Sohail Ashfaque, Blackhall Mosque
Lt-Col Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
Revd David Coleman, Minister of the United Reformed Church and Chaplain to Eco-Congregation Scotland
Allan Forsyth and Isadora Quay, on behalf of the Baha’i Community of Scotland
Rev Bonnie Evans Hills, convener Scottish Episcopal Church Interfaith Relations Committee
Madhu Jain, Hindu Mandir Scotland
Revd Dr Martin Johnstone, Glasgow Churches Together COP26 Ambassador
Ani Lhamo, Kagyu Samye Ling Buddhist Centre
Bishop Brian McGee, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interreligious dialogue
Rev Dr David Miller, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
Acharya Ji Mishra, Priest of Hindu Mandir Scotland
Ravinder Kaur Nijjar, Advisor Sikhs in Scotland
Imam Hassan Rabbani, Imam of Zia-Ul-Quran Mosque, Chair of Scottish Muslim Forum
Lama Yeshe Choje Losal Rinpoche
Abbot of Kagyu Samye Ling Buddhist Centre
Rabbi David Rose, Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation
Rabbi Moshe Rubin, Giffnock and Newlands Hebrew Congregation, Senior Rabbi of Scotland
Shaykh Sohaib Saeed, Al-Furqan Mosque
The Revd Mark Slaney
Chair Methodist Church Scotland
Sr. Isabel Smyth
Sisters of Notre Dame & Secretary to the Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Inter-religious Dialogue
Most Rev Mark Strange
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Linsay Taylor, Muslim Council of Scotland and Chair of Interfaith Scotland
Dr Srihari Vallabhajousula, Honorary Priest, Hindu Temple of Scotland, Rutherglen, Glasgow
Ameed Versace, Climate Officer, Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society
Revd Paul Whittle, Moderator of The United Reformed Church National Synod of Scotland
Rev. George Whyte, Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Statement to Parliament on the UK gas market by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng:
With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the UK Gas Market.
As Honourable and Right Honourable members will be aware, over the weekend I held meetings with Ofgem and energy companies, and this morning I held a further roundtable discussion.
Today I will set out the government’s approach to manage the impact of high global gas prices affecting the UK – and countries across Europe.
To begin, I want to make two points extremely clear.
Firstly, Mr Speaker, I must stress that protecting consumers is our no.1, our primary focus – and will shape our entire approach to this important issue.
Secondly, I also want to reassure the House that while the UK – like other countries in Europe – has been affected by global prices, Britain benefits from having a diverse range of gas supply sources.
We have sufficient capacity and more than sufficient capacity to meet demand, and we do not expect supply emergencies to occur this winter.
There is absolutely no question, Mr. Speaker, of the lights going out, or people being unable to heat their homes.
There’ll be no three-day working weeks, or a throw-back to the 1970s. Such thinking is alarmist, unhelpful and completely misguided.
To begin I’d like to set out some context for the global situation we are now witnessing.
As the world comes out of COVID-19 and economies begin to reopen, we are seeing a dramatic uptake in global gas demand, much faster than many people had anticipated.
High demand in Asia for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), transported globally by freight, means that far less LNG has reached Europe. Weather events in the US have also affected LNG exports to Europe.
So therefore, increased demand, coupled with reduced variety of supply globally, has put upward pressure on the price of gas traded globally.
High wholesale gas prices have subsequently driven an increase in wholesale power prices, with a number of short-term markets trading at, or near, record levels.
While we are not complacent, we do not expect supply emergencies this winter. This is a very important point. This is not a question of security of supply.
The GB, the Great British, UK gas system has delivered securely to date and is expected to continue to function effectively, with a diverse range of supply sources and sufficient delivery capacity to more than meet demand.
The National Grid Electricity System Operator has the tools within itself to operate the electricity system reliably, to balance that system and we remain confident that electricity security can be maintained under a very wide range of scenarios.
We aren’t reliant on any one particular source for our gas, like many of our friends in Europe.
Domestic production, and member and right honourable members should know, is still our largest single gas supply source, and accounted for about 50% of total supply last year.
However, the UK also benefits from an excellent relationship with Norway, one of our most important and reliable energy partners, and that delivers nearly 30% of our total gas supply. Just in the past half hour, I was privileged enough to speak to the Norwegian Energy Minister to welcome the announcement from Equanoir today that gas production will significantly increase from 1 October to support the UK and European demand.
Our remaining supply, Mr Speaker, is sourced from global markets via two interconnectors to the Continent, and also through our LNG infrastructures, which is as many of you know, the largest in Europe.
Obviously, the global gas situation has had an impact on some energy suppliers. We have already seen four suppliers exit the market in recent weeks, and we may well expect to see further companies exiting the market over the coming weeks.
I have to say, Mr. Speaker, at this point that having been energy minister for nearly 2 years before I became Secretary of State, we saw in those two years, at around this time, companies exiting the market. It may well be more this year, but this is something that, as this time of year, and ahead of the renewable obligation, is often seen in the market.
I want to make clear today, however, that it is not unusual for smaller energy suppliers to exit the market – particularly, I may add, when wholesale global prices are rising.
The sector has seen regular entry and exit over the last five to 10 years, that is the feature of a highly competitive market.
The current global situation may see more suppliers than usual exiting the market, but this is not something that should be cause for alarm or panic.
We have clear, processes in place to make sure all customers are supplied with energy. When an energy supplier typically fails, Ofgem appoints another supplier to take on serving the customers and there is no interruption to supply. I reiterate, our first and primary concern is for the customer.
I’d like to stress three further principles, which are guiding my and the government’s approach in this matter.
Firstly, the government will not be bailing out failed companies. There will be no rewards for failure or mismanagement. The taxpayer should not be expected to prop-up companies who have poor business models and are not resilient to fluctuations in price.
Secondly, customers, especially and most particularly vulnerable customers, must be protected from price spikes.
And thirdly, Mr. Speaker, we must ensure that the energy market does not pay the price for the poor practices of a minority of companies, and that the market still maintains the competition that is a feature of today’s current system. We must not see a return to, I quote, the “cosy oligopoly” of years past, where a few large suppliers simply dictated to customers conditions and pricing.
I’d like to reassure all members, and honourable members and their constituents that the Energy Price Cap – which still saves 15 million households up to £100 a year is staying – isn’t going anywhere.
As I said earlier, our priority in this situation has to be the consumer, the Great British public, and the cap has done that effectively. It protects, and has protected, millions of customers from sudden increases in global gas prices this winter. We are committed to the Price Cap and it will remain in place.
Meanwhile, our Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments will continue supporting millions of vulnerable and low-income households with their energy bills.
It is absolutely vital that the energy supply sector remains a liberalised competitive market in order to deliver value and good service to consumers.
As a result of high global gas prices, members and right honourable members will have read, two fertiliser plants shut down in Teesside and Cheshire last week. They suspended the production of CO2 and anomia. A decision which has affected in the short-term our domestic supply of CO2, which is used in the food and drink, as well as the nuclear and health sectors.
Yesterday, I met Tony Will, the global chief executive of CF Industries. We discussed the pressures the business is facing and explored, quite thoroughly, possible ways to secure vital supplies.
Work is ongoing across departments in Whitehall, across government to ensure that those sectors impacted and affected by this announcement have appropriate contingency plans in place to ensure that there is indeed minimal disruption. To maintain our domestic supplies of CO2, we are in constant contact with relevant companies who produce and supply CO2 and we are monitoring the situation minute by minute.
Over the past few days, as has been widely reported, I have held several discussions with chief executives of the UK’s largest energy suppliers and operators, and also with Ofgem to discuss this vital issue.
Just this morning, I chaired a roundtable with UK energy companies & the representatives of consumer groups, in which I reiterated as I have on the floor of this house, the need for us all of us in government and industry to prioritise customers, in short to protect the consumer.
Meetings continue across government today and throughout the course of this week.
In terms of further actions and statements, this afternoon, shortly after the statement presented here, I will be making a joint statement with Ofgem setting out the government’s next steps following healthy and illuminating discussions with them and suppliers.
Mr Speaker, our security of gas supply is robust. But it is the case that the UK is still too reliant on fossil fuels. Our exposure to volatile global gas prices underscores the importance of our plan to build a strong, home-grown renewable energy sector to strengthen our energy security into the future.
Thanks to the steps that we have made as a government, renewable energy has quadrupled in terms of gigawatts capacity since 2010, far more than quadrupled in fact – but there is clearly a lot more we can do in this area.
That is why we committed to approve at least one large-scale new nuclear project in the next few years, and are backing the next generation of advanced nuclear technology with £385 million, helping to attract billions of pounds in private capital and create tens of thousands of jobs.
Consumers come first. We must protect our constituents.
Gas market and soaring fuel prices: joint statement from Government and Ofgem
Joint statement on the UK gas market from Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, and Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley:
The recent increase in wholesale global gas prices continues to be a cause of concern for consumers, businesses and energy suppliers across the UK.
We want to be clear that this is not an issue of supply – the United Kingdom benefits from having a diverse range of gas supply sources with capacity that can more than meet demand.
This morning we hosted a roundtable with leading energy suppliers and consumer groups to hear about the challenges they currently face. There was overarching consensus among meeting participants that the top priority must be ongoing support for energy customers, especially the elderly and vulnerable. In the event an energy supplier fails, we are committed that consumers face the least amount of disruption possible – and there are clear and well-established processes in place to ensuring this is the case.
In the coming days, we will also meet with smaller and challenger energy suppliers and set out the next steps for protecting consumers, businesses and energy suppliers from these global prices rises. Central to any next steps is our clear and agreed position that the Energy Price Cap will remain in place.
The Council has approved a lease of the premises on West Shore Road to the charity, which supports the arts by bringing vacant buildings back to life, so they can provide affordable studio space. The Council’s also supporting the project by providing a year’s free rent.
The project will provide affordable shop space for local retail and hospitality businesses, animating the pedestrian promenade. It will also support the creative industries, the third sector, freelancers and micro-businesses, providing sought after high-quality studio space.
When developed the building’s grounds will greatly enhance the public realm and greenspace in the area and will support active travel to and through the site. Other activities planned are play-based recreation and cultural events and the project will also provide improved access to the Waterfront.
Depute leader, Cammy Day, said: We announced our ambitious £1.3bn plan to sustainably regenerate this area last year and it’s fantastic to see real progress is being made on the ground.
“Our plan is for Granton Waterfront to provide quality new sustainable development and a place where people can work, play, learn, enjoy culture and live in high-quality homes. The site on West Shore Road will become a draw for the local community as well as visitors to the area, providing jobs and a boost to the local economy as well as supporting so many groups like social enterprises, sports clubs, health and wellbeing services and other community organisations.
“We’ve worked with Edinburgh Palette across the city for a number of years and they’ll make a great addition to the area alongside Wasps. I look forward to supporting them in their new enterprise and seeing all their hard work come to life.”
Development Manager at Edinburgh Palette, Andrew Chainey, said: Edinburgh Palette is delighted and extremely grateful for the phenomenal support received from everyone at the City of Edinburgh Council. Our operational team and long-term contractors can’t wait to deliver on our new home at West Granton Shore.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by interest in the project at 20 West Shore Road from all corners of the community including the creative and craftmaking world. The possibilities are as breathtaking as the views of the Forth from West Granton Shore.”
The site located on West Shore Road will form part of a growing creative, cultural and arts cluster in Granton Waterfront.
This includes the National Museums Collection Centre; National Galleries of Scotland’s Granton Art Centre (along with The Art Works, NGS’ planned new facility); Edinburgh College’s Granton campus (including its art and design faculty and the Performing Arts Studio Scotland); as well as the new 600 sqm Granton Station enterprise hub.
• If you have a garage “use it” and lock it. If you have gates ensure these are locked. Consider using an alarm for you garage and gates.
• Leaving items on show is an invitation – Mobile phones, electronic equipment, coins, sunglasses, tools, clothing and bags should be removed from the vehicle or placed in the boot.
• Keys and ignition fobs should be kept safe and out of sight and reach – a common way to steal a car or van is to take the keys or ignition fob, either when left in the vehicle or from your home through burglary
• Always lock and close the windows of your vehicle when unattended – on the drive, the petrol station forecourt or when parking an unlocked vehicle is the easiest to steal or steal from. When away from home, consider using a Park Mark approved car park
• Fit theft resistant number plate fittings – stolen number plates are commonly used to hide the identity of stolen vehicles. Use one-way clutch head screws to secure plates
• Use a steering wheel lock and/or a lock that fits over the gear lever. Alternatively a security box can be fitted over the pedals to prevent thefts when the vehicle is parked up
• Double check: Listen out for the sound of your doors locking, lights flashing and/or mirrors closing. If you don’t hear or see this it make sure to double check
• Fit a tracker: These devices can alert you when your car is active and if it’s travelling in a new area.
Launch Event Friday 01.10.21, 7–9pm Book free tickets here
Collective is delighted to present a new installation by Glasgow-based artist Mina Heydari-Waite.
Building on discourse around Iranian diasporic identity, Mina invites viewers into a new immersive set. Composed of sculptural objects and a sound work, this installation creates a dreamscape that holds the audience in a conversation about ritual sites, moments of rupture and Social Dreaming.
In sleep it made itself present to them translates the embellished architecture of Persepolis – an ancient city in modern Iran rich in cultural meaning and ambiguity – into a digital space, rendering it flat and geometric. Processing the elaborate motifs of Persepolis through graphics programmes, Mina prepares them as a CNC-machined, flat-packed kit.
An integrated sound work is made in collaboration with sound artist Claude Nouk and reconstructs fragments of conversation with Mina’s mother, Hamideh Heydari-Waite, a psychotherapist and anthropology researcher based in London.
Their conversation explores and expands on ‘Social Dreaming’, a practice that distinguishes dreams from the dreamer and explores their possibility to uncover wider collective meanings. In this exhibition, Persepolis itself becomes an emblem of this collective mode of dreaming.
Join us on Friday 1 October, 7-9pm, to celebrate the opening of the exhibition. This is an open event and all are welcome. Much of the event will take place outdoors in our new ‘Play Shelter’ so please dress for the weather!
Numbers inside the exhibition will be monitored in line with social distancing advice so a short wait may be required.
Please RSVP by booking a free ticket on Eventbrite.
After a year hiatus, Aldi’s hugely popular Supermarket Sweep has returned and customers in one of our Edinburgh are now being given the opportunity to ‘go wild in the aisles’ and raise as much money as possible for a local foodbank.
One lucky shopper will be chosen to do a five-minute trolley dash in store and take home all the products they can grab in that time, with Aldi donating the cash value of the trolley to a local foodbank. Run in accordance with current COVID-19 safety guidelines, the shopper will also be given a list of three Scottish products they need to find. If successful, Aldi will double the cash donation to the foodbank, and the savvy shopper will get to pick a Specialbuy item of their choice*.
One of the most enjoyable ways to get in your weekly shop, local residents can apply by filling out an online application form accessed via a QR code, which will be displayed in the Gorgie Park Road store from Monday 20th to Sunday 26th September.
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said:“The Supermarket Sweep is a hugely popular event in the Aldi calendar, and we are thrilled to bring the competition back this year and offer one local Edinburgh resident the chance to win a shopping experience like no other.
“We know how much foodbanks have struggled during the pandemic, and because we had to pause Supermarket Sweep last year, we thought we’d offer to double the cash donation if contestants can find certain Scottish products during their dash around the store.
“From Elgin to Ayr and Inverness to Hawick, we hope to give as many people across Scotland as possible a chance to take part this year and raise as much money as we can for local foodbanks in the process.”
The Supermarket Sweep will be run in line with current COVID-19 guidelines and all safety precautions, including social distancing, will be adhered to. Shoppers will be asked to nominate their chosen foodbank when applying to take part.
Entrants must be over 18 years old to take part and alcohol products are not included in the sweep.
Before the sweep, the winner will be given a shopping list of three products and if they are successfully found, they will get to select a Specialbuy item of their choice. Aldi will also double the value of their trolley and donate it to the chosen local foodbank.
Entry for the competition is free and applications open from Monday 20th – Sunday 26th September.
One lucky shopper will be selected and invited to take part in the event at the Gorgie Park Road store before Sunday 10th October. Entrants must be available to take part in the sweep after 10pm on their chosen date.
*Supermarket Sweep winner can select a Specialbuy item up to the value of £50
More than a quarter of residents living in Scotland are concerned about a loved one’s drug and alcohol use during the pandemic, a new survey has uncovered
Drug and alcohol use has impacted the lives of millions of people living in the UK. In England and Wales, it’s estimated that 3.2 million people had taken drugs in the last year alone.
The new Drug and Alcohol Survey from Delamere, has uncovered the regions and cities that are most concerned about a loved one’s drug or alcohol use.
According to the survey data, Scotland was the location with the sixth-highest concern for drug and substance abuse. 26% of the region reported being concerned about a friend or family member’s drinking or drug use during the pandemic – that’s more than 1 in 4 people!
The biggest worry was alcohol, with one in seven Brits saying that in the last year they have been concerned with a loved one’s drinking. Men are almost three times (32%) more likely to be worried about how drinking or substance abuse is affecting their lives, compared to women where 24% reported feeling concerned.
Over a third of people in the UK (36%) consumed drugs over the last 12 months
22% of adults in Britain increased their alcohol consumption during the pandemic
Prescription drug misuse is on the rise, with 1 in 10 overusing prescribed medication
Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in the UK, with a 7% usage in the last year
Brighton was the drug hotspot of the UK, with the highest rate for three drugs
England and Wales have seen a record number of drug-related deaths during the pandemic in 2020, a total number of 4,561 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered. The new Drug and Alcohol Survey from Delamere, the private rehab clinic, has uncovered the prevalence of drug and alcohol misuse in the UK in a post-pandemic world.
The addiction experts surveyed 2,000 adults living in the UK on their alcohol and drug consumption over the last 12 months to determine the impact of the pandemic on usage.
Despite pubs, bars being closed for around 31 weeks in 2020, the pandemic brought an increase to the nation’s drinking habits. The survey found that one in four (22%) of adults had increased their alcohol consumption in the last year.
Despite the nation living under lockdown restrictions, the findings uncovered that 49% of UK residents had consumed alcohol in the last twelve months alone and 36% had taken drugs.
It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic and resulting shutdown of social interaction last year caused upheaval in the mental wellbeing of people across the UK. Cannabis has become a feature in many people’s lives during the lockdown, with 7% of the country using it in the last year, making it the most commonly used drug in the UK.
Although most people take prescription medications responsibly, misuse is becoming a health concern for specialists in the United Kingdom. The survey discovered that one in ten UK residents have overused prescription medication outside of prescriptions.
A fifth of UK respondents had purchased prescription drugs rather than obtaining them via a GP, with 7% saying they had ordered the medication through the dark web. The biggest prescription problem was found in Wales, London, West Midlands and Edinburgh.
Experts have warned the use of illegal drugs is rising at an alarming rate across the UK, with some of the boroughs most populated areas among the worst affected areas. Brighton was the drug use hotspot in the South, with the highest rate of use for Cocaine, Ketamine and MDMA use. One in five Brighton residents reported having used cocaine, while one in ten reported using MDMA.
The use of painkillers such as Codeine and Tramadol outside of a prescription was more prevalent in Belfast and Cardiff had the biggest rate of people taking these drugs outside of a prescription.
Which cities are using drugs the most?
City
Cities that use each drug the most
Residents who have used the drug
Belfast
Painkillers
3 in 10
Liverpool
Cannabis
Over 3 in 10
Liverpool
Ecstasy
1 in 6
Liverpool
“Legal” Highs
1 in 10
Cardiff
Prescription Drugs
1 in 6
Brighton
Ketamine
1 in 14
Brighton
MDMA
1 in 10
Brighton
Cocaine
1 in 5
Sheffield
Over the Counter Medication
Over 1 in 6
Sheffield
Heroin
1 in 20
The use of painkillers such as Codeine and Tramadol outside of a prescription was more prevalent in Belfast and Cardiff had the biggest rate of people taking these drugs outside of a prescription.
