Month: September 2021

Two Edinburgh schools recieve free author residency

Scottish Book Trust has announced ten schools who will receive fully-funded author residencies this school year to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing.

The residencies will also give professional writers the opportunity to build relationships with the school and work together on a creative project. Longstone Primary School will work with storytellers Macastory and Woodlands School will work with comic artist and writer Malcy Duff.

The Live Literature School Residencies Programme, now in its sixth year, is funded by the Walter Scott Giving Group and delivered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing.

Three ASN centres were also awarded fully-funded author residencies in the third year of the Additional Support Needs strand of the programme, funded by the Mohn Westlake Foundation.

Schools across the country were invited to apply to the programme which brings professional authors into the classroom to inspire and engage pupils.

Each school taking part in the programme will receive 12 fully-funded residency sessions and ASN schools will receive 15 fully-funded sessions, carried out by an author from Scottish Book Trust’s author directory. It includes over 600 professional writers, poets, playwrights, illustrators, performance poets and storytellers.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The Live Literature School Residencies Programme is incredibly important, as it allows authors to build relationships with a school over time, working together with pupils on a dedicated project.

“Many of these projects will work with the local community and will also build on the school’s COVID recovery plan, addressing issues such as pupil wellbeing; rebuilding reading and writing cultures and also lost transition time for P7/S1.

“We are grateful to our funders the Walter Scott Giving Group and the Mohn Westlake Foundation for making this programme available to all schools including ASN settings.”

The residencies will run across the 2021-22 school year and finish by May 2022. The Walter Scott Giving Group has funded the Live Literature School Residencies Programme for six years, and the Mohn Westlake Foundation has funded the ASN School Residencies Programme for three years. As well as an author residency, schools will receive a resources grant of £500.

Each school’s project will be showcased on Scottish Book Trust’s website, alongside suggested learning resources and helpful tips to make the most of the residency sessions.

 Angela Pearston, Head Teacher at Longstone Primary School, said: “We are so excited about our forthcoming residency and hope that it will inspire and motivate our pupils to have confidence in their abilities as storytellers and writers.”

Macastory said: “We are delighted to be involved in the project and are excited to explore stories of the past from the Longstone area of Edinburgh with the children. We’ll see where that takes their imaginations! We can’t wait to see how the pupils will imagine their version of Longstone’s amazing history.”

Karen Byrne, Principal Teacher Support for Learning at Woodlands School, said: “Woodlands is excited to explore journeys of hope and resilience through word and sequenced visuals. We want to share and establish confidence in our personal and collective voice and continue this beyond the residency.”

Malcy Duff said: “I’m excited about offering comic book storytelling as a creative medium for learners to develop their own visual language and explore new narratives that challenge the old. I hope this work will increase participants’ confidence and expand the use of comic book storytelling as an important form of communication.”

2050 Climate Group present: Digital Youth Summit

4th September 2021, 10.00 -15.15 BST

With COP26 just around the corner, we are happy to announce our Youth Climate Summit, ‘Let’s Talk COP26’, taking place digitally on the 4th of September from 10.00 – 15.15 BST.

This event will host a diverse variety of speakers and workshop sessions grounded in 5 key themes up for discussion on COP26’s presidential programme: nature-based solutions, adaptation and resilience, finance, energy transition, and clean road transport.

These sessions will be led by youth activists, community groups, and industry leaders from organisations such as Friends of the Earth Scotland, the Black Environmental Network, and the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (to name just a few!).

By engaging specifically with the event of COP26 and its themes, ‘Let’s Talk COP26’ strives to unpack a political decision-making process that lacks transparency and marginalises those experiencing the climate emergency first and worst. This event will tackle the key issues being discussed at COP26 so that we can take informed and effective youth action moving forward.

This event is free and open to young people aged 18-35 in Scotland and beyond. Sign up now!

https://hopin.com/events/2050-climate-group-summit

Cats Protection launches plan to improve feline welfare in Scotland

TIME IS MEOW campaign launches today

Cats Protection has welcomed ground-breaking new laws on animal welfare in Scotland but said more still needed to be done to help cats.

The charity says new licensing regulations which come into force today will help to stamp out rogue cat breeders who put profit before the welfare of kittens and cats.

Cats Protection’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland Alice Palombo said: “These new licensing laws have come at a time when we need them the most.

“Over the past 18 months of the pandemic, a combination of increased demand for kittens and restrictions on household visiting has created the perfect conditions for unscrupulous breeders to flourish.

“We’ve heard countless stories of how people have been duped into buying underage, poorly kittens which either haven’t survived or have needed costly veterinary care. It’s not just the kittens that suffer – behind closed doors there are many female cats forced to have litter after litter in poor welfare conditions.”

Under the new licensing laws, anyone breeding three or more litters of kittens in any 12-month period must be licensed, and female cats will be limited to having a maximum of two litters within a year.

Breeders will also be banned from breeding cats with extreme traits which can lead to health conditions, such as the Scottish Fold.

Erin Macqueen, 22, from Glasgow, had a devastating experience in March 2021 when the kitten she purchased for £250 turned out to be just five weeks old. The tiny kitten, named Frankie, died just a few weeks later from a condition believed to be related to its poor start in life.

Erin explained: “Frankie had been advertised as a male 12-week-old kitten. When I took Frankie to the vets, I was told she was actually a girl, and was in fact only five weeks old.

“Alarm bells had rung when the seller delivered her to me – she wasn’t even in a cat carrier, the seller just had her tucked under her coat. I could see straight away that Frankie was tiny, but by that point it’s just too heart-breaking to say no. I didn’t know what I’d be sending her back to.”

After becoming unwell, Frankie was diagnosed with untreatable Feline Infectious Peritonitis and had to be put to sleep, causing huge emotional distress to Erin and leaving her with a £750 vet bill.

She said: “It was the vet’s opinion that she developed this as a result of being bred in poor conditions, probably among many other cats and kittens.

“With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that Frankie had probably been one of many kittens just bred and sold to make a quick profit. In her last days of life, she suffered greatly, and it was a very stressful and emotional time.”

With the new laws coming into force today, Cats Protection is now launching its Time is Meow campaign to ask the Scottish Government to go further to help protect cats.

The five-point action plan details what is needed to continue to ensure cats are better protected in Scotland, including the introduction of compulsory microchipping for pet cats, a ban on snares, encouraging landlords to allow renters to own cats, inclusion of animal welfare in the National Curriculum and further work to tackle unscrupulous cat breeding.

Alice added: “Scotland is leading the way in the UK when it comes to regulating cat breeding and animal rescues. As well as these new licensing laws, Scotland also has strict laws on air gun licensing which helps protect cats from the random attacks we see in Wales and England.

“This is all great news, but there is always more to be done and we want to see Scotland go further.

“Our Time is Meow cat welfare action plan includes issues which will benefit people as well as cats – in particular, encouraging landlords to allow their tenants to own a cat. At a time when we’re all spending more time at home, pet ownership is vitally important to our wellbeing and for helping tackle loneliness.”

SHE Scotland introduce their new Circle Time programme

SHE Circle time – our primary school based programme is ready!

Circle workshops designed to support building confidence, self-esteem, developing positive relationships, and learning mindfulness techniques for girls in P4-P7.

http://shescotland.org.uk

Thorntons Solicitors launch charity Will campaign this month

Cash for Kids is expected to receive a five figure sum again this year from Thorntons Solicitors as the beneficiary of the firm’s Charity Wills Campaign.

Taking place across its offices in Fife, Dundee, Perth, Angus, Edinburgh and (for the first time in the campaign’s history) Glasgow, Thorntons won’t charge a fee for Wills written throughout September. Instead, the firm asks clients to make a fee equivalent donation to Cash for Kids.

Murray Etherington, Partner and Head of Wills, Trusts and Succession at Thorntons, said: “If you take part in our Charity Wills Campaign this September, you’ll not only be looking after your own future, but helping the most disadvantaged children in your area receive access to essential and life-changing funds.

“People may assume that they don’t need a Will. But if you own property, have savings, are responsible for children or other dependents, then you should put one in place. It’s also important keep any existing Wills up to date, and we have created an easy, eight step guide to lead customers throughout the process. 

“During the campaign clients can make their Will from the comfort and safety of their homes with consultations taking place virtually.”

Now in its 25th year, Thorntons’ Charity Wills Month has raised more than half a million pounds for Cash for Kids since it launched, supporting local children and organisations within the communities Thorntons operates. In 2020, Thorntons’ first virtual campaign raised £60,000 for the charity.

The suggested donation is £200 for a single Will and £250 for a couple making Wills together. Donations will go to the Cash for Kids fund closest to where the client lives, meaning children in their local area will directly benefit from any money raised.

Victoria Hendry, Cash For Kids Radio Forth Charity Manager, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Thorntons again on their Charity Wills initiative. To say this campaign has been a success over the years would be an understatement.

“Through Thorntons’ innovation, commitment and hard work – along with the generosity of their clients-  this campaign goes from strength to strength and supports more local children every year.

“When the pandemic hit, we wondered if Thorntons would be able to run this campaign. However, moving Charity Wills to virtual appointments worked brilliantly and we are so glad to be involved in this way again in 2021. We really are so delighted to be the beneficiary of this wonderful campaign and we cannot thank the team at Thorntons and their clients enough for their support.

“We have managed to help thousands of local children live a happier and fuller life thanks to Charity Wills month. We can’t wait to see it grow even more this year.”

Fuelling a greener future: E10 petrol now available at pumps

  • pumps up and down the country will now serve greener E10 petrol which could cut transport emissions by the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road each year
  • drivers can check to see if their vehicle is compatible, with E5 petrol remaining available for the minority of older vehicles which aren’t compatible
  • introduction will boost job opportunities in the north-east of England, making way for a green industrial revolution as we build back better and reduce our carbon footprint

Fuel pumps across Great Britain are now greener, with the introduction of E10 as the new standard grade of petrol, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced today (1 September 2021).

Over 95% of all petrol vehicles are compatible with E10, with the small number of older vehicles, including classic cars and some from the early 2000s, still able to access E5 petrol in the ‘Super’ grade. Motorists should use the government’s free online E10 checker to see if their vehicle is compatible.

E10 will not be more expensive at the pump than current standard petrol. Although using E10 petrol can marginally impact fuel economy – generally around 1% – this will be almost unnoticeable to most drivers when making every day journeys.

E10 petrol – which is blended with up to 10% renewable ethanol and made up of materials such as low-grade grains, sugars and waste wood, making it greener than existing petrol – could cut transport CO2 emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year, which is the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off of UK roads. The move will help us reach our climate change goals as we prepare to host COP26 this November and makes it easier for people across the country to switch to greener lifestyles.

The E10 rollout this month will also support the increased production of biofuels at bioethanol plants in the north-east of England. Not only will this boost job opportunities in the local area, with the 2 big plants providing around 200 skilled jobs directly, it will also support thousands in the wider local economy including in the agriculture sector that supply the feed-wheat needed to run the plant.

This will help to build a new green economy, revitalising our industrial heartlands and supporting the UK’s wider bioeconomy as we build back greener from the pandemic.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Every journey matters as we drive forward the green industrial revolution, which is why the rollout of E10 is so important. It’ll help us cut road greenhouse gas emissions and meet our ambitious net zero targets.

“Although more and more drivers are switching to electric, there are steps we can take today to reduce emissions from the millions of vehicles already on our roads – the small switch to E10 petrol will reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we accelerate towards a greener transport future.

Edmund King OBE, AA president, said: “This is a positive and simple step to help reduce the carbon impact from road transport. While the vast majority of vehicles will be unaffected by the change, it is important for owners of older cars to use the government’s vehicle checker to see if they can use E10.

“Even if E10 is put in a non-compliant vehicle, drivers should not panic and can simply put super unleaded in their tank at the next available opportunity.”

‘Operation Warm Welcome’ underway to support Afghan arrivals in the UK

Arrivals under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy will be given immediate indefinite leave to remain, alongside funding for school places and healthcare

A significant cross-government effort, dubbed ‘Operation Warm Welcome’, is underway to ensure Afghans arriving in the UK receive the vital support they need to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate into their local communities.

As part of the New Plan for Immigration, the government announced that those coming to the UK through resettlement routes would receive immediate indefinite leave to remain, and today (September 1) the Home Secretary has announced that this will apply to Afghans who worked closely with the British military and UK Government in Afghanistan, and risked their lives in doing so, meaning they can now stay in the UK without any time restrictions.

People already relocated to the UK under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) will be able to apply free of charge to convert their temporary leave into indefinite leave. This will give Afghans the certainty and stability to rebuild their lives with unrestricted rights to work and the option to apply for British citizenship in the future.

To give children and young adults the best start in life the government is making at least £12 million available to prioritise additional school places so children can be enrolled as soon as possible, and to provide school transport, specialist teachers and English language support to assist with learning.

Further funding will be provided for up to 300 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for Afghans at UK universities and adults will also be able to access English language courses free of charge. While many will speak English through their work with the UK Government and British Forces, and as translators, language classes will ensure all their family members can fully integrate into their local communities.

Families who need support navigating the system will also have access to liaison officers who can work with local authorities to help them get set up with a GP, National Insurance number, school place, accommodation and more tailored support, as required.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We owe an immense debt to those who worked with the Armed Forces in Afghanistan and I am determined that we give them and their families the support they need to rebuild their lives here in the UK.

“I know this will be an incredibly daunting time, but I hope they will take heart from the wave of support and generosity already expressed by the British public.”

The support for Afghan arrivals follows the largest and most complex evacuation in living memory. It includes:

  • £3 million of additional NHS funding so that Afghans arriving under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme can access healthcare and register with a GP once they leave quarantine;
  • all are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine and so far more than 700 arrivals under the ARAP scheme have left quarantine and received their first vaccination, with more leaving and receiving a jab each day;
  • £5 million funding for councils in England, Wales and Scotland to support Afghans coming to the UK via the ARAP scheme and provide a top up to help meet the costs of renting properties;
  • the government is already working with more than 100 councils across the UK to meet the demand for housing, with over 2,000 places already confirmed;
  • the Communities Secretary will convene a roundtable with council leaders from across the country in the coming days;
  • to harness the generosity of the British public and make sure those who want to help know where to turn we will launch an online portal to allow people to submit offers of support for people arriving from Afghanistan;
  • this portal is already available to submit offers of housing and work is now underway to expand this to further offers, such as job opportunities, professional skills training or donations of items like clothes or toys; and
  • £200 million has been committed to meet the cost of the first year of the Afghanistan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, which aims to welcome up to 20,000 Afghans.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “We owe a great deal to the brave Afghans who worked alongside us and we want to make sure they have certainty and stability to be able to thrive in the UK.

“As part of the New Plan for Immigration, I committed to providing refugees who make their home here the ability to rebuild their lives in the UK with essential support to integrate into the community, learn English, and become self-sufficient.

“By providing immediate indefinite leave to remain we are ensuring that those who have fled their homes have every opportunity to look to the future with stability and security and make a success of their new life in the UK.

Afghan Resettlement Minister Victoria Atkins said: Operation Warm Welcome is a huge effort across government to make sure that those fleeing Afghanistan are able to make a success of a new life in the UK.

“The stability of indefinite leave, the security of access to healthcare and the opportunity of education are the foundation upon which those resettled to the UK can build.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “This support package will help Afghan evacuees start a new life in the UK and I’m proud we are providing £3 million to ensure they receive the healthcare they need.

“This includes access to prescriptions, wound care and dressings, maternity care, mental health support and screening for infectious diseases. We will also offer the protection of a COVID-19 vaccination as they settle and rebuild.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will face Westminister’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee today to answer questions over the evacuation programme.

FREE FISH AND CHIPS!

Porty chippy hosts a beach clean to tackle waste

St Andrews Takeaway in Portobello has teamed up with Love Seafood and community group, Keep Porty Tidy, to help combat beach plastic pollution by offering free portions of fish and chips on Saturday 4 September. 

Thirty-five portions of fish and chips are up for grabs for beachcombers, who will be able to swap their collected litter for a portion of fish and chips. The pay with plastic day kicks off at the popular beachside takeaway from [insert time].

After a scorcher summer, people have been enjoying Portobello’s award-winning beach more than ever but unfortunately many are still leaving behind their litter. The plastic payment initiative follows a recent report from Marine Scotland which revealed that, on average, 500,000 pieces of plastic litter can be found on Scottish east coast beaches at any one time.

St Andrews Takeaway has partnered with Love Seafood, who is on a mission to inspire the nation to fall in love with seafood and what better way than to create a cleaner, safer shoreline. Keep Porty Tidy is a volunteer group tackling litter through community action in Portobello and will be on hand on the day to support with equipment and advice on picking litter safely and efficiently.

Chris MacRae, Marketing Manager for St Andrews Takeaway, said: “There’s no better way to celebrate the end of summer than with a hearty portion of fish and chips, but that shouldn’t come at a cost to our local environment. Our partnership with Love Seafood is a welcome step in our fight against beach waste.

“The local community’s commitment to keeping Portobello a litter-free zone has been outstanding. However, as more people use the beach, more effort is needed to keep it clean. We look forward to boosting our pool of litter warriors through the scheme and welcoming them through our doors for a well-deserved seaside treat.”

Naomi McCann, Marketing Manager for Love Seafood said: “Keeping our coastal communities clean, tidy and litter free is the responsibility of all beach users. Not only is littering unsightly and costly to clean up, but it also poses a threat to local people, wildlife and marine ecosystems.

“The current support from St Andrews Takeaway for Keep Porty Tidy is helping to reduce the amount of litter on Portobello’s magnificent beach and we look forward to working with them to reward hard working volunteers this Saturday with a classic seaside staple – delicious fish and chips!”

Find your Olympic spirit and up your fitness game

Edinburgh Leisure launches new membership campaign

If the recent Olympics and Paralympics happening in Tokyo have inspired you to up your fitness game, Edinburgh Leisure’s latest membership offer may be just what you need to spur you on.

For those of you who may have neglected your fitness routine during lockdown, or for those who may have cancelled their gym memberships in a bid to save a few pounds but want to get active again, the enticing ‘no joining fee’ offer is available on new memberships from Wednesday, 1 September to Thursday, 30 September 2021.

Applicable to all fitness, swim, gym, class and climb memberships, the offer can be bought online via the Edinburgh Leisure website.

And if you want to share your fitness journey with a friend, existing members who refer a friend who then joins, will receive £25 cash back. For the first time, the ‘Refer a Friend’ offer will be processed using an online form.

With 50+ venues across the city, including a world class climbing centre; 8 swimming pools, which include four modernised Victorian pools and the Royal Commonwealth Pool in their portfolio; 12 state-of-the-art gyms; and 800+ fitness classes per week including Les Mills programmes across the various centres, Edinburgh Leisure is the biggest club in town, with something for everyone to enjoy moving and getting fitter.

With adult memberships starting from as little as £33.50, there is a range of packages, including swim, fitness, gym and climbing.

www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

MSP urges UK Government to house Afghan refugees in empty MoD homes at Redford Barracks

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald, is urging the UK Government to use the 160 unused homes, formerly used as accommodation for MoD staff, to house refugees fleeing the situation in Afghanistan.

Edinburgh Council leader, Adam McVey, recently wrote to the UK Government calling for an increase in the number of Afghan refugees the UK should be welcoming and Gordon MacDonald has said “there is a clear opportunity here to use the empty MoD houses to house these refugee families in the Capital.”

The homes, which are mostly situated around Redford Barracks, have been left empty for numerous years and the local MSP has repeatedly called for action to bring this vacant housing into use. MacDonald has said “it’s not right that these homes lie empty and it is in the gift of the UK government to put them to good use.”

Earlier this year it was revealed that nearly 11,000 MoD homes were empty across the UK, with 900 unused in Scotland.

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald, said: “For years now, I have been doing everything I can to get the empty MoD homes in my constituency – and right across Scotland – to be used to help people whose lives would benefit immensely from being housed in the properties.

“Yet again, we see another example where the UK government could make the most of the hundreds of empty properties across our country.  

“The situation in Afghanistan is truly horrific. The refugees are fleeing a horrific situation and we need to be doing everything we can to accept our responsibility and help those who arrive in this country.

“In Edinburgh, we are ready to accept and welcome Afghan families – and as we currently have around 160 homes that are still owned by the MoD but no one has lived in them for at least five years, it seems like a missed opportunity to not use this housing to house refugees in safe and warm homes where they can start to rebuild their lives.

“Boris Johnson should commit to maximising these unused sites like the one at Redford Barracks to allow the UK to take in more refugees, who have had their lives turned upside down, and take responsibility for the situation.”