Platinum Jubilee Medal revealed

Culture Secretary unveils design of medal for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

  • Design features portrait of Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Crest
  • Medal will be awarded to serving frontline members of the police, fire, emergency services, prison services and Armed Forces with five years service as part of four-day commemorations taking place next year

The design of the medal awarded to a number of front line emergency workers to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year has been unveiled.

The medal, which has been designed by Timothy Noad of the College of Arms, will be awarded to individual George and Victoria Cross recipients and serving members of the Armed Forces and emergency services, among others, and acts as a token of the nation’s thanks to those who diligently serve the public.

The medal, which is made of nickel silver, features an image of The Queen with the Latin inscription ‘Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fid Def’ which stands for ‘Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith’.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a wonderful opportunity to recognise the dedication and service of those who, like the Queen, tirelessly serve our country.

From the troops who serve overseas to the emergency services workers at home who run towards danger when others would flee, we are honoured to have such dedicated and professional public servants who keep us safe.

“2022 is an opportunity for us to come together as a nation to celebrate and say thank you to Her Majesty and all those who work so hard to make Britain Great.”

The history of awarding medals to mark Royal Jubilee’s dates back to the Victorian period when the first medal was awarded to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Those who will receive the medal for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are:

  • Serving members of the Armed Forces that have completed five full calendar years of service on 6 February 2022.
  • Frontline emergency services personnel that have been in paid service, retained or in a voluntary capacity, dealing with emergencies as part of their conditions of service, and have completed five full calendar years of service on 6 February 2022.
  • Prison services personnel who are publicly employed and are regularly exposed to difficult and sometimes emergency situations that have completed five full calendar years of service on 6 February 2022.
  • Members of the Royal Household with one year of qualifying service.
  • Living individual recipients of the George Cross.
  • Living individual recipients of the Victoria Cross.

2022 will be a blockbuster year of celebrations with plans to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a four-day Bank Holiday weekend from 2 – 5 June which includes Trooping the Colour, the lighting of beacons, a Service of Thanksgiving, a concert, Platinum Pageant and nation-wide street parties.

As well as celebrating 70 years of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign, Britain will host the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the Festival 2022, which will celebrate the cross collaboration of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths sectors.

The government has also launched its Platinum Jubilee website which includes an interactive map for people and organisations to contribute to and search for information on events and activities taking place near to them.

Views sought on the best way to introduce ‘Anne’s Law’

The public are to be asked for their views on the best way to support people who live in adult care homes to maintain connections with family and friends.

A five-week consultation is to be held on introducing Anne’s Law – to ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to be able to have direct contact with people who are important to them in order to support their health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government is seeking to explore a range of legal and practical considerations in order to make sure  any changes brought in are effective. These include how the new legislation will affect the competing rights and needs of others, including other care home residents and staff.

The consultation follows a commitment made by the Scottish Government in the Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22, which was launched on 7 September, to deliver Anne’s Law. It builds on a  programme of work to enable people living in adult care homes to maintain family and friendship connections.

This includes strengthening the Health and Social Care Standards and a consultation was launched on 16 September seeking views on ways to do this.

Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Social connections and meaningful activity are important for the wellbeing and quality of life of people living in adult care homes. For many residents, family members or friends also play a vital role in their care, complementing the support provided by care home staff.

“The Scottish Government is committed to bringing in Anne’s Law to  ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to see and spend time with those who are important to them.

“It is important that we hear views and suggestions on the proposals to achieve this so that we do it in the best possible way.  We want to hear from as many people as possible to help shape the proposals – including people who live in adult care homes, their families and friends, care home providers and staff and a wide range of other stakeholders.”

Anne’s Law is named after Anne Duke who lives in a care home in South Lanarkshire.

Anne’s daughter Natasha Hamilton, from Care Home Relatives Scotland, said: “We are very pleased to hear that the consultation for Anne’s Law is getting underway. The pandemic has caused great suffering for residents and relatives and has really taken its toll on people’s mental and physical wellbeing.

“We have always believed that even during outbreaks, nominated carers such as husbands, wives, parents , sons and daughters should be enabled to spend time with their loved ones just as staff do.

“We sincerely hope legislation can be enacted that recognises the importance of family life for people in care and the need for personal connection and touch.”

 Anne’s Law: proposals for adults living in care homes to maintain family and friendship connections  – Scottish Government – Citizen Space (consult.gov.scot)

St James Quarter announces partnership with two city charities

St James Quarter is proud to announce its partnership with two Edinburgh charities, Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids and Deaf Action. Through the partnership, St James Quarter aims to raise over £100,000 in the next 12 months, improving the lives of disadvantaged children or those who are deaf or hard of hearing in the local community.  

Over the next year, St James Quarter aims to raise the equivalent of 1p per visitor to The Quarter through a host of staff and guest initiatives.

Through the partnership with Deaf Action, St James Quarter is committed to becoming the world’s first cultural and lifestyle hub which is fully inclusive and accessible to deaf visitors.

There are 75,000 deaf and hard of hearing people living within 1 hour of St James Quarter, so together, the partnership aims to raise deaf awareness, celebrate deaf culture, and equip those at St James Quarter with the skills they need to offer a truly welcoming and inclusive experience for all.

Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids is a local charity based in Edinburgh. Everything raised locally, stays locally. The partnership with St James Quarter will help to raise vital funds to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in the local Edinburgh community who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect and additional needs.

The collaboration comes at a crucial stage for Cash For Kids who have supported over 10,000 local families who have been hardest-hit by the pandemic by providing the basic essentials such as food, toiletries, clothing and electricity.

Nick Peel, Managing Director for St James Quarter, said“St James Quarter sits at the heart of the Edinburgh community, and we distil this ethos through everything we do.

“We’ve been truly inspired by the incredible work Deaf Action and Cash For Kids do and we’re really proud to play our part in supporting them over the next 12 months.”

Victoria Hendry, Charity manager at Radio Forth Cash for Kids, said: “We’re thrilled to have been chosen as a charity partner of St James Quarter. Being a local charity supporting children and young people right on our doorstep, we’re so passionate about creating strong partnerships with local brands and with St James Quarter being such a staple destination in the city we couldn’t think of a better fit.

“We are really looking forward to working with them over the coming months on innovative and creative events and campaigns to enable us to support events more local children in and around Edinburgh.”

Philip Gerrard, CEO of Deaf Action, said: “Deaf Action is honoured to be one of the first official charity partners for St James Quarter for the year ahead. With 1 in 5 people in Scotland being affected by hearing loss, this is an amazing opportunity to raise the profile of deafness across the country.

“As we work with the team at St James Quarter to improve accessibility, we can help them become the UK’s first fully inclusive lifestyle hub where the deaf community feel welcome.”

Edinburgh Multicultural Festival to showcase capital’s diverse cultures through creative arts

Edinburgh Multicultural Festival, funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, promotes local and international multicultural artists.

It engages local audiences through music, dance, poetry, storytelling and visual arts that represent Edinburgh’s diverse cultures, including African, Asian and Eastern European.

The aim of the festival is to better engage local, both BAME and indigenous, residents with local multicultural arts provision as well as promote diversity through shared experiences.

It is also to create a platform for BAME artists to share their talent, culture and artistic endeavours with other local artists and local audiences. It is seen as a unique opportunity for multicultural artists based in Edinburgh to share stages and experiences as well as encourage greater collaboration across arts disciplines.

The festival takes place across different venues in the North of Edinburgh, which is recognised as one of the most diverse areas in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Multicultural Festival is produced by African Connections CIC is a community interest company based in Scotland. It provides benefit to African and UK-based artists and communities as well as African and UK-based arts and culture groups and organisations.

African Connections CIC celebrates diversity and creates connections between African and other communities by means of sharing cultures, creative ideas, skills and experiences.

The company plans to establish information, guidance, events and trading centres showcasing quality African products and creatives productions with the aim of creating opportunities for all communities in Scotland and beyond to share and engage in cultural experiences.

The Grand Reveal Part 1 | Literary and Visual Art

1 October 2021 | granton:hub

Join us for an art exhibition featuring the work of Harriet Mould, Jose Luis Cote and Kate Soltan and creative writing and visual literacy workshops.

12:00-13:30 The Land of Punt: Reading and Creative Writing Workshop with Joan Hephzibah and Ebony Pollard (ages 7-12)

13:45-15:30 Imagination in Motion: Visual Literacy Workshop with Kate Soltan and Magda Adamow (all ages)

16:00-17:00 Person Behind Picture: Exhibition and Panel Discussion with Visual Artists Harriet Mould, Jose Luis Cote and Kate Soltan (all ages)

All events are free but ticketed.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/edinburgh-multicultural…

The Grand Reveal Part 2: Edinburgh Multicultural Festival LIVE!

Programme 2 OCTOBER 2021: DANCE, POETRY AND NEW WRITING FOR STAGE & FILM – PASS

Acting, Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre & Costume for Stage (PASS) Theatre at Edinburgh College (Granton Campus) will be home to exciting dance, theatre, poetry and stand-up comedy work presented by Scotland-based diverse artists on 2 October 2021.

With this programme we would like to present the work of artists at different stages of their creative careers and promote collaboration and exchange of skills and practice. Join us for three showcase events with the focus on DANCE, POETRY and NEW WRITING for THEATRE, FILM and STAND-UP featuring Divine Tasinda, Tuflamencoo with Inma Montero and Danielo Olivera, Fronteiras Theatre Lab, Lubna Kerr, Sean Wai Keung and Jinling Wu, and Raheema Sayed.

The Grand Reveal Part 3: Edinburgh Multicultural Festival LIVE!

Programme 3 OCTOBER 2021: MUSIC

Starbank Park nestled in the Newhaven Harbour area of Edinburgh will be a stage for Scotland’s diverse MUSIC stars on 3 October 2021!

Let’s celebrate the festival finale day with intimate instrumental music experiences and big band and sound performances on the main stage.

The Edinburgh Multicultural Festival is delighted to present Mio Shudo, Alec Cooper and Roo Geddes followed by The Spinning Blowfish, Mother All Mighty, Los Chichanos and Shona the Musical Choir.

12:00 – 13:30 Musical Musings feat. instrumental music performed by harpist Mio Shudo, sitarist Alec Cooper and fiddler Roo Geddes will soothe your soul and take you on a journey into the sounds and stories of sea-bound people of Japan, South Asia and Ireland. [Entrance: Upper Grounds at Laverockbank Road]

14:00 – 19:00 StarDome21: Edinburgh Multicultural Festival Finale at Starbank Park with big bands and bigger sound. The Spinning Blowfish, Mother All Mighty, Los Chichanos and Shona the Musical – Band and Choir will grace the StarDome21 Finale Stage with an eclectic mix of Trad and Folk to Neo Soul / Hip Hop / R’n’B.

From Africa to South America, and back to Scotland, the finale concert will satisfy your music buds and fill your heart with joy. Not all goodbyes should be sad! [Entrance: Lower Grounds at Starbank Road]

Book your tickets in advance!https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…

Police appeal following oxygen cyclinder theft in Pennywell

Officers in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses after the theft of two oxygen cylinders from a North Edinburgh medical centre. The cylinders were removed after entry was forced to a lock external cage outside the Pennywell All Care Centre premises on Pennywell Gardens.

The incident happened around 8.45pm on Sunday, 19 September and was reported to police on Tuesday, 21 September.

Inspector Jonny Elliot said: “Our enquiries into this incident are ongoing and I would urge anyone who may have information to get in touch.

“If anyone finds these cylinders then I would ask people not to touch them or try to move them but phone us and give their location as promptly as possible.

“Anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident 0687 of 21 September, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

International Travel: Scotland aligns with UK testing regime

we have reluctantly concluded that, for practical reasons, alignment with the UK is the best option” – Michael Matheson

Testing for inbound international travel is to be eased and will align with the UK following consideration of the logistical, health and economic implications, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson confirmed yesterday.

Pre-departure tests for fully vaccinated travellers will be removed. Travellers from non-red list countries who have been fully vaccinated in a country that meets recognised standards of certifications will no longer be required to provide evidence of a negative test result before they can travel to Scotland. 

For practical purposes, Scotland will also align with the UK post-arrival testing regime. Details for the UK are still being finalised and we will continue to engage with the UK Government ahead of confirmation as soon as possible.

Separately, in consultation with Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Government will consider how additional safeguards and surveillance of inward travel can be implemented to guard against the importation of new variants. This will be at no cost to travellers. Details will be set out in due course.

Last week, the Scottish Government announced how restrictions put in place to protect public health have been substantially revised to make travel simpler, with green and amber classifications merged while the red list is retained for those countries deemed to have high COVID19 case rates or variants of concern. 

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “We have concerns that the UK Government’s proposals to remove the requirement for a pre-departure test for some travellers could weaken our ability to protect the public health of Scotland’s communities.

“However, we also recognise that not having UK wide alignment causes significant practical problems and creates disadvantages for Scottish businesses. Also, if non alignment led to travellers to Scotland choosing to route through airports elsewhere in the UK, the public health benefits of testing would be undermined in any event.

“We have urgently considered all these implications, weighing any possible impact on the public health and the logistical realities.

After liaising at length with stakeholders from the aviation sector to understand the impact of adopting a different approach in Scotland, we have reluctantly concluded that, for practical reasons, alignment with the UK is the best option.

“The new proposals make clear pre-departure tests will no longer be a requirement. We also intend to align with the UK post-arrival testing regime. The detail of that is still being developed with lateral flow tests being considered and we will engage further with the UK Government on those plans. Details will be announced at the same time as the UK.

“Lastly, the importance of guarding against new variants entering the country can’t be ignored. We will therefore be considering, with Public Health Scotland, the implementation of additional public health surveillance around international travel. We would intend this to be at no cost to travellers.”

The traffic light system of checks for international travel put in place to protect the public health comes to an end on 4 October.

What are Low Emission Zones? Car insurance expert explains all

The brand new ​​E10 fuel has been introduced in the UK, designed to cut CO2 emissions by quite a considerable amount, however, it still won’t affect whether cars have to pay an emissions tax.

Recently, Google Maps introduced notifications to drivers hat they’re about to enter a low-emission zone that could incur a hefty fine.

Several major cities in the UK have schemes in place, but where the zones begin is often unclear – and can catch drivers out. Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com explains what they are, where they are, and how you can avoid an accidental fine. 

What are Low Emission Zones (LEZ) or Clean Air Zones (CAZ)?

A Low Emission Zone (LEZ), or Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is put in place with the aim of reducing pollution levels and to improve air quality in the area – usually towns and cities. 

In most cases, you’ll only pay to travel through these zones if your vehicle doesn’t meet minimum emissions standards. If you don’t pay the fee, you may have to pay a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). 

Why do we have Low Emission Zones (LEZ) or Clean Air Zones (CAZ)?

The latest IPCC report has been named a ‘code red for humanity’, meaning our attempts to tackle CO2 emissions are vital in order to keep the rise in global temperatures well below 1.5C in the next century.

The report shows that humanity emits approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. 

With such high numbers, the IPCC report authors believe we are destined to hit a global temperature increase of 1.5C by 2040 if emissions aren’t slashed in upcoming years, highlighting the importance of measures such as Low Emission Zones. 

Will my vehicle trigger a fine? 

Most fees apply to diesels built before September 2015. Usually these vehicles don’t meet emissions standards and in some cases the fees don’t apply to petrol cars built after January 2006. 

Which cities are creating Low Emission Zones?

Birmingham, London, Oxford, Bristol and Scotland are all planning to have Low Emission Zones (LEZ) or Clean Air Zones (CAZ) in the near future. 

Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone

On 1 June 2021, Birmingham launched its Clean Air Zone. It’ll operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

You can enter the zone with no charge if your vehicle is one of the following:  

  • A moped or a motorcycle
  • A diesel vehicle minimum standard Euro 6A 
  • A petrol vehicle minimum standard Euro 4
  • A vehicle with zero emissions (electric, hydrogen)
  • A low emissions vehicle 

You can check your vehicle here

The charge: 

  • Cars that don’t meet emissions standards will pay £8 per day. 
  • Residents with a car registered within the CAZ will be exempt from the charge for two years. 

Support available: 

  • The Birmingham local authority has support available to help people adjust to the CAZ. For example, a £1,000 mobility credit or £2000 scrappage scheme.

London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is in central London within the same area of the congestion charge zone and it covers all vehicles that don’t meet emissions standards.

In 2020, they announced that the ULEZ would extend to create a single larger zone bounded by the North Circular Road (A406) and South Circular Road (A205).

The charge: 

If your vehicle doesn’t meet the emissions standards, then you’ll receive a daily fee. This can be up to £200 for some vehicles. 

Is my vehicle exempt?

Check if your vehicle meets emissions standards on the Transport for London website here.  

Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone

Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone will now run in summer this year. The zone will cover five streets in the centre of Oxford to begin with and a larger Green Zone will expand and cover the rest of the city centre. 

You can enter the zone with no charge if your vehicle is one of the following:  

  • A cars that emits 50 g of CO2/km and can drive 70 miles without any emissions 
  • A van that emits less than 75 g of CO2/km and can drive 10 miles without any emissions
  • Motorcycles and mopeds that don’t emit any CO2

The charge: 

  • Vehicles that don’t meet emissions standards will face a charge of £10 between the hours of 7am and 7pm. 
  • There’ll be a discount for blue badge holders until December 2024. 
  • Oxford residents will receive a 90% discount until 2030.

Bristol’s Clean Air Zone

According to Bristol.gov.uk, 71% of vehicles in Bristol are already compliant and so only a minority of vehicles driving in the CAZ could be charged. The scheme implemented in Bristol is exactly the same as the one in Birmingham, which means you can use the tool here to check your vehicle’s registration.  

You can enter the zone with no charge if your vehicle is one of the following:  

  • A moped or a motorcycle
  • A diesel vehicle minimum standard Euro 6A 
  • A petrol vehicle minimum standard Euro 4
  • A vehicle with zero emissions (electric, hydrogen)
  • A low emissions vehicle 

The charges: 

Non-compliant vehicles would only be charged once in each 24-hour period, and they would apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

  • Private petrol cars: £9 per day
  • Private diesel cars: £9 per day
  • Taxis: £9 per day
  • LGVs: £9 per day
  • HGVs: £100 per day
  • Buses: £100 per day
  • Coaches: £100 per day

Scotland’s Low Emission Zones

LEZs were proposed for Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow but these plans have been delayed due to coronavirus. All being well, the zones should go ahead between February and May 2022.

Edinburgh’s plans

The Edinburgh LEZ will apply to the city centre for all vehicles that don’t meet emissions standards. 

Glasgow’s plans

Glasgow introduced a LEZ in 2018, but it only applies to local service buses. In 2022 it’ll apply to all vehicles entering the zone that don’t meet emissions standards.

Aberdeen’s plans

Currently Aberdeen are still consulting the public on their Low Emission Zone, but more progress will be made this year. 

Dundee’s plans

Dundee’s low emission zone should be implemented between February and May 2022. It will apply to all vehicles that don’t meet emissions standards.

Worried about getting an accidental fine for driving into a low emission zone? Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com has provided these three tips for motorists to ensure they don’t get a hefty bill in the post: 

  1. Upgrade to a low-emissions vehicle using a manufacturer scrappage scheme to help with the cost

“Upgrading to a newer vehicle that meets the standards could mean opting for an electric vehicle. The government no longer runs an official scrappage scheme to encourage drivers to upgrade to a low-emission vehicle, but many car manufacturers do, including Citroen, Dacia, Hyundai, Kia, Renault and Toyota. 

  1. Consider retrofitting your current vehicle, but this can be costly

“Some older vehicles may be able to be retrofitted with emissions reduction technology such as selective catalytic reduction (which reduces NOx emissions) or even converting the vehicle to electric power. 

“But any retrofitting would have to be approved. If you’re able to show a booking with a CVRAS-approved fitter or an approved retrofit solution, you get a three-month grace period and might not have to pay the LEZ driving charge if driving in the zone

  1. Use Google Maps as your SatNav

“Google Maps will now notify drivers that they’re about to enter a low-emission zone that could incur a hefty fine. So if you’re driving in one of the areas that has emission zones in place, it’s worth having this installed and working to alert you if you’re close to a zone.“

Celebrate the magic of the Harvest Moon at The Ivy on the Square with Johnnie Walker

As the nights draw in and the leaves begin to turn, The Ivy on the Square will celebrate the change of the season and the arrival of the autumn equinox with a ‘Harvest Moon’ themed installation, a seasonal cocktail menu carefully crafted with Johnnie Walker and an enticing new dessert.

Launched yesterday, The Ivy on the Square will mark Harvest traditions that have been celebrated by Britons for centuries with a new installation featuring an abundance of oversized vegetables and dried flowers, with touches of The Ivy on the Square glamour and theatre throughout the restaurant.

A new seasonal cocktail menu launched in partnership with Johnnie Walker includes the Smashing Pumpkin (£10.85), featuring sweet and smoky Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, pumpkin purée, lemon juice, and topped with ginger ale, for that truly autumnal feel, and The Perfect Pear (£11.50), complete with Johnnie Walker Black Label, xante pear cognac, pear puree, cinnamon syrup, egg white, and aromatic bitters. 

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                  Smashing Pumpkin                                             The Perfect Pair

Additional new cocktails on the limited-edition menu include Thyme for Harvest (£11.75) containing Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, Beet it juice, lemon juice, and sugar syrup topped with ginger beer, and the decadent Foraged Boulevardier (£11.50), complete with Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, apple infused Mancino cherry Vermouth, and Aperol.

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               Thyme for Harvest                                              The Foraged Boulevardier

For those with a sweet tooth, a showstopping new dessert, Hazelnut praline parfait (£10.95), will go down a treat. Complete with crushed pistachio, a rich dark chocolate mousse, and a whisky infused caramel sauce to help guests celebrate the age-old Harvest Moon traditions in style.

Hazelnut praline parfait

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The ‘Harvest Moon’ will run from Thursday 23 September to Sunday, 24 October. To book visit www.theivycedinburgh.com.

Charity’s child surgery work creates £1bn of economic benefit

A Scottish-based charity that provides dedicated, specialist facilities and equipment for children’s surgery in low-income countries is today celebrating a significant landmark.

Since its inception in 2018, the work of Kids Operating Room (KidsOR) has given more than 43,000 children access to life-changing or life-saving surgery. Today, KidsOR has announced that the economic benefit of these operations has broken the £1 BILLION mark!

Through independent research, the charity has calculated that a child undergoing an operation in one of its Operating Rooms in Africa or Latin America is projected to go on to contribute an average of £26,000 in additional GDP in the years to come.

David Cunningham, CEO of KidsOR, said: “When a child has a lifesaving operation, or an operation that cures a simple condition like incontinence, that allows the child to stay in school and grow up to contribute to their nation’s economy, we can calculate what the economic benefit to that country was of the child surviving or being able to go to school.

“A core part of our mission is to produce the evidence desperately needed to show that providing surgical care is one of the most impactful investments you can make in global health.

“At KidsOR, we rely on academic partners to conduct independent research to evaluate the impact of our work. For every operation performed in one of our partner hospitals, a local data collector records key data about the operation and its outcomes, as well as its impact on the child and their family.

David Cunningham added: “With all of that in mind, we are delighted to have reached the incredible landmark of £1 billion in economic benefit generated for our partner nations. But our work will not stop here, and we are already working to create many more Operating Rooms and to train many more local surgeons in countries where they are needed the most.”

KidsOR is a Scottish global health charity with bases in Edinburgh, Dundee and Nairobi. It works directly with local surgeons and their teams across Africa and South America to transform hospital spaces into dedicated Operating Rooms for children’s surgery, creating child-friendly surroundings and providing surgeons with the specialist equipment and training they need to care for their nation’s children.

Since 2018, the charity has created the capacity for more than 41,000 operations to be carried out.

A single operation taking place in a KidsOR Operating Room is estimated to prevent an average of 17.1 years of life lost due to disability or premature death. This is the key metric used by the World Health Organisation to assess the global burden of disease.

Lorna Slater: Greens £1.8 Billion pledge crucial as gas prices surge

Vital plans to invest at least £1.8 billion to make buildings in Scotland net zero were endorsed by parliament this week, just as gas prices surge, threatening to push many more families across the country into fuel poverty. 

Figures show that a quarter of households in Scotland are already considered to be in fuel poverty. Scottish Greens Lothian MSP Lorna Slater has said that as well as the need to tackle the immediate problem, the issue shows that the requirement to lower Scotland’s climate emissions goes hand in hand with tackling fuel poverty.

Scottish Greens co-leader and Lothian MSP Lorna Slater said: “The surge in gas prices is a real concern to so many people who rely on fossil fuels to heat their homes, and, yet again, demonstrates why we must end our dependency on volatile, unreliable and climate-destroying fossil fuels. 

“That’s why we are accelerating plans to make homes across Scotland more efficient and to switch from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives. To support this, we will invest at least £1.8bn over the next five years. 

“It has been galling to see Boris Johnson preach climate responsibility on the world stage while his government is forcing families into poverty in Lothian and beyond. All the while he is doing nothing to decarbonise heating and transport.  

“We don’t have time for this kind of reckless approach, which is why, with Greens in government, Scotland will take a different path.”