The shower scene from Psycho has been named the most iconic horror movie moment
The Shining and The Exorcist also appear in the top three
Ahead of Halloween this weekend, horror movie fans have named the iconic shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller, Psycho, as the most iconic horror moment of all time meaning that the old classics still stand the test of time.
The study, conducted by Gala Spins, asked 2,000 horror movie fanatics to name which scenes they find the most memorable, with over a quarter (27%) rating the murder of Marion Crane in the shower as their most memorable scene.
Brits prefer classic scary movies over their newer counterparts, with all the top five released in 1980’s or earlier.
Horror Movie
Scene
Where to watch
1) Psycho 2) The Shining 3) The Exorcist 4) Alien 5) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 6) The Blair Witch Project 7) The Ring 8) Jaws 9) Paranormal Activity 10) Halloween
1The shower scene 2″Here’s Johnny” 3Head spinning moment 4Chest bursting scene 5Leatherface introduction 6Final scene in the basement TV scene Body floating up from the water Stood by the bed Closet scene
Ranking fourth, Alien is the highest rated non-horror film, with the famous chest bursting scene ranking above horror classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (fifth) and Halloween (tenth).
The rankings changed depending on both age and gender, with men naming the chilling “Here’s Johnny” moment from The Shining (28%) as their most iconic scene, whilst women chose Psycho’s shower scene (27%).
Top five most iconic horror movie moments for men
The Shining – “Here’s Johnny”
Psycho – Shower
Alien – Chest bursting scene
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – Leatherface introduction
The Exorcist – Head spinning moment
Top five most iconic horror movie moments for women
Psycho – Shower
The Exorcist – Head spinning moment
The Shining – “Here’s Johnny”
Alien – Chest bursting scene
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – Leatherface introduction
The “Here’s Johnny” scene from The Shining was commonly chosen as the most iconic
Thousands of children in Zambia now have better access to safe surgery with the opening of six new paediatric Operating Rooms courtesy of global health charity Kids Operating Room (KidsOR).
KidsOR, a Scottish global charity with bases in Edinburgh, Dundee and Nairobi, works to ensure that all children around the world have access to safe surgery. The charity also funds training of paediatric surgeons and anaesthesia providers, and estimates that more than 43,000 children have accessed life-changing or life-saving care via one of the 35 Operating Rooms they have installed since 2018.
The six new Operating Rooms in Zambia are located at University Teaching Hospital (UTH), in Lusaka, and in Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital (ADCH), in Ndola, with each hospital hosting three separate Operating Rooms.
The Scottish Government provided £45,000 of funding to assist with the refurbishment, re-equipping and retraining of staff at the paediatric surgical facilities at UTH.
David Cunningham, CEO of KidsOR, said: “I am proud that KidsOR has installed and equipped six Operating Rooms across the two hospitals. This is our largest project in a single country at the one time, and will ensure that surgeons have the right equipment to save thousands of children’s lives for years to come.
“With around 45 per cent of Zambia’s population being children, this is a country that will particularly benefit from these facilities.”
KidsOR collated data on surgical cases in the past 24 months at UTH so that it could track the difference made once the Operating Room was installed.
The charity identified that in the past two years, almost one in five of the operations that went ahead did so without the necessary surgical equipment and 40 per cent went ahead missing the necessary anaesthetic equipment.
These issues will be rectified as soon as surgeons start using the newly installed Operating Rooms to treat children.
Mr Cunningham added: “This latest project forms an important part of the KidsOR ‘Africa to 2030’ plan which will see us create 120 centres of excellence across Sub-Sahara Africa, each with world-class, state-of-the-art dedicated Operating Rooms for children.
“We aim to ensure that every child can access safe surgery when they need it.”
Dr Bruce Bvulani, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at University Teaching Hospital, said: “The renovations and re-equipping of the theatre suite is not only timely but also momentous.
“These new Operating Rooms will put a smile not only on the faces of the children but the surgeons as they use their new wares in a refurbished centre. On behalf of the children of Zambia, we are truly grateful to KidsOR, and we promise to make full use of the equipment for the betterment of the children.”
Senior Medical Superintendent and Consultant Paediatrician at Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital, Dr Mwansa J Kaunda, also extended his gratitude. He added: “There will be an increased capacity and ability to care for more paediatric patients considering the hospital serves the northern part of the country. This means expanded services and more treatment options at the hospital, hence improved quality of health for children.
“What’s more, the new equipment and set up of theatre will improve efficiency in procedures, reduce the risk of post-operative wound infections. I am so excited as I never imagined that our Operating Room could look so nice. The last time it got a touch up was in 1978 and we have recently had to carry out operations using a phone torch light rather than proper operating lamp.”
International Development Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government’s investment in this project will help benefit thousands of children who require life-changing and life-saving care.
“As well as contributing to the new paediatric Operating Rooms, our support will also enhance the skills and knowledge of the surgical teams that carry out these vital procedures. We are proud to work with KidsOR on a project that will change the lives of children and their families and strengthen the capacity and resilience of the health care system in Zambia.”
Africa has the greatest unmet surgical need in the world. Half of Africa’s population (1.3 billion) are children. It is also estimated that 85 per cent of children in Africa will require some kind of surgical care by the age of 15.
Two of the six Operating Rooms in Zambia have been achieved courtesy of KidsOR’s partnership with cleft-focused organisation Smile Train.
18th and 19th century artworks reworked to imagine a net zero carbon future shaped by engineering
· Digital artist has reworked masterpieces by Monet, Van Gogh, Constable and Pissarro to inspire a conversation about the engineering advances that could help to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
· Innovations such as agricultural robots, smart thermochromic windows, vertical farms and flying taxis have been woven into the reimagined impressionist masterpieces to depict what a more sustainable world may look like in the future.
· The artworks have been commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering ahead of This is Engineering Day on Wednesday 3 November, which aims to encourage more young people to choose engineering careers and help achieve net zero carbon by 2050.
· Sympathetic reimaginings show how innovative agriculture, aviation, transport and buildings could help to transform everyday life and landscapes.
Painters such as Constable, Monet, Pissarro, and Van Gogh first made their marks in the art world during the industrial revolution. While this era drove economic benefits and improvements in living standards for many, we now know that it triggered the start of rising carbon emissions leading to global warming.
Ahead of COP26, masterpieces by these iconic artists have been reimagined to inspire conversations about the kinds of engineering advances that could help to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Electric planes and flying taxis, vertical orchards and rooftop farms are just some of the innovations that feature in the reworked masterpieces, commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering as part of its This Is Engineering campaign to promote engineering careers in response to a significant skills and diversity shortfall in the profession.
Van Gogh’s Factories at Clichy, Constable’s The Wheat Field, Pissarro’s La Rue Saint- Honoré and Monet’s The Seashore at Sainte-Adresse have been digitally remastered by a contemporary artist, Ashly Lovett, to show how engineering innovations could help to transform everyday life and landscapes in the future.
The Engineer the Future collection can be viewed during COP26 at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and online via Google Arts & Culture.
The aim of the exhibition is to start a conversation about what we want a net zero future to look like, and the role of future engineers in that, with viewers invited to contribute their own ideas via social media on This is Engineering Day on Wednesday 3 November.
Were Van Gogh to paint Factories at Clichy in 2050, his masterpiece might feature autonomous ‘agbots’ – agricultural robots – tending the crops using precision farming; a development that could help to slash agricultural carbon emissions.
In the skies above, Sophie Harker, Assistant Chief Engineer of Electric Products at BAE Systems, thinks the painter would capture a variety of electrically powered ways to transport ourselves and our goods in 2050.
She says: “In the future, we may be using a pod system for public transport, for example on a Hyperloop. These pods could look like the Maglev trains and could travel within a vacuum to reduce drag and increase speed.
“People would likely use this system for travelling long distances cross-country or city to city, then shorter journeys could be taken by vertical taxis that carry up to four people. Heavy lift flying drones could also be used for transportation of goods or for emergency response.”
Constable’s The Wheat Field, reimagined for 2050, includes solar powered pruning robots, autonomous grass cutting machines and crop-monitoring drones.
Meanwhile, environmentally friendly hydrogen planes can be seen in the sky, with futuristic shapes that maximise fuel-efficiency and range of travel.
Kit Franklin, Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Engineering at Harper Adams University, says: “The artistic reinterpretation of Constable has removed the hard physical labour and repetitive tasks of agricultural farmhands as autonomous robots take on the work humans would have traditionally done.
“Agbots make farming more precise to conserve vital resources like water and energy and we’ll see smaller machines in future to help preserve soil quality and health. A healthy soil is not only vital for growing food, it can also sequester carbon more effectively than one that has been compacted by large machinery.
“If Constable were to walk in the British countryside in 2050, he’d see smaller fields with strips of different coloured crops, and less productive fields rewilded with trees, wildflowers and shrubs to boost biodiversity and pollination.”
Professor Susan Gourvenec, RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies for Intelligent & Resilient Ocean Engineering at the University of Southampton, whose ideas have been incorporated into a reimagined Monet, commented: “If Monet was to paint The Seashore at Sainte-Adresse in 2050, his famous seascape might feature offshore energy farms generating renewable energy through wind turbines or tidal power, which could be used to power homes or produce green hydrogen, and to refuel ocean-going cargo vessels offshore.
“Closer to the shore, seagrass plantations might be visible, which would not only capture carbon but also provide coastal protection and improve the coastal ecosystem and habitat for wildlife.”
The artist has also imagined a residential building on the coast that uses thermochromic windows to help to cool the house and generate solar power, reducing its carbon footprint and maximising efficiency.
Pissarro’s La Rue Saint-Honoré has been reworked to reflect a vision of the future in which a central hub links several public transport systems including an electrically powered monorail, vertical taxi station and underground stations.
Professor Chris Wise RDI FREng, Founder Partner of Expedition, says: “If Pissarro were to travel to Paris in 2050, he might find buildings that have been designed to take full advantage of their environment.
“No side of a building would look the same: the south facing side is shaded and both east and west facades have screens to capture the morning and evening sun. The artist might also find chameleon buildings with a ‘skin’ that is responsive to sunlight and shade for temperature regulation.
“Pissarro, who suffered from an eye-infection and eventually went blind, would find getting round the city easier with colour coded areas and rumble strips, as well as a monorail system that dispenses with the need for a car. He’d also find less hard landscaping. As we see increased rainfall and flooding in the future, cities will have replaced concrete pavements with more permeable materials and greenery.”
Dr Rhys Morgan, Director of Engineering and Education at the Royal Academy of Engineering says: “The UK’s goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a massive undertaking.
“Decarbonisation on this timescale and magnitude will bring widespread and rapid change to every aspect of daily life and meeting our goal of a net zero future will not be achieved without engineering expertise.
“From the ways we heat, cool and light our homes, to how we produce our food, how we build our houses and how we travel around, our future daily lives will be shaped by today’s engineers and engineering.
“These famous masterpieces originally captured a snapshot of daily life at a time when the consequences of carbon emissions were not known. By reimagining them for 2050 we hope to start a conversation about how engineers can help shape our net zero future and inspire the next generation to join the profession.
“To realise the emission-saving technologies imagined in these artworks, the UK needs more engineers – for example, National Grid estimates that the UK energy sector alone will need to fill 400,000 roles between now and 2050 to reach net zero.”
In a bid to boost recruitment and challenge the narrow stereotypes of what engineers look like and do, This is Engineering Day is an annual reminder of the importance of engineering to our daily lives.
Created by The Royal Academy of Engineering in 2018 the day celebrates the varied and vital roles that engineers play, from developing medical technologies like brain scanners and clean energy solutions, to powering the social media platforms and smartphones we rely on to keep in touch every day.
Scottish Councils create safer and more sustainable communities through smart tech
The city council is one of six Scottish local authorities – alongside Scotrail, Blackwood Homes and Care and Borders College – set to benefit from a new Internet of Things (IoT) trial which has the potential to transform the experience of people who live within communities across the country.
The ‘IoT Accelerator Packs’ are being supplied by North, the UK’s leading IoT service and solutions provider.
The innovative packs are set to provide access to real time data insights on waste management, air quality, social housing solutions, building health and water monitoring capabilities. Used in the right way, they have the potential to transform the ways in which local communities live and work and can deliver a wide range of societal and economic benefits.
With access to the Scottish Government-backed national Internet of Things network, IoT Scotland, and funded IoT Accelerator Packs, the organisations involved can investigate and evaluate the power of IoT technology. Scotrail, Blackwood Homes and Care and Borders College are taking part in the innovative trial alongside the following:
Aberdeen City Council
Angus Council
East Renfrewshire Council
City of Edinburgh Council
Fife Council
Highland Council
Working closely with each organisation, North determined the services which would most benefit from smart solutions.
Comprising of sensors and the back-end services required to deploy the selected pack, the IoT Accelerator Packs are accompanied with professional services to facilitate the rollout. The North team will then evaluate and capture feedback, with deployment and support fully funded by the provider.
Fife Council has selected intelligent waste management technology. This will help to reduce their carbon footprint and operational costs using data to monitor smart bins, which align waste collection frequency with demand, significantly reducing costs and emissions.
Scotrail, Edinburgh City, Angus and East Renfrewshire Council will have the ability to measure air quality within train stations, council buildings or across a busy town centre, measuring and reporting on temperature, humidity and pressure, alongside primary air pollutants, enabling environmental teams to access and collate measurements in real-time more easily and frequently than traditional manual processes.
Similarly, Blackwood Homes and Care will be implementing the use of sensors within its social housing to monitor and improve living environments. This will ensure parameters such as moisture control and ventilation are adequate, providing a healthy living environment for tenants whilst also protecting the fabric of the building.
Borders College will use the technology to monitor levels of CO2 within the working environment across its building. With high levels of CO₂ saturation proven to have a detrimental effect on an occupant’s health, affecting productivity, comfort, absence rates and learning retention.
Aberdeen City Council will implement smart sensors to monitor its water, alongside Highland Council, which has already successfully adopted the smart IoT sensor technology across its schools, care homes, leisure centres and council offices to gather a range of data and insights.
The addition of water monitoring is set to help each of the organisations maximise their water safety, by continuously monitoring and measuring water temperature to identify and reduce the risk of legionella and other bacteria.
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Kate Forbes, said:“These innovative accelerator packs have been designed to help organisations explore Internet of Things (IoT) solutions which can deliver sustainable social and economic benefits for local communities.
“Digital technologies like IoT help drive forward our economic recovery while reducing business costs and enabling progress towards net-zero emissions.”
Alasdair Rettie, Group Technical Director at North, said:“IoT technology has the power to truly transform our lives, from revolutionising the ways in which we work, to ensuring that we live in safe and healthy environments. Whilst providing us with the ability to access data which allows us to make informed decisions to improve services across communities.
“We are elated to assist these 10 organisations across Scotland, as they pave the way to use IoT technology to its fullest potential, enhancing their operations and existing systems. From connecting large scale cities to remote communities, the opportunities brought about by the implementation of IoT within our digital connectivity infrastructure are endless, particularly as we work towards Scotland’s social and economic recovery.
“The use of such solutions provides extensive opportunities and a vast number of benefits, and we are pleased to be able to provide these organisations with this opportunity.”
IoT Scotland is the UK’s most advanced IoT network, and it is hoped that through the ‘IoT Accelerator Packs’, local authorities will realise the benefits insightful and actionable IoT data can deliver, driving the adoption of IoT technologies and smart solutions to revolutionise the lives of people throughout Scotland.
Data gathered by these smart solutions will remain the property of the council and all data will be handled in accordance with data protection and GDPR regulations. Councils will have the opportunity to pay to expand and continue the solutions after the initial 12-month period if they so wish.
Councils interested in taking part in the IoT Accelerator Pack programme should get in touch through the following email address: contact@north.tech.
Halloween happens every year on 31st October and is a day filled with various traditions around the theme of scary stuff! One key ingredient of a great Halloween celebration is a carved pumpkin (it used tae be a turnip! – Ed.).
Yet in-fact, pumpkins not only look great in your window, but are a versatile veg, full of fibre and vitamins.
Here are some ways you can use your left-over pumpkin this Halloween:
Make a Soup Find our Pumpkin Soup recipe at the bottom of the page. This recipe contains plenty of heart-healthy fats, is low in salt to improve blood pressure and contains two of your 5-a-day!
Roast It Roasting is a quick, healthy, and easy way to cook pumpkin. Simply peel, deseed, and slice into 1cm slices, then add a little olive or rapeseed oil and place in a heated oven at 200oC for approximately 40 minutes.
Swap it Out A great way to use up left-over pumpkin from Halloween is to make some swaps. You can use roasted pumpkin as a great side-dish or substitute it for potato, pasta or rice for a more vegetable-filled plate with a flavour twist
Use the Seeds Pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein and fibre and are low in saturated fat. To cook, run water over the seeds to remove any excess pulp, boil for 5-10 minutes, drain and spread over a baking tray, adding a little oil, then roast at 180oC for 8-10 minutes.
Hearty Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
Light spray + 1 tsp of heart healthy rapeseed oil
2 white onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Finely chopped parsley
100g chopped tomatoes
800g chopped pumpkin
100g split red lentils
½ tbsp dried thyme
1 litre hot vegetable stock (go heart healthy with a low salt variety)
50g half fat or reduced fat crème fraiche
4 slices of wholemeal bread (toasted)
Optional black pepper for seasoning
Method:
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and fry the onions over a medium heat until translucent and turning golden brown. Add the garlic (keep the pumpkins to one side), lentils and dried thyme. Fry together for a minute.
Step 2: Add the vegetable stock then season with pepper and then cover. Let this simmer for 20- 25 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
Step 3: Wash and dry the pumpkin seeds before heating up the teaspoon of oil. Add the seeds and fry them until they start to pop and jump. Cover and stir frequently. When the seeds look toasted, remove them from the heat.
Step 4: Blend the cooked lentils and pumpkin mixture with a hand blender until smooth. Add the crème fraiche and give it one last blend. Taste the soup and season with pepper if needed.
Step 5: Toast the bread and slice into croutons.
Step 6: Serve the soup in a jar or a mug with toasted seeds, parsley, and croutons on top.
UK’s leading awards programme for women in business unveils short list
Nineteen extraordinary women from across the country have today been unveiled as the 2021 finalists in the UK’s leading programme for female entrepreneurs, the NatWest everywoman Awards. Among them is Edinburgh’s Brie Read (above), founder ofSnag Tights.
Brie is based in Edinburgh and came up with the idea for Snag Tights after her own tights fell down in public!
Frustrated and uncomfortable she simply took them off. Reliving the moment and the story, Brie was quick to draw on her decade of experience working in marketing for fast growth companies and her passion for inclusivity.
The ideas aligned and she knew she had the beginnings of a great entrepreneurial idea. Despite hosiery boasting a $53 billion industry there were no properly fitting tights for women and all tights were made to one size model…
Brie’s next step was to work with Italian factories to manage the recondition of machines that had been making one size tights since the 1950s.
This vital innovation and investment meant Snag tights would be the only ones available in every possible size from a 2 to a 36. Today the business has a £10m turnover drawn from 1 , 500 different product lines, employs 120 staff, and exports globally.
When lockdown saw sales fall by half , Brie initially put her effort into 24,000 free pairs of tights for NHS key workers and hoped for support, but it soon became clear there was none and funds would run out in six months.
Brie called out to her Snagglers and in just five days £1.5 million was raised in SOS ‘Save Our Snag’ advance pay vouchers, providing Brie with the cashflow she needed for the business to survive.
A leading voice in size inclusivity, Brie cites a passion for no woman to feel excluded as being her driver. Environmental consideration is key, and the newly reconditioned machines have also allowed Brie to pioneer the first recyclable tights.
Brie is one of the finalists in the Demeter category of the everywoman Awards- sponsored by Nutriment- awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business trading from 3 to 5 years.
Selected from nearly 1,000 entries, the finalists’ stories tell of success in the face of adversity and demonstrate that even they are not immune to the challenges of the past 18 months.
Now in their 19th year, the NatWest everywoman Awards celebrate female entrepreneurs from all walks of life, providing a platform for them to share their achievements. From the founders of multi-million-pound empires to those spearheading social enterprises for the greater good, this year’s finalists are the role models whose success will inspire future generations of female entrepreneurs.
The 2021 finalists span diverse industries – from home accessories and cooking supplies through to law and architecture, from IT and energy to health supplements, and from milk to gin. The 2021 finalists were chosen by a judging panel comprising some of the UK’s top business figures including Chrissie Rucker OBE (The White Company), Helen Pattinson (Montezuma), Rosaleen Blair CBE (Alexander Mann Solutions), Roni Savage (Jomas Associates), Annoushka Ducas MBE (Links of London/Annoushka), Melissa Odabash, Kelly Hoppen CBE and Sam Smith (FinnCap).
Female entrepreneurs face many complex challenges in setting up, growing and sustaining their businesses. From gender sterotypes to a lack of access to finance, a range of barriers can prevent women’s businesses from thriving.
Earlier this year the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women reported that 1 in 10 women cited the pandemic to be the greatest challenge they had ever faced and 4 in 5 reported a negative impact on their business.
Many of this year’s finalists were forced to pivot their businesses as the pandemic hit and their journeys, with successes and failures, serve as a handbook to future generations of how to survive and thrive against the odds.
The award winners will be announced at a ceremony on 7 December 2021 when the cream of business will once again unite to celebrate the achievements of these extraordinary women.
The 2021 awards finalists are:
• ARTEMIS – sponsored by Mastercard – Awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business trading for 18 months to 3 years:
o Emma Parkinson, International Energy Products, from Chesterfield
o Julie Bishop, IT Naturally, from London
o Anshu Ahuja & Renée Williams, DabbaDrop, from London
• DEMETER – sponsored by Nutriment – Awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business trading from 3 to 5 years:
o Sarah Bolt, Forth, from Chepstow
o Brie Read, Snag Group, from Livingston
o Alice Stephenson, Stephenson Law, from Amsterdam
o Ellen Wakelam, In The Welsh Wind Distillery, from Cardigan Bay, Wales
• ATHENA – Awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business trading from 6 to 9 years:
o Hannah Dale, Wrendale Designs, Brigg
o Nicola Lando, Sous Chef, from London
o Monica Ludwiczak, Sleek Brows, from London
• HERA – sponsored by Saunderson House – Awarded to the most inspirational woman running a business trading for 10 years or more:
o Barbara Griffiths, DairyLink UK, from Stone, Staffordshire
o Johann Muldoon MBE, Manor Architects, from Northern Ireland
o Farzana Rahman, The Desi Doll Company, from London
• GAIA – sponsored by Montezuma – Awarded to the most inspirational and successful female founder of a social enterprise who has combined strong community benefit with a sustainable business model:
o Rosie Ginday MBE, Miss Macaroon, from Birmingham
o Ebinehita Iyere, Milk Honey Bees, from London
o Monique & Eliza Ribeiro, Lives Not Knives, from Croydon
• APHRODITE – sponsored by Daily Mail – Awarded to a woman who founded her business whilst raising a child/children aged 12 or under:
o Georgia Metcalfe, The French Bedroom Company, from Haywards Heath
o Pauline Paterson, Dr PAWPAW, from Bromley
o Lottie Whyte, MyoMaster, from London
Speaking about the finalists, Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman, said: “For nearly two decades these awards have provided a platform to share the stories of hundreds of entrepreneurs; encouraging, emboldening and empowering other women to follow suit.
“Against a backdrop of Covid, these women have shown how innovation and enterprise have helped their businesses to thrive under extraordinary trading conditions. We hope their experiences will go onto inspire others and provide the motivation and inspiration that will be the backbone of the UK’s economic recovery.”
Jen Tippin, Chief People & Transformation Officer at NatWest Group, says: “This year we celebrate the 19th year of the NatWest everywoman Awards which continue to celebrate and showcase the wealth of female talent from across the UK.
“Shining a light on the phenomenal femle entrepreneurial talent and those inspirational role models has never been more important during these uncertain times. I want to congratulate all the shortlisted finalists and look forward to the Awards on the 7th December.”
For further information or to book a table at the virtual awards ceremony, visit:
The city council says it is on track and committed to delivering on its ambition to deliver 20,000 affordable homes by 2027, despite the UK-wide impact on the development of affordable homes following the global pandemic.
In its Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2022-27 report being presented to the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee next week (4 November) councillors will be asked to approve the proposals ahead of submission to the Scottish Government.
The SHIP 2022-2027 highlights the progress being made which includes the projection that 7,500 new affordable homes will be approved by 31 March 2022 and 5,790 completed. There are currently over 2,100 homes under construction on 34 sites across the city.
A ‘strong pipeline’ has also been identified of 11,118 affordable homes that could be approved for site start and 10,124 potential completions by 2027.
Despite over 18 months of disruption for the entire Scottish house building sector, it is anticipated that the delivery of the interim milestone of 10,000 homes will be achieved midway through 2023. There are currently 25 projects, equating to 1,456 approvals, that have been delayed, primarily as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 75% of these projects have just slipped into the subsequent year.
This comes in the wake of national pressures on the UK and Scottish house building sector. In the Scottish Government’s “Housing statistics quarterly update: September 2021” it sets out that in June 2021 affordable housing approvals were down 36%, compared to the same time last year. Affordable housing completions are also down 5% year-on-year, but when compared to 2019, there is a reduction of over 15%.
Added to this, as construction projects worldwide have recommenced post-pandemic, a surge in materials demand and prices has been seen which build on the pressures being seen as a result of the UK’s exit from Europe. The Office for National Statistics projects a rise of 7-8% in material prices, with increases for certain materials, such as timber, expected to more than double during the course of the year.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener for the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: There are extreme pressures on housing in Edinburgh and a desperate need for more affordable homes.
“We’re doing all we can to drive forward our house building programme so that our residents can have permanent homes that are energy efficient, safe and affordable. There are constraints, from Brexit and Covid, which have had a severe impact on supply chains, material costs and the labour market, which are affecting housebuilding across the UK.
“That said, the good news is that this is the largest ever SHIP brought forward. It sets out a positive long-term picture and shows we are on track to deliver a programme for 20,000 affordable homes over ten years.
“We’ll continue to work hard with our housing association partners to build more homes for social rent. But we need to look at what more we can do. We were the first local authority to develop an Affordable Housing Policy through planning – where 25% of the land on any new development must be given for affordable housing. Now, through the City Plan, we’re proposing to increase the affordable allocation from 25% to 35%.
“We have a strong track record in delivering new social rented homes. This has resulted in an additional £36 million of grant funding being given to Edinburgh over the last five years. We’ll work hard to make sure this continues, alongside making the case to the Scottish Government for increased investment in social housing in our city.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee said:“The Edinburgh housing market has remained resilient throughout the pandemic, however the full impact of lockdown & the continuation of restrictions, combined with Brexit, on the wider economy & the job market is not fully known.
“Those on low incomes will continue to be the greatest affected and therefore affordable housing needs to play a key role in a green and sustainable recovery.”
In term of delivery, funding and land supply remain two key challenges for delivery. The SHIP will require £329.6m in grant funding, or £65.9m per annum on average, or a 29% required annual increase, based on current benchmarks in order to meet the overall ambition of 20,000 homes. The Council will continue to work with Scottish Government and its partners to stretch available grant funding as far as possible to maximise the number of social rented homes that can be delivered.
While our Registered Social Landlord (RSL) programme is almost entirely dependent upon private developers bringing forward sites for development through the Affordable Housing Plan (AHP), we’re looking to mitigate this risk, through our Land Strategy by working on 20-minute partnerships with private sector & RSLs, inviting interest from the private sector to bringing forward opportunities for Council led delivery and working closely with public sector partners.
The UK-hosted COP 26 climate change summit begins today – Sunday, October 31 – with the UK and Pakistan working closely on a greener future for the planet.
It comes as the British High Commission’s #26For26 campaign continues to smash its target of having 26 Pakistani companies commit to halving emissions by 2030 and getting to net zero by 2050. 28 companies have so far signed up.
COP26 is the largest international event of its kind ever to be held in the UK with more than 25,000 delegates arriving in the city of Glasgow- including world leaders, opinion formers and top businesses. It will work to prevent global temperatures rising above 1.5C and protect our planet and people from the impacts of climate change.
The UK has already achieved notable successes so far. Around 70% of the world’s economy is now covered by net zero targets, up from less than 30% when the UK took on the Presidency of COP26. This will help the most vulnerable countries like Pakistan.
Pakistan is the 8th most vulnerable country in the world to climate change. Some experts have warned that Karachi could be completely submerged by 2060 if the current trajectory of rising sea levels continues.
Temperatures in Karachi this year have already been the highest in 74 years and by 2030, property damage due to coastal storm surges and rising sea levels is set to increase tenfold.
By 2100, rising temperatures mean 36% of glaciers along the Hindu Kush & Himalayan range will be gone. The critical situation means Pakistan needs to act now, alongside the rest of the international community.
The UK is already working closely with Pakistan on climate change, and will provide £7m this year in grant financing and technical support to help Pakistan achieve its climate change objectives.
Earlier this year the UK launched a new programme in Lahore to promote cleaner brick production practices which will help improve air quality, reduce smog and fight climate change.
Pakistan’s leadership on some environmental issues has been recognised globally. The UK Prime Minister praised the country’s 10 billion tree tsunami at last month’s United Nations General Assembly.
Earlier this week, HRH the Prince of Wales spoke to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and agreed on the need for greater global cooperation on climate change and protecting the environment. HRH the Prince of Wales congratulated Prime Minister Imran Khan on the 10 billion tree tsunami initiative.
Climate finance will be key at COP26. To support the transition to net zero, climate resilient economies, getting public and private finance flowing is crucial, especially to emerging markets and developing economies.
Under the UK’s COP26 & G7 Presidencies, we have seen clear moves towards this goal. G7 countries have committed new finance towards the $100bn in climate finance goal, including more funding for adaptation.
In terms of mobilising international finance the UK is committing funds to help Pakistan develop innovative climate financing instruments, including Nature Performance Bonds.
The UK will invest more in Pakistan over the next 5 years, helping communities adapt to climate change and improve community level resilience and supporting the efficient use of water resources.
As hosts of COP26 (co-hosted with Italy), the UK has been driving international action and support to adapt to the effects of climate change, which are already impacting lives, livelihoods and natural habitats across the world.
Thirty five countries have joined the Adaptation Action Coalition, and over 2,000 businesses, investors, regions, cities and other non-state actors have joined the Race to Resilience. Over 40 countries and organisations have joined the Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership, committing to make 1 billion people safer from disaster by 2025.
By signing up to the Race to Zero, over 3,000 companies and 170 investors, have committed to halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, with transparent and robust action plans.
Under the UK’s G7 Presidency, the first net zero G7 saw all countries commit to deep emission reduction targets in the 2020s and put an end to funding fossil fuels & coal power this year.
The UK has been leading the way and shown that green growth is possible – over the last 30 years our economy has grown by 78% while cutting emissions by 44%. The UK was the first country to commit to reduce carbon emissions by 78% by 2035 and is on course to be the fastest G7 country to decarbonise cars and vans by 2030.
As part of the brick kiln programme launched earlier this year, the UK will support a targeted training programme on “Zig Zag” technology for the brick industry to substitute coal and reduce emissions.
This programme will be implemented in collaboration with Government of Punjab, Brick Kiln Owners Association of Pakistan (BKAOP) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
In 2015, the National Institute of Oceanography warned that Karachi could be completely submerged by 2060 if the current trajectory of rising sea levels continues.
This is part of its manifesto to use storytelling to improve literacy skills, while preserving and enriching cultural heritage through collaboration.
As part of the visit, the programme has brought together the city’s literary sector and cultural partners – Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) and Scottish Storytelling Centre – and showcased the exciting work and projects taking place in Edinburgh.
During the three-day programme Story Valley partners visited Edinburgh College to see the project in action, share best practice and explore potential collaborations, visited the Scottish International Storytelling Festival and spoke to representatives from innovative projects happening across the city.
The programme was topped off by a light spectacular on Thursday (28 October) as the Granton Gasholder, recently brought to life in partnership with Edinburgh College, as part of the £1.3billion Granton Waterfront project, was lit up in Story Valley colours.
The City of Edinburgh Council, Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Donald Wilson, said: “As the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, we’re very proud to be hosting the Story Valley partner cities in Edinburgh for the first time, sharing ideas, inspiring one another and working together with the ultimate goal of improving literacy across Europe through the wonders of telling stories of our past.
“Through this visit’s programme our Edinburgh partners have captured our Scottish culture and Edinburgh’s passion for its literary and cultural heritage while also showcasing our world-renowned Storytelling Festival. Everyone has gained a lot from this experience and I’m sure will be taking a lot away with them while planning the next gathering to progress the initiative.”
Ali Bowden from Edinburgh City of Literature, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Edinburgh College, the Council and our sister Cities of Literature on Story Valley.
“Edinburgh has a strong storytelling tradition and it’s great that the students and organisations working on this project are finding new ways for storytelling to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Edinburgh College Assistant Principal of Curriculum for Creative Industries, Jakki Jeffery, said: “We’re really excited to welcome our partners from Leeuwarden, Ljubljana and Nottingham to Edinburgh as part of the Story Valley project and are looking forward to showcasing the work of Edinburgh College’s Creative Industries faculty and sharing examples of good practice between the VET and further education institutions.
“Partners will have the opportunity to work on each of the Intellectual Outputs face-to-face for the first time and to meet some of our staff and students involved in the project to see first-hand what they have been working on.”
£41 million Winter Support Fund for low income households
Funding to help people struggling financially during the winter is part of a new £41 million support package. The Winter Support Fund will help those on low incomes, children and people at risk of homelessness against a backdrop of rising living and fuel costs.
The funding comes from consequentials of the UK Government’s £500 million Household Support Fund.
Key elements of the package include:
£10 million to help people who are struggling to pay fuel bills
£25 million flexible funding to help local authorities support wellbeing and respond to financial insecurity based on local needs
£6 million for third sector partners to support low income families
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “We know that many families are struggling financially due to the increased costs they are facing right now. This package of measure aims to ease some of that strain by providing direct support to people.
“The Scottish Government has invested £2.5 billion to support low income households in 2020-21, with around £1 billion focused on supporting children as a cornerstone of our national mission to tackle child poverty and homelessness.
“That includes doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per child per week, with our plans to do so set out in the forthcoming Scottish Budget.
“We are passing on every penny of the £41 million we received in UK Government consequentials.
“However, this in no way makes up for the recent £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit, which has taken an estimated £460 million from the pockets of the people in Scotland who need it most.”
Support for those struggling with fuel bills will include access to fuel top-up vouchers, advice to manage fuel debt and support for those in remote and rural areas.
The Winter Support Fund will continue to promote cash-first responses in line with our draft national plan on ending the need for food banks as a primary response. In some cases help may also be offered to tackle social isolation and support mental health.
In addition to helping people heat their homes and meet rising food costs, funding will help to ensure no-one is faced with rough sleeping this winter.
The funding comes from consequentials of the UK Government’s £500 million Household Support Fund.
