Edinburgh Letting Agency Clan Gordon receives nationwide recognition at 2021 allAgents Awards
At the 12 November allAgents Awards black tie event at the Queen’s Hotel in Leeds, Edinburgh letting agency Clan Gordon was named as ‘Best Lettings Agent in Edinburgh’, ‘Best Lettings Agent in Scotland’ and ‘Best Overall Agent in Edinburgh and Scotland’.
The allAgents Awards are the UK’s Top Customer Property Review Awards and each winner is chosen through customer votes.
Amanda Lamb, property expert and allAgents Awards host said: “Coming from an estate agency background I know and appreciate just how important customer reviews are in this competitive industry and what receiving recognition from the industry’s very own ‘Tripadvisor’ will mean to the winning agencies.”
Clan Gordon’s Managing Director Jonathan Gordon said: “All awards are important but ones that are voted for by customers are the most valuable because they are a firm assurance that we’re getting things right.
“To beat all other estate and letting agents in the Edinburgh and Scotland categories to the overall title is an amazing achievement and the Clan Gordon team should be proud of the contribution they have made at an extremely difficult time.
“The pandemic posed huge problems for the property sector, but we met them head-on, quickly adapting to home working for our employees and installing a high-tech new telephone system to ensure customers were not adversely impacted.
“We also switched to virtual viewings and made sure our services continued safely within the guidelines issued by the government. This investment has been recognised with these awards and we are extremely proud of the achievement.”
To find out more about Clan Gordon or to schedule a call visit:
– New products include a Pig in Duvet Croissant, a Festive Turkey Slice and a Christmas Dinner Pasty with a whole pig in blanket hidden in the middle –
– Prices start from just £1.25 –
– Available in store now on Morrisons Market Street –
Morrisons has revealed our much-anticipated festive menu at our Market Street Pie Counter.
Available now, new additions on offer this year are a Pig in Duvet Croissant, a Christmas Dinner Pasty and a Festive Turkey Slice. We’re also bringing back our customer favourites: Pork and Bramley Apple Sausage Rolls, Pork and Black Pudding Rolls and Brie and Cranberry Rolls.
Prices for our festive Market Street Pie Shop menu start at just £1.25 – cheaper than other similar options available in high-street bakery chains.
Our foodmakers have been busy ensuring that there are no soggy bottoms, getting the perfect ratio of sauce to filling to pastry and hand-crimping each product.
Highlight products include:
MorrisonsMarket Street Christmas Dinner Pasty (£2): British turkey breast, Cornish potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, sage and onion stuffing, a whole hidden pig in blanket and rich turkey gravy are all packed into flaky pastry – making it the ultimate Christmas dinner on the go.
Morrisons Market Street Pig in Duvet Croissant (£1.50): British pork sausage, wrapped in bacon, topped with cranberry sauce and nestled in a delicious pastry duvet. This twist on a Christmas classic is the perfect breakfast pick-me-up.
Morrisons Market Street Festive Christmas Slice (£1.25 each or two for £2): British turkey, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, and potato and encased in a golden pastry.
Mark Pearson, Buying Manager at Morrisons, said: “We believe it’s never too early to get into the festive spirit. We’ve listened to customer feedback on the products we offered last year and have spent the last 12 months developing these exciting additions to our pie shop menu which we hope our customers will love.
“The range is great for purchasing on the go, or as a treat to share with friends and family to spread some Christmas cheer.”
Our Pie Shop Festive Christmas range is available nationwide in all Morrisons stores with a Market Street.
Morrisons Market Street is what helps make us unique. On Market Street, customers can find products freshly prepared in store, butchers who will cut their meat just how they like it, fish fresh from the boat and bread baked from scratch.
From bakers, to butchers, to fishmongers and florists, we consider our foodmakers and shopkeepers to be the best in the business and they are happy to offer customers lots of tips and advice on how to prepare and cook the ingredients they’re buying.
✓ 30 of the 32 local authority areas continue to see prices rise over the year
✓ Monthly growth rates are softening
✓ Top 5 local authority areas by value all set new record average price levels
Produced by Acadata on behalf of
Alan Penman, Business Development Manager at Walker Fraser Steele, comments: “At the end of August we reported that the average Scottish house price stood at £211,029 – at that point a new record high.
“This September we have seen the upward momentum continue. Scotland’s average house price at the end of September stands at £212,832, which sets yet another record, having risen by some £2,200 – or 1.0% – in the month.
“Five local authority areas in September were responsible for 58% of the positive movement in Scotland’s average house price. The five areas concerned, in order of influence, were South Lanarkshire, the City of Edinburgh, Glasgow City, East Dunbartonshire and Highland.
“More generally prices rose in 19 of the 32 Local Authority areas in Scotland. The largest increase in average prices, of 6.3%, was in Inverclyde. In second place on the mainland was East Dunbartonshire, with an increase in prices of 5.2%.
“There were plenty of high-value sales in East Dunbartonshire, with a number of detached sales taking place in Bearsden – located approximately six miles to the North West of Glasgow – the most expensive being on the Roman Road, priced at £1.3 million.
“This underlines how property at the top-end continues to underpin this growth as people opt for more space and continue to embrace working from home. September often provides momentum to the market too as it is not untypical for families to reassess their needs as the new school year gets underway.”
Commentary: John Tindale, Acadata Senior Housing Analyst
The September housing market
Scotland’s average house price at the end of September stood at £212,832, which sets yet another record, having risen by some £2,200 – or 1.0% – in the month. The 1.0% growth rate represents a slight softening from the 1.7% seen in August.
On an annual basis, average house prices have increased by close to £25,000 – or 13.2% – over the last twelve months. This is the highest rate of all four nations, and nine regions in the United Kingdom.
It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that house prices rose in September. Looking at the last seventeen years, house prices in Scotland have increased on thirteen occasions in September. Estate Agents frequently mention that housing activity picks up towards the end of the school holidays, as families potentially reassess their housing needs at the start of the new school year.
In addition, this year we also have the added impetus of the lifestyle changes associated with the pandemic and “working from home”, which has brought about a shift in housing preferences for larger properties, with space for home-working becoming a prime requirement.
The demand for larger premises has continued throughout September, and for some includes moving to Scotland from London, or from other major cities in the UK and beyond. However, the supply of larger homes coming to the market currently remains relatively low, which results in strong competition for those properties that do become available, hence keeping prices high.
We can see that prices reached a mini-peak in March 2021, immediately prior to the ending of the LBTT tax holiday on 1 April 2021. Average prices then started to fall, as buyers of high-value properties reduced in number (see Table 2). However, the reduction in high-value sales only continued through April and May, with June, July and August seeing a return of the higher-value transactions.
In July, August and September 2021, we can see that prices once again regained their earlier momentum seen during the second half of 2020, despite the savings arising from the LBTT tax holiday no longer being available.
Figure 1. The average house price in Scotland, for the period September 2019 to September 2021
Transactions analysis
Monthly transaction counts
The fall in the number of transactions for the period March 2020 to August 2020 is clearly visible. However, what is also clearly demonstrated is that the number of sales for each month from September 2020 to March 2021 has surpassed that of the same month in the previous six years.
In addition, the spike in sales that took place in March 2021 – as the tax holiday expiry date approached – is plain, although this total was exceeded by the volume of sales in October and November 2020, when monthly sales during the pandemic reached their peak.
Also clear is the fall in sales in April 2021, to levels below those in all previous years except for 2016 and 2020, indicating the extent to which buyers had managed to bring forward their purchases into March 2021 to take advantage of the tax holiday.
For the record, the peak in sales in March 2016 was also tax-related, and came one month ahead of the introduction of the then 3% LBTT surcharge (now 4%) on second homes and buy-to-let properties, which tax was pre-announced to commence from April 2016.
Sales volumes in April and May 2021 remained lower than the equivalent months in 2017 and 2019, and appear to have been roughly on a par with the levels seen in 2018. However, in July 2021 the number of properties sold once again appears to have been higher than the same months in the previous six years, although sales in August 2021 returned to 2017 levels.
Comparing total sales in 2020 with those of 2019, there was a 14% fall in the overall size of the market. However, looking at the number of transactions for the first eight months of 2021, and comparing with the same period in 2019 (2020 figures are distorted by the lockdown in the early stages of the pandemic), sales are up by 11%, although this does include the spike in March 2021, which will have enhanced the 2021 figures.
This reveals for the first time the extent of potential harm that is being caused to patients when they must wait in the back of ambulances or in corridors before they are accepted into the care of their local hospital.
The review found that the proportion of patients who could be experiencing unacceptable levels of preventable harm is significant. Over eight in ten of those whose ‘handover’ (from ambulance clinician to hospital clinician) was delayed beyond 60 minutes were assessed as having potentially experienced some level of harm; 53% low harm, 23% moderate harm and 9% (one patient in ten) could have been said to have experienced severe harm.
The impact assessment was coordinated by AACE and was undertaken in all ten English NHS ambulance services who reviewed a sample of cases from one single day in January 2021, where handovers exceeded one hour.
Experienced clinicians assessed the range and severity of potential harm experienced by those patients who were already seriously ill, frail or elderly and who waited for sixty minutes or more before being accepted into the care of the hospital from the ambulance crews in attendance.
The nationally defined target for hospitals included in the NHS Standard Contract states that all handovers between ambulance and A&E must take place within 15 minutes, with none waiting more than 30 minutes.
Since April 2018, an average of 190,000 handovers have missed this target every month (accounting for around half of all handovers) while in September 2021 over 208,000 exceeded the 15-minute target.
Responding to the latest report ‘Delayed hospital handovers: Impact assessment of patient harm’ published yesterday by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said:“This report makes for stark reading but will come as no surprise to Emergency Department staff.
“Patients should never be delayed in the backs of ambulances. Patient safety is being compromised. When there is simultaneously no space in the Emergency Department and ambulances queuing outside the Emergency Department, we are no longer delivering effective urgent and emergency care to the community.
“We support our paramedic colleagues and will continue to work with them to tackle these handover delays and keep patients safe. But these pressures must not be addressed in isolation. The answer does not lie with the ambulance services nor in the Emergency Department. This is a system-wide problem that requires system-wide action and solutions. In particular, the answer is not just to increase physical space in the Emergency department with no additional staff.
“Trusts and Boards must focus on increasing flow throughout the hospital to reduce exit block and ensure patients are moved through the system. In the immediate term, Trusts and Boards must safely expand capacity throughout the hospital where possible to stop patients being delayed in ambulances. Social care must be resourced to ensure patients can be discharged when they have completed their treatment to prevent long hospital stays.
“We entered the pandemic with too few beds in the system and have continually struggled to manage with reduced capacity, now this is unsustainable. It is vital that the government restore bed capacity to pre-pandemic levels to achieve a desirable ratio of emergency admissions to beds. Currently 7,170 beds are required across UK Trusts and Boards.
“Patient safety is at risk and without urgent action avoidable harm will continue to fall upon patients while urgent and emergency care will fall deeper into crisis.”
Do you have a story to tell or a memory to share about North Edinburgh Arts or the local area? We’re collecting local stories before North Edinburgh Arts closes for refurbishment.
Join writers Eleanor Thom and Luke Winter in the Story Wagon, a beautiful, purpose-built storytelling and writing caravan, situated in the North Edinburgh Arts Garden tomorrow – Wednesday 17 November, drop-in between 10am and 2pm.
Citizen is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and funded through the PLACE Programme, a partnership between the Scottish Government— through Creative Scotland — the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Festivals.
Sextortion is a type of cyber extortion. It involves the threat of having sexual information, images or clips shared.
This is done to get money from you. It doesn’t always matter if the images actually exist or not.
The extortion often takes place when a victim is asked to take off their clothes in front of a webcam. They can also be asked to perform sexual acts.
The victim believes this to be a private act but it is not. The victim doesn’t know that they are being recorded.
The offender will then threaten the victim. They may demand money. They may threaten to share the images or videos on social media or share publicly.
What can you do to reduce the likelihood of it happening?
Here are some tips:
Be sensible when using the internet. Only activate your camera when you want to. Make sure it is ‘off’ at all times when not required. Never allow yourself to be duped into activity that you will later regret.
If using video chat apps, be alert to the fact that ‘contacts’ are not always who they say they are. If you allow a relationship to develop be guarded if unusual requests are made of you.
If you use online chat rooms looking for a person to chat with be careful. Be careful about any getting into a relationship and if you are asked to move to a different chat platform.
Some online chat rooms have a visual contact facility. If you are looking for a person to chat with and get into a relationship be guarded on what you say and do.
Relationships are quick to develop. End any that you are not comfortable with. Stay in control of what you do.
You may make mistakes, have doubts or need support or advice. If so, contact the police or a support agency immediately.
Remember, what goes on the internet stays on the internet, forever.
What to do if you’re a victim of sextortion
Here are a few points to follow if you are a victim.
Do not panic. The police will take your case seriously. They will deal with it in confidence. You will not be judged.
Do not pay. Some victims who have paid hear no more about it, others pay and are asked for more money. In some cases, even when money is paid the offenders posts the videos or images anyway
Do not talk any further to the offenders. Take screen shots of any communication. Keep it as evidence.
Make a note of all details provided by the offenders. For example; the Skype name (particularly the Skype ID), the Facebook URL; the Western Union or MoneyGram Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN); any photos/videos that were sent, etc.
Deactivate your social media account. Report the matter to the platform to have any video blocked. Set up an alert in case the video resurfaces. Deactivating the Facebook account rather than shutting it down will mean data is kept. This helps the police to gather evidence. The account can also be reactivated at any time. This means your online memories are not lost forever.
Report the matter to the police and your online service provider.
Be aware that the scammer’s Skype name is different to their Skype ID. It’s the ID details that police will need. To get that, right click on their profile, select ‘View Profile’.
Then look for the name shown in blue rather than the one above it in black. It’ll be next to the word ’Skype’ and will have no spaces in it.
Remember that you’re the victim of organised criminals. You’re not alone and confidential support is available. You can get through this.
Advice for parents and carers
Parents looking for more advice on keeping children safe chatting online will find plenty of information. They’ll find it from the National Crime Agency at the following websites:
As HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) prepares to issue emails and SMS to Self Assessment customers, the department is reminding them to be on their guard after nearly 800,000 tax-related scams were reported in the last year.
Fraudsters use Self Assessment to try and steal money or personal information from unsuspecting individuals. In the last year alone, HMRC has received nearly 360,000 bogus tax rebate referrals.
The Self Assessment deadline is 31 January 2022 and customers may expect to hear from HMRC at this time of year. More than 4 million emails and SMS will be issued this week to Self Assessment customers pointing them to guidance and support, prompting them to think about how they intend to pay their tax bill, and to seek support if they are unable to pay in full by 31 January.
However, the department is also warning customers to not be taken in by malicious emails, phone calls or texts, thinking that these are genuine HMRC communications referring to their Self Assessment tax return.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard.
“HMRC will also never ring up threatening arrest. Only criminals do that.
“Scams come in many forms. Some threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion, others offer a tax rebate. Contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so if you are in any doubt whether the email, phone call or text is genuine, you can check the ‘HMRC scams’ advice on GOV.UK and find out how to report them to us.”
Criminals use emails, phone calls and text messages to try and dupe individuals, and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic. They want to trick their victims into handing over money or personal or financial information.
Customers can report suspicious phone calls using a form on GOV.UK; customers can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
HMRC has a dedicated team working on cyber and phone crimes. They use innovative technologies to prevent misleading and malicious communications from ever reaching the customer.
Since 2017 these technical controls have prevented 500 million emails from reaching HMRC’s customers. More recently, new controls have prevented 90% of the most convincing SMS messages from reaching the public and controls have been applied to prevent spoofing of most HMRC helpline numbers.
HMRC is also reminding Self Assessment customers to double check websites and online forms before using them to complete their 2020/21 tax return.
People can be taken in by misleading websites designed to make them pay for help in submitting tax returns or charging to connect them to HMRC phone lines.
Customers who are in any doubt about whether a website is genuine should visit GOV.UK for more information about Self Assessment and use the free signposted tax return forms.
Edinburgh has today been awarded Living Wage City status as the UK marks Living Wage week (15 – 19th November), an annual celebration of the real Living Wage.
The accreditation has been awarded by Living Wage Scotland in recognition of the Scottish Capital’s ambition to deliver on its new Edinburgh Living Wage City action plan and double the number of Living Wage accredited businesses to over 900 across the city over the next few years.
Around 450 Edinburgh businesses are already committed to voluntarily paying their staff the Living Wage, paying a minimum hourly wage of £9.90 per hour. This new Living Wage rate was announced yesterday (Monday 15 November) as part of Living Wage Week 2021.
Now through the action plan – developed by the Edinburgh Living Wage Action Group, a collaboration of employers, public sector bodies, trade unions, social enterprises, and business organisations, supported by key city anchor institutions including the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Partnership – the aim is to see at least 500 new accredited businesses.
It is expected that this will mean up to 40,000 workers in Edinburgh are protected by Living Wage commitments from their employers. Of those, at least 10,000 will be workers who receive a direct pay increase as a result of this commitment.
The commitment to becoming a Living Wage City arises from the calls to action made by the Edinburgh Poverty Commission report. To pay a fair wage is one key aspect of eradicating poverty across the Capital.
Last year, the City of Edinburgh Council became the first UK local authority to commit to ending poverty by a specific date – by 2030. Tackling poverty in Edinburgh remains one of the Council’s key priorities to making sure everyone can take advantage of everything the Capital has to offer and is paid a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Fair Work Convener and Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Living Wage City Action Group, Councillor Kate Campbell, said:“All partners in the Edinburgh Living Wage City Action Group have put so much work into getting to this point.
“We are all incredibly proud that we can call our Capital an official Living Wage City. We now need to continue that work so that we sign up 100 new accredited businesses every year for the next five years. That’s double the current number of businesses signing up.
“Being an accredited living wage employer is about so much more than paying a Living Wage. It’s about embedding a culture of Fair Work and giving staff financial security, showing them that they’re truly valued for the contribution they make. And the benefits for employers include being able to keep and attract skilled staff – something many businesses are struggling with right now.
“So, we’re asking all businesses and organisations across the city to join us. Together, we can make our city fairer and make sure everyone shares in our economic recovery.”
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Fair Work Vice Convener, Councillor Mandy Watt, said:“In-work poverty needs to end – and Edinburgh is taking a welcome step towards that today by becoming a real Living Wage City. Fair pay, fair hours and respect at work should be something that all workers can expect from their job.
“We’re hoping that a huge number of Edinburgh employers share our ambition and will raise wages to the level of the real Living Wage, which was announced yesterday (15 November). Once that’s done, they can move forward to full accreditation and show everybody that they’re helping to end poverty in our city.”
The Scottish Government’s Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work Richard Lochhead said:“I am pleased to see Edinburgh achieve the significant milestone of becoming a Living Wage City.
“There is increasing evidence demonstrating the benefits of Fair Work to both workers and business and by promoting the real Living Wage, the Edinburgh Action Group recognises the importance that fair pay has on the local economy.
“I congratulate the Action Group and all the 2employers in Edinburgh that have played a part in this important achievement.
Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine, CEO at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said: “We are very proud to part of a business community that recognises the importance of providing the Living Wage to their staff, and what an impact this has on both their income and wellbeing.
“At Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, happy people always means happy animals, and through our commitment to the living wage, we are reducing financial pressures that our staff might otherwise face, ensuring the highest standard of care for our dogs and cats.
Peter Kelly, Director of The Poverty Alliance (above) said: “Today’s announcement that Edinburgh has been awarded ‘Making Living Wage Places’ recognition sends a strong signal of the determination to end low pay and loosen the grip of in-work poverty for workers and their families in Scotland’s capital city.
“The commitment by this alliance of employers to the people of Edinburgh is very important, and we look forward to working with them on making Edinburgh a Living Wage city. We want to see towns and cities in Scotland come together to tackle in-work poverty, and this is a significant step on that journey.”
Christine McCaig, Projects Coordinator and Living Wage Scotland said:“This Living Wage Week, we are delighted to announce the launch of an ambitious action plan to ‘Make Edinburgh a Living Wage City’. There are now more than 2400 accredited Living Wage employers in Scotland, over 450 of which are based in Edinburgh, who together want to ensure workers have what they need to thrive.
“The impact of the real Living Wage in tackling in-work poverty is strengthened by a collective effort from local employers, anchor institutions, key stakeholders and communities working together. We hope to see many more employers in Edinburgh become accredited to drive the vision of Making Edinburgh a Living Wage City.”
The real Living Wage rate this year has largely been driven by sharply rising fuel and rent costs. The real Living Wage is different to the Government minimum wage for over 23s, called the ‘National Living Wage’ (NLW).
While the real Living Wage is independently calculated based on living costs and is paid by employers voluntarily, the government’s NLW is based on a percentage of median earnings, and all employers are required to pay it.
In Scotland, more than 15% of all jobs pay less than the real Living Wage – around 350,000 jobs.
Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 45,000 people in Scotland and put over £240 million extra into the pockets of low paid Scottish workers.
A new anonymous phone service will see trained staff stay on the line while people are using drugs to ensure they remain safe.
The “Never Use Alone” phone line will be run by the charity “We Are With You” backed by £100,000 funding from the Scottish Government.
The service is the first of its kind in Europe and will initially be trialled in Glasgow and North and South Ayrshire. These areas have been chosen so the system can be assessed in both urban and rural areas.
“Never Use Alone” will begin this month and will eventually be rolled out across the country.
Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said: “I welcome this phone line which will be operated by We Are With You and which will undoubtedly play a part in tackling Scotland’s drug deaths crisis.
“Many of those people who have lost their life while using drugs were alone at the time and I encourage people to take advantage of this service – the first of its kind in Europe – to help them stay safe.
“While backing this service, we are also continuing to work to overcome existing legal barriers to implement safe consumption rooms in Scotland.”
“We Are With You” Executive Director Andrew Horne said: “The scale of the problem we’re facing in Scotland demands urgent, radical action and we want to do everything we can to help tackle this crisis.
“This phone line is about keeping people safe. Our staff will ensure they are aware what substances an individual has taken and what they are intending to take. They will also find out exactly where they are in case the emergency services are required.
“We hope that we can provide people with the support they need at the time they call in but also that we can take the opportunity to encourage them to seek help from services which provide the support which is right for them in the longer term.”
The “Never Use Alone” free phone line number is 0808 801 0690
Girls from eleven Edinburgh and East Lothian schools are battling it out with rivals from across Scotland in a contest to prove they can be the next stars of the investment industry.
The students are among over 70 teams from 48 schools taking part in the Growing Future Assets Competition, designed to nurture a future generation of female investment experts.
The contest, which aims to introduce senior girls to the world of investment and its range of careers, sees the teenagers vying to spot the next big investment opportunity. And it has ignited fierce competition this year with entries up by 300%.
Those taking part include teams from: Balerno Community, Craigmount, Craigroyston Community, Holy Rood RC and Forrester High Schools plus independent schools George Heriots, George Watson’s College, Edinburgh and Loretto School in Musselburgh; Knox Academy, Haddington and North Berwick and Preston Lodge High Schools in East Lothian.
The soaring popularity of the contest is down to the enthusiasm of the teenagers, willingness of teachers to embrace extra-curricular activities and outstanding support from investment management professionals who are helping to mentor the schoolgirls.
Financial educators Future Asset are challenging a total of 320 girls, divided into teams of 13-18-year-olds to research, analyse and pitch a company they think will be a great long-term investment.
The youngsters are paired with a mentor from an investment company to provide advice, inspiration and career insights and have the chance to attend online masterclasses as they develop an understanding that good investing focuses on a company’s long-term prospects, profits and sustainability.
This year more than 80 investment mentors from 28 firms have stepped up to counsel the young women.
Ashley-Jane Kyle, CFA, Investment Analyst at Walter Scott & Partners Limited and Investment Mentor for the competition says:“Not only have I thoroughly enjoyed being an Investment Mentor as part of the competition, but I have also been so impressed with the students’ enthusiasm and effort put in to their investment reports and pitches.
“I think this is a great way to break the barrier that often puts girls off from considering investment management as a career as it allows them to experience in quite a real way what it’s like to research and invest in businesses. It also gives them an opportunity to develop valuable skills which they will be able to use throughout their careers.”
Experts from journalism and business are also advising the teenagers: Executive and Voice Coach Susan Room is helping to boost their skills and confidence with online masterclasses in Mindset, Body Language, Speech and Voice, while author, broadcaster and financial journalist Iona Bain, who launched the contest in September, is on hand to explain how they can invest their way to a better future.
Now in its third year, the competition features a senior contest for years S5 and S6 and a junior challenge for S3 and S4. The teams of three to six girls will present their case in a research report and three-minute elevator pitch by November 30. The top teams will then deliver an extended pitch to judges at the final in March next year.
At stake is: £1000 for the winning senior school and £200-worth of vouchers of the students’ choice for each team member; £800 for the best junior school and £150-worth of vouchers each. Senior and junior runners-up receive £500 and £100 of vouchers and £400 and £75 of vouchers, respectively.
Helen Bradley, Future Asset programme manager, says: “We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm shown by the schools, the teachers and all the investment experts who have come forward to mentor the teams.
“We weren’t sure what the response would be from schools then at the beginning of September, when the competition launched, we just watched in amazement at the huge influx of registrations. We put out a call for additional mentors and that was answered enthusiastically by experts already in the industry.
“We’re also hugely impressed by the commitment shown by teachers who have really responded to this extra-curricular opportunity for their students – especially when they have already faced such a difficult period and increase in their own workload over the last 18 months.”
Future Asset believes that being female should never be seen as a barrier to progressing in a chosen career.
Their goal is to enable girls in the senior phase of high school to learn how investment can change the world for the better, gain valuable, transferable skills and consider the benefits of possible future careers.
They organise conferences and workshops for girls across Scotland.
