ART OFFENDERS is the first exhibition presented to you by CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS
Wednesday 8th December 2021
4pm – 7pm
Spartans Community Football Academy, Ainsley Park, 94 Pilton Drive
This event is FREE
Prior to the pandemic, the young people who attend Spartans Alternative School connected their art with their social enterprise project and named it CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS.
Their mission was to create awareness and positive change while they explored different ways of creating art. This year they spoke a lot about war and the negative impacts that battle and war has had on the lives of our soldiers when they return home.
This exhibition features drawings, paintings, creative writing, film and 3D work that will be available to purchase. Specially designed cards, prints and mugs will also be on sale at our ‘pop up shop’. They have chosen to donate money raised, to Scottish Veterans residences, based in Edinburgh.
SCOTTISH VETERANS RESIDENCES, provides supported housing for former members of the UK Armed Forces who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Their services are located in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow.
We look forward to welcoming you to come enjoy some Artwork and support our mission, to raise funds for Scottish war veterans.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney has chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) on the continuing impacts of Storm Arwen and has been briefed that the recovery is going to be greater and more challenging than first anticipated.
Last night’s update focused on the scale and severity of the adverse weather which will see a number of homes across the country remain without power overnight and continuing telecommunication and water issues.
Significant efforts are ongoing to restore power as soon as possible and welfare support is being concentrated on the people and households who are most vulnerable and have the greatest need.
Mr Swinney said: “The scale of the damage caused by Storm Arwen is worse than we first feared and as a result our recovery will take longer than anticipated.
“We know this will create significant challenges for communities and households still affected by the storm’s impacts and I want to reassure them we are doing everything we can, liaising with local resilience partnerships, to focus efforts and resources.
“We have been working closely and at pace with power companies who are maximising efforts to restore services to households currently without power.
“Plans are being put in place for further assistance to respond to the longer than expected recovery and we are concentrating getting power restored for vulnerable people and those who need it most.
“In extremely challenging circumstances we have seen an outstanding response from local resilience partnerships who have been providing vital support to local residents and I would like to thank them for their continuing efforts.”
Six cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant have been identified in Scotland.
Four cases are in the Lanarkshire area and two have been identified in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.
Public Health Scotland and local health protection teams are supporting and contact tracing is being undertaken to establish the origin of the virus and any individuals they have come into contact with in recent weeks.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “This will be a worrying time for the six people now identified as having the new variant. All will receive expert help and support and Public Health Scotland will undertake enhanced contact tracing in all cases. This will help establish the origin of the virus and any further individuals they have come into contact with in recent weeks.
“There is still much to learn about the Omicron variant. Questions remain about its severity, transmissibility and response to treatments or vaccines and scientists are working at pace to provide additional information. Until more is known we must be cautious and do everything we can to minimise the risk of spreading infection.
“We have already taken steps and are aligning with the new border restrictions being introduced by the UK Government which will require fully vaccinated arrivals to take a PCR test within two days of arrival and to self-isolate until a negative result is received.
“These measures will be introduced as soon as possible and kept under constant review. However, we reserve the right to go further if necessary. We are also adopting the expanded red list of countries identified by the UK Government. This will also be kept under review.
“We must now redouble our efforts to follow the basic rules that have served us well throughout the pandemic – wear a face covering on public transport and in all indoor settings for food and retail; open windows especially if you have people visiting at home; keep washing your hands regularly and thoroughly. Work from home where possible, take regular lateral flow tests – especially before mixing with others outside your household.
“If you have symptoms, self-isolate and take a test and if contacted by Test and Protect or public health teams please co-operate and follow their advice. All close contacts of suspected Omicron cases will be advised to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status.
“And of course, if you are eligible for your booster, or are still to have any dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, please get vaccinated now.”
BREAKING: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be holding a Coronavirus briefing at 10.30 this morning.
The number of Baby Boxes delivered to expectant parents has reached 200,000. The milestone comes after independent evaluation showed overwhelming backing for the box and its contents.
Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “We are proud that the 200,000th Baby Box has been delivered to a family preparing to welcome their wee one. It means that 200,000 newborns and their parents have now benefitted from a range of essential items.
“The Baby Box is part of our commitment to making sure that every child, no matter what their circumstances, has the best start in life. Deliveries of the boxes have continued throughout the pandemic, supporting parents at a time when many may be facing additional financial worries or having to cope without as much face-to-face support from family and friends.
“Last year, a record 98% of expectant parents requested a Baby Box, a big rise on the 85% when they were first launched in 2017.
“This is a further vote of confidence for the scheme following the independent evaluation that showed how much parents value the Baby Box and its contents.”
One Parent Families Scotland CEO Satwat Rehman said: “The fact that all babies in Scotland are gifted a box full of essential items means that as a society we want every child, regardless of their circumstances, to get the best start in life.
“We fully support this positive public health initiative that has the potential, through its universal approach, to make a contribution to the reduction of inequalities at the start of a baby’s life.
“Parents have told us that receiving the box made them feel the Government ‘cares about families’.”
A Baby Box is offered to all newborns in Scotland.
It provides families with a range of essential items for their first six months, delivered in a sturdy cardboard box, which can be used as a safe sleeping space during the early months of a baby’s life. The contents of the Baby Box are designed to inform and support positive parenting behaviours.
In an independent evaluation, 97% of parents who took part in research rated the box and its contents as good. Parents highlighted benefits of the box, including saving them money on essential items for newborns and helping with information on child health and development.
· RWE marks £5 million donated over 15 years to community funds in Scotland
· Flexible financial support has benefited a wide range of local people, groups and infrastructure
· Bad á Cheò Wind Farm education & training fund provides residents with opportunities to upskill and increase employment potential
RWE, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, has reached the milestone of donating £5 million over 15 years, through its community funds set up at projects it operates in Scotland. The community funds help charities and causes to thrive and supports local communities.
This money goes a long way to supporting the sustainable development of the communities in which renewable projects are located. Hundreds of projects and communities have already been supported across Scotland with many other projects ready to be funded across the country.
In total, RWE operates 26 sites in Scotland with many employees living locally. In addition to Community Funds, RWE is committed to offering community shared ownership at many of the projects in development.
The funding process is flexible and easily accessible, with decisions about funding allocations made by a panel of local representatives who know their communities best.
A number of examples of positive, grass roots projects funded by RWE’s Community Funds, including causes such as:
1 – Education and training fund supported by Bad á Cheò Onshore Wind Farm
Bad á Cheò Onshore Wind Farm Education and Training fund is open to residents living closest to the wind farm and provides bursaries to local people to access training and education opportunities that better equip them with the range of skills required to enter into, or retain, employment in key sectors. To date it has awarded nearly £50,000.
Taking advantage of the fund, the first two beneficiaries, Zoe Farquhar and Louise Todd, both undertook courses that increased their ability to generate more income and work for themselves.
Zoe Farquharson undertook an Introduction to Kiltmaking course, to enable her to meet a demand locally for handmade kilts by participants in Highland Dance Schools as well as sympathetic repairs to older garments. Louise Todd formalised her accountancy skills by taking a professional bookkeeping course that enabled her to increase the services her business could offer.
Thirty-five local people have received funding towards courses as diverse as childcare, sign language, deer stalking, welding inspection, accountancy and kilt making, or to assist them with costs whilst completing university education.
2 – Helping communities on their journey to net zero by supporting community energy projects
The An Suidhe Onshore Wind Farm Community Fund provided an investment in equity (share ownership) towards the River Avich Community Hydro Scheme. Providing financial support to the project while enabling a return of 4% back to the An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund.
This was the first investment in a community-owned renewable project from a community benefit fund in Scotland and an exciting example of how an area can achieve its renewable energy ambitions whilst continuously reinvesting in local initiatives.
Community Benefit UK
Katy Woodington, Community Investment Manager UK & Ireland, said: “This is an important milestone, which represents the significant difference that renewable energy can make to people’s day to day lives as well as the planet.
“Funds are set up with decisions made by local people, so it is great to see them making the most of these flexible funds to support innovative projects, push boundaries and help realise their ambitions.”
There are additional long standing community and societal benefits that have been provided as a result of RWE’s green developments including a significant boost to local and regional supply chains, and supporting the development of high skilled, well-paid jobs and training programmes.
To date, RWE, which directly employs around 100 people in Scotland, has invested over £180 million in the country and recently confirmed its participation in the ScotWind seabed leasing round process, as we look to expand our global offshore wind portfolio.
RWE is the third largest renewable generator in the UK with the largest renewable project pipeline including the construction of the 1.4 GW Sofia and 857 MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farms. RWE is also progressing four extension projects in the UK, with a combined potential installed capacity of around 2.6 GW (RWE’s pro rata share: 1.3 GW.)
Furthermore, we successfully bid for two new adjacent offshore sites on Dogger Bank, developing some of the world’s most advanced offshore wind farms, in support of government net zero ambitions.
To find out more about RWE’s Community Funds, and the local projects and causes that they help to support, visit our Community finding in action page.
Mindful eating is an approach to food where you pay full attention to eating. Research has shown that eating mindfully can improve digestion, help regulate appetite and helps us enjoy our food much more.
Here we share some simple ways to incorporate mindful eating into your daily routine:
Preparing your food For many people, cooking can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be a rushed experience or something we do on autopilot. Whether you’re chopping, slicing, or marinating, the art of being mindful when you are cooking is an ideal opportunity to focus your attention on textures, sounds and smells. If your mouth waters – you know you’re on track!
Slow down Taking the time to eat and chew your food thoroughly will enable you to taste the essence of the food. During a meal, you could practice taking smaller bites of food and try to put down your knife and fork between mouthfuls. You may be surprised at all the flavours that are released that you may not normally notice.
Eating around the table When life gets busy, it can be easy to slip into the habit of eating on the run and neglect taking time to sit down together. Trying to factor in time for sitting around the table can be beneficial for all members of a family or household. It can help everyone switch off from the stresses of the day and provide an opportunity to reconnect over a meal.
No distractions We tend to eat more mindlessly when we are distracted. We also don’t taste and experience the food as much because our mind is elsewhere.
Try eating with no distractions; this means eating without your laptop or phone, or when reading or watching TV so that you can relax and enjoy your food in the moment.
Mindful eating takes practice, and the more you practice, the more natural it will feel!
NHS Lothian is to re-introduce a staff car parking permit scheme on the Little France campus as part of a plan to help ease traffic congestion.
The scheme, which was suspended during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be reinstated next year as a free permit for staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) amid safety concerns around growing levels of congestion and queueing traffic on the site.
Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Lothian, said the site was unable to sustain the sheer volume of cars that arrive each day and the problem was causing delays for patients, staff and visitors, as well as blue light services which need access at all times.
He added: “The decision to re-introduce free staff car parking permits has been carefully considered and planned over recent months and is not a decision that was taken lightly.
“We have been experiencing significant congestion across the Little France campus which cannot be sustained. It causes delays to patients, visitors and staff and for the buses which are essential to service the hospital.
“Critically, however, it also causes serious issues for our blue light services which must be able to travel through the hospital site at all times.
“We are actively looking for additional long-term solutions for staff, including the implementation of a dedicated park and ride at Shawfair. In the meantime, a temporary new car park to provide more than 300 extra spaces on campus will also open in January.
“We will continue to engage with our staff throughout this process.”
The application process has been updated and staff who are interested in a permit are being asked to apply for the permit scheme, which will go live on January 17.
Forms will then be cross checked against the eligibility criteria, which is consistent across all NHS Lothian sites and includes questions about how far they have to travel, how long it takes, public transport links, the times of their journey and whether the role they perform requires them to move between sites during the course of a shift. Separate arrangements will be in place for those who have to attend in an emergency.
Staff who are already in possession of a staff parking permit will be able to use their current permit for one year, after which, it will be subject to an annual eligibility review.
Tracy Anne Miller, RIE Partnership Lead, NHS Lothian, said: “These next steps are essential. The site cannot cope with the levels of congestion we are experiencing. We will continue to engage with staff directly and help ensure they have equitable access to the scheme.”
NHS Lothian is actively investigating additional long-term solutions, and discussions are ongoing around the implementation of a dedicated park and ride at Shawfair.
In the meantime, a temporary car park, which will provide an additional 250 spaces will be available in January.
Staff are also being urged to consider car-share schemes. Where possible, car-sharing will be facilitated within departments, however plans are being developed to try and help match people from different departments, if required. More details will be released in due course. All car sharing schemes will be operated in line with Scottish Government guidance.
Broadcast legend Toby Anstis has opened up about challenges he faced as an adopted young person.He is backing Adoption UK’s bid to establish the UK’s first specialist youth service for adopted young people.
The HEART presenter, who was adopted as a baby, told how he “never quite felt good enough” and how he suffered from insecurity.
Adoption UK’s Chance to Thrive programme will help adopted young people share experiences, gain new skills and make connections with others who understand them.
Toby is fronting Adoption UK’s Christmas appeal to raise funds for the charity’s Chance to Thrive programme, which hopes to establish a national youth service across the whole of the UK over the next three years.
Toby said: “I occasionally got bullied at school for being adopted. I was also dealing with and overcoming the feelings of being different and not wanting to be rejected. It’s for these reasons that this campaign is very close to my heart.
“When you are adopted, you can sometimes feel like you are not quite good enough. Overall, I am a very strong person but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had insecurities that have had a major impact on my life over the years”
Earlier this year Adoption UK published its Adoption Barometer report which reveals two-thirds (64%) of adopted people aged 16+ have sought help with their mental health.
The report also found that almost half (46%) of adopted people aged 16-25 were involved with mental health services in 2020, compared to the national figure of 17%. Yet most say they have been unable to access the support they need. Problems are often compounded by children falling through the cracks between child and adult services.
The Chance to Thrive programme aims to reduce these numbers through specialist engagement activities. Adoption UK’s CEO Sue Armstrong Brown said: “We urgently need to develop services which help adopted young people build resilience and improve their life chances.”
Toby, who is about to celebrate his 30th year in show business, started his career in 1992 fronting and appearing on countless TV shows and live events. He played Teen Angel in Grease, in the West End before broadcasting for Heart for a record 20 years.
Three quarters of the children adopted have been removed from their birth families due to abuse or neglect. Early trauma affects a young person’s mental health, ability to trust and future chances.
Toby added: “Give big to the Big Give to help adopted young people create a positive future that is not determined by their past.” To donate click here: bit.ly/3kvObl8
20 innovative start-ups have been selected for a University of Edinburgh incubator programme aimed at developing and commercialising academic entrepreneurship.
The Venture Builder Incubator 2.0, part of the Data-Driven Entrepreneur Programme, is supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University’s commercialisation service. The incubator is delivered by the Bayes Centre on behalf of the University’s five Data-Driven Innovation Hubs.
The start-ups selected for the incubator include eight companies operating projects in the field of cancer. This follows a new partnership, announced in September, between the University of Edinburgh and Cancer Research UK to support PhD students and researchers in developing and accelerating commercialisation of ideas aimed at combating cancer.
The cancer-focused ventures include NanoTara, which is exploring a method for early cancer diagnosis using magnetic nanorobots; 10zyme, a start-up devising a simple method of detecting cancers through urine or saliva samples; and ForceBiology, developers of a versatile, more accurate and cost-effective high throughput drug-screening platform for cancer.
This year’s programme also includes innovative Edinburgh start-ups in a range of other sectors including Quas, a healthy, plant-based non-alcoholic beverage. Also selected are Zoforia Technologies, developers of an online wellbeing platform for children; Amitabha, an efficient and accurate AI-driven conveyancing solution; and Robocean, a subsea robot that can plant seagrass 30 times faster and significantly cheaper than other methods.
Other participating ventures are: Amytis Labs, Cexal, EVA Biosystems, FastMedCare, Flimology, Insilico, Janus, Onboard.ID, Outfit of Tomorrow, Oxford Onco-Therapeutics, Sentinal4D, Therapev, and Whimsylabs.
The Venture Builder Incubator is designed to help fledgling entrepreneurs build their skills and take their businesses to the next level.
The start-ups in this year’s cohort were chosen after an application process which includes PhD students and post doctorates from University of Edinburgh or Heriot-Watt University, as well as research staff focused on cancer-related projects from across the UK.
The Venture Builder Incubator, funded through the Data Driven Innovation programme of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, forms part of the ambitious Data-Driven Entrepreneurship Beacon Programme at the University of Edinburgh to support post-COVID recovery.
The delivery of the programme is supported by Edinburgh-based strategic design consultancy Nile, Scale Space and edventure, a pan-European university venture builder and accelerator, launched in 2020 by three Edinburgh students.
The Incubator has also formed a partnership with FinTech Scotland to leverage its network to support entrepreneurs.
Charlotte Waugh, Enterprise and Innovation Programme Lead at Edinburgh Innovations, said: “We are delighted to welcome some of the most promising entrepreneurial students in Edinburgh along with leading academic researchers from other parts of the UK to participate in Venture Builder Incubator 2.0.
“The programme features 20 companies that have been engaged in academic research to address some of the world’s major challenges including the climate emergency, health and wellbeing, children’s mental health, and financial security.
“We look forward to supporting these ventures, helping commercialise their ideas to transform them into world-leading businesses. This programme further builds on our ambition to establish Edinburgh as the Data Capital of Europe.”
Laura Bernal, Venture Builder Incubator Programme Manager, said: “We’re delighted to welcome all our new cohorts including the eight start-up companies recruited in partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK), with ideas to transform the way we treat cancer.
“These companies are focused on developing early diagnosis tools and less invasive testing to enable better and quicker treatments and improved outcomes for cancer patients.”
Council reports record greenhouse gas emissions fall for 6th year running
The City of Edinburgh Council greenhouse gas emissions have continued to fall for the sixth year running.
This has been helped in part by the upgrading of LED street lighting across the city, and a drop in fleet emissions.
The findings, which have been released as part of the latest Public Bodies Climate Change Duties (PBCCD) report, reveal that Council emissions have been cut by 11% in the past financial year – supporting the Council’s ambition of becoming a net zero organisation by 2030.
The reduction, which also includes emissions from Edinburgh Leisure, is mainly thanks to a fall in electricity consumption, achieved through lighting or other energy efficiency upgrades, property closures during the pandemic and greening of the electricity grid.
The upgrade in LED street lighting across the city also contributed to a third of the drop in overall electricity use. A decrease in the use of the heavy vehicle fleet and a drop in business travel during the lockdown also helped emissions fall.
In 2020-21, emissions from buildings made up 66% of the Councils carbon footprint. Meanwhile, emissions from waste totalled 9%, fleet 10%, business travel 1% and other energy consumption, such as street and stair lighting, alarms and traffic signals made up 14%.
The report will be considered by the Policy and Sustainability Committee on Tuesday 30 November, alongside the final Council Emissions Reduction Plan – which outlines the initial steps the Council needs to take to become a net zero organisation by 2030.
Council Leader Adam McVey said:“It’s fantastic to see our hard work paying off, cut our carbon emissions for the sixth year running. It shows that major programmes of work to support a greener, net zero council by 2030, such as making Edinburgh’s street lighting more energy efficient, is having a real positive impact on the organisation and the city.
“While achieving an 11% drop in emissions this year is a significant achievement that we’re looking to build on, we must not become complacent. We know that 2020-21 was a unique year, and some of the changed to how we worked during the pandemic have contributed to this drop.
“As we transition back into the workplace over the coming months, we need to build on our progress to date and bank some of the progress of changes made during the last year. By continuing to make our buildings more energy efficient and encouraging colleagues to use more active and sustainable means of travel for work where possible we can recover from the pandemic in the greenest way possible and keep us on the track to net-zero by 2030.”
As well as reporting on the Council organisational emissions, the PBCCD report also covers the action taken by the Council to get ready for the unavoidable impacts of climate change – such as flooding and heatwaves.
It highlights that there has been a large increase in adaptation and climate risk activity being embedded across Council services, policies and plans – including the creation of the Edinburgh & Lothians Strategic Drainage Partnership to spot and reduce flood risk in the city and work to identify risks and protect Edinburgh’s World Heritage site, historic buildings and coastal communities.
It also highlights the Council’s new sustainable procurement strategy, which was launched in March 2020. The new policy means that Council procurement activity now contributes to its compliance with climate change duties.
Depute Leader, Cammy Day added: “The challenge we now face as a Council is how we maintain and improve on these reductions in emissions – which is why I’m delighted to see the publication of our Council Emissions Reduction Plan.
“By calculating the emissions impact of all of our activity and providing a clear plan for how we can cut our footprint, we can continue to make progress and build on our successes to date, helping to deliver environmental benefits along with wider health, economic and wellbeing benefits for everyone who lives and works in Edinburgh”.
69% – fall in Council’s business travel emissions footprint – caused by lockdown.
2.3% – the total increase in household waste tonnage collected by the Council. This is due to citizens spending more time at home during and after national lockdowns.
25,300: The number of average UK household’s annual energy needs which can be covered by the electricity generated from Millerhill Energy from Waste plant.
52,810 – The number of energy efficient streetlights installed in Edinburgh to date (up to Friday 5th November). A further 2,190 lanterns are still set to be installed by the end of the year. NB 9,000 were already energy efficient.
