Over the twenty-four-hour period from 7am on Friday, November 26, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received more than 900 emergency calls – almost three times the normal number – with more than 500 of these being due to the impact of the severe weather associated with Storm Arwen affecting many areas of the country.
During this same period of time, firefighters were mobilised to more than 500 incidents, many of which were related to high winds, with areas in the North and East of Scotland being worst affected.
Between 3pm and midnight on Friday, November 26 the Service’s Operations Control rooms in Dundee and Edinburgh received more than 500 weather related emergency calls, which included calls for assistance to make damaged buildings safe and road traffic collisions.
The impact of the weather was also felt by the Service, with damage to the roof of Altens Community Fire Station in Aberdeen.
On duty firefighters and appliances were deployed to neighbouring stations to ensure fire cover for the area was maintained. In addition, a fire appliance from Galashiels in the Borders was struck by falling trees during the storm while attending an incident and the firefighters were removed to safety with no injuries recorded.
John Dickie is an Assistant Chief Officer in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. He said: “This has been an exceptional weather event and a challenging night where we received a high number of weather related calls.
“We have seen high numbers of emergency calls from the Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Fife, East Lothian and Scottish Borders areas where many buildings were damaged by the high winds – resulting in a significant localised response.
“Firefighters also attended a number of other incidents including road traffic collisions and fires.
“My thanks must go to our firefighters and Operations Control staff for their outstanding work overnight in very challenging conditions, and to our partners for their continued assistance.”
Edinburgh Napier collective takes home Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion award
A three-year long campaign by students and staff at Edinburgh Napier to raise awareness of period poverty has been recognised with an award win at the “Oscars of Higher Education.”
Bleedin’ Saor – the staff/student collective responsible for the campaign – collected the Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at last night’s Times Higher Education Awards 2021 in London.
Led by Edinburgh Napier colleagues Ruth Cochrane, Dr Kirsten MacLeod and Lindsay Morgan, the collective was praised by judges for its efforts in combating menstrual myths and breaking the ‘silence of menstruation’ to create a long-lasting impact for young people and their communities.
The Bleedin’ Saor campaign was multi-faceted, with the collective most recently launching its Bleeding Free documentary which looked at topics such as period poverty, period dignity and menstrual education both in Scotland and overseas in Uganda.
The collective visited Uganda in 2019 as it took its campaign to East Africa to join global efforts in the menstrual movement.
The 10-day trip saw the group meet with and interview members of a number of organisations within the country who are fighting for better period product provision, gender equality and women’s rights.
Closer to home, the documentary also captures the work of the collective and its three designers – Sam Calder, Hannah Stevens and Brogan Henderson – as they worked with the University and the Hey Girls social enterprise to design two new period product dispensers.
The final design has been used by Edinburgh Napier to make period products free to all who need them within the University’s campuses and will soon be installed in schools, colleges and universities across the country. The free products at Edinburgh Napier have been made available thanks to Scottish Government funding.
The Bloody Big Brunch event hosted by Bleedin’ Saor at all three of Edinburgh Napier’s campuses in early 2019 – which saw guests pay for entry to the brunch through donating period products rather than money – is also revisited in the film.
On the award win, Ruth, Kirsten and Lindsay said: “We are beyond delighted that Bleedin’ Saor has received this recognition. It highlights the role that creativity has to play in tackling society’s challenges.
“The success of this project is completely down to our amazing students. It shows that given the chance, our young people really can change the world.”
University Principal Andrea Nolan said: “This award is fantastic recognition for the Bleedin’ Saor collective and I am so proud of what it has done both for Edinburgh Napier and beyond.
“The campaign is a perfect example of successful student and staff partnership working and I am thrilled that the team has been recognised for its tireless work and passion in raising awareness of period poverty.
“A huge congratulations to you all.”
The THE awards – now in their 17th year – span 20 categories covering the full range of university activities. This year’s winners, focusing on achievements during 2019-20, were announced at a ceremony last night at the Hilton London Metropole hotel.
The University was well represented on the night, with Professor Lis Neubeck, from the School of Health & Social Care, also shortlisted for Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year.
Entitled Abnormal Heart Rhythms: Changing National and Global Detection and Management, Professor Neubeck’s internationally leading research and knowledge exchange focuses on the early detection and appropriate management of the most common abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, and has had significant impact on the field of cardiovascular health at a national, European and global level.
The full list of winners from the night can be found here.
From today, adults aged 40 to 49 will be able to book their COVID-19 booster online.
You will not be sent an appointment letter, so please book your appointment at
nhsinform.scot/
Advance booking facility for 40-49 year olds
People aged 40-49 years old will be able to use the NHS Inform online portal or national phoneline to book their COVID-19 booster appointments from today (Saturday).
Appointments will be available from 30 November and the booking must be at least 24 weeks after the second dose.
16 and 17 year olds can use the portal from Tuesday 30 November to book a slot for their second dose of the vaccine as long as 12 weeks have passed since the first dose. However, anyone with a confirmed case of the virus since the first dose should wait for 12 weeks after that.
The portal is already open for the 50 – 59 age group, unpaid carers who are 16 and over, and those aged 16 and over who are household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals while anyone in earlier groups who missed an appointment can also book online. As the portal is now being opened to even more cohorts, 50-59-year-olds who have not yet received their booster, will be contacted shortly to invite them to make a booking as soon as possible via the portal or national phoneline.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We have now delivered more than 1.5 million boosters and third doses and the excellent progress with the Autumn/Winter vaccination programme now allows us to invite people aged 40 – 49 to book online.
“Boosters are just as important as the initial vaccinations. Six months after the second dose, immunity levels wane with increasing risk of further infection. The booster dose improves your level of protection significantly and is the best way to protect your health and those around you. We encourage all those eligible to arrange their appointment via the portal or phoneline for 24 weeks after their second dose.
“I am pleased that, from Tuesday, 16 and 17 year olds can also use the portal to book their second dose. The portal will be in use for people in almost all health board areas but those in areas where that is not the case, people will be contacted directly by their local board with details of their appointment.
“We aim to vaccinate people as quickly as possible in line with clinical guidance and over the course of the Autumn/Winter vaccination programme, we will see up to 7.5 million flu and COVID-19 booster vaccinations administered.
“While vaccination is the bedrock of our fight against COVID-19, we encourage everyone to follow mitigations such as regular testing, particularly before socialising and meeting up with others people from outside your household, wearing face marks where required and opening windows to improve ventilation.”
Projects and organisations across Edinburgh are sharing in £49,382 National Lottery funding in the latest round of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund awards.
Edinburgh contemporary composer, Neil Smith is developing two projects designed to inspire new audiences for contemporary classical music.
A debut portrait album of chamber music and a new music-driven puppet theatre show follow fast on the heels of his collaboration with Tinderbox Collective’s recent Music For Bridges project.
Photographer,David Grinlyis developing new work for an exhibition at Sierra Metro gallery, Edinburgh in January 2022.
Collaborating with six musicians, Grinly will perform and record works of “photographic music” composed via a method developed by the artist to translate colour into musical notation.
The Edinburgh projects are among the 36 creative initiatives across Scotland sharing in over £772,000 of National Lottery funding in this round of Open Fund awards.
Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotlandsaid: “These Open Fund grants are capable of making a palpable and positive difference to the lives and careers of artists, and more widely to those of us living within Scotland’s communities.
“Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every year, these awards continue to support communities the length and breadth of Scotland, inspiring generations and boosting overall wellbeing.”
Up to 100 events taking place across the country between 26 – 30 November
This weekend people in Edinburgh are being encouraged to celebrate our national day by coming together to share kindness with friends and neighbours, and recognise the value we place on having compassion for others and the environment we live in.
Kindness is a central theme of the St Andrew’s Day events programme – part of Scotland’s Winter Festivals 2021/22. The Scottish Government has provided over £430,000 in funding for Scotland’s Winter Festivals and the events programme is delivered by EventScotland, BEMIS Scotland, the Fair Saturday Foundation and the English Speaking Union Scotland.
Up to 100 individual events are planned for the five-day festivities marking St Andrew’s Day across the country including theatre performances, poetry readings and music concerts as well as ceilidhs, torchlight parades and a Diversity Cup football tournament.
Events happening across Edinburgh, which will give a welcome boost to the tourism and event sectors as they recover from the pandemic, include:
● Summerhall Presents: FAIR PLAY – 30 November 2021: An evening of music, theatre, spoken word, dance and film. Edinburgh’s independent performing arts venue Summerhall is working with Fair Saturday to present FAIR PLAY, celebrating some of the artists who’ve been involved with Summerhall’s Artist Development Programme. MC’d by poet and theatre maker Leyla Josephine, the night will include dance from Katie Armstrong and Róisín O’Brien, spoken word from John Osborne (My Car Plays Tapes) and Colin Bramwell (Three Pints on a Sunday), and a screening of a new short film Auntie Empire (Julia Taudevin, Niamh McKeown and Jana Robert), all rounded off with music from a surprise guest.
● Scottish LGBTQ+ Walking Tour – 27th November 2021: As part of St Andrew’s Fair Saturday there will be a new 2-hour walking tour in Edinburgh’s Old Town featuring Scottish LGBTQ+ history. Starting at either 10am or 2pm on the 27th of November the tour will discuss pioneering lesbian doctors in the Victorian era, a gender non-conforming army surgeon, and the sites of some of the first public queer social events in Edinburgh in the 1970s and 20% of all proceeds with be donated to Mermaids.
● Kindness of Words – 26th – 30th November 2021: Enjoy a little ‘spoken word sustenance’ with a curated programme of special events within the St Andrew’s Fair Saturday Festival this year. Take a chance to pause and enjoy sessions created by charities and organisations across the world that promote a love of reading, storytelling, poetry and literature. Events include Elevenses poetry event with Jackie Kay on St Andrew’s Day at the Edinburgh Storytelling Centre, a celebration of books and stories at Streetreads library in Edinburgh and a special mini Bookbug session with Scottish Book Trust.
As part of this year’s celebrations, Edinburgh-based artist Emily Hogarth has designed an illustration which encapsulates the spirit of St Andrew’s Day and reflects small acts of kindness that have brought us together over the past 12 months.
The illustration and its message, ‘When Kindness is Shared it Grows’, will be brought to life and displayed at St James Quarter and the Festival Theatre reminding people around Scotland to share kindness with others this St Andrew’s Day.
Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Scotland’s Winter Festivals bring a much-needed brightness and joy to the winter darkness and I’m very pleased that the Scottish Government is contributing up to £430,000 to the programme of events.
“The past year has been challenging for everyone so the government is proud to fund a programme of events that bring people together from near and far to showcase our world-class culture and heritage as well as our values of fairness, kindness, inclusivity and empowerment.”
For more information on the full St Andrew’s Day events programme visit:
The Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland has announced that following a successful inaugural programme developed in response to Covid-19 challenges, the Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme (THTDP) has been funded for a second year.
The news was announced today (25th November) by David Cochrane MBE, HIT Scotland’s Chief Executive, at Scotland’s National Tourism Industry Conference at the EICC, where 200 participants of the inaugural programme were awarded their certificates.
The Scottish Government funded programme was first launched in January 2021 to combat the impact of the pandemic on the hospitality & tourism industries. THTDP saw enthusiastic feedback from industry representatives and participants, with 78% of those who took part agreeing the programme has improved their career prospects.
80 cohorts of 25 people from 700 tourism and hospitality businesses took part, making the programme the largest virtual training course ever to take place in Scotland.
The programme, run jointly by Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland and the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA), was designed to support and develop talent at leadership, management, and supervisory levels.
The first round of the programme received over 2000 applications from employees on furloughed leave or experiencing redundancy.
Full details of the programme and how to enter will be released in early December, check back on the HIT Scotland website for updates: hitscotland.co.uk
David Cochrane MBE, Chief Executive, HIT Scotland, commented:“We are absolutely delighted that the Talent Development Programme has been renewed for phase two.
“The huge success of the first showed the desire for those in the hospitality and tourism industries to continue their professional development and help get the sectors back up and running after a difficult two years.
“We are dedicated to supporting our industry through this inspirational programme and thank our partner organisations for their continuing support in doing so.”
Jane Rennie, Founder & CEO, The Extraordinary Training Company, who designed the programme, added: “I am delighted that the second THTDP is scheduled to run again in early 2022. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that investment in people is key.
“There are strong links between an upbeat working environment, happy staff, loyal customers and increased footfall. Put simply, the capability and upskilling of all employees has never mattered more.”
Angela Dineen, Operations Director, The Scotch Whisky Experience, who had several employees on the programme,said:“The HIT Programme came at the perfect time for our team, after a lengthy period on furlough they all agreed that the course got them back in the frame of mind for returning to work and they felt motivated and engaged with our business again.
“The unanimous feedback from all participants was how useful it was to meet with their peers from other businesses and discuss common issues. Our team returned to work full of great ideas and suggestions for how we could do things differently, which was much needed as we adapted to the post COVID environment.”
Stand out statistics
78% of 1540 respondents agreed or strongly agreed the programme has improved their career prospects
95% of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the programme
84% of respondents were very likely to recommend the programme to a friend or colleague
Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, a vital source of support and advocacy for those who have experienced sexual violence, has received a £2,000 donation from Amazon Development Centre Scotland.
The Centre, which was set up in 1978, provides a range of services to support women, members of the trans community, non-binary people, and young people (aged 12 – 18) who have experienced any kind of sexual violence in their lives. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre also offers emotional and counselling support, advocacy service and group support.
This donation will go towards making the centre’s support and information services more accessible for survivors who face barriers accessing support.
Commenting on the donation, Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre Scotland, said: “The Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre is an incredibly important charity in our community and we’re pleased to support its team with this donation.”
Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, added: “We work to empower survivors and advocate for change, but we need support and donations from the community to continue our services.
“We appreciate this donation from Amazon – it will help us to continue supporting survivors of sexual violence.”
Amazon Development Centre Scotland has been based in Edinburgh since 2004 and is responsible for devising and growing innovations that bring new levels of choice and convenience to hundreds of millions of customers around the world.
It houses teams of leading engineers, scientists, designers and product managers who work on everything from interactive user interface design to large-scale distributed systems and machine learning.
Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during COVID-19.
Throughout the pandemic Amazon has provided disadvantaged students with online STEM courses and supported virtual classrooms with no-cost resources from AWS and Amazon Future Engineer.
The company has also teamed up with charity partner Magic Breakfast to deliver more than five million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas around the UK and helped to tackle holiday hunger by providing free breakfasts to children over the summer holidays.
For more information on how Amazon is supporting the UK during COVID-19, click:
Edinburgh’s ultimate whisky destination has something for everyone this season
Johnnie Walker Princes Street, the eight-floor visitor attraction in the heart of Scotland’s capital city, has today unveiled its festive plans including a mouth-watering selection of food and drinks, and an unrivalled collection of whiskies and whisky experiences for those looking to purchase gifts and celebrate with loved ones.
Food & Drink
The menus across both stunning rooftop bars have been given a festive makeover, with dishes including Glenkinchie infused hot smoked salmon with crab and seaweed aioli, or Lowlands baby beets and Lanark blue cheese salad, candied walnuts, plum & chicory lettuce with hay smoked roe deer loin, sure to delight 1820 Bar Diners.
A festive set menu featuring Christmas pudding and Johnnie Walker crème caramel is also available in the 1820 Bar, and a set menu for special occasions can be booked in the exclusive Blue Label dining area which includes fillet of highlands beef with haggis cannelloni and honey & thyme roasted root veg.
From a drinks perspective, the 1820 Bar adds “orange and caraway” and “cranberry and chestnut” to its offering which explores the world of flavour.
Those wiling away the festive hours in the Explorers’ Bothy can enjoy the likes of Vietnamese dressed oyster and crispy shallots, salt baked beetroot and orange tartare cones, beef cheek and truffle doughnuts or a vegetarian charcutier selection with handmade oatcakes, artisan biscuits & sourdough bread.
Hogmanay
Hogmanay revellers on the lookout for great music, incredible food and an unbeatable view of both Edinburgh Castle and the city skyline need look no further than Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s rooftop 1820 Bar’s Hogmanay event.
Everyone ringing in the new year at this exclusive evening will be treated to live entertainment from incredible jazz vocalist, Georgia Cécile, welcome drinks, an aperitif, selection of canapes, festive nibbles and a glass of champagne or a dram for when the clock strikes midnight. Booking information will be released soon, follow Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s social channels for updates.
Festive Experiences
Johnnie Walker Princes Street offers a range of immersive experiences perfect for celebrating this festive season. The flagship Journey of Flavour tour can accommodate up to 22 guests, making it ideal for celebrating with friends, family, or work colleagues.
The full sensory tour is a 90-minute exploration of taste which includes three personalised whisky drinks. Guests set off from the welcome lobby which will be decorated with a magnificent Christmas tree, and explore festive touches around the building, including spectacular wreaths and garlands.
For the whisky connoisseur, look no further than Casks of Discovery in the venue’s underground Whisky Makers’ Cellar. Here, guests explore the art of blending and taste whiskies live blended to Johnnie Walker Master Makers’ recipes. They’ll also have the chance to savour exclusive single malt, single grain and experimental whiskies drawn straight from the cask.
Festive Shopping
For those looking to take home a gift for someone special, the ground floor retail space boasts an unparalleled collection of both blended and single malt whiskies to suit all tastes and budgets.
Moreover, the store has a number of exclusive items which cannot be purchased anywhere else, including the fill your own Johnnie Walker Princes Street blend, now in its winter edition, which is an experience in itself.
The whisky is sure to please with notes of butterscotch, tablet and creamy toffee, and there is a bespoke laser engraving and gift-wrapping service available to add that extra special touch. The Johnnie Walker Black Label Princes Street edition is another exclusive, with customisable gift tags available for all bottles.
The store also carries a wide selection of Johnnie Walker merchandise including re-usable water bottles, clothing, glassware and more. Stocking fillers like crackers, socks, hats, notebooks and whisky stones are all on offer, as are advent calendars.
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “We’re delighted to reveal our festive menu and plans for the season. The team has done a wonderful job developing the food, drink and experiences we’ve got planned, making Johnnie Walker Princes Street a must visit destination in December.
“We’ve enjoyed an incredible first couple of months since we opened our doors. The city of Edinburgh has welcomed us with open arms, and we’ve enjoyed every minute we’ve spent hosting our local, national and international guests. We look forward to celebrating with you all this festive season.”
Keep Scotland Beautiful supports Home Energy Scotland to become certified as Carbon Literate
Working with Home Energy Scotland, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has developed and delivered bespoke Climate Emergency Training to staff, embedding carbon literacy into the expert practical advice they provide to help people reduce their carbon emissions and keep warm at home.
Home Energy Scotland’s expert advisors offer free, impartial advice on installing energy efficiency measures such as low and zero emissions heating systems, active travel and sustainable transport options, energy saving behaviour change, cutting water waste and more, with the aim of tackling climate change and addressing fuel poverty.
The training sessions explored the science and impacts of climate change and highlighted practical steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Home Energy Scotland staff began by reviewing their own carbon footprint.
They also learnt new constructive approaches for discussing the climate emergency with householders and helping them make the connections between saving energy, money on their energy bills and reducing the carbon emissions that cause climate change.
Participants were asked to select both an individual and a group action to reduce carbon emissions, demonstrating their learning and understanding of carbon emission sources and solutions. Those who pass will receive a Carbon Literate accreditation.
Harry Mayers, Head of Home Energy Scotland said:“Our advisors, specialists and support teams already do an incredible job helping people across Scotland to reduce their energy use and keep warm at home.
“This training consolidates their knowledge in the context of carbon saving and gives them assurance to relate this advice to tackling climate change.
“We recognise the vital importance of this training and are excited to continue our partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful to develop our future capacity to deliver accredited Climate Emergency Training in-house.”
Catherine Gee, Deputy Chief Executive for Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We are delighted to have developed bespoke Climate Emergency Training for Home Energy Scotland.
“The climate crisis and Scotland’s journey to net zero is going to require all of us to develop new skills and knowledge, so we are extremely pleased that so many Home Energy Scotland staff have participated in this training and can apply it to their roles.
“We look forward to working with Home Energy Scotland further and helping them embed Climate Emergency Training in their operations.”
Keep Scotland Beautiful is the only Scottish-based organisation to have attained Gold Carbon Literate Organisation status and is the official partner in Scotland for the award-winning Carbon Literacy Project, who provide independent accreditation for the Climate Emergency Training.
In May 2019, the Scottish Government declared a climate emergency and has pledged to drastically reduce emissions from Scotland in the next 10 years. This will mean new legislation and technology that will bring significant changes to the way that we do life and business in Scotland.
With the United Nations COP26 climate conference having just taken place in Glasgow the eyes of the world are on climate action in Scotland like never before. Now is the time to take action.
Climate Emergency Training is available for all businesses, with additional options for bespoke training.
Please contact Keep Scotland Beautiful to find out more, or visit:
Ednilson Ceita (pictured above), now 29, was convicted by a jury on Friday 29 October of two offences under the Road Traffic Act following the crash which happened shortly after midnight on Friday, 25 May, 2018 on Maybury Road.
He has also been disqualified from driving for nine years.
Ceita was driving a BMW X5, without a valid license or insurance, which collided with a Peugeot 206 being driven by 29-year-old Jonathan Smith.
As a result of the crash, Jonathan, known as Jonny, sadly died at the scene.
A criminal investigation was launched which saw detectives from Edinburgh’s Criminal Investigations Department working alongside Road Policing Officers to understand what happened.
As a result, Ceita was arrested and charged in connection with the crash in August 2019.
Detective Chief Inspector Graham Grant said: “There were a number of complexities to this investigation but officers remained determined and committed to establish what caused this crash and cost Jonny his life.
“Ednilson Ceita failed to admit that his actions resulted in this catastrophic event. We found that he was driving at excessive speed, ultimately swerving into oncoming traffic, which led to his BMW colliding with the Peugeot being driven by Mr Smith and another vehicle.
“Jonny’s family have had to wait over three years for justice. They have been dignified and resolute throughout and I hope that today’s verdict offers them some form of comfort.
“I’d like to thank my investigation team, our colleagues in the Road Policing Unit and other elements of the organisation who contributed to the outcome, but most importantly to Jonny’s family, friends, and the wider community which he was an integral part of, for their support during our investigation.”
Jonny’s family reacted to the sentence through theThe Justice for Jonny campaign page on Facebook: “So we had our day in court today for the sentencing, was an apprehensive morning we all weren’t sure how to feel but we went, sat and watched the sentencing, he was given 6 years and a 9 year driving ban.
“In all honesty we were thinking less so I suppose it’s something, realistically it makes no difference nothing changes although if anything takes a dangerous driver off the road and might just save a life.
“He also decided to tell the court what an ordeal this had been for him and his family … remorse at its finest.
“It’s been a long 3 and a half years, so many twists and turns, so many ups and down’s but throughout it all the support we have received is just unbelievable looking back it has really helped us knowing we have had people behind us.
“As a family as a whole we would just like to thank every single person for all their nice words and support whether it was comments, messages or calls … we even had cards through the door at the start it really has been outstanding.
“So from the bottom of all our hearts, we appreciate it and thank you and we will always remember how nice and supportive everyone has been it means so much!”
