Self-help guides: NHS Inform
Advice about minor illnesses, treatments and medication: Pharmacy
Non-urgent treatment: GP
Urgent, but not life-threatening, help: NHS24 at 111
In a life-threatening emergency, always call 999.
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information and urging businesses to be vigilant following incidents of frauds via payment card devices.
Fraudsters are reported to have entered retail and hospitality establishments in the city centre and swapped the card machine belonging to the business for their own one. This results in payments for subsequent sales being fraudulently paid into the scammer’s bank account.
There were two reported incidents on Thursday (20 January 2022), in the city centre resulting in a mid-five figure sum of money being stolen. These are being treated as linked and enquiries are ongoing.
Sergeant Janie Harman from the Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships Department said: “We are urging retail and hospitality staff to be extra vigilant and ensure that they are in control of the card devices at all times, even when it’s not in use.
“If you think you may have been a victim of this type of fraud, contact your bank immediately, ensure that any CCTV is secured and contact police on 101, or in an emergency always call 999.
“Anyone with information about these incidents who has not already contacted Police Scotland should call 101, quoting reference 1971 of 20 January 2022, or report information anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Free badges and lanyards will be available to people who wish to show others they would welcome additional space and extra care while out in public.
The Distance Aware scheme is a voluntary initiative to help those on the Highest Risk List or anyone who feels worried about mixing with others as we adapt to living with COVID-19.
The Scottish Government has joined the scheme set up by the Bevan Commission and adapted it following research which showed that almost three quarters (73%) of people on the Highest Risk List said they would like to signal to others to give them extra space.
From 26 January, the badges and lanyards with the easily-recognisable shield symbol will be available free from all community and mobile libraries in Scotland. Badges will also be free from Asda stores. They can be ordered from the Scottish Government website for a small postal fee.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are beginning to adapt to living with COVID-19 but we know that, for some people who have been at higher risk or feel anxious about going out in public, this is a big step.
“This scheme not only provides vital reassurance to anyone who chooses to wear a badge or lanyard, but also encourages us all to be more aware and considerate of those around us – as we simply don’t know their circumstances or concerns.
“I hope this will help people feel more confident and comfortable to go about their daily lives. The shield symbol can be worn by anyone.”
British Red Cross Scotland Director of Independent Living and Crisis Response Marie Hayes said: “We fully support the aims of the Distance Aware campaign and will be proud to highlight the scheme to callers contacting our Connecting With You service. Many people are experiencing loneliness, and are fearful of going out of their own homes as a result of the pandemic.
“We believe Distance Aware can help overcome this and help them to re-engage with social activities. This could be invaluable in helping to tackle loneliness.”
Asda Senior Director for Scotland Brian Boyle said: “We are delighted to work with the Scottish Government to implement this scheme in Scotland. There has been interest in the free Distance Aware badges, particularly from our more vulnerable customers.
“As people become aware of the badge and its meaning, the more effective it will be in helping people to feel safer and less worried when they are out and about.”
From 26 January, find details of the Distance Aware scheme here.
Midlothian-based gift and stationery producer Southfield Stationers has merged with Edinburgh digital printer Digital Typeline Publications (DTP).
The newly, merged business will call upon the well-respected market presence of both brands to trade as DTP Southfield and will offer an extensive range of print services to an already wide array of markets.
DTP Southfield will bring together two skilled teams creating an experienced workforce of twenty. DTP Southfield will be moving from the current two locations to the twenty-thousand square feet, old paper mill building at Inveresk Mills in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
The assistance of East Lothian Council in bringing the business to the area will help facilitate future employment opportunities and other benefits to the local economy.
Alun Joseph, MD of DTP said: “I am excited we have merged with a company we have known and trusted for many years. The Southfield name is well respected in the market and I look forward to taking it forward.
“We will be growing our new facility and product range over the coming months and years while continuing to look after our existing customers with the level of service and all the products they know us for today.”
Family-owned DTP which has over thirty five years’ experience in print, was formed as a high street photo processing lab in 1983 and turned to digital print in 1994. A market leader in digital print service, DTP produces high-quality digital print with the ability to enhance print items with metallic, white and neon pink print as well as bespoke foiling, digital die-cutting and short run creative packaging.
Southfield has been providing a wide range of paper and stationery products for over forty years. For the last twenty its offering of gift items has expanded, making Southfield one of the premier suppliers to gift and craft shops around the UK.
Several customers of both companies have already expressed interest in the new products and possibilities from DTP Southfield. Notably, those in the hospitality sector, gift shops, and artists are keen to benefit from the products now available to them from the company they already know and trust.
Derek Muller, who is standing down as MD of Southfield Stationers, said: “As everyone became tired of seeing the same mass-produced products on display in every high street across the UK, we created a range of high-quality, bespoke giftware for UK retailers.
“We have always provided retailers with products that will stand out from the crowd, and all made in the UK.
“We also work with a lot of artists directly, working closely with them and their original artwork to create beautiful, hand-made gift ranges.
“I am proud of what we have built over the last forty five years and believe that the Southfield name and loyal customers will be looked after and continue to grow in the hands of Alun who will now lead the merged business.”
Exhibition
22.01.22 – 01.05.22
Open Thursday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Free
COLLECTIVE are delighted to launch our 2022 programme with a presentation of Cauleen Smith’s film H-E-L-L-O, which brings together themes of historic erasure, presence and loss.
H-E-L-L-O takes John Williams’ famous five-note musical motif from Stephen Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, translating it into a greeting for sites across post-hurricane Katrina New Orleans.
The various interpretations of the sequence speak to the enduring spirit of the city. Although situated in the geography of New Orleans, Smith’s film allows us to contemplate Edinburgh’s relationship to its own landscape, inhabitants and history in a time of turbulence and change.
Cauleen Smith is an American born filmmaker and multimedia artist, best known for experimental works that address African-American identities. Smith currently teaches at the California Institute of the Arts.
H-E-L-L-O will be screened on loop in the City Dome from 22 January – 1 May. Entry is free and there is no need to pre-book, but some social distancing measures will be in place.
Collective is currently open Thu-Sun, 10am-4pm (Tue-Sun, 10am-5pm from April 2022).
Warm your cockles with a Sarson’s twist on a Hot Toddy. A dash of pickling juice adds a delicious depth of flavour to this seasonal cocktail.
· 35ml Whisky
· 35mlnSarson’s Pickling Malt Vinegar
· 70ml pressed Apple Juice
· 1 star anise
· 2 cloves
· 2 strips of lemon peel
· 1 tbsp runny honey
Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and warm – do not boil. Once warm, serve in a mug or hot toddy glass
Police have welcomed the conviction of Nikolaos Karvounakis after he left an improvised explosive device (IED) in Princes Street Gardens in January 2018.
At the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, the 35-year-old Greek national pled guilty to being in possession of items for a terrorist purpose.
Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Houston said: “Karvounakis showed a blatant disregard for members of the public by placing the IED indiscriminately within Princes Street Gardens. Fortunately, it did not initiate, but his intention was clear and there was certainly the potential to cause significant, or even fatal, injury to innocent passers-by.
“I welcome his guilty plea and conviction which is testament to the perseverance of our diligent investigation team over the last four years.
“Since the discovery of the package, officers from Police Scotland’s Counter Terrorism Unit carried out extensive enquiries, including with European partners and law enforcement agencies. They were absolutely committed to the challenging inquiry to identify who was responsible.
“The successful conclusion of this investigation today has been founded on the strong co-operation and working closely with the Counter Terrorism Network across the UK and internationally.”
Islamic Relief UK and Blackhall Mosque team up to help some of the most vulnerable families in Edinburgh.
Tomorrow, Sunday 23 January, Islamic Relief UK will partner with Blackhall Mosque to distribute 500 essential food packs to vulnerable people in Edinburgh including the homeless, asylum seekers, refugees and women who have suffered domestic abuse.
Scotland has seen a stark rise in families needing financial assistance and help with food. According to the poverty and inequality commission, one in four children in Scotland (24%) and one in five working-age people (19%) are living in poverty.
Many people have been hit hard by the pandemic, including, low-income families, those suffering from domestic abuse, the homeless, asylum seekers and refugees who were already struggling to feed themselves and many prioritising eating or heating as they struggle to pay their bills.
The food packs – will contain 30 items including, rice, pasta and beans.
With poverty levels in the UK increasing, Islamic Relief UK is also distributing food parcels across the country with different partners.
Imam Sohail Ashqaue, Blackhall Mosque, said: “We begin by thanking Allah SWT (God) for giving us all the opportunity to serve his creation. Indeed this is a blessing as we work with Islamic Relief UK to deliver 500 food packs to families who have been struggling to feed themselves this winter.
“We would like to thank all the volunteers who will help make this happen and we look forward to continuing this great partnership with Islamic relief UK to ensure the most vulnerable in our community receive the support they require.
“We are glad to be helping those in Edinburgh as part of a wider distribution by Islamic Relief UK and partners that are taking place across the UK.
“With rising utility bills and many businesses not recovering from the pandemic, many people are facing huge insecurity towards their future.
“The hardship that many families and individuals are dealing with right now is unimaginable, and this distribution will go a long way to help alleviate that.”
Nadeem Baqir, Regional Community Fundraising Manager, Islamic Relief UK said: “We are proud to be working with Blackhall Mosque to reach out to some of the most vulnerable people in Scotland. The Mosque plays an important role in the community and has been a lifeline for many people.
“With the high cost of living and the pandemic, we have seen families struggle to pay for just the essentials such as food and warmth and many have had to resort to food banks.
“This winter, the work of Blackhall Mosque will make a huge difference to many families and we thank them for their amazing efforts to help those in need.”
Carnegie UK has published a new report GDWe: A spotlight on democratic wellbeing, research and polling which shows that democratic wellbeing in England is under severe threat.
This research was conducted by YouGov polling between 12th – 13th December 2021, which coincided with a heightened focus on levels of trust in government. The results are stark:
● 2 in 5 people in England (41%) now say that democracy is not working. People see the biggest current threat to our democracy as a loss of trust (32%) followed by corruption (16%).
● 76% of the public in England don’t trust MPs, while 73% don’t trust the UK Government.
This report builds on Carnegie UK’s work on Gross Domestic Wellbeing (GDWe) – a holistic alternative to GDP as a measure of collective wellbeing. We use data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Wellbeing Dashboard to calculate GDWe.
However this national wellbeing dataset underrepresents the importance of democratic wellbeing, with only 2 indicators out of 41 measuring this aspect of our lives.
At Carnegie UK, when we talk about democratic wellbeing we are referring to the extent to which we all – collectively – have a voice in decisions that affect us. Wellbeing cannot be ‘done to’ people, it has to be done by and with them.
Yet, in order for people to feel positive about participating in democratic processes and decision making, it is essential to have public trust in government at all levels.
GDWe: A spotlight on democratic wellbeing found that in addition to a loss of trust there are also issues with current levels of participation in decision-making; misinformation, and misalignment with commonly held public values.
Other aspects that help make up democratic wellbeing, such as involvement in public participation and citizen engagement, are also poorly measured in the UK.
This report calls on government to invest in democratic wellbeing by increasing participatory democracy and improving transparency, as well as focusing on measures of national success in keeping with people’s priorities, rather than relying solely on economic measures.
The full report is available here and you can add to the debate on Twitter using the hashtag #GDWe
Grassroots organisations in #EH4 and #EH5 offer food support with dignity and no questions asked.
@emptykitchens and others offer meals and company
