Day: March 17, 2022

Police: Catalytic converter theft

Police have seen an increase in catalytic converter thefts recently, they can be attractive items to thieves, due to the precious metals they contain (rhodium, platinum, palladium).

Hybrid vehicles are frequently targeted as they have two power sources, therefore the converter is used less frequently and the metals less corroded.

Vans and SUV’s are particularly at risk, as their high clearance makes access to the exhaust system easier.

To reduce the risk of theft:

 Park in a locked garage where possible, alternatively choose a well-lit, populated area ideally with CCTV.

 Avoid parking half on the pavement and half on the road, this will make it easier for thieves to access the converter.

 In car parks, park alongside other vehicles and face the bonnet towards a wall if possible, to make accessing the cat convertor more difficult.

 Vehicles with low clearance could be used to block access to those with high clearance.

 Welding the bolts securing the cat converter may make removal more difficult.

 Consider using forensic property marking kits (Selectamark / Catloc) which help deter theft and identify stolen cat convertors

 Fit a ‘catloc’ (Secured By Design accredited) to prevent removal of a cat convertor.

 Fit a tilt sensor which will activate the car alarm should the vehicle be jacked up.

For more information, please visit the following websites -Police Scotland: http://scotland.police.uk/…/road…/protecting-your-car/

Secured by Design: securedbydesign.comCatloc: catloc.co.ukSelectamark: selectamark.co.uk/security-marking/

If you see anyone acting suspiciously near to your property or vehicles please contact the police immediately with as detailed a description as possible of any person(s) or vehicle(s) involved.

Please call ‘999’ if an emergency and urgent police assistance is required or 101 to report the matter to the police.

New garden recycling scheme partnership provides solution to plant pot landfill problem

Two industry leading horticultural brands have joined forces to provide gardeners in Edinburgh with a solution to plant pot recycling, preventing further plastic waste ending up in landfill. 

Sustainable plant pot designer, elho, has partnered with nationwide garden centre retailer, Dobbies to provide plastic plant pot recycling bins across 69 of its centres including Edinburgh. This will make it easier than ever to reduce unnecessary plastic waste in the garden and prevent further plastic waste ending up in landfill. 

It has been widely reported that kerbside recycling of plant pots is challenging. Policies vary significantly from council to council, particularly when it comes to black plant pots, which can leave gardeners at a loss with what to do with their disregarded pots. 

Now gardeners can simply take their plastic plant pots and trays to Dobbies Edinburgh store for them to be recycled. The bins provide a simple means of disposing of plant pots in a convenient and environmentally friendly way, rather than having them clutter up garden sheds or adding to landfill. 

This comes as new research from Dobbies Garden Centres reveals that 33% of gardeners in Edinburgh want to recycle more of their garden waste products this spring.  

The survey was based on responses from 2003 UK adults including 147 from Scotland between 4 March and 7 March 2022.  

Both companies are champions of sustainability with industry-leading green initiatives, and the plastic pot recycling bins are the latest innovation in this.

elho places nature at its core and boasts a number of sustainable credentials, including the production of only 100% recyclable plant pots that are made from recycled materials, using 100% renewable wind energy from the company’s very own wind-powered factory in the Netherlands.

Last year alone, the company recycled more than 13 million kilograms of recycled plastic to create its beautifully designed pots. 

Chris Buck, Northern Account Manager at elho, explained: “We’re pleased to be working on this initiative with Dobbies to encourage gardeners to recycle their plant pots, and to make it incredibly easy for them to do so.

“It’s great to be working together to collect plastic garden waste and give it a second lease of life, instead of sending mountains of it to landfill. We wanted to help provide gardeners with a simple, convenient solution to dispose of their plant pots in an environmentally friendly way. When visiting the centre to buy more plants, simply return your old pots – it couldn’t be easier!” 

Dobbies’ goal is for the initiative to provide customers with the knowledge that plant trays and pots they have purchased are recyclable in store. Like elho, Dobbies is committed to delivering environmentally friendly practices, products and sustainable solutions.  

Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies Garden Centres, added: “We are always looking for ways to embed sustainability into our operations, and this is a positive step forward in our #SustainableDobbies journey.  

“Our research shows that gardeners across Edinburgh are passionate about recycling, so while we have encouraged pot recycling for a number of years in-store, this new bin at our Edinburgh store will provide customers with a clear message and opportunity to recycle.”

Only one month left to give renters more rights over pet ownership

Cats Protection is urging the Scottish Government to lead the way in the UK by ensuring responsible renters can keep a cat.

The charity says that the widespread use of blanket ‘no pets’ policies is unfair and outdated, and that an overhaul of how pets are viewed in the rented sector is urgently needed.

With just a few weeks left on a public consultation on the issue, Cats Protection is urging animal lovers to send a message that tenants must be allowed the chance to own a pet.

Cats Protection’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland Alice Palombo said: “The pandemic has really highlighted just how important pets are in our lives – whether it’s providing companionship to people living alone, comfort for those with ongoing health conditions or simply a fun and much-loved part of family life.

“Yet as the law stands, it can be impossible for people who rent their home to own a cat. It cannot be right that pet ownership is largely reserved for those people who own their own home.”

Research from Cats Protection’s Cats and Their Stats Scotland report, published in 2021, shows just how important cats are to people who are able to own them – with 94% of owners in Scotland saying their cat is part of the family and 91% saying their cats bring them joy.

“This consultation is a big step in the right direction and we’re urging the Scottish Government to continue this momentum. Scotland is a nation of animal lovers and it’s only right that everyone should have the chance to own a cat if they wish.”

Joan Todd, 59, an IT support technician from Peebles, was lucky enough to be able to find a private landlady who was happy for her to own a cat. But despite being settled in a long-term let, Joan says she still lives with the worry that she may one day have to give up her much-loved pet cat Hoffen (Hoffy).

She said: “I got Hoffy a couple of months after the first lockdown, and the difference he made to my life has been incredible. Working from home meant I saw very few people, and having him around gave me companionship every day. My landlady is great, and it’s a long-term let, but of course, it does play on my mind that if ever the property is sold I could be faced with a problem finding somewhere that accepts cats.

“My experience has been that it’s very, very hard to find a cat-friendly property – most simply say ‘no pets’. It’s a worry that’s always in the back of my mind, as it would be so heartbreaking to have to rehome Hoffy.

“It just doesn’t seem fair that people who can’t afford to own their own home can’t have a pet, I can’t see how that is right. There definitely needs to be something in place to protect renters like me so we can feel settled and secure in our homes.”

You can support cat owning tenants by using Cats Protection’s simple online form before the consultation closes on April 14 – it takes only a couple of minutes to complete.

Find out more by visiting: www.cats.org.uk/scottish-renters

Covid business support: Missing millions?

A detailed analysis of how Covid-19 business support funding was distributed during the pandemic is not possible due to gaps in data, according to spending watchdog Audit Scotland.

The Scottish Government provided about £4.4 billion of grants and non-domestic rate reliefs between March 2020 and October 2021, mostly paid out to businesses by councils. The government announced a further £375 million of support in December 2021 following the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Steps were taken to improve the management of funding during the pandemic.

But there was not enough focus on gathering detailed data on how money was distributed and how quickly applicants received funding.

This means:

  • The Scottish Government does not have an analysis of the total amounts paid out from the more general schemes to different economic sectors
  • For sector specific funding administered by national organisations such as Scottish Enterprise, around 20 per cent of payments cannot currently be matched to council areas
  • Similarly, information to enable wider analysis of how funding supported specific groups, such as the female owned businesses disproportionately hit by Covid-19, is not available from Scottish Government centrally held data.

 In late 2021, the Scottish Government completed retrospective impact assessments to consider how business support funding addressed inequalities. A retrospective fraud review of funding that councils administered was also carried out.

The government is currently undertaking a large data cleansing exercise to ensure that the datasets for individual funds, including those administered by councils, are complete.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “These business support schemes were administered at pace in exceptional circumstances. But knowing where the money went matters.

“To get future policy development and delivery right, it will be important for the Scottish Government to fully understand how funding was used to support specific businesses and groups over the last two years of the pandemic.”

William Moyes, Chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “Councils’ fraud arrangements are generally robust, but they were heavily relied upon to ensure businesses were eligible for funding during the pandemic.

“Councils will need to continue to work closely with the Scottish Government to ensure a better picture emerges of how money was distributed.”

briefing_220317_supporting_businessesDownload

Responding to the Audit Scotland report, Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “I am pleased that both Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission have recognised how quickly the Scottish Government was able to establish a wide ranging business support package in order to help safeguard thousands of businesses and jobs.

“This includes providing direct support to over 4,000 businesses and over 5,000 self-employed people who were facing hardship but ineligible for UK Government funding support.

“I am equally pleased this report reflects the unique and challenging context in which new support packages had to be established, and that despite the speed and scale of our response, we were able to work closely with industry, our enterprise agencies and local authorities.

“This helped to ensure the delivery of the business support funding was a shared endeavour and minimised risk and fraud. Without the efforts of our partners, we wouldn’t have been able to deliver this lifeline support at the scale and pace necessary and I thank them for working so closely with us.

“Every decision the Scottish Government has taken has centred around ensuring businesses got the support they needed when they needed it – resulting in over £4.5 billion being allocated to businesses across the country, including around £1.6 billion in rates relief – which is more generous than the other UK administrations so far.

“We will now carefully consider the findings of this report and of course any lessons will be learned, but fundamentally this report shows the decisions we took ensured lifeline support reached key businesses promptly and our economy continued to grow by 7.1% despite the necessary public health restrictions.”

Adoption UK proud to contribute to Jacqueline Wilson’s new novel

Adoption UK has provided expert advice in the end pages of Baby Love, the heart-breaking, compelling, and timely new novel from best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson, out today, 17th March 2022.

Set in 1960, Baby Love is a story for older readers (aged 12+) about teen pregnancy, family trouble and unlikely friendships.

At the end of the novel, Adoption UK provides the reader with context around how both societal attitudes and adoption have changed since the 1960s. It also highlights some of the issues adopted people still experience today – including identity and the complexities of having two families – and signposts anyone affected by any of the topics raised in the novel, to Adoption UK’s helpline.

In Baby Love, Wilson – best known for her much-loved character, Tracy Beaker – recreates the world of suburban 1960, when so many issues were swept under the carpet, and most tragically, when many young mothers were pressured to give up their babies because they were unmarried.

The book follows Laura, whose life changes forever after a French exchange student insists on walking her home one afternoon. 

When her family discover Laura is pregnant, they send her away to a Mother and Baby Home to have her baby given up for adoption.

At the height of the 1960s, more than 16,000 British babies were adopted – many against the will of their birth mothers. The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights is currently holding an inquiry into the forced adoption of babies of unmarried mothers during the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Alison Woodhead, Adoption UK’s Director of Public Affairs and Communications said: “We are so proud to be included in this moving book about teenage pregnancy, motherhood, and adoption in the 1960s, which gives a voice to girls like Laura, who had little choice in how their lives turned out.

“Thankfully, adoption has changed radically since then. Today, a child is only placed for adoption when it is not safe for them to stay with their birth family because of abuse, violence, or neglect. But we owe it to these women and their children to face up to the wrong that was done to them in different times.

“What happened to them is heart-breaking and indefensible which is why we once again call on the Government to do the right thing and apologise to them.”

Learn meningitis signs and look out for your friends

CHARITY MENINGITIS NOW are urging university students across the UK to take a few minutes to learn the signs and symptoms of the disease – as cases rise to pre-Covid pandemic levels.

Every university in the UK could experience at least one case of meningitis amongst its students this term, the charity is warning.

If students fall ill, the temptation might be for them to think they have Covid-19 or a hangover, but it could be something else, including meningitis.

Meningitis is a medical emergency, so it’s vital to recognise the signs and symptoms, act fast and seek medical assistance.

Charity chief executive Dr Tom Nutt said: “We know there are cases happening across the country – we heard of another one at a UK university just last week – and every case is one case too many.

“So today, we’re asking university students to keep meningitis in mind, learn the signs and symptoms and to look out for themselves and their friends.

“The early signs and symptoms of meningitis can be similar to flu and include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and muscle pain.

“More specific signs and symptoms include fever with cold hands and feet, drowsiness, confusion, pale blotchy skin, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and a rash which doesn’t fade under pressure.

“The rash can be a late sign though and may not appear, so our advice is not to wait for a rash.”

If meningitis is suspected seek urgent medical help by contacting your GP or calling 111. 

During the pandemic, lockdowns used to curb the spread of Covid-19 also led to a decline in other infectious diseases. Meningitis rates were at a historic low until September last year.

Since then, however, there has been an increase in MenB cases among adolescents and young adults in England, ‘particularly in university students’.

Of the Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) cases confirmed among the 15 to 19 and 20 to 24-year-old age groups in September to November 2021, 84.6% (22/26) were students registered at a further or higher education institution. 

Dr Nutt added: “We always feared there might be a rebound against the historically low figures for meningococcal infection we have been seeing during the pandemic, whilst hoping there would not be.

“We are already working hard to spread awareness messages within universities.

“Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against meningitis. But, with teenagers and young people being far more likely to carry the bacteria that can cause meningococcal disease and as most students will not have been vaccinated against MenB, it is vital they remain extra vigilant, know what to look for and seek urgent medical advice if they or one of their friends becomes ill.”

Meningitis Now has free information for parents and young people and lifesaving Signs and Symptoms cards. Find out more at www.MeningitisNow.org

Anyone affected or with any questions and concerns can contact the Meningitis Now Helpline on 0808 80 10 388 or email helpline@meningitisnow.org.

Additional advice support services for Ukrainian refugees in Scotland

Organisations that will provide advice, support and information services for Ukrainian people and their families are to receive Scottish Government funding as part of Scotland’s response to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has visited the headquarters of the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) to learn about the vital work they are doing to help individuals arriving from Ukraine, and to announce more than £1 million of funding to allow them to recruit additional staff ahead of an increase in requests for support.

Ukraine Advice Scotland, run by Scottish charity JustRight Scotland, will also receive funding from the Scottish Government to provide financial stability for the project, which provides free and confidential legal advice to those displaced by the war in Ukraine.

This funding will ensure the organisation can increase their support for legal work, as well as interpretation for advice calls, and translation of online information.

Following the visit to the SRC, where the First Minister met Ukrainian nationals and saw an advice phone line in action, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Nearly three million people have now fled the war in Ukraine, the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

“Scotland is ready to play its part to offer safety and sanctuary to those forced to leave their homes because of Russia’s brutal invasion, and it is heartening to see preparations for increased support, advice and information already being put in place.

“We are determined to do everything in our power to give them the warmest welcome possible when people so start to arrive and we will need organisations like SRC and JustRight Scotland, as well as the support of the people of Scotland, to do just that.” 

Sabir Zazai, Chief Executive of Scottish Refugee Council, said: “People fleeing the war in Ukraine will need advice and support to help them find their feet and settle into life in Scotland.

“We’ll provide practical, one-to-one support to new arrivals and their families, helping with everything from registering with a GP, to sourcing school uniforms and applying for jobs.

“No matter which part of the world people are from or which conflict they are fleeing, our advisors work with people in an empowering, trauma-informed way to build the foundations of a safe life here in Scotland.”

Kirsty Thomson, Managing Director of JustRight Scotland, said: “In this extraordinary time, we welcome the commitment from the Scottish Government to fund Ukraine Advice Scotland which will support Ukrainian people who are seeking safety in Scotland.

“This vital, free and confidential service will provide high-quality initial legal assistance to address needs and protect fundamental rights as well as linking into other legal and support networks that have been established by our partners.”

Dignity, fairness, respect: Improving disability benefits

Disabled people with the most serious lifelong health conditions will have more financial security under Scotland’s social security system.

Adult Disability Payment will replace the UK Government’s Personal Independence Payment (PIP). It will open for new applications in pilot areas starting this month.

Disabled people on the highest components of the new benefit and whose needs are highly unlikely to change will be eligible for an “indefinite award”. In effect, this will mean they will not be subject to reviews and can rely on their new benefit into the long-term.

People with ongoing awards of Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance do not need to make an application for Adult Disability Payment. They will be contacted from this summer to let them know when their awards will automatically be moved safely and securely to Adult Disability Payment.

Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “The introduction of indefinite awards, as part of Adult Disability Payment, underlines our commitment to deliver on the principles of Scotland’s social security system to treat people with dignity, fairness and respect.

“In making this decision, we have engaged with a wide range of people with lived experience of the current system and will continue to listen as we design and build a social security system that works for disabled people.

“We want to ensure that people on the highest levels of Adult Disability Payment awards receive long-term and adequate support, because those with lifelong conditions, or disabilities resulting in needs highly unlikely to change, should not be subject to unnecessary reviews when it is reasonably expected that their situation will not change.

“Under the UK Government’s Personal Independence Payment, similar awards have generally been reviewed between every 2 to 10 years. However, disabled people tell us that even review periods of 10 years can create stress and anxiety. That is why we have decided to introduce indefinite awards – we are determined to do things differently and build a more compassionate system in Scotland.”

Moira Tasker, Chief Officer, Inclusion Scotland said: “Inclusion Scotland warmly welcomes the announcement that there will be indefinite awards of Adult Disability Payment. We are glad the Minister has acted on the views expressed by disabled people and adopted this measure.

“It will come as a huge relief for disabled people with high, permanent levels of impairment who faced continual reassessments under the flawed DWP, Personal Independent Payment, system. Indefinite awards will also provide some certainty and security for those who receive them.”

Morna Simpkins, Director of MS Society Scotland, added: “We are pleased the Scottish Government has listened to the views of the MS community and MS Society Scotland and will re-introduce indefinite awards.

“MS is relentless, painful, and disabling. Indefinite awards will provide some people living with progressive long term conditions, like MS, with the security of knowing they will not have their awards downgraded or income cut.”

Adult Disability Payment is the twelfth benefit to be introduced by Social Security Scotland since September 2018, which includes seven new benefits, unique to Scotland.

Play together: Outdoor adventures at Granton Castle Walled Garden

Mums/carers and their under 5s are coming along to @grantoncastle to meet us and @trees_seas for more Play Together Outdoor Activities.

Lots of fun to be had – some of it’s messy but who cares !

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

#WomenSupportingWomen