Day: April 24, 2022

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines launches Summer Sale

Hand-crafted sailings from Newcastle and Rosyth from £699 per person

Balmoral in Olden, Norway

Travellers looking to get away in the months ahead can enjoy hand-crafted sailings from the north from just £699 per person, plus up to £200 on-board spending credit, as part of a Summer Sale unveiled by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. 

The Summer Sale covers cruises from May to September 2022, and offers savings of £150 per person on Norway and British Isles sailings, as well as £200 per person off European short breaks or Arctic and Scandinavian cruises.

In addition, these savings run alongside an on-board spending offer, with up to £200 per person credit available on selected cruises.

Balmoral in Alesund, Norway

Clare Ward, Director of Product and Customer Service at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “With travel getting easier, we want everyone to be able to enjoy a well-deserved break in the months ahead. The world really is opening up for summer, and we are so excited to be able to share it with our guests again.

“Whether you are looking to venture to the scenic Norwegian fjords in all their summertime splendour, immerse yourself in the history and culture of some fascinating towns and cities in Northern Europe or witness the breath-taking Midnight Sun, you can be sure that each cruise has been hand-crafted to show you the very best of the destination when you visit.”

Some of the highlights of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Summer Sale from Newcastle and Rosyth are:

Balmoral’s nine-night L2215 ‘Arctic Fjords & Midnight Sun’ cruise, departing from Newcastle on 6th June 2022. Prices start from £1,249 per person (was from £1,399 per person). Enjoy £100 per person to spend on board, or £200 per person when booking a suite.

Itinerary: Newcastle, England – Leknes, Norway – Cruising Austnesfjorden, Norway – Cruising Trollfjord, Norway – Tromsø, Norway– Bodø, Norway – Cruising by Black Glacier, Norway – Cruising Nordfjorden, Meloy, Norway – Cruising Seven Sisters Mountain Range, Norway – Cruising Torghatten, Norway –  Cruising Rørvik, Norway – Ålesund, Norway – Cruising Hjørundfjord, Norway– Newcastle, England

For more details: Visit L2215 ‘Arctic Fjords & Midnight Sun’  

Balmoral’s five-night L2220A ‘Summertime Norwegian Fjords in Five Nights’ cruise, departing from Rosyth on 19th July 2022. Prices start from £699 per person (was from £849 per person). Enjoy £50 per person to spend on board, or £100 per person when booking a suite.

Itinerary: Rosyth, Scotland – Olden, Norway – Cruising Nordfjord, Norway – Cruising by Hornelen, Norway – Ålesund, Norway – cruising Hjørundfjord, Norway – Rosyth, Scotland

For more details: Visit L2220A ‘Summertime Norwegian Fjords in Five Nights’  

Balmoral’s 10-night L2224A ‘Discovering Castles, Palaces and Cultural Landmarks of Northern Europe’ cruise, departing from Rosyth on 19th August 2022. Prices start from £1,699 per person (was from £1,899 per person). Enjoy £150 per person to spend on board, or £300 per person when booking a suite.

Itinerary: Rosyth, Scotland – Fredericia, Denmark – Klaipeda, Lithuania – Gdansk, Poland – Sassnitz, Germany – Szczecin, Poland – Kiel Canal Transit, Germany – Rosyth, Scotland

For more details: Visit L2224A ‘Discovering Castles, Palaces and Cultural Landmarks of Northern Europe’ 

Nationwide, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Summer Sale features sailings from £399 per person, with up to £250 on-board spend, with regional departures available from Southampton, Dover, Liverpool, Belfast, Newcastle and Rosyth.

Olden, Norway

For more information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Summer Sale, go to

fredolsencruises.com/summer-sale. 

Book online, call the friendly Reservations team on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm), or contact your ABTA travel agent.

Green spaces improve wellbeing – welcome to the East Cairngorms

In celebration of spring, the Ballater Business Association (BBA) and Braemar Tourism Group (BTG) have launched the East Cairngorms Wildlife and Nature Trail as part of their Imagine More campaign to encourage visitors to immerse themselves in nature and nurture their wellbeing.

A recent study by the Mental Health Foundation revealed that nearly half of people in the UK found a marked improvement in their wellbeing during lockdown when visiting green spaces, such as national parks.

The BBA and BTG aim to encourage more people to undertake memorable outdoor experiences that positively impact their lives by visiting the East Cairngorms’ abundance of wildlife and nature.

Dan and Rachel Brown, both avid naturalists and professional ecologists, run Wild Discovery based in Crathie which provides custom-made experiences which focus on helping visitors engage with nature, wildlife and conservation projects.

They explained: “The ancient Caledonian forest and woodlands which sprawl the East Cairngorms boasts unique enigmatic wildlife including pine martens, red squirrels, golden and white-tailed eagles, capercaillie, and red deer.

“Our guests always feel a sense of connection and leave inspired and reinvigorated after meeting with local projects and people who are doing wonderful work to protect the area.”

Annie Armstrong runs Wild Braemar, bespoke experiences that allow visitors to explore, discover and connect with Scottish wildlife, culture and the local history.

She said: “Our Scottish landscape is emersed with wildlife and nature, and what we often take for granted is new and interesting to those who join our tours.

“The smallest elements of nature such as fungi, flora and trees all have a story to tell. One of my recent tours included a family who spent hours just identify birds in the woodland.

“We can all be inspired by nature. Wild learning brings with it new thinking and a chance to step away from our busy lives, connecting to the sounds, sights and smells that surround us.”

Annie’s tours include wild walking and swimming, and are designed to suit any level of fitness. The majority last two hours or less, allowing visitors to make the most of their time in Braemar and Ballater.

Annie said: “Lots of people want to try wild swimming but are nervous and want support to enjoy a truly immersive experience. I have always enjoyed the Braemar rivers and wanted to share my knowledge with others.

“The moment you enter the water it is like a “reset” with your body, all you can think about is the water and nature around you.”

The East Cairngorms Wildlife and Nature Trail is part of a series of five which aim to inspire visitors to explore the East Cairngorms as a year-round destination for outdoor activity. Each trail includes a website, promotional video, digital trail map, and trip planner.

For more information on the East Cairngorms Wildlife and Nature Trail, head to: https://www.visitballater.com/east-cairngorms-the-jacobite-whisky-trail/

Edinburgh Association of Community Councils: Spring Update

After the series of four winter meetings in November, December, January and February — when we approved a new constitution for EACC — we’ve taken a pause before our next ordinary meeting, provisionally scheduled for Thursday 26 May at 7pm on Zoom. 

Please let me know if you want to raise any particular issue at the May meeting. 

In the future, we may resume the special meetings that were a feature of EACC activities in 2020-1, when we covered public spaces management, carbon neutrality, and biodiversity. 

Possible future subjects are local democracy, best practice on making and analysing consultations, and practical approaches to energy efficiency and de-carbonization. We may also include the ‘held-over’ subject of guidance for community council treasurers.

The EACC Appeal (for funding – Ed.) was successful. As of now, we have received at least £700 from some 16 community councils. We hope this will enable us to to pay for a minutes secretary and establish a new website. We will also have a new bank account. 

The edinburghcommunitycouncils.org.uk domain is no longer functional — it always was problematic — so my email address is now Simon.Holledge@gmail.com.

SIMON HOLLEDGE

Secretary, Edinburgh Association of Community Councils (EACC)

Sonder Holdings to expand Edinburgh serviced apartment operation

Sonder Holdings Inc., a leading next-generation hospitality company that is redefining the guest experience through technology and design, is set to expand its serviced apartment operation at Royal Garden Apartments in Edinburgh.

Expanding by 11 units, bringing the total units to 41, the apartments are located opposite the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street, offering accommodation with in-unit kitchen and laundry facilities, ideal for extended stays.

This addition forms part of a major expansion by the tech-enabled hospitality provider, which is adding six properties in the UK & Ireland, including four new hotels in London.

In April 2022, Sonder opened The Henry, a 102-key hotel close to Hyde Park in Bayswater, and The Voyage, a 53-key hotel on Norfolk Square close to Paddington Station. A further property on Norfolk Square will follow shortly: The Rove, with 74 keys. Additionally, in the second half of 2022, Sonder will open an 86-key hotel near to Bedford Square in Bloomsbury.

All are located close to major business districts, tourist attractions and transport hubs, and have been updated to offer Sonder’s signature exceptional design and tech-enabled, modern service. Building on recent expansion, with an ongoing focus on prime locations, these four properties will join the six existing hotels in Sonder’s London portfolio.

Oliver Armitstead, Regional Director of Real Estate at Sonder, said: “As a high-growth global hospitality company, we are excited to expand our unique design and tech-powered hospitality offering across the United Kingdom & Ireland, with the expansion of our Edinburgh operation and the opening of a number of new hotels.

“The modern traveller demands digital service and thoughtful design, both of which we deliver across our portfolio worldwide. For owners, we offer competitive partnership terms with secured income, and we remove operational responsibilities. Following Sonder’s recent public listing, we’re advancing ambitious growth plans worldwide.”

Steph Thrasyvoulou, co-owner at New World Hospitality Limited, said: “Sonder are innovators in the hospitality space and have been a reliable property partner for us; which is why we are pleased to collaborate with them on a second London hotel.

“The Bloomsbury location will offer thoughtfully designed accommodation, moments from The British Museum, Oxford Street and the new Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station.”

In Dublin, Sonder will open its first hotel in the city, with 26 keys, on Leeson Street later this year and has contracted an additional 91 units in the Dublin 1 area. The Leeson Street hotel is a historic, 19th-century Georgian building undergoing updates, located close to St Stephen’s Green park. These operations are in addition to Sonder’s two existing serviced apartment properties in Dublin.

With these additions, Sonder’s total portfolio will now expand to 28 properties across the United Kingdom & Ireland with approximately 900 total units. In 2017, Sonder opened its first property outside of North America in London, and the region remains a focus for future growth.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Sonder operates in 35+ cities across ten countries – seven of which are in EMEA – and has approximately 18,100 live and contracted units worldwide.

The company partners with real estate owners and landlords to manage and operate hotel and multi-unit buildings. Sonder distinguishes itself in the hospitality industry through modern design and by infusing technology into its guest experience.

This tech-enabled experience puts guests in full control of their stay. They can access everything they need – from booking, to interacting with guest services, to check-out – via their own mobile device from anywhere and at any time, using the Sonder app.

Sonder previously announced EMEA expansion in France and the U.A.E., and recently reported company record annual revenue of $233 million in 2021. Sonder also provides corporate travel offerings, and is live with all major Global Distribution System (GDS) networks.

Sonder works in partnership with leading travel management companies such as ABC Global Services for business traveler-specific bookings.

Sonder also recently committed to eliminating single-use plastic amenities in all of its guest-facing units no later than Dec. 31, 2022, as part of the company’s wider sustainability commitments under its People, Place & Planet framework.

To explore Sonder real estate partnership opportunities, please contact:

partners@sonder.com

Healthy Heart Tip: Fibre – the lifesaving nutrient many of us lack

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

It is well known that eating fibre can prevent constipation, but did you know it can also lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer?

Dietary fibre can only be found in foods that come from plants, such as wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, fruit, vegetables, beans, and lentils.

Here we provide some tips to help you increase the amount of fibre in your diet:

  • Choose a variety

Obtaining fibre from a variety of food sources is a great way to ensure a healthy balanced diet. It is also important to make sure you are drinking enough fluid to help fibre function properly.

Obtaining fibre from a variety of food sources is a great way to ensure a healthy balanced diet. It is also important to make sure you are drinking enough fluid to help fibre function properly.

  • Opt for a high-fibre cereal

Look out for cereals that are labelled as “whole grain” or with “bran” or “fibre” in their name. Try to choose plain varieties with no added sugars.

  • Switch to wholemeal

Instead of white bread, white rice and white pasta, try switching to wholemeal or granary bread, brown rice and wholemeal pasta.

  • Eat your five a day

Frozen, dried and tinned fruit and vegetables all count towards this. Try eating apples and potatoes with their skins still on, to further increase fibre intake.

  • Add extra vegetables or pulses to your favourite meals

Beans, lentils and chickpeas can be added to your favourite meals like curries, bolognese, chilli, soups and stews, to bulk them out and add nutrients.

  • Snack wisely

Choose unsalted nuts and seeds, fresh fruit, vegetable sticks or oatcakes.

  • Opt for a high-fibre cereal

Choose unsalted nuts and seeds, fresh fruit, vegetable sticks or oatcakes.

Some people worry that if they increase their fibre intake it will cause them to suffer from flatulence (wind). To avoid this, you should gradually increase the amount of fibre in your diet to allow your body time to adjust. Good luck!

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Your Stories: Scottish Book Trust wants to hear your real life stories

National charity Scottish Book Trust has opened submissions to encourage the public to share their real-life stories.

It marks the 14th year of Scottish Book Trust’s annual Your Stories campaign, which this year is partnering with EventScotland as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022. From those who write regularly to those who have never written before, Your Stories is open to all submissions, regardless of writing experience.

Submissions can be made in English, Scots, or Gaelic in any form – story, poem, comic strip, play or letter – of up to 1,000 words. Every entry will appear on Scottish Book Trust’s website and a selection of pieces will be published in a free book distributed to libraries, community groups and schools during Book Week Scotland (14-20 November 2022) – the national celebration of books and reading.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust said: ‘The Your Stories programme has always been a cornerstone of Scottish Book Trust, giving a platform for the public to share personal experiences and for some, be published for the first ever time.

“Working with our partners EventScotland for Scotland’s Year of Stories, we hope that many people will be encouraged to share their different experiences and shape the narrative of our country.”

Alison Lang, Director of the Gaelic Books Council, said: “‘Ann am Bliadhna nan Sgeul tha sinn an dòchas gum bi daoine air feadh na dùthcha deònach na sgeulachdan Gàidhlig aca fhèin innse, agus gum bi e na bhrosnachadh dhaibhsan agus do na leughadairean aca an cuid obrach fhaicinn ann an clò.

“Tha e na thlachd do Chomhairle nan Leabhraichean a bhith a’ toirt taic don iomairt seo a-rithist.”

(‘In this Year of Stories we hope that people all over the country will be willing to tell their own Gaelic stories, and that they and their readers will be inspired by seeing their work published. The Gaelic Books Council is delighted to be supporting this Scottish Book Trust initiative once again.’)

Scottish Book Trust has commissioned real life stories from: Helen Fields, author of the DI Callanach series; Graeme Armstrong author of The Young Team; Raman Mundair, filmmaker and playwright and Gaelic authors, Morag Ann MacNeil and Angus Peter Campbell.

Scottish Book Trust will share a variety of prompts through their website and social networks to help inspire those hoping to submit. 

Find out more about Your Stories.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 10 June.

Submissions can be made online via Scottish Book Trust’s website or via post to:

Your Stories, Scottish Book Trust, Sandeman House, Trunk’s Close, 55 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR

NHS Lothian invests over half a million pounds into electric fleet

NHS Lothian has invested over half a million pounds into its electric fleet as part of its ongoing efforts to be a leader in sustainable healthcare.

Over £525,000 has recently been spent on 58 electric vehicles and 46 charging stations at sites across NHS Lothian.

Iain Sneddon, Transport Manager for NHS Lothian, said: “Climate change poses the biggest threat to global health and its vital that we adapt to this as an organisation, not just as individuals.

“Electric vehicles are the preference when we’re looking to grow our fleet or replace vehicles. Not only are they a cleaner alternative, but they have the added benefit of being more cost-effective.”

With the additional 58 electric vehicles, this brings the total number of electric vehicles in NHS Lothian to 187, which is just over a quarter of NHS Lothian’s fleet.

NHS Lothian received its first three electric vehicles in 2012. In 2019, Transport Scotland provided funding which resulted in an additional 39 electric vehicles being added to the fleet.

Since 2019, the electric fleet has travelled over 1.5 million miles and has been used by teams such as podiatry, physiotherapy and forensic. 

The average car emits 0.78 pounds of CO2 per mile driven, which means NHS Lothian has prevented around 500 tonnes of CO2 being released into local communities.

Dr Jane Hopton, Sustainability Lead for NHS Lothian, said: “Making our fleet greener is part of our wider strategy to ensure NHS Lothian is a leader in sustainable healthcare.

“We’ve also been working to reduce the impact medical gasses have on the environment, as well growing our green spaces and improving our energy infrastructure.

“Iain and his team have done a fantastic job over the last few years with the fleet and have clearly had a huge impact already on reducing NHS Lothian’s carbon footprint.”

Letters: Do you still notice how much plastic you use?

Dear Editor,

Do you still notice how much plastic you use? Join me for

thebigplasticcount.com/join-in 

Between 16th – 22nd May, Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic are running the Big Plastic Count, and the Greenpeace Edinburgh Group is taking part.

This will be the UK’s biggest ever investigation into household plastic waste, and what really happens to our recycling.

The UK produces more plastic waste per person than almost any other country, only the USA is worse.

We need to take much faster action to clean up this plastic mess, which spoils Edinburgh’s neighbourhoods, and harms our climate, nature and health.

This year, the government is starting to decide on legal targets to reduce plastic waste. Greenpeace Edinburgh volunteers want them to set a target to reduce single-use plastic by 50% by 2025 and ban dumping our waste onto other countries.

I still can’t believe how much plastic I end up with every time I do a supermarket shop. It has gotten to the point that I hardly even notice all the wrapping I bring home because it has felt impossible to find plastic-free versions of my favourite products.

But every time my bin hits its spilling point, my single-use plastic shame stares me in the face. Do we really need bananas wrapped in plastic? Or little crisp bags wrapped in a bigger bag just for convenience?

It would be best to stop producing so much plastic in the first place but if we could at least find ways to make recycling easy and rewarding. For instance, if we could take our plastic bottles back to the shop and receive a small refund then Leith Links would be squeaky clean.

Greenpeace volunteers have been taking action on plastic pollution for years. For example, in September 2021 we did a beach clean, where the majority of rubbish was plastic that should have been recycled, or even better, not produced in the first place. 

We, like lots of other Edinburgh residents are trying to do their bit, and Government, supermarkets and brands need to do theirs to cut plastic too.

Schools, community groups, businesses, local residents – sign-up now to join us at thebigplasticcount.com/join-in !

Marlena

Leith, Edinburgh

Don’t miss Professor John Curtice’s Scottish election talk on Tuesday

Make sure you don’t miss the next of our series of #ERSLive talks, which will be held this Tuesday 26 April, at 7pm via Zoom.

What can we expect from the Scottish Local Elections? with Professor Sir John Curtice

What can we expect from next month’s Scottish local elections?

Which parties will be on the up and which losing out? Join us for an evening of insight and analysis with elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice for an in depth look at Scotland’s local democracy.

Register for free today →

As well as a look at what we can expect from the upcoming polls, Prof Curtice will launch his upcoming ERS report – The Power of Preferences: STV in Scottish Elections – taking an in-depth look at the results from 2017 and how voters make use of the Single Transferable Vote system.

Register your attendance today to make sure you don’t miss out on this exciting event!

Best wishes,

Darren Hughes,

Chief Executive, Electoral Reform Society

Other countries are helping families with energy costs: why can’t we?

Governments across the world are raising wages, cutting tax and announcing hefty financial aid packages for people and workplaces affected by the energy crisis (writes TUC’s NINA REECE):

Last month, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a package of support that he claimed would help UK workers and businesses survive crippling energy costs. But it failed to boost pay, raise benefits or help low-income households.

War in Ukraine is exposing the cracks in a global energy system that privileges profit over people and the climate and is too reliant on international trade in fossil fuels. The result is a massive increase in energy costs that is hurling people into poverty while energy companies announce another year of eye-watering profit.

But the Conservative government’s decision not to help the people or sectors most affected by the energy crisis is the exception, not the rule. Here is how other governments across Europe are providing support.

Germany

In Germany, €16billion (£13.4billion) has been made available to ease the burden of rising costs. The support package includes a €9 pass for commuters, giving them a month’s unlimited use of public transport. Making public transport more accessible in the UK is key to reaching our emissions targets. 

There is a one-off €300 tax cut for individuals, extra discounts for low-income families and fuel taxes will be cut for three months, with the price per litre cut by €0.30 for petrol and €0.14 for diesel. 

Importantly, this package includes a commitment to reducing German reliance on gas, oil and fossil fuels long term. 

Germany is also set to raise the national minimum wage by 15 per cent, benefitting nearly 6.2 million low-paid workers – two thirds of them women – giving Germany the second-highest minimum wage in Europe. The rise, agreed as part of the coalition deal, will also cover self-employed and flexible workers.

Nordic countries

A six million Swedish kronor (£473m) pot was set aside by the Swedish government to soften the impact of soaring bills. This may not sound like a lot, but with population that is fraction of that of the UK – it is significant. The government has also issued winter bill subsidies of up to 6000 kronor (£488) for 1.8m households from winter into 2022.

The Norwegian government’s package of measures to help households totals more than eight billion kronor (£664m). In January, Norway even committed to covering 80 per cent of electricity costs for a short period whenever the rate for electricity is above 70 Norwegian øre (6p) per kilowatt-hour.

France

President Macron is targeting energy companies.

EDF, the state energy provider, will charge electricity at below market rate and will take an €8.4bn financial hit. It has also been ordered to sell nuclear power to rivals at below current market rate as its reactors generate 70% of the country’s electricity.

This month, the CEO of Total Energie has also announced a freeze on dividends. In the UK, despite massive profits, no caps or restrictions have been placed on the Big Six energy providers.

The French government has also cut electricity taxes in a bid to slow the increase to bills. While here in the UK, gaps in the Chancellor’s support package means the energy crisis will hit the poorest families the hardest, in France 5.8million low-income households were given a €100 payment for energy bills in January this year.

Spain

The Spanish government’s €16billion response to the energy crisis is the most comprehensive. The focus is on curbing profits and protecting jobs.

Some €2billion will be raised from a windfall tax on energy providers. €500million in subsidies will be provided for electricity-intensive industries and companies that receive this aid won’t be able to dismiss staff to balance out their rising energy costs.

€10billion of state loans will also be given to companies in other industries who are forced to spend more on energy. There is protection for truckers and professional drivers with €450million in direct aid for transport professionals.

And for families and individuals, a fuel sales subsidy of €1.4billion will reduce prices by €0.20 a litre, making a full tank about €9 cheaper, far better than Rishi Sunak’s 5p cut to fuel duty which would take just £2.25 off the cost of a full tank.

These responses from other countries show that our government can do more to help families and industries survive what the Governor of the Bank of England calls a ‘historic shock’ to our living standards. Households currently face an annual energy bill of £2000 and prices are to rise again in October.

That’s why the TUC is calling for an Emergency Budget: Rishi Sunak must come back and provide a proper package of support for families.

Sign petition to demand action from Rishi SunakRishi Sunak must come back to parliament and present an Emergency Budget. We need a proper package of economic support for families.

Sign petition