Day: June 10, 2022

Turing Fest returns to Edinburgh to connect the best in tech

One of Europe’s leading tech conferences, Turing Fest, is returning this July to a fully in-person event, bringing over 1,000 people from across the globe to learn and connect with the best in the industry.  

Established in 2016, Turing Fest brings together founders and leaders of startups and scaleups together with their teams to support them in making the right connections and facilitating learning between them and the top experts across the industry, enabling them to build better businesses. 

The conference which takes place on 27-28 July at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre is filled with two days of keynotes, interviews, networking and parties with 40+ speakers from leading tech businesses, from start-ups to global organisations. 

During the pandemic, Turing Fest Founder and CEO Brian Corcoran spearheaded an open letter to the Scottish Government signed by 50 Scottish tech company CEOs. This open letter was followed by the Scottish Government commissioning the Logan Report signalling a renewed focus on the industry. 

This year’s top tier speaker line-up includes Paul Adams, CPO of Intercom, Maria Gutierrez, VP of Engineering at Twitter, Jonny Brooks-Bartlett, Senior Engineer at Spotify, Shane Curran, CEO of Evervault, April Dunford, Founder of Ambient Strategy, and Rob Walling, Co-Founder of TinySeed, with more speakers still to be announced. 

Brian Corcoran said: “We’re extremely excited to be bringing some of the best minds in the global technology industry back under one roof fully in person in Edinburgh.

“The purpose of Turing Fest is to bring people together from across the tech industry with diverse skills, from different geographies and backgrounds, to learn together to help people get better at what they do professionally so they can build better startups and scaleups. 

“The conference typically has a great atmosphere: the attendees are keen to learn, the speakers are keen to teach, everyone is open to sharing – and they all want to have fun together. It makes for a wonderful community, a genuinely fun and enlightening few days, and gives many startups a better chance of success. 

“The future of Scotland’s economy is going to be built on the tech industry, and on startups and scaleups. We’ve worked closely to support Mark Logan’s work over the past two years in highlighting this and are delighted to see the commitment from Kate Forbes and the Scottish Government in driving the agenda forward.”      

Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “It’s great to see Turing Fest coming back to Edinburgh to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas within our tech sector. 

“Turing Fest has been supported by the Scottish Government’s £1 million Tech Ecosystem Fund, which will open for applications again later this summer, helping to create spaces to incubate, accelerate and educate Scottish start-ups, as well as improving networking, through meet-ups and international conferences.” 

Mark Logan added: “To thrive, a tech ecosystem needs a vibrant ‘market-square’ that connects people, propagates best-practice, and builds a shared sense of belief and confidence.  Turing Fest consistently over-delivers in all these areas and is an essential cornerstone of the Scottish tech industry.” 

Turing Fests partners this year include TravelPerk, Twilio, Skyscanner, Administrate, Current Health, Amplitude, xDesign, FanDuel, Smartsheet, FreeAgent, Recast, PODFather, Cleo, Amiqus, Cyacomb, Playerdata, Baillie Gifford, Kin + Carta, CodeClan, The Scottish Government.  

Tickets for Turing Fest 2022 are available via the website:

https://www.turingfest.com/tickets

 

PizzaExpress serves up refurbished restaurant at West End

Edinburgh’s Queensferry Street PizzaExpress has undergone a full refurb and will welcome customers back through its doors to grab their most loved pizzas with a brand-new look.

The pizzeria will offer a wide range of dishes from the Piccolo menu for children to numerous vegan options and comes complete with a vibrant setting for all the family to enjoy.

The refresh brings the flavour and passion of Italian dining culture to the town, inspired by the original vision of Founder, Peter Boizot, who first introduced the taste of authentic pizza to the UK in 1965.

At the heart of the restaurant is the open kitchen, the stage from which expert pizzaiolos showcase their talent – and love – for pizza making. As much of a feast for the eyes as for the belly, diners will delight as they bring the theatre and authenticity of the craft to the fore.

Ben Hicks, Territory Manager at PizzaExpress Edinburgh Queensferry, said: “We know the love people have for PizzaExpress, and we think they’ll enjoy coming returning to the new look of our pizzeria in Edinburgh Queensferry. The refurbishment has added a great feel and ambience to the space making it the perfect space for family dining.”

PizzaExpress recently launched its 2022 spring menu which includes the nationwide rollout of its vegan-version garlic butter, as well as a range of brand-new dishes celebrating seasonality and freshness. There are also a variety of new drinks from Naturally Pink Apple Juice to the Pornstar Martini and Campari Negroni.

To book a table, please visit https://www.pizzaexpress.com/edinburgh-queensferry-street

Address: PizzaExpress, 32 Queensferry St, Edinburgh EH2 4QS

Opening times:

Mon-Thurs 11.30am – 10.00pm,

Fri – Sat 11.30-10:30pm,

Sun 11.30-10pm

Yotel Edinburgh pledges charity support with Pride!

YOTEL Edinburgh is pledging its support for Pride month by investing in updated LGBTQ+ awareness training on allyship and history for staff, as well as donating 100% of proceeds from a charity cocktail and mocktail to LGBTQ+ helpline charity Switchboard. 

Switchboard provides support through phone, email and instant messaging for people who may feel isolated in their community, have an issue or question they want to discuss or are simply looking to talk to someone who shares their experience.

The UK’s national LGBTQ+ helpline has provided support to millions of people since its inception, promising that all calls are confidential and no topic is off limits. The helpline operates 10am-10pm daily, and can be reached by dialling 0300 330 0630 – find out more at www.switchboard.lgbt . 

YOTEL Edinburgh’s stylish bar and restaurant Komyuniti will roll out the ‘YOTEL Pride’ cocktail and mocktail for the month of June , as well as YOTEL Crew across the UK taking part in updated LGBTQ+ awareness training.

Priced at £6 and available until 30 June,  100% of proceeds from the cocktail and mocktail will directly benefit Switchboard. Switchboard answers on average 18,000 calls a year, with each call costing the charity around £17 for wrap-around support which means they can be there for each and every caller. 

Pledging support for Pride, YOTEL has invested in LGBTQ+ training sessions for YOTEL Crew across the UK, led by Polly Shute, Co-Founder of ‘Out and About’ and former board member of Pride in London.

With training sessions specifically tailored to hospitality staff, Polly’s sessions for YOTEL include open discussions on how to be an ally, LGBTQ+ history and challenges in the workplace. 

Guests in YOTEL Edinburgh can also directly donate to Switchboard via digital ‘Tip Jar’ QR codes located in the hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant Komyuniti for Pride month. So guests can donate an amount of their own choosing to the charity, even if not purchasing a cocktail or mocktail! 

Stephanie Fuller, General Manager at Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline said, “We are delighted to be supported by YOTEL as part of its Pride campaign in 2022. Switchboard is the national LGBTQ+ helpline in the UK, and the visibility of our helpline that this partnership will bring across the UK is vital.

“Each year our dedicated team of listening volunteers hold over 18,000 conversations with people in need of support with conversations ranging from, but not limited to coming out, sexuality, gender identity, isolation, and mental health.

“Each call costs us around £17.00 for all the wrap-around support which means we can be there for a caller. The support and visibility this partnership will provide cannot be understated, ultimately it will mean our confidential non-judgemental service will continue to be there 10 am -10 pm, 365 days a year  by phone, instant messaging and email to support people from the LGBTQ+ communities that need someone to listen.”

Polly Shute, Co-Founder of Out and About Festival, organiser of Southbank Surfing and YOTEL consultant said: “It’s great to see a brand as big as YOTEL pledge its support for the LGBTQ+ community with proceeds from the sale of the Pride cocktails this month.

“Through my work, I’m keenly aware of the discrimination and injustices our community continue to face, some of which do occur in the hospitality industry.  It’s essential we educate people on how to be an ally, and I’ve enjoyed starting conversations with YOTEL about how brands can better interact with LGBTQ+ patrons and staff.”

Olivia Donnan, Vice President Brand & Communications at YOTEL HQ said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Switchboard and Polly Shute to celebrate and support Pride in our communities across the UK. At YOTEL, we strive to be an inclusive space for every guest, visitor and Crew member and are pleased to continue our ongoing work supporting the community through donations and training this June.”

James Stocker, Brand Manager for Whitley Neill said, “We’re delighted to support YOTEL during Pride month and hope guests across the UK enjoy this special cocktail. As Pride celebrates 50 years in the UK, we’re glad to be able to support the community in some small way.” 

For further information on Switchboard visit www.switchboard.lgbt, follow the charity on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or call 0300 330 0630. 

Royal Bank of Scotland’s Report on Jobs reveals hiring activity slowdown

Hiring activity slows notably amid steep decline in staff availability 

  • Slowest increase in permanent placements since February 2021 
  • Temp billings growth falls to four-month low 
  • Permanent candidate availability contracts at record rate 

May data signalled a further increase in recruitment activity across Scotland, according to the latest Royal Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs survey.

However, the rate of expansion slowed noticeably on the month, with permanent placements and temp billings rising at the weakest rates in 15 and four months, respectively.

This coincided with a further rapid decline in candidate availability, with permanent staff supply falling at an unprecedented pace in May, while vacancies continued to rise strongly. As a result, wage pressures remained intense. 

Permanent placement growth slips to 15-month low in May 

The number of permanent staff appointments across Scotland rose for the seventeenth successive month in May. Anecdotal evidence indicated that increased client activity and improved market conditions resulted in higher permanent placements. Though sharp and comfortably above the series average, the rate of growth eased for the second month running to the weakest since February 2021.  

Moreover, the latest upturn in permanent staff appointments across Scotland was slower than that seen at the UK level for the first time in five months.  

Scottish recruiters noted a marked rise in temp billings during May, thereby extending the current sequence of growth to 21 months. Recruiters often attributed the latest increase to strengthening client demand and the resumption of projects previously on hold due to the pandemic. However, the respective seasonally adjusted index declined from a seven-month high in April, to signal the slowest upturn in four months. The expansion was also softer than the UK average. 

Record contraction in permanent staff availability 

As has been the case since February 2021, permanent staff availability decreased across Scotland during May. Furthermore, the rate of reduction was the fastest on record and rapid. Panellists blamed skill shortages and a competitive labour market for the latest downturn.  

Permanent candidate numbers declined at a quicker rate in Scotland than that seen across the UK as a whole.  

Latest data signalled a sustained fall in temp candidate availability across Scotland in May. Moreover, the pace of contraction quickened for the second month running to the fastest since August 2021. Recruiters stated that robust demand for staff, workforce shrinkage (particularly a drop in European workers), and skills shortages had all reduced temp staff availability.  

The rate of decline across Scotland outpaced the UK-wide average, which in contrast eased slightly during May.  

Starting salary inflation eases to seven-month low 

Starting salaries for permanent joiners in Scotland rose for the eighteenth consecutive month in May. The pace of wage inflation eased to the slowest since October 2021 but remained steep and historically elevated. Recruiters often mentioned that a tight labour market and increased competition for staff had driven up starting pay.  

Average hourly pay rates for short-term staff across Scotland rose during May. The latest upturn extended the current run of temp wage inflation that has been observed since December 2020. According to panellists, some staff had negotiated higher pay due to the increased cost of living. Though the rate of inflation accelerated slightly since April, it was nonetheless the second softest in ten months. 

Softest rise in permanent vacancies for three months 

Scottish recruiters noted a further rise in permanent vacancies during May. The pace of growth softened to a three-month low but remained robust overall and was quicker than the UK-wide average.  

Across the monitored sectors, IT & Computing saw the fastest rise in permanent vacancies, followed by Accounts & Financials. However, the rate of increase for both eased from the preceding survey period.  

May data signalled a strong uplift in temp vacancies across Scotland. While outpacing the UK-wide trend, the rate of vacancy growth eased from April’s recent high but remained marked. The upturn also extended the current sequence of rising demand to 20 months.  

IT & Computing noted the sharpest rise in vacancies, with Blue Collar posting in second place. 

Sebastian Burnside, Chief Economist at Royal Bank of Scotland, commented:  “Scotland’s job market saw a further marked increase in recruitment activity during the latest survey period. However, hiring momentum eased for both permanent and temporary staff to the slowest in 15 and four months, respectively, as the supply of staff deteriorated rapidly.

“Moreover, permanent candidate availability fell at the quickest rate on record in May. Additionally, rising living costs and the growing imbalance between the supply and demand of labour exerted strong and sustained upward pressure on wages.  

“While the loss of hiring momentum was inevitable following the sharp rebounds in activity seen after the easing of pandemic-related restrictions, it is hoped that any slowdown will be limited as overall demand for staff remains robust.” 

GB-SC_Jobs_ENG_2206Download

Letters: Life-saving X-ray Appeal

Dear Editor,

With household budgets facing increased pressures due to the rise in the cost of living, at vet charity PDSA, we’re issuing a life-saving X-ray appeal to help us continue providing essential care for sick and injured pets whose owners struggle to pay for their treatments.

X-rays sit at the heart of our emergency treatments and help us to diagnose why a pet is in pain. Amazingly, PDSA carries out one X-ray every two minutes across our 48 Pet Hospitals but, at £135 per procedure, they are a costly yet critical part of our work to get our beloved pets back on their paws.

Our devoted veterinary teams provide free and low cost care for thousands of UK pets every day, offering them a fighting chance of survival and the ability to return home to their loving families.

Please help us so we can continue to provide urgent care to vulnerable pets by visiting www.pdsa.org.uk/x-rays-at-pdsa.

Any donation you can give will help give a poorly pet the life-saving X-ray and care they so desperately need. 

Thank you,

Lynne James

PDSA Vet

#SavedByXray

Musselburgh Racecourse partners with Harvey Nichols and Bonnie & Wild for Stobo Castle Ladies Day

Musselburgh Racecourse has partnered with the beauty team at Harvey Nichols Edinburgh and upmarket Food Hall Bonnie & Wild to offer a unique raceday package for Stobo Castle Ladies Day on Friday 5 August.

As part of the luxury package, the beauty experts from Harvey Nichols will be offering appointments from 8:30am until 11:30am and encouraging customers to indulge as they get raceday ready with a full-face makeover.

Additional fragrance consultations, skincare treatments and hand and arm massages will also be available on the day. Prestigious beauty brands including Armani Beauty, Estée Lauder, Dior, Fenty Beauty, Hourglass, Laura Mercier, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Pixi Beauty, Tom Ford and Yves Saint Laurent will be present and on hand to pamper guests at the event.

The beauty appointments will be followed by a delicious brunch from Bonnie & Wild, which will include a tailor-made mocktail on arrival and a selection of delectable dishes from the sophisticated Food Hall, and finished off with a glass of Prosecco to raise a toast to Ladies Day.

Aisling Johnston, Commercial Manager at Musselburgh Racecourse, said: “It’s great to be working with two renowned Edinburgh-based businesses to create this unique package for this year’s Ladies Day.

“It’s going to be a big occasion for people and so we felt it was nice to offer something that will make people feel their best ahead of a great day at the races.”

Tickets cost £132 and will include a 45-minute beauty appointment with a makeup artist from Harvey Nichols Edinburgh, the Prosecco brunch from Bonnie & Wild, transport to and from Musselburgh Racecourse, and a Raceday ticket to Stobo Castle Ladies Day.

Richard Morris, General Manager at Harvey Nichols Edinburgh, said: “Our beauty experts will be primed and ready with an amazing range of brands we carry in store to help people get ready for the exciting day ahead.”

Kate Russell, General Manager at Bonnie & Wild, added “Ladies Day is an important day in the Edinburgh calendar and all of us at Bonnie & Wild are delighted to be welcoming racegoers along before the festivities begin.

“I’m sure they’ll love the bespoke mocktails and beautiful brunch dishes we’ll have available for them, and all topped off by a glass of beautiful bubbly. A perfect start for a day at the races.”

The Bonnie & Wild Bar will offer a full range of alcoholic drinks from 11am (soft drinks and other refreshments will be available all morning), before guests are transported to Musselburgh Racecourse in style to enjoy all the glamour of Stobo Castle Ladies Day.

Book your tickets here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/355103342657

To find out more about Stobo Castle Ladies Day please visit:

https://www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk/view-fixture/stobo-castle-ladies-day-2022   

Another branch bites the dust

Granton Square … Goldenacre … Davidsons Mains, no more. And another Royal Bank of Scotland branch will join the Lost List when Stockbridge Branch closes it’s doors for the last time on 4th October.

In a letter to RBS customers, Local Director Mark Scanlon explained: “Closing branches is always a difficult decision and not one that we ever take lightly. So, we wanted to try to explain why we’ve had to do this.

“The simple reason is that the way businesses bank with us has changed. The shift towards digital means many of our customers now manage their money online. With fewer people going into branch, we’ve had to make some really tough choices. Which is unfortunately why we will be closing our Edinburgh Stockbridge branch on 4 October 2022.

“You can, of course, use any other Royal Bank of Scotland branch. And you can manage your money online through our Digital Banking service or via Bankline without having to go into a branch, To find out more go to: business.rbs.co.uk/ways-to-bank .”

So that’s okay then !

Victory for workers’ rights in INEOS refinery appeal

Unite members working at the INEOS refinery at Grangemouth have won a legal battle that strengthens collective bargaining rights and will prevent employers bypassing unions to impose pay deals on employees.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has ordered global chemical firm, INEOS, to pay compensation to 28 Unite members employed at its Grangemouth site of £3,830 each, after it tried to impose a 2.8 per cent pay award on them in 2017. Their union, Unite, had previously rejected the offer.

This latest ruling strengthens the law on ‘unlawful inducements’ to surrender trade union rights. It builds on the ground-breaking Kostal UK Lytd v Dunkley and ors case, which Thompsons successfully won alongside Unite the Union last year.

Neil Todd, trade union specialist at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “This is a key victory not only for the Unite members involved, but for all workers in trade unions across the UK.

“The right of a recognised trade union to collectively bargain on behalf of its members is fundamental to workers’ rights and this judgment makes clear that it should be respected by employers.

“Along with the Kostal case, a spotlight is finally being thrown by the courts on trade union bargaining rights and it’s not looking good for employers who think they can ignore trade unions when they choose”

The Unite members argued that imposing the pay increase outside the collective bargaining process amounted to an unlawful inducement to give up collective bargaining rights.

Documents disclosed during the legal proceedings revealed a member of the firm’s senior leadership team had suggested the company needed to “engineer a way to get rid of Unite and replace them with a different representative body” after its members refused to vote in favour of the proposed offer.

The initial tribunal in 2018 ruled in favour of the workers, but INEOS appealed the judgment and that appeal was subsequently delayed pending the outcome of the related Kostal UK Lytd v Dunkley and ors case, which had progressed to the Supreme Court.

The Kostal case saw Unite members, again represented by Thompsons Solicitors, successfully take legal action against their Rotherham-based employer for trying to bypass union pay negotiations

. This was a ground-breaking case, billed at the time as the most important trade union rights case in over a decade – and the first case in the UK’s highest court on trade union bargaining rights.

Mr Todd said: “This victory sends a clear message to employers. One, you won’t get away with issuing statements of intent to vary an employee’s pay and deem that offer accepted if the employee continues to work.

“And two, you can’t simply declare something to be “a final offer” to suggest collective bargaining is exhausted and then bypass the recognised trade union to make direct approaches to workers.

“We are delighted to build on our ground-breaking Kostal case. Both cases make clear the central role trade unions play in the workplace and should give comfort to union members up and down the country.”  

Unite says that the long-anticipated Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) judgment has huge ramifications for workers everywhere.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “This is an important legal victory for Unite and the wider trade union movement.

“Employers everywhere should take note. Unite the union will use every tool at its disposal to defend collective bargaining and will not tolerate employers like INEOS trying to bypass their obligations to negotiate.”

Scotland’s Census ‘ready to move to next stage’

Almost 2.3 million households completed census – Opposition says the process has been shambolic

The extension to the census collection period saw an additional 200,000 households complete their census, it was announcedyesterday.

Setting out progress to Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson announced that the national return rate increased by 8.7 percentage points since the start of the extension to 87.9%, bringing the total number of households providing a response to Scotland’s Census 2022 to almost 2.3 million.

The level of national census returns provides a strong position to build up a picture of the population, as National Records of Scotland moves to the next phase of the census.

Mr Robertson said: “The census is a once in a decade exercise and plays an important role in decision making for Scotland. I want to thank everyone who completed the census, your responses will help shape the future of vital public services across Scotland.

“I also want to give my thanks to all of the people involved over the past few months from the hundreds of field staff, contact centre agents and census officials who were instrumental in ensuring the voices of households across Scotland were heard.

“We extended the collection period to ensure that as many people as possible could have the opportunity to complete it. Since the start of the extension, we have seen significant progress with 10 local authorities achieving a return rate of more than 90% and 28 local authorities having a return rate of more than 85%.

“This data will provide us with a strong position as we move to the next phase and turn this data into actions that will benefit people across Scotland.

“There have been many important lessons learned over the last few months and which we will consider for the future of the census. The evaluation of Scotland’s Census 2022 will help us develop a better understanding of what has worked and make informed recommendations for the future.”

Through a combination of census returns, individual administrative data, the Census Coverage Survey, and adjustments using aggregate administrative data, NRS will be able to proceed effectively with the next phase of census.

A target was set to achieve 85% or more for each Local Authority area. On 1st May this had only been achieved in one Local Authority – it has now been achieved by 28.