Month: August 2022

James Hutton’s legacy to launch Scottish Geology Festival

James Hutton is often regarded as the founder of modern geology, his research reset the world view on the Earth’s processes and made possible other major theories such as continental drift and the theory of evolution. However, many people still know so little about this key figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.

‘A conversation on James Hutton: the man and his legacy‘ with Alan McKirdy, will launch the 2022 Scottish Geology Festival. The event will provide an insight into Scotland’s fascinating geological past, present and future, discussing James Hutton’s work and legacy of challenging conventional thinking which underpins the work of the James Hutton Institute today.

It will be hosted by the Institute in Aberdeen and the Scottish Geology Trust (SGT) on 1st September, from 4:00-6:30 pm.

Professor Colin Campbell, the Institute’s Chief Executive, said: “Hutton’s approach epitomises the Institute’s purpose, intent and values. He was willing to stand up to dogma, based on the rigorous pursuit of observation and science.

“He actively sought out and fostered opportunities to engage and collaborate with others across a wide range of disciplines. He was, by nature, highly creative and driven by curiosity about the world, but he also had a practical mindset and sought uses for his ideas around agriculture.”

The Scottish Geology Festival will run from the 1st of September to the 9th of October, unlocking the stories from the rocks beneath our feet that hold the secrets of our planet’s past.

The SGT and partners will deliver a programme of activities across the country, showcasing and celebrating Scotland’s incredible geology.

From coastal walks and fossil hunting to online and in-person talks, there will be something for everyone to enjoy during this year’s Festival no matter how much or little you know about the subject.

Dr Katie Strang, Director of the Scottish Geology Festival, said: “We are excited to be back for the third year of the Scottish Geology Festival.

“During Scotland’s Year of Stories, the Festival is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to explore Scotland’s incredible landscapes, learning how they have been shaped over millions of years by geological processes; revealing the secrets and tales of our planet’s past.

“From volcanic eruptions to tropical coal swamps, dinosaurs to earthquakes – the rocks beneath our feet provide endless opportunities for adventure, education and discovery.”

With climate change challenging Scotland all year round, the SGT continues to support awareness raising on how Scotland’s geology can help play a role in responding to this emergency. Joining forces with Scottish Water, the Trust will also be encouraging every event participant to consider and review their use of water.

Please register to attend the Festivals launch event here, £5 tickets, free to SGT members and staff of the James Hutton Institute, booking required. For details of all Festival events visit www.scottishgeologytrust.org/festival.

Learn to Swim ambassadors inspire next wave on world stage

Decorated athletes return from Commonwealth Games

TRIUMPHANT swimmers returning to Scotland after a successful Commonwealth Games hope recent achievements will inspire the next generation of swimmers.

Learn to Swim programme ambassadors, Duncan Scott and Toni Shaw, are using their profile to encourage youngsters across the country take to the water and learn to swim.

The National Learn to Swim Programme – a partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water – is delivered by Local Authorities, Leisure Trusts and swimming lesson providers throughout Scotland.                                                                                                

The programme, which is promoted by ambassadors Duncan and Toni, aims to help children of all ages and abilities become confident, safer and competent swimmers.

Duncan, who comes home as Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete of all time, returns with six fresh medals, including two golds. He has tallied up 13 Commonwealth medals since 2014. It comes after he became Team GB’s most successful athlete ever from a single Olympic Games with his 2021 Tokyo haul.

He said: “After competing in world-wide events, it’s so nice to be able to come back to the grassroots and motivate those at the beginning of their swimming journey.

“Whether youngsters simply become regulars at the pool or if this involvement inspires the next generation of competitive swimmers – only good things can come from encouraging more children into the water.”

Duncan started his swimming journey in South Ayrshire where he learned to swim at Troon swimming pool alongside his sister and he often states that competitive sibling rivalry spurred him on to achieve his best at swimming from a young age.

From swimming regularly with his family Duncan went on to join the local swimming club under coach Mike Boles and quickly showed talent, entering competitions at the age of 8.

Duncan continued his swimming journey in Alloa at the Alloa Leisure Bowl. He joined FIRST, a composite club where Steven Tigg became his coach. He then won a scholarship to Strathallan School as a result of his swimming ability with coach Elaine Johnston and started to compete, still under FIRST, in national and international competitions.

Duncan still trains under coach Steven Tigg and is based at the University of Stirling where he graduated with a Degree in Business and Sports Studies in 2021.

Toni secured a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the Women’s 100m Freestyle S9 Para Swimming event and placed fourth in the individual medley. At just 14-years-old, Toni Shaw first competed at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 in the Gold Coast.

She said: “It’s fantastic to play important role in the promotion of swimming across the country.

“Learning to swim is a vital skill as it keeps us safe around water while providing a range of health and wellbeing benefits. It also is a fun way to keep active and socialise.”

Toni learned to swim in Aberdeen in a learn to swim programme at Northfield Pool. She has always been a strong advocate of children with disabilities being integrated into mainstream lessons, spearheading Scottish Swimming’s ‘SeeMyAbility’ campaign as she felt she benefitted from a mainstream programme rather than one-to-one lessons.

She joined Cults Otters – one of the local swimming clubs where it soon became apparent, she had a strong talent for swimming, particularly freestyle.

At the age of 14 she moved to the Aberdeen University Performance programme, training at Aberdeen Aquatics centre under coach Gregor McMillan. She began to compete at a national and international level winning 6 medals at the World Para Swimming Championships in London 2019, and in 2022, became world champion over 400m freestyle.

Like Duncan, Toni recently started life as a student at the University of Stirling where she trains under coach Josh Williamson.

The next chapter of Learn to Swim is to build a real legacy for Scotland – improving water safety, and, through working with schools and local authorities, giving all children a real platform for success and to achieve their full potential in the pool and out.

Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs with Scottish Water, said: “In Scotland, we’re surrounded by so much water making it essential to learn to swim from a young age.

“Duncan and Toni are both inspirational and play an important role in inspiring the next generation involved in the programme. Through involvement directly helps youngsters understand that this is a vital life skill that one day could ultimately save their life.

The Learn to Swim programme is being delivered across Scotland by 36 Leisure Trusts and Aquatic Providers in more than 160 pools and is aimed at youngsters from birth up to 11-years-old.

So far, more than 100,000 young Scots have taken part in the programme and we are targeting another 100,000 by 2025 in a bid to create a new generation of safer and confident swimmers.

Euan Lowe, Chief Executive Officer at Scottish Swimming, said: “Duncan and Toni are prime examples of the incredible pathways swimming can take you down. It’s a real benefit to have such fantastic role models inspiring our next generation and promoting water safety.”

For more information on the Learn to Swim programme, visit:

 https://learntoswim.scot/

Tortoise seeks judicial review of election process for new Tory leader

Tortoise Media is seeking judicial review of the Conservative Party’s refusal to provide information about the running of the election to decide Boris Johnson’s successor as Party leader and Prime Minister.

The Tortoise newsroom asked for information about the demographics of the membership voting to elect the next leader and Prime Minister; they asked for the numbers of members and how they have grown over time; asked what the Party does to ensure members are who they say they are; and asked what the Party does to deal with attempts at infiltration and interference.  

The Conservative Party refused to answer any of these questions.  Darren Mott, CEO of the Conservatives, said the election was a “private matter” and that the choice of PM is not ultimately made by the members, but the Queen. 

(The full letter is here.)  

Tortoise believe that this is unlawful.   On the advice of lawyers, they have written to the Conservative Party to inform them that they are seeking judicial review because they believe that the Party’s refusal to disclose information is in breach of common law and human rights law – i.e. the Conservative Party is in breach of the laws safeguarding open government and guaranteeing our right to know information regarding the operation of our government and democracy. 

(The full text of our letter to the Conservative Party is here.)

The full argument for judicial review can be found here but in summary we believe the leadership process to be undemocratic, in its conspicuous lack of transparency, and against the principle of open and fair democracy:

  • – undemocratic because the process by which Conservative Party chooses the next PM is unrepresentative (the membership accounts for little over 0.2 per cent of the population and includes non-UK citizens and under-age voters) and because it’s unsafe (the Party has provided no assurance to us as to how or if it checks voters are who they say they are). 
  • – unlawful because we asked the Conservative Party to provide information about the demographics of the electorate, the efforts taken to validate party members and the process of securing the election from interference.  They refused.  In doing so, we believe they’ve breached the common law principle of open government and human rights enshrined in law guaranteeing information is made available to the public about the operation of our democracy. 
  • – we know more about the membership of the Chinese Communist Party – age, gender, geography, job – than we do about the Conservative Party members choosing our prime minister
  • – Party insiders estimate the membership has grown by 50-70,000 people in the last three years, but no one can say who they are; no one, in fact, can say how many of the members are on the electoral register
  • – if Liz Truss moves into No. 10 next week, she’ll have the weakest mandate of any modern prime minister, not being the choice of the majority of Conservative MPs but carried into office by 80,000 or so people who pay £25 a year to be Conservative Party members. 
  • – when we asked a Party official who oversees the Party’s compliance processes to ensure voters are who they say they are, we were told: “Nobody”.  The former head of one of the UK’s national security agencies said the Conservative Party is not resourced to run an election of this importance. 

James Harding, Editor of Tortoise, said: “After we registered Archie, our pet tortoise, a couple of foreign nationals and the late Lady Thatcher as members of the Conservative Party – and the Party had taken the money, issued them all with new membership numbers and invited them to the leader hustings – we were concerned about how the Conservative Party was running this election. 

“We wrote to the Conservative Party to ask who the voters are and what they do to ensure they are who they say they are.  They have refused to answer.  

“This is no way to choose the person who, from next week, will be Prime Minister of a nuclear-armed G7 nation with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.  

“This election is obviously undemocratic.  The Party’s insistence on secrecy is also unlawful.  We are a newsroom; our job is to inform; if the Conservative Party refuses to disclose information in the public interest, we can’t just shrug, we need to take it to court.  

“The public surely has the right to know who gets to choose who runs the country and what is done to ensure the election is clean and safe. ” 

Leading Dance School expands with new East Lothian branch

Edinburgh Dance Academy (EDA), one of the UK’s top-rated dance schools, is launching a new East Lothian franchise in Haddington.

The school – whose former pupils include Ellie Fergusson, winner of the 2019 BBC programme The Greatest Dancer – currently provides a comprehensive range of traditional and contemporary dance classes for more than 500 pupils from its headquarters and other studios across Edinburgh. 

Its new programme of junior school classes will be held at Haddington’s Bridge Centre from mid-September. Classes will include preschool dance, Royal Academy of Dance certified pre-primary ballet, jazz, tap, commercial, contemporary and acro. 

The new East Lothian franchise will be led by Millie Thomas, who joined EDA in 2018 after completing training at Northern Ballet Academy and then Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London. 

Millie is a highly experienced and respected dance teacher who has taught on many outreach programmes and led classes in creative movement and beginners ballet for children aged 3-15.  

Helping to guide Millie in her new role is East Lothian resident Julie Mitchell, EDA’s founder and the school’s Principal and Artistic Director. An internationally-renowned figure in the ballet world, Julie also serves as an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance 

Since launching in 1996, EDA has gone on to secure a number of accolades including becoming World Champions at the Dance World Cup along with being voted as the highest ranked dance school in UK and Ireland by VAD Productions, an independent, innovative dance production company.

The school also secured a number of awards at the prestigious British Isles Dance Inspirations event in Blackpool earlier this year where EDA’s Senior Competition team was named as the event’s overall champion.

Along with the outstanding results achieved by those wishing to take a more structured route, EDA alumni have also gone on to dance with some of the most prestigious companies including the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Scottish Ballet and the Portuguese National Ballet. 

EDA’s Julie Mitchell said: “As a local resident of the area, I’m especially delighted to announce our expansion into East Lothian with our new Haddington branch.

“Since setting up the school 26years ago, we have worked with thousands of young people helping them discover the joy of dancing and maximising their potential, not only in dance but also in confidence, self-expression, fitness, and supporting others. We now look forward to bringing all of this to East Lothian. A limited number of scholarships will also be offered where circumstances are appropriate.” 

Millie Thomas, head of the new EDA East Lothian franchise, said: “It’s exciting to be leading this new branch of our school in Haddington.

“I look forward to working with young children across East Lothian, introducing them to dance and developing their skills to the highest possible level for their individual abilities and aspirations.

“We can achieve this in a happy, structured, inclusive and supportive way.”

Murder of Peter Coshan: Police appeal for information

Detectives investigating the murder of Peter Coshan are appealing for information to trace the movements of a motor vehicle in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland area of England between Monday, 15 Aug, 2022 and Tuesday, 16 Aug, 2022.

They are particularly interested in sightings of an older style dark coloured Vauxhall Vectra, with a 57 registration plate, as enquiries continue to find Peter.

Detectives believe the movements of this vehicle are central to the investigation and are appealing for the public’s help in trying to find out more about them.

Officers are urging people to think back and consider if they saw something unusual during the hours of darkness on Mon, 15 Aug, and Tues, 16 Aug, in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland areas.

Police have set up a portal that gives the public access to send information directly to the Major Investigation Team. You can remain anonymous when submitting information.

Portal – https://mipp.police.uk/operation/SCOT22S27-PO1

Peter was last seen in the Seafield Rd area of Leith, Edinburgh around 11.50pm on Thurs, 11 Aug, and was reported missing the next day.

Peter, of Edinburgh, is believed to be dead and officers are treating his death as murder. However, his body is yet to be recovered.

Peter’s family are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Patrick, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “This is obviously a very distressing time for Peter’s family and our priority is to find him.

“I am therefore seeking the public’s help in trying to find Peter’s body.

“I am appealing for anyone who may have been in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland, including travelling on the A7, the A68 or any others roads in these areas, during the hours of darkness on Monday, 15 August, and Tuesday, 16 August.”

Anyone with info call Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 1745 of 12 August. Information can be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

McDonald’s brings free family fun to Edinburgh this weekend

Festival Square on Lothian Road will host the McDonald’s Fun Football Festival AND the Happy Readers Book Tour from Saturday 3rd September

McDonald’s is committed to supporting families across the UK and regularly provides community activities in the areas surrounding its restaurants. This weekend is no different with two free activities specifically for local children, arriving at Festival Square in Edinburgh.

In a bid to provide more children across the UK with access to the joy of reading, McDonald’s has launched the Happy Readers Book Tour, which will help distribute free books to children at 16 locations across the UK and Ireland.

The tour will arrive at Festival Square in Edinburgh on Saturday 3rd September.

Inside the bus, free books will be handed out, with different titles catering to children from age 4-11. As well as the books, there will be activity sheets, digital animation screens, ‘read-a-longs’, bubble machines and free Happy Readers bookmarks designed specifically to help children with dyslexia.

The second free event is the Fun Football Festival, which will celebrate the summer of sport in style, with more kids than ever feeling inspired to take up football after watching the Home Nations compete on the European stage.

The Fun Football Festival will be open on Saturday 3rd September and Sunday 4th September, between 11.30am and 6pm, giving hundreds of 5–11-year-olds the opportunity to enjoy football for free!

Families will be able to take part in the introductory coaching sessions under the guidance of top football coaches and a series of inflatable* Fun Football experiences, including a Dribble Tunnel and Speed of Shot, aimed at inspiring children of all backgrounds and abilities to give football a go.

The festivals are just one part of the McDonald’s Fun Football programme that will deliver over 10.5 million hours of Fun Football over the course of the next four years making it the largest grassroots participation programme in the UK.

The programme will be delivered in collaboration with the Irish FA, Scottish FA, The Football Association of Wales and a network of national coaching providers with regular sessions taking place throughout the year across the UK.

For further information on McDonald’s involvement in grassroots football and to find out how your club could benefit, visit the website, or follow @FunFootballUK on Twitter and Instagram.

For parents looking for free ways to keep their kids active and entertained over the weekend, look no further than the Happy Readers Book Tour and Fun Football Festivals, providing free fun for the whole family to get involved with.

Dogs Trust encourages dog owners to go ‘Bark to School’!

Charity prepares for influx of dogs being given up as new school year begins

As millions of children across the country return to the classroom after the summer break, Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, is encouraging dog owners to head Bark to School with their pups in a bid to reduce the number of dogs potentially being handed into rehoming centres.

The charity, which is already experiencing its busiest period on record in terms of handovers due to the rise in the cost of living, is preparing itself for a possible further spike as families return to a post-holiday juggle of work and school, and their young dogs struggle to cope with being left home alone, causing them to exhibit bad behaviours.

Many pups acquired during the pandemic are now well into adolescence, a tricky stage for any dog owner, particularly those short on time and juggling family life, and many families may feel they are unable to cope with problematic behaviour. Many of these issues can be resolved through basic training and education of dog owners.

Last year on September 6th, the start of the new school year in England, Dogs Trust saw an uplift in enquiries from dog owners looking to rehome their dog. The charity received 163 enquiries to handover their dogs on the first day of term – more than any other day during September – and during the first week of September, saw an uplift in enquiries from struggling owners compared to the previous week.

John-Paul Maguire, Head Coach at Dog School Glasgow, explains: “Whilst the majority of dog owners see their dogs as much-valued family members and have loved spending time with their four-legged friends over the holidays, sadly we do see an uplift in handover enquiries as soon as children go back to school.

“In many cases, dogs are not equipped to deal with this sudden change in routine where they suddenly have to get used to having less attention which means they may start displaying undesirable behaviour.”

Aside from the rise in the cost of living, one of the main reasons dogs are handed over to Dogs Trust is because of behaviour-related issues that may have been prevented or managed with training. Which is why the charity is urging dog owners to go ‘Bark to School” and take action now by signing their puppy or adult dog up to training classes to avoid future problems so they can live happily together.

Dogs Trust runs affordable dog training and puppy classes in locations across the UK. Dogs Trust Dog School classes operate nationwide and are available throughout the year. At these classes, owners will learn how to teach their dogs how to meet and greet other dogs politely, walk nicely on the lead, come back when called, overcome chewing and mouthing as well as understand dog body language and what your dog is trying to tell you.

John-Paul adds: “Dogs Trust is always here to help families who are struggling to care for their dog, for whatever reason, but we hope that anyone that is finding their dog’s behaviour challenging after the summer holidays will consider heading Bark to School and sign up to Dog School classes to help their dog fulfil their potential and make sure families and four-legged friends can continue to live happily together.”

To find out more, including how to register for a place at Dog School classes in Glasgow, Edinburgh or West Calder, or to book a 1-2-1 session with a trainer, please visit Dog Training Classes, Courses & Help | Dog school | Dogs Trust

Scottish Child Payment pays out £84 million

Child poverty benefit helping 104,000 children

A total of £84 million has been paid to families since it was introduced less than 18 months ago.

The payment of £20 per week, unique to Scotland in the UK, began in February 2021 as a direct measure to tackle child poverty. It provides regular, additional financial support to parents and carers to help with the costs of caring for a child.

As of 30 June 2022, it is estimated that 104,000 children were actively in receipt of Scottish Child Payment and 1.4 million payments have now been made.

By the end of this year the payment will increase to £25 per week and extend to include all eligible children under the age of 16 when it is expected that over 400,000 children will potentially be eligible.

Responding to the latest official statistics on Scottish Child Payment published today Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We are taking a number of urgent actions to address the current cost crisis.

“This includes efforts to maximise financial support to those most in need so that they get all the money they are entitled to. The ongoing work to extend eligibility for and increase the value of the Scottish Child Payment is a vital part of these efforts.

“We created our game changing Scottish Child Payment to provide direct financial support to tackle child poverty. Every penny of support is absolutely vital at the moment, which is why we are using our devolved powers and resources to make a difference for as many households as we can.

“We doubled the payment to £20 in April and will increase it to £25 when we extend it to under 16s by the end of the year – a 150% rise in this important benefit which is one of five family benefits we are now delivering.

“The Scottish Government want to support families during these difficult times.”

Scottish Child Payment is part of a wider package of five family payments including: Best Start Grant Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment, Best Start Grant School Age Payment and Best Start Foods