Collective is delighted to be taking part in Doors Open Days 2022, with a chance to visit both Observatory House and the McEwan Dome, which are not usually accessible to the public.
Doors Open Days is Scotland’s largest free festival that celebrates heritage and the built environment. It offers free access to over a thousand venues across the country each September. The aim of Doors Open Days is to ensure that Scotland’s spaces and stories, new and old, are made accessible to people living and visiting the country.
Please note that due to the historic nature of the architecture, there is no step-free access to Observatory House or McEwan Dome. Other spaces within the City Observatory and the wider site are accessible to all.
Dating back to 1776, Observatory House represents the very first attempt to develop an astronomical observatory on Calton Hill. Recently restored by Collective and including newly commissioned artwork by four contemporary artists, Observatory House is now available to rent as a holiday let, with proceeds helping to support our year round work with artists and communities.
About McEwan Dome
The City Observatory, designed by William Henry Playfair in 1818, gained Royal status after King George IV’s 1822 visit to Edinburgh. The neoclassical building houses a number of historic telescopes: the Transit telescope on the ground floor, and the Cooke telescope within the McEwan Dome, which is not usually accessible to the public.
Elderly care home residents are among the first to receive COVID-19 and flu vaccines as the winter vaccine programme gets underway.
More than two million people in Scotland will be offered vaccines over the next three months – helping protect the public and relieving pressure on the NHS.
Invitations will have been sent to all over 65s by the end of the week and more than 41,000 frontline health and social care workers have booked appointments through the portal since it opened last month, continuing efforts to keep Scotland as the UK’s leading nation in vaccine uptake.
Both new bivalent vaccines, which target Omicron and the original variant of COVID-19, will be deployed alongside existing vaccines, though the vaccination individuals receive will depend on age and vaccine availability. Both the current and new bivalent vaccines provide good protection from severe illness and hospitalisation from known COVID-19 variants. The COVID-19 vaccine will be given at the same time as the flu jab where possible.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf visited the Victoria Manor care home in Edinburgh where residents Agnes Taylor and Andrew Young were among those being vaccinated.
Mr Yousaf said: “This country is indebted to those dedicated frontline workers who work tirelessly to get the majority of Scots immunised all year round – and whose efforts have led to a sharp reduction in hospitalisations in recent months.
“Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourselves, your loved ones, and the NHS from both COVID-19 and flu viruses, and I encourage you to take up the offer of a booster when you receive your appointment.”
Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership Primary Care Strategic Lead David White said: “Like colleagues across Scotland, we’ve been preparing for the winter vaccination programme. Everyone eligible across Edinburgh, should have easy, local access to receive both flu and Covid-19 vaccinations.
“As with other recent campaigns, we have made special arrangements for care home residents and others who are recognised as ‘house-bound’. This includes the eligible partners and carers who will be able to be vaccinated during the same visit. Over 1.25 million people in Edinburgh have received their vaccinations since December 2020, and we encourage all eligible people to attend for vaccination.”
93-year-old Victoria Manor resident Mrs Taylor said: “It’s good being able to have both vaccinations at the same time here in the care home.
“I’m getting both to help my protection and of course, for the protection and safety of others in the care home or visiting.”
The Great British Food Festival is back this year at the lovely Dalkeith Country Park on the weekend of the 10th & 11th September and it promises to be a fantastic foodie weekend.
Over 75 different traders will be in attendance, amongst them artisan food producers and award winning street food stalls.
Along with wonderful food and drink producers there will be a great line up of local bands, fantastic chef demos, foodie talks, man vs food competitions and a bake stage.
Dan Maycock, one of the organisers said ‘We have got a great mix of local Scottish produce and some coming from further afield. On the hot food front you will be able to try anything from traditional hog roast to Indian and Thai dishes, so hopefully something for all tastes!’
The Chef Demo stage hosts great local chefs and Instagram stars cooking up their favourite dishes and sharing tips, with five demos taking place each day.
One of the highlights is the ‘Great British Cake Off’, where amateur bakers compete head to head in two baking categories (see www.greatbritishfoodfestival.com for details and to enter), and best of all, if you enter a cake you get free entry to the festival!
There is entertainment for all the family over the weekend, including kid’s cookery lessons, free circus skills, and live music. The perfect recipe for a fun, foodie day out for the whole family. See www.greatbritishfoodfestival.com for advanced tickets.
A not-for-profit organisation helping people to live happier and healthier lives has officially opened its refurbished office in Edinburgh city centre.
Fedcap Scotland works in the city to help people tackle health conditions, learn new skills, find new jobs and progress their careers. Across the country, its teams have been responsible for supporting more than 14,000 people in the last three years.
The newly branded and refurbished office in Edinburgh was visited by partners and employers last week. During the visit, attendees were given an insight into how Fedcap Scotland helps people overcome the barriers they face – including tackling health concerns and poverty – to realise their ambitions and reach their long-term goals.
Some 92.7% of Fedcap Scotland’s ‘customers’(Eh?- Ed.) in Edinburgh have been unemployed for more than a year, while 80.6% have been unemployed for more than two years. After receiving health and wellbeing support from the organisation, customers showed a 59% improvement, on average, in their health conditions.
The Fedcap Scotland team are also working with some of Scotland’s leading employers to help the region bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic with reliable workers.
Fedcap Scotland is currently delivering the Fair Start Scotland service in partnership with The Lennox Partnership in Edinburgh and the surrounding area, helping people to pick up new skills, confidence and experience and into suitable, sustainable jobs.
People who receive employability support from Fedcap Scotland find work on average within three months.
Stephanie Lang, Employer Relationship Manager for Capital City Partnership, said: “Capital City Partnership co-ordinates employability strategy and delivery through partnership working to tackle inequality and poverty, support job growth, and help more people into employment and skills.
“We welcome every opportunity to work in partnership with key agencies and services and are pleased to welcome Fedcap into the city as a trusted partner, already evidenced in their support of the FUSE Recruitment & Skills Hub for the St James Quarter and city centre recruiting businesses.”
Eaman Abdel-Rahman, a Fedcap Scotland participant in Fair Start Scotland said: “I was a cancer patient and I think I lost a bit of me. Fedcap’s courses helped to get me back to where I am.
“The new Fedcap Hub is like, wow! I like that very much. Shirley Ann Grey, my Personal Adviser, helped me into a DPSI translator course and a job in a local bank, giving me the confidence I need.
“Thanks to Fedcap Scotland, I have regained my confidence and got my life back.”
Brian Bell, Fedcap Chief Executive Officer, said: “You’ve seen today the passion of our people, helping participants who’ve been out of work for a long time.
“There is a real need for our service, and Fedcap is investing in its portfolio across Scotland to further improve our delivery for participants and employers.”
Fedcap has also recently opened new offices in Dumfries and Dunfermline.
For more information on how Fedcap Scotland helps communities across the country, visit www.fedcapscotland.scot
Wild West comes to Cramond care home for themed afternoon fun
MUSIC-LOVING pensioners at an Edinburgh care home were treated to a hoedown themed afternoon to celebrate the end of summer with a performance from local musicians.
The dedicated lifestyle team at Cramond Residence strapped on their cowboy boots and organised a country western party which saw the home’s residents enjoying some themed dancing, snacks and music courtesy of local guitar players.
A BBQ and some summer punch were on the menu for lunch, while activities included a conga and traditional line dancing.
Alison Newton, Operations Manager at the 74-bedroom home, said: “This was the first time we have hosted a hoedown and it will definitely not be the last! Everyone involved had an enjoyable afternoon and it was a real pleasure seeing so many happy faces.
“It was great to have local musicians playing some country classics from across the decades giving residents musical stimulation while helping them to reminisce and socialise with others.
“We have to say a massive thanks to the lifestyle team who have really pulled out all the stops with their planned activities and excursions to engage residents over the last few months.
“Residents loved taking part in some traditional country dancing and it was even great to see some attendees donning cowboy hats and plaid shirts.”
The residence creates an environment that ensures residents continue to live interesting and fulfilling lives, with their needs at the heart of all operations. Its tailored activity programme combines luxury hotel living with the reassuring feeling of being in your own home.
Alison continued: “After a turbulent few years, the team have really worked hard to come up with a jam-packed calendar of events to fully engage with residents and bring a sense of joy. To celebrate a great summer, it seemed only right to end August with a party.”
Cramond Residence offers high quality care for up to 74 residents offering a small-group living concept in nine houses, with all residents enjoying an exceptional range of amenities and activities, delicious food and bespoke care from a highly-trained team.
MSPs are asking for the public to share their views on the support that is currently available for disabled children and young people as they grow into adulthood.
The findings will be considered by the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee as part of their scrutiny of a Bill which seeks to introduce more structured support for disabled children and young people in their transition to adulthood.
The Bill has been proposed by Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP, following on from work started by Johann Lamont in the last session of Parliament.
If passed, the Bill would make three main changes to the law:
the Scottish Government would need to have a strategy explaining how they are going to improve opportunities for disabled children and young people
a Scottish Government minister would be placed in charge of improving opportunities for disabled children and young people moving into adulthood
local authorities would need to have plans for each disabled child and young person as they move into adulthood
Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee said: “A young person’s transition to adulthood is a critical stage in their lives and our Committee wants to be sure that the right kind of support is available to help disabled children and young people as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
“We want to hear the views of disabled children and young people, their parents and their carers on these proposals.
“We’re particularly keen to understand more about the how the support that is currently available is viewed.”
The Committee’s call for views and survey on the Bill opened on 1 September and people can share their views until 27 October 2022.
Small and medium businesses dominate Hospitality industry, making up 68% of all businesses
Northern Ireland has the highest percentage of SMEs out of any region, at 29%
SMEs make up more than 25% of all businesses in the United Kingdom
New research has revealed how important small and medium enterprises are for the British economy, as businesses that employ between one and 249 employees contribute more than £2 trillion in turnover and employ 44% of the British workforce.
The study by marketing training hub School of Marketing analysed the latest ONS and government data on the number of small and medium enterprises in 2021 to see which regions and industries are powered the most by SMEs.
Analysis of the industries revealed that the Hospitality Industry has the highest proportion of SMEs out of any industry. Out of the 200,645 businesses operating in the industry, 140,050 are small or medium-sized, which equals roughly 69.8%. The Hospitality Industry is made up of accommodation and food services including hotels and restaurants.
The industry with the second-highest percentage of SMEs is Wholesale and Retail Trade. This industry, which also includes mechanic shops that repair motor vehicles and motorcycles, has more than 500,000 businesses, and more than four in ten (43%) are small or medium-sized.
Real Estate Industry has the third-highest proportion of SMEs, with 35.4% of all enterprises having below 250 employees. The industry has 134,095 businesses operating in the UK, and 47,740 are small or medium-sized.
In fourth is the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Industry, which has more than 150,000 businesses running in the country, and roughly 50,000 (33%) are SMEs.
The industry counting the fifth-highest percentage of SMEs is Manufacturing, with 32% of the enterprises operating in this industry being small or medium-sized, which is 87,210 out of the 270,000 businesses.
The study also analysed each UK region and found that Northern Ireland has the highest proportion of SMEs in the UK. 123,705 businesses are operating in Northern Ireland, and 36,369 are small or medium enterprises, making up roughly 29.4% of all companies.
Scotland has the second-highest percentage of SMEs out of all the UK regions, with 27.7% of all businesses being SMEs. There are 342,045 companies in Scotland, and 94,746 have fewer than 250 employees.
The East Midlands is home to the third-highest proportion of SMEs, with 100,300 SMEs, making up 27.3% of the 367,400 businesses operating in the region.
North West England has the fourth-highest percentage of SMEs in the UK, with 26.7% of businesses operating in the area being small or medium-sized.
Wales is tied for fourth, as 26.7% of operating businesses in the country are SMEs. 55,373 out of the 207,390 enterprises in Wales have fewer than 250 employees.
The study also assessed the most in-demand skills for entry-level positions across a range of industries and found that Communication and Microsoft Office proficiency are the most commonly occurring skills on job adverts – both appear in 61% of the jobs that were analysed.
The third most in-demand skill is a High Attention to Detail, appearing in 44% of ads for entry-level positions. Finishing off the top five is a tie for fourth between Time-Management and Self-Motivated, both showing up on 39% of job adverts.
Commenting on the findings, Ritchie Mehta, CEO of School of Marketing said: “There are more than 1.4 million British companies which employ between one and 249 people, and combined they turn over a massive £2 trillion every year, which is 45% of total turnover from UK businesses.
“It’s essential that they are not only given the support to grow and continue making such an important contribution, but also that there is a skilled workforce able to help them deliver and adapt to the demands of an evolving economy.
“This data shows that when it comes to skills, there are some common themes that employers are looking for across a range of jobs, however in the current climate, budgets for training are likely to be cut, and the skills gap could widen.
“SME owners can take advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy scheme to bring in new staff or train current ones in digital and data-led programmes, with the vast majority of the training cost covered by the levy.”
The study was conducted by the School of Marketing, which offers leading digital and data marketing apprenticeships.
“Good businesses will fail, unless the government acts”
THE NATIONAL Chair for the Federation of Small Businesses Martin McTague has issued a stark prognosis for small businesses in the months ahead.
He warned that rising energy prices and current business rates and tax will see many businesses go under; which could have a major impact on the UK economy as 60% of the private sector workforce work for small businesses.
Speaking to GB News, Mr McTague said: “There’s a completely toxic mix, and that mix is very low cash reserves; I think the ONS figures said that that 40% of businesses are operating on less than three months worth of cash.
“You’ve got very high taxation levels, the highest for 50 years. A massive slump in demand, and then if you build into that mix the fact that energy prices for some businesses are four or five times what they were previously.
“Most businesses renew their contracts in October, and the quotes that I’ve seen from a lot of our members were alarming. In some cases their prices had gone from £23,000 a year up to £112,000 per year. One farmer I spoke to was seriously considering putting a generator on to power his operation because he couldn’t see how he could operate any other way.
“Now what we need, starting Monday I think, is a government that recognises that this is an urgent problem. And that a lot of good businesses will fail, unless they act. I think sometimes people treat it as if it’s something that you can separate out from consumer issues, whereas 60% of the private sector workforce work for SMEs. So that will be a major problem for lots of people.”
“There are three key things I think we need to do starting Monday. The first will be to reverse the National Insurance increase, that was something that almost universally all small businesses disliked.
“Then there is a serious problem with business rates, I think it’s time that the government doubled the small business rates relief, currently standing at less than £12,500 and could go up to £25,000. I think that would encourage a lot of small businesses, particularly in the North of England.
“Then cut VAT to try and encourage demand. At a time when a lot of consumers are lacking confidence, you need to give them that bit of a push to get back in the shops.”
