Month: October 2022

Scottish Law Firm Announces Will-Writing Scheme to Support Cash for Kids

Watermans is backing a fund-raising campaign to help disadvantaged children across Edinburgh, The Lothians, and Fife.

Cash for Kids, the well-established Radio Forth initiative, will receive a £50 boost for every will or power of attorney written up by the modern law firm from October 3 until December 23.

Cash for Kids is a grant-giving charity supporting and assisting disadvantaged children and vulnerable young people across Scotland and the UK. Its mission is to improve the lives of those affected by poverty, illness, or neglect, helping them to experience a more positive childhood.

Scott Whyte, managing director at Watermans, with offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, said: “We are currently in a period where many in our local communities are experiencing unprecedented hardship as the cost-of-living crisis takes its toll.

“Sadly, that so often has the most severe consequences for those most vulnerable – our children.  Thankfully, the amazing work of Cash for Kids will provide some much-needed help and happiness to many of our local children.

“Through this initiative, the team at Watermans will be directly supporting this outstanding work and we hope to provide as much support as we can to this cause. This also gives our clients the opportunity to take care of an essential piece of legal ‘housekeeping’ while supporting Cash for Kids’ work in improving the lives of our local young people.”

Having a will – or keeping your current one up to date – is important. Anyone who owns property, has savings, children, or other dependents should have one.

Planning for the future and for what may happen in the event of your death is an important life decision. It can be a task you may want to put off and deal with later, however, planning for what happens to your estate as soon as possible offers peace of mind for both you and your loved ones.

Appointing a power of attorney allows your loved ones to take care of you, your finances, and your affairs if you become unable to do so for yourself.

To start the process or for more information on wills and power of attorney, and to support the Cash for Kids programme, contact Watermans on 0131 555 7055.

Healthy Heart Tip: Nutrition and Menopause

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

Healthy Heart Tip: Nutrition and Menopause

The menopause is a natural time in a woman’s life usually occurring between the ages of 45-55 and can last a few months to several years. During this time changes in hormone levels result in the stopping of menstruation. Women may also experience a variety of other symptoms such as weight gain, hot flushes, night sweats and poor concentration. Here we outline some nutrition and lifestyle ideas to support you during this phase of life.

Prioritise calcium rich foods

  • Loss of calcium from the bones is accelerated during menopause, due to the reduction in the hormone oestrogen. Calcium is a mineral associated with healthy bones and teeth. Aim to eat two to three portions of calcium rich foods daily to support your bones and protect against osteoporosis. Examples include low-fat milk and yoghurt, fortified plant-based milks, cheese, kale and small fish (including the bones).

Spend time outdoors

  • Vitamin D is also important for bone health. Getting outside in sunlight for 20 minutes daily between the months of April and October will provide you with lots of vitamin D. If you don’t spend very much time outdoors and are rarely exposed to the sun, speak to your GP about a supplement.

Consume heart-healthy fats

  • Your risk of cardiovascular disease increases as a result of the menopause, again due to lower levels of oestrogen. Support your cardiovascular system by consuming heart-healthy fats from unsalted nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocado and oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout.

The menopause can be an emotional time for some women, as changes in hormones can result in mood changes. Remember to be kind to yourself and get plenty of rest. Doing relaxing activities like walking in nature can be helpful to ease stress.

Try to maintain the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week by doing something you enjoy such as swimming, cycling or dancing.

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/.

JRA launches Edinburgh studio

  • New studio will be led by Angela St Clair-Ford, Associate Director
  • Edinburgh is the third location for the international architecture practice, adding to its established offices in central London and Poland
  • Studio will focus on interior design projects, as well as supporting projects outside central London, including Manchester, Birmingham, and Scotland

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John Robertson Architects (JRA), an international architecture practice which specialises in producing sustainable, and future-proof commercial, educational, and residential assets in legacy and historic buildings, has launched a studio in Edinburgh. 

The studio, located on George Street in the central part of the city, adds to JRA’s existing studios in London and Lodz, Poland.  It will lead on interior design projects, building upon new studio head Angela St Clair-Ford’s wide-ranging expertise in this sector. The studio will also support other JRA projects across the UK, especially those in locations outside Greater London, including in Birmingham, Manchester, and Scotland. 

JRA’s decision to open a studio in central Edinburgh follows St Clair-Ford’s relocation to Scotland from London. Prior to her move, St Clair-Ford worked on a number of high-profile projects including: the refurbishment of the Strand campus for King’s College London; Skanska’s HQ at 51 Moorgate; WeWork Spitalfields; x+why, Birmingham; & YUM! Brands’ UK HQ in Woking, Surrey.

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While continuing to work on commercial refurb projects, Angela St Clair-Ford will also build upon her higher education experience and apply it to opportunities in Scotland’s rapidly expanding higher education and associated PBSA (Purpose Built Student Accommodation) sectors.

Having joined JRA in 2011, Angela St Clair-Ford’s focus has been on workplace consultancy and the fit-out of interiors for a range of commercial and educational occupiers. Her portfolio covers new-build schemes as well as the renovation of historic buildings, and she has experience of practising in both the UK and USA. She is supported by a growing team in Edinburgh, including Anna Rogowska, an Architectural Assistant, and is already actively recruiting to augment her team’s capabilities. 

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Since its formation in 1993, JRA has designed and delivered buildings that have established the firm’s reputation as innovative architects who consistently realise client’s ambitions and resolve complex problems with purpose and flair.

Guided by founder John Robertson, the practice is led by Festus Moffat, David Magyar and Smita Bhat, supported by an accomplished team of associate directors. Together, they have wide-ranging project experience in the UK, EMEA and international markets, as well as in masterplanning across conceptual and detailed design stages. 

JRA is currently undertaking commercial, higher education and residential projects in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh.

JRA’s recent completed projects include the SKA Gold rated x+why Birmingham, the BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and WiredScore ‘Platinum’ workspace Bloom Clerkenwell for HB Reavis, the prominent repositioning projects Bureau and The Ludgate, and the redevelopment and fit out of Skanska’s HQ at 51 Moorgate, which was awarded WELL ‘Platinum’ status. 

World Space Week: Simple ways to experience a rare astronomical event

With World Space Week in orbit this week, Dan Green, editor of The Week Junior Science+Nature, provides his simple tips to experience a rare astronomical event, the partial solar eclipse, on Tuesday, 25 October.

The Week Junior Science+Nature this week launched its first guest-edited edition, edited by Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, space scientist, writer and TV’s ‘Sky at Night’ co-presenter, published to mark World Space Week 2022.

People across the UK will be able to experience a partial solar eclipse on Tuesday, 25 October.

In this rare astronomical event, the Moon’s orbit lines up closely with the Sun. Its dark disc will cross in front of the bright Sun, making it look as if someone has taken a bite out of the Sun. The partial eclipse will last about two hours – starting about 10.10am, it will reach its maximum by 11.00am and will be all done by 11.50am.

Here are four top tips to help you get the best view:

Sight lines in towns and cities are often blocked by tall buildings. Find an open area where you can get a clear view of the Sun.

Never look directly at the Sun, as this could damage your eyes.

To view the event safely, you’ll need eclipse glasses. You can buy them online, or dig out your old pair you kept in a drawer from the 1999 total solar eclipse.

A great way to view the eclipse is with a pinhole camera. Cut a 1-2mm circular hole in a piece of card. Standing with your back to the Sun, hold the card up so Sunlight passes through the hole and falls onto a piece of white paper.

Move the card back and forth until you get a sharp image. The bright dot on your piece of paper will clearly display the partially eclipsed Sun. (You can also get the same effect using a colander.)

The next partial solar eclipse visible in the UK is on 29 March 2025.

Make 2nds Count to shine a light on secondary breast cancer

  • 23 venues will join campaign, designed to highlight the lack of awareness and support available for the incurable cancer
  • Three in ten UK adults who are either diagnosed or know a friend or family member with secondary breast cancer felt that research and support were insufficient and not readily available for patients or loved ones 

Make 2nds Count has confirmed that 23 landmarks from across the UK will join the newly launched ‘Shine a Light on Secondaries’ campaign, which has been coordinated to highlight the lack of awareness and support available across the UK for patients and their loved ones living with the incurable cancer.  

On 13th October 2022, venues including Camera Obscura, Granton Gas Tower, The Balmoral, Caird Hall and Blackpool Tower will shine brightly in the charity’s colours, pink, purple and teal, as part of the national campaign designed to “Shine a Light” on Secondary Breast Cancer Day, which is often overlooked amidst the wider narrative around Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October).  

A YouGov survey commissioned this year by Make 2nds Count revealed that 29% of UK adults who are either diagnosed or know a friend or family member with secondary breast cancer felt that research and support were insufficient and not readily available for patients or loved ones. 

It also confirmed that only 23% of these UK respondents asked would look to the mainstream media as a source of information and support when dealing with secondary breast cancer, whilst a staggering 59% refer to charities offering one-to-one advice and personal experience. 

Heather Moffitt, a trustee of Make 2nds Count who is living with Stage 4 (metastatic) breast cancer, comments: “We desperately need people to be aware of this forgotten form of breast cancer. We need to change the narrative and raise so much more awareness around the signs and symptoms of this disease.  

“Secondary breast cancer is incurable and without further research and education, this disease will continue to destroy the lives of so many. That’s why we’ve joined forces with venues across the UK to mark a moment and Shine a Light on this disease and the important work that needs to be done.” 

The disease, also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer, is a cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body and is incurable. On average there are around 35,000 patients in the UK currently living with this form of the disease. 

Make 2nds Count is a patient and family-focused charity dedicated to giving hope to women and men living with secondary breast cancer. 

Their mission is to fund secondary breast cancer research that contributes to advancing an increased quality of life for patients; establish a community that supports and educates patients and families affected by secondary breast cancer; inform and facilitate access to patient trials and to increase overall awareness of secondary breast cancer.    

For more information or support visit www.make2ndscount.co.uk/  

Business activity falls for second month running amid sharper falls in new work

  • Accelerated contraction in new work
  • Sentiment weakens further in September
  • Inflation remains elevated, but softens

Business activity across Scotland’s private sector contracted again in September, according to the latest Royal Bank of Scotland PMI® data. The seasonally adjusted headline Royal Bank of Scotland Business Activity Index – a measure of combined manufacturing and service sector output – was little-changed from 47.8 in August at 48.0, signalling a second consecutive month of contraction.

Despite easing, a high inflationary environment drove the latest decline in business activity and new orders, with the rate of contraction for the latter gaining momentum.

The challenging conditions meant that the degree of confidence further weakened during September. The latest reading registered a 28-month low, suggesting subdued performance as we progress into the final quarter of the year.

New business received at Scottish private sector companies contracted for the third month running during September. The rate of reduction quickened on the month and was solid overall. Inflationary pressures and the cost-of-living crisis were primarily linked to the latest downturn. 

At the sectoral level, manufacturing firms reported the softest decline in factory orders in three months, while services providers reported their first contraction since March 2021.

Amid soaring prices and recession fears, overall activity expectations weakened for the second consecutive month in Scotland’s private sector in September. Business confidence hit a 28-month low, posting below the average recorded over the series history and much weaker than the UK-wide average.

As has been the case since April 2021, employment across Scotland’s private sector increased in September. According to anecdotal evidence, successful hiring was in part linked to fresh graduates entering the workforce. While the respective seasonally adjusted index improved marginally from the that seen in August, it was the second-lowest reading in 17 months.

The pace of employment growth in Scotland was softer than the UK average.

September data revealed a reduction in backlogs of work for the fourth consecutive month at private sector companies in Scotland. The rate of depletion quickened to the fastest in 20 months. Respondents frequently mentioned the fall in backlogs reflected fewer new orders.

The rate of reduction at Scottish private sector companies was quicker than the UK-wide average which, in contrast to Scotland, softened during September.

For the twenty-eighth month running, average cost burdens rose across private sector firms in Scotland during September. The rise was largely blamed on inflationary pressures in labour market and supply chains. Despite the rate of input price inflation remaining historically high, the latest incline was the softest since August 2021 with both sectors noting slower rates of inflation.

Moreover, the pace of inflation in Scotland lagged behind that seen at the UK level, posting the second-softest of the 12 monitored regions ahead of the South West of England.

Scotland’s private sector firms raised their charges during September, thereby stretching the current run of output price inflation to 23 months. According to panellists, prices were raised primarily to offset increasing costs. That said, the rate of output price inflation was the weakest in 13 months and the softest of the 12 monitored UK regions.

Source: Royal Bank of Scotland, S&P Global.

Judith Cruickshank, Chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, commented: “Business activity and new orders continued to decrease across the Scottish private sector during September, thereby stretching the current runs of contraction to two and three months respectively.

“The squeeze on customer disposable incomes amid a high inflation environment underpinned the latest downturn in output and new business.

“Despite falling business requirements, firms raised employment for the eighteenth successive month, albeit at a moderate pace. The combination of a drop in new work and expanding workforces allowed firms to work through their backlogs.  

“The post-pandemic boom is clearly at an end, as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis plays an increasingly important role. Moreover, the 12-month outlook continues to weaken.”

National charity launches new Lifesaving award

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has launched its brand-new National Lifesaving Academy (NLA) today (10 October0. 

The NLA programme is designed to provide skills for life and includes beach, pool and open water elements. It is the first programme of its kind for the UK and Ireland that recognises prior learning for vocational lifeguard courses, officially acknowledging the skill development and growth of young lifesavers as well as addressing the national shortage of lifeguards. 

In 2011 the charity marked a historical moment as it launched a Survive & Save programme to give young people the opportunity to learn vital lifesaving skills. Over a decade later, the charity has adapted the programme, developing elements further to ensure those who take the award have the latest skills and knowledge around lifesaving and to recognise the valuable contribution that lifesavers make in society. 

The brand new National Lifesaving Academy will be ran by clubs and leisure centres across the UK and Ireland and RLSS UK aims to ensure that it is an award which is accessible to everyone.

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK said: “We have worked closely with lifesaving instructors, clubs, and commercial leisure partners to design a flexible programme that can be delivered to more lifesavers and as a result, allow more people to enjoy water safely. 

“We knew that we wanted to make the award more accessible to young people from all backgrounds and households, and this is why we have ensured that the price of the award remains affordable. We also wanted the skills obtained in the award to be formally recognised to allow career progression within the leisure industry.”

Lifesavers can take awards at either the beach, in open water or at the pool, or all three if they wish, and progress through the programme from the bronze certificate, to the bronze star, before obtaining their bronze medallion, a prestigious and historic award for lifesavers.  

Lee continued: “For many young people, lifesaving is the first step to obatin vital skills to set them up for a long  career . With this in mind, any bronze medallion achieved can be used a Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) hours towards the relevant vocational lifeguard qualification either a pool, beach or open water lifeguard qualification. These qualifications are renowned for being qualifications that lead to exceptional careers, especially in health, leisure and public services.

“As well as this, our lifesavers will now learn the same theory and techniques you can find in our regulated qualifications, such as First Aid at Work and the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification, meaning that lifesavers will now cover the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for adults, children, and infants. 

“With the rise of Community Access Public Defibrillators and the news that all state-funded schools will have a defibrillator by the end of the 22/23 academic year, it was the right time to teach our Lifesavers how to use this lifesaving equipment.”

The skills that can be learnt when taking the National Lifesaving Academy are vital to ensure that future lifesavers have the necessary knowledge to help others to enjoy water safely. 

Clubs and operators will be getting ready to offer the programme in the coming months and will then be opening their doors and encouraging as many young people as possible to take part in the awards. 

Learn more about NLA.

Teenagers could be missing out on a stash of cash

Tens of thousands of teenagers in the UK who have not yet claimed their matured Child Trust Funds savings could have thousands of pounds waiting for them, reminds HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Child Trust Funds are long-term savings accounts set up for every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. To encourage future saving and start the account, the government provided an initial deposit of at least £250.

The savings accounts mature when the child turns 18 years old. Eligible teenagers, who are aged 18 or over and have yet to access their Child Trust Fund account, could have savings waiting for them worth an average of £2,100.

If teenagers or their parents and guardians already know who their Child Trust Fund provider is, they can contact them directly. This might be a bank, building society or other savings provider.

Alternatively, they can visit GOV.UK and complete an online form to find out where their Child Trust Fund is held.

Many eligible teenagers who have yet to claim their savings might be starting university, apprenticeships or their first job. The lump-sum amount could offer a financial boost at a time when they need it most.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Second Permanent Secretary and Deputy Chief Executive, said:“Teenagers could have a pot of money waiting for them worth thousands of pounds and not even realise it.

“We want to help you access your savings and the money you’re entitled to. To find out more search ‘Child Trust Fund’ on GOV.UK.”

An estimated 6.3 million Child Trust Fund accounts were set up throughout the duration of the scheme, containing about £9 billion. If a parent or guardian was not able to set up an account for their child, HMRC opened a savings account on the child’s behalf.

Teenagers aged 16 or over can take control of their own Child Trust Fund if they wish, although the funds can only be withdrawn once they turn 18 years old.

Where children have a Child Trust Fund, families can still pay in up to £9,000 a year tax-free. The account matures once the child turns 18 years old and no further money can be deposited. They can either withdraw the funds from the matured Child Trust Fund account or reinvest it into another savings account.

Until the child withdraws or transfers the money, it stays in an account that no-one else has access to.

The Child Trust Fund scheme closed in January 2011 and was replaced with Junior Individual Savings Accounts (ISA).