A hattrick of national chains are set to open at DunBear Park, Dunbar.
The green light for a Lidl and B&M retail stores, and a Starbucks coffee shop, follows the approval of planning applications, subject to conditions, at the planning committee of East Lothian Council yesterday (1st November 2022).
The Starbucks coffee shop will boast an outdoor seating area and drive thru facilities.
These developments overall are set to deliver a multi-million pound investment in the townand create around 100 new jobs for Dunbar.
The proposed 54.3-acre low carbon community of DunBear Park, being undertaken by Hallhill Developments Ltd, has at its centrepiece The DunBear sculpture. This five-metre-high steel sculpture of a brown bear pays tribute to John Muir, the Dunbar-born naturalist who played a key role in the establishment of National Parks in the USA.
The exciting mixed-use development, neighbouring the A1, aims to include office, industrial, retail and community uses, adopting the latest low carbon technology.
One of the key outcomes of the community consultation event held for the development was a clear desire by the community for a far greater retail offering in Dunbar, serving to address increased demand and providing greater competition.
By preventing expenditure leakage from the town and the surrounding area to other parts of East Lothian and Edinburgh it will also keep money in the community.
The green light for the proposals follows approval of roads, footpaths and essential infrastructure planning applications last year.
The hattrick of planning approvals achieved will serve to unlock the site, financially pump priming infrastructure to deliver further employment uses.
This new infrastructure has to be installed at significant costs and this early phase of development on the DunBear site makes it more likely that future employment-generating development will occur.
“These will serve to address the increased demand and provide greater competition, key themes that came from the community consultation exercise we undertook.
“Developments such as this complement Dunbar town centre, and through preventing retail leakage to elsewhere in East Lothian and Edinburgh will keep more money in the town.
“The multi-million pound investment will deliver around 100 much-needed new jobs for the local community, which is a clear vote of confidence in this location, and will also serve to deliver the necessary infrastructure to allow us to bring forward further investment into Dunbar.”
Youth Negotiator Programme will help give global youth a voice at climate talks
Young people from some of the countries already facing the worst impacts of climate change are being given the opportunity to attend COP27 in Egypt as part of the Scottish Government’s work to widen access to climate negotiations.
The Climate Youth Negotiator Programme will support 35 young people from countries including the Solomon Islands, Liberia and Bhutan to attend the UN climate negotiations, which take place from 6-18 November. The initiative is being delivered in partnership with the Future Leaders Network, with financial backing from the Scottish Government.
The programme will fund their participation and training with the aim of giving young people a voice in the talks and developing their negotiations and leadership skills.
The Scottish Government is also providing funding to help women from the Global South participate. The Women’s Delegate Fund, delivered in partnership with the Women’s Environment Development Organisation, will support four women from Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Timor-Leste to take part in discussions at COP27.
The Scottish Government will be hosting an event at COP27 with attendees from the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme and Women’s Delegate Fund.
Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “At COP26 in Glasgow, one of our biggest achievements was raising awareness that the people least responsible for global warming are often the ones suffering its worst consequences.
“Young people in the global south are all too aware of this injustice – they have not caused this crisis, but their lives are already being impacted by its consequences. That is why it is so important that their voices are heard at COP27 and I am proud that Scotland is able to help make that happen.”
Sophie Daud, Chief Executive Officer of the Future Leaders Network and Co-founder of the Youth Negotiators Academy, added: “For too long, young people have been systematically underrepresented in climate change negotiations.
“Recent developments have seen young people as powerful motivational speakers, but are often tokenistic and continue to exclude youth from decision making. The Scottish Government’s transformative support will help to change this – by enabling 35 young negotiators from the global south to take their rightful seats at the decision making tables at COP27.
“We are delighted to partner with them, and look forward to seeing the positive impacts of meaningful youth participation this COP.”
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation opens applications for £150,000 Award for Civic Arts Organisations
Cultural organisations across the United Kingdom have been invited to apply for the £150,000 Award for Civic Arts Organisations, run by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
This year’s award is themed around ‘Co-Creating the Future’. It spotlights organisations that are helping to transform communities, even in the most challenging of contexts – whether by igniting joy, hope, compassion and energy, improving wellbeing, forging new connections, or developing solutions.
The Award for Civic Arts Organisations began in 2020, as a response to the Covid19 pandemic. This year, many arts organisations still face difficulties: according to Arts Council Wales, the costs of staging cultural activities have risen by as much as 40 per cent. The Award offers prize funding of £150,000, one of the largest amounts for an award in the arts.
Louisa Hooper, Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch), said: “The Award for Civic Arts Organisations is designed to support cultural projects that put community at their hearts. In difficult times, it’s more important than ever that art and culture are available to everyone.
“By prioritising co-creation, this year we’re looking to recognise organisations that create lasting change by working with and in communities to address their needs and concerns, deepen relationships, and use arts and creativity to enable positive change.”
Previous recipients of the award include The Art House in Wakefield, which created the first studio sanctuary for asylum seekers in the UK, Project Art Works, a collective of neurodivergent artists and activists based in Hastings, and Heart n Soul and the Museum of Homelessness, both based in London.
Baroness Bull, chair of the Award panel, said: “The Award for Civic Arts Organisations is vitally important in encouraging and rewarding genuine engagement and co-creation with local communities.
“In the years since the award was founded, we’ve seen hundreds of entries from organisations across the UK demonstrating a commitment to changing lives through art.”
Sydney Thornbury, CEO of The Art House in Wakefield, highlights the impact the award can have for organisations themselves: “The stability the Award provided combined with these new funding opportunities has deepened the work we were already doing and has opened up new opportunities for how we can further extend our civic impact.”
The independent panel of judges are Darren Ferguson, CEO/Founder, Beyond Skin; Ica Headlam, Founder, We Are Here Scotland; Philipp Dietachmair, Head of Programmes, European Cultural Foundation; Rachel Noel, Head of Programmes and Partnerships, Tate; Rhiannon White, Co-Artistic Director, Common Wealth Theatre; Saad Eddine Said, CEO/Artistic Director, New Art Exchange; and Sydney Thornbury, CEO/Artistic Director, The Art House (main recipient of 2022 Award).
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation UK Branch, founded in 1956, was one of the earliest champions of community engagement in the arts.
In 1959, it published the seminal report Help For The Arts, which pioneered ideas including artists and writers in residence in non-artistic institutions, and arguing for more focused and sustained funding for arts organisations outside London and the major cities.
‘Perfect storm’ of financial pressure facing Scotland’s cultural sector
In a report published this week, Holyrood’s Committee looks ahead to the Scottish Government’s 2023-24 budget and the impact of budgetary decisions on Scotland’s culture sector. It calls on increased urgency to address budget pressures through innovative approaches to funding.
The report underlines recommendations made by the Committee during previous budget scrutiny. It calls for these innovate approaches to be accelerated in order to address the difficulties being faced.
During its consideration, the Committee heard the challenges facing that sector have become more acute as it struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and further compounded by the cost of living crisis following on from longer term budget pressures. The Committee has recommended taking an innovative approach to budgeting including greater use of public and private investment as well as multiyear funding.
The Committee also repeats its call from last year for the mainstreaming of the culture budget. It also asks the Scottish Government for updates on embedding culture more broadly as part its plans for a wellbeing economy. This would take into account the contribution which preventative spend in areas like the arts and other cultural activities makes towards health and wellbeing.
Speaking as the report launched, the Committee Convener Clare Adamson MSP said:“Scotland’s cultural sector plays a vital role in Scottish life. But we heard blunt warnings from those within the sector that stark choices lie ahead.
“Increased operating costs come at a time when most cultural venues are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, and without truly innovative approaches to funding, there is a real danger that Scotland’s skilled cultural workforce will be lost along with some of our best loved cultural icons.
“There are no doubt considerable pressures across all areas of the Scottish Government budget, and there are no easy choices. But the current situation provides an opportunity to accelerate these innovative solutions. The Scottish Government must take action to protect this fundamental part of our society.”
Figures show continued trust in the Scottish Government
Three-quarters (75%) of people in Scotland believe the Scottish Government should have the most influence over the way the country is run, compared to just 14% who believe the UK Government should.
This year’s Scottish Social Attitudes Survey also shows 66% of people trust the Scottish Government to work in the country’s best interests.
The survey measured the public’s views on a range of issues including influence over how Scotland is run, levels of tax and government priorities, the economy, NHS and political engagement.
Its findings reflect emerging public concern in the cost of living crisis, with 66% of respondents believing the economy had got weaker in the previous 12 months.
The survey has previously been conducted face to face but as a result of coronavirus restrictions in place at the time of fieldwork, this year’s survey was completed via telephone.
This change in methodology has impacted the nature of the sample and responses received, and as a result has affected comparability with survey data from previous years. This year’s report solely focusses on data from this year’s survey rather than examining trends over time.
The findings also show:
64% of people thought the level of taxation and spending on health, education and social benefits should be increased, whilst 32% thought the level of taxation and spending should stay the same
68% agreed that income should be redistributed from the better-off to those who are less well-off, while 16% disagreed
over half of people (54%) in Scotland were satisfied with the way NHS Scotland is run
98% of people thought it was important to vote in Scottish Parliament elections, 95% in local council elections and 92% in UK Government elections
64% of people thought the Scottish Parliament was giving Scotland a stronger voice in the UK and only 7% thought it was giving Scotland a weaker voice
Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The findings in this survey demonstrate continued faith in the Scottish Government to deliver on behalf of the people of Scotland. They clearly show that despite these uncertain times, people agree with the Scottish Government’s priorities to build a fairer, greener, wealthier Scotland.
“Despite these figures being from earlier in the year it is clear the cost of living crisis was starting to impact family finances and alarm bells were ringing about the economy.
“The Scottish Government is working tirelessly to provide support to those who need it most. We are increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week and extending it to eligible children under 16 in the coming weeks, helping thousands of additional families this winter.
“We are also continuing to urge the UK Government to take all of the necessary steps to support the most vulnerable through this profoundly difficult time.
“Given the clear democratic mandate we have, not to mention the continued trust the public has in the Scottish Government to act in their interest, we will work to ensure people have a choice on independence, ensuring that choice is an informed one.”
Responding to the latest Emergency Department performance figures for Scotland for September 2022 Dr John-Paul Loughrey, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said:“The situation as we enter winter is dire. Month-on-month, more and more patients face longer and longer waits – that we know are associated with patient harm and even death.
“Emergency Medicine staff and our paramedic colleagues are doing all they can to ensure the urgent and emergency care system continues to function and patients continue to receive care. We want to thank health care workers for their hard-work and diligence at this incredibly challenging time.
“We know that patients are deeply worried about the crisis. Emergency Medicine staff are worried too, distressed that they are unable to move patients through the hospital or take in patients from ambulances to the Emergency Departments.
“The difficulty in discharging patients from hospital when they are medically fit to be discharged is causing exit block in hospitals. The lack of social care is preventing these patients from being discharged.
“This is leading to a lack of flow throughout the hospital and leading to long waits in Emergency Departments, long waits in ambulances outside Emergency Departments, and long waits for an ambulance in the community.
“The Scottish Government must get a grip of this crisis and urgently boost the social care workforce, only then will we be able to discharge patients, free up beds and reduce these long waits throughout the system.”
Donations to school feeding charity Mary’s Meals this winter will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.5 million – meaning the public’s kindness will go even further to reach more desperately hungry children with life-changing school meals.
Mary’s Meals has launched its Double The Love campaign, which will run until 31 January 2023. Thanks to the charity’s low-cost approach, just £15.90 can normally feed a child with Mary’s Meals every school day for a year, but during this time a donation of £15.90 will feed two children.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals in 20 of the world’s poorest countries and its work has never been more important. Conflict, food insecurity and the cost of living crisis is having a devastating impact – in East Africa a fourth season of failed rains is causing one of the worst droughts in decades, leaving millions of people on the brink of famine.
The promise of a meal at school attracts hungry children into the classroom where, instead of working or looking for food, they can gain an education and hope for a better future.
The charity currently feeds 2,279,941 children every school day.
For children like Ulemu in Malawi, a daily meal at school has been life changing.
Ulemu is one of Chigodi Primary School’s newest students, but the 15-year-old should be well into his secondary school career.
The teenager missed much of his early education because of hunger. With little food at home and no school feeding programme at his previous school, his attendance and performance suffered. Now he receives Mary’s Meals at his new school.
Ulemu says: “If we had porridge at my old school, I could have been in secondary school right now. I would frequently miss classes because there was no food at home. Even if I could go to school, I could not concentrate because I was hungry.
“I concentrate in class and play with my friends because the porridge keeps me from feeling hungry throughout the day. My academic performance has improved since I joined Chigodi.”
Mary’s Meals has been serving children in Malawi with a nutritious school meal for 20 years. Chigodi is one of 1,044 schools in the African country where the charity delivers its school feeding programme. A daily meal at school is helping children like Ulemu – who dreams of becoming a doctor – gain an education and reach their goals.
Daniel Adams, executive director of Mary’s Meals, says: “In a world devastated by conflict, food insecurity and drought, bringing new hope to desperately hungry children with our life-changing school meals has never been more urgent.
“That’s why our Double The Love campaign is so important. This winter donations will go twice as far, allowing us to reach even more children in countries including South Sudan, Yemen and Haiti. Just £15.90 will feed two children for a whole school year – fuelling their learning and hopes for the future.
“We are deeply thankful to everyone who is helping us keep our promise to the more than 2.2 million children who rely on our meals, while allowing us to reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals.”
The Double The Love campaign runs until 31 January 2023.
Shackleton’s original ‘Crow’s Nest’ will also return to South Georgia for the first time since 1922,to be displayed at the South Georgia Museum
A small, all-female team, many of whom have strong Scottish connections, has arrived on South Georgia, after an 8,000-mile journey to reach the small but significant British Overseas Territory in the Southern Ocean.
Together the team are reopening what is arguably the world’s most remote museum, the South Georgia Museum at Grytviken (the island’s only settlement), which will be fully open for the first time following its closure in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lauren Elliott, Helen Balfour, and Aoife McKenna approaching South Georgia (L) and Deirdre Mitchell, Jayne Pierce, Helen Balfour, Aoife McKenna, and Lauren Elliott taking part in a seasonal tradition of erecting the South Georgia and museum flags on the flagpole outside the museum, where they remain until the end of the season (R).
Credit = South Georgia Heritage Trust.
The team is from the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT), a Dundee-based charity that has been working to conserve South Georgia’s fragile ecosystem and heritage since 2005 and which runs the museum on behalf of the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands.
Deirdre Mitchell, the new South Georgia Director from Dunfermline; new Museum Assistant Helen Balfour from Lerwick, Shetland Islands; and Aoife McKenna, a recent graduate from St Andrew’s University who is the new Curatorial Intern, make up the Scottish contingent.
The all-female team is completed by Curator Jayne Pierce from Bath, and Senior Museum Assistant Lauren Elliott from Portsmouth. The team will be opening the doors of this amazing museum for the expected 15,000 visitors who will be coming to the island during this season.
Deirdre Mitchell, South Georgia Director from SGHT says:“As a Scot, I’m particularly fascinated by the many Scottish connections with South Georgia’s whaling history and how we seem to be drawn to this remote island.
“I also can’t wait to be surrounded by the island’s incredible wildlife and landscape once again, and to share this amazing place with visitors from across the world so they can find out more about the island’s remarkable wildlife and heritage.”
Deirdre was born in Dunfermline, studied at the University of St Andrews, and before leaving for South Georgia lived in Inverness.
Having already spent time on the island as a former Curatorial Intern at the South Georgia Museum, Deirdre knows South Georgia – its history, successes, and current challenges – intimately.
She now returns as SGHT’s South Georgia Director to manage the charity’s activities at Grytviken.
South Georgia’s Museum Assistant Helen Balfour hails from the Shetland Islands. Her family history is synonymous with South Georgia, as both her grandfathers and one great-grandfather were whalers at the island in the 1950s and 1930srespectively.
Helen’s grandfather James Balfour first visited South Georgia in 1952, and after a decade of whaling was on board one of the last whale catcher vessels that worked out of Leith Harbour.
Her other grandfather Alan Leask started whaling as a 16-year-old and did two seasons, as did her great-grandfather Thomas Balfour twenty years before. Thomas had previously worked at a Salvesen whaling station closer to home at Olna, Shetland.
Helen will be following in their footsteps, as the now abandoned Grytviken whaling station is where the South Georgia Museum now stands.
Visitors to South Georgia this season will also be able to see Shackleton’s original ‘Crow’s Nest’, a lookout barrel from his fourth and final voyage The Shackleton-Rowett Antarctic Expedition, also known as The Quest Expedition.
The Crow’s Nest is one of the last vestiges from Quest and will be the centrepiece of the South Georgia Museum’s current exhibition ‘Shackleton’s Last Quest’, which was launched to mark the centenary of Quest leaving London for South Georgia in 1921. The ‘Shackleton’s Last Quest’ Exhibition is also available to all online on the South Georgia Museum website: https://sgmuseum.gs/shackletonslastquest/
This will be the first time the Crow’s Nest has been on South Georgia since the expedition ship was there in 1922. To follow the journey of the Crow’s Nest, visit https://sgmuseum.gs/the-quest-crows-nest-route/
South Georgia is famed for its iconic wildlife, including humpback whales, southern elephant seals, vast colonies of king penguins and an array of seabirds, and for its links with world-famous explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton who is buried on the island.
The new season (October – March) will bring visitors back to South Georgia to admire the island’s stunning scenery and burgeoning wildlife, and to learn about its fascinating heritage. It is expected to be the busiest season ever as tourism recovers and the world slowly opens after the pandemic.
To find out more about South Georgia and the work of the South Georgia Heritage Trust, visit https://sght.org, and to find out more about the South Georgia Museum, visit https://sgmuseum.gs
Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “Following many residents contacting me with their concerns about the planning application for student housing in Eyre Place, I visited the planning application site.
“I met with local residents to discuss their concerns and when you stand in the garden of residents, it is only then that you get an idea of the scale and impact the development would have on all the residents.
“I agree with their objections. Their major concerns are the overall scale of the development, its overbearing presence blocking natural light for neighbours, and dense accommodation which would overburden local infrastructure and amenities.
“The massing and height would lead to an overdevelopment of the site, potentially negatively impacting residential amenities. The proposal, overall, is not compatible with the character of the area in terms of use or design.
“My constituents are also concerned that the top storey of the flats will be dedicated to ‘entertainment’ and karaoke booths and are understandably worried about noise levels.
“I want to make sure that my constituents all have a good standard of living and a comfortable home and therefore I want to see that proposed developments do not reduce sunlight or an open outlook and do not increase noise and disturbance.”
