THURSDAY 1st DECEMBER from 4 – 6.30pm
Muirhouse Housing Association to hold Christmas event at the Millenium Centre tomorrow
Month: November 2022
20-Minute Neighbourhoods: focus on Gorgie Dalry ‘town centre’
Edinburgh’s 20-Minute Neighbourhoods strategy is progressing a programme of engagement across local town centres and high streets in the city, with a new focus on Gorgie Dalry.
In partnership with local communities and businesses across Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council is working to develop a network of healthier, greener and thriving neighbourhoods where everyone can access key services and amenities by a short walk, wheel, cycle or trip on public transport.
A key part of delivering this 20-Minute Neighbourhoods strategy is improving local town centres and high streets which provide many of the essential facilities and services that people need easy access to.
The Council’s City Mobility Plan identifies a need for Edinburgh’s town centres to be more liveable places with reduced car dependency, improved active travel connections and quality public spaces for everyone.
The initial engagement to prepare a plan for Gorgie Dalry town centre has been designed to roll out alongside planned road renewal projects to minimise potential disruption. It will start by focussing on Dalry and local schools, before looking at Gorgie in more detail in the future.
Local residents in Gorgie Dalry are now being invited to share their thoughts on how the area around Dalry Road could be improved. Participants have the option of sharing their views either online or in person at a series of local events.
An online survey is available until 15 January, 2023, where residents can feed back on specific parts of Dalry and the area around Tynecastle High School. They can also share their views on how they currently experience the area, what they think is good and what could be better.
The 20-Minute Neighbourhoods team will also be available to speak with local people at the corner of Dalry Road and Easter Dalry Road on the afternoons of Thursday, 1 and Saturday, 3 December. Further engagement with Dalry Primary School and Tynecastle High School students, businesses and community groups is planned over the coming weeks.
Work is well underway on progressing the town centre and high street strategy elsewhere across the city, including in Leith, Craigmillar, Muirhouse and Queensferry.
Plans for future improvements to Portobello, Corstorphine, Stockbridge and Bruntsfield and Morningside town centres, will be progressed to take account of the Our Future Streets framework and associated action plans once they have been agreed.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “20-minute neighbourhoods are a new way of thinking for Edinburgh and our local town centres and high streets are at the very heart of many people’s local lives, so they are a natural starting point for this exciting strategy.
“It is clear that these spaces could be much better at serving the daily needs of residents, businesses and other organisations, particularly by being easier for everyone to move around. They should also have identity and purpose, supporting local employment opportunities and providing an inclusive economy.
“Each neighbourhood in the city is different, with its own unique set of requirements. That’s why it’s so important that local communities participate in this process to help us understand everyone’s needs and make sure their views shape the neighbourhood approach.
“I hope we hear from as many people as possible on how their town centre could be better for them. This is a fantastic opportunity for local people to help set a new direction for these areas so that they are more welcoming and benefit the health, wellbeing and pockets of people across the city.
“Ultimately, this strategy is aiming to deliver more sustainable, inclusive places, improve access to quality services and empower local communities across Edinburgh.“
The 20-Minute Neighbourhood strategy was launched in June 2021. Its vision is to enable a net zero Edinburgh where everyone can live well locally.
The city needs this level of ambition to achieve a significant shift away from longer journeys to active travel and meet its net zero carbon target. It will help to create more social, inclusive and accessible places. This will also support physical and mental wellbeing and help to end poverty in Edinburgh.
Johnnie Walker Princes Street illuminates Edinburgh with stunning festive display
– Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a must-visit this season, featuring taste and tour experiences, festive cocktails and more –
As temperatures drop and the nights draw in, thoughts are turning to festive celebrations and getaways. Edinburgh has everything to offer for the season, renowned for its Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations, and for those celebrating in Scotland’s capital this year, there’s no better place to start than Johnnie Walker Princes Street.
Lighting up the heart of Edinburgh’s West End with a new festive projection, guests can find something for everyone across Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s eight floors. Including immersive tours, rooftop bars and a state-of-the-art retail store, the venue has welcomed over 345,000 guests since opening and recently achieved VisitScotland’s coveted ‘Five Star Attraction’ accreditation.
Here’s a look at what’s in store:
- Tours & experiences: Enjoy the immersive 90-minute Journey of Flavour tour (£28), where personal flavour preferences are mapped with drinks tailored to each individual’s palate, with non-alcoholic options available. Or consider some of the wider whisky experiences such as the Whisky Maker’s Cellar or the Johnnie Walker History Adventure. A brand new ‘Drams & Brews’ whisky and coffee pairing experience will also be available throughout the season, featuring locally sourced cold brew coffee matched with exciting whiskies from across Scotland.
- Festive Projection: All through December Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s building façade will be transformed via a stunning animated festive projection. Once the sun sets, guests and passersby can marvel at the scene featuring giant presents, an advent calendar, whisky highballs and plenty more besides.
- Food & drink: Visit the 1820 Bar, offering everything from crafted cocktails with a festive twist to your favourite dram matched with locally-sourced dishes – best enjoyed with epic views of Edinburgh Castle and the city’s busiest street. Or, explore over 150 special bottles and one of a kind cask editions in the Explorers’ Bothy Bar – perfect for those looking to expand their palette and try new flavours.
- Christmas shopping: As the largest Johnnie Walker retail store in the world, Johnnie Walker Princes Street stocks an unrivalled collection of both blended and single malt whiskies to suit all taste and budgets, as well as all the glassware and kit required to create the perfect serve at home. The ultimate destination to shop for dram lovers, the selection varies from personalised engraved bottles, to gift sets and exclusive blends.
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “Edinburgh’s reputation as a magical place during the festive season is well deserved, and we’re looking forward to celebrating with our guests new and returning.
“There’s so much to do across our eight floors. The Journey of Flavour Tour is perfect for everything from cosy winter dates to office parties, and the festive food and drink available in the 1820 Bar is not to be missed.
“The views from our roof terrace are stunning all year round, but if we get some snow this year it’ll be tough to beat as a festive picture backdrop with the views we enjoy of our neighbours at Edinburgh Castle!”
To book your Johnnie Walker experience, and for more information, visit
£80m affordable homes fund reopens
Multimillion pound loan scheme for social landlords relaunches
Social landlords will be able to access loans to build more affordable housing as a multimillion pound investment programme reopens to applications.
Under the Charitable Bond programme, registered housing associations can access the loans with up to £80 million available in the current financial year. The interest paid will be reinvested as grants into the social rented sector, further boosting the supply of affordable housing.
Since 2014, more than £260 million in loans have been made to housing associations across every corner of Scotland through the programme, generating almost £50 million in grants.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “The Charitable Bond programme is an innovative way to offer funding to social landlords so that they can deliver as many homes as possible.
“The programme gives social landlords access to funding that they can’t receive elsewhere, and reinvests the interest paid on the loans – further increasing housing supply.
“Scotland has led the way in the delivery of affordable housing across the UK with almost 113,000 affordable homes built since 2007. This investment will help towards our current target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.”
The Charitable Bond programme is delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government by Allia C&C, a social enterprise finance firm that arranges funding for housing associations and other charities.
Peter Freer, Director for Scotland at Allia C&C, said: “This programme provides a form of unsecured finance that isn’t otherwise available in the market to enable Scottish housing associations to deliver much needed affordable homes.
“We’re delighted to continue our successful eight-year partnership with the Scottish Government with an even greater target for investment across the sector over the next four years.”
Background
Interactive map of projects supported through the Charitable Bond programme.
National Computer Security Day: Business Gateway partners with Scottish Business Resilience Centre to tackle cyber threats
Ahead of National Computer Security Day tomorrow (November 30th), Business Gateway has announced a new webinar with Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC), to empower business owners to be cyber-aware and take control of their online security.
Taking place virtually on Wednesday, 30th November at 1pm, the webinar will be hosted by Sarah Johnson, Director at Scottish growth marketing company, IndigoLeap. She will be joined by SBRC experts Mike Smith, Cyber Incident Response & Threat Intelligence Manager and Kristie Steele, Cyber Community Lead.
The hour-long session will offer insights on the security landscape in Scotland, outlining how to recognise potential threats and what to do to ensure businesses are secure. The panel will explore the most common threats currently online, the impact of being victim to an attack and top tips for monitoring digital channels.
He approached Business Gateway in spring 2022 for help with search engine optimisation (SEO), after identifying a drop in website traffic and enquiries. He received 1:1 support from an expert consultant via Business Gateway’s Digital Boost programme, where it was discovered that the Celsius website had been hacked.
Although there was no breach in data, the website, which had previously hosted approximately 40 pages, now had over 10,000 pages on the website URL, meaning Google deemed it untrustworthy reducing its visibility to potential customers.
In addition to the webinar, Business Gateway also offers cyber resilience toolkits and an online tutorial which provides the basics to cyber security, building business resilience, and signposts tips on how to avoid data breaches.
Mike Smith, Cyber Incident Response & Threat Intelligence Manager, SBRC, said: “For many small businesses across Scotland, protecting their business from cyber-attacks may not be a priority due to expertise or resource.
“However, being cyber aware is crucial for all businesses, and it is important that steps are taken to safeguard all types of data against loss.”
Hugh Lightbody, Chief Officer at Business Gateway, added: “We recognise now more than ever that businesses are stretched, focusing on operations as they continue to bounce back post-pandemic and amid the cost of living crisis.
“We hope that this webinar provides a valuable platform to understand how cyber-attacks can occur, and why it is so important for businesses to protect their business in the current climate.”
Michael Cairns, Director at Celsius Plumbing, said: “After operating without a website for a number of years, we spent the last two years building our digital channels and could not understand why we were experiencing issues.
“We had worked with Business Gateway in the past, so it was our first port of call. Our DigitalBoost consultant, John Taylor, went above and beyond for us in identifying our issue and in helping us rectify it.
“We had placed a lot of trust in our web developers, but John helped us access our website and helped us understand the importance of Google Search Console, which we now know is vitally important to our online presence as it identifies vulnerabilities to our website.
“We are still slowly recovering our online presence; it has been a very long process and I would urge any business owner to familiarise themselves with online security to reduce their chances of becoming victims themselves.”
Business Gateway also works closely with Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Harm Prevention team, ensuring its service and advice reflect expert insights.
The following tips and strategies have been identified by Gordy Macdonald, Cybercrime Protection, Incident Support and Training Officer at Police Scotland, as a checklist for Scottish businesses this National Computer Security Day.
Five practical tips to avoid a cyber attack:
- Equip your staff with knowledge on how to identify Phishing attacks. Ensure staff are able to identify suspicious emails and are empowered to deal with these situations.
- Ensure your software is up to date. Allsoftware must be up-to-date, and all devices must be protected with the most up-to-date operating version from its iSP.
- Apply for Cyber Essentials certification. This Government back scheme will help protect your business against a range of cyber attacks.
- Install authentication methods to all systems and devices. Utilise2sv or Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) for all devices and online accounts to provide protection from unwarranted access.
- Frequently Back up your Data. Ransomware is the most prolific means used by Cyber criminals, by backing up data systems can be reset and resume more easily.
To find out more on how Business Gateway can help your business, visit:
Or to book your place on the upcoming webinar ‘How to stay secure online’ visit:
Appeal for hosts for displaced Ukrainian people
Call for volunteers in Scotland
People across Scotland are being asked to consider if they could open their homes to displaced people from Ukraine as part of a new campaign to find new hosts.
The campaign aims to increase the supply of volunteer hosts across the country for people who are currently in short-term welcome accommodation. A new webpage has been set up to provide prospective volunteers with clear information on the application process and what is expected should they be matched with a displaced person from Ukraine already in Scotland.
Hosts will register their details online which will then be sent to their local authority, where checks are undertaken to ensure that homes offered are suitable to host displaced people from Ukraine.
Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray said: ““I’m so proud of the warm welcome the people of Scotland have given to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
“We have welcomed so many people through our Super Sponsor Scheme who would otherwise not have been able to travel. We don’t want people to spend any more time than necessary in temporary accommodation and we are keen to match people with hosts as soon as we can.
“We need more hosts and that’s why we’ve launched this campaign. We know that being a host is a big commitment so we have set out exactly what will be expected so people can make an informed choice before providing their details.
“The most successful arrangements happen when both the needs of hosts and Ukrainians align. Many people may prefer to live in areas close to amenities and services, or close to pre-existing Ukrainian communities. In addition, volunteer hosts will have their own preferences and may not have space for larger family sizes or complex group compositions.
“Matching takes time and considerable input. This is why we have increased resources to our local authorities to boost the process.
“I’m extremely grateful to people who are already hosting, as well as those who have already put their details forward and are still waiting to be matched. Rest assured your generous offer is under consideration and your local authority will be in touch. Anyone who has already provided us with their details, will not need to do so again.”
Simon Tyas MBE from Scot Hosts said: ““We are pleased to support this campaign, which is very much needed. Over the past nine months, Scot Hosts been working with hosts (through the Facebook group Scotland Ukraine Host Support Group) and Ukrainian families across Scotland to try and ensure that they have a positive and effective time during their time together in Scotland.
“We’ve created a support network where hosts can share positive and negative experiences, and we stand ready to welcome new hosts who are willing and able to offer their homes.”
To find out more about hosting or to apply to be a host visit, mygov.scot/offer-a-home.
Unifying Generations: Over 65s in Scotland are ‘pivotal to society’ and highly valued by younger generations
- Over-65s revealed to play a pivotal role in society, caring for family members, volunteering in communities, mentoring and providing support in the lives of younger people new report says
- Survey conducted among 2,100 people in the UK, including Scotland, shows a strong desire for more intergenerational interactions, especially in the post-pandemic world
- Edwards Lifesciences’ ‘Unifying Generations’ report recommends to transform perceptions of the 3rd generation, encourage mentoring schemes and improve digital skills of older people
Over-65s play a pivotal role in Scottish society and in the lives of younger people by volunteering, mentoring, providing care, and giving financial contributions according to a new report Unifying Generations: Building the Pathway to Intergenerational Solidarity’ from Edwards Lifesciences.
The report, based on a survey of 2,100 people across the UK, including Scotland, calls for a change in perceptions of the ‘3rd generation’ and greater recognition of their role as ‘unifiers’ between generations.
“I have been a volunteer for over 35 years. I started with the scouts and now run Volunteering Matters’ RSVP Forth Valley programme which encourages older people to use their experience to help the local community in the Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire areas,” said Rosemary Fletcher, 73.
“Helping others is what motivates me and my fellow volunteers to get up every day. It is vital to us. When the Covid lockdown happened and we older people had to isolate, it was a shock. I needed to do something, to contribute in my own way.
“To help our local GPs cope with the number of visits, I brought together senior colleagues alongside younger volunteers including some from my scout network who wanted to study medicine. They were able to support the local practitioners in their daily tasks. But I didn’t want to stop there, there was so much to do.
“I decided to support Catalyst, a charity based in Stockton-on-Tees, carrying out a survey of how local charitable organisations were coping during lockdown making up to 12 video calls a day,” continued Rosemary, who received the ultimate recognition of an MBE in the New Year Honours 2021.
In contrast to existing perceptions, the survey results highlighted the significant social contributions of the 3rd generation.
In Scotland, 27% of the over-65s provide care to family members, which is higher than the UK average (23%), and 19% provide support to family members in daily tasks such as shopping and driving.
In addition, 47% provide financial support to younger people within their family, especially giving towards holidays and leisure (28%). Outside the family, older Scots are engaged in their communities: 19% volunteer locally, and 17% volunteer in a charity.i
In turn, younger Scots value the role of the older generation in their lives. Seventy-two percent (72%) of those aged 18-40 said the support from over-65s was very important or somewhat important.i
“I wholeheartedly endorse the report’s three recommendations. By changing perceptions of older people, we celebrate and recognise their pivotal contribution, and encourage even more” commented Derek Thomas, Member of Parliament for St Ives.
“New mentoring schemes will help our younger people to make greater strides educationally and vocationally, while digital training for older people will reduce isolation and keep family and communities much closer. There is so much to be gained by bringing our generations closer together.”
Many benefits of intergenerational interactions were also highlighted in the report. According to younger people in Scotland, listening and giving advice (53%) is the most valuable skill older people can offer them.i This is higher than the UK average of 45%.
This was followed by companionship/friendship (47%), sharing historical or cultural knowledge (42%), and mental and emotional well-being (34%). Additionally, 32% of younger Scots believe that mentoring or educational schemes provided by national or local government would help them to do more with older generations. The older generation recognise the need to improve its digital skills with 37% saying they would most like to learn technology and digital media from younger people.
One of the most positive themes was the willingness to improve intergenerational interactions. Eighty-two percent (82%) of people of all ages thought closer relations between generations are a good thing, which is higher than the UK average of 76%.
In addition, close to half (49%) had a friend of a different generation and 42% were open to having one. Results from the survey also cited the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the main barriers to closer relations between age groups, with 32% of respondents believing that younger and older people were further apart since the pandemic and 28% saying they now spent less time with someone of a different generation. Now is the time to recover.
The report makes three recommendations to ensure that the UK continues to move towards a more unified society: campaigns to transform perceptions of the value of senior people and their interactions with younger generations, greater opportunities for mentoring and knowledge sharing from older to younger generations; and schemes that help senior people interact more in the digital realm.
“With people living longer and healthier lives, it is important to transform perceptions about the older generation,” noted Nick Walker, Country Senior Director, Edwards Lifesciences UK and Ireland.
“The Unifying Generations report sheds light on the pivotal social and economic contribution of the senior population and demonstrates the importance of protecting their health and well-being.”
The report will be launched today at a Parliamentary event hosted by Rachael Maskell MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People and Derek Thomas MP.
To learn more and download the full report, please visit:
Santa Parade this Saturday
STOCKBRIDGE: Saturday 3rd December
Time table
10.15 Start off Parade
10.20 Approx arrive at Portgower Place Raeburn Hotel – 5 min reindeer & pony rest
10.25 Depart Portgower Place
10.40 Arrive Inverleith Park
10.45 Onwards Refreshments in main marquee for all parade participants.
CHRISTMAS CHARITY FESTIVAL
Fun Runs on Sunday too!
MSPs call for action to halt decline of our town centres
MSPs on the Economy and Fair Work Committee have called for action to halt the long-standing decline of town centres, as it publishes a new report following an inquiry into the issue.
The Committee’s inquiry concluded that the planning system needs to be strengthened to ensure no new developments unfairly compete with town centre provision. Alongside this, a rebalancing of the cost of doing business to make town centres more competitive including how non-domestic rates currently operate, to support investment in town centres.
Every town in Scotland should have their own Town Plan, a long-term strategic vision for the future that recognises the unique nature of our towns, their histories and the community that brings them together. It should be driven locally by communities and not imposed from the top down. Transparency of ownership and powers to tackle derelict or dangerous buildings also need further action.
Claire Baker MSP, Convener of the Economy and Fair Work Committee said: “This report should signal a line in the sand for how we support, develop and prioritise investment in our town centres. We all know a town centre that has empty shops, a lack of investment and few thriving businesses.
“Throughout this inquiry we heard that although the pandemic accelerated trends towards online shopping, people really care about the future of their town centre and what is on their doorstep. The positive benefits that a thriving town centre can bring are clear – not just economically but socially and culturally as well.
“As we move into a challenging period of our retail sector, our Committee is unified in its call that vibrant, thriving town centres must be prioritised. This report recognises that the only way to do that is through changing how we support these developments through various measures from planning to non-domestic business rates.
“This report signals that change is needed. We know there is no quick fix but unless we start now, then we won’t be able to halt the accelerated decline of recent years we’ve seen already in too many communities across Scotland.”
Specific measures include:
- Strengthening the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) to ensure that any proposed developments can demonstrate that town centre sites have been pursued and thoroughly evaluated and that developments will have no adverse impact on town centres and will not compete with town centre provision.
- The overarching principle must be rebalancing the cost of doing business in town centres versus out-of-town sites. Approaches that could be considered include giving Councils the power to levy an out-of-town development premium or a business rates surcharge which could then be used for town centre regeneration.
- The current non-domestic rates (NDR) system acts as a disincentive when trying to attract businesses back to our town centres. For businesses already located in town centres, the current NDR system acts as a disincentive to invest in already occupied property, as any investment leads to an increase in NDR. The Committee consistently heard that the current system works against investment and growth in town centre retail and that the NDR system should be rebalanced to support town centre development.
- There is strong demand amongst Scotland’s smaller retailers for more and better support to build their online presence and to be able to take advantage of platforms that already exist. A broader range of opportunities must be made available to upskill, strengthen and future-proof our retail workforce.
- Transparency of beneficial ownership of town centre property and land and absentee owners can still be a problem, particularly where an individual lives or is based overseas. It is the Committee’s strong view that all property and landowners should be contactable and there should be clarity on who the owner is. The Scottish Government has said its focus is on Compulsory Purchase Orders. The Committee is of the view that the Scottish Government’s actions may be insufficient and that more may need to be to address this problem.
- Local authorities have a range of powers available to them to tackle derelict or dangerous buildings but they are not used as frequently or proactively as we would like. There can be a reluctance to resort to those statutory powers, in part due to a lack of resources to carry actions through. The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to reform and modernise the compulsory purchase orders.
- The Committee recognises the value of, and increased demand for, online and e-commerce activities and the importance of increasing the use of technology as a driver of increased productivity. A strategically driven action plan should be developed by the Scottish Government to support the take-up of training and capacity building to support Scotland’s eCommerce activity.
More choice for people experiencing homelessness
People experiencing homelessness in Scotland will have the ability to settle and access support wherever they choose under legislation coming into force today.
People can currently be asked to demonstrate their local connection to the area where they present as homeless. If they are unable to do so, councils can refer them to another area where they do have a local link, such as somewhere they or their family members have lived or worked.
The new legislation suspends that power for Scottish local authorities, giving people freedom about where they settle and access services. It aims to help them integrate more fully into the local community and to reduce repeat homelessness.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “Local connection requirements have been recognised as a barrier to accessing homelessness services which is why we have chosen to remove them.
“Most people who are homeless want to live in a community where they are already settled, but this legislation allows them to move somewhere new if they want to – whether that’s to access support, take advantage of job opportunities or simply to have a fresh start.
“This puts rights for homeless households on a par with those for people who own or rent their homes, ensuring they have access to consistent services wherever they are in Scotland.
“I know that there are housing pressures in some local authorities but that, ultimately, they share our ambition of ending homelessness. This legislation will help ensure people can find a settled home as quickly as possible in an area of their choosing.”
Alison Watson, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “We hugely welcome the news that this legislation has been passed. It is important progress towards realising the UN right to adequate housing: ensuring people are empowered to make informed decisions on where they would like to apply as homeless and that dignity is embedded in our homelessness system.
“This much anticipated change is one that we have been long calling for, and is another milestone in securing progressive rights to housing. We believe home is everything, and only building more social homes will bring the housing emergency to a permanent end, but it’s vital that people know their rights and are empowered to defend them.”
Ginny Cooper, from Homeless Network Scotland’s Change Team, said: “We are pleased to learn about the changes being made to local connection legislation, and see it as an important shift towards giving people experiencing homelessness more choice in where they decide to build their lives.
“Giving people the option to relocate will improve their opportunities to create new relationships within communities where they are able to thrive.”