Day: January 20, 2023

HRH The Princess Royal re-opens refurbished Lady Haig Poppy Factory

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal called into Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh yesterday (Thursday 19th January) to officially re-open the campus following a two-year refurbishment.

Her Royal Highness toured the factory and its new exhibition space, and chatted to staff, before visiting Poppyscotland’s mobile museum, Bud.

The factory, founded in 1926, will now re-open to visitors and school groups following the project to showcase its history and heritage. Thirty-three disabled veterans work in the factory on Logie Green Road, making more than three million poppies each year for the Scottish Poppy Appeal, as well as wreaths and other tributes.

Her Royal Highness was met by the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Brigadier Dr John Reid Thomson, who is also chair of the factory, Poppyscotland’s President, Rear Admiral Mark Beverstock, Helen Owen, chair of Poppyscotland, and factory manager, Major Charlie Pelling.

David Adamson, a wreath maker and tour guide, who served for 22 years with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, gave her a tour of the factory, introducing the team.

During her visit, she spent time talking to the veterans about their experiences and the different stages of making poppies and wreaths. She signed a “reflection postcard” which will form part of a wall display in the factory.

She also met Summer Saunders and Kate Miller, both 17, from Ayr, who designed a silk red poppy dress as part of the “Junk Kouture” sustainability project and Sophie Henderson, 14, from Ayrshire, who won Poppyscotland’s 2020 poetry competition with her poem “In Future Fields”, a response to John McRae’s 1915 “In Flanders Fields”.

Her Royal Highness then toured Bud, the 18-tonne truck which transforms into a micro-museum, that has now travelled to every local authority in Scotland.  She unveiled a plaque before being presented with a framed copy of both poems by Ms Owen.

Poppyscotland’s Director, Austin Hardie, said: “We were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to officially re-open our newly refurbished factory and campus today. 

“ This is the culmination of two years of hard work to ensure we have a modern facility dedicated to supporting Scotland’s veterans’ community.

“We are very proud of our heritage, and this marks an exciting new chapter in the factory’s 97-year history. We are looking forward to welcoming school groups and the wider public to the factory and exhibition space, telling the story of the poppy to new generations.”

Ms Owen said: “We are very grateful to Her Royal Highness for taking the time to meet the team involved in this exciting project, as well as her continued support for our Armed Forces community.

“The veterans enjoyed showing her how poppies and wreaths are hand-made using traditional methods, and explaining the unique history of the factory.”

Mr Adamson said: “She was very interested in everything, and took the time to speak to as many of the guys as possible. She also noticed the big difference from last time she visited.”

To find out more about Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory or book a tour, go to:

www.poppyscotland.org.uk/lady-haigs-poppy-factory.

Protection for tenants extended

Minister confirms intention to cap private rents at 3%

Emergency measures to protect tenants will be extended, Tenants Rights’ Minister Patrick Harvie has confirmed, with private rents capped and enforcement of evictions prevented in most cases. 

Subject to the approval of Parliament, changes to the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act will mean that from 1 April 2023: 

  • If landlords choose to increase private rents they will be capped at 3%
  • The safeguard for private landlords will be amended, allowing them to apply for increases of up to 6% to help cover certain increases in costs in defined and limited circumstances
  • Enforcement of evictions will continue to be prevented for all tenants except in a number of specified circumstances
  • Increased damages for unlawful evictions of up to 36 months’ worth of rent will continue to be applicable
  • The rent cap for student accommodation will be suspended, recognising its limited impact on annual rents set on the basis of an academic year

These temporary measures are intended to be extended to 30 September, provided they remain necessary, with the option to extend for another six-month period if required. 

As announced in December 2022, the social sector rent freeze is being replaced with agreements from landlords to keep any rent increase for 2023-24 well below inflation. 

Mr Harvie said: “Our emergency legislation has helped protect tenants facing the cost of living crisis. With many households still struggling with bills, it is clear that these protections are still needed to give tenants greater confidence about their housing costs and the security of a stable home. 

“While the primary purpose of the legislation is to support tenants, I recognise that costs have been rising for landlords too. That’s why we intend to allow those in the private sector to increase rents by up to 3%, with a continued safeguard allowing them to apply for larger increases to cover specified rising costs they might be seeing as landlords.

“By allowing increases in rent – capped well below inflation and limited to once per 12 months – we can continue protecting tenants from the minority of landlords who would impose unaffordable rent hikes. 

“We will continue to carefully monitor the impacts of this legislation, working with tenants and landlords to protect them from this costs crisis.”

COUNCIL RENTS: Under the agreement on social rents for 2023-24, COSLA has committed to keeping local authority rent increases to an average of no more than £5 a week.

HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS: Members of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations have reported planned increases averaging 6.1%.