Are you an unpaid carer looking after a loved one? Or know someone who is? LifeCare is launching a series of classes and activities that are FREE for unpaid carers and the person they care for.
Starting on the 25th January at 11am in our Boardroom, come along to movement therapy designed to spark memories, have fun and boost your physical and mental wellbeing.
If you would like to attend, please submit your name on the following form:
Regeneration projects in disadvantaged and rural communities across Scotland will receive a share of almost £27 million funding.
The investment will support schemes tackling child poverty and addressing issues like addiction and suicide prevention, while creating jobs and growing local economies. It supports town centre regeneration by bringing derelict buildings back into use and creating new buildings for the community or for commercial purposes.
The latest round of funding from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), delivered in partnership with COSLA and local authorities, will help 23 community-based initiatives which will create and support more than 700 jobs and more than 500 construction jobs, along with hundreds of training places.
Edinburgh’s Peffer Place Business Park in Craigmillar receives £2.25 million.
Other initiatives include:
Community Wealth Minister Tom Arthur said: “These innovative, grassroots schemes have been developed within communities to address local needs.
“Scottish Government support will help provide services like employment training, affordable childcare, mental health support and addiction counselling. Derelict landmarks will be redeveloped and new buildings created.
“By working in partnership with residents and local authorities, we are helping communities to support themselves and develop fair, green and prosperous economies which accelerate progress towards net zero emissions.
“The Scottish Government wants to create a fairer society by enabling more people to benefit directly from the wealth generated by local communities. That is why we are introducing Community Wealth Building legislation during this Parliamentary term – to fundamentally transform what our economy is for and how it operates.”
COSLA’s Environment and Economy spokesperson Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “The announcement today shows the strength of the RCGF and the commitment by local government to regenerating communities.
“In this uncertain time of inflation, rising energy costs and increased demand on services, the fund demonstrates what can be achieved in our towns, cities, villages and islands when support is focused on social and economic renewal.
“From tackling the mental health crisis to food poverty, affordable childcare to climate change, this fund goes beyond what we traditionally think of as regeneration thanks to the ambition and innovative thinking of communities across Scotland.”
Since 2014-15, the RCGF has funded more than 200 projects which have supported or generated thousands of jobs, repurposed and returned to use landmark buildings in town centres, and created numerous new commercial spaces and multi-use community facilities.
RCGF funding applications are invited annually from all 32 local authorities and Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company, as part of a two-stage process.
An independent Investment Panel agrees recommendations to Ministers and COSLA on projects to be funded during the forthcoming financial year. Applicants must detail how projects will help meet net zero ambitions and reduce carbon emissions.
The Scottish Government plans to introduce Community Wealth Building legislation during this Parliamentary term to accelerate progress on transforming local economies and fundamentally reshaping how communities operate.
Details of the successful projects can be found here – Capital investment for regeneration – Regeneration – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
| Lead Applicant | Project | Total Grant |
| Aberdeen City Council | Inchgarth Community Regeneration Hub | £1,900,000 |
| Argyll & Bute Council | Aros Waterfront Development – Outdoor Activity Hub | £403,500 |
| Argyll & Bute Council | Nonhebel Light Industrial Park Expansion (Nonhebel Park Phase 2) | £654,000 |
| City of Edinburgh Council | Peffer Place Business Park | £2,250,000 |
| Clyde Gateway | Shawfield GRID Campus | £3,350,000 |
| Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar | Calanais 2025 | £2,000,000 |
| Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar | Loch Carnan | £150,000 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | Lockerbie Old School Wellbeing and Enterprise Centre | £2,623,000 |
| East Ayrshire Council | New Cumnock Re-use Hub | £1,800,000 |
| East Ayrshire Council | Take A Bow Opportunity Centre | £1,341,615 |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | Campsie Memorial Hall Revitalisation Project | £950,000 |
| Glasgow City Council | Refiring The Pipe Factory | £1,965,354 |
| Highland Council | Gro For You – Community Innovation Campus – Tain | £450,000 |
| Highland Council | John O’Groats Mill: A Power for the Community | £1,500,000 |
| Highland Council | Knoydart Bunkhouse | £560,000 |
| Moray Council | Lossiemouth Community Hub | £270,200 |
| North Lanarkshire Council | Motherwell Football Club Community Trust – The Well Hub | £215,000 |
| South Ayrshire Council | Maybole New Stables Lane Scheme | £959,807 |
| South Ayrshire Council | Pinwherry and Pinmore Community Development Trust – Primary School Redevelopment | £197,633 |
| South Lanarkshire Council | Carluke High Mill, Phase 1 | £1,199,383 |
| South Lanarkshire Council | Carnwath Community and Business Enterprise Hub | £275,000 |
| South Lanarkshire Council | Larkhall Business Micro Hub | £300,000 |
| West Lothian Council | Scottish Co-operative Discovery & Activity Centre | £1,400,000 |
| £26,714,492 |
Companies like TUI Musement, GetYourGuide, Trip.com, AttractionTickets.com and Jet2holidays are STILL, exploiting wildlife for profit despite 84%1 of UK citizens who believe that tour operators should not sell activities that cause wild animals suffering, according to a report by World Animal Protection.
Elephant riding, selfies with tiger cubs and swimming with dolphins were some of the cruel wildlife activities on offer by these travel brands, according to the Real Responsible Traveller report.
The study reviewed 9 leading travel companies on their commitment to animal welfare and wildlife friendly tourism with the aim to help holiday makers plan a wildlife friendly holiday.
Thousands of wild animals every year are forced to perform for tourist entertainment or be subjects for tourist “experiences” that are incredibly unnatural and stressful for them.
For example, elephants in entertainment are captured in the wild or born into captivity and taken from their mothers at an early age. They are then subjected to violent training regimes causing huge physical and psychological harm.
Dolphins used for entertainment are mostly bred in captivity, (although some are still captured from the wild) and kept in barren tanks a tiny fraction of their natural home range which creates huge distress for these wonderful animals.
Travelling responsibly means never including captive wildlife entertainment or experiences on your itinerary and refusing to book your holiday with travel companies which may claim to offer responsible, sustainable travel, while continuing to profit from wild animal exploitation.
The report also shows the travel companies who have made significant, positive steps for wildlife over recent years including Airbnb, and Booking.com. Expedia has improved in some areas, having stopped selling captive dolphin entertainment in 2021.
Katheryn Wise, World Animal Protection, Wildlife Campaign Manager, said: “Holiday makers have made it clear; they don’t want tour operators selling animal suffering, but the reality is, suffering is still being sold under the guise of entertainment.
“Who you book your holiday with matters. TUI Musement, Jet2holidays, GetYourGuide Trip.com and Attraction Tickets.com are STILL exploiting captive wild animals.
“World Animal Protection is urging responsible travellers to join us in challenging these companies to do better for animals. Real responsible travellers have the power to act and create lasting change for wild animals by refusing to support companies that still treat wild animals as commodities who they can exploit for profit.
“For more information on how you can make a difference visit our Real Responsible Travel Page at www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk/real-responsible-traveller.
“We are also urging the UK government to take action by passing the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill, which sees its second parliamentary reading take place on February 3rd. This important bill intends to stop the sale and advertising of activities abroad which involve low standards of welfare for animals.”
The Real Responsible Traveller report builds on World Animal Protection’s 2020 Tracking the Travel Industry report, which assessed Airbnb, AttractionTickets.com, Booking.com, DER Touristik, Expedia, Flight Centre, GetYourGuide, Klook, The Travel Corporation, Viator, Trip.com and TUI Musement.
World Animal Protection commissioned the University of Surrey who independently analysed the public commitments travel companies have, and haven’t, made.
Companies were scored across four key areas:
World Animal Protection then checked to see if they offered any of the five “animal attractions”:
For more information about industry best practices and how holidaymakers can make their concerns known to the travel companies click here.
Table 1. Average House Prices in Scotland for the period November 2021 – November 2022
Note: The Walker Fraser Steele Acadata House Price Index (Scotland) provides the “average of all prices paid for houses”, including those made with cash.
Scott Jack, Regional Development Director at Walker Fraser Steele, comments: “Our data this month may, at first glance, look at odds with other published indices issued by lenders but it is important to understand our higher rate of growth for the period includes all property transactions.
“This is particularly crucial in Scotland as a third of these transactions are made in cash. It is also important because it means this third is not as constrained by the cost of mortgage finance.
“Our data is also drawn from the latest available provided by Registers of Scotland so it uses actual completion prices for November, which may have been agreed earlier in the year, as opposed to precompletion valuations or estimates.
“Scotland is not alone in seeing tentative price growth increases, but our analysis makes a clear point of the value of looking beyond mortgage borrowing for a real understanding of what is going on.
“Property across the UK since the start of the pandemic has consistently out-performed inflation – the average house price in November reached £224,644 – an increase of £40,800 since March 2020, which reflects a comparative growth for the period of 22% compared to consumer prices which have grown by 14.9%.
“On a monthly basis, November’s average price grew by £400 or 0.2%, which though slight in the scheme of things, still means the average house price is at a record high for a ninth time in 2022.”
Commentary: John Tindale, Acadata Senior Housing Analyst
The November housing market
Average house prices in Scotland continued to rise during November, although the increase was a modest £400, or 0.2%. Average prices have now reached £224,644, which is some £14,100, or 6.7%, higher than a year earlier. This sets another new record average price for Scotland, the ninth to date in 2022.
Indeed, if we look at the change in values since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 – when the average house price in Scotland was £183,853 – there has been an increase of some £40,800, or 22%, in the average house price to the end of November 2022. This compares favourably with the increase in consumer prices of 14.9%, measured by CPIH, over the same period. Property prices have hence risen in real terms over the last nearly three years.
With the UK-wide annual November headline rates of the Halifax and Nationwide indices at 4.7% and 4.4% respectively, it may be surprising to see Scotland at a higher rate of 6.7%. However, it should be recognized that the lender indices only relate to properties purchased with a mortgage, while 33% of Scotland’s properties are typically acquired with cash. One third of purchases will therefore not necessarily have been influenced by the recent rise in interest rates.
Also of relevance is the fact that the North West and North East regions of England have annual price increases of 12.9% and 13.4% respectively, so Scotland is not alone in seeing rates above those announced by the lenders.
Figure 1. The annual rate of house price growth in Scotland over the period March 2020 to November 2022
The RICS Residential Market Survey for November indicates that activity in the home sales market has continued to weaken, with higher interest rates and a difficult macro-economic outlook taking their toll on buyer sentiment, and indicators on new instructions and agreed sales remaining negative.
The survey did, however, advise that respondents report that, for now, prices continue to edge higher in Scotland – although the pace of growth is significantly softer than earlier in the year. This is in line with our own findings, derived from the price data supplied by RoS, which includes all domestic transactions based on both cash and mortgage sales.
Local Authority Analysis
Table 2 above shows the average house price and percentage change (over the last month and year) by Local Authority Area for November 2021, as well as for October and November 2022, calculated on a seasonal- and mix-adjusted basis. The ranking in Table 2 is based on the local authority area’s average house price for November 2022. Local Authority areas shaded in blue experienced record average house prices in November 2022.
Annual change
The average house price in Scotland in November 2022 has increased by some £14,100 – or 6.7% – over the last twelve months. Although the annual rate of growth has increased marginally in November, up 0.2% on October’s revised 6.5%, the rate of growth has reduced from June’s 10.4%, which now looks as though it will represent the high point of 2022. However, prices continued to climb in November, albeit at a reduced rate compared to June, with Scotland setting another record average house price, of £224,644 in the month, for the ninth time this calendar year.
In November 2022, 29 of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland saw their average prices rise above the levels of twelve months earlier, the same number as in October. The three areas where values fell over the year were, in descending order, Aberdeen City (-8.1%), Scottish Borders (-2.1%) and Inverclyde (0.0%), although in Inverclyde average prices were just £9 lower than they were twelve months previously.
In Aberdeen City, which has fallen seven places over the year to 25th in terms of its ranking of average prices compared to the other 31 local authorities in Scotland, it is detached homes that have experienced the largest fall, from an average £390k in November 2021 to £350k one year later.
The area with the highest annual increase in average house prices in November 2022 was East Lothian, where values have risen by 14.7% over the year. This takes East Lothian to the top of Table 2 in terms of average values, ahead of the City of Edinburgh.
The rise in prices in East Lothian has been assisted by the sale of The Balfour, a 9,000 sq. ft 4-bedroom apartment, being the ground floor of Whittingehame House, Haddington, for £2.4 million.
Technically, The Balfour is classified as a flat, since it shares a common entrance with other apartments to the main building, so this sale becomes the most expensive ‘flat’ to be sold in East Lothian for at least the last five years.
On a weight-adjusted basis, which incorporates both the change in prices and the number of transactions involved, there are six local authority areas in November which accounted for 51% of the £14,100 increase in Scotland’s average house price over the year.
The six areas in descending order of influence are: – Edinburgh (19%); Glasgow (10%); East Lothian (7%); North Lanarkshire (5%); West Lothian (5%); and Fife (5%).
Monthly change
In November 2022, Scotland’s average house price in the month rose by some £400, or 0.2%. This follows October’s rise in prices of £630, but August and September’s decreases of -£290 and -£320 respectively. These two months were the first falls in Scotland’s average house price since June 2021.
In November 2022, 17 of the 32 Local Authority areas in Scotland experienced rising prices in the month, which is one less than the 18 in October. Of the 17 local authorities with price rises in the month, 8 are in the top 16 areas when ranked by price, with 9 being in the lower half of the market.
The distribution of those with price rises is therefore evenly matched between the higher- and lower priced areas in Scotland.
However, if we look only at the areas with price falls, then the top half of the areas by value saw an average fall of -1.1% in the month, while the average for the bottom half by value amounted to -2.5%. So those areas with the highest falls in the month tended to have the lowest average values.
The largest increase in average prices on the mainland in November was, for the second month running, Clackmannanshire, up by 5.6%. This month the increase in the average price was helped by the sale of a four-bedroom detached home, with stables and a paddock, just to the east of Dollar, which is evenly located between Glasgow (36 miles) and Edinburgh (37 miles).
It was put on the market for offers over £1 million – it sold for £1.21 million – becoming the second-highest priced sale in Clackmannanshire since August 2019.
Peak Prices
Each month, in Table 2 above, the local authority areas which have reached a new record in their average house prices are highlighted in light blue. In November, there are 8 such authorities, down from the 12 in October. Scotland itself has also set a new record average house price of £224,644 in the month.
Scotland transactions of £750k or higher
Table 3. The number of transactions by month in Scotland greater than or equal to £750k, January 2015 – November 2022
Table 3 shows the number of transactions per month in Scotland which are equal to or greater than £750k. The threshold of £750k has been selected as it is the breakpoint at which the highest rate of LBTT becomes payable.
There were 123 such transactions recorded by RoS during the month, with 78 relating to November 2022 and 45 to October 2022, increasing the number recorded to date in 2022 to 1,084. The total recorded in 2021 to the end of November amounted to 1,020, so it is looking extremely likely that 2022 will be establishing a new high for such sales in a year – there are already eight months in which the 2022 totals are either higher than or equal to one year earlier.
As reported last month, these statistics suggest that the “lifestyle changes” associated with the pandemic, of “working from home” and the “race for space”, continue to be important features of the current housing market, even if the prominence of the Covid restrictions are beginning to wane. This “race for space” continues to result in strong competition for high-value homes, which are in relatively short supply, causing prices to continue to creep upwards at the top-end of the market.
The six authorities with the largest number of the 1,084 high-value sales that have been recorded to date in 2022 are: Edinburgh (530); Glasgow City (70); East Lothian (65); Fife (56); East Renfrewshire (42); and finally Perth and Kinross (41). From these figures it can be seen that in 2022, the City of Edinburgh accounts for just under half of this sector of the housing market.
Transactions analysis
Figure 2 below shows the monthly transaction count for purchases during the period from January 2007 to November 2022, based on RoS (Registers of Scotland) figures for the Date of Entry (November 2022 totals are based on RoS Application dates).
The graph starts in 2007, which was something of an exception, with close to 150,000 domestic property sales in the calendar year. The 2007 sales total is the largest seen during the last 18 years, although the period from 2004 to 2006 came close, with an average 139,000 sales on an annual basis.
However, during 2008 the banking industry began to suffer its credit crisis, with home loans becoming difficult to obtain, especially for first time buyers. Accordingly, the number of housing transactions fell to approximately 70,000 per year over the period from 2009 to 2012.
Normality was slowly restored from 2013, with sales rising to a yearly average of 87,500 over the period from 2013 to 2015, rising to an average 102,000 sales per annum from 2016 to 2019.
The effect of the Covid pandemic – which started in March 2020 – can be clearly seen on the graph. Housing transactions in April 2020 plummeted with the arrival of the pandemic, to be followed by a slow rise in sales as confidence began to return. Then followed a period when sales exceeded previous levels, from September 2020, as lifestyle changes and the LBTT tax-holiday pushed up demand – especially for properties with space to allow for working from home.
Figure 2. The number of sales per month recorded by RoS based on entry date from 2007 – 2022
In Figure 2, three peaks can be seen after March 2020: in October 2020 (pent-up demand from the low transaction levels in 2020) and March and June 2021 (LBTT tax-holidays encouraging sales). In the first eleven months of 2022, transaction levels have averaged 8,635 sales per month, which closely matches the average 8,610 sales per month recorded in the first eleven months of 2019 – the last full year prior to Covid.
Heat Map
The heat map below shows the rate of house price growth for the 12 months ending November 2022. As reported above, 29 of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland have seen a rise in their average property values over the last year, the three exceptions being Aberdeen City, the Scottish Borders and Inverclyde. The highest increase on the mainland over the twelve months to November 2022 was in East Lothian at 14.7%. 10 of the 32 local authority areas had price growth of 10.0% or higher – three more than in October 2022.
Comparisons with Scotland
Figure 3. Scotland house prices, compared with England and Wales, North East and North West for the period January 2005-November 2022
Figure 4. A comparison of the annual change in house prices in Scotland, England and Wales, North East and North West for the period January 2020–November 2022
Scotland’s Eight Cities
Figure 5. Average house prices for Scotland’s eight cities from September 2021–November 2022
Figure 6. Average house prices for Scotland’s eight cities November 2022
ENDS
Landmark levelling up funding will breathe new life into more than 100 communities, with up to £2.1 billion awarded today to transformational projects across the United Kingdom.
These include Eden Project North visitor attraction in Morecambe (above), a new AI campus in Blackpool, a new rail link in Cornwall, and a major regeneration scheme in Gateshead that will create jobs and grow the economy.
Major government investment will benefit millions of people across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland and spread opportunity to historically overlooked areas – with £672 million to develop better transport links, £821 million to kick-start community regeneration, and £594 million to restore local heritage sites.
A total of 111 areas have been awarded funding from the second of the government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund, providing greater investment in communities that will create new jobs, drive economic growth, help restore people’s pride in the places where they live, and spread opportunity more equally. Secretaries of State will be visiting winning projects across the UK to see how local leaders will deliver for local people.
This will drive forward the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy by levelling up and provide the foundations for building a better future in communities across the UK. By working as one United Kingdom, the country is better able to collectively tackle the individual challenges faced by every region and nation across the country.
The government has also confirmed there will be a further round of the Levelling Up Fund, providing more opportunity to level up places across the UK.
Levelling Up Fund Round 2 successful bids (ODS, 21.5 KB)
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Through greater investment in local areas, we can grow the economy, create good jobs and spread opportunity everywhere. That’s why we are backing more than 100 projects with new transformational funding to level up local communities across the United Kingdom.
“By reaching even more parts of the country than before, we will build a future of optimism and pride in people’s lives and the places they call home.”
Projects awarded Levelling Up Fund money today include:
The UK government will also today launch an interactive map online so people can see which projects in their area are receiving Levelling Up Fund investment. This will be available at https://levellingup.campaign.gov.uk/.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “We are firing the starting gun on more than a hundred transformational projects in every corner of the UK that will revitalise communities that have historically been overlooked but are bursting with potential.
“This new funding will create jobs, drive economic growth, and help to restore local pride. We are delivering on the people’s priorities, levelling up across the UK to ensure that no matter where you are from, you can go as far as your talents will take you.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “This is a major down payment on local jobs, growth and regeneration, all part of our mission to level up opportunity across the country.
“To unlock more growth right across the country, we are making it easier for locally-elected leaders to make things happen without banging on a Whitehall door by extending devolution deals to all areas of England that want them by 2030.”
The successful bids announced today follows the allocation of £1.7 billion to 105 projects from Round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund in 2021. The government confirmed last year that Round 2 funding would match Round 1 but increased this by more than £400 million after receiving a high number of transformative bids – taking the total allocated so far from the fund to £3.8 billion.
Today’s allocations also come on top of significant action already taken by the government to level up communities across the country. This includes opening 7 freeports, signing 6 devolution deals, connecting 740,000 homes and business with gigabit broadband, and helping 70 community groups take ownership of their cherished pubs, clubs and local landmarks at risk of closure.
The Towns Fund has been providing funding of up £25 million, to 101 towns in order to boost local economies outside of big cities and deliver vital infrastructure.
More than £670 million from the Levelling Fund has been allocated to 26 projects across the United Kingdom to improve transport links.
This includes £40 million for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to transform its bus services, especially in areas of deprivation and for communities who do not have access to a car.
The North East Combined Authority will receive nearly £20 million to buy more than 50 new electric buses. This will provide more than 3,000 seats for passengers, improve air quality, reduce congestion and support businesses in the region.
Belfast International Airport will receive £2.3 million to purchase an electric bus fleet, which will have significant benefits for travellers and local people with better air quality and reduced noise.
Nearly £27 million has been guaranteed for a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for the Shetland Fair Isle in Scotland, providing a lifeline for the community, visitors and vital supply chains.
Over £760 million is being provided to regenerate towns and cities and unlock thousands of new homes.
This includes £20 million to regenerate Accrington town centre, which will see the renovation of the Grade II listed Accrington Market Hall into a bustling food hall and trading space and the refurbish of the vacant and dilapidated Burtons Chambers and Market Chambers into band-new office spaces.
There is £18 million for a transformation of Cleethorpes seafront, including the historic market square and regenerating Pier Gardens.
The construction of Willenhall Garden City in Walsall will be accelerated by a £20 million grant, which will unlock a £210 million regeneration plan, enabling the delivery of new homes, parks, and a railway station.
More £17 million will level up Leek Town Centre through a refurbishment plan that will upgrade the old market halls for new business use, upgrade the public library and museum, and create a swimming facility as part of wider town centre regeneration.
£545 million will restore local landmarks and protect them for generations to come.
This includes nearly £18 million to transform the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl, one of the most recognisable buildings in South Wales, which is currently deteriorating after years of piecemeal refurbishments.
There is £20 million to restore the Grade II listed Haigh Hall in Wigan, which will rejuvenate the area and make the site a popular destination for culture, community, events and hospitality.
All areas were invited to bid for Round 2 by August 2022.
These are the seven less than adorable looking pets vying for the title of Britain’s ugliest dog.
Photography company ParrotPrint.com, are offering a professional makeover and photo session prize to the dog crowned the ‘most hideous’ in the UK.
They have now selected the ugliest seven dogs from hundreds of applicants with these finalists now going forward for a final selection.
The seven dogs hail from across the country and include a British Bulldog from the West Midlands called Winston George, whose owner describes him as a cross between a grumpy old man and a naughty school kid.
Another finalist, Jazz, a Brusston from North Wales, is described as ‘not photogenic’ by their owner who says, ‘when I show people her photo they usually go quiet and are lost for words.’
Peggy, a pug chinese crested mix from East Yorkshire has already appeared on the This Morning sofa with Phil and Holly as part of ParrotPrint.com’s search.
The seven finalists are (in no particular order):
Marnie, a French Bulldog from Wiltshire
Winston George, a British Bulldog from the West Midlands
Peggy, a Pug Chinese Crested Mix from East Yorkshire
Jazz, a Brusston from North Wales
Bella, a Pug from Sheffiled
Roger, a Pug, Toy Poodle and Ugly Boi cross from West Yorkshire
Milo, a Blue French Bulldog from Kent
Matt Dahan, founder of ParrotPrint.com said: “We received hundreds of entries and these seven were the ones who made our eyes hurt when we looked at them. There really are some ugly mutts out there in the UK and we hope our contest will celebrate the best of them.
“We were clear from the outset that no pretty pets need apply and these seven certainly could not be described as good looking in any way, shape or form.
“Now our judges have the tough task of choosing exactly which of these mutts is the most offensive to look at.
“We will select one of these pets for the coveted title of Britain’s ugliest dog and they will win a makeover and photo session.
“Let’s see if we can transform the winning ugly dog into a beautiful pooch and brighten up its owner’s life at the same time.
“There have been a number of TV shows where humans get tarted-up and given a makeover so we thought it would be fun to do the same thing for a dog.
“We believe we can transform them into something truly beautiful and give their owners a fantastic photoshoot experience too.
“We look forward to selecting the winner and sharing their photoshoot experience with the world when we hope to show that every dog is beautiful no matter how ugly they might first appear.”
The contest is now closed for entries and the seven shortlisted dogs will be assessed and a winner announced in February when the ugly mutt will receive their photoshoot and pampering prize.
To find out how to create the perfect print of your pet to hang on your wall at home please visit: https://parrotprint.com/blog/print-your-pet
The finalists are as follows:
Name: Marnie
Age: 2
Breed: French Bulldog
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire
Name: Winston George
Age: 5
Breed: British Bulldog
Location: Kingswinsford, West Midlands
Name: Peggy
Age: 3
Breed: Pug Chinese Crested Mix
Location: East Yorkshire
Name: Jazz
Age: 5
Breed: Brusston
Location: North Wales
 |
Name: Bella
Age: 6
Breed: Pug
Location: Sheffield
Name: Roger
Age: 1
Breed: Pug cross with toy poodle and ugly boi
Location: Brighouse, West Yorkshire
Name: Milo
Age: 1
Breed: Blue French Bulldog
Location: Rochester, Kent
Has your 2 – 5 year old still not had their flu vaccine?
You can book or drop-in to a mop-up clinic at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People this Saturday (21 January).
To book an appointment, please call 0300 790 6296
Introducing Saturday Night Suppers!
This new initiative will provide local people and families with a bag of tasty ingredients and recipe card to make a lovely meal capable of serving 4-6 people over the weekend.
This scheme will begin on 3rd March and run every Friday throughout March.
If you, or someone you are working with is interested in taking part, please email cooking@freshstartweb.org.uk or call 0131 476 7741.
Please note, places are limited to 25 participants and all bags of ingredients must be collected from Fresh Start Kitchen on the Friday.
Almost 65,000 customers have paid their Self Assessment bills, totalling nearly £67 million, via the HMRC app since April 2022, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.
In December 2022, 14,170 customers paid via the app – the highest number of app payments in one month since the facility was launched in February 2022.
The Self Assessment deadline for the 2021 to 2022 tax year is 31 January and HMRC is urging customers not to delay completing their tax return and paying any tax owed. For customers who need some extra help with their tax return, there are a wide range of resources available to help them complete it, including guidance online, webinars and YouTube videos.
Customers are encouraged to check online for help before calling HMRC during what is the busiest time of the year. The HMRC app is a quick, free and secure way to view their National Insurance number, Unique Taxpayer Reference or make a payment. It only takes around 60 seconds to pay via the app.
Customers who are unable to pay what they owe in full, may be able to set up a payment plan, allowing them to spread the cost into manageable monthly instalments. Since April 2022, 45,600 Self Assessment customers have set up a Time to Pay arrangement. In December, around 10,500 customers set up a plan, totalling more than £36 million in tax.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “We want to help Self Assessment customers meet their obligations and HMRC offers a range of options to help customers pay their tax return bill.
“To choose the option that suits them, customers can search ‘pay my Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”
A full range of payment options is listed on GOV.UK.
For customers who pay their current estimated tax bill via Payment on Account, the first instalment for the 2022 to 2023 tax year is due on 31 January.
Anyone who files their tax return or pays any tax owed after 31 January may face a penalty.
HMRC will treat those with genuine excuses leniently, as it focuses on those who persistently fail to complete their tax returns and deliberate tax evaders. Customers who provide HMRC with a reasonable excuse before the 31 January deadline can avoid a penalty after this date. The penalties for filing a tax return late are:
There are also additional penalties for paying late of 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months. Customers need to be aware of the risk of falling victim to scams. Check HMRC scams advice on GOV.UK.
Twelve charities based in Scotland have received a £1,000 Christmas gift thanks to the Benefact Group.
The charities were nominated to win a share of £120,000 by members of the public as part of the Benefact Group’s annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign. The Edinburgh Remakery was among the winners.
SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, a nature charity using rewilding projects to help tackle climate crisis, Smalls for All, an organisation providing underwear for those in need, and ME Research UK, which raises funds to tackle ME, are among the local charities set to benefit from the money following overwhelming public support in the area.
Over 17,700 Scotland residents nominated a cause close to their hearts. The 120 winning charities across the UK were picked at random from those nominated.
Thanking supporters in Scotland, Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said: “Charitable giving is at the heart of our business at the Benefact Group.
“We are delighted to be giving back to deserving charitable causes once more with our annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign, part of our Movement for Good Awards. In these challenging times, we know that £1,000 can make a real difference and we’re looking forward to seeing how this festive financial boost will changes lives for the better and bring a positive start to 2023.
“Out of some five million companies in the UK, we are the fourth largest corporate donor* and have an ambition to be the largest. As a Group of financial service businesses, uniquely owned by a charity, all available profits go to good causes, and the more our loyal customers support us to grow, the more the Group can give.
“As a company, our purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society and, together, we can help many good causes to continue their support for those who need it most in these difficult times.”
A representative from SCOTLAND: The Big Picture said: “Thank you so much for your support, we will use this award to drive rewilding across Scotland for nature, climate, and people. Thanks again, we’re really grateful”
The full list of the 120 charity winners is available to view online at:
