The EIS recently announced an escalation of its action to include targeted strike action in schools within the constituencies of the First Minister, Deputy First Minster, Cabinet Secretary for Education, and COSLA Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann.
As the Scottish Green Party is a party of the Scottish Government, part of its Education Spokesperson’s (Ross Greer) regional constituency has also been targeted – the part of Clydebank and Milngavie constituency that lies within the East Dunbartonshire Council area.
There will be two days of national strike action for all members on Tuesday 28th February and Wednesday 1 March and a further 20 days of rolling strike action between 13 March and 21 April 2023.
National Strike Days
Date
Local Associations
Tuesday 28th February
All Local Associations
Wednesday 1st March
All Local Associations
Targeted Strikes
Date
Constituencies
7th – 9th March
Glasgow Southside, Dunfermline, Perthshire North, the part of Clydebank and Milngavie constituency that lies within the East Dunbartonshire Council area and Mid Galloway & Wigtown West
Families caring for young disabled adults at home are being offered help by a forward-thinking national charity to improve quality of life.
Faced with three times higher costs to bring up disabled children, the continuing cost-of-living crisis is placing families in financial jeopardy. It is therefore even harder to afford the things that improve their disabled young adult’s day-to-day living.
National charity Family Fund is now urging families with a disabled 18-24 year-old living at home to apply for wide-ranging grants through its Your Opportunity scheme.
Set up four years ago, to help young disabled adults lead more fulfilling lives and realise ambitions – the scheme offers grants to support the transition to adulthood and includes technology, training and leisure activities.
Your Opportunity has supported over 1,200 families across the UK in the last 12 months and immediate funds are now available to help many more.
Family Fund is the UK’s largest grant-making charity for families living on a low income, raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people. Last year, it provided over 170,919 grants and services worth over £37 million to families across the UK.
The charity’s latest research, based on polls with the families it supports, shows that over four out of five families (82%) say they cannot replace worn out furniture and nearly four out of five (78%) say they cannot afford to repair or replace major electrical goods such as cookers, fridges or washing machines.
For nearly half of families with disabled children and young people, paying for a beneficial activity or hobby for their disabled child is out of the question.
Cheryl Ward, Family Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We continue to see families with disabled or seriously ill children and young people increasingly struggling to afford the most basic household essentials like food and heating as costs rise and many face mounting debts.
“This means there is very little room for the extras which improve a young person’s quality of life- yet when a child reaches 18, they lose an average of 57% of the support and benefits they had before they reached adulthood.
“Raising a disabled or seriously ill child is three times more expensive than raising other children and this financial cliff-edge at 18 can be very tough for parents and carers of young adults. With the cost of living continuing to increase, we’re urging families to apply to us for grants as soon as possible, through our Your Opportunity scheme.”
Your Opportunity grants include:
computers or tablets to support young people with further education, online hobbies and the overall building of independence;
transport costs for bus fares for appointments, or to support independent travel to clubs or hobbies;
help with the cost of membership fees, season tickets, computer games, and music systems to promote recreation and days out;
help with the cost of buying a provisional driving licence, and other learning materials to support driving ambitions;
white goods to help with independence, or help make mealtimes easier for carers;
sports, or lightweight, wheelchairs to enable participation in sport activities, or access to activities that would not be possible with a day-to-day wheelchair.
The Your Opportunity scheme was initially set up in 2019 by Family Fund, with funding from Edward Gostling Foundation, Pears Foundation and funding raised by Family Fund.
Cheryl Wardadded: “We are extremely grateful to The Edward Gostling Foundation and Pears Foundation for recognising the need to support our work in improving the lives of young people across the UK.”
Families are eligible to apply if the young person lives at home with their parent or main carer.
Families interested in making an application for a young person should go to:
George, 22, has Down’s Syndrome and autism. He lives in Derbyshire with mum, Jemma, step-father Shaun and brother Charlie, 19, has breathing problems and requires an oxygen machine when asleep.
Jemma said: “The cost-of-living crisis has impacted our lives hugely. I worry about it a lot because when you have a child, like George, who requires the use of an oxygen machine overnight, your bills are horrendous.
“After George turned 18, a lot of the support finished but life didn’t get any easier. Our lives didn’t change, and we still need support.
“I’ve always been frugal with things but it’s getting to a point where I think I literally can’t cut back anymore. I shop in the cheaper supermarkets and buy the reduced items. I do everything that I can but it comes to a point where there’s nothing more that you can do. We don’t ever eat out or have takeaways.
“We’ve not been on holiday, or go on day trips. Also, because I’m a carer, I can’t even do more hours at work because I don’t have anyone else to look after George. Everything is going up but we don’t have any more money.
“The biggest worry for me is the cost of electricity and running George’s oxygen machine. I genuinely have no idea if I’m going to be able to run that at Christmas. If the cost goes up even more then I probably won’t be able to.
“Furthermore, the cost of fuel is huge. It’s got to the point where I only drive to work and back. I used to take George on drives to visit places, but we can’t afford to do that anymore.”
George enjoys singing and performing arts at his specialist college and his family are anxious to be able to support activities that further improve his quality of life at home.
Grants from the Your Opportunity scheme have helped the family purchase items – a swinging garden chair and a computer – which they could not otherwise have afforded.
Jemma added: “George absolutely loves the chair. He never used to sit outside before, but now he spends hours on it rocking, so when the weather is fine he is able to sit out and enjoy time in the garden.
“George also uses the computer for his specialised programmes that help his conditions through education and entertainment. He loves technology.”
Picture shows: George in his swinging garden chair
Officers are appealing for information following disorder on the morning of the Scottish League Cup final between Rangers and Celtic in Glasgow on Sunday, 26 February, 2023.
At around 8.50am a disturbance took place outside Hampden stadium involving supporters from both clubs with violence directed at each other and officers.
No arrests could be made at the time and an investigation is now under way into this specific incident.
Detective Inspector Darren Munogee, who is leading the investigation, said: “Prior to the match fans from both clubs were granted pre-arranged access, by the stadium operator, to set up displays – Celtic on Saturday, 25 February, and Rangers on the morning before the match on Sunday, 26 February.
“A proportionate stewarding and policing operation to support and facilitate this was in place.
“Supporters intent on disorder clashed outside the stadium on and around Somerville Drive with police intervention required to prevent escalation and disperse both sets of supporters.
“Officers acted swiftly in challenging circumstances to deal with what amounted to totally unacceptable behaviour. It was fortunate that no one was seriously injured.
“Police Scotland will be writing to the football authorities and clubs with an expectation that they will review the circumstances and take appropriate action moving forward, we are committed to working with them in this regard.
“We are determined to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. We are asking anyone with information that can assist with our enquiries to get in touch.”
Anyone who can help officers with their investigation is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0933 of Saturday, 26 February, 2023, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
· BT Group’s activities provided estimated boost of £1.5bn to the Scottish economy last year and supported nearly 15,000 jobs across Scotland
· Estimates include the knock-on impact of the spend of employees and payment to suppliers in local economies in all parts of the country
· The company spent £190m with suppliers based in Scotland last year
The activities of BT Group added £1.5 billion to the wider economy of Scotland last year and supported nearly 15,000 jobs, according to a new report published today.
The report from consultancy firm Hatch looked at the spend of employees and suppliers of BT Group – which includes EE, BT, Plusnet and Openreach – and the estimated knock-on impact that has on economies across the country.
The report found that BT Group, the UK’s largest telecommunications company which employs more than 7,500 people in Scotland, made a direct contribution to the Scottish economy estimated at £1billion in the last financial year (2021/22).
Through the company’s employees and its supply chain, and their subsequent spending, Hatch estimates the resulting boost to the Scottish economy came to a total of £1.5 billion.
The company’s spending with suppliers based in Scotland came to a total of £190 million. According to the study, BT Group’s combined activities supported a knock-on total of 14,900 jobs across Scotland.
The report highlights BT Group’s presence across Scotland and its current major investment in the rollout of full-fibre broadband and 5G across the country. It also profiles the range of activities by BT Group colleagues across the UK, from the volunteers helping care home residents avoid isolation and loneliness, to the teams protecting customers and the country from cyber threats.
BT Group is also transforming its offices and contact centres across the UK and has already announced plans to open a brand new contact centre on Dundee’s waterfront which will become home to around 1,000 colleagues and is currently carrying out a multi-million pound refurbishment of its Glasgow office which will also house approximately 1,000 colleagues.
It is part of the company’s Better Workplace Programme, one of the largest workplace improvement schemes of its type ever undertaken in the UK. The five-year programme will see the company shift from having around 300 locations in the UK to around 30, with a focus on creating new, modern workspaces.
Philip Jansen, Chief Executive of BT Group, said:“BT Group plays a vital role at the heart of the Scottish economy. We’re one of only a handful of companies that serves customers in every corner of the country.
“We’ve continued our major investment in building next generation full fibre and mobile connectivity rapidly across the UK. We’ve already reached 9.6 million premises with full fibre, and our 5G mobile network now reaches 60% of the UK population. The benefits to families and businesses are huge: new jobs, economic growth and innovation, across every nation and region.
“We’re also transforming BT Group so that we’re fit to power the Scottish economy of the future. Our new state-of-the-art offices, spread across the UK, are a central part of that, bringing colleagues together in brilliant spaces that will enable collaboration and help us to better serve our customers.”
The Group, via its digital network business Openreach, is already delivering ultrafast full-fibre broadband across Scotland while its mobile business EE is a leader on mobile coverage.
EE’s 5G network is across many cities, towns and now expanding to rural communities, while 4G mobile coverage is at 75% of Scotland’s landmass.
The Group has recently announced contract wins with major Scottish companies such as Scottish Power, supporting their global growth, and it provides innovative, secure connectivity solutions over broadband and mobile to the public sector across the country.
Children across the UK will be stepping into their imaginations and dressing up as their favourite characters for World Book Day this Thursday on March 2nd.
Here at the Royal National Institute of Blind people (RNIB), we want to make sure that children with vision impairments can celebrate the power of reading on World Book Day – and every day of the year – alongside their fully sighted peers. This means giving them access to the same books and reading opportunities at school and at home.
That’s why we’re so excited that, for the first time, we have accessible electronic versions of all this year’s World Book Day titles available to download as part of our RNIB Library (www.rniblibrary.com). This means that all learners with a print disability can get them at the same time as their friends and classmates!
This year’s range of books includes Lenny Henry’s ‘The Boy with Wings; Attack of the Rampaging Robot’, ‘Lifesize Creepy Crawlies’ by Sophy Henn and the hilarious ‘Bedtime for the Burpee Bears’ by Joe Wicks and Paul Howard.
There’s something to suit beginner-readers right through to confident book-lovers. So whether your child is dreaming of being able to fly or spinning webs like Spiderman, there’s sure to be something to spark their imagination.
The books are also available in braille and audio CD and can be ordered through RNIB’s Helpline on 0303 123 9999.
On behalf of all at RNIB, we wish you an amazing, word-filled World Book Day!
James Bartlett
Senior Manager Reading Services, RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People)
Free sustainable Grow How session in its Edinburgh store
Looking for a cost-effective way to grow your own fruit and vegetables? Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is hosting a free Grow How session in its Edinburgh store to help people prepare for bumper crops.
Taking place on Saturday 4 March at 10:30am, this interactive session has been carefully designed for gardeners of all skill levels, from beginners to experts. Dobbies’ horticultural experts will demonstrate the best way of growing bumper crops, focusing on tomatoes and hearty vegetables.
Participants in Edinburgh will learn how to identify and select the appropriate plant variety, as well as how to prepare them for sowing. They’ll also learn about the best time of year to plant fruit and vegetables, the correct tools to use, and how to nurture the plants from seedlings right the way through to the harvest.
Sarah Murray, Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager, said: “At Dobbies we are always looking for ways to inspire people to get into gardening.
“In addition to being beneficial for the environment, growing your own has been shown to improve physical wellbeing and mental health – and it’s a fantastic way to watch your food spend.
“Customers in Edinburgh are encouraged to stop by and attend this free workshop where they’ll learn how to plant and harvest delicious fresh produce.”
For more information about how to take part in Dobbies’ Grow How session, visit Grow How | Dobbies Garden Centres.
Two portraits of important members of the Chief of Clan Grant’s household are now on display in the National Museum of Scotland.
The oil paintings by Richard Waitt were commissioned in 1713 by Alexander, the Laird of Grant, as part of a larger series depicting prominent clan members. They were created for Castle Grant, the chief’s seat near Grantown-on-Spey, intended to impress visitors and convey the Laird’s traditional authority and status as a Highland chieftain.
Shown wearing distinctive Highland dress, the subjects are ‘The Piper’ and ‘The Champion to the Laird of Grant’. The bagpipe and the basket-hilted sword are symbols of their ceremonial positions, emblematic of traditional clan values and customs.
The ‘Piper’ is William Cumming who was from at least seven generations of Cummings pipers to the Grants. He flies the heraldic banner of the Grants, with Castle Grant in the background.
The ‘Champion’ is Alasdair Mòr Grant, the strongest fighter in the clan, who managed the Laird’s timber business. His combined roles hint to a changing clan society as the shift in land use saw Highland chiefs become landlords.
Principal Curator, Renaissance and Early Modern History, Dr Anna Groundwater said: “We are grateful to Reidhaven Trust for the long-term loan of Richard Waitt’s portrait of ‘The Champion to the Laird of Grant’. We are delighted that it has been reunited with ‘The Piper’ and is now on permanent display, as they once were in Castle Grant.
“This is not a romanticised version of an imagined past – the figures in their Highland dress are documented as they looked at the time. Together they provide an insight into clan society from a time when this way of life was on the wane.”
Both works are now on display in the Scotland Transformed gallery at the National Museum of Scotland. They accompany objects relating to the Jacobite challenges, including Bonnie Prince Charlie’s silver travelling canteen, a targe that also belonged to the prince, and regimental colours from both Jacobite and Hanoverian regiments carried into battle at Culloden.
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Avoiding Hidden Sugars
Reducing our intake of sugar can have a beneficial impact on our heart health and reduce our risk of cardiovascular diseases. Consuming some sugar in our diet is perfectly fine, and many healthy foods such as fruit contain naturally occurring sugars.
However, it is the added sugar we need to be cautious of as this is usually what pushes our intake above healthy levels. We all understand that table sugar, soft drinks, sweets, and cakes contain high levels of added sugar and we can choose to eat these in moderation. However, many foods that we may not be aware of can contain high levels of sugar.
Yoghurt
Yoghurt is a great source of calcium and protein, but it can also be full of hidden sugars.
Opt for natural, unsweetened yogurt and avoid flavoured varieties, you can add fruit if you want to add some natural sweetness. It’s also a good idea to choose a live yoghurt, meaning it contains beneficial bacteria that our guts love, look for the word live on the packet.
Condiments & sauces
Ketchup is one of the most popular condiments worldwide. Most of us probably know it’s high in sugar, containing on average one teaspoon of sugar per one tablespoon of sauce.
However, many other shop-bought condiments and sauces we don’t think of as sweet can contain high levels of added sugar. Always check the label when shopping and consider swapping your shop-bought sauces for homemade, added sugar free versions like this veggie-packed tomato sauce.
Fruit juice
Although 100% pressed juice does contain vitamins and minerals, it’s devoid of fibre and very high in sugar.
Swap your fruit juices for eating the whole fruit which contains lots of fibre which also protects the heart. Save the fruit juice for special occasions, as you would other soft drinks, and only drink it alongside a balanced meal.
For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at:
Throughout March we invite you to come to West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre to work on your projects in a supportive, warm, and friendly space!
The Create Community Wealth team will be available to talk through your individual needs as and when they come up or if you would like to work on your craft, business or art projects using our equipment and resources you will be welcomed and encouraged.
The equipment we have available includes the cricut machine, access to CANVA pro and a laptop. In addition to this, we have printed resources specific to the area available for you to browse through.
Booking for the first session on Wednesday 1 March is now live!
UK Government launches portal for more households to apply for £400 payments towards energy bills
Households without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier will be able to apply for government support with their energy bills from today
With government energy bill support covering roughly half of typical winter bills, ministers urge over 900,000 households eligible for the £400 lump sum to apply as soon as possible
A telephone helpline is also available from today for people without access to the internet to apply for the payment
900,000 more households across England, Scotland and Wales will benefit from the government’s £400 help with energy bills, as an online application portal opens today.
Households without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, such as those living in park homes and care homes, can now apply via a secure online portal to receive the support as a one-off, non-repayable lump sum under the ‘alternative funding’ route of the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS AF). For those without online access, a dedicated customer helpline is available to assist eligible customers.
The launch of applications follows months of close work with stakeholders across the country to deliver the government’s help for households with the cost of living. The alternative funding route is the latest in a range of targeted measures which are covering around half of a typical household’s energy bills this winter.
To ensure people feel the benefit of this support as quickly as possible, the payment will be provided directly into people’s bank accounts. Over £7.2 billion has been provided so far to 97% of households across England, Scotland and Wales through monthly instalments, which most households receive automatically in the same way they pay these bills.
The alternative funding route is designed to make sure the same level of support reaches those without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier. It’s also available for households who get their energy through a commercial contract or who are off-grid.
Ministers are today urging all eligible households to apply as soon as possible for their support, whilst also warning households to stay alert to potential scams and report them to relevant authorities where they are suspected.
The government will never provide any links to the application portal, or directly ask individuals to apply for the £400 support. Those that require additional help when applying for support may wish to seek assistance from a family member or trusted friend.
Minister at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Amanda Solloway, said: We understand the pressure households are under which is why we’ve already stepped in to pay around half of people’s energy bills this winter, and from today, thousands more will be able to apply securely for their £400.
“Today I’m urging everyone who couldn’t get their EBSS discounts in the regular way to apply via our secure channels. If you don’t have a direct contract with an electricity supplier, it’s essential you submit your application as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner help can get to you.”
The launch of the portal follows a successful pilot scheme with local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to refine the process, making sure the system can deliver support in a robust, secure and efficient manner.
Once customers have applied to receive energy support and their applications have been processed and verified, eligible customers’ details will be shared with Local Authorities across England, Scotland and Wales, who will deliver the support in one lump sum. Local authorities may request additional information to assist their verification process – but only once an application has been made via the secure portal or helpline. Applicants will only be able to submit information through these channels and should not contact their local authority.
The exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant local authority.
Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps will shortly write to local authorities, thanking them for getting the scheme over the line after working hand in hand with his department over the last three months, and urging them to process applications as quickly as possible so households aren’t left waiting weeks after applying.
He’ll also say there must be no further delays to rolling out the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund – a similar scheme for households who use alternative fuels as their main source of heating, providing £200 towards energy costs, adding it will be live by 6th March.
This will help people who use alternative energy sources such as heating oil, biomass and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to heat their homes, but who were unable to receive the government’s £200 Alternative Fuel Payment automatically via their electricity supplier. Of nearly 2 million people who use these sources as the main means to heat their homes, around 15% will need to apply through a similar GOV.UK portal which will shortly open to applications.
These schemes are the latest part of a range of targeted measures to help households across the country with the cost of living, which are covering around half of a typical household’s typical energy bills this winter.
In addition to the £400 of total support provided through the EBSS, the government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) is saving a typical UK household £900 over this winter by reducing the unit cost of electricity and gas.
Together, the support provided through the EPG and EBSS cover around half of a typical household’s energy bills. The EPG will continue to provide support for another 12 months from April 2023, providing an average of £500 support for households in 2023 to 2024 in the face of energy prices that are forecast to remain high.
A further £1,200 of support in direct payments is also being provided to vulnerable households this year, with £26 billion worth of targeted support to help protect the most vulnerable announced by the Chancellor for the next financial year.
