Month: March 2023

Uptick in Scottish business confidence

Bank of Scotland Business Barometer

  • Business confidence in Scotland rose four points during February to 14%
  • Scottish businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as hiring new employees (43%), introducing new technology (31%) and evolving their offer (30%)
  • Overall, UK business confidence remained positive in February at 21% and 31% of firms reported feeling positive about their own trading prospects for the year ahead

Business confidence in Scotland rose four points during February to 14%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking.

Companies in Scotland reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down one point at 7%.  When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up eight points to 20%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 14%. 

Scottish businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as investing in their team (43%), introducing new technology (31%) and evolving their offer (30%).

The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.

A net balance of 1% of businesses in the region expect to reduce staff levels over the next year, down 15 points from January when a net balance of 14% of businesses planned to create new jobs.

Overall UK business confidence decreased by just one point to 21% in February. Firms remained positive about their own trading prospects with a net balance of 31% expecting business activity to increase in the coming 12 months.

Firms also reported plans to create new jobs with 20% of businesses intending to make new hires over the next 12 months – up three points from January.

All UK regions and nations reported a positive confidence reading in February, with six areas reporting a month-on-month increase in confidence. Of those, the West Midlands (up 30 points to 48%) and Yorkshire and Humber (up 22 points to 34%) saw the largest monthly increases.

Chris Lawrie, area director for Scotland at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “After a dip in confidence in January, it is good to see that businesses are once again feeling optimistic about their own trading prospects and the wider economy.

“However, rising costs, supply chain challenges and skills shortages are still affecting several key sectors across the country. As firms grapple with these challenges it’s easy for attention to pull away from seizing opportunities for growth.

“Firms that keep a close eye on cash flow and manage their working capital will be best placed to take on any unforeseen challenges and go after prospects in the months ahead.”

Retail confidence bounced back, rising for the first time in three months to 21% (up 14 points), led by improvements in both trading prospects and economic optimism. However, business confidence fell in construction (down eight points to 19%) and services (down five points to 20%) although this remains higher than in the latter part of 2022.

Scotland only: Paul Gordon, Managing Director for SME and Mid Corporates, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said:  “While overall confidence has dipped slightly, it’s encouraging to see businesses backing their own trading prospects. This may well be down to the easing of cost pressures as we see the prices of commodities such as oil and energy coming down. At the same time, with pay expectations easing, this may be giving businesses the boost they need to weather the rest of the year.”

“As we move further into 2023, focusing on growth and investment should be key for businesses across the sectors, while ensuring that margins and cash flow are also prioritised.”

Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Business confidence has lost a little momentum this month, following the strong gains seen recently. Firms are feeling more cautious about the wider economy. However, confidence in their own trading prospects continues to strengthen, helped by tentative signs that wage and other cost pressures may be reducing.

“While inflation appears to be tapering, pressures on consumers will need to ease further to help make it a more stable environment for businesses to operate.”

Interim report identifies inclusive diploma model for future of qualifications

A new Scottish Diploma of Achievement is being suggested as the centre piece of future qualifications.

The new model put forward by the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment led by Professor Louise Hayward, has been designed to recognise a wider spectrum of learners’ achievements, not just those traditionally measured by exams.  

Schools, colleges, universities, employers, parents, and young people from across the country have all contributed to help shape the proposed model for the diploma during an extensive consultation process.

Education expert Professor Hayward, who was asked by the Scottish Government to look at the future of qualifications and assessment, has now published an interim report outlining a possible new approach to be considered further with stakeholders.

Further views will now be taken from schools and colleges to refine this model, before a final report is submitted in May for consideration by Ministers.

Professor Hayward said: “We want the recommendations that come from our work to improve outcomes for all learners.

“By taking a broader and more inclusive approach I believe our proposed model will help create a fairer, more prosperous future society in Scotland.”

The draft model for the Scottish Diploma of Achievement is made up of three key areas:

  • Subject studies – where learners progress knowledge in line with specific curricular areas and individual subjects
  • Learning in context – project-based learning which recognises the importance of equipping learners with skills for the future
  • Personal pathway – the opportunity for learners to evidence their contributions to society and career aspirations

Professor Hayward said: “The design of the diploma, which will be refined after further consultation, represents an opportunity to ensure all learners’ achievements are recognised.

“We need a qualification system that will support all learners as they transition into whatever they choose to do in the next stage of their lives, in college, employment, university or the voluntary sector. 

“This approach would lead to a better balance between external assessment, including examinations, and other ways of gathering evidence across the senior phase.

“A better and more clearly defined integration of academic and vocational qualifications will be at the heart of the proposed diploma.

“There would be a broadening of the evidence collected during the senior phase to include skills and other competencies.

“Learners want to have opportunities to demonstrate more of what they can achieve.

Colleges, employers, and universities are also clear about the important role skills and competences play in future success.”

The model is designed to represent a future direction of travel and details of the model are intentionally left open for further consultation ahead of the final report.

Professor Hayward explains “The purpose at this stage in the Review is to seek views on whether this direction of travel aligns with the vision and principles we have developed and ultimately would provide a better evidence base for learners in Scotland to support their transition into the next phase of their lives.”

External exams will remain part of any new system.

Professor Hayward invited individuals from a range of backgrounds and experiences, including teachers and learners, to join the Independent Review Group (IRG) who helped shape the diploma model.

Oban High Executive Head Teacher and member of the IRG, Peter Bain said: “Scotland has a rich history of providing an outstanding breadth of curriculum, one that is generally recognised through the acquisition of many individual subject awards.

“However, Curriculum for Excellence has allowed us to reshape our understanding of what our learners really need, and what they can achieve in their journey through learning, life and work.

“A Scottish Diploma of Achievement would more fully encapsulate all of which we value: academic and vocational attainment; inter-disciplinary learning; and in acknowledging the wealth of wider achievements across our educational settings and wider communities.”

The Independent Review Group’s final report and recommendations will be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Shirley-Anne Somerville, who will respond in due course.

You can read the full interim report here: Independent Review of Qualifications & Assessment in Scotland: Interim Report – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Scotland risks becoming the UK tourism industry’s ‘capital of cruelty’, campaigners warn

Scottish Government urged to U-turn and support UK-wide legislation to end the exploitation of animals abroad

The Scottish Government is being urged to support legislation at Westminster which would help end the abuse of wild animals across the world exploited to entertain British holidaymakers. 

The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill, which recently had an unopposed second reading in the Commons, would help end many endangered species including elephants, tigers, monkeys and dolphins being cruelly exploited as part of the tourism trade. 

Elephant calves are deprived of food, water and sleep and then subjected to torture and beatings to force them to submit to giving rides to tourists and performing tricks. The Bill proposes a ban in the UK of the advertising and sale of practices abroad where animals are exploited, harmed and killed for financial gain. 

The Bill requires legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament, but the Scottish Government is refusing to support the Bill on the grounds it has not been given enough time to consider the draft law. 

Unless the Scottish Government changes its approach, and supports the legislation, then either it will proceed through the parliamentary process but exclude cruel holidays advertised and sold from Scotland, or the entire Bill risks being withdrawn.

Chief Executive of the charity, Save the Asian Elephants, Duncan McNair said: “Of course we understand there is political complexity between Scotland and Westminster but it would be a tragedy if Scotland jeopardised the entire future of the Bill by withholding support and also failed to legislate north of the border. At present no commitment has been made for either of these. 

“There are well over 1,000 UK firms promoting these abhorrent activities abroad, including those based in Scotland, such as Scotland’s largest independent travel agency, Barrhead Travel. If the Scottish Government, despite its strong track record on animal welfare, doesn’t legislate alongside Westminster it risks becoming the UK’s capital for cruelty, as tourists will simply book from here instead.” 

In 2016 a Scottish holiday maker was killed after being thrown from an elephant during a trek in Thailand. The elephant was reportedly stabbed by its handler after it failed to respond to commands before rearing up and throwing off and crushing 36-year-old Gareth Crowe. 

Prior to that in 2000 Helen Costigan’s sister Andrea Taylor was killed in a violent attack by a traumatised elephant, also in Thailand. Helen has since spoken of the shocking scenes which led to her sister’s death, yet still today 120 UK companies advertise this cruel and dangerous tourist attraction. 

Helen Costigan supports the new legislation and says: “New law is long overdue to regulate an often greedy and heartless tourism industry, placing profits far above any concerns for animal welfare or human safety.

“I plead with Scotland’s government to support these measures in memory of Gareth Crowe and my own dear sister Andrea, taken from us so horrifically aged just 20.”

Duncan McNair added: “This Bill is a significant, long awaited and well-supported piece of legislation which is not only an important step towards protecting numerous animals from hideous cruelty, but can also prevent needless deaths such as Gareth’s and Andrea’s, both killed by animals driven to insanity by the cruelty they’d been subjected to.” 

An Electoral Calculus poll carried out last year shows overwhelming support across every single UK Parliamentary constituency, including throughout Scotland, for such a  new law.  Of those polled, 85%  support a new law to ban advertising venues abroad where this type of cruelty occurs. Only 2% are opposed. 

The Bill will go to Committee stage in the House of Commons on 8th March. 

Strikes Bill fails to meet human rights obligations – JCHR report

UK Government plans to impose minimum service levels on public services during strike action are likely to be incompatible with human rights law in their current form, the Joint Committee on Human Rights has found.

In a report published following legislative scrutiny of the Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Bill, the Committee finds that reforms that would make it easier to sack striking workers and leave unions at risk of million-pound fines do not appear to be justified and need to be reconsidered. The Committee finds that it would be possible to introduce minimum service levels in some sectors in a way that is more likely to be compliant with human rights law.

While the European Convention on Human Rights does not include a ‘right to strike’, Article 11 which guarantees freedom of association has been interpreted to cover the taking of strike action. This requires that any restrictions on strike action must be “in accordance with the law”, which requires its consequences to be foreseeable to those affected. Changes to the law must also meet a “pressing social need” and be proportionate to the aim being pursued.

The Joint Committee finds that the Government’s Bill risks failing to meet these benchmarks in its current form. Ahead of the Committee Stage in the House of Lords on 9 March, it has called on the Government to reconsider the legislation and ensure it meets the UK’s human rights obligations. The draft report includes five proposed amendments to the Bill intended to rectify key concerns.

The Government brought forward the Strikes Bill in response to growing industrial unrest and strikes in a number of sectors, including transport, health and education. It has argued that legislation is needed to provide greater protection to the lives and livelihoods of those that may be disrupted by industrial action in key public services.

The Bill would allow ministers to set minimum service levels on public and private services subject to strike action. The employer would then be given the power to issue a ’work notice’ to a trade union, identifying who will be required to work and the work needed to meet the minimum service level.

Individual employees who failed to comply with a work notice would lose legal protections against dismissal. Trade unions who failed to take steps to ensure notices were complied with could be required to pay damages of up to £1 million.

The Joint Committee warns that the Government has not made a compelling case that such measures are necessary and finds that the Bill as drafted contains inadequate protection against arbitrary use and is unclear.

Under the European Convention on Human Rights, restrictions on strikes must meet a ‘pressing social need’. However, the Government has not proven that existing strike laws and voluntary minimum service levels are insufficient across all the sectors identified in the Bill.

Claims that strike action in the sectors named in the Bill has caused significant and disproportionate damage to the public and wider economy have not been backed up with sufficient evidence, with the Government providing supporting data for the costs of previous transport strikes only.

Measures that interfere with the right to free association must be proportionate. This is more likely to be achieved if minimum service levels are established though negotiation and disputes resolved through independent arbitration. The Government has previously accepted that such an approach would work, in the Transport Strikes Bill introduced in October. The Bill, which would abandon this in favour of the Secretary of State imposing minimum service levels by regulations, risks failing to meet the requirement of proportionality.

Penalties for employees and unions who don’t meet the Bill’s requirements are high and potentially disproportionate, the Joint Committee finds. It calls on the Government to reconsider whether less severe measures would be more appropriate, particularly where a strike does not involve essential services. Existing penalties, such as loss of pay or suspension would be more appropriate in such cases.

The Bill has insufficient clarity in several key areas, the Joint Committee finds. Trade unions would be required to take ‘reasonable steps’ to ensure their members comply with a work notice, however the Bill does not provide sufficient detail to ensure they will know when this duty has or has not been met.

The definitions of the services in respect of which minimum service levels could be imposed are currently too vague, meaning that ‘education services’ could include private tutors and ‘transport services’ private taxi drivers. 

Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Joanna Cherry KC MP said: “The Strikes Bill will be debated in the House of Lords this Thursday and needs amending to resolve some of the deep flaws it has.

“If this proposed legislation becomes law in its current form, ministers would have the power to set minimum service levels that would leave striking workers at risk of the sack if they are not met, and unions liable to million-pound fines. Yet, the Government has not proven that such draconian measures are needed or that the current framework is inadequate.

“Heavy-handed sanctions are compounded by vague rules that would leave striking workers and unions in confusion as to whether they had been met or not. The sectors included in the Bill are also ill-defined, risking over-reach into areas only tangentially linked to the maintenance of vital public services. This means the Bill, in our view, is likely to be incompatible with human rights law which provides a right to association and with it, protection for strike action.

“The Government needs to think again and come back with legislation that better respects the protections guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.”

strikes-billDownload

Snow and Ice warnings issued

Warnings have been issued for snow and ice by the Met Office, as a northerly airflow will bring some disruptive weather through this week.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice have been issued with the focus of initial snow showers in northern and eastern areas of the UK.

5-10cm of snow could accumulate over northern Scotland and snow is likely within the warning area even to lower ground, with icy conditions likely to cause travel disruption.

The area of high pressure that has brought recent benign conditions will move away to the west at the start of the week, allowing a northerly airflow to sweep across the UK. The introduction of an arctic maritime airmass will bring snow showers to Scotland, Northern Ireland and along the east coast of England from Monday.

The snow showers will predominantly impact northern and eastern areas; however, it will be cold across the UK, with widespread freezing conditions overnight.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Chris Almond, said: “Very cold air will spread across the UK from late on Sunday through early next week. This brings with it snow even to low levels in the north and east through Monday and Tuesday, and in excess of 10cm could accumulate, most likely on high ground in the north, but also settling for a time at lower levels.

“With freezing overnight temperatures and the risk of ice, there’s a risk of some travel disruption and wintry hazards are likely to persist through much of next week, even further south for a time, so keep an eye on the Met Office forecast for the latest information.”

James Coles of Scottish Mountain Rescue and Team Leader at Moffat Mountain Rescue said: “The UK is entering a period of increasingly challenging weather conditions with snow, ice and gusty winds all featuring prominently in the forecast for the coming week. Upland areas, especially in the mountains, can see conditions change very rapidly and they may be markedly different from surrounding lowland areas.

“Met Office warnings come into force on Monday, but conditions ahead may deteriorate more quickly at higher elevations.”

Stay up to date with the Met Office forecast on social media, through our weather warnings and by checking our mountain area forecasts, which are written by trained meteorologists and are available under specialist forecasts on the Met Office website.

Cold weather alert

The UK Health Security Agency has issued Level 2 and Level 3 Cold Weather Alerts for the whole of England. These are likely to be reviewed and extended in the coming days.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.

“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can.’’

Transport disruption

Stein Connelly, head of transport resilience (operations) at Transport Scotland, said: “We would urge the public to plan ahead, listen to Police Scotland travel advice, drive to the conditions, and also check before they travel. While our operating companies will be undertaking patrols and treatments and we are closely monitoring the network for impacts, it’s important to recognise that challenging conditions are likely early this week.

“Motorists can check with Traffic Scotland to make sure that their route is available. The new Traffic Scotland website gives people access to the latest travel information and the Traffic Scotland twitter page is also updated regularly.

“We know that stopping distances can be up to ten times greater in snow compared to dry roads so keep well back from the road user in front, check your windscreen washer levels, ensure your mobile phone is charged and have sufficient fuel and warm clothing in case your journey is delayed.”

Get advice for keeping your home warm, staying safe in snow, looking after your pets in cold weather and more as part of WeatherReady.

Further ahead

Temperatures are likely to stay well below average for much of this week, with an increasing chance of snow further south from Wednesday onwards.

Some uncertainty remains on exact positioning and timing of further wintry hazards as milder air attempts to move in from the southwest. Details will be refined for the latter half of the week, but broadly cold conditions with further wintry hazards is the most likely scenario.

Keep up to date with the latest forecast on our website, by following us on Twitter and Facebook. Keep track of current weather warnings on the weather warning page.

Tony Delahoy: Things Remembered

CAREER CHANGE and GOLDEN OCTOBER

WORK as a milk roundsman was still largely enjoyable and I stayed with the Dairy until well into the summer of 1947. That summer was extremely hot and I remember that the heat made pushing the barrow very difficult as the metal-rimmed wheels dug deep into the softening tar on the roads.

One particular problem for me was the expectation for a milk roundsman to work seven days each week. When I asked for a day off and the foreman insisted that I had to work seven days each week, I decided there and then that they needed someone else, and my life as a milk roundsman was over.

After the years of war service there was a determination on the part of working people for a better way of life, and a return to the old inflexible relationship between employers and the workers was intolerable: the old way’s of working and doffing one’s cap wouldn’t wash any longer.

After leaving the Dairy I applied to work for London Transport and was taken on and trained as a conductor working on the trams, largely on ticket recognition and control. I worked from the New Cross Tram Depot, initially operating on a variety of services until, with sufficient experience of the whole network, I was allocated a regular route and driver. I worked on the number 54 route that ran between the Victoria Station terminus and Grove Park terminus at the top of a huge council estate in South East London.

I enjoyed working on the trams that seemed to glide along and sway gently as they went. Dealing with the electrical pickups both in the road and overhead was interesting, and dealing with people as well as handling money was of course already familiar to me.

My driver was a skilled operator, but when one had a relief driver who was less skilled the difference in the ride was most noticeable, particularly to the conductor who naturally spent the journeys on his feet; one soon learned to balance and move with the movement of the tram!

As time went on plans were being made to replace the trams with buses, and in 1952 my route was converted to buses. This also necessitated a change of depot from New Cross to Peckham. The work of a conductor remained much the same, except that the buses were prone to shaking and jolting and were much harder on the legs of the conductor; sadly the buses did not compare with the gliding smoothness of the trams.

During this time work and home life settled down. Helen’s mother, who had been widowed many years before, had remarried in the final years of the war and now lived with her husband Alf on the lower storey of the house whilst Helen and I lived on the upper floors.

On the 10th of October 1947 in the top floor front room of 64 Malpas Road my daughter Barbara was born, and in 1951 on the 12th of October my son Paul was also born there. On both occassions it had been a beautiful sunny October day.

The 10th of October 1947 was my first day in control as a conductor under the supervision of a regular conductor, on the 46 from Lee Green to Eltham. It was an early morning shift and I remember that conductor calling out to the passengers that ‘the conductor this morning had a baby girl’ – the passengers all cheered!

Royal Highland Show and Farmers Bash present Royal Highland Hoolie

Tickets are on sale for Royal Highland Hoolie, an evening of the best Scottish music, taking place Saturday 24 June. Tickets are available only to those already attending or who purchase a Saturday ticket to the Royal Highland Show. 

Hosted in partnership with legendary and sell-out country music phenomenon Farmers Bash, the Royal Highland Hoolie will showcase some of Scotland & Ireland’s best homegrown musical talent.  

The line-up of artists will be announced within the coming weeks and will represent the vibrancy of the intrinsically linked Scottish & Irish music scene, from traditional Scottish folk music to Irish Country – there will be something for everyone at this exciting new event. 

Royal Highland Hoolie presented by Farmers Bash will run from 6pm – 10.30pm on Saturday 24 June. 

Royal Highland Hoolie tickets are £30, with VIP tickets available at £50. Further details, including the line-up, will be announced in March. Tickets can be purchased from Friday 24 February at: royalhighlandshow.org  

Jim Warnock, Chairman of Royal Highland Show organisers, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), commented: “Over the last few years, RHASS has been exploring options to satisfy the rising demand for evening entertainment at the Royal Highland Show.

“Last year the first-ever series of Big Top concerts were held which saw acts performing to a sell-out crowd. 

“This year, we are happy to be working with Farmers Bash to present the Royal Highland Hoolie, which promises to be a fantastic night of entertainment that we are sure will be welcomed by our visitors as a fun extension of their Royal Highland Show experience.” 

Farmers Bash organiser, Nigel Campbell, added: “We are very much looking forward to bringing the spirit of Farmers Bash to Scotland.

“Our events are extremely popular amongst rural communities and we are sure that the Royal Highland Hoolie will be a fantastic night of live music and a great addition to the Royal Highland Show.” 

BFBS Scotland expands service onto DAB 

BFBS is a military charity and media organisation that entertains, informs, connects and champions the UK Armed Forces.  

BFBS Scotland is now available on DAB in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Glencorse, adding to the existing FM services across the regions.  

BFBS Scotland presenters Jim Gellatly and Mark McKenzie host the live breakfast and afternoon shows weekdays from 6.30-10am and 1-4pm, bringing listeners local news, chat, music, and the latest global military stories in hourly news bulletins.   

The DAB service also broadcasts BFBS’s worldwide network programmes, connecting audiences in Scotland with news and stories from the forces community across the UK and overseas. 

Simon Monk, Deputy Director Radio & Live Events, said: “The expansion of our services in Scotland gives our listeners the chance to stay connected with the forces world when they’re moving around the country, giving audiences more flexibility in ways to listen to our music, features and defence news, whether they’re out and about, at work, or at home.”   

BFBS Scotland is also available online, on the BFBS Radio app for iPhone and Android, and on smart speakers. Connect @BFBSScotland, scotland@bfbs.com or on 0131 310 2898.   

FM frequencies: Edinburgh, 98.5, Fort George and Inverness 87.7, and Glencorse 94.0  

Nando’s to donate over £100,000 to charities across Scotland and Wales

·       36 charities will each receive a £3,000 donation

·       The charities are part of Nando’s ‘No Chuckin’ Our Chicken’ initiative, established ten years ago to help feed communities in need

Nando’s will donate £108,000 to 36 charities across Scotland and Wales to support relieving food poverty in the communities in which its restaurants operate.

Each charity, as members of the Nando’s ‘No Chuckin’ Our Chicken’ initiative, will receive a total of £3,000. The initiative was established in 2013 to help local charities feed communities in need while reducing food waste – with each Nando’s restaurant selecting their own charity partner.

The donations have been funded by the mandatory 10p and 5p charges for single-use paper carrier bags in Scotland and Wales respectively. Nando’s has collected these charges in line with regulations since 2015 and is committed to continuing to donate proceeds to its local charity partners.

Richard Craft, Nando’s UK Community lead, said: “We know that the start of the year can be a particularly challenging time for local charities as everyone looks to cut back on their spending.

“That’s why we’ve committed to making these donations to our charity partners in Scotland and Wales. We hope these donations, on top of our food donation programme, will help our fantastic partners to continue their work in feeding those who need it most.”

Nando’s No Chuckin’ Our Chicken scheme sees any cooked chicken that hasn’t been sold temperature checked, frozen and delivered to each restaurant’s charity partner at the end of every night. To date, Nando’s has provided the equivalent of over 3 million meals to more than 500 UK charities. Nando’s works in partnership with the UK’s largest food redistribution charity FareShare to run the programme.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “The cost of living crisis is having a disproportionate impact on those already struggling to make ends meet, and our charities are finding it increasingly hard to meet the skyrocketing demand from those in need. 

“The support from Nando’s and its No Chuckin’ Our Chicken scheme continues to be invaluable in aiding national donations and helping FareShare continue delivering much needed food this winter.”

Charity recipients will be able to use the £3,000 donation as they wish, and some plan to invest in projects including upgrading their kitchens; enhancing their pantries and supporting people with recipes; alongside upskilling their volunteers to enhance their service.

Scottish Charities

RestaurantCharity
Fife LeisureJames Bank Centre
Edinburgh, Fountain ParkOxgangs, Neighbourhood Centre
LivingstonOpen Door Scotland
Edinburgh, Lothian RoadFidra Court Community Kitchen
Edinburgh, Chambers StreetRCCG King of Glory
Edinburgh, Omni CentreEdinburgh Tabernacle (RCCG)
HamiltonBetel of Motherwell
Edinburgh, Straiton ParkFood Facts Friends Foodbank
Edinburgh, Ocean TerminalEdinburgh Tabernacle (RCCG)
Fort KinnairdMayfield and Easthouses Development Trust
East KilbrideCalderwood Baptist Church
Glasgow, The FortThe Everlasting Foodbank
StirlingThe Larder @ Bridge of Allan
Dundee, NethergateDundee Survival Group
Aberdeen, Belmont StreetFareShare Regional Centre: Grampian (CFINE)
St AndrewsCupar Foodbank
FalkirkFalkirk Foodbank
InvernessCafé 1668
Dundee, CamperdownDundee Foodbank
Glasgow, Soar (Xsite)RAMH Restore
Glasgow, Springfield QuayHelp For The Homeless (Glasgow)
Glasgow, SilverbunIsobel Mair Family Centre
Glasgow, St EnochLodging House Mission
Glasgow, BraeheadJ.Praise International
Glasgow, Sauchiehall StreetHelp For The Homeless (Glasgow)
ClydebankFood for Thought (Glasgow)
PaisleyChrist Ambassador Community Church
Glasgow, West EndKindness Homeless Street Team Glasgow
Glasgow, Waterloo StreetGarnethill Multicultural Centre
St Enoch, East End LeisureEmmanuel Christian Ministries

Nations unite to call for halt to Israel’s West Bank expansion

A joint statement with France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories:

France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, express their grave concern in the face of the continuing, growing violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

We strongly condemn recent terrorist attacks that killed Israeli citizens. Terrorism can under no circumstance be justified.

We also strongly condemn indiscriminate violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, including destruction of homes and properties.

We are saddened by all loss of life. These acts can lead nowhere, except to more violence. Those responsible must face full accountability and legal prosecution. All unilateral actions that threaten peace and incitement to violence must cease.

There has been a spark of hope coming from the recent meeting in Aqaba, where Israelis and Palestinians both affirmed reciprocal commitments, including on efforts to de-escalate and work towards a just and lasting peace.

Such a result is a first in many years, and we thank the United States of America and Kingdom of Jordan for making it possible. We urge all parties to refrain from making this fragile process derail, and call on all parties to make good on the commitments they made in the Aqaba meeting by de-escalating in words and deeds and to restore calm, in order for those efforts to blossom and to make the next meeting in Egypt a success.

There can be no desirable outcome other than a just and lasting peace for all. In this regard, we also reiterate our strong opposition to all unilateral measures that undermine the Two-state solution, including expansion of settlements which are illegal under international law.

We urge the Israeli government to reverse its recent decision to advance the construction of more than 7,000 settlement building units across the occupied West Bank and to legalize settlement outposts.