Month: April 2023

Northern vendors to sell Big Issue UK magazine as Big Issue North ceases production

From 15 May, Big Issue North vendors will sell the national Big Issue UK weekly magazine, as Big Issue North magazine ceases production.

The change will not have an impact on people experiencing poverty and homelessness across the region, who will continue to earn an income through selling a magazine on the streets of the North. They will still be in towns and cities, selling Big Issue UK magazine, keeping the profit they make.

They will continue to visit the same offices and see the same members of Big Issue North’s team. And they will still buy a magazine for £2, selling it on the streets for £4; the only change will be the magazine they buy. While they buy their magazines, vendors are offered support, guidance and advice on everything from housing and employment issues to healthcare and financial concerns.

Since 1993, Big Issue North has been an independently produced magazine, focusing on regional stories and profiling some of the biggest names across the Northern cultural landscape. However, a decline in sales in the aftermath of the pandemic as town centre footfall decreased, alongside increased print, energy and paper costs, mean that continuing to produce Big Issue North is no longer financially viable.

To make sure that Big Issue North continues to provide a local and regional voice, the organisation will publish stories via the Street News app and its social and web channels and offer content to Big Issue UK and the whole of the International Street Paper Network. These stories will focus on amplifying the voices of marginalised communities, shining a spotlight to people who do not typically get their fair share.

Fay Selvan, CEO of Big Issue North, said: “We could not be prouder of the impact that the magazine has had, both in giving marginalised people a chance to work their way out of poverty, and in the stories we have told from our communities.

“We have explored a number of alternatives, but ultimately, ceasing production and offering the national Big Issue magazine to vendors in the North is the route that gives the best possible opportunity for the most people to earn an income and change their lives.

“We will continue to support vendors and to raise income through our charity, Big Issue North Trust, to do more than ever to give people the opportunity to earn an income and change their lives.

“This decision is incredibly hard. We don’t take it lightly, but we believe that this is the best possible route to take to ensure that for many years to come, marginalised people in the North facing poverty or homelessness are supported to earn an income, gain support in all areas of their lives, and work towards a more hopeful future.

Kevin Gopal, editor of Big Issue North, said: “This is a sad moment for independent northern-based publishing and a sign of the difficult commercial outlook for much of the media industry. But I’m grateful for a great 16-year spell – thanks to readers, sources and contacts, a brilliant band of freelance contributors and especially the wonderful editorial team here.

“Hopefully we’ve done good journalism and helped vendors. I’m pleased the vendors will continue to get the support they sorely need.”

A souvenir issue of Big Issue North magazine will be on sale from vendors from Monday, 8 May. From 15 May, the public will be able to buy Big Issue UK from their local northern vendor.

Divino unveils new summer menus overflowing with seasonal Italian favourites

Award-winning restaurant and wine bar transports guests to an Italian summer holiday from the heart of Edinburgh

The award-winning Italian restaurant hidden in Edinburgh’s Old Town, Divino, is welcoming the changing seasons with an array of new summer menus filled with vibrant dishes perfect to see in the longer days and warmer nights.

Divino has revamped their lunch, dinner, and drinks menus to introduce new showstoppers and elevated favourites inspired by the celebrated ingredients of the season. The menus boast authentic Italian cuisine, where undying tradition and modern flair runs through each fresh, vibrant dish for a unique experience to see guests through the summer months.

To fuel summer nights with bountiful fresh and colourful ingredients, Divino’s new dinner menu offers a variety of dishes including soft gnocchi served with fresh clams and beef cheek braised in Barolo wine. A range of vegetarian and vegan options are available including a southern Italian delicacy of deep-fried aubergines slow cooked in tomato and basil sauce.

For sociable souls this summer, Divino have introduced an array of new sharing dishes including crispy roman-style focaccia and platters of Italian cheese and charcuterie to be paired with a selection of drinks from its new drinks menu featuring cocktails of ‘Sicilian sun’ and fruity, fresh wines, all best enjoyed on the newly renovated outdoor patio, perfect for soaking up the sun.

Available every Saturday, Divino’s new lunch menu features indulgent starters like an Apulian burrata with pickled wild mushrooms and mains like roasted chicken with pancetta wrapped asparagus and desserts. Guests can enjoy two courses for £22 or three courses at £30, offering great value in a beautifully refurbished and relaxed dining experience.  

Alongside a la carte options, Divino has curated three set menus all available for groups over 8, each offering an array of antipasti, mains and desserts to suit any pallet and budget. The Montepulciano menu a compact selection at £29 per person, while the Chianti menu priced at £45 per person elevates this offering to include options like Beef cheek braised in barolo wine. For those who prefer to sample from a wider range of dishes, the Barolo menu priced at £60 per head provides the widest variety.

Divino pride themselves on a truly immersive Italian experience, which is why guests can also enjoy monthly dedicated regional and wine nights, showcasing the very best produce and wines from different regions of Italy’s diverse culture and cuisine. For non-stop entertainment, Wednesday nights present Jazz Night at Divino, where guests can enjoy the finest Italian cuisine and an evening of jazz sessions from some of the best musicians in the city.

Emergency: Lib-Dem calls to stop sewage dumping in the Water of Leith

The Water of Leith deserves better. It’s been a freshwater resource for centuries – ebbing and flowing across Edinburgh, connecting the Pentlands to Colinton, Saughton, Roseburn, Stockbridge, Canonmills, Bonnington and Leith. Our communities were literally built around it’s clean, fresh flowing water (writes Lib-Dem Cllr JACK CALDWELL).

It’s home to over 11 species of fish, thousands of plant species and is absolutely vital to Edinburgh’s local ecosystem, providing a biodiverse habitat for birds, otters and ducks.

So why have we let it fill up with untreated human waste?

There are 65 Combined Sewage Overflow Stations (CSOs) on the Water of Leith, 14 of which are between the Leith Shore and Warriston, a stretch of the river where you can typically find ducks nesting, or people simply enjoying public “green and blue space” as many of us escape from our gardenless flats.

As of January, none of these CSOs currently retain any data of how much sewage they pump out of them when the drains are overwhelmed by harsher weather, which is becoming more and more common due to climate change.

However 24 of Scottish Water’s 108 highest priority assets for urgent upgrade across the country are located here. New screens have been fitted on several CSOs in the past few years with varying anecdotal results, but the issue ultimately lies with sewage flowing into our precious river in the first place. But how much?

When the ‘Sewage Scandal’ broke last in 2021, data was published across the UK. Sadly Not in Scotland though. We know Sewage is being dumped in the Water of Leith, but we don’t know the extent. We also know that extreme weather led to a 40% increase of raw sewage dumping across Scotland in 2021.

The data we do have in nearby rivers is concerning. In December 2019, the Newbridge CSO, which is monitored, spilled sewage water into the River Almond 13 times discharging over 2,100 litres of water in one month (source: SEPA FOI).

Lots of volunteer-led organisations are doing fabulous work trying to get more information or trying to help clean it up themselves. SOS Leith and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, among others, both remove tonnes of litter every month from the river and surrounding paths. However, they can’t, nor shouldn’t have to, remove excrement and wet wipes.

Scottish Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur has been pressing Holyrood Ministers to fund and fix the issues, but locally the new Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership must work with Scottish Water and SEPA (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) to start collecting data before we can even begin to seriously tackle the issue.

With several Scottish Government officials quoted saying Scotland is “way behind” England in terms of solving the raw sewage spill problem, our country, city and communities deserve better.

We need to stop taking Edinburgh’s natural environment for granted. The Council recently declared a nature and biodiversity emergency.

This is why Lib Dem councillors have tabled a motion at this Thursday’s Council meeting to get a public meeting of the Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership as agencies working together and collecting data is a key and urgent part of ultimately stopping the discharge of human waste into Edinburgh’s longest river.

It’s a pity there aren’t more in Holyrood who see the urgency of this issue, but I hope that Councillors can back our plan to move this forward;–

The Lib-Dem motion:

“Council –

Regrets

1)    That there are a large number of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSOs) outputs in Edinburgh’s waterways, such as along the Water of Leith, the River Almond and the Figgate Burn.

2)    That many CSOs are not actively monitored, despite promises from Scottish Water and SEPA that a number of monitors would be installed by the end of 2022.

3)    That although plans have come forward Scottish Water to reduce the amount of CSOs in total, action is still to be taken outwith ‘upgrading’ a small percentage of CSOs.

Notes

1)    The important benefits that our rivers and coastline plays for our community, and that many voluntary organisations clean up our waterways, and thanks them for their ongoing service.

2)    The current situation is contradictory to the City of Edinburgh Council’s declaration of a Nature and Climate Emergency.

3)    The City of Edinburgh Council is a member of the Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership along with Scottish Water, SEPA and others.

Requests

1)    The Edinburgh and Lothians Drains Partnership holds an extraordinary meeting to draft a publicly accessible plan of action and invites key stakeholders and campaign groups including (but not exclusive to) The Water of Leith Conservation Trust, River Almond Action Group, Figgate Friends, Forth Rivers Trust and SOS Leith with Full Minutes published on the Council website alongside a map of all river-based CSOs within the City of Edinburgh.

2)    That Transport and Environment Committee is:

provided six-monthly updates on the installation of sewage monitoring to the business bulletin.
provided ongoing data when this monitoring is live

3)    The Council Leader write to the Scottish Government, Scottish Water and SEPA, outlining the Council’s major concern that no-one knows how much sewage is being dumped in Edinburgh’s biodiverse waterways.

Believes

that the ambition should be that Edinburgh’s waterways are free from the discharge of human waste.”

Moved by: Councillor Jack Caldwell
Seconded by: Councillor Hal Osler

—

Letters: Deaf Awareness Week

Dear Editor,

Deaf Awareness Week

The first week in May is Deaf Awareness Week, when we celebrate Deaf culture and raise awareness about what we can do to make society more deaf-friendly.

Did your readers know that a GCSE in British Sign Language (BSL) is being developed, so young people can learn it in school? Here at the National Deaf Children’s Society we’re working hard to make that happen as soon as possible – we expect students to be able to study it from 2025.

BSL is a fantastic language and great fun to learn, but there are many other ways you can become more deaf-aware too. Here are just a few really simple deaf awareness tips that anyone can do anywhere right now (there are more on our website):

1.         Speak clearly and naturally, it makes lip-reading much easier

2.         Don’t cover your mouth or turn away and make sure your face is fully visible, and avoid eating or chewing. All these things can make understanding very difficult

3.         Be visual. Try pointing, using gesture, writing things down or typing on your phone – there are even apps now

4.         Never give up and say “It doesn’t matter” – because it does!

The National Deaf Children’s Society supports the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and young people. For anyone needing advice, support or information about deafness, please call our free Helpline on 0808 800 8880 or visit our website, www.ndcs.org.uk

BECCY FORROW,

Deputy Director, Campaigning and Advocacy,

the National Deaf Children’s Society

www.ndcs.org.uk

Fraser of Allander Weekly Update – Bitter pill to swallow?

This week, the Chief Economist of the Bank of England, Huw Pill, generated many headlines when he said that “we’re all worse off” due to the stubbornly high inflation the economy is experiencing – and bluntly, that we all just need to accept that (write MARI SPOWAGE and EMMA CONGREVE) .

Given this follows on from Governor Andrew Bailey’s comments that people shouldn’t ask for pay rises, it adds a bit to the narrative that the Bank of England is a bit tin-eared to the way workers and households feel right now.

However, Pill’s comments are a reflection of the current outlook. Even with the more optimistic forecasts that we had from the OBR recently, meaning that a recession may be avoided, living standards are still projected to fall significantly over the course of 2023.

It is important though that we have a debate about who in society should bear the brunt of the costs we are experiencing, and whether indeed it is ever going to be possible to protect much of our society from these external shocks.

No sign of a recession… yet

On a more optimistic note, data published this week showed that the Scottish economy grew by 0.2% in February 2023, which follows on from growth of 0.5% in January. Services grew by 0.4%, and particularly encouraging was that consumer-facing services grew by 1.3%.

This means it looks like Q1 2023 is going to show some growth, rather than a contraction as many (including us) had feared.

It will be interesting to see how the economy evolves as we move past the end of March, when we know government support for energy bills started to wind down, particularly for businesses.

How does Scotland compare to other regions of the UK?

ONS have published their latest data on regional economic activity – which you can get split up by all sorts of levels of geography, including local authority and city region, and by industry.

This data allows us to compare the level and type of economic activity across the UK, for the year 1997-2021. Looking across the 12 regions of the UK, known as International Territorial Level (ITL) 1 Regions, we can see that economic activity in London far outstrips that of the other region of the UK. Scotland usually performs pretty well on these metrics, generally 3rd or 4th in the UK depending on the year.

Chart: GVA per head, ITL 1 Regions

Source: ONS

[As statto aside, this is “onshore” Scotland only. Aficionados of economic statistics in the UK will be aware that activity associated with the whole UK Continental Shelf is put into a 13th region called “extra-regio”, which also includes activities in embassies abroad.]

There are also significant differences between different local authorities within Scotland, with the main cities outperforming many other areas of the country. We have to remember of course that the economic activity data reflects where activity takes place – i.e. the location of the place of employment – rather than where people live, so there is a significant commuting effect associated with this data.

Chart: GVA per head, local authority

Source: ONS

Despite another instalment in the long running NCS saga, we still have no certainty over what, when or how much

Last week, it became clear that the National Care Service legislation (and by extension its delivery) will be pushed back (again). In a letter to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on the 17th April, the Minister stated that the Scottish Government would be seeking parliamentary approval to extend Stage 1 of the Bill till after the summer recess.

We have written before on some of the questions that remained following the introduction of the Bill and the accompanying Financial Memorandum. The Finance and Public Administration Committee shared many of our concerns (and had others) about the lack of detail in the Financial Memorandum and asked the Scottish Government for an updated version. The Convenor of that Committee, Kenny Gibson, wrote to the Minister this week noting that the Committee are becoming:

“increasingly concerned at the lack of information available on the financial implications of the Bill and frustrated that we have still not received the updated FM we requested back in December last year”

They have asked for a new Financial Memorandum no later than Friday 12 May along with a breakdown of spend to date on the NCS.

The importance of the NCS to those who work and draw on social care, and to wider society, is huge. Although there remains a difference of opinion on how reform should happen, all agree that reform is needed. The delays that we have seen with the programme to date have been concerning. Understanding the financial implications of what this all means has been nigh on impossible. This call for clarity is welcome.

Quality Meat Scotland: Scotch on the menu at Scotch Chefs event

Selected chefs from across the country recently put their ‘Scotch’ knowledge to the test as they attended Campbells Prime Meat at their facility near Linlithgow for a presentation on Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork. 

Hosted in collaboration with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the objective of the day was to inform the ten chefs on the unique distinctions among the three Scotch brands and to clarify the parameters of what it takes to be classified as Scotch. 

Topics such as The Scotch Difference, assurance schemes, traceability, DNA testing, pricing, supply chain and breed specificity were discussed during the presentation by Gordon Newlands, Brands Development Manager at QMS. The attendees on the day included chefs from independent restaurants, restaurant groups, and major stadium kitchens. 

Iain Brown, Campbells Prime Meat Director, and Christopher Campbell, Managing Director of Campbells Prime Meat, welcomed the chefs, along with factory manager Darrin Leslie and supervising butcher Jordan Hanley. 

The presenters took guests on a culinary journey of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb, demonstrating different cuts and explaining which part of the carcasses they came from. The chefs paid close attention throughout and were impressed by the showcase of cutting and seaming methods by the two master butchers. 

The final item on the agenda was a tasting lunch of all three proteins under the QMS umbrella: Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork. Campbells Prime Meats chef, Stevie Cheape, prepared Scotch Lamb racks, Specially Select Pork fillet and Scotch Beef sirloin and fillet for the attendees to sample. The quality of the products, both in flavour and tenderness, were highly praised by all. 

Gordon Newlands, Brands Development Manager at QMS, signed off the event by thanking attendees for taking the time to learn, observe and taste the famous brands. 

Gordon Newlands said: “The Campbells Prime Meat Scotch Chefs event, held in collaboration with QMS, was an engaging session that aimed to educate chefs on the unique distinctions between the Scotch brands and what it means to be classified as ‘Scotch’. Feedback post-event has been really positive from the chefs, so hopefully we can hold another event of the same calibre in the near future.” 

Iain Brown, Director at Campbells Prime Meat, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the ten chefs to our recent Scotch brands event with Quality Meat Scotland. It was a successful session and provided valuable insights into all three Scotch products. The showcase of cutting and seaming methods, as well as the delicious tasting lunch, truly highlighted the exceptional quality of these products. We are delighted with the positive feedback we’ve had from those who attended.” 

Speaking post-event on LinkedIn, Stuart Aitken, Regional Culinary Lead at BaxterStorey, said: “Thank you to Campbells Prime Meat Limited and Quality Meat Scotland for the invite today. A great insight into Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb accreditation, which holds the coveted PGI status and rightly so. Seeing the butchers do their thing never gets old, sadly a skill that is slowly leaving many kitchens. I look forward to continuing our partnership.” 

Kieran Wight, Head Chef at Scottish Rugby Hospitality Elior UK, wrote: “Delighted to attend a fantastic collaboration with Campbells Prime Meat Limited and Quality Meat Scotland. A fantastic insight into Scotch Beef, Lamb and Specially Selected Pork and the knowledge and experience from the skilled butchers. Engaging with suppliers, ensuring the best possible product reaches us and learning about its background is key.” 

For more information on QMS or the Scotch brands, visit www.qmscotland.co.uk.  

Report calls for Scotland-wide framework and coordinated action on collection and use of care home data

The ‘GEAReD Up’ project examined how data about care home residents can currently be accessed and used

A study led by Edinburgh Napier University recommends developing a national framework for care home data – to benefit residents and inform Scotland’s health and social care services.

The research, entitled ‘GEAReD Up’, proposes a series of practical steps to strengthen the data of care homes and ensure that the currently available information can be used by providers, researchers, policy makers and innovators to make improvements.

A call for a robust Scotland-wide framework, is among eight recommendations in the final report, as well as a clear pathway for accessing ethical and governance approval for the re-use of data.

It also recommends backing greater care home involvement in these solutions with more support and resources, while establishing better communication and coherence between local and national systems.

Lucy Johnston, GEAReD Up lead and Senior Research Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Health and Social Care, said: “Amid the prospect of a National Care Service, there is a real desire to understand and address the issues faced by the sector.

“Our work has helped to unravel some of problems relating to data and offer practical solutions for the management and accessibility of crucial information.

“It is so important to build these foundation blocks now. This work can help play a part in enhancing the use of routinely collected care home data being used to support care decisions, improve services, inform research and increase data-driven innovation”.

The study, which has been presented to industry leaders and delivery partners, will also feed into a Scotland-wide Care Home Data Review, which is currently underway.

It suggests that an overseeing body and a more established process for systematic curation of routinely collected care home data would allow more effective reuse of data in research and innovation projects, and benefit care home residents and providers.

Irina McLean from NHS Research Scotland Central Management Team, and co-author of the report, said: “In Scotland, there is currently no consensus or defined route for the legal, ethical and efficient access to permit reuse of care home data for research or service evaluation.

“The GEAReD Up report sets out practical steps for moving forward. Its recommendations can feed into ongoing work nationally and locally as it is critical to do what we can to enable high quality research and innovation in Scottish care homes and social care overall.”

Fellow co-author Dr Susan D Shenkin, Reader in Ageing and Health at the Usher Institute and Advanced Care Research Centre within the University of Edinburgh said: “This report builds on our work showing that a care home data platform must have strong foundations to ensure it meets the needs of care home residents, their families and the staff who care for them.

“This requires a clear understanding of how and why data are collected about the people who live in care homes.”

GEARED-UP-FINAL-05042023Download

Sudan: 1888 people airlifted to safety by UK evacuation

Focus turns to supporting those remaining in Sudan

  • The final UK evacuation flight departed from Wadi Saeedna airfield last night after the longest and largest evacuation by any western nation
  • Follows the successful evacuation of 1888 people since flights started on Tuesday
  • The UK government remains committed to supporting British nationals who remain in Sudan or are sheltering in other parts of the country

The final UK evacuation flight from Wadi Saeedna airfield departed on Saturday evening, ending the longest and largest evacuation from Sudan of any Western country.

The successful operation has evacuated more than 1888 people on 21 flights, the vast majority of them British nationals and their dependents.

Focus will now turn to providing consular support to British nationals in Port Sudan and in neighbouring countries in the region.

The government decided to end flights today because of a decline in demand by British Nationals, and because the situation on ground continues to remain volatile.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “The UK has brought more than 1888 people to safety from Sudan thanks to the efforts of staff and military working around the clock to deliver this evacuation – the largest of any Western country.

“We continue to press all diplomatic levers to secure a long term ceasefire and end the bloodshed in Sudan. Ultimately a stable transition to civilian rule is the best way to protect the security and prosperity of the Sudanese people.”

“Those still in Sudan who wish to leave should continue to follow our travel advice.”

The UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues to end the violence in Sudan and return to civilian rule, with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary and Minister for Africa all speaking with international partners.

Ultimately a stable transition to civilian rule is the best way to protect the security and prosperity of the Sudanese people.

For full details see FCDO travel advice for Sudan.

400 new homes promised as Council buys Liberton Hospital site

‘significant number’ will be accessible and affordable for social or mid-market rent

The City of Edinburgh Council has successfully secured a major new site for accessible affordable housing in the South of the city.

A successful £14.8m bid for Liberton Hospital and its grounds, including the former Blood Transfusion Centre, has been accepted by NHS Lothian – paving the way for around 400 hundred homes in the area, a ‘significant number’ of which will be accessible and affordable for social or mid-market rent.

The NHS will continue to occupy the premises until March 2025 to allow the hospital’s remaining services to be gradually relocated. During this time, the council plans to appoint a development partner and consult with the local community to draw up plans for an accessible green neighbourhood – making sure to retain many original features of the historic hospital, gatehouse and gardens facing Lasswade Road.

The council’s vision for the site is to focus on supporting a range of housing needs while delivering homes at scale to help meet the city’s growing demand. It is anticipated that the regeneration will deliver at least 380 energy efficient mixed tenure homes for sale and rent, all of which could be fully accessible, with up to 50% affordable. This would exceed the council’s commitment of at least 35% affordable homes on residential developments.

The area already has a significant level of public amenity due to existing woodland and original hospital gardens, creating a fantastic opportunity for a range of high-quality public spaces as part of a wider green network.

The regeneration of the land will retain as many of the existing trees as possible and incorporate them into green routes throughout the site, allowing for active travel connections to Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park, St Katharine’s Park and Liberton Park.

A Prior Information Notice (PIN) seeking interest from potential development partners has been issued and work will be carried out to prepare for construction, including developing detailed designs and agreeing a net zero carbon energy solution for the site, contributing to the council’s ambitious target to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: For close to 150 years Edinburgh residents have been cared for under the roof of Liberton Hospital. I’m delighted that we’ll be able to pay that care forward as we convert the site into much needed new homes.

“By demolishing the 1960s built extensions, including the disused Blood Transfusion Service, we’ll be able to design an accessible green neighbourhood of low-carbon housing from scratch. This will help lots of people with specialist needs to live comfortably and with independence. Plus, it will allow us support people who are in desperate housing need as we’re looking for a developer who can commit to our vision of at least half of these new homes being affordable.

“We’re committed to putting care-based housing at the centre of this redevelopment and I’d like to thank our partners at the NHS for working with us to secure the land. It has been many years in the making.