UK first Rentals service allows customers to rent kayaks, paddleboards, bikes and much more at a fraction of their price
Rentals encourages people to take up sport without commitment after research finds costs stop one in four Brits from trying something new
Decathlon is the first major retailer to launch sports rentals across all UK stores. The rental service will encourage more people to try out a new sport without the financial commitment of having to buy all the gear first.
Products from bikes and kayaks for weekend getaways to stand up paddle boards and tennis rackets for family playtime can all be rented via the new service. Paddleboards and kayaks can be hired for £30 a day whilst tennis rackets are £10, with all rentals being 50 percent off on the second day.
Decathlon Rentals aims to make the joy of sports more accessible to people by allowing them to pick up something new at a fraction of the retail price. For example, eBikes available in the service cost £899.99 to buy, but can be rented for just £45/day. Decathlon is committing over £1m of products to the scheme in 2023 alone.
The cost of living continues to impact sport and fitness participation across the UK with new research from Decathlon finding that one in four (28 per cent) of Brits are keen to take up a new sport but the cost of doing so is holding them back.
Rentals can be ordered online and collected in store just an hour later – they can also be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance to allow for any weather changes. Making the service the perfect option for weekend getaways which continue to grow in popularity since the cost of living crisis. New research from Decathlon found that a third of Brits (33 per cent) are more likely to holiday in the UK this year to save money.
Decathlon’s Rental platform is the latest development within their growing circular offering. Decathlon already offers repairs and maintenance on a range of products, refurbishment and resale of goods and product recycling, with more in the pipeline for later this year.
The rental service, which is powered by circular commerce platform Rentle, has been rolled out across all UK stores following a successful trial at four stores, where customers found that the offering allowed them to stay active without investing in new kit whilst overcoming common obstacles like a lack of storage at home.
Chris Allen, sustainability leader at Decathlon UK, comments:“Despite having the appetite to try sports, committing to the cost of buying gear is one of the biggest barriers to people taking up something new.
“Rentals gives customers across the UK the opportunity to overcome this challenge by discovering the joy of different activities at an affordable price and in a sustainable way. We are proud to be the first business to offer nationwide rentals and this is a positive step forward for sustainable sports retail.”
Decathlon Rentals are available online with collection at all stores nationwide from today. For more information, visit: www.decathlon.co.uk/rentals.
Mexican restaurant Chiquito has launched a special range of skincare products using its classic cuisine menu ingredients.
The range of natural products have been designed by dermatologists and a group of food science experts ready for the spring market.
Chiquito, which has been delivering the best of Mexican cuisine for over 30 years, created the range after a group of regular customers discovered the facial benefits of fresh guacamole.
The popular Chiquito dip made from avocados, coriander, red onions, chilli, lime and salt reacted well to the guest’s complexion and acted as an effective cleanser.
This was developed and became the first of the range called Exfoli-guacamole – an Avocado cleanser made from fresh avocado, Mexican lime and a B-vitamin complex to boost brightness and dark eyes.
The skincare team then developed a toner using a stimulating blend of fresh chilli and herbs to transform complexion and close visible pores called Habaner-no pores, a tingle toner.
A pimple cream called Toma-T-Zone designed for sensitive skin made from a unique formulation with squalene designed to reduce pimples, spots and breakouts.
The exciting new range also includes Frijole ‘n’ exfole, an invigorating and refreshing coffee and black bean scrub that works to reduce black heads and give a smooth, glowy complexion.
And a Daily primer and sunscreen called Salsa Shield made from creamy, dreamy pineapple and hyaluronic acid enriched primer for deep hydration with added SPF15 protection.
A spokesperson for the Mexican restaurant, famed for its iconic Chiquito sombreros, music and fiesta fun said: “The new range is the start of an ambitious project to use plant based foods to enhance the skin’s natural appearance.
“The 100 per cent natural ingredients have been used for centuries but this is the first time a full range of dermatological products have been created by a restaurant. It is hoped that if this range proves popular then ground tortilla chips will be used to develop beauty products including hair and nail conditioners after research showed the chips had a restorative effect.”
All the products are available for pre-order on April 1.
Businesses across the UK can take advantage of the Chancellor’s capital allowances package from today as the new business tax year begins.
The new business tax year comes in today 1 April 2023, with a new regime to boost investment and spur UK growth
£27 billion cut to corporation tax, via Chancellor’s new full expensing policy, expected to boost investment by 3% in each of the next three years
Other tax changes coming into force include more business rates relief, extension to the fuel duty cut and a £450 income tax cut for carers.
The package, announced at Spring Budget, comprises 100% full expensing and a 50% first-year allowance. It will mean the UK has the most generous capital allowance regime in the OECD worth £27 billion over the next three years, amounting to an effective £9 billion a year tax cut for companies.
The OBR expects this regime to boost investment by 3% over three years.
To mark the milestone, Financial Secretary to the Treasury visited Brompton Bikes in Greenford, London, who’ll be using full expensing to stimulate their growth.
Victoria Atkins, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: “We are determined to make the UK the best place in the world to do business, which is why from today businesses can start to benefit from the raft of tax cuts on offer to boost their growth.
“With full expensing, the more a company invests the less tax they’ll pay, and I encourage companies of any size to take full advantage of this world-leading reform.”
With the new 25% corporation tax rate coming in for the top 10% most profitable companies from today, and the super-deduction ending yesterday, the Chancellor used his Spring Budget to ensure that the UK’s tax system fosters the right conditions for enterprise, investment and growth.
Full expensing lets companies deduct 100% of the cost of certain plant and machinery investments from their profits before tax. It is available from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026. It provides the same generosity as the super-deduction, saving firms up to 25p in every £1 of qualifying investment and is for main rate assets – such as construction, warehousing and office equipment.
The 50% First-Year Allowance lets companies deduct 50% of the cost of other plant and machinery, known as special rate assets, from their profits during the year of purchase. This includes long life assets such as solar panels and lighting systems.
Minister Victoria Atkins visited Brompton Bikes in Greenford this week to see how these capital allowances will be used to help the firm invest and grow. The minister toured their factory, viewing a brand new state-of-the-art Autobraze machine and the production line. She also met a selection of 15 trainees currently on Brompton’s training programme.
Phill Elston, Operations Director at Brompton Bicycle, said: “The announcement of a super deduction replacement is great news for us. In previous years it has meant we could invest significantly in our production capabilities, upgrading equipment and building a more progressive factory; which has seen us move from making circa. 45,000 bikes per year in 2019, to around 100,000 bikes per year in 2022.
“Our mission is to improve how people travel around cities, which in turn creates happier communities, and the new expensing scheme helps to accelerate that goal.”
Other tax measures taking effect today include new domestic and ultra-long Air Passenger Duty bands.
For passengers flying in economy class, the new domestic band will be set at £6.50, a 50% cut to bolster UK-wide connectivity, while the new ultra long-haul band will be set at £91, meaning those who fly the furthest will pay the greatest level of duty.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Transport binds the United Kingdom together, and this cut to Air Passenger Duty will make travelling between our family of nations easier than ever.
“Boosting transport links between our four nations sustains jobs, creates opportunities and is an essential part of this Government’s plan to grow the economy.”
Further tax measures include:
To help household budgets further, the planned 11 pence rise in fuel duty has been cancelled, maintaining last year’s 5p cut for another twelve months, saving a typical driver another £100 on top of the £100 saved so far since last year’s cut.
More business rates relief, as part of the Chancellor’s £13.6 billion package from 2022’s Autumn Statement. This includes the freezing of the multiplier and the introduction of 75% relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, helping the high street to thrive and compete with online firms.
Extending creative sector reliefs: theatres, orchestra and museums and galleries will benefit from a further 2 years of tax relief rates of 45%/50%. The museums and galleries exhibitions tax relief sunset clause will be extended for a further 2 years to allow these organisations to fully benefit from the extension of the highest rates.
The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), an existing measure which also supports business investment, has been increased permanently to £1m today. This covers the investment needs of 99% of UK businesses.
Rebalancing the rates of Research and Development Expenditure Credit and the R&D SME scheme to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent as effectively as possible. As a result, today the UK now offers the joint-highest uncapped headline rate of R&D tax relief support in the G7 for large companies.
The government also committed to considering the case for further support for R&D intensive SMEs, and at Spring Budget announced that from today there will be an increased permanent rate of relief for the most R&D intensive loss-making SMEs. To support modern methods of innovation, for accounting periods beginning on or after today, businesses will also be able to claim for the costs of datasets and cloud computing under the R&D tax reliefs.
Expanding the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) to help more UK start-ups raise higher levels of finance. This package will help over 2,000 start-up companies access finance.
Expanding the availability and generosity of the Company Share Option Plan (CSOP) scheme which will widen access to CSOP for growth companies and simplifying the process to grant options under the Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) scheme.
On 6 April 2023 personal tax changes taking effect include removing tax-barriers that the medical community have made clear stop doctors working, delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to cut NHS waiting lists so people can get the care they need more quickly.
The pensions annual tax-free allowance will increase by 50% from £40,000 to £60,000, the Money Purchase Annual Allowance will rise from £4,000 to £10,000, and the Lifetime Allowance charge will be removed.
The Office for Budget Responsibility estimate around 15,000 individuals will remain in the labour market because of the changes to the annual and lifetime allowances, many of whom will be highly skilled individuals, including senior doctors in the NHS.
Qualifying Carers Relief will be uprated with inflation from 6 April 2023 to representing a £450 per year income tax cut for carers. The uprating increases the amount of income tax relief from £10,000 to £18,140 plus £375-450 per week for each person cared for.
The First Minister chaired the first meeting of his new Scottish Cabinet in Bute House yesterday, charging Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers to take a bold approach to delivering for Scotland.
Cabinet had a substantive discussion on the priorities of the government, ahead of the First Minister giving a planned statement to parliament immediately after recess. They had a further conversation around the budget that will underpin those priorities.
Friday’s discussion highlighted the importance of being an open, accessible government through engagement with the public and stakeholders and by reaching out to members of other parties in a genuine spirit of collaboration.
It also stressed the importance of building relationships with counterparts in other devolved administrations and the UK Government.
Cabinet members also reflected on their experiences in their previous ministerial portfolios and how that often brings useful perspective when taking on roles in different areas of government.
As always, a discussion on the immediate issues Cabinet members will be addressing in the coming weeks took place.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I was pleased to welcome new and returning Cabinet members to our first meeting this morning. I was clear to them that I want Cabinet to be a forum for open and honest discussion.
“We all look forward to reaching out to stakeholders, the business community, opposition parties and the wider public in a spirit of genuine collaboration.
“This government has a strong track of taking forward ambitious and radical policies and reforms over the last few years, against a backdrop of austerity, economic uncertainty and of course the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Under my leadership the Ministerial team have been tasked with taking a bold approach to how we govern – not just in addressing the challenges facing the people of Scotland, but also maximising the opportunities of our many strengths.
“Our key priorities will include eradicating poverty and delivering a wellbeing economy underpinned by sustainable public services.
“I will set out more detail to parliament following Easter recess – but in the next couple of weeks, Cabinet members will be busy getting down to work on the immediate issues in their portfolios.”
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Bernat Klein: Design in Colour Until 23 Apr 2023 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free entry
Marking the centenary of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour celebrates the work of the influential émigré textile designer. Visitors will be able to explore Klein’s creative process and varied career, from providing couture fabrics for fashion designers to his influence on modernist architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder Until 1 May 2023 Ticketed (concessions available)
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder features eight zones filled with immersive, hands-on experiences. Travel through the Time Vortex Corridor, discover Sonic Screwdrivers, teleportation technology and much more in a TARDIS Tech room, and get up close with some of the series’ weird and wonderful creatures in the Monster Vault.
The Declaration of Arbroath 3 Jun – 2 Jul 2023 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free entry
The Declaration of Arbroath is a letter dated 6 April 1320 written by the barons and freeholders of the Kingdom of Scotland to Pope John XXII. The letter asked the pope to recognise Scotland’s independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country’s lawful king. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to see one of the most important documents in Scottish history – the Declaration of Arbroath.
Beyond the Little Black Dress 1 Jul – 29 Oct 2023 Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Ticketed (concessions available)
From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White.
Japanese Contemporary Design Until 30 Jul 2023 Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 Free entry
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.
The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Edinburgh Science Festival 1 – 16 Apr 2023
Two weeks of science-fuelled exploration at the National Museum of Scotland, from free interactive exhibits to family workshops and adult talks and events.
Relaxed Access Evening – Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder 18 Apr 2023 17:30–19:30 Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 Standard exhibition entry prices apply
A relaxed after hours visit to Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder for anyone who would prefer a calmer visit to the exhibition. During this opening, numbers will be reduced and wherever possible, sounds will be lowered and light levels adjusted to provide a more relaxed experience. A quiet, breakout space will also be available.
Empire of the dead: Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Scotland 19 Apr 2023 18:00 – 20:00 (lecture begins at 18:30) Auditorium, Level 1 Free (booking required)
In this public lecture, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Official Historian, George Hay, will explore the Empire of the dead – the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Scotland, and the birth of modern commemoration.
The event is part of the Royal Society of Edinburgh-funded Second World War Studies Network (Scotland).
Discovering Decorative Arts at the National Museum of Scotland 20 Apr – 22 Jun 2023 11:00-13:00 In the museum galleries £155 for 10 sessions (concessions available)
National Museums Scotland are delighted to host a new term of University of Edinburgh Short Courses including this ten-week course that will introduce the magnificent arts collections within the National Museum of Scotland. Exploring the historical developments of decorative arts and how they have influenced modern methods and techniques used to create many beautiful objects on display in the museum.
Edinburgh International Children’s Festival Family Encounters Day 27 May 2023 10:00 – 16:30 Grand Gallery (and beyond) Free, some performances may require sign up on the day
The 2023 Edinburgh International Children’s Festival with Family Encounters returns with a day of free pop-up performances, artist interventions and activities for the whole family.
National Museum of Flight East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Conservation Hangar Tours 8 Apr 2023 – 31 Mar 2024 Free with museum admission Booking required
See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.
Operation Sabotage is an escape room experience for 4-8 people that lasts up to an hour. Working together as a team, visitors must race against the clock in two Second World War-themed rooms to decipher the identity of the saboteur before it’s too late.
Nearly 120 years ago the Wright Brothers flew the first powered and controlled aeroplane. Visitors can follow the Wright brothers and design their own aeroplane, drawing inspiration from the collection at the National Museum of Flight.
Woolly Weekend 20 & 21 May 2023 11:00 – 16:00 Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Woolly Weekend returns to the National Museum of Rural Life. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch live demonstrations of wool-based crafts, see the Scottish Blackface flock get their summer sheering with YouTube sensation Cammy Wilson from The Sheep Game and meet alpacas as well as a variety of sheep breeds.
Twenty-five years of making a positive impact on the wellbeing of the city
Dedicated to making a positive difference by creating opportunities for everyone to get active, stay active, and achieve more, the charity Edinburgh Leisure, who manage over 50 of the city’s sports and leisure venues, celebrates 25 years today, Saturday, 1st April 2023.
Back when Tony Blair was Prime Minister, Bill Clinton was the President of the USA and Titanic was the top movie at the box office, a new leisure trust, Edinburgh Leisure was created, officially being ‘born’ on 1 April 1998.
June Peebles, Edinburgh Leisure’s CEO said: “I’m proud of all that Edinburgh Leisure has achieved over the last 25 years and although a lot has changed in the physical activity sector and indeed within our organisation, ultimately, our vision and mission has always been about providing quality services to support the people of Edinburgh to be active and healthy.
“Depending on where people live in the city, they’re probably familiar with their local Edinburgh Leisure venue. But there’s more to us than meets the eye, with 1 world-class climbing centre; 6 golf courses; 12 superb swimming pools; 17 state-of-the-art gyms; 3 soft plays; 32 tennis courts; 141 sports pitches; and 750+ fitness classes per week. We also manage community access to the sports facilities in the city’s 23 High Schools.
“And, while our venues are well-known, many people are less familiar with our Active Communities programme, which currently supports over 10,000 people each year affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty to be and stay active. We currently deliver 22 projects across the city, helping people to lead healthier, happier, and more active lives.”
Picture – Chris Watt Photography
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Over the years, there have been many highlights which include: the reopening of the new Meadowbank Sports Centre in July 2022; the refurbishment of the Royal Commonwealth Pool, reopening in 2012 in time to host the diving element of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games; and soon Warrender Swim Centre, will reopen once again following a refurbishment.
Edinburgh Leisure’s employees are an important part of what makes Edinburgh Leisure special. When the charity formed in 1998, they ‘inherited’ 650 employees from the former Council’s Sport and Leisure Services department, and 58 of them still work for the charity today and have 25+ years’ service. In fact, they have many long-serving members of staff, with 59 staff having worked for Edinburgh Leisure for 15-20 years and 55 staff for 20-25 years.
Vicki Mercer, Leisure Attendant (Schools) at Holyrood High School, Edinburgh Leisure (and previously Booking Officer and Receptionist at the old Meadowbank) who celebrated 30 years with Edinburgh Leisure on 29 March said: “I feel very lucky that I have managed to blend my role with Edinburgh Leisure and family life throughout the years as many of my former colleagues who started their families did. The flexibility of hours and roles have been fantastic.
“Edinburgh Leisure has also played a big part in my family, whether it was coaching classes, birthday parties and the many memorable and fun outings to the old Meadowbank Sports Centre’s Fireworks Displays. Edinburgh Leisure has certainly grown over the years, just like my children.”
Commenting on why Edinburgh Leisure retains staff for such a long time, June Peebles said: “We work in the physical activity sector which is lots of fun and our staff have a passion for physical activity and the positive impact it has on people’s lives.
“I always say it’s the people that make Edinburgh Leisure. Our company values – welcoming, caring, passionate and proud – shape the culture of Edinburgh Leisure and how we behave to each other and our customers. Edinburgh Leisure is a great place to work, and I think this contributes to why we have managed to retain so many staff with so many years of long service years between them.
“We’re operating in what continues to be uncertain and volatile times with challenging financial circumstances. Our vision remains the same as it always has been which is to provide quality services to support the people of Edinburgh to be active and healthy, and to improve the health of the city.
“Wherever you’re at on the map or in life, we’ve got something to get you moving, keep you moving and feeling good.”
New multi-media works by the celebrated Barbadian-Scottish artist, Alberta Whittle, will be revealed today [Saturday 1 April] in a free exhibition at the Modern (Modern One) in Edinburgh. Alberta Whittle: create dangerously will run until 7 January 2024.
Experience the ambition and breadth of Alberta’s career to date and come away feeling her call to ‘invest in love’. At the heart of Alberta Whittle: create dangerously is the artist’s generous spirit and her powerful and poetic storytelling. Alberta pulls apart the belief that ’racism and police brutality is [just] an English problem or an American problem’.
Instead, she underlines Scotland’s complicity in the structures of white supremacy. Often deeply personal, weaving stories of family and belonging, Alberta offers a message of hope, asking us to imagine a world outside of these damaging systems and ways of thinking.
Step inside a sound installation and listen to the voice of poet Kamau Brathwaite (1930-2020), a much-loved and hugely influential figure in Caribbean literature. Dealing with the themes of grief and loss, Alberta made this in personal tribute to Brathwaite, who was a close friend of her family as well as a collaborator.
Titled A portal for breathing love into the Elders or an Adoration for kith-folk who we long for (2021), this installation is comprised of objects of significance to the artist.
There will be a room dedicated to addressing the themes of rest and care, and connection and belonging in Alberta’s practice, where you can slow down and pause. Inside this room, visitors will find a beautiful bespoke quilt hanging on the wall, crafted by a group of women from North Edinburgh.
Inspired by Alberta’s practice and use of textiles and fabrics in her work, the quilt is being caringly made by a sewing group run by Project Esperanza, a charity dedicated to supporting women of African heritage, as well as women from other culturally diverse backgrounds. Facilitated by textile artist Francia Boakye, this quilt draws upon the makers’ lived experiences, weaving together their stories and their journeys as migrants to Scotland.
To coincide with Alberta Whittle: create dangerously, Edinburgh Art Festival and the National Galleries of Scotland will also support a new performance by the artist due to take place during the festival this summer (11-27 August).
The National Galleries of Scotland recently announced the acquisition of two major works by the celebrated Barbadian-Scottish artist, Alberta Whittle. The artist’s extraordinary installation with tapestry, Entanglement is more than blood (2022), and thought-provoking film, Lagareh – The Last Born (2022), will form an integral part of Alberta Whittle: create dangerously.
The two works were at the heart of the artist’s critically acclaimed exhibition at the 59th Venice Biennale, 2022, where she represented Scotland. Their entry into the national collection forms a significant legacy of this landmark project.
Indicative of Alberta’s art practice, Entanglement is more than blood and Lagareh – The Last Born promote compassion and collective care as a means of resisting racism and anti-Blackness. The sculpture and film installation confront the violence of colonialism, the legacies of transatlantic chattel slavery, and the impact of the climate crisis.
Co-commissioned and created in collaboration with Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, Entanglement is more than blood is a large-scale tapestry on a gate-like structure. It is imbued with the artist’s rich symbolism, including water, snakes, diamonds, hands, and shells. Acting as a portal, the tapestry explores the meaning of family, kinship and ancestral histories, themes that will echo throughout the exhibition.
The imagery in the tapestry is also seen in Lagareh – The Last Born, which was co-commissioned and produced by Forma Arts, London. Centring the collective strength of contemporary Black women, this 43-minute film is anchored in ideas of abolition, rebellion, grief, and love. 6
Shot on location in Scotland, London, and Barbados, and featuring footage from Sierra Leone and Venice, Alberta has woven together contrasting stories of individual acts of resistance against racist violence with gentle moments of intimacy.
Lagareh – The Last Born will play continuously throughout the day, and for visitors who wish to see it from the beginning, screening start times will be made available in the gallery and on the National Galleries of Scotland website.
Alberta Whittle said: ‘This is an exhibition about hope. It is about the hope we can nurture within ourselves, but also the hope that we can have difficult conversations about the harm caused by colonialism, the Transatlantic trade in enslaved people, and the climate crisis.
“The exhibition presents an opportunity for self-reflection, and to think about the types of power we hold in the world and how we can use it compassionately.’
Lucy Askew, Chief Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: ‘We are incredibly happy to reveal more details about Alberta Whittle: create dangerously.
“This hugely important exhibition, devoted to the work of one of the leading artists working in Scotland today, is underpinned by Alberta’s deep generosity and warmth. Alberta speaks of fundamental truths about the violence and injustices of our past – ‘the burden of proof’ – and the legacy of systemic racism which permeates through our society today, asking us to confront this with her.
“With compassion and care, she holds and guides us, encouraging us to pause, to breathe, and to think differently.”
Just when you thought Matt Hancock couldn’t get any cheesier, it has been revealed that he has hired a London advertising agency to help with the next stage of his brand-building exercise – the launch of his very own cheese brand, Matt Hancock’s Cheddar.
Mature, tangy and quintessentially British, Hancock’s eponymous dairy brand looks set to capitalise on the MP’s jungle notoriety, although whether the UK consumer is ready for Matt Hancock in their fridge remains to be seen.
Matt hired independent creative agency isobel, to come up with the cheese brand – which features Hancock’s face and the strapline “Cheese for the people”.
When probed about the branding strategy and creative execution, a spokesperson from isobel said that one of Hancock’s primary aims for launching the brand was to ‘normalise politicians’ and make them more ‘relatable’.
“Everyone loves cheese so why not create a cheese brand for the people?”
The cheese, launching nationally today on Saturday April 1st will be supported by a print, social and OOH campaign – also created by isobel.
‘I felt that Deidre was listening to us and shared our concerns’
Edinburgh North and Leith constituents met with their MP Deidre Brock at Stockbridge Library as part of the nationwide Warm This Winter mass lobby yesterday.
Four constituents spoke to Deidre Brock MP during her surgery hours, and other locals and volunteers from Greenpeace Edinburgh came along to support the campaign for Government-funded insulation, investment in renewable energy and further assistance for vulnerable households during the cost of living crisis.
Volunteers also delivered messages written to Deidre Brock by her constituents over the past few weeks. This event was one of more than 80 taking place across the UK this spring [1].
Ian, a constituent from Leith said: ‘People from Edinburgh North and Leith met Deidre Brock MP in Stockbridge on Friday and shared the messages we’ve collected from other local people about how they are experiencing the cost of living crisis and that they want solutions such as home insulation.
“I felt that Deidre was listening to us and shared our concerns. I voiced my exacerbation at the UK’s woeful record on insulating households – and she was very much in agreement. Deidre also provided helpful advice on an individual basis as to where we could go to access more support to deal with high fuel costs and insulate our leaky properties.
‘We’re really pleased that, at the meeting, Deidre Brock MP pledged to call for the expansion of Government-funded home insulation schemes, heat pump installation, more investment in renewable energy, and further support for vulnerable households with their energy bills.
“We look forward to hearing from her soon about how they’re pushing for the Energy Bill to work for the constituents of Edinburgh North and Leith and make our homes warmer and bills cheaper.’ [2]
The recent Spring Statement failed to commit any new money to keep homes warm, and the Government’s promised ‘Green Day’ [3] (30th March) turned into yet another failure on climate action.
Greenpeace Edinburgh volunteers are calling for £5.3bn in new cash for home insulation, £14bn of emergency support for households struggling with bills, and £3.3bn to roll out cheap, clean heating in our homes to get the UK off gas once and for all.
We also need to triple renewable energy by 2030, and stop new oil and gas extraction. The Energy Bill is the next opportunity to legislate for these measures and build a secure energy future, with cheaper bills and warmer, greener homes.
Map showing events organised in constituencies for the Warm This Winter mass lobby.
Councils and Scottish Government ‘working hand-in-hand’
First Minister Humza Yousaf has reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to resetting the relationship with local authorities in a meeting with COSLA President Shona Morrison.
A New Deal for local government has been embodied in the appointment of a dedicated Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning, Joe FitzPatrick, who joined the meeting alongside Deputy First Minister Shona Robison.
The New Deal will be jointly agreed with COSLA and will provide greater flexibility over local funding and clear accountability for delivering shared priorities.
The First Minister said: “These early discussions in my first week as First Minister have been an important opportunity for me to reaffirm the Scottish Government’s commitment to working collaboratively with local government.
“Together, local and national governments work hand-in-hand to deliver on our shared priorities for the people of Scotland and the vital public services in our communities whilst recognising the considerable financial pressures across the public sector.
“Work is already underway on developing a New Deal for Local Government. We will work together, through regular and meaningful engagement, to progress this, explore a new fiscal framework for councils and reform our public services.”
COSLA President Shona Morrison said: “I was very pleased to get a meeting with the new First Minister in his first week in office. It was both a productive and positive meeting with a range of issues discussed.
“I certainly hope we can build a strong working relationship as we jointly go about delivering for the people of Scotland.”
