Glasgow locals and Celtic supporters came together on Friday 17thMarch 2023 to remember and celebrate the life of football legend Frank McGarvey, raising £11,050 for Pancreatic Cancer Action.
Frank’s close friend Bernie Vallely, who runs ‘Fitba Greats’, teamed up with Robert and Mary from Elders Bar in Tollcross to organise a special St Patrick’s Day gathering. They wanted to create a memorable evening that would honour Frank’s legacy whilst also supporting a worthy cause.
Tickets for the event sold out in record time, with family, friends, and fans of Frank all eager to show their support. Ninety guests attended the evening, which was hosted by Tommy Sheridan, another of Frank’s close friends. Former Celtic Football players Tosh McKinlay and Joe Miller were also in attendance, sharing football memories and stories.
Guests were provided with an opportunity to win a raffle prize of a framed Celtic Football Club shirt, signed by the squad and a very kind guest then offered a very generous donation for a second version to be sourced by ‘Fitba Greats’.
The auction was the main driver of achieving such a fantastic total, with exclusive prizes creating a bidding battle across the packed room!
Prizes included:
Signed framed print of Frank McGarvey
Framed Bertie Ault print
Framed Danny McGrain signed shirt.
Framed Lisbon Lions print signed by 8 Lions.
Framed & signed Celtic double winners’ shirt – Ange’s first season.
1985 Cup Final Shirt signed by the scorer of the winning goal – Frank McGarvey
Signed by the Boss Ange signed shirt.
Framed & signed Jersey – Captain Callum McGregor
Franks’ son Sean also brought along an additional prize of a signed Celtic shirt kindly donated by Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson.
Fiona Brown, Scottish Development Manager for Pancreatic Cancer Action, said: “I was privileged to meet Frank and his family last year, and it has been heart-warming to see the incredible outpouring of support from across the football community.
“It was lovely to hear people share memories of Frank event, and a wonderful video played on the night showcasing some of Frank’s many footballing highlights certainly triggered a few tears!
“We are very grateful to everyone involved in making the event such a huge success, raising a phenomenal amount of money, and indeed helping raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.”
Bernie Vallely, who runs ‘Fitba Greats’, said: “This was a real team effort, and we are all hopeful that raising the funds we did will massively help Fiona and her team.
“I’m glad we could celebrate Franks’ 67th birthday in such a positive way. Everyone played their part, and a great night was had.”
Jennifer Kane (Frank McGarvey’s daughter) said: “I was so flat on St Patrick’s Day with it being my dad’s birthday and have been missing him so much, but I got such a lift from people’s generosity and stories.
“My dad was so lucky to have pals like Bernie, Robert and Tommy and everyone coming together to raise that much money for a charity now so close to my heart is unbelievable, I know my dad will want us to continue to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer, it was an amazing night my dad would have loved it. I can’t wait for next years!”
For Celtic supporters, 67 represents a special number, and this fundraiser was a fitting way to remember and celebrate Frank McGarvey’s life. It’s heart-warming to see how the Glasgow community has come together to support this cause, and we hope that this event will help raise awareness and support for pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is the 5th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, with over 10,000 people diagnosed each year. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving survival rates, yet under 8% of those diagnosed will survive for five years or more.
Pancreatic Cancer Action is dedicated to raising awareness of the disease and funding research into early detection and treatment. To find out more about their work, visit their website at www.panact.org
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has recruited a record 1,388 staff and introduced 52 additional ambulances in the past three years as part of its Demand and Capacity Programme.
Launched in 2019, the Demand and Capacity programme is the largest and most complex programme ever undertaken at the Scottish Ambulance Service, with multi-million-pound investment from the Scottish Government enabling hundreds of new A&E staff – Paramedics, Technicians, Ambulance Care Assistants and Advanced Practitioners – to be recruited.
464 frontline A&E staff have been recruited this financial year, in addition to recruitment of 924 over the previous two years.
Of the 464 this past year, 368 are Trainee Technicians, 33 are Qualified Paramedics, 47 Newly Qualified Paramedics, 6 Advanced Practitioners and 10 Qualified Technicians. 153 were recruited for the East Region, 105 for the North Region and 206 for the West Region.
Over the last three years, the estates element of programme has also enabled the opening of ten new stations, including nine co-locations with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at Ardrossan, Dreghorn, Clarkston, Penicuik, McDonald Road in Edinburgh, Crewe Toll, Sighthill, Bathgate and Aberdeen Central.
Scottish Ambulance Service Chief Executive Pauline Howie said: “The aim of the Demand and Capacity Programme is to ensure we are working as effectively as possible by having the right resources in place to deliver the most appropriate care for the people of Scotland.
“The increase in staffing and resources, coupled with alignment of shift patterns to patient demand profiles, aims to improve patient safety and staff welfare and has involved a considerable amount of work behind the scenes.
“With demand for our services increasing across the country and additional pressures that have been brought about by the pandemic, this investment has been vital in protecting our response to patients and supporting our existing staff.
Health Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Our increased investment to support the Scottish Ambulance Service through their Demand and Capacity review is helping to ensure the right resources are in place across the country to deliver a high-quality emergency service to the people of Scotland.
“These additional resources will help support existing staff, who have shown remarkable resilience in the face of sustained pressure over the last three years, and I thank them for their continued dedication and hard work.”
Sci-fi fans in Edinburgh are in for a treat as Comic Con is headed to St James Quarter for a free two-day event on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th of May.
Kicking off from 10am on the Saturday, the B3 car park will be transformed into a hub of activity, courtesy of the Big Glasgow Comic Page. The event will take over the entire St James Quarter car park on Level B3 and will feature everything from comic book and memorabilia sellers and workshops to props and gaming.
A family-friendly event, guests of all ages will be able to take part in a cosplay contest and browse a wide variety of toys and crafts on offer. Comic book fans will also be able to meet their heroes, as stars of the big screen come to life with special meet and greets with the nation’s favourite superheroes and villains.
With a stellar line-up of activities, this is set to be the biggest comic con event the city has ever seen and promises to be a fun-filled weekend for all.
For more information and tickets, you can visit the BGCP Comic Con event page.
The National Flood Forum are joining forces with The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) to create an exhibition highlighting peoples experience of flooding.
The exhibition will take place as part of the Flood & Coast Conference at Telford International Centre in June 2023.
People who have been flooded are being asked to share artwork, poetry and / or photographs that show their experiences of being impacted by floods. There may also be the opportunity to attend the event and give your personal experience of flooding.
Tracey Garrett, CEO, National Flood Forum, said: “We would like to increase understanding between the industry and those who flood and putting this exhibition of flooded people’s experiences into the Flood and Coast Conference, gives a chance to do just that.’’
Terry Fuller, CEO at CIWEM, said: “We want our conference to place communities at the heart of our thinking and discussions.
“Flood & Coast provides a great opportunity to raise the importance of community engagement amongst the flood risk professionals and decision makers who attend. It is personally important to me that everyone with an interest in flood and coastal risk feels welcome and able to participate”.
For more details and to submit your contribution visit:
Experts say government’s Strikes Bill will make Britain an international “outlier” on union laws
Unions will be forced to “undermine” their own strikes, lawyers say
Leading employment lawyers have warned that government’s new Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will give ministers “unfettered power” to restrict the right to strike.
In a joint statement, the legal specialists say the new legislation will make Britain “an outlier” on strike laws compared to other European and Western democracies.
Those adding their names to the statement include:
Alan Bogg, Professor of Labour Law, University of Bristol
Keith Ewing, Professor of Public Law, King’s College London
Ruth Dukes, Professor of Labour Law, University of Glasgow
Highlighting the new sweeping powers the Bill will give to ministers, the lawyers say:
“The legislation gives a Secretary of State a largely unfettered power to determine what a minimum level of service should be in a particular service, and consequently the circumstances in which and the extent to which workers in these sectors can lawfully exercise their freedom to strike.”
Highlighting how Britain risks becoming an international outlier on strike laws, the lawyers say:
“The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill would place an unacceptable restriction on a worker’s right to take strike action to defend their terms and conditions of employment. It adds to an existing body of highly restrictive laws on strikes, including the Trade Union Act 2016.
“It would make Great Britain an outlier among comparable countries. If ministers are keen to learn from overseas, a more promising place to start would be the creation of a culture of social dialogue and balanced cooperation through the introduction of sector-wide collective bargaining, together with the clear legal recognition of a positive right to strike.”
Highlighting the strain the Bill will put on industrial relations, the lawyers say:
“Trade unions will be required by an employer acting with the authority of the state to take steps actively to undermine its own strike, for which its members will have voted in a ballot with high thresholds of support. Such an obligation is unprecedented in British law, and it places trade unions in an intolerable conflict with their own members.
“The legislation also removes significant protections for individual workers exposing them to the risk of dismissal and victimisation. It will do nothing to resolve the current spate of industrial action, which will be settled by negotiation and agreement, rather than by the introduction of even tighter restrictions on trade unions.”
The TUC has accused the government of ducking scrutiny over the Bill.
If passed, the Strikes Bill will mean that when workers democratically and lawfully vote to strike they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.
The Bill gives ministers power to impose new minimum service levels through regulation.
But consultations on how these regulations will work in specific services have not been completed, and parliamentarians have been given few details on how minimum service levels are intended to operate.
The TUC says the new legislation will “do nothing” to solve the current disputes across the public sector, and “only make matters worse”.
Alan Bogg, Professor of Labour Law at the University of Bristol said: “This Bill would risk leaving Britain an international outlier in its restrictive laws on trade unions.
“When combined with existing legislation, these proposals constitute a further departure from established norms and international treaty obligations.
“Rather than bringing Britain into line with other European countries, it deviates significantly from the legal traditions of our neighbours where the right to strike is often given explicit constitutional protection.”
Ruth Dukes, Professor of Labour Law at the University of Glasgow said: “These minimum service requirements will do nothing to help workers and employers reach agreement.
“But they might well prolong and inflame disputes.”
Commenting on the lawyers’ letter, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “This is a damning assessment of the government’s Strikes Bill. Make no mistake – these new laws are a naked power grab that will allow ministers to severely restrict the right to strike.
“This spiteful legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.
“Compulsory work notices during strikes will place a huge strain on employer and union relations and will do nothing to help resolve disputes.
“If this nasty legislation gets on to the statute book, the TUC will fight it all the way – including through the courts.
“The Conservatives cannot legislate away worker dissatisfaction.”
The full statement reads:
We the undersigned are specialists in employment law.
Between us we have decades of experience as academics and practitioners in analysing the existing statutory regime for industrial action and the wider industrial relations landscape in Great Britain and internationally.
In our view the Strikes Bill (Minimum Service Levels) Act would place an unacceptable restriction on a worker’s right to take strike action to defend their terms and conditions of employment. It adds to an existing body of highly restrictive laws on strikes, including the Trade Union Act 2016. The cumulative effects of this legislation would place the UK well outside the mainstream of industrial relations in comparable countries.
The right to strike is guaranteed in international law by a succession of important treaties. These include the Council of Europe’s Social Charter of 1961; and the UN’s International Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights of 1966. It has also been recognised as a human right by the International Labour Organisation, and by the European Court of Human Rights. Our obligation to respect ILO conventions and the Social Charter was reinforced by the 2020 Trade and Cooperation Treaty with the European Union.
In Great Britain the right to strike is already heavily limited. The statutory regime places significant requirements on trade unions contemplating industrial action including the need to conduct a postal ballot under highly complex rules, the need to clear high thresholds of support (even higher in ‘important public services’), and to give 14 days’ notice of action.
The Strikes Bill as drafted would remove none of these requirements while placing a hugely onerous new set of requirements on unions and union members.
The legislation gives a Secretary of State a largely unfettered power to determine what a minimum level of service should be in a particular service, and consequently the circumstances in which and the extent to which workers in these sectors can lawfully exercise their freedom to strike. If a strike takes place in these services, an employer will have the power to issue a work notice effectively to requisition workers during the strike.
Trade unions will then be under a duty to take “reasonable steps” to ensure that workers comply with the work notice. Trade unions will thus be required by an employer acting with the authority of the state to take steps actively to undermine its own strike, for which its members will have voted in a ballot with high thresholds of support. Such an obligation is unprecedented in British law, and it places trade unions in an intolerable conflict with their own members.
The legislation also removes significant protections for individual workers exposing them to the risk of dismissal and victimisation. It will do nothing to resolve the current spate of industrial action, which will be settled by negotiation and agreement, rather than by the introduction of even tighter restrictions on trade unions.
The proposed minimum service legislation constitutes a further departure from established norms and treaty obligations. It would make Great Britain an outlier among comparable countries. If ministers are keen to learn from overseas, a more promising place to start would be the creation of a culture of social dialogue and balanced cooperation through the introduction of sector-wide collective bargaining, together with the clear legal recognition of a positive right to strike.
Professor Alan Bogg, Professor of Labour Law, University of Bristol
Professor Nicola Countouris, Director of the Research Department, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and Professor in Labour Law and European Law, University College London
Professor Ruth Dukes, Professor of Labour Law, University of Glasgow
Professor Keith Ewing, Professor of Public Law, King’s College London
Professor Lydia Hayes, Professor of Labour Rights, University of Liverpool
Dr Ioannis Katsaroumpas, Lecturer in Employment Law, University of Sussex
Professor Aristea Koukiadaki, Professor of Labour Law and Industrial Relations, Head of The University of Manchester Law School
Professor Virginia Mantouvalou, Professor of Human Rights and Labour Law, University College London
Dr Ewan McGaughey, Reader in Law, King’s College London
Professor Tonia Novitz, Professor of Labour Law, University of Bristol
Strachan House care home in Blackhall is full of fluffy mischief on the run up Easter period!
Residents at Strachan House were pleasantly surprised to see 5 duck eggs arrive on the 4th April just in time to see them hatch for Easter. Children and relatives all throughout the day watched with the residents together as they witnessed the tiny lives come into the world.
Mandy Head of Activities said: “Sharing moments like these together on an intergenerational level is so touching.
“Making and sharing memories young and old is something we cherish here at Strachan House”
General Manager Gordon Philp said: “Our residents have really enjoyed their unusual visitors at Strachan House. We knew that having the hatchlings here would be a bit of fun for all our residents, especially as some find it difficult to go on many outings in our minibus.
“We are always looking for new activities for the residents and over the Easter period we have seen the enjoyment and the therapeutic influence that the ducks have had on our residents. We can’t wait to see them grow.”
Resident Alex Laird was very excited and touched by watching the ducklings hatch: “As a child I used to love all the animals on the nearby farm.
“Easter has been so very enjoyable so far and it has been wonderful to be part of something special watching new little lives come into the world at Easter.”
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care home’s and hospitals.
Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.
Bake Off’s Giuseppe Dell’Anno and school feeding charity Mary’s Meals have the perfect recipe for holiday family fun
Looking for a way to entertain the kids this Easter? School feeding charity Mary’s Meals and Great British Bake Off star, Giuseppe Dell’Anno have the perfect idea! They are calling on people in Edinburgh to hold a bake sale and Raise Some Dough for hungry children this Easter.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals in 18 of the world’s poorest countries – including Malawi, Syria and Haiti. The promise of food attracts children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and hope for the future.
Giuseppe, Great British Bake Off winner in 2021, says: “Mary’s Meals tackles two major needs for kids’ welfare at once: nutrition and education. Many of us take things like school and food for granted, but there are places in the world where they are completely out of reach.
“A bake sale is a great way to have fun in the Easter holidays and raise funds to help this incredible charity reach the next child waiting for Mary’s Meals.
“You’d be surprised how far a very simple biscuit, baked with your cupboard essentials, can go. Especially if shared with a smile! I hope you’ll join me to Raise Some Dough this Easter for hungry children!”
People in Edinburgh can download a free fundraising pack from the charity’s website, which includes a recipe book packed full of tasty biscuit recipes from some of the UK’s favourite celebrities – including Giuseppe, Stephen Fry, Dame Joanna Lumley and Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Taylor.
The charity will even send bakers a special mug-shaped cookie cutter, based on the mugs from which many children eat their daily serving of Mary’s Meals.
Dan McNally, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals, says: “If you’re looking for something to keep the family entertained this Easter, our Raise Some Dough fundraising pack has everything you ‘knead’ to hold a bake sale for friends and family and raise funds for children in some of the world’s poorest communities.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a star baker like Giuseppe, or a budding baker – we’d love for you to get involved and help us reach more hungry children with Mary’s Meals.”
To order your free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack, please visit:
Although young children are generally at low risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19, infants and young children who have underlying medical conditions are over 7 times more likely to be admitted to paediatric intensive care units.
Over one million children aged 6 months to 4 years in the US have received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine since June 2022. Data from the US showed the most common side effects reported were similar to those seen with other vaccines given in this age group, such as irritability or crying, sleepiness, and fever.
In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) first authorised use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years on 6 December 2022.
Following that authorisation, the JCVI has advised that children aged 6 months to 4 years who are in a clinical risk group should be offered the vaccine. The JCVI does not currently advise COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 6 months to 4 years who are not in a clinical risk group.
Eligible children should be offered 2 doses of the vaccine, with an interval of 8 to 12 weeks between the first and second doses.
NHS England has confirmed it will begin offering vaccinations to those eligible in England from mid-June. Parents should wait to be contacted before coming forward.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of the JCVI’s COVID-19 Committee, said: “For the vast majority of infants and children, COVID-19 causes only mild symptoms, or sometimes no symptoms.
“However, for a small group of children with pre-existing health conditions it can lead to more serious illness and, for them, vaccination is the best way to increase their protection.”
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “COVID-19 is still in circulation, with thousands of new cases reported every week.
“The extra protection offered by the vaccine could be important for young children in clinical risk groups, who are at greater risk of severe illness. The virus is not going away so I would encourage all parents to bring their child forward if they are eligible. Parents should wait to be contacted by their local health professionals.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Children are at very low risk of harm from Covid. However, there are a very small number of children with health conditions which make them particularly vulnerable, and for those children we want to give parents the choice as to whether they wish to vaccinate their at risk child or not.
“I have accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on vaccinating children aged from 6 months to 4 years who are in a clinical risk group. It is a parental decision, and this advice is simply to enable parents of children with medical conditions to choose if they wish to have the protection.”
A 29-year-old man from Yorkshire has been found guilty of murdering his pregnant wife in Edinburgh in September, 2021.
Kashif Anwar (below) was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday (Thursday, 6 April, 2023) of murdering 31-year-old Fawziyah Javed at Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park on Thursday, 2 September, 2021.
He will serve a minimum of 20 years.
Detective Inspector Bob Williamson, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult and traumatic time for Fawziyah’s family who are understandably devastated by her death.
“Fawziyah was much loved and had her life ahead of her with a new baby on the way. This was all cruelly taken from her and her unborn child at the hands of her own husband – someone who should have loved and protected her. Anwar’s actions were incomprehensible and as an investigation team, we welcome today’s verdict.
“I sincerely hope that the fact that he has now been found guilty will afford Fawziyah’s family and friends some sense of justice.”
Scotland’s Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) face considerable financial challenges and immense pressures on their workforce, says public spending watchdog Audit Scotland.
IJBs have reached the point where significant transformation will be needed to ensure the long-term capacity, financial sustainability and quality of services individuals receive.
IJBs plan and commission many community-based health and care services. Demand for these services is increasing, in part due to demographic change and support for people with increasingly complex care needs.
The number of care hours for those aged over 65 reached nearly 25 million in 2021/22. The proportion of care services reporting vacancies increased by 11 per cent to 47 per cent, with a 30 per cent turnover of staff each year.
Most IJBs underspent on providing services in 2021/22. This was largely because of difficulties in recruiting staff, which led to unplanned vacancies, and pandemic-related reductions in service provision. The reductions in service provision were likely to have contributed to an increase in unmet health and social care needs.
In 2021/22 IJBs returned significant surpluses, with reserves doubling to over £1.3 billion. This was mainly due to additional funding received late in the year for specific policy commitments, including Covid-19. The Scottish Government are currently exploring options to recover around two-thirds of the unspent Covid-19 money held in reserves.
Across Scotland, IJBs have a combined projected funding gap of £124 million for 2022/23.
To be financially sustainable in the longer-term, IJBs must reduce their reliance on reserves. All IJBs must put in place detailed plans that clearly show how they will achieve the needed ongoing savings on a recurring basis and support urgently needed service transformation.
William Moyes, Chair of the Accounts Commission said: “Change is needed now – it cannot wait for a National Care Service. Action is needed to tackle funding pressures, which are under increasing stress from rising demand and cost pressures.
“The workforce challenges are considerable, with mounting unmet need.
“We need to see services focus on prevention, with appropriate funding in place to transform the way services are delivered and to improve lives. “
Local government organisation COSLA agrees.
COSLA Health & Social Care Spokesperson, Councillor Paul Kelly, said: “Today’s report from Audit Scotland is concerning and highlights the enormous pressure our health and social care infrastructure is under.
“People across Scotland rely on vital health & social care services every day, and it is critical that there is meaningful investment in the system which ensures their long-term capacity.
“We must ensure focus remains on front-line service improvement and sustainability, rather than the bureaucratic structural change presented through the National Care Service Bill.”
