Day: April 23, 2023

Pioneering Scottish rewilding project hits £1 million mark 

 ·         £1million raised in ongoing crowdfund for mass ownership of Highlands Rewilding 

·         Money raised comes from 622 investors, over 40% of whom are Scottish residents 

·         The for-profit rewilding company hopes to achieve 1,000 investors by 16 May 

Highlands Rewilding, a pioneering Scottish project focused on scaling nature recovery and community prosperity through rewilding, has secured £1 million through its crowdfunding campaign, three weeks before it is set to close on 16 May 2023. 

The company operates a frontier rewilding model that allows citizen rewilders to invest from between £50 to £200,000 to co-own rewilding land, earning a potential 5% return. This mass ownership approach has proved popular with smaller and larger investors alike, since it launched at the beginning of December 2022, despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Many founding funders who engaged with the company during its establishing year have also reinvested in Highlands Rewilding’s crowdfund, in a strong show of support for its pioneering project. 

The £1 million has been raised by 622 ‘citizen rewilders’, 43% of whom live in Scotland, testament to the groundswell of support for nature restoration which is actively combatting climate meltdown and biodiversity collapse. The for-profit rewilding company hopes to achieve 1,000 investors in the crowdfund by the end of the campaign. Larger investors have also joined forces to raise many millions more, helping Highlands Rewilding expand its operations and take rewilding to scale in Scotland. 

Further supporting the ambitions of Highlands Rewilding, this month the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) committed £12 million to support the acquisition of Tayvallich Estate, a 1,300-hectare estate in Argyll.

The funding boost marked UKIB’s first deal exclusively in Scotland and will contribute to enabling Highlands Rewilding to develop new natural capital and revenue models on the Tayvallich Estate, and create an exemplar of community-company synergy. 

Dr. Jeremy Leggett, CEO of Highlands Rewilding, said: “We are delighted to be hitting such a key milestone in our fight against biodiversity collapse and climate meltdown.

“We aim to play a lead role in the great diversion of investment from ruin to restoration, through rewilding.

The more citizen rewilders invest at the £50 to £100 level, the more the financial institutions are likely to invest at the £50 million to £100 million level. Hitting the £1 million mark in our crowdfund shows that our model is working in offering tangible hope, not just for nature but also community prosperity.  

“Tayvallich is a new opportunity which has arisen since the start of our fundraising campaign. The success of our crowdfund and off-platform fundraise to date, has enabled us to sign a contract for the unique Tayvallich estate and expand our rewilding and decarbonisation work to three sites.

“Each site – Bunloit, Beldorney and Tayvallich – is unique in their own right, but together they are a powerhouse for Scottish nature recovery, and a beacon of hope for the global biodiversity treaty, recently agreed by 200-plus governments.” 

With three weeks to go, Highlands Rewilding is inviting investors to join it during its scaling campaign, that moves beyond the simple protection of nature towards nature recovery and restoration in Scotland, and later, beyond.  

As with any investment, those interested in the Highlands Rewilding project are encouraged to make sure they fully understand the process, what their investment means, and the potential risks of investing.  

Find out more about Highlands Rewilding and the crowdfund here:

www.highlandsrewilding.co.uk/crowdfund  

Shortlist revealed for 44th Scottish Press Awards

The shortlist for the 44th Scottish Press Awards has been announced, recognising excellence in national, regional and digital journalism from across the country.

With 34 categories this year, the judges have received a flood of entries, representing the finest talent from across the industry, with 145 finalists will be hoping to scoop an award in a range of categories including politics, business, sport and the arts. 

The categories are:

  • Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the Year
  • Best Coverage of a Live Event
  • Campaign of the Year
  • Columnist of the Year
  • Feature Writer of the Year
  • Financial/Business Journalist of the Year
  • Food and Drink Writer of the Year
  • Front Page of the Year
  • Interviewer of the Year
  • Journalism Team of the Year
  • Local Campaign of the Year
  • Local Feature Writer of the Year
  • Local Reporter of the Year
  • News Photographer of the Year
  • News Website of the Year
  • Nicola Barry award
  • Podcast of the Year
  • Political Journalist of the Year
  • Regional Feature Writer of the Year
  • Regional Reporter of the Year
  • Reporter of the Year
  • Scoop of the Year
  • Specialist Reporter of the Year
  • Sports Columnist of the Year
  • Sports Feature Writer of the Year
  • Sports News Writer of the Year
  • Sports Photographer of the Year
  • Student of the Year
  • Young Journalist of the Year
  • Weekly Newspaper of the year
  • Daily Newspaper of the Year 
  • Sunday Newspaper of the Year
  • Journalist of the Year
  • Chairperson’s Award

Shortlists for the sought-after Daily Newspaper of the Year, Sunday Newspaper of the Year, Journalist of the Year and Chairperson’s Award have not been announced, as the winners will be announced on the night of the ceremony. The shortlist for the Weekly Newspaper of the Year will be revealed in May.

This year’s judging panel was led by Richard Neville, former Head of News Brands at DC Thomson and current Director of Neville Robertson Communications.

Richard Neville, chair of the Scottish Press Awards judges, said: “The pressure on journalists and news organisations continues to grow every year and, despite the incredible challenges the industry faces, the quality of entries to The Scottish Press Awards continues unabated.

“This year has been one of further diversification with digital content becoming the central feature of many newsrooms. At the heart of every entry, however, is simple good storytelling, digital or otherwise.

“While selecting the winners has been as difficult as ever, it has been clear throughout the process that Scotland is being well served because of the value our journalists and editors are placing on telling great stories, in every format.”

The 44th Scottish Press Awards are sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland, Diageo, VisitScotland, Edrington, Openreach, Glenmorangie, The Law Society of Scotland, Muckle Media, Women in Journalism Scotland, BIG Partnership, Registrars of Scotland. Event Consultants Scotland and Scottish Newspaper Society.

The awards ceremony and dinner will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central on Wednesday 7 June 2023.

For more information and to view the (not-so-short!) shortlist, visit: 

https://www.scotns.org.uk/2023/04/21/scottish-press-awards-shortlist-announced/

44th-Scottish-Press-Awards-Shortlist-2023-1mle0y5zxDownload

Dawn Service of Remembrance as Edinburgh marks ANZAC Day at Comely Bank Cemetery

At dawn on April 25th, 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), together with British, French, and Russian forces landed on the Dardanelles Peninsula (now part of Turkey) at the start of the Gallipoli campaign.

This ended in a stalemate, with troops withdrawing in January 1916. More than 100,000 soldiers were killed.

At dawn on April 25th, 2023, Veterans and their families will gather at Comely Bank Cemetery, Edinburgh where 16 ANZAC Soldiers are laid to rest and take part in an international remembrance service to mark the 108th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War.

Traditionally ANZAC Day services commence at dawn, coinciding with the moment ANZAC forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in April 1915.

Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland will join members of the Australian and New Zealand community for the service and wreath-laying ceremony at Comely Bank Cemetery at 5.00am. Led by Rev Dr Karen Campbell, it will feature Scots Guards Association piper Cameron Cochrane and bugler Iona McFarlane.

Later that morning, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and Government representatives from Scotland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Turkey will take part in Legion Scotland’s annual ANZAC and Gallipoli Day Service at the Scottish National War Memorial inside Edinburgh Castle at 11am.

ANZAC Day marks the service and sacrifices made by the Australian and New Zealand Armed Forces, as well as those from Scotland and the rest of the world who served alongside them. It is the National Day of Remembrance in the two countries.

Both services are open to the public, with a limited number of tickets for the memorial available from 9:30-10:15am in front of the Castle on the Esplanade.

Dr Claire Armstrong, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, said: “This is an opportunity to come together to remember the service and sacrifices of ANZAC servicemen and women through the years, as well as our own soldiers who fell during the Gallipoli campaign.

“It is a chance to reflect on the extraordinary courage of our Armed Forces community, both past and present, as well as the enduring friendship between our countries.”

Connecting Communites: Council partners with community councils to seek views on regenerating Seafield

A six-week consultation is asking residents, businesses and other interested groups how they think Seafield could be transformed and regenerated into a vibrant new 20-minute neighbourhood.

The consultation is being run by the City of Edinburgh Council and Seafield: Connecting Coastal Communities*.

The local community is being invited to attend two events where they can give their views in person. Those attending will be asked what they like best about the area just now, what kind of housing they would like built there in the future and how the existing promenade could be improved.

The consultation is also seeking to get views from the local community on what other facilities they would like in the area such as health centres, schools and shops as well as how public transport could be improved. 

There is an online consultation survey for those who are unable to attend the following events – 

Thursday, 27 April between 3pm – 8pm at The Ripple Project Cafe, 198 Restalrig Road South, Craigentinny. 

Saturday, 29 April Between 12:30pm – 3:30pm Bellfield (Celebration Foyer) 16B Bellfield Street, Portobello.

Cllr James Dalgleish Planning Convener said: “This part of our precious coast in Edinburgh has been highlighted as an area which can be greatly improved and regenerated in our draft City Plan 2030, currently with Scottish Ministers for approval. 

“We’re at an early stage looking at how we can use sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood principles at Seafield, a new way of thinking for us in Edinburgh. We want to make Seafield more sustainable, with improved access to quality services.

“This is the start of a conversation with the local community to empower them to help us to make this happen. A 20-minute neighbourhood in Edinburgh is about living well locally, giving residents the ability to meet most of their daily needs by walking, cycling, wheeling or taking public transport. Residents will be able to live, shop, work and travel more easily and enjoy well-connected spaces with and improved greener public transport. 

“I’d encourage everyone with a link to Seafield to come along and tell us how what kind of homes and other facilities they would like to see built at Seafield for future generations to come. If you can’t make the events please do fill out our short survey as it’s really important we hear from as many people as possible about this important regeneration project for the city.

“The next stage is for the Council to share a draft vision for feedback before consulting on a draft masterplan for Seafield this summer. This will then be presented to the Council’s Planning Committee for approval.”

*Seafield: Connecting Coastal Communities is a group made up of the following community councils:

  • Craigentinny and Meadowbank
  • Portobello
  • Leith Links
  • Leith Harbour & Newhaven

Coronation events in Scotland

Service and procession in Edinburgh to follow historic event

A special service will be held in Edinburgh following the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The King will be presented with the Honours of Scotland during the Service of Dedication and Thanksgiving, which will take place at St Giles’ Cathedral later this year.

The Honours will be escorted from Edinburgh Castle to the Cathedral by a People’s Procession of around 100 representatives from across Scotland.

Prior to the Scottish service, the First Minister will attend the Coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6 May. The Stone of Destiny will be a key part of the event and will be placed in the Coronation Chair for the ceremony.

Organisations, community groups and individuals are invited to take part in street parties, community lunches or charity events during the Coronation weekend and big screens will show the ceremony at locations in Scotland including Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh and Glasgow Cathedral.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: ““I will be attending the Coronation on 6 May, and there will be ample opportunities for people across Scotland who wish to mark this historic occasion, to do so. These include watching the ceremony on big screens in communities, hosting street parties or taking part in charity and local events.

“Scotland will welcome the new Monarch later in the year with a Service of Dedication and Thanksgiving. The Honours of Scotland, including the Stone of Destiny, will form part of the ceremony at St Giles’ Cathedral and the event will be similar to the Thanksgiving Service held in 1953 during The Late Queen’s first visit to Scotland, following Her Coronation.”

Further details of the service and processions taking place later in the year, including viewing opportunities for the public, will be issued in the coming weeks.

Honours of Scotland 

Coronation of His Majesty The King & Her Majesty The Queen Consort

Coronation Big Lunch

The Big Help Out

Abortion Rights Scotland marks anniversary of legal abortions in UK

ACTIVISTS marked the anniversary of the enactment of the 1967 Abortion Act, which legalised abortion in Britain, at an event on Lothian Road yesterday.

Also marking the significant date, but for different reasons, were pro-life group SPUC, who held a simultaneous Pro-life Chain event.

Abortion Rights Scotland’s Audrey Brown (above) said: “NHS Scotland has long supported women to make their own choices about pregnancy.

“Abortion care is extremely safe, and in fact is safer than continuing a pregnancy. NHS doctors, nurses and midwives working in abortion care are trained to provide a safe and supportive service.

“The majority of women now choose early medical abortion in the privacy of their own home. Restricting access to abortion won’t stop abortion, it will push it underground and make it less safe.

“We must continue to support free, safe and legal NHS abortion care.”

A number of politicians showed their support at the demo. Among them were Edinburgh East MP Tommy Sheppard.

PICTURES: Craig MacLean

£1.8 million for Scotland’s major arts festivals

Expo Fund will support additional organisations

Fourteen major festivals in Edinburgh and Glasgow will receive a share of this year’s £1.8 million Expo Fund. Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society receives the lion’s share of the funding pot – it gets £550,000.

See below for the full list of recipients.

Established in 2007 by the Scottish Government, the Expo Fund’s aim is to build innovation across the festivals and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists contributing to the festivals.

This year for the first time, the Glasgow Film Festival and the biennial Sonica visual art and sonic festival will receive funding.

Culture Minister Christina McKelvie said: “Scotland’s major festivals are a wonderful showcase for the extraordinary range of artistic talent we have in this country. The Expo Fund not only helps to support performances at home, but enables artists to find new audiences further afield. 

“The last few years have been challenging for the culture sector, especially festivals and events. I’m pleased that we are able to continue this important fund and include two more Glasgow-based festivals who will receive support for the first time.”

Creative Scotland Chief Executive Iain Munro said: “Scotland is known across the globe for its outstanding array of world-class festivals. The Expo Fund is vital in raising the international profile of these festivals and enabling them to enhance their programmes through exciting and innovative co-productions and collaborations.

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to recognise the distinct international profile and work of Sonica and Glasgow Film Festival through Expo funding. They join Celtic Connections, Glasgow International and the Edinburgh Festivals, further expanding the diversity of opportunities and inspirational work reaching international audiences.”

Expo Fund 2023-24 recipients:

Celtic Connections £101,000
Edinburgh Art Festival£130,000
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society£550,000
Edinburgh International Book Festival£85,000
Edinburgh International Festival£100,000
Edinburgh International Film Festival£59,000
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival£100,000
Edinburgh Science Festival£120,000
Glasgow International Festival£75,000
Hogmanay£130,000
Imaginate – Edinburgh International Children’s Festival£130,000
Scottish International Story Festival£120,000
As new entrants, Glasgow Film Festival and Sonica will share£100,000

Reminder: Emergency Alert mobile phone warning this afternoon

“Keep Calm and Carry On, this is just a test” – that is the clear message from the Deputy Prime Minister on the day of the nationwide test of the national Emergency Alerts system.

Reminder: at 3pm TODAY – Sunday – there will be a test of the Emergency Alert system across the UK.

You will receive a message on the home screen of your mobile phone, along with a sound and vibration for up to ten seconds.

You do not need to take any action – the sound and vibration will stop automatically after ten seconds. All you need to do is swipe away the message or click ‘OK’ on their phone’s home screen – just like for a ‘low battery’ warning or notification – and continue to use your phone as normal.

Find out more at gov.uk/alerts*

The new Emergency Alert mobile phone warning service is being tested across the UK on Sunday, 23rd April at 3:00 pm.

You can help by sharing information about the test with friends and family who may not be aware.

Find out more: http://gov.uk/alerts

UK Emergency Alerts Test – “Keep Calm and Carry On: This is just a test”

“Keep Calm and Carry On, this is just a test” – that is the clear message from the Deputy Prime Minister on the day of the nationwide test of the national Emergency Alerts system.

Officials from the Cabinet Office National Situation Centre will send out the alert at 3pm and it will be received by every 4G and 5G device across the United Kingdom.

A major awareness campaign was launched to ensure the public knew about the test of the system, with new polling on Friday showing 88% of the British public were now aware.

The system will be an additional tool in the national resilience toolkit when there is an imminent risk to life.

Announcements and signage across the transport network will be in place in the run-up to the test. The alert will be a siren-like sound no more prominent than the loudest ringtone setting on a mobile phone.

People are being urged to remember that this is just a test, akin to a one off fire alarm drill, and no action is required when they receive the test alert today.

Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said: “Keep Calm and Carry On – that is the British way and it is exactly what the country will do when they receive this test alert at 3pm today.

“The Government’s number one job is to keep people safe and this is another tool in the toolkit for emergency situations, such as flooding or wildfires, and where there is a genuine risk to life. So it really is the sound that could save your life.

“I would encourage people to remember that today it is just a test; there is no need to take any action and you can simply swipe it away as you would any other message you receive.”

The test will be sent using mobile broadcasting technology which uses cell towers rather than SMS. The test is secure, free to receive and one-way, and does not reveal anyone’s location or collect personal data.

The sound and vibration of the test alert will stop automatically after ten seconds. All people need to do is swipe away the message or click ‘OK’ on their phone’s home screen – just like for a ‘low battery’ warning or notification – and continue to use their phone as normal.

The test message will say:

This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.

In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.

This is a test. You do not need to take any action.

Best practice of Emergency Alerts in other countries have shown that they work more effectively when there is a real emergency if people have previously received a test, so they know what an alert looks and sounds like.

Emergency Alerts have already been used successfully in a number of countries, including the US, Canada and Japan, where the system has been widely credited with saving lives, for example, during severe weather events. In the UK, alerts could be used to inform people about wildfires or severe flooding.

The Government has worked together with the emergency services and partners, including the Football Association and London Marathon, to make sure the UK-wide test has minimum impact on major events taking place today.

Chief Fire Officer for Hertfordshire, and Resilience Lead on the National Fire Chiefs Council, Alex Woodman, said: “Whilst today’s ten second national test may be inconvenient for some, please forgive the intrusion, because the next time you hear the alert, your life and the lifesaving actions of our emergency services could depend on it.

“We must use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe and we need everyone to play their part. The new Emergency Alerts system is one way we can do this.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Civil Contingencies, Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill said: “During times of crises, it’s vital to warn and inform the public at speed.

“We look forward to further developing the use of the Emergency Alerts capability and the way it can protect and preserve life, as well as supporting policing’s wider response to critical incidents with partner agencies. Alongside partners, we will continue to listen carefully to public feedback and ensure the use of Emergency Alerts has a positive impact.”

Emergency Alerts will transform the UK’s warning and informing capability; working with mobile broadcasting technology provides a means to get urgent messages quickly to nearly 90 percent of mobile phones in a defined area when there is a risk to life, and provide clear instructions about how best to respond.

The system will be used very rarely – only being sent where there is an immediate risk to people’s lives – so people may not receive an alert for months or years, if at all.