Our Living Wage Scotland team has had great success in encouraging 3,000 businesses in Scotland to become accredited Living Wage employers. Now the Living Wage Foundation is moving into a new area.
The Living Pension accreditation scheme was launched in Edinburgh on 21 March 2023. It is a voluntary savings target for employers and aims to help workers build up a pension pot that will provide enough income to meet basic everyday needs in retirement.
Research completed by the Resolution Foundation in 2022 showed that four in five workers, and 95% of low-paid workers, paying into defined contribution schemes are not saving at the level needed to reach an acceptable standard of living in retirement.
You can read more about Living Pensions here, and you can also sign up to a free webinar being hosted by the Living Wage Foundation on Tuesday 16 May 2023.
The mission will study Jupiter’s moons for potential habitability for life
The Jupiter icy moons mission (JUICE) has taken off on its journey to study Jupiter, our largest planet, and investigate whether some of its icy moons are home to conditions that could support life.
Funded by the UK Space Agency, the UK leads on one of the 10 science instruments on board the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) and has contributed to the development of two more.
Blasting off from Kourou in French Guiana at 1:14pm BST on Friday 14 April, JUICE will spend eight years travelling to the Jupiter system. On the way, it will perform fly-bys of Earth and Venus, using the gravitational fields of the planets to generate enough speed to reach Jupiter. One of these will be the first ever lunar-Earth gravity assist manoeuvre.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, said: “The UK Space Agency has invested around £9 million in the JUICE mission to explore Jupiter and its moons. UK tech on the spacecraft illustrates how our world class universities and research institutions are unlocking deep space exploration.
“I want the UK’s space sector to continue thriving and encourage STEM learning for the next generation. It’s important that we push the boundaries of science, innovation and technology across the country to support the jobs of the future.”
On arrival in 2031, JUICE will circle Jupiter and fly past moons Ganymede, Europa and Callisto, making observations and taking measurements, studying the Jovian system as an archetype for gas giants elsewhere in the universe.
Finally in December 2034, JUICE will transfer into orbit around Ganymede, becoming the first spacecraft ever to orbit a moon other than Earth’s. While up close and personal with Ganymede, the mission will investigate the giant ocean that scientists believe hides under its icy crust, seeking evidence of habitability.
Dr Caroline Harper, Head of Space Science at the UK Space Agency, said: “The launch of JUICE marks years of hard work and collaboration by scientists, engineers and space agencies all over the world, but the journey is far from over.
“We look forward to following the spacecraft as it makes its eight-year trip to Jupiter and then as it studies the planet and its moons, using specialised UK-developed science instruments.
“We have a large community of research experts in the UK who are eagerly awaiting the data that JUICE will provide. With this information we hope to discover more about the nature of gas giants in space, and their icy moons, bringing us another step closer to understanding the evolution of the Universe.”
JUICE lifting off. Credit: ESA – M. Pédoussaut
The UK Space Agency invested £9 million into the JUICE science payload, by supporting three critical instruments on board, which are:
J-MAG (UK-led magnetometer) – Development led by Imperial College London with radiation-hardness and mechanical design contributed by the University of Leicester.
JANUS (Italian-led optical camera system) – Imaging sensors developed by Teledyne-e2v in the UK, then tested, calibrated and characterised by Open University.
PEP (Swedish-led particle environment package) – Solid-state detectors provided by University College London and radiation design for instrument suite contributed by Aberystwyth University.
Principal Investigator for the J-MAG instrument at Imperial College London, Professor Michele Dougherty, has been involved in JUICE since well before it was selected by ESA in 2014 as the first Large Class mission in its Cosmic Vision Science Programme.
Professor Michele Dougherty, Head of the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, said: “With our instrument’s measurements, we are almost looking inside these worlds.
“What we’re doing, however, is extremely difficult, as the signals we’re trying to detect are extremely small. It’s like trying to find lots of needles in a haystack, and those needles are changing shape and colour all the time. But we think the results are going to be spectacular.
“Space missions are long and slow, so launch only marks the halfway point of this one – because we first started thinking about it 15 years ago, and we’ll be getting the last data in 15 years’ time. But I can’t wait for launch to happen because that’s the next milestone for us – we’ll be on our way to Jupiter.
JUICE is a collaboration between ESA, NASA and the space agencies of Japan and Israel and will consider two key themes from ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015 – 2025: What are the conditions for planet formation and the emergence of life? And how does the Solar System work?
After taking off on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle from Kourou in French Guiana it is expected to arrive at Jupiter in July 2031 and complete 35 icy moon flybys before arriving at Ganymede – the largest of Jupiter’s moons – by December 2034.
JUICE will spend its eight-year voyage productively; it will pass by Venus to test and calibrate its instruments, gather data and take advantage of the gravity assist to save on fuel. Meanwhile, scientists on the ground will work on finalising software and data modelling in time for arrival at Jupiter.
Chiaki Crews, Research Fellow at the Open University, said: “The JUICE mission aims to answer many exciting questions, including whether the ocean worlds beneath the surfaces of Jupiter’s icy moons could potentially harbour life. One of the many instruments needed to make detailed scientific observations to help answer such questions is a camera.
“Our team at the Open University has spent several years testing and optimising a new image sensor for JUICE’s scientific camera, JANUS. A large part of our work was to irradiate test sensors with high doses of radiation, just like it is expected to experience during the JUICE mission lifetime, to check that JANUS will still be able to take images without too much degradation.
“We are now very much looking forward to watching the launch, albeit we’ll have to wait patiently for several more years before we’ll see the first images sent back from Jupiter’s moons.”
Professor Geraint Jones at University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory, said: “It’s fantastic to see JUICE, carrying the PEP instrument that we contributed to, nearing its launch. We look forward to seeing data from our sensors on the ‘soup’ of ions, electrons and atoms surrounding Jupiter and its moons.
“This data will help us, for instance, to understand how particles around Jupiter reach such high energies – energies that could be fatal for an astronaut. We are excited that the mission will shed new light on worlds that could potentially host life.”
Professor Emma Bunce, Director of the Institute for Space at the University of Leicester, said: “The JUICE mission represents the next logical step in our exploration of potentially habitable worlds in the outer solar system. The JUICE spacecraft will do that via multiple flybys of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, and eventually from a dedicated orbit at Ganymede towards the end of the mission.
“After many years of hard work from science, engineering, and industry teams, we are so excited that the JUICE mission is finally ready to launch and start its long journey to the Jupiter system. We will patiently await the incredible data that we expect to receive from 2031, and we are confident that it will absolutely be worth the wait!”
Professor Manuel Grande, Head of Solar System Physics at Aberystwyth University’s Department of Physics, said: “The major challenge when visiting the icy moons of Jupiter, in particular Europa, is the extreme radiation environment which would interfere with the spacecraft’s instrumentation and swamp any readings.
“The innovative design of the shielding, which was pioneered at Aberystwyth, makes it possible to avoid the effects of radiation on readings and allow for the detection of organic molecules in the neighbourhood of Europa, which is perhaps the most likely site for life in our Solar System after our own Earth.”
Daniel Waller, Vice-President at Teledyne e2v, said: “The launch of JUICE with the JANUS optical camera onboard marks a milestone in this important mission. This is our second complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor sensor from our facility in Chelmsford to fly in space in recent months.
“This sensor will give us sight of both the icy moons and the environment of Jupiter, increasing our understanding of other planets in our solar system.”
The daughter of two patients who were able to spend some of their final days together at Inverclyde Royal Hospital (IRH) has praised staff for their compassion and for recognising ‘a true love story’.
Margaret O’Brien and her husband Alfie O’Brien sadly both required end of life care at the same time earlier this year, after it was discovered Margaret had terminal brain cancer, while Alfie was experiencing organ failure in his lungs, liver and heart.
The pair, who lived in Skelmorlie, were inseparable during their 58 years of marriage, travelling the world together and helping daughter Vanessa look after their beloved grandchildren Ben, 19, and Carla, 21.
When both became unwell in January, they were initially in separate wards in the IRH, but after medical staff noticed conditions worsening, they decided to make arrangements for the pair to both be together while they received treatment.
Alfie was admitted to hospital on January 4, after displaying symptoms of pneumonia, a condition he had most winters. But, following tests, it was discovered his organs were failing. While he was in hospital Margaret stayed with Vanessa, who began to notice her mum was getting a bit confused and took her to her local GP Dr Rai, who advised that he wanted to refer her for a brain scan.
Vanessa said: “I cannot thank the staff enough for everything they did for our family and for my mum and dad. The efforts were amazing, both consultants Dr Maycock and Dr Simmons were absolutely brilliant.
“They kept us up to date with exactly what was going on and even worked together to explain the situation of what was happening with mum to my dad in such a compassionate and caring way.
“When both my parents were at Inverclyde Royal Hospital they were initially in different wards, after it became clear it wasn’t looking good for either of them a staff member asked me if I thought they would like to be together in a room they had found. I thought that was amazing, it was a great idea.
“My mum and dad were inseparable, you didn’t get one without the other so getting the chance to have some more time together at that time, that’s just incredible. It was huge for the family as it meant we could always be with them too.”
After some time together at the IRH, the couple were moved to Bridge of Weir Care Home, where Margaret passed away by her husband’s side.
Ten days later, on February 27, at home with his family, Alfie passed away. The family were able to arrange a funeral for the couple, in March, with a double coffin, meaning they were back together.
Vanessa said: “I would say this has been beautifully tragic, I think that’s the best way of putting it. It’s a strange feeling, I can’t tell you how at peace I am. My parents had everything how they wanted it, they were able to spend some of their final precious moments together at the IRH then at the care home.
“We have experienced every part of the care services during this time and I cannot speak highly enough of everyone. From the consultants who treated and comforted my parents, the nursing teams who arranged the room for them and provided such great care, to the GP Dr Rai and the care home staff, everyone went above and beyond for our family.
“My parents were legends, I think staff at Inverclyde Royal Hospital recognised the true love story that was their marriage and relationship. Our whole family have lost our best pals, which is hard, but we’re comforted to know they were together throughout all of this. The kindness we have experienced will never be forgotten.”
Melanie McColgan, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s director for Clyde said: “I would like to pass on my sincere condolences to all of the O’Brien family. Our entire team were moved by Alfie and Margaret’s story and were honoured to be able to provide some comfort to them and to the entire family during an emotional time.
“Our patients, their families and the whole IRH community are so important to our staff, who continue to go above and beyond for those they care for and we are touched by Vanessa’s kind words.”
A dedicated graffiti removal team and free special uplift service for some residents are just two new street cleansing measures the City of Edinburgh Council is considering to be introduced this year.
A report published yesterday (14 April) to be discussed by councillors at the Transport and Environment Committee on 20 April sets out how an additional £3.078m, allocated when the local authority set its Lib-Dem budget in February, will be spent introducing these as well as several other new initiatives to keep the Capital looking at its best.
The report also updates on Edinburgh’s latest Local Environmental Audit and Management System (LEAMS) survey results, which monitor the city’s cleanliness and highlight areas for action.
As well as demonstrating continued improvement in service performance, reaching pre-Covid levels, the data shows the Capital is performing better than average when compared to similar council areas.
If agreed by committee, £530,000 will be set aside for a dedicated team of officers using specialist vehicles to focus on removing graffiti from public buildings and infrastructure with the ability to raise additional income by charging privately owned buildings for the service.
Committee will also be asked to agree to £500,000 being allocated for a means tested special uplift service, making it easier for those households in receipt of council tax reduction to use the service at no cost.
Other measures being considered are increasing the budget for gully cleaning and channel cleaning by more than 50% (an investment of £380,000), funding of £180,000 for a ‘Rapid Response Service’ to improve cleanliness in the city centre, and additional teams to focus on high density areas which have communal bins and suffer from fly tipping at a cost of £290,000.
A dedicated team to tackle approach roads into the city and rural roads at a cost of £300,000 for additional staff and equipment is also being considered. This multi-skilled team would be tasked with litter picking, mechanical sweeping, gully emptying, and verge and hedge maintenance.
The remaining £940,000 would be used for night shift operations and making sure there is always cover for essential tasks such as litter bin emptying, rapid response teams, city centre and town centre cleansing.
Labour’sCllr Scott Arthur, Environment Convener, said: “Keeping our Capital city clean and tidy for our residents, businesses and those visiting Edinburgh is a top priority for us. We have listened to residents and businesses, and now plan to redouble our focus on cleaning up Edinburgh.
“That’s why we allocated additional funding for our street cleansing team which we set aside in our (Lib-Dem) budget in February.
“If agreed, the measures highlighted in the report will allow us to employ a dedicated team to remove graffiti as well as making sure residents on lower incomes aren’t deterred from having larger items responsibly picked up from their homes through the free uplift service we are proposing.
“We’ll also reduce flood risk by increasing the gully cleaning budget.
“I’d like to thank the street cleansing staff for their efforts in recent months, they have worked within a very limited budget to improve performance.
“The latest data shows there’s been a real improvement in service delivery, and that Edinburgh performs better than average when compared to equivalent Councils.
“This gives me confidence that deploying additional staff, vehicles and equipment throughout the city will further ensure street cleanliness continue to improve.”
Two men, aged 24 and 19, have been arrested and charged in connection with items thrown during a match between Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian in January.
The items were thrown during a match at Easter Road Stadium on Saturday, 22 January.
The men were arrested on Thursday (13 April) and are expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
Chief Inspector Murray Tait, policing lead for today’s Edinburgh derby, said: “We take reports of missile throwing at matches very seriously and we work with clubs to identify anyone involved.
“The consequences of being struck by an item thrown from a stand can be severe and such behaviour will not be tolerated by our football clubs or Police Scotland.”
How can food be fairer? Food politics expert Prof. Marion Nestle received the prestigious Edinburgh Medal at a ceremony last night.
Each year, The Edinburgh Medal is presented to those who have made a significant contribution to the wellbeing and understanding of humanity through the sciences. This year’s recipient is Prof Marion Nestle, a pioneer in the study of food politics, along with wider issues of nutrition and public health.
Food politics explores the wide-reaching implications of what and how we eat – from production and marketing, to the possibilities of fairer distribution of resources. Through her research, advocacy and public engagement work, Prof Nestle has contributed knowledge and inspiration to the field.
An award-winning writer, Prof Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University.
Alongside her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, she has been awarded honorary degrees from Transylvania University in Kentucky and the City University of New York’s Macaulay Honors College.
Prof Nestle has authored 15 books about food policy and politics. Her memoir, Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics tracks a fascinating career which has placed the importance of nutrition at its heart.
This year’s oration was delivered by Prof Timothy Lang, Emeritus Professor of Food Policy at the University of London, and the Vote of Thanks by Prof Annie Anderson.
Noise is the biggest issue Brits have with their neighbours’, with nearly half (44 per cent) complaining about the amount of noise they make in the garden, according to new research from Churchill Home Insurance. The top causes of noise complaints are pet-related (such as dogs barking), playing loud music and drilling.
When it comes to their neighbours’ garden habits, 61 per cent of Brits have problems with their behaviour. Those in London have the most issues; there are an estimated nine million people living in London and 80 per cent of those admit to having garden gripes. Only 52 per cent of those in Wales are irritated by neighbourly behaviour – the lowest of any area.
People in the West Midlands are the most likely to speak directly to their neighbours about their annoying habits (31 per cent), while people in Yorkshire and Humberside are the least likely (16 per cent). Londoners are the most likely to report disturbances to their local council (18 per cent).
Almost half (49 per cent) of those with garden gripes are annoyed at least once a week. To try to resolve these issues, more than one in four (26 per cent) approached their neighbour directly to talk about it, 11 per cent reported the disturbance to their local council, and six per cent were forced to call the police.
Of those who decided to act, 52 per cent were successful in reducing the irritating behaviour, leaving 48 per cent with unresolved complaints. As a result of fallouts between neighbours, more than half (51 per cent) think local councils and the police should more strictly enforce rules and regulations around gardens.
Having noisy neighbours is a common issue across the UK. London received the most noise complaints in the UK, recording nearly 152,000 complaints last year and accounting for a third (34 per cent) of the total.
The research also shows that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) have had a boundary dispute with a neighbour. Despite this, only 54 boundary dispute cases have appeared before the Land Registration Division of the First Tier Tribunal in the past five years, suggesting most neighbours tend to settle disagreements before going to a tribunal.
Other frustrations cited by those surveyed include leaving rubbish in their garden (11 per cent), lighting bonfires (9 per cent), and leaving food out that attracts rodents or pests (8 per cent). Neighbours participating in naturism or sunbathing with too few clothes on is also an issue for two per cent of people.
Sarah Khan, Head of Churchill Home Insurance, said: “Unfortunately, high numbers of us end up falling out with our neighbours because of their noisy habits, something that has become even more heightened given the increased numbers of us who now work from home.
“We recommend that people try to speak to their neighbours first to find a solution to these problems, saving time, money, and relationships, but we know this is not always possible. If individuals are not able to come to an amicable resolution with their neighbour, our Churchill Home Insurance Policy offers added Family Legal Protection, which gives access to a 24-hour legal advice helpline and covers up to £100,000 of legal costs.”
Separate Churchill research found there were nearly 450,000 noise complaints made to councils in the financial year 2021/225. This equates to 1,229 every day, or one every 70 seconds.
Table two: Regions that have the most garden gripes with neighbours
Three charities providing support for children and young people across Scotland have received donations totalling £1,500 from the team at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dunfermline.
Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, UK Career Academy Foundation and Ronald McDonald House received £500 each following nominations for support from employees at the Amazon fulfilment centre.
Children’s Liver Disease Foundation provides information advising families and helping them to cope with living with liver disease. The charity also run events across the UK to help families and children affected by childhood liver disease connect with each other.
UK Career Academy Foundation encourages young people to realise their potential, regardless of the barriers they face in society.
Ronald McDonald House Glasgow offers a safe space for parents and carers next to the Royal Hospital for Children to allow them to remain close to a child undergoing treatment.
Speaking on the donations, Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We think very highly of the charitable organisations supporting children and their families through hard times, so it’s great to lend a helping hand to Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, UK Career Academy Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Glasgow.
“The work they do for children and families both across Scotland and locally is excellent, and we are pleased to support them with these donations.”
George Fleming, an employee at Amazon in Dunfermline, added: “The three charities we’re supporting put so much time and effort into their causes and it really shows.
“The care my family received at Ronald McDonald House Glasgow was excellent and I’m so pleased we can support the team with this donation.”
Lauren Coffey, from Ronald McDonald House Glasgow, added: “I would like to thank the team at Amazon in Dunfermline for their support with this donation. We aim to support families and children during such difficult times and as a fully self-funded House we couldn’t do it without help from the community.”
The donations to Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, UK Career Academy Foundation and Ronald McDonald House Glasgow were made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities around its operating locations across the UK.
Dobbies’ Edinburgh store is inviting local residents to cast their vote and help the UK’s leading garden centre crown the Helping Your Community Grow winner for the store.
Seventy-five groups across the country have the chance to create or refresh a community space with Dobbies’ support, and the garden centre is now asking locals to help narrow its shortlist down, to one winner for its Edinburgh store.
This year’s initiative has welcomed nominations from schools looking to enhance their gardens; charities supporting the most vulnerable members of the community proposing sensory gardens; and community groups and clubs looking to create a garden space where they can grow their own fruit and vegetables.
Newtongrange Community Garden is a community initiative looking to bring residents together. The group have begun growing fruit and vegetables to give back to the local community and are looking to encourage more locals to get involved. Dobbies’ help would provide the group with flowers, shrubs and peat-free compost.
Dalkeith Guerrilla Gardeners is a community initiative run by volunteers who aim to make a difference in the local area from gardening to litter picking. Funded by local donations and fundraising, Dobbies’ support would provide the group with plants, bulbs and seeds as well as watering butts to increase their sustainable practices.
Mayfield Nursery School are looking to improve the outdoor learning experience for the children through their field to folk learning scheme to help give back to the local community. With Dobbies’ support, the school are looking to grow more fruits and vegetables in their new polytunnels, as well as receive children’s gardening tools, peat-free compost and expert advice on the best varieties to grow.
There was a notable increase in the number of entries from groups looking to grow their own this year. This follows research from Dobbies and Censuswide (commissioned in March) that found 67% of people in Edinburgh plan to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs this spring. Tomatoes are set to be the most popular crop for this year, closely followed by potatoes.
The winning group for Edinburgh will receive advice, gardening products and plants from Dobbies’ horticultural team. Dobbies’ own-brand peat-free multipurpose compost, recycled and recyclable containers, UK-sourced plants and safer pest control products are among the many products the garden centre will donate.
Notably, the project that receives the most votes from all Dobbies stores will be the national winner, receiving extra funding and support.
Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies said: “We were overwhelmed with the response to our Helping Your Community Grow initiative and have seen a significant increase in nominations, with over 800 applications for 2023.
“A huge thank you to everyone who nominated their project for our Dobbies’ Edinburgh store to support. It’s now up to the public to select the winner – our Edinburgh team are very much looking forward to seeing who this will be.”
Votes are open until Tuesday 25 April. There is only one vote per person. The project with the most votes will be the winner. The project with the most votes across the UK will be the national winner.
Following the shambles of this year’s City of Edinburgh Council budget in which full council voted for a budget including privatisation and compulsory redundancies, Edinburgh’s trade unions have joined together to demand better for the workforce and the community.
GMB, Unison, and Unite represent the majority of workers employed across the council including front line services such as waste, care, parks and roads, and non-teaching staff in schools.
The joint trade unions welcome the council leader’s assurances he has no intention of implementing the budget in full, but this is not enough and are further calling on City of Edinburgh Council to give their workforce security by re-setting a budget which takes compulsory redundancies and privatisation off the cards completely.
The joint trade unions are asking the public to stand by the council workforce, by signing the public petition and writing to their local councillors: https://edcouncilpledge.carrd.co/
GMB Organiser Kirsten Muat Said: “Scotland’s council’s have been underfunded for decades, but it is unacceptable of the council to ask front line workers to bear the brunt of the lack of political leadership on this issue.
“The workforce need to be given job security, the only way this can happen is by political leaders putting their words into action and putting a complete to stop to any privatisation or compulsory redundancies.
“Privatization and redundancies will never be in the public interest, it would be wrong and short sighted for City of Edinburgh Council to pursue this.”
UNISON Branch Secretary Tom Connolly said: “We want all Edinburgh Councillors to not only adopt the trade union pledge, but we also want them to publicly endorse their commitment and outline how they will ensure our pledges are delivered.
“The public have a massive role to play here too. You can help save our services by using our campaign tools to write to your elected officials and put pressure on them to deliver.
“The Edinburgh Council unions have continually warned over many years about the devastating impact of cuts to council budgets and the threat to democratic accountability.
But under the Tory Government at Westminster and the SNP/Green Government in Scotland, local government is under pressure as never before. For years now, council workers have continuously been asked to do more with less and deliver more for less. With the current council budget, that trend will continue, and things will continue to get worse.”
Unite branch secretary Brian Robertson said: “The council needs to provide security to its workers as insecurity for the workers not only causes stress to them and their families but also puts stress on the services they deliver.
“Best Value reviews must examine in-house service delivery as a serious option. Improving Services, Creating Jobs is the Best Value our council can give to our workers, citizens, families and communities. Doing otherwise is a dis-service to our city.”
