Day: May 21, 2023

Gillespie Macandrew to sponsor Great Glen Challenge 2023

Agricultural charity RSABI is delighted to announce its flagship annual outdoors team event, the Great Glen Challenge, will this year be sponsored by expert legal advisors to the rural sector, Gillespie Macandrew.

Last year’s event raised over £42,000 to support the work of RSABI which provides practical, emotional and financial support to people in Scottish agriculture. As well as offering an event with a unique team-building spirit, the Great Glen Challenge also highlights the importance of fitness in maintaining good physical and mental health.

To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week (May 15 to May 21), the charity is launching its annual drive for teams to sign up to this year’s Great Glen Challenge to help raise awareness of the vital services it provides, including its 24/7 Helpline. Nine out of 10 calls RSABI receives to its Helpline – 0808 1234 555 – now involve emotional support, and demand for its counselling services has trebled during the past year.

The Great Glen Challenge 2023 will take place on Friday 25 August when competing teams of four plus a support driver will take on the multi-sports race, with four designated stages set out between Fort Augustus and Fort William, covering a scenic 49km route.

Competitors will cycle, kayak, walk, and run to a prize-giving reception at Neptune’s Staircase, located at the end of the route, with the designated driver picking up and dropping off fellow team members at various locations along the Great Glen Way.

Consisting of a 49km mountain bike, 6km kayak, 18km walk, and 17km run, the event is designed to challenge teams, encouraging dedication and teamwork from the onset of training up until the day of the event.

After competing in the 2022 Great Glen Challenge, Gillespie Macandrew has signed up as this year’s overall event sponsor and will also have two of their own teams competing in the event.

The firm, with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, advises clients across Scotland and the UK on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, energy, tax and disputes, combining a personal approach with industry-leading expertise.

Lois Newton, Partner of Land and Rural Business at Gillespie Macandrew, said: “The Great Glen Challenge is a fantastic team event, showcasing Scotland’s beautiful landscape and the excellent work of RSABI.

“The Gillespie Macandrew team has significant experience of the challenges of working in the rural sector and we are proud to support the efforts of RSABI in providing assistance.”

Carol McLaren, RSABI Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to bring this highly anticipated event back once again. Now in its 11th year, the event is very popular and our thanks go to all those who have taken part in the past and everyone signing up this year.

“The 2023 challenge wouldn’t be possible without the generous sponsorship of Gillespie Macandrew who we are looking forward to collaborating with to produce yet another successful event.

“Longstanding supporters of RSABI, Gillespie Macandrew are leading the way with two teams already signed up to take part and we are grateful for their commitment. Our thanks also to the volunteers who help us run the event and to our media partners, The Scottish Farmer.”

Entries to the Great Glen challenge are now open.

Teams can be submitted by completing the Sign-Up form which is available on the RSABI event page: www.rsabi.org.uk/event/rsabi-great-glen-challenge-2023/

UK Space Agency announces Space for Everyone summer tour across the UK

This summer, an out-of-this-world experience is set to tour 10 locations across the UK, exciting the next generation about career possibilities within the growing space sector.

The UK Space Agency’s Space for Everyone tour will showcase the role of space in improving life on Earth and highlight the diverse and varied career paths open to young people looking to enter this fast-growing industry – demonstrating how space works for them, and how they can work for space.

The tour will feature a 72 feet replica rocket for young people to learn more about how the UK is launching into space, and also include hands-on experiences to engage and fire up the imagination. Trained hosts and industry experts will be on hand to share more about the role of satellites and the varied careers available in the UK space sector.

British astronaut Tim Peake said: “The Space for Everyone tour will demonstrate the incredible capacity of space to inspire. It took thousands of people to make my mission to the International Space Station possible and there is a huge variety of careers on offer in space right here in the UK.

“I hope this activity sparks an interest in the future generations who will take our space sector to new heights.”

The Space for Everyone tour will visit:

  1. Southampton – West Bargate: 1-5 June
  2. Swansea – Dylan Thomas Square: 22-26 June
  3. Leicester – National Space Centre: 29 June – 3 July
  4. Bradford – Centenary Square: 6-10 July
  5. Belfast – Cathedral Gardens: 20-24 July
  6. Aberdeen – Queens Links: 3-7 August
  7. Newcastle – Times Square: 10-14 August
  8. Hull – Queen Victoria Square: 17-21 August
  9. Great Yarmouth – Sea Life Gardens: 24-28 August
  10. Hastings – Hastings Pier: 31 August – 4 September

Ian Annett, Deputy CEO at the UK Space Agency, said: “Our Space For Everyone tour is an exciting opportunity for our next generation to see first-hand what it is really like to work in the space sector and to learn about careers in this growing and exciting industry.

“The space sector requires various skills – many not traditionally associated with it – and champions inclusivity and the need for innovation. You don’t have to be a rocket, as there are a host of skills and talents needed to bring space closer to our daily lives and improve our understanding of this critical part of the environment for the benefit of the planet and its people.”

Aside from inspiring the next generation, this tour is about highlighting the opportunities within the space industry for people of all backgrounds; championing inclusivity and the need for innovation. The roadshow is free and open to all ages, and the hope is that it will ignite a passion for science, technology, engineering, and maths in everyone who attends.

Find out more about the Space for Everyone: Rocket Roadshow on the website or follow UK Space Agency on social media.

Veterinary education ‘sits on a precipice’

In a speech at the Scottish Parliament this week (Tuesday 16 May), British Veterinary Association (BVA) President Malcolm Morley warned that the future of veterinary education in Scotland ‘sits on a precipice’ and called for adequate long-term funding to secure sustainable provision of inclusive veterinary education and, with it, the future of the country’s agrifood economy.

Addressing more than 80 guests at BVA’s Annual Scottish Dinner, Dr Morley highlighted that Scotland had long been at the forefront of veterinary education but that the impressive work of its vet schools, including the new development of SRUC’s school of veterinary medicine, needed crucial Government support to remain sustainable and to plug veterinary workforce challenges, especially in Scotland’s rural and remote areas. 

Dr Morley said: “Scotland has long been at the forefront of veterinary education and is home to two of the oldest veterinary schools in the UK. The exciting development of SRUC’s School of Veterinary Medicine is timely, offering a new model and aiming to increase access to the profession and encourage graduates to stay in rural areas once qualified — complementing the impressive work already underway in Scotland’s existing vet schools.

“However, more than ever, it’s crucial that the Scottish Funding Council provides the necessary financial support. The reality is that current funding per Scottish vet student doesn’t meet the cost of providing this education — and while the vet schools have been increasingly resourceful in implementing innovative models, the future of veterinary education in Scotland sits on a precipice if sustainable long-term funding is not assured.”

Addressing guests including George Burgess, the Scottish Government’s Director of Agriculture and Rural Economy, MSPs, and key representatives from animal health and welfare organisations and colleagues from across the veterinary profession, Dr Morley also underlined the importance of investing in the people and infrastructure of crucial public sector veterinary services.

He said that central to this was the recognition that investing in people was not just about investing in vets, but other members of the vet-led team, such as vet techs, musculoskeletal professionals and equine dental technicians.

Dr Morley called for Scottish Government to join BVA in lobbying Defra for urgent legislative reform of the “outdated” Veterinary Surgeons Act, which “doesn’t recognise these important roles or enable us to embrace the full potential of the wider veterinary team”.

He also welcomed potential plans for a Scottish Veterinary Service and recognised the work of the Highlands and Islands Veterinary Services Scheme (HIVSS), and its coordinator Freda Scott-Park, in supporting veterinary provision to remote crofting communities.

Speaking about agricultural transition in Scotland, Dr Morley underlined that veterinary engagement will be key to its successful development and that it must support animal health and welfare and sustainability.

He said: “The new agricultural policy offers the opportunity to harness the unique and trusted relationship which exists between vets and farmers, empowering collaboration to drive positive outcomes on all levels. Central to this is developing sustainable agricultural practices that minimise environmental impact and prioritise animal health and welfare.

To enable this, we must ensure there is veterinary engagement and representation on key bodies such as the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board, AREOB, and safeguard animal health and welfare as a central component of agricultural transition — alongside our custodianship of the land.”

Turning to aquaculture, Dr Morley highlighted the recent publication of BVA’s position on UK sustainable finfish aquaculture and vets’ critical role in taking a One Health approach to it.

“We’re calling for dynamic, consolidated regulation, with a more joined up approach to how new and existing fish farms achieve consent to build on a new site. We are also calling for improved research and development in the aquaculture sector – particularly around issues like the measurement of welfare outcomes and welfare at the time of slaughter.”

The BVA President ended his speech by thanking BVA Scottish Branch colleagues for their energy, commitment and expertise, as well as outgoing Scottish Branch President Romain Pizzi for his contributions. He welcomed Gareth Hateley to his new role as BVA Scottish Branch President.

Water-based deaths decreased in 2022, reports Water Safety Scotland

The latest figures from the Water Incident Database (WAID) indicate that drowning fatalities in 2022 decreased in Scotland.

The database, which is maintained by the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) and focuses on gathering information related to water-based incidents, also shows a decrease in accidental drownings last year. The figures show that there were 45 accidental water-related fatalities in Scotland. This forms part of the total water-related fatalities in Scotland which stands at 96 for last year.

Water Safety Scotland (WSS) produces an annual trend report which provides detail on the latest figures in comparison to previous years and the baseline figures in Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy (SDPS).

Carlene McAvoy, Founder of WSS and the Data Subgroup Chair, said: “The recent figures for accidental water-related fatalities shows a 10 per cent decrease in comparison to the SDPS baseline – bringing the number of accidental water-related fatalities back down after a particular difficult year in 2021.

“WSS continues to work hard and has taken a number of significant steps to help reduce accidental water-related fatalities, including the introduction of the Drowning and Incident Review (DIR), the creation of free education resources for teachers and practitioners, and free consistent water safety messaging for partners to use across Scotland.”

DIR is a new process introduced in Scotland which aims to gather all relevant data and information in order to systematically and rigorously review each accidental water-related incident with a view to preventing a future occurrence.

DIR is envisioned to provide practitioners and local partners with much more comprehensive information about each incident, which can be used to help inform local and national prevention efforts. DIR is now available across Scotland for use by local Partnership Approach to Water Safety (PAWS) groups and the only UK nation with such a process.

WSS education resources, which have been created with Education Scotland, are free to use and are age and stage appropriate. Linked intrinsically to the Water Safety Code, the resources are consistent across curriculum levels for use with pupils from nursery to S6 and aim to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to make wise and informed choices around water.

WSS has also created a full communications toolkit which local partners can use to again provide greater awareness of water safety and consistency across the board.

As summer approaches, Water Safety Scotland wants to remind the public to stay safe and follow the three part Water Safety Code:

  • Stop and Think, Spot the Dangers
  • Stay Together, Stay Close
  • In an Emergency, Call 999

James Sullivan, Chair of Water Safety Scotland, said: “The decrease in the 2022 figures is as a result of the combined efforts of partners across the country working collectively to raise awareness of water safety. 

“Water Safety Scotland will continue to coordinate these efforts to further improve safety and reduce drowning incidents in and around Scotland’s waters.”

Council welcomes funding to help protect and enhance Granton Waterfront’s heritage

The city council is to receive over £50,000 to develop plans for the heritage and restoration of four key historic buildings and structures in Granton Waterfront.

The funding will also be used for heritage skills training and community events. The announcement was made on Wednesday (17 May) by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage and Place Programme (H&PP).

The money will be used to develop ideas and proposals for the refurbishment of Granton Lighthouse; the Edwardian former Granton Gasworks railway station building platforms; Madelvic House, which is ‘B’ listed from the 1890s, and Granton Castle Walled Garden.

This first phase of funding will support the creation of high-quality sustainable development plans over the next 12 months, with the potential that Historic Environment Scotland and Heritage Fund will then award further funding to deliver the projects in the coming years.

The project forms part of the Council’s wider strategic £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We have ambitious plans to make Granton Waterfront a new sustainable coastal town for Edinburgh.

“In keeping with our plans for the whole city we’re creating a £1.3bn 20 minute neighbourhood with 3,500 net zero homes, a new primary school, lots of green spaces. We want to make sure people can get around and access other parts of the city easily so we’re putting in active travel routes and improving transport links as well. You can see work has started to make the iconic Granton Gasholder a multi-functional public space and hundreds of the sustainable affordable homes we’ve planned are .

“As part of this project we have strong community support to protect the heritage of the area and bring its listed buildings back to life for local people and visitors to use and enjoy. The funding announced today will help us to develop our plans to secure future funding to make this happen.

“This project along with the refurbishment of the Gasholder demonstrates the Council’s commitment to celebrate the historical legacy of the area making sure that its heritage is revitalised for future generations to come.”

Man charged following Clermiston dog attack

A 25-year-old man has been arrested and charged after a man was seriously injured following a dog attack in Clermiston.

The 24-year-old man was found around 8.10 pm on Thursday, 4 May, 2023 near to the junction between Drum Brae South and Duart Crescent.

He suffered severe facial injuries and was taken to The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.

The dog has been seized.

Detective Constable Stephen Nelson said: “This was an isolated incident which happened within a private dwelling.

“A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal and the man is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.”