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.”
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 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.
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.”
One way to foster good password habits both safely and easily is by using a password manager. With that in mind, cybersecurity experts VPNOverview.com have revealed exactly how password managers can help and how to find ones that are trustworthy to use.
How Password Storage Helps Your Online Security
Emails, Google, web shops, social media – you name it. The likeliness is that you have countless accounts on several different websites and platforms. For almost every account you create, you have to think of a password that will allow you to access any secured data without being hacked easily. This means that you will have countless of passwords to remember – unless you use a password manager.
Password managers – for example, Blur or 1Password – allow you to store all of your passwords safely in their ‘password vaults’. From the moment you have installed one, you are only required to remember your master password, which will give you access to every single password you have saved within.
That means you do not have to write passwords down on a piece of paper that could be stolen or keep a word document with sensitive information that could fall into the wrong hands. Your password manager ultimately has you covered with one simple app.
The Advantages of Using a Password Manager
Password managers help you to remember all of the passwords you use online, but there are some additional advantages to using them. In fact, password managing apps help you to make your system far safer and more efficient. Here’s why:
· Password managers encrypt your passwords so no one but you has access to them.
· They save you time as you can log into your accounts automatically or with just one click.
· They create unique and strong passwords for all of you accounts, so none of them are easy to guess.
· They work on different devices, meaning you can log into your accounts on both your computer and smartphone with minimal effort.
Are All Password Managers Safe?
Anyone who spends a lot of time online should install a password manager, so it can keep track of all your passwords and sensitive information.
However, not all password managers are 100% safe. As you will be giving the password manager access to all your passwords, it is important to choose one you can trust. Some self-proclaimed ‘password managers’ misuse that trust to gather your personal information and use it against you.
Similarly, other password managers are simply not secure enough and could be compromised – even though they may have better intentions. Ultimately, if they are incapable of keeping your information safe, you should not risk using them.
Luckily, VPNOverview.com have tested several password managers on their security and ease of use. Not sure which manager to choose? Checkout their top picks via the links below.
It’s a chance to discover more about the World War Heritage on your doorstep, through a variety of free events happening all over the UK.
Join us for a free tour, demo, workshop or talk, where you can hear the incredible stories of the casualties we commemorate, as well as learn about our work across the world.
Click the ‘learn more’ button below to see what’s on in your area. All our events are free. We look forward to seeing you!
More than 800,000 taxpayers claimed refunds for work expenses during the 2021 to 2022 tax year, but while the average claim was £125, over 70% of claimants missed out on getting the full amount they were due because they used an agent to make their claim instead of claiming directly with HMRC.
It is quick and easy to claim a tax refund directly through HMRC’s online portal on GOV.UK, and the only way to guarantee receiving 100% of the repayment – with no small print and no middlemen taking a cut.
Victoria Atkins, Financial Secretary to The Treasury said:“Nobody should miss out on the full claim of a tax rebate – and by going straight to HMRC people can avoid being left out of pocket because of unscrupulous repayments agents.
“Thanks to our Spring Budget reforms if someone no longer wants an agent involved in their claim, they’ll be able to cancel it so any future rebates will go to the taxpayer in full.”
Jonathan Athow, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Strategy and Tax Design, said: “Every penny counts and we want to make sure employed workers are getting what they deserve – their hard-earned cash straight back into their pockets.
“To make a claim just search ‘employee tax relief’ on GOV.UK. It is the quickest way of getting a tax refund on your work-related expenses and ensures you get 100% of the money back.”
Submitting a claim through HMRC’s online portal is straightforward and takes about 15 minutes. Customers can use the handy online tool to check eligibility and a full list of work expenses they can claim including:
· uniforms and work clothing
· buying work-related equipment
· professional fees, union memberships, and subscriptions
· using their own vehicle for work travel (excluding journey from home to work)
Customers who already have a Government Gateway account can follow the step-by-step guidance to submit their claim. Those who need to set an account up can do so quickly and easily via GOV.UK.
For customers who are considering using a repayment agent, HMRC is reminding them to be aware that an agent always charges for services – in some cases up to 50% of the value of the claim. And while initially it may seem simpler, customers will need to supply the agent with the same information they could use to make the claim themselves using HMRC’s free online portal.
It is important customers understand what they are signing up to. Before signing a contract with a repayment agent, they should research the company and always check the small print to ensure they understand what commission is being charged and how much of their tax refund they are likely to receive back.
Customers can find out more about how to make a work-related expense claim and what type of expense they can claim at GOV.UK.
Don’t Feed Hate is Police Scotland’s latest hate crime campaign which targets young men aged 18 to 30, who are identified as one of the groups most at risk of committing hate crime.
We are asking them to pause, reflect, and find other outlets for their frustrations, building an understanding of the causes of hate and the lasting impact it can have.
It’s been 25 years since devolution in the UK started gathering speed, with the first legislative frameworks for devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland agreed in 1998 (writes TUC’s ABIGAIL HUNT).
To mark this milestone, we decided to take stock of what devolution has delivered for working people. As a first step, we commissioned Centre for Research in Employment and Work (CREW) academics to research whether and how devolution has raised employment standards.
In this blog I consider key findings from their new report launched today – and reflect on what needs to happen next.
Where are we now?
As this helpful primer explains, devolution – the process of transferring power from Westminster to the nations and regions of the UK – has led to a patchwork of deals, with different levels of power and resources conferred on devolved authorities.
Since 1998 successive UK governments have pursued devolution. The pace has picked up in England in recent years, where two ‘trailblazer deals’ expanding powers have just been agreed and several other new devolution deals are underway.
The Labour Party is also looking to expand devolution. The Gordon Brown-led Commission on the UK’s Future wrapped up at the end of 2022 with proposals to ‘create a virtuous circle where spreading power and opportunity more equally throughout the country unlocks the potential for growth and prosperity’.
Since then Lisa Nandy MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has pledged that under a Labour government, ‘every part of Britain that wants it will be able to access powers over skills, employment support and housing that support their local communities’.
So far, employment rights (collective and individual), health and safety at work and aspects of workplace training in Scotland, Wales and England have been reserved to the UK government, meaning devolved authorities in these areas have no power to legislate around these issues. Labour has endorsed keeping a national labour rights framework, as outlined in its New Deal for Working People.
What has devolution delivered for working people?
A few of things jumped out at me from the CREW report.
First, some devolved authorities have innovated in using the powers available to them to promote good work on their patch. This has seen them raise the bar above the currently weak national employment rights framework, which has seen poor quality, insecure work become a mainstay of the UK labour market in recent years.
For example, the Scottish Government’s Fair Work Convention has cemented a tripartite relationship between unions, government and employers. It has also helped increase the proportion of people earning the Real Living Wage, improved employment security, narrowed gender and ethnicity pay gaps and increased collective bargaining coverage in Scotland.
Across England, some elected devolved authority leaders have set up employment charters or pledges – essentially locally-developed yet voluntary employment standards. Perhaps the best known of these is the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter established following a 2017 campaign pledge by Metro Mayor Andy Burnham. Members commit to various aspects of good work including improving employment security, flexible work, decent pay, health and wellbeing, and trade union recognition and collective bargaining.
Second, as the Manchester charter clearly shows, political will has been critical to advancing employment standards in devolved authorities. But when good work commitments are linked to individual leaders and not formally ‘baked in’ to devolution deals there is a real risk that change at the top can lead to a roll-back in localised gains.
Third, the formal role of trade unions in devolved structures has been mixed. In Wales, a “Welsh way” of social partnership working has led to development of a new Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act. This offers significant potential to cement social partnership in Wales by putting a duty on public bodies to engage with trade unions when they are setting out what they will do to comply with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2016.
Devolution looks set to stay firmly on the political agenda in the years to come. But so far it has not delivered enough for working people.
This needs to change.
Workers and their unions need to be meaningfully engaged in debate and decision-making related to devolution at all levels – from devo deals to devolved authorities’ support for union recognition and collective bargaining in-house and across their area.
The TUC is ramping up effort to make this a reality. Watch this space!
23 sport sites in Scotland to benefit from £2m UK Government funding
UK Government reaffirms commitment to improving access to high quality facilities and increasing participation in grassroots sports in Scotland
Ongoing UK-wide £300 million capital investment continues to build capacity in underserved areas and provide for underrepresented groups
Grassroots sports facilities in Scotland will directly benefit from the latest £2 million investment in high quality multi-sport facilities from the UK Government, in partnership with the Scottish Football Association.
As part of the Government’s 2022/23 commitment, 23 sites in Scotland will see their facilities improved, significantly increasing the availability and access to high quality facilities for football and other grassroots sports.
A key priority for the Government is to level up access to community sports facilities in all parts of the UK, to help as many people as possible to get involved in sport and to deliver all of the mental and physical health benefits associated with active and healthy lifestyles.
The latest investment is part of the Government’s ongoing £300 million multi-year investment into grassroots multi-sport pitches across the UK by 2025 – over £20m of this will be invested in Scotland.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “We are committed to levelling up access to sport which is so important for the nation’s physical and mental health.
“Today we are delivering 23 new and improved grassroots sports facilities across Scotland to continue to support, sustain and grow community and grassroots sport – so that physical activity is accessible to all, no matter a person’s background or location.
“We will continue to work with the Scottish Football Association to nurture the talent of the future whilst making sure local communities have the sporting facilities that they need.”
A central aim of the programme is to level up access to community sports facilities and invest in some of the most deprived areas in the UK, to give as many people as possible the opportunity to take part in sport. In order to achieve this, and to deliver access that every community needs, at least 50% of investment will be spent in underprivileged areas.
UK Government reaffirms commitment to improving access to high quality facilities and increasing participation in grassroots sports in Scotland
Ongoing UK-wide £300 million capital investment continues to build capacity in underserved areas and provide for underrepresented groups
Grassroots sports facilities in Scotland will directly benefit from the latest £2 million investment in high quality multi-sport facilities from the UK Government, in partnership with the Scottish Football Association.
As part of the Government’s 2022/23 commitment, 23 sites in Scotland will see their facilities improved, significantly increasing the availability and access to high quality facilities for football and other grassroots sports.
A key priority for the Government is to level up access to community sports facilities in all parts of the UK, to help as many people as possible to get involved in sport and to deliver all of the mental and physical health benefits associated with active and healthy lifestyles.
The latest investment is part of the Government’s ongoing £300 million multi-year investment into grassroots multi-sport pitches across the UK by 2025 – over £20m of this will be invested in Scotland.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “We are committed to levelling up access to sport which is so important for the nation’s physical and mental health.
“Today we are delivering 23 new and improved grassroots sports facilities across Scotland to continue to support, sustain and grow community and grassroots sport – so that physical activity is accessible to all, no matter a person’s background or location.
“We will continue to work with the Scottish Football Association to nurture the talent of the future whilst making sure local communities have the sporting facilities that they need.”
A central aim of the programme is to level up access to community sports facilities and invest in some of the most deprived areas in the UK, to give as many people as possible the opportunity to take part in sport. In order to achieve this, and to deliver access that every community needs, at least 50% of investment will be spent in underprivileged areas.
Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “We have seen some fantastic results in recent years from Scotland’s men’s and women’s football teams and we know much of this is a result of the hardwork and dedication put in by those working in grassroots football. I am pleased the UK Government is working closely with the SFA and providing funding for high quality facilities in Scotland.
“With much of the funding aimed at multi-sport facilities, deprived areas and underrepresented groups this investment will benefit many people across the country.”
Some of the facilities to benefit from the 2022/23 round of investment in Scotland include:
Forfar Community Football Trust in Angus has received £126,000 to convert their floodlights to LED
Dundee East Community Sports Club in Dundee has received over £58,000 to install floodlights and solar panels
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Development in Inverness has received over £157,000 for a grass pitch upgrade
Motherwell FC Community Trust in Lanarkshire has received over £180,000 for a replacement 3G pitch
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in Lewis and Harris has received nearly £200,000 for a replacement 3G pitch
Nethercraigs Sports Complex & Denis Donnelly Park in Glasgow has received nearly £60,000 for new floodlights
A full list of the facilities to benefit from 2022/23 investment in Scotland can be found here. None of them are in Edinburgh.
40% per cent of the funding will be used to support multi-sport facilities, ensuring a wide range of sports are supported and helping to deliver benefits beyond football. The programme has a particular focus on increasing participation among underrepresented groups such as women and girls, and those with a disability.
Scottish FA Vice President Mike Mulraney, said: ““The Scottish FA’s grassroots strategy, Football for All, aims to increase participation at all levels by removing barriers and improving accessibility to the game.
“Helping clubs to improve their infrastructure and facilities is central to this strategy and we are grateful to the UK Government for their support.
“Clubs are the beating hearts of communities across Scotland and through partnerships like these, we will help reinforce the power of football locally and in doing so develop our national game.”
The UK Government, in partnership with the Scottish Football Association, continues to build on its £2 million for 2021/22, with a further £2 million confirmed today, and 40 sites in Scotland having benefitted to date.
Through the lifecycle of the grassroots multi-sport facilities investment programme which will run to 2025, Scotland will receive £20 million to help nurture the talent of the future.
A murder inquiry has been launched following the death of a 33-year-old woman in Constitution Street, Leith..
Around 7.55pm on Thursday, 18 May, 2023, officers were called to a report of a disturbance.
The woman was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment where she died a short time later.
A post mortem examination is being carried out to establish the exact cause of death, however, police are currently treating the death as suspicious and a murder inquiry has been launched.
Her next of kin have been made aware.
A 16-year-old male youth has been arrested and charged in connection with the death.
Detective Inspector Bob Williamson of the Major Investigation Team (East) said: “I want to reassure the community that we are treating this as an isolated incident.
“You will see a significant police presence in the area whilst we carry out investigations. Officers will be carrying out door-to-door enquiries and gathering CCTV footage which could provide the inquiry team with additional information.
“Through our investigation so far, we are aware that a number of members of the public were in the area at the time, some of whom witnessed the incident and others who came to her aid and we are asking them to come forward.
“I would asked anyone who was in the area of Constitution Street between 7.45pm and 8pm to get in touch.”
Detectives have set up an online portal to encourage members of the public to submit information, including any recorded footage.
The Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) is a website that gives the public access to a form so they can send information directly to the major investigation team and can be accessed here: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/SCOT23S22-PO1
Police can also be contacted by calling 101 and quoting incident number 3555 of Thursday, 18 May, 2023. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
