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Edinburgh’s YourGP marks 20th anniversary with expansion into Dundas Street
and reveals huge shift in locals’ attitudes to health and wellbeing
Established in 2003, YourGP is one of Scotland’s leading independent medical practices, promising “affordable, friendly & local GP services”.
Throughout their 20 years of providing expert healthcare to Edinburgh residents from their Dean Village practice, they have seen a hugely positive shift in patients’ attitudes to health and wellbeing.
And so, as more locals seek to take a proactive approach to improving their health, the timing is perfect for YourGP to mark their 20th anniversary by opening a second practice right in the heart of the Scottish capital.
Situated on Dundas Street, the new practice features four treatment rooms and will offer a full range of services including GP appointments, comprehensive health screening, cosmetic treatments, and sexual health services. Patients can benefit from short notice appointments and extended consultations to ensure all medical concerns are discussed in depth, as well as a fast turnaround of results.
Locals are being given the opportunity to join the launch day celebrations, be amongst the first to see the new practice and meet some of the team at the new practice open day.
Taking place on Friday 1 September, 12pm – 4pm, visitors can pick up an exclusive goodie bag while stocks last, enjoy 20% off GP and cosmetic services and enter a prize draw to be in with a chance of winning a Health MOT worth £495.
Commenting ahead of the open day, YourGP Clinical Lead, Dr Cathrow, said; “During my time in healthcare over the past 20 years I have seen a hugely positive shift in patients’ attitudes. Especially since the pandemic, people are more attuned to general wellbeing and are looking for a more holistic approach to their healthcare. Focus has moved more to prevention as opposed to simply looking for cures.
“We are seeing a much more engaged population who are taking control of their health and wellbeing in a more proactive manner.
“In response to this and to mark our 20th anniversary, we are delighted to expand our offering and launch YourGP at Dundas Street which will give Edinburgh residents better access to friendly, affordable local GP services.”
“In so doing, YourGP can continue to support people to take charge of their wellbeing and enjoy life-long good health.”
The first See Hear Fest is happening on Friday 1 September between 11am and 4pm at Meadowbank Sports Centre, London Road, Edinburgh EH7 6AE.
Hosted by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, head along to meet with over 40 groups and organisations who can offer help, information and advice to people with sensory loss.
Three businessmen each claimed the maximum £50k Bounce Back Loan and one dissolved his company to avoid repayment
Ivan Hristov Fratev, 57 and Bradley Malone, 57, both from London, and Ryan William Moir, 34, from East Sussex, have been banned from running businesses for a total of 26 years, after each separately claimed £50,000 for their companies in breach of the loan scheme’s rules.
Fratev was also given a 2-year suspended sentence with 4 months’ electronically tagged curfew, at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 23 June 2023, in addition to a 6-year ban, for dissolving his business after taking out the loan. The judge also included 15 days rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) as part of his suspended sentence.
Fratev was the sole director of Chingford-based BI&F Ltd, which traded as a construction, security and extermination business from premises in Alpha Road. In May 2020 he applied for the maximum £50,000 Bounce Back Loan, designed to help businesses keep afloat through the pandemic.
But within two weeks of the money arriving in the company bank account, Fratev applied to dissolve BI&F Ltd, without informing the bank that had loaned him the money. Failure to notify creditors of plans to strike off a company is a criminal offence.
He was caught through powers granted to the Insolvency Service in December 2021, which allow it to investigate directors of dissolved companies who are suspected of closing their business to avoid repaying Covid-19 support loans.
Peter Fulham, Chief Investigator of the Criminal Investigation Team at the Insolvency Service said: “Covid-19 financial support schemes were funded from the public purse to support genuine businesses during the pandemic. Directors who abused the scheme have exploited taxpayers.
“This two-year suspended prison sentence, along with a curfew order and a 6-year disqualification, reflects the thoroughly dishonest conduct of Ivan Fratev and should serve as a warning to others who engaged in such behaviour.
“The Insolvency Service will act to remove directors who abused Bounce Back Loans from the business arena.”
In another case in London, Bradley Malone, the sole director of ONENETPRINT Ltd, a print business trading from Palmers Road in East London, applied for the maximum £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in June 2020, stating that his company’s previous year’s turnover was £200,000.
The Bounce Back Loan scheme allowed a business to borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of the company turnover in calendar year 2019, with a maximum loan of £50,000.
The company went into liquidation in February 2022 owing the full amount of the loan, which triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
Malone told investigators that, during the application process, he had merely clicked ‘next’ on his phone, and the money arrived within the hour. But investigators discovered that Malone had in fact overstated the company’s turnover for 2019 in the application, to claim the maximum £50,000 loan.
They found that the company’s actual turnover for that year had been around £90,200, meaning ONENETPRINT Ltd had received around £27,400 more than it was entitled to, under the rules of the scheme.
In a third case, Ryan Moir, sole director of East Sussex-based Croxton Group Ltd, which traded as a builder from Green Street industrial estate in Eastbourne, applied for the maximum £50,000 Bounce Back Loan on behalf of his company in May 2020. He stated on the application that Croxton Group Ltd’s turnover the previous year had been £250,000.
When the company went into liquidation in May 2022, it owed around £184,500, including more than £49,400 towards the Bounce Back Loan. An investigation by the Insolvency Service showed that the company’s 2019 turnover had in fact been less than £21,000, meaning that Croxton Group Ltd had received almost 10 times more than it had been entitled to under the rules of the scheme.
The company’s liquidators are taking action to recover the money.
Malone and Moir were both banned from being company directors for 10 years, after the Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted disqualification undertakings from each director. Malone’s ban began on 17 July 2023, and Moir’s began on 19 July 2023. Fratev’s court-ordered 6-year disqualification started on 23 June 2023.
The bans prevent the former directors from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. In addition to his ban and two-year suspended sentence, Fratev is also subject to 4 months’ electronically monitored curfew between 7pm and 7am, and was ordered to pay court costs of £500.
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, has announced its September Little Seedlings Club workshop in Edinburgh, a free-to-attend, inspiring and educational session around Garden Senses.
Aimed at children aged 4 to 10, this workshop will take place in Dobbies’ Edinburgh store on Sunday 3 September, giving young gardening fans an understanding of how they connect with their natural world through their senses.
During the workshop, Dobbies’ team of gardening experts will focus on the five fundamental human senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Through engaging activities and demonstrations, children will learn how to use their senses when exploring their outside space.
From the rustling of leaves to the chirping of birds, participants will understand the role that sight and sound play in their garden. The workshop will delve into humans’ intricate sense of taste, explaining why certain fruits like apples taste sweet and vegetables like broccoli taste earthy.
Children in Edinburgh will learn how touch receptors in the skin send signals to the brain to interpret the different textures of plants in the garden, as well as the science behind how we are able to smell lovely scents in the garden. Chrysanthemums play a large role in enhancing sensory gardens and there will be the chance to uncover how these vibrant flowers can engage multiple senses at once.
Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, said: “The five senses play a crucial role in how we connect with the garden and environment around us. It’s an interesting subject and we’re delighted to be using it as a topic for our next Little Seedling Club workshop in our Edinburgh store.
“We’re looking forward to making nature even more exciting to young gardening fans and helping them understand how their senses all work in harmony.”
Little Seedlings Ambassador, Iniya Raj, adds: “I’m really looking forward to September’s workshop and learning all about how I can use each of my senses in the garden.
“I enjoy listening to the different sounds in the garden, especially the birds and little creatures that live there.”
For more information about how to take part in Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club session, visit Garden Senses | Dobbies Garden Centres
Exhibitions & displays
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Beyond the Little Black Dress
Until 29 Oct 2023
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Ticketed (concessions available)
From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Beyond-the-Little-Black-Dress
Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
Until 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free
Delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth. This urgent issue is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic. Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide
Uniquely Scottish Silver
Until 26 May 2024
Grand Gallery
Free
Uniquely Scottish Silver brings together five distinct Scottish silver object designs: mazers, quaichs, thistle cups, ovoid urns and heart brooches. Discover some of the earliest and rarest survivals within the Scottish silver smiths’ craft.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Uniquely-Scottish-Silver
Events
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Audio-Described Access Evening: Beyond the Little Black Dress
12 Sep
17:30 – 19:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
Age 8+
Explore the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition supported by an audio-described tour of key objects, for those who are blind, partially sighted or visually impaired.
Book now nms.ac.uk/audio-described-access-evening
Film Screening: Fashion Reimagined
16 Sep
14:00 – 16:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+
Join us for a screening of this 2022 documentary film following fashion designer Amy Powney of cult label Mother of Pearl, a rising star in the London fashion scene. Documentary Fashion Reimagined follows designer Amy Powney as she embarks on a three-year journey to create a sustainable clothing collection and transform the way we engage with fashion.
Book now nms.ac.uk/fashion-reimagined
Medieval to Modern: Animal Illustration Workshop
16 Sep
10:15 – 16:00
Studio 2, Level 4
Tickets £5 – £6
Age 16+
Join natural history artists Rebecca Jewell and Sandy Ross Sykes to create your own artwork in the style of a Medieval Book of Beasts, inspired by our Library Archives and Natural History collections.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Medieval-to-Modern
Maths in Motion: Family Fun
25 Sep – 1 Oct
10:00 – 17:00
Around the Museum
Free
Drop-in and ticketed activities
Discover Maths in Motion with our Maths Week Scotland family activities.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Maths-in-Motion
Magic Carpet: Maths in Motion Special
27 Sep
10:30 – 11:00 and 14:00 – 14:30
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free with booking required
Bring your little ones for a fun session on the Magic Carpet exploring maths in motion. Discover shapes, numbers, time and more through songs, action rhymes, objects and sensory play. Suitable for children ages 2–4 and their adult helper.
Bookings open 4 Sep
Find out more nms.ac.uk/magic-carpet
In Conversation: Black British Design
27 Sep
19:00 – 20:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+
Join Maria Casely-Hayford and Sequoia Barnes in a conversation exploring Black British fashion. Discover the trailblazing career of fashion designer Joe Casely-Hayford OBE in this conversation with Sequoia Barnes and Maria Casely-Hayford.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Black-British-Design
Fashionably Late
06 Oct
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £22 including exhibition entry
Strictly 18+
Our legendary Museum Lates return in October restyled for one night only as Fashionably Late. Join us for an evening of fun, frolics and fashion in the beautiful setting of the National Museum of Scotland at night.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Fashionably-Late
National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Brick Sundays
03 – 17 Sep
12:00 – 16:00
Free with museum admission
Inspired by our current Brick History display, each Sunday we will have a different build theme. Choose to make something inspired by the theme or build your own creation. For something a bit more energetic, take part in our speed build challenge and see if you can make it to the top of the champions’ board.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/brick-sundays
Doors Open Day 2023
23 & 24 Sep
10:00 – 17:00
Free
Visit the museum for free over Doors Open Days East Lothian weekend and learn about the history of aviation from the First World War to the present day. Immerse yourself in interactive galleries, supersonic experiences and our historic hangars and airfield.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Doors-Open-Day
Brick History
Until 05 Nov
10:00 – 17:00
Free with museum admission
Journey through history in our latest LEGO display by brick artist Warren Elsmore and his team.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Brick-History
Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required
See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours
National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
MooFest
16 & 17 Sep
10:20 – 15:30
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Join us for a celebration of all things cattle at the National Museum of Rural Life.New for 2023, this weekend of cattle-inspired activities, talks and tastings for young and old alike.
Book your visit now nms.ac.uk/moofest
Adult Workshop: Natural Dyeing
23 Sep
10:15-16:00
Learning Centre
Age 16+
Tickets £50 – £55
Advance booking required
Join artist Elizabeth Viguie-Culshaw for a hands-on natural dyeing workshop at the National Museum of Rural Life using locally cultivated plants.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Natural-Dyeing
Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail
Until 6 Oct 2023
Trail
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Go on an adventure around the museum with a new family trail at the National Museum of Rural Life.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/lewis-s-scottish-adventure-trail
Follow us on Twitter…twitter.com/NtlMuseumsScot
Follow us on Facebook…facebook.com/NationalMuseumsScotland
Follow us on Instagram…instagram.com/nationalmuseumsscotland/
For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789
The public is being asked for views on alkaline hydrolysis (water cremations), burials, funeral director licensing and funeral sector inspections in four separate public consultations.
The regulations proposed in the consultations aim to protect the dignity of the deceased and increase confidence in the funeral sector by ensuring minimum standards of good care and services are maintained.
Responses to the consultation on the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Bill showed there was public support for the introduction of new, environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional burial or cremation in Scotland.
Alkaline hydrolysis is already in use in other countries, such as Ireland, Canada and USA. This consultation sets out the safeguards which would be put in place to ensure alkaline hydrolysis would be subject to the same high standards as burial and cremation.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Bereavement can be emotionally overwhelming and being able to engage with the practical issues and funeral arrangements can be very difficult.
“However, it is something everyone is likely to experience at some stage in their life, whether it’s the death of a family member, a loved one, or a friend.
“Having confidence in the care and dignity given to our loved ones, along with the compassionate and professional treatment of those bereaved, can go some way to alleviating that distress. The rare instances where this does not happen satisfactorily can have long-standing impacts on people.
“This is why we need to ensure we get the right policy and legal frameworks in place and I urge anyone with views on the issues in these consultations to take the time to respond.”
National Association of Funeral Directors Scotland President Mark Shaw said: “The National Association of Funeral Directors is delighted to welcome and support the public consultations into key areas that will help shape the funeral sector in a new, regulated landscape.
“These new regulations designed to support the oversight of standards in the funeral sector will provide reassurance and security to bereaved people and funeral directors, while the proposed introduction of alkaline hydrolysis, or water cremation, is a step froward in offering future alternatives to burial and cremation.
“These are incredibly important next steps to support bereaved people, and we urge everyone to have their say.”
National Society of Allied Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) Scotland President James Morris said: “SAIF Scotland are encouraged to see the process of regulation reach the public consultation stage.
“Regulation of the Scottish funeral sector will maintain and ensure the high standards of funeral service, care of the deceased and delivery to the tens of thousands of families in need of a funeral director each year.
“SAIF Scotland looks forward to continuing to work with the Scottish Government on what has been an open and consultative process and has thoughtfully addressed concerns shared by both the Government and the funeral sector.“
SASSY SAVINGS at MUIRHOUSE MILLENNIUM CENTRE
LIFT are having our opening day on Wednesday 23rd August
Come along for a cuppa and roll in the base
We will have the Bag sale, home baking, a car boot sale without the cars lol
And our official opening of “Sassy Savings” which is a community initiative supported by the parents who attend SASS. It was suggested, we listened and acted.
Keep your eyes peeled or come along for the official opening on Wednesday.
For every £50 made we will purchase shopping vouchers for the Xmas jammie appeal
This is the start of fundraising for Xmas Hampers.
The journey to a greener, fairer, net zero economy is accelerating as the Bute House Agreement, the shared policy programme between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party, marks its second anniversary.
In the past year there has been an 8% growth in renewables capacity in Scotland, more than one-and-a-half times the rate of growth seen in the rest of the UK, and the Scottish Government has published its draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, setting out a route to secure Scotland’s fastest possible fair and just move away from fossil fuels.
Analysis estimates that the number of low carbon production jobs could rise from 19,000 in 2019 to 77,000 by 2050, meaning there will be more jobs in energy production in 2050 than there are now.
The Scottish Government has also released an Onshore Wind Policy Statement, confirming an ambition to more than double the country’s onshore wind capacity, while the new National Planning Framework 4 will help further realise Scotland’s renewable energy potential.
To mark the anniversary, Energy Secretary Neil Gray and Zero Carbon Buildings Minister Patrick Harvie officially opened the Greengairs East windfarm in North Lanarkshire.
Energy Secretary Neil Gray said: “Delivering on our climate obligations is an absolute priority for this Government – as is our unwavering commitment to ensuring the journey to net zero is fair and just for everyone.
“The Bute House Agreement signalled our shared commitment to working together to build a greener, fairer and independent Scotland. An unstable world needs more co-operation and more constructive conversation if governments are to effectively meet the challenges they face.
“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine triggered an energy price crisis which caused governments around the world to consider the long-term future to ensure our energy security, affordability and sustainability.
“The Scottish Government, underpinned by the principles and policies of the Bute House Agreement, has set out a very clear direction on how it can help overcome these issues and capitalise on the enormous opportunities our energy transition presents, while understanding that we need the UK Government to do more in areas which are reserved.
“It is absolutely fitting therefore, that we are marking the second anniversary of the Agreement here at the new Greengairs East windfarm.”
Zero Carbon Buildings Minister Patrick Harvie said: “The Bute House Agreement established a shared policy programme that has tackling the climate emergency and supporting Scotland’s renewable energy industries at its core, and it’s great to see the impact that this is having.
“The energy bills crisis has hit everyone hard, particularly the most vulnerable, and has not gone away. While the UK Government needs to take urgent action in reserved areas, over the last year we have set out a very clear pathway on how we can transition to clean, green energy, to tackle the climate crisis and to capitalise on the enormous potential we have to ensure everyone and every household in Scotland can benefit.
“The Bute House Agreement is also a commitment to a constructive way of working, based on shared aims and the core principles of building trust and good faith. Our approach to delivering a just and fair energy transition – ensuring we work across parliament, with the sector and with communities – is a prime example of how this approach benefits Scotland.”
UNISON school and early years staff have made their voices heard, casting their votes to strike as part of the local government pay dispute. The results, revealed today, means nearly 2000 union members will walk out in a bid to secure a better pay deal for all local government workers.
In this ballot, a resounding majority of school and early years workers from City of Edinburgh Council voted in favor of strike action, demonstrating their strong resolve to secure fair compensation. This outcome contributes to UNISON’s strongest ever strike mandate in local government across Scotland.
While the call for strike action has been resoundingly answered by school staff, trade union regulations stipulate that a 50% turnout is required for strikes to take place. Notably, City of Edinburgh Council’s school and early years staff have exceeded this threshold, reflecting their unwavering commitment to bringing about change.
City of Edinburgh Council stands alongside 23 other councils across Scotland where the union achieved the 50% ballot threshold. UNISON’s local government committee is set to convene shortly, with an announcement of the forthcoming industrial action, expected in the autumn, to follow.
UNISON City of Edinburgh branch secretary, Tom Connolly said: “Strike action is a last resort. However, in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, our members deserve to be rewarded fairly for their dedication and essential contributions.”
UNISON is the only union within Edinburgh Council that achieved a mandate to strike in schools, our members have shown their unwavering commitment. As the largest union in the council, our members are determined to deliver for all local government workers.
COSLA must address our members’ calls for improved fair pay that recognises and reward them for the vital work they do in our city.
Thank you to UNISON members for voting, as your collective action will pave the way for a fair pay rise for all council workers.
UNISON’s Scottish Secretary Lilian Macer said: “This is UNISON’s strongest strike mandate ever and shows you the anger of staff in local government in Scotland.
“Of course, UNISON will do all it can to get back around the table with COSLA as we are well aware that school staff want to be in school working with children – not out on picket lines closing schools.
“But Scottish government and COSLA must be no doubt of the resolve of UNISON members to take strike action for an improved pay deal for all local government workers.”
UNISON is the largest representative body of local government workers by far, and if we have to take industrial action schools will close in 24 councils across Scotland.
