On the one year anniversary of her passing, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reflects on the life and service of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II:
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Today, on the solemn anniversary of the passing of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, our thoughts are with His Majesty King Charles III and the whole Royal Family.
With the perspective of a year, the scale of Her Late Majesty’s service only seems greater. Her devotion to the nations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth only seems deeper. And our gratitude for such an extraordinary life of duty and dedication, only continues to grow.
I treasure my memories of those occasions when I met Her Late Majesty, in particular the private audience I had with her at Buckingham Palace before presenting my first Budget as Chancellor. I was struck by her wisdom, by her incredible warmth and grace, but also her sharp wit.
People across the UK – whether they had the good fortune to meet Her Late Majesty or not – will be reflecting today on what she meant to them and the example she set for us all. We will cherish those memories.
The bond between country and monarch is sacred. It endures. So, while we continue to mourn Her Late Majesty’s passing, we should be proud that this remarkable legacy of service – and this remarkable bond – continues to grow today under the reign of His Majesty The King.”
Scamp & Dude, the renowned British purpose-led fashion womenswear brand, has announced it will be opening its newest retail location in the lifestyle district of Edinburgh, St James Quarter, on Saturday (9th September).
Scamp & Dude was established with a clear mission: to bring accessible fashion, joy, and vibrancy into every wardrobe, whilst using its big heart to give back to those going through difficult times. Beyond just serving as a retail outlet, the new premises also doubles up as a friendly, supportive environment to welcome new and existing consumers which celebrates the power of community.
The opening of the new 2,939 sqft store in Edinburgh comes after a year of expansive growth for the brand, which will also see the opening of a store in Battersea Power Station, London. Scamp & Dude’s only store in Scotland will be situated on Level 3 in St James Quarter, which is home to some of the best and most exciting brands the city has to offer.
To kick off the Edinburgh store’s grand opening this weekend, Scamp & Dude will be hosting immersive and fun activities and will be giving away an Edinburgh-exclusive Scamp & Dude tote bag to all shoppers that spend £100* or more over launch weekend. The tote bag has been designed in a new floral leopard print and cannot be purchased in other stores or online. (*one per customer, whilst stocks last)
The new store will showcase Scamp & Dude’s stylish collection of womenswear, kids wear as well as charitable products and will be a fitting location for the brand’s loyal and rapidly growing community in Scotland, who known as the ‘Duders’.
The retail space will also serve as a venue for the brands ongoing charity campaigns and events, which Scamp & Dude are renowned for and will continue to run at the new St James Quarter store.
This includes the #SuperScarfMission which for every scarf sold, another is donated to a woman starting chemotherapy. To date, over 23,000 have been donated via hospital partners with a mission to reach 63,000 by next year (the approx. number of women who start chemotherapy per year).
In addition, the new Scamp & Dude store will also be home to an interactive Superpower Button, a first for the brand, which will give shoppers the chance to be assigned their very own superpower at the touch of a button.
Scamp & Dude founder and CEO, Jo Tutchener-Sharp, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing Scamp & Dude to Edinburgh as our first Scottish location as we feel there is already a real flavour for the brand here in Scotland.
“Being located in St James Quarter alongside so many other great brands is an honour, and we cannot wait to officially launch on the 8th of September. Our loyal community of ‘Duders’ has grown rapidly, with many located here in Scotland.
“We are looking forward to bringing the store to where our community has expanded to and providing a physical space for customers to experience the Scamp & Dude magic in person.”
NORTHERN AND LEITH MSP URGES ADDITIONAL ACTION TO PROVIDE MORE SUITABLE TEMPORARY ACCOMODATION AND SOCIAL HOUSING IN EDINBURGH
Ben Macpherson, constituency MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, raised Edinburgh’s housing crisis during Question Time with government ministers at Holyrood today.
The local MSP welcomes actions in the Scottish Government’s newly published Programme for Government 2023/24, with a Housing Bill that will deliver a New Deal for Tenants, the introduction of a system of long term rent controls and new duties aimed at the prevention of homelessness.
However, the current pressures in the capital city are significant with around a 20% increase in homeless applications, growing waiting lists for social housing and high demand for private rented accommodation. The Council have also stated that there is a shortfall of approximately £480m in grant funding over the next five years, in their affordable housing supply programme.
The Edinburgh Northern and Leith MSP asked the Scottish Government if more can be done to assist the City of Edinburgh Council with the delivery of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, and if more can be done to help secure the appropriate accommodation required to tackle homelessness, given the significant increase in those presenting as homeless and the continued population growth in Edinburgh.
Commenting, Ben Macpherson MSP said: “The affordability and availability of housing in Edinburgh is a very serious issue.
“The current situation is deeply worrying and I will continue to raise concerns with both the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council. Collaborative and urgent action is required to deliver more social housing, tackle homelessness and achieve new solutions.”
Question in the Scottish Parliament – General Questions, 7 September 2023:
Minister for Housing, Paul McLennan MSP: “We are investing £752 million this year through the Affordable Housing Supply programme to support the delivery of more social and affordable homes towards our 110,000 target affordable homes by 2032.
“Working with social landlords to make best use of existing homes and implementing targeted partnership plans with local authorities facing the greatest pressure. Since 2007, we have supported delivery of 6255 social homes in Edinburgh.
“I have met with Edinburgh’s Housing Convener several times to discuss the council’s proposals to improve temporary accommodation and increase housing supply, which will inform a partnership plan.”
Ben Macpherson MSP: “I am grateful for that answer and welcome all of it. However, the Minister will be aware of the severity of the situation here in Edinburgh. Shelter Scotland have called it an emergency and I am increasingly concerned about the correspondence I am receiving from constituents.
“Homelessness applications have increased by over 20%. Therefore, can the Scottish Government provide any additional help to City of Edinburgh Council and other relevant organisations to provide more suitable temporary accommodation?
“And can the Scottish Government do more to fund and prioritise building and delivering more social housing here in Edinburgh, Given the current pressures and projected population growth?”
Minister for Housing, Paul McLennan MSP: “Our aim is to prevent homelessness. However, when it does occur, we are taking housing led response to provide households with settled homes as quickly as possible.
“We provide local authorities with annual allocations of £8 million RRTP funding to support people into settled accommodation and with 30.5 million with their work to prevent homelessness with Edinburgh receiving over £3.8 million in 23-24 during this Parliament to maximise the delivery of social and affordable homes to support Strategic Housing Investment Plan priorities, we are making a record £230 million available to Edinburgh with an additional £10 million this year being allocated.”
Significant expansion sees FOUR new routes go on sale in response to strong demand –Rome, Malta, Chambery, and Prague
Jet2.com and Jet2holidayshas today responded to continued strong demand from holidaymakers in Scotland, by announcing significant expansion at Edinburgh Airport. This growth includes four new routes, extra summer and winter capacity, as well as an additional aircraft coming into operation for Summer 24.
The UK’s largest tour operator and third largest airline has added a 7th based aircraft at Edinburgh Airport for Summer 24, enabling them to introduce two new routes for next summer. This gives customers and independent travel agents even more choice and flexibility when it comes to choosing some summer sunshine next year.
The two new routes added for Summer 24 are as follows:
Rome – new Monday and Friday services beginning from 8th March.
Malta – new Wednesday services starting from 1st May.
As well as summer demand, Jet2.com has also experienced strong demand for ski flights from local snow sports fans and has added new flights to Chambery from Edinburgh Airport for Winter 23/24 and Winter 24/25 in response. Chambery offers quick and easy access to world-famous ski resorts in France, including the Three Valleys. The popular ski areas of the Alpe d’Huez, Chamonix, La Plagne and Val d’Isère are also easily accessible from Chambery, providing memorable skiing whether you are a beginner or an expert.
This coming winter, weekly Saturday services will operate to Chambery between 10th February and 6th April 2024. In Winter 24/25, Saturday services will operate from 21st December 2024.
The good news does not stop there, as scheduled winter services and city breaks have also gone on sale to Prague from Edinburgh Airport for Winter 24/25 too.
Services will operate to Prague from the airport from 3rd October 2024 to 27th March 2025, with up to two weekly services (Thursday and Sunday) operating during this time. With long-weekend and mid-week breaks available from Edinburgh Airport, the addition of this city break favourite offers fantastic choice and flexibility when it comes to visiting the Czech capital in winter.
In addition to this, the strong demand the companies are seeing for flights and great value ATOL protected package holidays means the companies have also added thousands of extra seats for Summer 24 to over ten of their most popular destinations across the Canary Islands, Mainland Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia and Italy.
The destinations where additional flights and holidays have been added (peak weekly departures from Edinburgh Airport in brackets following the increases) are: Lanzarote (5), Malaga (5), Antalya (6), Bodrum (2), Larnaca (2), Gran Canaria (3), Naples (2), Split (2), Tenerife (8), Verona (2) and Zante (3).
This expansion means that Jet2.com and Jet2holidays will now operate up to 96 weekly flights during peak periods to 32 destinations from Edinburgh Airport in Summer 24, meaning unrivalled choice for holidaymakers departing from the airport. With nearly one million seats now on sale from Edinburgh Airport in Summer 24, this represents a capacity increase of more than 20% compared to Summer 23.
With Winter Sun also proving popular from Edinburgh Airport, today’s expansion sees Jet2.com and Jet2holidays add capacity to Lanzarote, Alicante, Antalya, Fuerteventura and Tenerife for Winter 23/24 and to Alicante, Madeira, Fuerteventura and Tenerife and for Winter 24/25. In addition, the companies will operate services to Malta in Winter 24/25, which is a continuation of their summer services.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “Today’s announcement represents a significant investment at Edinburgh Airport and means we are massively expanding our Summer and Winter programmes.
“We are looking forward to our biggest ever Summer 24 from Edinburgh Airport, and this huge expansion to our programme is a demonstration of our continued commitment to investing in our operations at the base ahead of it.
“The demand we are seeing from customers and independent travel agents remains strong, so we have responded by expanding our operations at Edinburgh Airport with new routes, extra capacity and an additional 7th based aircraft for Summer 24.
“As a result, we are giving holidaymakers in the region even more choice to get away on our award-winning package holidays and flights whether that is in the summer or the winter.”
Kate Sherry, Chief Commercial Officer (Aero) at Edinburgh Airport said: “It’s always good news when we expand choice for our passengers, so having more destinations to jet to with Jet2.com next summer will allow people to already start thinking about that special holiday.
“We know there’s a strong market in Edinburgh and the addition of an extra based aircraft for summer 2024 is a real show of commitment from Jet2.com in Scotland’s capital and to delivering seamless travel and more opportunities to explore.”
Key Summer Sun facts for 2024 from Edinburgh Airport include:
32 sun and city destinations on sale (peak number of flights per week in brackets).
Book Week Scotland has opened applications for Pitch It!, which lets community groups, organisations or individuals pitch to host an event with a brilliant writer. We’ll provide up to £500 to help with event costs for the successful pitches, as well as tailored support to help make your event the best it can be.
This year’s Pitch It! line-up comprises:
· Kiran Millwood Hargrave, for an event on Friday 17 November
Kiran Millwood Hargrave is an award-winning poet, playwright, and bestselling novelist writing for both children and adults. Her books include The Girl of Ink and Stars, Julia and the Shark and The Mercies. Kiran is particularly interested in events relating to the environment, conservation and nature.
· Nooruddean Choudry, for an event on Saturday 18 November
Nooruddean Choudry, also known as @BeardedGenius, is best known for his football writing. His new book Inshallah United is a humorous look at faith, football and growing up in a working-class immigrant family.
Book Week Scotland (13–19 November 2023) is a week-long celebration of books and reading, with hundreds of events taking place online and in communities all over Scotland. This year’s theme is ‘adventure’.
The deadline to pitch your event by is Monday 25 September at midday, and further info and the application form can be found at bookweekscotland.com.
Scotland’s winter vaccination programme has started in Lothian with over 3,500 people getting their flu vaccine on the first day (Monday 4th September).
Invitations to book or attend an appointment have already been sent to those eligible for a flu vaccine by post in a white NHS Scotland envelope, or by email or text depending on communication preferences.
Flu is serious and even healthy people can become very ill from it. Flu cases were at their highest since 2018/19 last year, with over 14,000 confirmed cases in Scotland.
The flu virus is always changing and vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and those around you. NHS Lothian is strongly encouraging those eligible to take up the vaccination offer when it comes.
Both flu and COVID-19 vaccines will be offered to people most vulnerable to illness and, where possible, administered at the same time. Eligible groups will be invited for vaccination as the programme progresses through the autumn and winter.
To prevent the spread of flu and COVID-19, the advice remains to stay home with any respiratory symptoms and to wash hands regularly.
Pat Wynne, Nurse Director for Primary and Community Care who oversees the delivery of the winter vaccines programme in Lothian, said: “Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 and flu this winter. Flu vaccines are available to 50 to 64s, people aged 18 to 49 with an eligible health condition and health and social care workers now.
“There are a variety of clinics across Lothian covering evenings and weekends, and we strongly encourage you to book or attend your appointment when invited.
“Coming forward as soon as you’re invited will ensure you’re protected and help alleviate pressures on the NHS over the challenging winter months.”
Don’t miss the birthday celebrations at The Leith Collective, Fort Kinnaird this Friday
The Leith Collective celebrates one year at Fort Kinnaird with music, drinks and a lot of love for the planet
Locals are being invited to party like there’s no Planet B this Friday as The Leith Collective at Fort Kinnaird celebrates its first birthday.
Now established as the go-to store for Edinburgh’s eco-conscious consumers, the multi award-winning Leith Collective is hosting a special evening of music, drinks, art and sustainable shopping to thank their customers for their support during their first year in business.
And what a year it has been! The store has been championing sustainable solutions at every opportunity, organising a range of initiatives such as the Winter Coat Exchange which saw locals donate 7,000 coats to those in need.
This was followed by the Free School Uniform Exchange, which aimed to keep quality clothes out of landfill and in use for longer, whilst simultaneously addressing the cost of living crisis.
The store has also played host to a range of inspiring art exhibitions, including The Printmakers Salon, featuring the work of artists from the Edinburgh Printmakers, which is currently on display at the store.
Earlier this year, founder Sara Thomson was invited to 10 Downing Street to celebrate Burns’ Night with PM Rishi Sunak in recognition for the continued positive impact the store is having.
And the store later scooped two SME UK Enterprise Awards – Most Unique Community Retail Space Scotland and the Sustainable Excellence Award.
The birthday party is open to all and free to attend, and revellers can enjoy music and drinks, view the current art exhibition, and browse one-off items from some of Edinburgh’s most talented artists and makers.
From clothing and jewellery to homeware and toiletries – all the items available to purchase in store have been created with the planet in mind.
Founder Sara Thomson and the team will be at the party to talk about the steps they are taking to make shopping a more sustainable experience for all.
Commenting ahead of the party, Sara explained; “Retail is changing. More and more consumers now want to know where their goods have come from, and what impact the manufacturing process has had on the planet.
“And that’s exactly why The Leith Collective’s first year at Fort Kinnaird has proved to be so successful. Our customers are choosing to support local artists and protect the planet, so we’re throwing this party to say thank you for shopping sustainably.”
The Leith Collective at Fort Kinnaird first birthday party will take place on Friday 8th September, 6pm – 8pm. The event is free to attend and the invitation is open to all.
£1.5 million to open up entrepreneurial opportunities
The first phase of a new initiative to identify and nurture new entrepreneurial talent has been launched.
Funding of up to £1.5 million will be delivered through the Pathways Pre-Start Fund this financial year to provide support, mentoring and advice services for people thinking about taking the first steps towards creating a start-up company.
It will have a particular focus on closing the gender gap and widening participation in entrepreneurship, and is the first step to developing a pre-start network to bring more people into the entrepreneurship pipeline.
This week’s Programme for Government has committed to a further £15 million of investment in Scotland’s start-up community, encouraging entrepreneurs from all walks of life to start and scale their business.
To launch the Pathways Pre-Start Fund, Wellbeing Economy & Fair Work Secretary Neil Gray visited the offices of PwC UK in Glasgow to meet with members of the Black Social Entrepreneurship Programme, run by The School for Social Entrepreneurs in collaboration with PwC.
He said: “Through the jobs they provide and problems they solve, new businesses play a fundamental role in growing our economy while creating better futures for our people and communities. That is why we must inspire more Scots to view starting a business as a viable path.
“We want to cultivate a thriving, world-leading entrepreneurial ecosystem and our Programme for Government 2023/24 sets out a very clear vision and tangible actions to help this and future generations of entrepreneurs succeed.
“There is a moral and economic duty to do more to ensure women – indeed, every under-represented group – have the support and opportunities they need to start and grow successful businesses.
“Kick-started by immediate funding this year, our Pre-Start programme will play an important role in breaking down barriers and ensuring Scotland’s start-up community continues to flourish.”
A supported internship programme for young people with a disability has welcomed 21 recruits.
Each young person will spend the next nine months gaining work experience within the council or with one of the city’s Project SEARCH partners, which includes NHS Lothian and Virgin Hotels.
Edinburgh Project SEARCH is a programme where young people with a disability, aged between 16 to 29 years, are given the opportunity to complete three 10-week work experience placements across the academic year while also studying for a qualification with Edinburgh College. The programme, which is now in its ninth year, aims to prepare young people to move into mainstream employment upon completion.
Tom Randall joined the council as part of Project SEARCH and has recently gone on to secure a position within the council’s facilities management team. He said: “I have come; I really feel I can do the job for the Facilities Management team now and Edinburgh Project SEARCH has helped me to do this.
“Now that I have this job I am really looking forward to feeling like I am a real part of the team and doing a good job with all the tasks. With my first wages I am planning to get a big takeaway!”
Most recent figures show that just 4.1% of young adults with a learning disability and/or autism in Scotland enter secure paid employment following education, compared to 80% of their peers.
Supported internships – work-based study programmes for 16 to 29-year-olds with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) – dramatically change the employment outcomes for those who take part.
DFN Project SEARCH figures show that 70% of people who complete their supported internships achieve this and successfully remain in employment.*
Hannah Goodall participated in Project SEARCH and now has a job in the City Chambers. She said: “I was an Edinburgh Project SEARCH intern on the 2022/23 programme. Project SEARCH helped me with my confidence and helped me to prepare and successfully apply for a job with the City of Edinburgh Council.
“I work at the City Chambers in the licencing department. My job title is licensing support assistant. All my colleagues are friendly and supporting. I like knowing that every month money is coming into my account, and I can choose when to take my holidays. I like being independent when I go out to work every day and maybe one day I’ll be able to move out and live independently.
Connor McDermid, another Project SEARCH alumni who enjoyed a placement with Virgin Hotels, has also secured a job since his internship. He said: “Edinburgh Project SEARCH really helped me develop my confidence.
“My work experience placement with Virgin Hotels Edinburgh helped me further develop my customer service skills too. These gave me the motivation to apply for a role as a concierge in the hotel – a job I was successful getting!
“This was all made possible with the support of my workplace buddies and the ‘People Team’ in the Virgin Hotels Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Project SEARCH team.”
Edinburgh’s new starts were welcomed by Council Leader Cammy Day, Planning Convener James Dalgleish and Chief Executive Andrew Kerr at a special induction ceremony.
Celebrating the start of the new Project SEARCH term, Council Leader Cammy Day said: “One of our biggest priorities in the aftermath of the pandemic has been to improve opportunities and outcomes for our young people, including those with complex needs.
“I’m proud of the inspiring and talented group of graduates we’ve nurtured to date and excited for the 21 new recruits. Such internships give these special young people the same opportunities as their peers and space to shine.
“Since 2014 Project SEARCH has been about teaching skills to be an employee as well as learning and a number of graduates have gone on to succeed in getting jobs in the council, which is fantastic! The placements can unlock confidence, build CV skills and be the difference between someone choosing to enter the workforce or feeling unable to.”
The CMA is opening a review of how veterinary services are bought and sold amid concerns that pet owners may not be getting a good deal or receiving the information they need to make good choices
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a review looking at consumer experiences and business practices in the provision of veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
It will explore how well the market, worth over £2 billion in the UK, is working for pet owners including whether they are receiving the information they need at the right time to get appropriate treatment for their pets.
Almost two-thirds of households in the UK own a pet, with the number of pet owners having increased significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CMA is concerned that pet owners may not find it easy to access the information they need about prices and treatment options to make good choices about which vet to use and which services to purchase.
Households are under strain from the rising cost of living and it is important that pet owners get value for money from their vets – but figures suggest that the cost of vet services has risen faster than the rate of inflation, which is something that the CMA will be looking into as part of its review.
The ownership of vet practices has also changed in recent years – independent practices accounted for 89% of the UK veterinary industry in 2013, which fell to approximately 45% by 2021. In some cases, a single company may own hundreds of practices and it may be unclear to people whether their vet is part of a large group.
People may also be unaware if their vet is part of a group which owns other vet practices in their area or that the services which are being sold to them (such as diagnostic tests or treatments at a specialist animal hospital) are provided by that group. This could impact pet owners’ choices and reduce the incentives of local vet practices to compete.
The CMA is keen to hear more about pet owners’ and vet practitioners’ experiences of:
Pricing of services, including whether pet owners were aware of how much a treatment would cost, and how they pay for it (whether they pay themselves or via insurance)
How prescriptions and medication for pets are arranged and sold
Choosing a vet surgery and whether people are aware that their vet may be part of a larger chain which might also own other surgeries in the area
Using out-of-hours and emergency vet services where options might be limited
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “Caring for an ill pet can create real financial pressure, particularly alongside other cost of living concerns. It’s really important that people get clear information and pricing to help them make the right choices.
“There has been a lot of consolidation in the vet industry in recent years, so now is the right time to take a look at how the market is working.
“When a pet is unwell, they often need urgent treatment, which means that pet owners may not shop around for the best deal, like they do with other services. This means they may not have the relevant information to make informed decisions at what can be a distressing time. We want to hear from pet owners and people who work in the sector about their experiences.”
The CMA would like to hear from pet owners, veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, practice managers and veterinary businesses as part of this work. To get in touch please visit the case page.
The CMA will provide a further update on this review in early 2024, outlining the issues it has identified and its proposed next steps.
