Day: November 4, 2023

Amazon Dunfermline hosts community Halloween celebration

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – Halloween Fun. From left, Kayleigh and Diezel Lewis with Sandra Ringland.

The team from Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dunfermline hosted a fancy dress party and haunted house experience on site to celebrate Halloween with the local community.

The occasion, planned as a thank you the Dunfermline team for the work they do fulfilling orders for customers all across the UK, involved a dress up day, doughnuts and treats, and a ‘haunted’ house for staff to bring their families along to. Families from the areas around the Dunfermline fulfilment centre were also invited to get involved with the festivities. 

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – Halloween Fun. The McShane Family, from left, Stephen, Murray, Martha and Conall.

Alasdair Head, an employee from Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “The Halloween party on site was so enjoyable.

“From the decorations to the costumes, and best of all, the ‘haunted’ house, which was my daughter’s personal favourite activity, the whole event was brilliant. Thank you to our colleagues for organising such a wonderful event.”

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – Halloween Fun. From left, Autunm Morton, Calum Scouller with Zara and Leo.

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, added: “Coming together as a team to celebrate our successes is very important to us and being able to enjoy it with our loved ones and the local community always makes it even more enjoyable.

“The Halloween party at Dunfermline was a well-deserved treat for our team and a way to say thank you for all their hard work this year. It was also a way for us to join with our neighbours and have a bit of fun during Halloween. It was a wonderful event.”

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – Halloween Fun. Christine Watson.

Scottish plumbing supplier on track for £7 million turnover with the support of Business Gateway

A Scottish heating, plumbing and bathroom supplier with branches located in Loanhead, Falkirk, Rosyth and Macmerry is now one of Scotland’s largest suppliers of plumbing, heating and bathroom products, after its owners received HR support and signposting to grant funding from Business Gateway. 

Launched in 2018, Heating, Plumbing & Parts (HPP) is a now a well-established heating and plumbing supplier and the go-to place for the everyday tradesman in Scotland. The business supplies and distributes everything relating to plumbing and heating, as well as specialising in bathrooms, underfloor heating and renewable energy products, selling to both trade and the public.  

Founders of the business, Craig Campbell, Commercial Director and Alan McConville, Operations Director had accumulated a wealth of knowledge in the industry through their work for large manufacturing merchants in senior roles for over three decades. Together, they identified a gap in the market to strengthen the relationship between merchant suppliers and the everyday tradesman, who they believed to be neglected in the industry.  

On a mission to drive change in the sector, Craig and Alan were in search of expert guidance to help turn their business plan into a reality and approached Business Gateway for support in 2018.

Business Gateway was instrumental in providing support in the early stages, with both Craig and Alan attending start-up advice workshops. These also included HR support, which helped the duo create staff contracts.  Additionally, Craig and Alan spent time with a strategy expert who helped them map out a five-year plan which they still follow today.  

Through Business Gateway, Alan and Craig also benefitted from digital support to help build and develop a user-friendly website, which now includes an online brochure, and provides direct access to the brand’s social channels.  

Motivated by the ongoing demand from their customers to have a showroom that could display the bathroom products on sale, Alan and Craig worked with Business Gateway to secure a 2023 Falkirk Council Resilience grant fund award for expansion. This £10,000 grant allowed HPP to build a new showroom at its Falkirk branch.  

Since 2018, HPP has gone from strength to strength, starting with their first branch in Loanhead and later expanding its premises to Falkirk, Rosyth and Macmerry, with more branches to follow.

Alan and Craig have also expanded their staff, and now have a team of 28 colleagues, who have over 300 years of experience and product knowledge between them. The business is now on track to turnover £7 million this year.   

Craig Campbell, Commercial Director, HPP, said: “After working in the heating and plumbing industry for several years, I’d acquired an abundance of industry knowledge. However, starting your own business in the sector can be daunting and knowing where to start can be the hardest part. 

“Our journey would have been much harder and longer without Business Gateway’s ongoing support.” 

Andrea Bradley-Priest, Business Gateway adviser, said: “We have been able to support HPP with a range of Business Gateway’s services.

“It has been fantastic to watch the business expand and develop in the way that both Alan and Craig wished for in their five-year plan. I look forward to watching them continue to grow in the future.” 

To find out how Business Gateway can help your business, visit:

https://bgateway.com.  

Migration in an independent Scotland

Supporting people who want to live and work in Scotland

Scotland would benefit from the creation of a migration system that could boost the economy and better meet the country’s needs according to a new paper on independence published by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.

‘Migration to Scotland after independence’, the sixth paper in the Building a New Scotland series, sets out the Scottish Government’s proposals for how migration and asylum could work in an independent Scotland.

The proposals include new visa routes to make it easier for people to live, work, study and invest in Scotland, to support population growth in rural and island areas and key economic sectors such as tourism and hospitality.

Asylum and migration policy would also be overhauled from the current UK system, with people seeking asylum given the right to work and access employability services, to help integration and address key labour market shortages.

The paper also includes details on a simplified immigration system with lower fees and new public agencies to manage how migration and citizenship systems would operate, in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment to re-join the EU as an independent nation.

Ms Somerville said: “Our future success as a country is dependent above all else on the people who live here, and we value all those who have chosen to settle in Scotland for their invaluable contribution to our society and economy. 

“This paper published today sets out how, with independence, we could help ensure that success with a migration system specifically tailored to Scotland’s needs, to make it easier for more people to settle and integrate here. 

“Scotland’s population is set to fall, unlike other UK nations, under current constitutional arrangements. This means fewer people working, paying taxes and contributing to public services like the NHS. Yet Scotland is subject to the UK Government’s hostile approach to immigration which is damaging our economy.

“Control of our own migration policy would enable us to replace that approach with a system that has dignity, fairness and respect at its core, recognising above all that this is about individuals and their families.

“It is these values that will determine an independent Scotland’s approach to migration and asylum policy – to benefit our country and the people who would call it home.”

Building a New Scotland: Migration to Scotland after independence

How to stay safe on Bonfire Night if you’re having a bonfire at home

Experts at MyJobQuote.co.uk have created this guide on how to stay safe on bonfire night. Here, you will find all of the key steps needed to ensure you and your loved ones remain safe.

The following advice is helpful for those hosting a bonfire night party or creating an actual bonfire. Take a look at the advice below:

Planning a Bonfire Night Properly

If you are planning on hosting a party or creating your own bonfire this year, there are several things that you’ll need to consider and keep in mind when planning. Below are some tips for planning your bonfire night activities:

  • Always make sure you are building a bonfire that is completely stable and constructed carefully.
  • Let your neighbours know you’re planning on having a bonfire.
  • Use the correct items on the bonfire.
  • Make sure the bonfire is far away from any wildlife, trees, and structures to prevent the fire from being able to spread.
  • Keep the direction of the wind in mind on the night of the bonfire to prevent the fire from blowing and spreading to nearby wildlife or structures.
  • Ensure the bonfire is not a nuisance to anyone else, including your neighbours.
  • Keep a lookout for any nearby cables, and avoid setting up a bonfire underneath these.
  • It’s also important to set up a barrier around the bonfire to keep everyone safe. The barrier must be at least five metres around the bonfire.

How to Stay Safe at a Bonfire

  • Avoid lighting a bonfire with paraffin, petrol, diesel, white spirit, or methylated spirit. You also can’t use any of these to enhance the fire as it could be dangerous and could cause the fire to get out of control.
  • Have buckets of water or large quantities of water available nearby so that you can easily put the fire out if it gets out of control.
  • Avoid using any canisters, batteries, aerosols, or anything with foam or paint on the bonfire. Also, avoid using any wood that is treated or painted.
  • If you start to notice smoke heading towards nearby households, be ready to dampen the bonfire. This can occur if the wind changes direction.
  • Monito your bonfire throughout the entire process from start to finish. Keep a lookout at the strength and direction of the smoke to make sure it’s not an issue for people living nearby or for nearby wildlife.

How Do You Put Out a Bonfire?

When the night is over, it’s important that you completely put the bonfire out before retreating inside your home. Take the following steps to put out your bonfire properly:

  • Spray the bonfire thoroughly with water to begin putting it out. Wait until the bonfire has cooled down enough before leaving it. Make sure the bonfire can’t relight at all from any hot embers that remain. You will need to visually inspect the area and use your common sense to ensure the fire can’t possibly relight itself.
  • You should then rake the ashes into nearby soil and carefully dispose of all of the cooled-down materials. Use gloves to transport the materials for disposal, and wash your hands properly after you’ve moved everything.

Safety Tips When Using Fireworks at Home

There are some things you need to keep in mind if you are planning on lighting fireworks at your home. Take a look at the safety tips below if you are planning on launching some fireworks in your garden this year:

  • You should only ever use legal fireworks that have been purchased from a reputable supplier. In the UK, fireworks must be UKCA-marked or CE-marked. Alternatively, the fireworks should come with specific documents with these markings if they don’t have the markings on them directly.
  • Make sure you read all of the manufacturer’s instructions very carefully and follow the instructions to a T.
  • All fireworks must be suitable for being launched in the space and conditions that you have at home.
  • Avoid lighting any naked flames close to the fireworks.
  • Be sure to always point the fireworks in a safe and appropriate direction before lighting them.

Final Safety Tips For Bonfire Night

As mentioned, bonfire night should be a fun and safe experience. As long as you follow these safety tips and you always follow guidelines and manufacturer instructions, you should have no problems.

Using common sense is very important in ensuring you and your family remain safe. Keep children and pets away from open flames and fireworks. Always keep a barrier between the people and the fire, and never get too close to lit fireworks. When lighting fireworks, always step back and leave a safe distance before the fireworks launch.

There are so many fun things that you can do on bonfire night. If you are planning on having a bonfire party, take a look at this article by MyJobQuote.

In this article, you will find a range of bonfire night treat ideas as well as some additional safety tips to ensure you and your family remain safe throughout the bonfire celebrations.

Remembrance 23 – Connecting People, The Royal Scots and Dalkeith Palace

Royal Scots Remembrance Exhibition at Dalkeith Palace

From today, Saturday 4 to Wednesday 8 November 2023, The Royal Scots Museum, Edinburgh Castle, are bringing Remembrance 23, a free interactive exhibition, to Dalkeith Palace.  

This temporary exhibition has been specially designed to promote the strong connections between The Royal Scots (373 unbroken years of service – 1633 to 2006), the local regiment for Midlothian, and Dalkeith Palace, as well as the continuing relevance of Remembrance today.

The exhibition curators are especially keen to engage with the wide-ranging community of Midlothian by including fascinating military stories from soldiers from Edinburgh, the Lothians and Peebleshire, the heart of the old regimental recruiting area, that will appeal to visitors of all ages.  

8 RS take a ditch on the Moortdyjke Road and consolidate the position, 3rd November 1944.

Two of these stories, that have already created local interest, are from Lance Corporal Peter Burnett and Private Andrew Cornwall, 2 Battalion, The Royal Scots.  Their story focuses on the tragic sinking of the Japanese troop ship Lisbon Maru, sunk in the South China Sea on 01 October 1942.  Of the 1816 Prisoners of War aboard 828 perished, 183 of whom were Royal Scots.

After a recent appeal to the Midlothian community for information about Lance Corporal Peter Burnett and Private Andrew Cornwall, a living relative has been found and will attend the exhibition.  

The exhibition also includes living history films featuring former Royal Scots talking about their time in the regiment.  In one video, Rob Wainwright, one-time Medical Officer to the 1st Battalion, a former Captain of the Scottish rugby team, and capped for the British Lions, gives his take on serving in the armed forces and the impact of warfare on those who serve.  

Videos are available on YouTube: ttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Wj9U1GMbA78Qg-bCfhhJg/videos?view_as=subscriber

Remembrance 23 will provide an opportunity to:

·       Visit Dalkeith Palace.

·       Explore the connections between Midlothian people, The Royal Scots and Dalkeith Palace.

·       Learn about the history of the local Regiment and remember why We Should Never Forget.

·       Watch Living History films. 

·       View displays and objects.

·       Research local veterans and medals.

·       Explore the history of The Royals Scots during the Boer War and the two World Wars.

·       Understand the continuing relevance of Remembrance.

The proud heritage and privilege of being Right of the Line has been taken forward by successors to The Royal Scots: The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Remembrance 23 tickets are free but need to be booked online:

https://www.dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk/event/remembrance-2023/

Islamophobia Awareness Month 2023: Council and Police Scotland issue joint statement

Following the decision of the Policy and Sustainability Committee on October 24, 2023 it was agreed that the Council and Police Scotland would issue a joint statement for Islamophobia Awareness Month.

Joint statement from Councillor Cammy Day, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, and Edinburgh Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Sean Scott from Police Scotland: 

‘Edinburgh is characterised and strengthened by its diversity across our communities, and we remain committed to ensuring that the Capital remains a safe, tolerant, and welcoming city for all.

‘We are unequivocal in our condemnation of all prejudice and intolerance – neither of which have any place here in Edinburgh or across our society.

‘We acknowledge the impact of hate incidents and crimes on victims, their families, and wider communities and will work together with them to tackle Islamophobia and all other forms of hate crime.

‘We will continue to work with groups who have lived experience of Islamophobia, and we will use their insights to further inform our work. Engagement with these communities is rightly at the heart of our approach to tackling discrimination and reassuring our residents.

‘We know that hate crime is under-reported and we are working closely with victims, communities, and partners to build confidence in the process and its outcomes.  If you are affected by hate or know of someone who is, please report it. Find out about the different ways to report hate incidents.

‘Within both our own organisations, we are fully committed to broadening our understanding of Islam and combatting Islamophobia through a range of learning and development activities, such as community visits, webinars, and workshops.

‘Please get in touch if you need our help or if you would like to work with us on stamping Islamophobia out once and for all.’

Read the full report ‘Islamophobia – update on engagement’ from the Policy and Sustainability Committee on October 24, 2023. 

Islamophobia Awareness Month 2023 

This week marks the start of Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) 2023, which aims to raise awareness of Islamophobia and its prevalence in Scotland.

Figures show that many people are still subject to Islamophobic abuse, which can include harassment, hate speech, violent attacks, religious profiling and being prejudiced against Muslims. IAM seeks to demonstrate the effect of Islamophobia and how it can be tackled, in addition to the positive contributions of Muslims in the UK. 

The Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Challenging Racial & Religious Prejudice recently received an update on its 2021 inquiry into Islamophobia in Scotland.

The 2021 inquiry found that 75% of Muslims say that Islamophobia is a regular or everyday issue in Scottish society. 78% of Muslims in Scotland believed that Islamophobia was getting worse, which rose to 82% of Muslim respondents with a Glasgow postcode.

Over 80% of all Muslim respondents to the survey have a friend or family member who has experienced Islamophobia. 

The update received by the CPG earlier this week re-launched the Islamophobia Inquiry recommendations, with Convener Foysol Choudhury MSP highlighting that Islamophobia is still a prevalent issue in Scotland and that key recommendations such as improving on the reporting and recording of Islamophobia in schools should be urgently progressed. 

Lothian MSP Foysol Choudhury, who is the new Convener of the CPG taking over from colleague Anas Sarwar MSP, is encouraging constituents to talk about these experiences during Islamophobia Awareness Month, to raise awareness that these problems do exist and people are facing them daily. 

 Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “Islamophobia is still such a big issue for all Muslims and we need to find a way to eradicate the abuse and hatred urgently, to help those who face issues with Islamophobia on a daily basis. 

“I have been raising in the Scottish Parliament the issue of how the Scottish Government will ensure that all police officers will be able to fully investigate all reported hate crimes, so people will then hopefully feel more comfortable going to the police about the abuse and hatred they receive.” 

Following his previous work on Islamophobia, Foysol Choudhury is continuing to encourage people this month to share their experiences and speak out:  “I really want to make sure people feel enabled to speak out about their issues, to give support to those who face hate or abuse because of their membership to religious communities.  

“It is my hope that this will then create a more peaceful Scotland for everyone, free from any kind of religious intolerance or hatred.” 

Projects welcome backing from Autistic Adult Support Fund

The £500,000 Autistic Adult Support Fund has announced the 16 charities across Scotland which will provide more vital support for autistic adults and their families to understand what neurodivergence means for them and improve their wellbeing.   

Delivered by Inspiring Scotland, and funded by the Scottish Government, successful charities will receive grants of between £15,000 – £75,000 each to deliver a range of projects including:  

  • Hope for Autism will deliver post diagnostic support groups around developing an understanding of autism and identity; practical life skills; and learning to self-advocate. Support sessions and training will also be provided to the entire family. 
  • Autism Initiatives will deliver a National Remote Late Diagnosis programme (LDG) online and in-person in locations including Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, Tayside, Highland, and West Lothian.  
  • Networking Key Service Limited will focus support for autistic people and their families in South Asian communities.  
  • The National Autistic Society (in partnership with Autistic Knowledge Development) will create an autistic-led digital suite of short films to provide a positive, easily accessible introduction to the world of autism support in Scotland. They will also run a series of six post diagnostic group sessions, with a mix of in person and online delivery.  

Two Edinburgh projects, and one national project based in the capital, have received funding.

Speaking on the need for the fund, Rob Holland, Director of National Autistic Society Scotland said: “Sadly, there is often little in the way of support for adults following a diagnosis of autism meaning that they are left on their own to interpret what that means with little idea of where to turn to for much needed support.

“I am therefore delighted that we have been successful in receiving this award from Inspiring Scotland. 

“We have partnered with Autistic Knowledge Development to develop an incredible programme of free to access support for autistic adults across Scotland. The programme will allow participants to deepen their understanding as to what their diagnosis means as well as to connect and share strategies with each other.

“It will also provide a safe space for participants to share with each other the challenges as well as the joys of being autistic. We hope that these connections will last beyond the lifetime of the programme.” 

Highland based Lochaber Hope, will deliver online workshops on Autism, ADHD and a Neurodivergent Group for Women and Non-Binary People in the area.  

 Executive Manager at Lochaber Hope, Alyson Smith said: “We are delighted to have received funds from Autistic Adults Support Fund, this will allow us to support the increasing number of adults whose needs are specific and are currently not being met in our community, we can help change the quality of the lives of people living with autism.” 

Erica Judge, Director of Funds at Inspiring Scotland said: “We received a large number of high-quality applications to this Autistic Adult Support Fund demonstrating the need for this work and the commitment from organisations across Scotland to provide what we know can be life changing support. 

“We are looking forward to working alongside and supporting the 16 charities selected to provide vital support to autistic people and their families and carers to better understand what their diagnosis means for them and help ensure they are able to live happy and healthy lives.”

Find out more about the successful Autistic Adult Support Fund projects.  

Autistic-Adult-Support-Fund-Project-ListDownload