Legal charity highlighted as part of national campaign
Glasgow-based legal charity JustRight Scotland is the latest star in a nationwide campaign highlighting the work of Scotland’s voluntary sector.
#EssentialSector, a campaign developed by and about the voluntary sector, has been launched to great acclaim, with voices from across Scotland praising the opportunities provided for grassroots groups that are often overlooked.
Work towards #EssentialSector began earlier this year, with ten organisations selected as part of a new programme to highlight how voluntary organisations change people’s lives for the better, bring communities together, improve policy and contribute to the economy.
The films feature real people, telling their stories in their own words and paint an inspiring and raw picture of the value, diversity, and impact of the voluntary sector. They show the challenges the sector faces, as well as its many achievements.
Now, the general public have their chance to view the series of short films which capture the everyday work done by the dedicated individuals behind charities and voluntary groups in every corner of Scotland.
The #EssentialSector campaign partners are led by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), Scotland’s national membership body for the voluntary sector, and include: ACOSVO, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Evaluation Support Scotland, Social Enterprise Scotland, the TSI Scotland Network, and Volunteer Scotland.
The films were premiered at SCVO’s Gathering 2023, the largest voluntary sector event in the UK, in Edinburgh last month and are now being showcased on a weekly basis.
The project saw the ten groups given support and access to everyday equipment to make their own films, with training provided by ethical media production group media co-op. Charities were given the skills to produce their own video content, which was edited by SCVO’s video content creator, James Ewen.
Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of SCVO, said: “The #EssentialSector films tell the stories of just 10 of Scotland’s 46,500 voluntary organisations. The films are a lovely celebration of the work they do.
“We want to highlight as many stories as we can on a national stage to bring to life the vital role of voluntary organisations in communities across Scotland.”
JustRight Scotland is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) providing legal services to defend and extend people’s rights.
JustRight Scotland is a charity founded by human rights lawyers. They use the law to defend and extend people’s rights by providing direct legal advice to people who would otherwise struggle to access justice.
They work in collaboration with others to achieve social justice, with the aim of reducing discrimination and disadvantage. With their partners they have established four centres of legal excellence and a legal policy, research and training hub.
All of JustRight Scotland’s legal centres have been recognised as making a significant contribution to defending people’s rights across Scotland.
The charity has seen huge growth during their first five years, and has moved swiftly to meet people’s needs and to seize opportunities. Over the coming years, they plan to continue to make sure they are resilient and sufficiently agile to be able to thrive.
Alongside their core legal work with the people we serve, they will continue to develop their capability to influence policy, to communicate effectively, and to support others to learn and build on the approaches they have pioneered.
Emma Hutton, CEO at JustRight Scotland, said: “Taking part in the #EssentialSector campaign allowed us to share our stories and demonstrate the direct impact of our work nationwide, raising awareness of our work with wider networks.
“We emphasised the crucial role played by our dedicated team in achieving our mission of defending and extending people’s rights. Only through their strong commitment and passion, can we make a significant impact in the lives of people and communities throughout Scotland.”
Council Leader, Cammy Day looks to the year ahead – and beyond
Starting the year on a high
2024 is upon us and, with 40% of the world’s voters heading to the polls in the next 12 months, it promises to be a fascinating year of political debate – and change.
Here in the Capital, we’ve already enjoyed a great start to the year, welcoming in 2024 in style with our world-famous Hogmanay celebrations – bringing great pride to our residents and an estimated £48m to the local economy.
Overall, our Winter Festivals proved once again to be a great draw and the city centre welcomed a 6.4% increase in footfall in December 2023 compared to the same period the year before. In fact, we bucked the national trend, with the Capital the only city in Scotland to register an increase and the top performing city in the UK. Add to that hotel occupancy rates of well over 90%, shows just how attractive Edinburgh is and how far we’ve come since the pandemic.
Striking the right balance
But with this success, comes the other side of the same coin: the pressure on our core services and on the people who live and work here. Of course, we’re glad that so many people want to visit our beautiful city and recognise the importance of tourism to our economy. But we also acknowledge the impact this has on residents and that we have a responsibility to manage that impact.
One way we can do this is to introduce a visitor levy, which would present a major opportunity for us to generate millions of pounds in additional revenue to support, sustain and develop the city and this visitor economy – just as so many other major cities do so successfully. With MSPs endorsing the principles of the Visitor Levy Bill in Holyrood, I look forward to progressing our plans this year and keeping Edinburgh on track to become the first city in Scotland to introduce it.
Another way in which we can relieve this pressure is to better manage the number and quality of Short Term Lets in the city and I remain convinced this is the right thing to do – both for our residents but also for the businesses running them. Following the recent Judicial Reviews, we now have greater clarity on the legislation, and its application, and will publish a report outlining our next steps in the coming weeks.
Working towards net zero
Sticking with our business plan priorities in 2024, we remain determined to play our part in the global fight against climate change. We’re sticking with our bold and ambitious target to be a net-zero city by 2030 and, as our Climate Strategy and city-wide carbon emissions report demonstrates we’re continuing to make progress against these targets.
Coming on the back of a series of national and international awards and other accolades recognising our action on climate – most recently being named the world’s most sustainable travel destination and featured on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s Global A list – we’re at the forefront of driving the change we need to make real and lasting difference.
We’ve also published a new Climate Ready Edinburgh strategy to address the impacts of climate change on the city. This new strategy will address issues around flooding and overheating whilst supporting the city to protect and enhance our beautiful greenspaces and biodiversity.
Cleaner, greener transport
Did you know that 91% of travel emissions in the UK are caused by road traffic? That’s why creating a better connected, environmentally friendly transport system is a must and, in the coming weeks, we’ll be publishing a major package of proposals for the way we move people and goods around the city. These will include recommendations for a consultation on a north–south tram line between Granton and the Bioquarter for public consultation and first sight of our new circulation plan, Our Future Streets.
This work will complement significant investment in active travel routes too and, in the coming year, we’ll see the completion of both the City Centre West to East Link, a major walking, wheeling and cycling route between Roseburn and Picardy Place, and the Roseburn to Union Canal route, which will transform public spaces and bring disused areas back into community use. The introduction of our LEZ from 1 June, meanwhile, will not only improve air quality in our city centre but is expected to have benefits citywide. For our part, we’re continuing to improve our own council fleet and 30% of our vehicles will be upgraded to electric by the end of 2024.
Over the coming years, through schemes like Meadows to George Street, we’ll significantly improve walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, and reduce the dominance of cars on city centre streets. We’re already making great strides towards delivering our flagship city centre transformation project, George Street and First New Town,and this year will see us engaging in our final designs before beginning construction in 2025.
Of course, 2023 was a hugely significant year for trams, with the completion of the line to Newhaven and passenger numbers already well ahead of expectations. Taken alongside the outstanding work of the team at Lothian Buses in returning patronage to almost pre-covid levels, the future looks bright for our transport companies, not least as we continue our work to bring them together as one. This can only be good news for Edinburgh’s travelling public – better integration, better service and better value for money.
A catalyst for sustainable growth
The development of our tram network has been – and will continue to be – pivotal to the city’s evolution. From the huge and growing investment in the west of the city – think Edinburgh Park and the potential for an 8,000 capacity music venue or the £2bn West Town development, to the transformation of Haymarket and the West End. The ever-changing face of Princes Street – book-ended by the Johnnie Walker Experience in the west and ambitious restoration of the former Jenners building in the east. The latter sitting proudly on the corner of St Andrew Square, which has itself been completely transformed and rejuvenated.
Then, in between, we have a boutique Red Carnation Hotel due to open in the former Royal Overseas League building later this year, a £100m redevelopment for the luxury Ruby Hotels chain planned for the former Zara, Next and Russell and Bromley stores and Japanese clothing retailer, Uniqlo, moving into the former BHS building in the spring.
Not forgetting, of course, the unbridled success of St James Quarter – whose £1bn investment depended heavily on tram and significant support from the Council, the regeneration of Leith Walk and the Waterfront, with the long-awaited £250m reinvention of Ocean Terminal set to bring 500 much-needed homes and a direct pedestrian link to the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Just along the coast, the £1.3bn transformation of Granton Waterfront into Europe’s first net-zero coastal town, complete with 3,500 new, sustainable homes, will rely heavily on tram, while the prospect of taking the line south past the Cameron Toll to the Royal Infirmary, Sick Kids and beyond will be truly transformational for that part of the city.
I’m eagerly anticipating the completion of the Granton Gasholder refurbishment by spring 2025, which alongside the improvements to the public spaces surrounding it, will be a great resource for the local community and a beacon of hope for a bright future for North Edinburgh.
Like many in the city who spend their very first hours and days in the old Royal Infirmary, I’m also really looking forward to seeing inside the Edinburgh Futures Institute when it opens later this year – the latest product of the £1.3bn City Region Deal. And then there’s the Usher Institute at the Bio Quarter, ensuring we stay at the forefront of Life Sciences innovation in the UK and internationally.
Elsewhere, work is also beginning on designs for hundreds of new homes at the site of the old Liberton Hospital and good progress is being made on new housing at the old Sick Kids site. Having declared a Housing Emergency at the end of last year, we’re continuing to create as much new affordable housing as we can afford, from Pennywell to Greendykes and Wester Hailes, and buying homes that are already built at scale while turning empty homes around to help increase our housing supply.
Getting the basics right for our communities
As our city continues to grow, we must provide the right infrastructure and amenities in our local communities, and our 20-minute Neighbourhood Strategy will help us develop places where everyone can meet most of their daily needs within a short walk or wheel from their home. We’re approaching the next stages of exciting town centre improvement programmes in Dalry, Portobello and Craigmillar and are due to consult on our proposals in the spring.
This extends of course to the ‘everyday’, but no less important, services we provide, such as fixing roads, keeping streets clean and collecting waste. And the evidence tells us that these services are improving thanks to the additional investment we’ve put into them.
For instance, we’ve doubled the amount of money we put towards roads and pavement projects and, having delivered approximately 420,000m2 of carriageway improvements and 170,000m2 of footway improvements in 2023/24 – the highest ever delivered in one financial year in Edinburgh – our Road Condition Index (RCI) has improved yet again over the period 2022/24, having also improved in the two years before that. The investment is clearly paying off.
Likewise, we’ve seen year on year improvements in our street cleanliness scores. This is thanks to investing £3m towards keeping the city in a good condition, including £750,000 to give the city a deeper clean, tackling problem areas like fly-tipping and graffiti. Added to that the similar £3m boost we’ve given to our beautiful parks and open spaces, recognising their importance to everyone’s wellbeing, we’ve helped to keep Edinburgh’s 38 Green Flags flying – which is more than anywhere else in Scotland.
Tackling inequality and giving our young people the best start in life
Turning now to another key priority: tackling poverty. Over the past year we’ve doubled our homelessness budget, helped over 4,000 people into work or learning, and, through our advice partnerships, helped put more than £20 million directly into the pockets of residents who need it most. We’ve also begun to narrow the poverty related attainment gap in our schools and recorded the best performance we have ever seen on the proportion of leavers moving on to positive post school destinations.
Despite all this hard work, I remain deeply concerned that one in five children in this city still grow up in poverty. The cost of living crisis means that the wealth divide continues to widen and it will take urgent and consistent action from us and from both governments to meet this challenge. This year, we’re committed to carrying on our work with partners to deliver our End Poverty in Edinburgh plan, help people keep their family’s heads above water and ensure the very best future for Edinburgh’s children and young people.
We also have big plans for new schools and early years centres taking shape. The new Maybury Primary School will open its doors in October with new early years centres opening this year in Kirkliston and Ratho. Development is progressing at a pace on the replacement Currie High School and construction work on new schools and teaching blocks at Liberton, Wester Hailes and Trinity Academy has started in earnest.
Alongside delivering the best start to our young people in school, we also have a huge responsibility as corporate parents. All children deserve to have a safe place to live, where they feel loved and supported and, following recent inspections, I’m encouraged by the progress we’re making in our children’s and residential services.
We also have the responsibility of supporting our older residents in care homes and in receipt of at home care and everyone in between. We need to prioritise health and social care services across the city, ensuring faster and more effective early intervention – and, following a challenging period for the service, I’m heartened by the steps being taken under the new management team.
Fighting for fairer funding for our Capital City
To finish, then, 2024 promises to be yet another exciting and rewarding year for the Council and for the city; a year full of opportunities – but also of challenges.
For our part, we’ll continue to focus on our key priorities for Edinburgh: to face into the climate emergency, tackle poverty once and for all and to consistently deliver high quality services for our residents and businesses. With Chief Executive, Andrew Kerr, leaving us in June to enjoy his well-earned retirement, I look forward to working closely with his successor (once appointed) to build upon the progress we’ve made so far.
What’s clear, however, is that we can’t do this alone. As a Council, we can shape and influence change through our policies and plans, but this needs to be a team effort, a pulling together of resources and plans across the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Where we’re lacking commitment, unfortunately, is from the Scottish Government who, rather than backing our plans, are systematically stripping away their support. You need look no further than December’s budget announcement, where, once again Edinburgh remains the lowest funded local authority in Scotland.
We will, of course, continue to develop sustainable financial plans for the future, but It’s imperative that we find a better way to work together more collaboratively, and my first big task this year will be to fight for fairer funding for our Capital City.
Three-minute bouts of yoga have been found to significantly lower blood glucose levels and reduce the risk of diabetes, a study from Glasgow Caledonian University has revealed.
The research carried out by a team of physiotherapists, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde team member, Alex Colvin, investigated the effects of breaking up sedentary behaviour with short bouts of yoga and tai-chi on glycaemic control, concentration, and wellbeing in healthy individuals.
The study, which involved 15 adults aged 26-28, found that the effects of short bouts of yoga to break up the working day significantly lowers glucose levels to reduce the risk of diabetes without compromising concentration or wellbeing.
However, tai-chi did not provide the same significant effect on glucose levels but allowed better maintenance of concentration and wellbeing. The research concluded that these interventions provide effective ways to combat the harmful effects of prolonged sitting while maintaining concentration and wellbeing.
Alex, also lead author of the study, said:“Through this research, I want to make people aware that you can break up your sedentary time with things that are good for your mental and physical wellbeing, and to reduce the risk of diabetes.
“There has been a lot of research into the benefits of yoga and tai-chi, which show favourable effects, but this is the first research that I am aware of that investigates the use of shorter three-minute bouts to break up a working day and shows results that this can help to reduce the risk of diabetes.
“This is also good news for employers who dislike the use of physical activity to break up sedentary time because they have this misplaced perception that it will negatively impact on production, as we have found it’s quite the opposite. We measured concentration and wellbeing throughout the study. Although there wasn’t a change with yoga and tai-chi, at least it didn’t get any worse, which disproves that doing these types of things is bad for worker productivity.”
Alex graduated with a Masters in Physiotherapy in 2020 from Glasgow Caledonian and became an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde specialist physiotherapist. He began the research during his studies with fellow students Lynne Murray and Jillian Noble, under the supervision of Professor Sebastien Chastin, but results were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alex explained more about the methods used in the two-year study: “We took finger-prick glucose readings every half an hour throughout a seven-hour working day and standardised the participants’ diet as much as we could, along with that we broke up the sedentary time and the groups with either three minutes of yoga or tai-chi, or just sitting for the whole time and measuring their glucose.
“Although the study involved a small number of 15 mostly healthy adults aged between 26-28, it doesn’t change the fact that the glucose levels were still lowered. By using this group it might even be more beneficial to people who are prediabetic and the results might even be more significant.”
Professor of Health Behaviour Dynamics Sebastien Chastin, from the University’s School of Health and Life Sciences’ Research Centre for Health (ReaCH), highlighted the benefits of this research study.
He said: “Clearly we all spend far too much time sitting in the office or working from home. This shows that short bouts of yoga that can be done anytime during the day and it has the impact we expected that it can be turned into one of the interventions or reduce the risk of diabetes.
“What’s also really important about this research is that it demonstrates that it doesn’t reduce the productivity of workers. That’s always the worry of the bosses. Allowing them to have that time shows that it actually doesn’t reduce productivity at all, if anything it probably increases productivity so there’s not just a health incentive for the workers to do it but also for the employers to support that and implement it.”
As weather forecasters say we could be in for a week of thunderstorms, motorists are being warned to check their insurance policies before venturing out into the elements.
Storm Isha is due to hit the UK with strong winds and heavy rain, with gusts of up to 80mph in some areas.
Quotezone.co.uk, a leading car insurance comparison website, says any damage to cars caused by driving through flash floods might not be covered by insurance policies.
It warns motorists to carefully check their policy exclusions, and even if routes are partially blocked, drivers should think twice before using waterlogged roads.
If drivers find themselves stuck in the car during a thunderstorm, official advice from the Met Office is to wind up the window and stay inside the vehicle – the metal frame of the car should act as a conductive Faraday cage, passing the current around the passengers and into the ground, should it be struck by lightning.
If motorists have an open or soft top vehicle, they are best to avoid driving if they know thunderstorms are coming.
Greg Wilson, Founder of Quotezone.co.uk, comments: “Motorists who have taken out third party only or third-party, fire and theft insurance wouldn’t be covered for any storm damage to their vehicles – only fully-comprehensive policyholders are likely to be protected in those cases.
“If a storm is predicted look at official flood warnings, avoid roads that are likely to flood and allow more time for your journey, note you may have to pull over and wait it out if the downpour starts to affect your visibility – not forgetting to put on the hazard lights.
“Unfortunately, if motorists do decide to drive through waterlogged roads, there’s a very real risk that they won’t be covered for any resulting water damage to the car – even fully-comprehensive drivers.”
Greg also warns motorists that have to go out, to make sure their cars are roadworthy before setting off, which includes checking tyre tread and windscreen wipers.
David Martin, former Labour Member of the European Parliament becomes President of the European Movement in Scotland
David Martin, who was the longest serving British Member of the European Parliament until Brexit, has become President of the European Movement in Scotland (EMiS). Mr Martin, who was also the youngest MEP to lead the Labour group in Europe, became EMiS President at the start of 2024.
Mr Martin said: “The European Movement in Scotland has kept the light on for Scotland’s place in Europe.
“It brings great energy, knowledge and enthusiasm to its campaigning. I am proud to succeed to the presidency of such a dynamic organisation.”
EMiS Chair, David Clarke, said: ““We are delighted that David Martin has become our President. He is a great European and a great Scot.
“He has the deepest understanding of the politics of Scotland, the UK and the EU. He also brings a passion for peace, prosperity and democracy, values that are at the core of the European ideal. We are proud to have secured the commitment of such a distinguished political leader.”
David Martin is a former Scottish European Parliamentarian of the Year and a former European Parliament Trade MEP of the Year. During his time as an MEP, he led on trade and development, human rights, constitutional affairs and democracy. He authored over one hundred reports for the Parliament and served for 15 years as its Vice-President, leading reforms of its working methods.
David Martin was a Member of the First Minister of Scotland’s Standing Council on Europe. He was a visiting Professor at the University of Glasgow (2019-2022) and Senior Fellow at RSIS in Singapore, one of Asia’s leading centres of International Studies. He was educated at Heriot Watt University and the University of Leicester. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of the Punjab, in recognition of his work to strengthen relations between the EU and Pakistan.
David Martin becomes EMiS President in succession to the SNP’s Michael Russell, who has taken up a public appointment.
Megahertz and FERAL are calling all bedroom Breakdancers, Flamenco fanatics and Samba superstars to take part in STRUT: Greater Craigmillar for two local live performances on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March 2024.
In collaboration with acclaimed visual theatre and scenography company Megahertz and Lyra, who make world-class performances and creative projects for, by and with children and teenagers, STRUT comes to Edinburgh for the very first time, reclaiming the streets of Craigmillar and filling them with joyful movement.
We’re looking for five local dancers to perform their own 2 minute routine along the streets of Craigmillar as part of a night time performance parade over two evenings in late March.
Applicants can live or have grown up in Greater Craigmillar, work there or have family or friends in the area.
Thispaid opportunity is open to all, whether you’re a pro performer or your first time in front of an audience.Any and all dance styles are encouraged.
STRUT has previously taken place across Glasgow, Paisley and Aberdeen, with upcoming performances set for Cumbernauld, Dumbarton, Inverclyde and Dumfries and Galloway.
Past STRUTs have included a delightful mix of Bhangra, Salsa, Romani, Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, Northern Soul and Contemporary dance with many other dance styles yet to be explored.
STRUT performances are rooted in the community with familiar faces taking to the streets to celebrate dance in the local area.
Dramatic lighting, catchy beats and stunning projections enveloping everyday buildings form the perfect backdrop for the neighbourhood to watch the STRUT procession. Snug behind windows or gathered on the pavement, it’s the ultimate ‘Are ya dancing? Are ya askin’?’.
Bex Anson and Dav Bernard, founders of Megahertz said:“We are so excited to meet Greater Craigmillar’s freshest dance stars and celebrate them and their communities. We’ve been wanting to bring STRUT to the area for some time and can’t wait to see these streets alive with dance.”
Successful applicants will receive £750 for their involvement and must be able to commit to a 2 hour rehearsal (on either Sun 10th or Sat 16th March), a full day group rehearsal on Sun 17th March 2024 and 2 show days on Wed 20th and Thurs 21st March 2024.
STRUT: Greater Craigmillar is delivered in association with Lyra and Feral and is funded by Creative Scotland’s Touring Fund for Theatre & Dance.
FERAL and Megahertz also present RUINS, a highly visual dance show exploring togetherness across species, at Cumbernauld Theatre at Lanternhouse on 2 February, 7.30pm, and at The Studio, Festival Theatre Edinburgh as part of Manipulate Festival on 11 February, 6pm.
A Lothian MSP has asked for constituents to be ‘vigilant’ as reports of insulation scams increase over the winter period.
The calls from Miles Briggs MSP come as reports of home insulation scams are on the rise in Scotland as people try to cut their energy costs, with criminals attempting to exploit this.
The scams are leaving victims out of pocket to the tune of thousands of pounds, with many having to fork out additional money to remove fake insulation such as ‘spray foam insulation’ from lofts and other areas of their properties.
Many victims are lured in by dishonest ‘workers’ who inform them that they are liable to receive benefits and funding from the government while demanding that they pay upfront for the insulation.
As of mid-December 2023, 158 complaints had been received from Scottish consumers regarding insulation scams, a rise of 42 per cent on 2022’s total of 111.
Figures from Trading Standards Scotland suggest that a total of £500,000 has been lost to insulation scams in 2023 from Scottish homeowners, with an average cost of between £4,000 and £8,000 per consumer.
Older people are often the most vulnerable to these scams, particularly when contacted by cold-callers.
Scottish Conservative & Unionist MSP Miles Briggs said: “It is really important that people remain vigilant at this time and look for signs of scammers.
“Unfortunately, many of those involved are highly skilled at deception and can appear incredibly convincing in what they are saying.
“These scams are happening not just in my region of Lothian, but all across Scotland, and are far more present in the cold winter months as consumers seek to limit their energy usage.
“It is important consumers undertake independent research and refrain from engaging with cold callers who offer ‘free’ services.
“It is despicable that bad faith actors are exploiting the concerns of people during a cost-of-living crisis, and absolutely essential that consumers do whatever they can to protect themselves from these criminals.”
You might be surprised by someone from Alcohol Change UK advocating this, but we’re more than half-way through Dry January® – so maybe it’s time to head to the pub!
Giving up alcohol shouldn’t mean giving up socialising. Pubs are increasingly supportive of Dry January®, and for good reason. Our research shows that 44% of those going alcohol-free this month are more likely to visit a bar or pub if it serves a good selection of alcohol-free beers, wines or spirits.
So how about seeing what’s behind the bar at your local? You might find a range of good options already on offer – there’s been a huge increase in the quality and availability of alcohol-free products over recent years. And they can help us cut down the amount of alcohol we drink, while making nights out more inclusive.
But they’re still not universally easy to find. You can help change that. In fact, many of our supporters have told us that speaking to the landlord of their local has resulted in better alcohol-free options being stocked year-round.
Of course, some of us doing Dry January® will feel less comfortable in a pub because it might trigger cravings. Alcohol-free alternative drinks are not right for everyone, and that’s fine. But if you’d like to see improved options behind the bar, why not pop into your favourite pub and start a conversation with the staff? Your encouragement might just help make your local even better!
