Month: January 2024

£1000 National Insurance cut boosts Britain’s paychecks

  • Millions of UK workers see boost in take home pay today as cut to National Insurance shows in January’s payslip as part of plan to reward work and boost growth
  • Progress made on economy means government is able to cut taxes for hard working people
  • Saving worth £450 for an average worker earning £35,400 a year

Millions of workers are going to start seeing a boost to their take home pay today as January’s pay comes into bank accounts across the UK.

With millions of monthly earners getting paid today [Wednesday 31 January 2024], a household with two average earners will be starting to see a nearly £1,000 a year benefit from the Chancellor’s record personal tax cut.

Thanks to the progress made against its economic priorities, the government announced it will cut National Insurance by 2p from 12% to 10% at the Autumn Statement and made sure it took effect within weeks of the announcement, as part of its plan to reward work and grow the economy. The change is a more than 15% reduction in National Insurance, saving £450 this year for the average salaried worker on £35,400.

Millions of people working different jobs across hundreds of industries will now be better off. To a pub landlord that’s £418 a year, a bus driver £328, a nurse £527. A teacher will pay £635 less in National Insurance contributions this year.

Today’s historic NICs cut takes effect with the government having faced the legacy of Covid-19, and global instability with war in Ukraine and the Middle East.

In the past year, inflation has halved; the economy has recovered more quickly from the pandemic than first thought; and debt is on track to fall. The government is sticking to the plan and is building a stronger economy where hard work is rewarded and ambition and aspiration are celebrated.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “I never shied away from making the tough decisions needed yesterday to cut taxes today.

“This January pay boost for hard-working Brits is part of our plan to grow the economy and build a brighter future where hard work is always rewarded, relieving pressure on UK workers by putting around £450 back in their pockets.”

The cut means that for those on average salaries, personal taxes would be lower in the UK for single parents with no children than every other G7 country, based on the most recent OECD data. The UK also has the most generous starting allowances for income tax and social security contributions in the G7.

To mark the tax cut, earlier this month HMRC launched an online tool to help people understand how much they could save in National Insurance this year. 

The tool uses salary information to give employees personalised estimates of how much they could save because of the government’s changes, and is hosted on the government’s cost of living support website on gov.uk.

The last major cut to the current personal tax system of today’s magnitude was when the National Insurance personal allowance increased from £9,880 to £12,570. This was the largest ever cut to a personal tax starting threshold, allowing working people to hold on to an extra £2,690 free from tax whilst last year taking around 2.2 million people out of paying tax altogether.

The cut to National Insurance combined with above-inflation increases to tax thresholds since 2010 means that the average earner will pay over £1,000 less in personal taxes than they otherwise would have done.

The independent OBR says that, by 2028-29 this tax cut will increase the number of people in employment by 28,000 alongside a substantial economic benefit from those in work increasing their hours which the OBR forecast will be equivalent to 79,000 on a full-time equivalent basis. Overall, the OBR says that by 2028-29 this measure will increase the number of hours worked by new and existing employees by 0.3%, or 94,000 in full-time equivalent terms.

At the Autumn Statement the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the biggest package of tax cuts to be implemented since the 1980s. In addition to today’s action, he announced a National Insurance cut for 2 million self-employed people, which will take effect on 6 April 2024 and is worth £350 for the average self-employed person on £28,200.

He also made full expensing permanent, which at £11 billion per year is the biggest business tax cut in modern British history helping businesses invest for less. Over 200 business leaders told the government that it would have the single most transformational impact on business investment and growth.

The OBR says these two measures will increase the number of people in work and grow the economy.

He also announced the biggest ever increase to the National Living Wage, froze alcohol duty for six months and extended cuts to business rates relief for the high street.

New law to protect vulnerable people

Making the internet safer for all

A new offence which makes it a crime to encourage or assist another person to self-harm comes into effect in Scotland today (31 January).

The offence can be committed online, in correspondence or publications, or in-person and applies regardless of whether an individual goes on to injure themselves or not. Anyone found guilty of this crime can face up to five years in prison.

It is hoped it will act as a deterrent to anyone who sets out to deliberately encourage others to self-harm and will create a safer online environment, particularly for people who may be in distress and looking for help on the internet.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “We welcome this new offence which criminalises people who encourage or assist another person to serious self-harm. It will help to make the internet a safer place for everyone.

“We believe this new law aligns with our ambitious approach on self-harm, which is laid out in our dedicated Self-harm Strategy and Action Plan. It demonstrates our ambition to improve support for people who self-harm – a critical part of which is ensuring people are protected from harmful communications.”

Samaritans Scotland Executive Director Neil Mathers said: “Samaritans Scotland welcomes new legislation to take action against those who encourage or assist another person to engage in serious self-harm.

“It is hugely important to keep people safe online and protected from dangerous content and those wishing to cause harm.

“This legislation should only apply to those who encourage self-harm in a deliberate and malicious way, and aims to deter them from targeting vulnerable people.

“The internet can provide advice, helpful information and supportive networks for people seeking help about self-harm. It is crucially important that people can access this support, while being kept safe from dangerous content and those wishing to cause harm.”

The offence under the Online Safety Act (2023) was extended to Scotland through a Legislative Consent Motion agreed in the Scottish Parliament on 29 June 2023.

The Self-harm Strategy and Action Plan was published jointly with COSLA on 28 November 2023.

City Council: ‘Bold plans’ proposed for Edinburgh’s future streets

An approach to the future design of Edinburgh’s streets to create a more connected, welcoming environment has been published for consideration by councillors this week.

Our Future Streets – a circulation plan for Edinburgh, will be debated at Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday (1 February).

It sets out an approach to how space is allocated on the city’s streets, focusing on neighbourhoods, key transport corridors and the city centre. This will help to deliver the aims and objectives of the City Mobility Plan (CMP), which envisions sustainable, safe and effective movement of people and goods around Edinburgh.

As part of Our Future Streets, the Street Allocation Framework (SAF) presents a series of principles for delivering these aims and would form the starting point for the design of all future street projects.

Defined principles and a set of indicative maps will help to achieve a better balance for demands on space in any prospective projects, prioritising better walking, wheeling, cycling, public transport and places for everyone.

The process also considers how to deliver a clear and coherent network for general traffic. The Framework would be incorporated into the development of schemes, alongside stakeholder engagement, public consultation and design appraisal.

Under this place-based approach, the report also recommends taking Edinburgh City Centre Transformation (ECCT) further to reduce vehicle dominance, improving conditions for pedestrians and placemaking while contributing to the city’s ambition to reduce car kms travelled by 30% by 2030.

Four options for achieving this have been considered. The favoured option reflects existing ECCT plans with two key additions: removal of through-traffic from the North and South Bridges corridor – complementing the Granton to BioQuarter tram proposals – and removing through-traffic from the Cowgate and Canongate.

To help explore the changes an experimental closure of the Cowgate to some or all through-traffic is proposed for late 2024. The findings of this trial would help shape plans for further work towards implementing changes to reduce through-traffic across the city centre.

All future proposals will be informed by an emerging Operations Plan, which will make sure accessibility is at the heart of development work. The plan will ensure any servicing and loading changes support businesses and that local access to the city centre by car is maintained.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re lucky to live in a beautiful, historic city, and Edinburgh’s rapidly increasing population is testament to that. But as our city continues to grow, so too do the challenges posed by congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions.

“We need to be bold and move faster if we are to support the people who live, work and visit here to move around the Capital sustainably and safely, while protecting Edinburgh’s unique heritage. By making it easier to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport we can create better, healthier transport links, supporting net zero 2030 goals and helping to drive down car kms travelled.

“I know that many people in Edinburgh can’t afford a car or are not able to drive – making it easier for these residents to move around Edinburgh is at the heart of these plans.

“We’ve learnt lessons form progressive cities around the world who are adopting strategic approaches to redesigning their streets and networks. Reallocating space, where possible, will support transport options designed for everyone, as well as delivering the most attractive and competitive environments for businesses to operate in.

“The busy city centre presents a real challenge, and we know the public want to see change too – responses to market research undertaken during the Council’s ‘Actions to Deliver Edinburgh’s City Mobility Plan’ consultation in 2023 showed 64% support for investigating more restrictions to through-traffic here.

“Our proposals for the city centre build on Edinburgh City Centre Transformation to further reduce traffic whilst improving public transport, with short term trial measures to help test the impacts on the wider city.

“The council has been talking about these types of changes since before I moved here in 1996. It is now listening to residents and busnesses and will be bolder, think bigger and act faster.”

Our Future Streets includes an appraisal of all main traffic corridors in the city for future investment, and the A8 has been identified as a priority. If approved, a package of measures will be developed, including improvements to junctions, bus priority, safer measures for walking, wheeling and cycling, and town centre improvements for St John’s Road.

The report also recommends a strategic approach to improvements in neighbourhoods through a programme of ‘Liveable Neighbourhood’ initiatives to deliver good quality, sustainable access to local services and facilities, with a focus on low cost improvements to pavements, such as dropped kerbs.

Our Future Streets’ outputs have been refined following a period of public consultation, alongside consultation on draft CMP action plans, the results of which were reported to Transport and Environment Committee in October 2023.

Our Future Streets – a circulation plan for Edinburgh, is being presented to Committee as part of a package of reports looking to the future of transport in Edinburgh.

This includes: Tram from Granton to BioQuarter and Beyond: Consultation for Strategic Business Case Development; West Edinburgh Transport Improvements Programme, which explores a series of improvements to the A8 corridor as a priority; and the first review of the City Mobility Plan.

Read the full report online and watch Transport and Environment Committee live via webcast.

Police CCTV appeal following assault and robbery at Inchmickery Court 

POLICE have released images of two men who may be able to assist with enquiries into an assault and robbery which occurred around 9.30pm on Saturday, 20 January, at the Inchmickery Court area in Muirhouse.

Both men are thought to be Eastern European.

The first man is described as white and 20- 30 years of age. He was wearing a black and red jacket, black trousers and a white baseball cap. The second man is described as white and 30-40 years of age. He was wearing a black jacket, jeans and black shoes.

Detective Constable William Doughty said: “I urge the men or anyone who may recognise them to contact us.

“If you have any information about this incident, please contact us through 101 quoting incident number 1095 of 21 January 2024. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.”

Urgent action required to tackle ‘endemic’ misogyny faced by women in the music industry, committee warns

Women pursuing careers in music face “endemic” misogyny and discrimination in a sector dominated by self-employment and gendered power imbalances, Westminster’s Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has warned.

WEC’s ‘Misogyny in Music’ report laid bare a “boys’ club” where sexual harassment and abuse is common, and the non-reporting of such incidents is high. Victims who do speak out struggle to be believed or may find their career ends as a consequence.

Despite increases in representation, women encounter limitations in opportunity, a lack of support and persistent unequal pay; these issues are intensified for women facing intersectional barriers, particularly racial discrimination, the report found.

Female artists are routinely undervalued and undermined, endure a focus on their physical appearance in a way that men are not subjected to, and have to work far harder to get the recognition their ability merits.

Making a series of strong and wide-ranging recommendations, the cross-party committee of MPs called on ministers to take legislative steps to amend the Equality Act to ensure freelance workers have the same protections from discrimination as employees and bring into force section 14 to improve protections for people facing intersectional inequality.

It also recommended the Government should legislate to impose a duty on employers to protect workers from sexual harassment by third parties, a proposal the Government initially supported and then rejected last year.

Both the music industry and Government, WEC said, should increase investment in diverse talent and make more funding available to the schemes that support it. Pathways to careers for women working in the sector must improve it added, particularly in male-dominated areas such as Artists and Repertoire (A&R), sound engineering and production.

Record labels should commit to regular publication of statistics on the diversity of their creative rosters, with all organisations of more than 100 employees required to publish data on the diversity of their workforce and gender and ethnicity pay gaps.

On non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), the report cited distressing testimonies of victims “threatened into silence”, with WEC urging ministers to prohibit the use of non-disclosure and other forms of confidentiality agreements in cases involving sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment, and discrimination relating to a protected characteristic.

The Government, WEC recommended, should consider a retrospective moratorium on NDAs for those who have signed them relating to the issues outlined.

The report also called for strengthened requirements for industry areas where harassment and abuse are known to take place. It recommended that studios, music venues and the security staff that attend them should be subject to licensing requirements focused on tackling sexual harassment and that managers of artists should also be licensed.

WEC supported the Office for Students’ proposed new condition of registration and potential sanction for educational settings aimed at improving protections for students and urged the OfS to “implement its proposals swiftly and to enforce them robustly”.

The establishment of a single, recognisable body, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) WEC’s report concluded will help to shine a light on unacceptable behaviour in the music industry and may reduce the risk of further harm.

But the committee cautioned it is “not a panacea for all of the problems in the industry” and “time will tell whether it has the powers required to drive the changes needed”.

Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP said: “Women’s creative and career potential should not have limits placed upon it by ‘endemic’ misogyny which has persisted for far too long within the music industry.

“Our report rightly focuses on improving protections and reporting mechanisms, and on necessary structural and legislative reforms.

“However, a shift in the behaviour of men—and it is almost always men – at the heart of the music industry is the transformative change needed for talented women to quite literally have their voices heard and be both recognised and rewarded on equal terms.”

Man arrested and charged in connection with Edinburgh bus attack

A 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged following an investigation into an assault on board a bus at Inverleith Gardens, Edinburgh.

The incident took place around 4.20pm on Saturday, 9 December, 2023.

The man has been released on an undertaking and is expected to appear at court at a later date.

Constable Rachael McIntyre said: “I would like to thank the public for their assistance with our enquiries into this incident.”

Police issue CCTV appeal following assault on board bus at Inverleith

Police Scotland have released images of a man they wish to speak to who may be able to assist with enquiries into an assault which took place on board a number 9 bus on Saturday, 9 December, 2023.

The incident on the took place whilst the bus was at Inverleith Gardens at around 4:20pm.

The man is described as white, slim build, brown hair and facial hair and aged between 25 to 30 years old. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a purple tie.

Constable Rachael McIntyre said: “We are keen to speak to this man, who may be able to assist us with our enquiries. I would encourage him or anyone who may recognise him to contact us as soon as possible”.

Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2431 of 9 December, 2023.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.

Her Majesty The Queen and top authors create miniature library to celebrate Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House centenary

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, the largest and most famous Dolls’ House in the world, which has been on display for visitors to Windsor Castle since its creation.

The Dolls’ House was built between 1921 and 1924 as a gift from the nation to Queen Mary following the First World War.

It is a perfect 1:12 scale replica of an Edwardian-style residence – complete with electricity, working lifts and running water – and is filled with contributions from over 1,500 of the finest artists, craftspeople, and manufacturers of the day.

One of the great treasures of the Dolls’ House is its Library, which captured the literary culture of the 1920s through miniature books handwritten by the era’s foremost writers, from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Vita Sackville-West to A. A. Milne and Thomas Hardy.

Now, in an anniversary initiative championed by Her Majesty The Queen, 20 tiny manuscripts have been penned and decorated by hand by leading writers and illustrators, to establish a Modern-Day Miniature Library, once again providing a snapshot of contemporary literature in Britain.

The new manuscripts range from short stories, poetry collections and illustrated tales to plays, articles and recipes, many inspired by the Dolls’ House or written specially for the occasion.

Each manuscript, measuring just 4.5cm high, has been hand-bound with a unique cover by a leading designer-bookbinder. Each miniature cover is a work of art, with each binder taking inspiration from the contents of their book to create designs that range from gilded and traditional to whimsical and strikingly modern.

The new books, which will become part of the Royal Collection, are now on display for visitors to Windsor Castle and can be seen throughout 2024.

Her Majesty The Queen has contributed her own miniature book to the collection: a handwritten introduction to the Modern-Day Miniature Library project. Bound in the Royal Bindery at Windsor Castle, the book features a gold-tooled miniature version of Her Majesty’s cypher, measuring just 7mm tall.

It was created using a specially made cypher tool, which was modelled on the tool used to apply Queen Mary’s 7mm-tall cypher to the original Dolls’ House Library books in the 1920s.

Today (Tuesday, 30 January), Her Majesty The Queen will host a reception at Windsor Castle to thank the authors, illustrators and binders who have contributed their work to the project. Her Majesty will view the new miniature books and will be shown her own hand-bound contribution for the first time, which will then be added to the display for visitors.

The contributors to the Modern-Day Miniature Library are:

  • Her Majesty The Queen, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House: foreword, bound by Glenn Bartley, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
  • Simon Armitage, There was a steep grass bank then a field, bound by Matthew Stockl, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
  • Alan Bennett, The Mantelpiece, bound by Andreas Maroulis, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
  • Malorie Blackman, A Message to Jessica, bound by Bayntun-Riviere. Illustrations by Elizabeth Mira Morrison.
  • Lucy Caldwell, Intimacies, bound by Gillian Stewart, Juju Books. Illustrations by Orla Routh (age 5 ¾).
  • Joseph Coelho, An Abecedarius of the Very Teeny: and other poems, bound by Matthew Stockl, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
  • Imtiaz Dharker, The Welcome, bound by Flora Ginn.
  • Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo, bound by Glenn Bartley, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
  • Bernardine Evaristo, The African Origins of the United Kingdom, bound by Sue Doggett.
  • Sebastian Faulks, Music for a Dolls’ House, 1924–2024, bound by Shepherds, Sangorski & Sutcliffe.
  • Philippa Gregory, Richard my Richard: a play, bound by Stuart Brockman, Brockman Bookbinders.
  • Robert Hardman, The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, 6.V.2023, bound by Ted Bennett. Illustrations by Phoebe Hardman (age 14).
  • Anthony Horowitz, A Tiny Ghost Story, bound by Angela James.
  • Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, bound by Hannah Brown.
  • Sir Ben Okri, Poems, bound by Rachel Ward-Sale, Bookbinders of Lewes.
  • Tom Parker Bowles, A Recipe Fit for a Queen, bound by Andreas Maroulis, Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle.
  • Elif Shafak, Aisha woke up from troubled dreams, bound by Haein Song.
  • Sir Tom Stoppard, Kolya’s Glove, bound by Lester Capon.
  • Sarah Waters, Underhand House: part one, bound by Christopher Shaw.
  • A. N. Wilson, The Residents: a poem, bound by Peter Jones.
  • Dame Jacqueline Wilson, The House Mouse / translated from Mouse Squeaks, bound by Eri Funazaki.

As well as the display of miniature books, visitors to Windsor Castle this year can see a special centenary display of items usually contained within the Dolls’ House.

Staged in the magnificent Waterloo Chamber, this display allows visitors to get even closer to the House’s tiny treasures, which range from a fully strung miniature grand piano and Crown Jewels inset with real diamonds to a miniscule vacuum cleaner and sewing machine.

The room at Windsor Castle that was created to house the Dolls’ House almost 100 years ago has been restored to mark the anniversary, and the Dolls’ House itself has been re-lit to simulate daylight rather than moonlight. On Royal Collection Trust’s website, new ‘dolls’-eye view’ films are giving viewers around the world the chance to discover the House’s miniature marvels in closer detail than ever before.

Her Majesty The Queen opens her miniature introduction by expressing her admiration for the Dolls’ House Library: ‘For me, it is the library that is the most breath-taking space in the house’.

“These new books highlight the incredible richness of twenty-first century Literary talent – and demonstrate how fortunate we are to have access to so many outstanding writers, whose work brings joy, comfort, laughter, companionship and hope to us all, opening our eyes to others’ experiences and reminding us that we are not alone.”

Stella Panayotova, Royal Librarian and Assistant Keeper of The Royal Archives, said: ‘These tiny books are big in imagination and talent, in feelings and insights.

“Exquisite books rekindle the joy of careful reading, close looking, quiet thinking. We are truly grateful to the authors, illustrators and designer-binders for awakening the century-old magic of the Dolls’ House. It is exciting to share their small books with large audiences, delighting and inspiring visitors of all ages.’

Julia Donaldson said: ‘It was an honour to be asked to write a miniature book for the new collection. I did think of doing something entirely new but then felt it would be iconic to have a tiny version of The Gruffalo, especially since it seemed a good way of celebrating his 25th birthday (the book was published in 1999).

“It was quite tricky working out the new pagination and making my handwriting as small as could be, but Axel had a greater labour of love creating all those extra pictures. I can’t wait to see the final product.’

Axel Scheffler said: ‘I felt very honoured to be asked to contribute a miniature book to the Dolls’ House library, and of course, it had to be The Gruffalo!

“It was a little bit of a challenge to re-illustrate the whole story on approximately 90 tiny pages rather than 30 regular-sized pages. But, as I like to draw small pictures, it put me to a test, but suited me well.’

Sebastian Faulks said: ‘The size made it a real challenge. But fun. I’m not a poet and there was no room for prose, so I wrote a kind of syllabic verse.

“My handwriting has not been under such pressure since infant school. I can only apologise for my illustrations. It was such an honour to have been invited to contribute.’

Dame Jacqueline Wilson said: ‘I was taken to see the Queen’s Dolls’ House when I was seven. I was completely enchanted and particularly loved the miniature books in the library.

“It was such a thrill to be invited to contribute one myself all these many years later.’

The new publication The Miniature Library of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House by Elizabeth Clark Ashby is available now, exploring the stories behind the creation of the original Dolls’ House Library.

The book includes a foreword by Her Majesty The Queen, as well as excerpts from selected works, some of which are reproduced for the first time. The book joins a new Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House souvenir range that is available in Royal Collection Trust’s shops.

Anniversary events and activities throughout the year will include a Dolls’ House-themed family trail for visitors to the Castle, as well as family activities during the Easter holidays.

An online evening event in April will see Royal Collection Trust curators revealing behind-the-scenes details and sharing how the House is conserved for future generations to enjoy.

Waterfront housing developments among Scottish projects to benefit from new cycle storage

More than 1,300 residents of new housing development on Granton’s waterfront expected to benefit from access to residential cycle storage

A major new mixed tenure housing development at Granton waterfront is set to benefit from dedicated, secure cycle storage, supporting more than 1,300 future residents to travel by bike more easily.

Secure cycle storage is to be provided at locations across the development, at Western Villages, Granton Gas Holder, Waterfront Avenue and Silverlea.

The City of Edinburgh Council project aims to help more people choose cycling as an affordable and sustainable way of travel for everyday journeys, and has been developed in partnership with the nation’s cycling charity, Cycling Scotland and supported by Transport Scotland grant funding.

Having nowhere safe or convenient to store a bike is a big barrier to cycling, with Cycling Scotland research showing that a third of Scottish households are likely to be living in accommodation without access to suitable cycle storage.

In total, supported projects are estimated to benefit 160,000 people by providing better access to secure cycle storage and parking where they live across Scotland: from new on-street cycle storage in Dundee, to storage for residents of high-rise properties in Aberdeen, through to bike parking at rural bus stops in Perth and Kinross.

Katharine Brough, Head of Grant Funding & Partnerships, at Cycling Scotland, said: “It’s been so positive to work in partnership with local authorities to increase access to essential, secure residential cycle storage across Scotland.

“Each of these projects will have a real impact in making cycling more accessible, helping more people to choose an affordable and sustainable way to travel for everyday journeys.

“As well as having storage at home, bike storage at key destinations where people work, shop and connect to public transport is vital in supporting more people to cycle, and helping tackle the climate emergency, health crisis and transport poverty.”

City of Edinburgh Council’s Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Scott Arthur, said: “The regeneration of Granton Waterfront will be transformative for that part of the city, opening up new sustainable homes, commercial opportunities and leisure and cultural offerings.

“It’s essential that we fully integrate sustainable, accessible travel into this. First class public transport links will be at the heart of this community, and this will be complemented with high quality active travel infrastructure.

“Providing secure cycle storage is essential for supporting people to consider cycling, and thanks to Cycling Scotland we’re going to be able to deliver hundreds of spaces throughout the area. This will connect residents and visitors to newly-upgraded cycle infrastructure connecting with the city centre and beyond.”

Case study: The impact of new on-street cycle storage in Dundee

Newly installed on-street cycle storage units in Dundee are helping make it easier for more people to travel by bike for everyday journeys across the city.

Blackness resident Nick Toner, making use of one of the 40 new on-street cycle storage units which have been installed across Dundee.

Nick Toner, a community development worker and resident of Blackness, Dundee, has found his new on-street bike storage space has made a big difference to how he travels around the city:

“Having the bike storage space has removed a mental and physical barrier for me. Just facing the idea of looking for somewhere safe to store my bike and lock it up, it was such a hassle. But now I come to work, and I have a parking spot nearby. It’s so much more convenient and it’s given me the freedom to use my bike to get around the city more often.”

Martim Mas, a resident of Stobswell, Dundee, cites his storage space as enabling him to combine cycling with public transport to travel to work: “I actually got my bike after I got my storage, because I had no space in my flat. I would’ve had to keep it inside and there was just no space.

“I use my bike now to cycle to the bus station, then to work at St Andrews. My bike is my main mode of transport across the city. Having this storage space is super convenient for me, and it’s good to know I can leave my bike there and it will be safe.

Donaldson Group announces charity partnership with British Heart Foundation

The UK’s leading independent timber and construction supplier, Donaldson Group, has announced a 12-month partnership with British Heart Foundation following a vote by colleagues across the entire business.

As part of Donaldson Group’s newly created Charity Committee, colleagues voted on a shortlist of six charities for the partnership. More than just fundraising for a worthy cause, the partnership with British Heart Foundation will also benefit colleagues with a programme of internal training, including CPR training, and registering defibrillators with ambulance services across England and Scotland.

Sites across Donaldson Group have a strong history of charitable support and fundraising activities this year will focus on two main events taking place in February for ‘Go Red for Heart Month’ and in September to mark World Heart Day.

British Heart Foundation supports people living with heart and circulatory diseases and funds lifesaving research across the UK. Partnerships with businesses like Donaldson Group fund that research, and importantly, raise awareness about disease prevention.

The funds raised by the Donaldson Group will help the BHF fund cutting-edge research that saves lives and keeps families together.

Mike Donaldson, Executive Chair of Donaldson Group, said: “We set up a Charity Committee last year to help us all focus our charitable giving and support causes that are important to Donaldson Group colleagues, families, and communities.

We are thrilled that British Heart Foundation was selected by colleagues as this year’s partner. Heart and circulatory diseases have touched many of us within the Group, and we hope that the training, awareness raising, and fundraising we will accomplish together will support many more happy outcomes for people and families across the country.”

Mark Murphy, 55, Chief Risk Officer at Donaldson Group, suffered a heart attack in May 2023 and now has a coronary stent fitted and takes statins to reduce the risks of further heart attacks.

Mark has made sure all Donaldson Group sites have defibrillators and he’ll also be taking part in CPR training sessions.

“If anything happens, we have more of a chance to save people,” says Mark. “Saving the life of someone is not just helping them, but also the rest of their family and I am delighted Donaldson Group will be supporting the British Heart Foundation in the months ahead.”

David McColgan, Head of British Heart Foundation Scotland, said: “Exciting partnerships like this one with Donaldson Group are vital to our research and our goals to save and improve lives.

“We are so proud that in the six decades we have been working to tackle heart and circulatory diseases, we have moved from an outcome where seven in 10 people died from a heart attack, to now seven in 10 people survive. We look forward to working with colleagues across the Donaldson Group to raise lifesaving funds.”

Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the 163-year-old Donaldson Group comprises a total of 16 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands, operating throughout the UK from 47 locations employing over 1600 people.

The businesses that make up the Group trade and operate independently, sharing best practice, innovation, purchasing synergies, and market analysis.