Month: February 2024

Lucky Edinburgh Dad wins £3m holiday villa thanks to old armchair

  • Lucky dad originally from Scotland wins £3 million holiday villa in Mallorca
  • His new home is a 4-bedroom Balearic island retreat offering stunning mountain views and a swimming pool
  • Scot who moved to England 30 years ago also scooped £250,000 in cash
  • Winning entry cost £75
  • Winner entered the draw after a chance encounter collecting an armchair 
  • Campaign raised £3,100,000 for Omaze’s charity partner Alzheimer’s Research UK 

A lucky dad has won the keys to a spectacular Spanish villa worth over £3 million – as well as £250,000 in cash – all thanks to a second-hand armchair. 

Graham Dunlop (52) has won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw – and is now the proud owner of a magnificent four-bedroom villa in Mallorca complete with swimming pool and stunning mountain views.

Graham entered the draw to support Alzheimer’s Research UK, after a chance encounter with a woman he was buying an old armchair from. When Graham arrived to collect the chair, the woman insisted that she wanted to give it to him for free, asking only that Graham make a small donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK in place of payment – as her late husband had dementia. 

Graham duly donated directly to the charity, but he decided to enter the Omaze prize draw as well after spotting it was supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK. The Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw, raised an incredible £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The property comes mortgage-free and with all legal fees covered. Graham has also been given a whopping £250,000 in cash – and can decide to either enjoy the holiday home with his family or sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire.

Graham, who bought his £3,000,000-winning entry for £75, has been married to his wife Amanda for 15 years and they have two children, an 18-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son. 

Graham, originally from Edinburgh having moved to England 30 years ago, has been working in IT for the past 25 years and Amanda is a part-time primary school teacher. The couple have lived in their current 4-bedroom house near Southampton since 2014. 

They have two dogs Maisy (12-year-old Labradoodle) and Hudson (3-year-old Colliepoo). Graham said they will have to rename Maisy “Omaisy” after scooping the Omaze Grand Prize.

When Omaze first contacted Graham to tell him he’d won a prize, he had forgotten he’d entered and revealed he didn’t expect to win such a big prize as he “never wins anything”.

He celebrated his huge win “the best way a British man can” by “popping the kettle on having a cup of tea”.

A spellbound Graham said: “The reason I entered the draw is quite random really, I’d been after an armchair for my home office for a while and one popped up on Gumtree. I went to pick it up but when we arrived the woman refused to take any money for it.

“Instead, she asked that we put something towards an Alzheimer’s charity, as her late husband had dementia. So I made a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK, then saw that they’d also partnered with Omaze, so I bought an entry to the Superdraw on top – I didn’t give it a second thought and had totally forgotten I’d even entered. 

“My wife didn’t like the look of my lucky chair at first, but of course she absolutely loves it now! You could say my £3 million prize cost me an armchair and a leg! I’ll bring the chair out here for sure, although it might look a bit odd next to the pool.”

He continued: “This villa is simply stunning, I love the design of the place and the views are spectacular, I just can’t believe it’s all ours – even if I jumped in the pool I don’t think it would sink in!

“We love Spain but never dreamed we’d ever own a place here – especially one like this! I might have to work on my Spanish a bit – although I can order a cerveza with no problems!

“I’ve got a large extended family that we’ve not seen for a while – I’m really looking forward to getting us all together out here.”

He added: “I’ve never won anything before – but this is worth waiting 52 years for! I’m not sure what we’re going to do long term yet – we’ll definitely be enjoying a few family holidays here – whatever we decide, this win is fantastic for our family’s future.”

Graham’s new home is a tranquil oasis located within walking distance from the town Selva and village Caimari in the popular travel destination of Mallorca and is just a short flight away from a host of UK airports.

The bespoke design of the beautiful holiday retreat celebrates traditional Spanish features such as stone walls and terracotta rooftops – whilst also encompassing a contemporary feel indoors – with bright and spacious open plan living areas. 

There is a large swimming pool with chill-out areas and loungers for when Graham feels like taking a siesta or sunbathing after a swim. The entire property offers wonderful spectacular views of the Spanish countryside and Serra de Tramuntana mountains.  

Inside, there is a state-of-the-art kitchen complete with island dining, a light filled conservatory with floor to ceiling glass doors offering views of the manicured gardens, and a luxurious living room with ornate fireplace – which also provides direct access to the landscaped courtyard and barbecue area with its own stone oven.

The top floor of the property has a stylish main bedroom suite complete with ensuite bathroom and dressing room – plus two additional guest bedrooms. The lower floor also provides another ensuite bedroom with a roll top bath.

To the East of the property there is a sizeable terrace with thatched roof pergola overlooking the mountains. It’s furnished with a sumptuous sofa with coffee table and is the ideal space for Graham and his family to enjoy the sunrise or a sundowner at the end of a long day’s relaxing.  

The property also has extensive gardens featuring Fruit Trees and other flora found in the region. The gardens have been beautifully landscaped to create a variety of terraces and private areas perfect for Graham to relax with friends and dine alfresco anytime of the day. 

As well as making Graham a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw, Mallorca, also raised £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK – the UK’s leading dementia research charity – in just six weeks.

Dementia is the UK’s leading cause of death, claiming more than 74,000 lives in 2022. Sadly, if nothing changes, one in two people will be directly affected by the condition – either by caring for someone with it, developing it themselves, or both. 

Although the first generation of Alzheimer’s treatments proven to slow the disease are on the horizon, there are none yet available in the UK. 

Alzheimer’s Research UK is working to change this, and to develop more and better therapies that will be necessary to really shift the dial against the disease. Compared to other serious conditions, however, relatively few clinical trials are taking place in the UK. This means people with dementia in the UK are at risk of missing out on the chance to take part in life-changing research.

The £3,100,000 raised by the latest partnership with Omaze will support the charity’s Clinical Accelerator Programme, boosting clinical research for dementia across the UK and speeding up progress towards a cure.   

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “We’re delighted that Omaze, and all those who entered the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw in Mallorca, have raised a phenomenal £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“Nearly a million people in the UK have dementia, and we urgently need to find more and better treatments so that we can take away the fear, harm and heartbreak that this devastating condition causes.

“The vital funds raised will support our Clinical Accelerator Programme, which will boost clinical research taking place in the NHS and ultimately speed up progress towards a cure. This is an exciting step forward in our efforts to transform the lives of people affected by dementia.

“Thank you Omaze, and everyone who entered, for standing with us for a cure.”

This is the second time the charity has teamed up with Omaze. The first partnership, in 2022, raised £1 million that helped Alzheimer’s Research UK to protect and continue progress in dementia research during the pandemic. This latest donation brings the total raised for the charity by Omaze to £4.1 million.

James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Graham and his family have won this magical villa in Mallorca, whilst also contributing to the incredible £3,100,000 raised for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“Omaze gives people the chance to win amazing houses, like this spectacular property in Spain, whilst also introducing charities to vast new audiences that would otherwise be out of reach – it’s a real win-win for both charities and entrants.

“We’re incredibly proud that the Omaze community has raised more than £31 million for good causes across the UK.”

Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cotswolds are available now at omaze.co.uk. The draw closes on Sunday 25th February for online entries and Tuesday 27th February 2024 for postal entries.

Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize and Early Bird Prize, each month. Omaze subscribers receive double the amount of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time.

When Omaze has two draws running simultaneously, subscribers are entered into both, with a £10 subscription providing 30 entries into both house draws – meaning 60 entries in total for just £10.

For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only. 

School Age Payment deadline looms

The deadline to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment is midnight on 29 February 2024.

Your child could be eligible if they were born between 1 March 2018 and 28 February 2019 and your family receives Universal Credit, tax credits or other qualifying benefits.

If you get Scottish Child Payment then there’s no need to apply. Your School Age Payment will arrive automatically. But there are some people who don’t get Scottish Child Payment who might still be able to get School Age Payment – for example those who get housing benefit.

If you think you could be eligible, please visit our website and apply before 29 February 2024:

bit.ly/BestStartSchoolAgePayment

Reform to regulation of legal services backed by Committee majority

Proposals to reform how legal services are regulated in Scotland have been backed by a majority of MSPs on Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee.

The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill sets out a modernised regulatory framework, which any firm that provides legal services in Scotland would be subject to. The Bill also reforms how complaints about legal firms are handled.

Evidence presented to the Committee showed that consumer groups, including Consumer Scotland, the Competition and Markets Authority and the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission’s Consumer Panel, broadly welcomed the proposals to modernise the regulatory framework. The groups told the Committee that the changes could address some of the difficulties consumers face in accessing and affording legal services.

However, the Committee also heard criticism of these proposals from the Senators of the College of Justice, Faculty of Advocates and Law Society of Scotland, who told the Committee that the current model of regulation was effective and independent.

The Committee’s report concludes, by majority, that the need to not further delay the reforms, alongside promised amendments to the proposals from the Scottish Government, outweighs the concerns that were raised.

The report calls on the Scottish Government to carry out further work on the Bill, including ensuring that the existence of two categories of regulator does not add to complexity for consumers and requests that the complaints process be further simplified.

The Committee would also like the Scottish Government to support the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission in developing a process so that complaints without merit can be quickly addressed.

Commenting on the findings, Kaukab Stewart, Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, said: “During our scrutiny, we heard many strong views, particularly around the proposals to establish an independent regulator of the profession.

“Everyone on the Committee accepts that reform of the regulatory framework is long overdue and accepts that the current complaints process must be simplified.

“However, we are also aware of several significant issues with the Bill which must be resolved to ensure that the independence and efficacy of Scotland’s legal system is not undermined. The Scottish Government has sought to reassure us that it will introduce amendments to resolve these concerns.

“On balance, a majority of the Committee accept these reassurances and recommend that the Parliament should agree to the general principles of the Bill in order that we can review the amendments and not further delay these important reforms.”

Three Committee Members, Meghan Gallagher MSP, Paul O’Kane MSP and Annie Wells MSP, dissented from the report’s recommendation on the general principles of the Bill.

Record 73 bands enter national schools championships

A record 73 schools bands will take centre stage at the 10th Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships on 10th March.

The Championships, the largest event of its kind in the world, sees schools pipe bands, freestyle groups and quartets gather to celebrate young musical talent.

Alex Duncan, CEO of the organising charity, said: “The Championships has been going from strength to strength since the start in 2013.  There is something for every level; quartets for beginners right up to Juvenile grade for bands at the top of their game.

“The freestyle competition is very popular where any style of music and any combination of instruments go, as long as they include the pipes.  This year sees 17 freestyle bands ready to battle it out in March.”

The event will take place on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at the William McIlvanney Campus in Kilmarnock.

David Johnston, Convenor of the SSPDT, said: “The Championships are one of the highlights of many schools’ calendars and we can’t wait to welcome everyone.  Also, anyone wanting to start a pipe band in their school is also very welcome to come and see what can be achieved.

“It’s always a special day at the Championships.  The team at East Ayrshire Council which is hosting the event at the William McIlvanney campus are superb and will help make it a very enjoyable day.

“Pipe bands build confidence, resilience, friendships, perseverance and other skills that help young people succeed in life.  Teachers are still seeing the effects of the pandemic on young people, and more than ever recognise how pipe bands support wellbeing and wider achievement.”

The Championship is independently organised by the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust (SSPDT). It carries the support of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) but is not a RSPBA competition.

Provost Jim Todd, East Ayrshire Council said: “The pipes will be calling us to Kilmarnock Academy at the William McIlvanney Campus on Sunday 10 March for the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships.

“It is a real honour to be hosting the competition, which is now in its tenth year, and to welcome young people and their families from all over Scotland to East Ayrshire.

“I will be there to enjoy the music and cheer on our young people. The standard of performance last year was exceptional and I can’t wait to celebrate the wealth of talent that I am sure will be taking to the stage this year.”

The Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust was formed with the belief that pipe bands are much more than a musical pastime; they develop life and employability skills such as teamwork, resilience and perseverance, self-confidence, camaraderie and a sense of discipline and dress.

The charity also recognises that in parts of Scotland the pipes and drums are not taught in state schools and where community pipe bands have disappeared too, the fragile cycle of teaching and learning traditional music is being lost.  

The charity awards grants to towards tuition and other band-related costs, lends bagpipes and concert chanters free of charge, and runs paid apprenticeships for aspiring tutors.

For more information on the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships, visit http://www.thechampionships.org.uk/

For more information on the Scottish Schools Pipes and Drums Trust, visit:

 www.sspdt.org.uk

Focus on the future as Holyrood sets out its plans to mark 25 years

Reflecting on 25 years of the Scottish Parliament as well as a focus on the future will be the central themes of plans announced today to mark the Parliament’s institutions’ quarter century. 

The Scottish Parliament plans include a year-long programme of engagement designed to involve people throughout Scotland in a conversation that both reflects on devolution and considers how we can shape the Parliament in future.  

A special event will take place on Saturday 29 June at the Scottish Parliament which people across Scotland will be invited to join. Further details  will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Presiding Officer will also visit regions all over Scotland, meeting people from all walks of life to hear their views and ideas for the future. These activities, together with other events to be announced, will enable communities up and down the country to help shape the Parliament of the future.

The Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “This year we will reflect on the Parliament’s record and the significant political events during 25 years of devolution.  While that reflection is welcome, I also want the Parliament’s focus to be firmly on the future.

“I want to use this milestone as an opportunity to engage people all over country about their aspirations for their Parliament.

“I want to continue to build on and strengthen that relationship between people and Parliament and modernise Holyrood to ensure it meets Scotland’s needs for the coming years.”

Further details for our 25th anniversary will be announced throughout the year.

A special 25th anniversary themed Festival of Politics will take place in the Scottish Parliament in August.

The 25th anniversary year will also explore several themes from the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee’s report on public participation.

This work identified a gap in our activities around making the Parliament visible in and engaged with local communities.

Have your say on Victoria Park’s bowling greens

🌿 Victoria Park’s Bowling Greens Consultation Workshop! 🌳

Come and talk with us at our in-person workshop at the Pollock Pavilion, The Boys’ Brigade, located at 227 Ferry Road, EH6 4SP, on Monday 26th February from 6pm to 8pm.

This is a fantastic opportunity to delve deeper into proposals discussed at our previous event, share your valuable ideas, and actively contribute to the thriving green spaces in Victoria Park.

Agenda:

🗒Review of previous proposals

💡Brainstorming and idea-sharing session

💬Comprehensive discussion

📧Confirm your attendance by sending an email to: thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk.

The City of Edinburgh Council

Boyack slams Scottish Government over ‘disgraceful’ treatment of Lothians heart patients

Labour Lothians MSP, Sarah Boyack today slammed the Scottish Government for failing patients suffering with heart and circulatory disease.

Stats given to Ms Boyack by British Heart Foundation Scotland revealed there has been a 71% increase in people in the Lothians, waiting for an echocardiogram since 2021.

This is compared to an increase in 16% for Scotland as a whole.

Seven individuals have been revealed to be waiting over a year for the scan.

The concerning figures also stretch to outpatient cardiology appointments, where it was revealed in September 2023, that 55% of people were wating longer than the 12-week Scottish Government target.

These statistics come as it was revealed by NHS Lothian Board papers that NHS Lothian must make savings of 7%.

The papers also highlighted that the Scottish Budget also provided “no additional resource to cover inflationary costs and other new and emerging cost pressures”

Commenting on these statistics, SARAH BOYACK said: “These figures highlight the Scottish Government’s disgraceful failures in regard to heart and circulatory disease patients.

“It is even more troubling that while the situation is getting worse, the Scottish Government will not provide any additional resource to NHS Lothian.

“This is particularly worrying given Lothian’s population growth.

“If the Scottish Government does not act urgently, then this situation will continue to spiral into an emergency.

“People suffering heart and circulatory diseases deserve the top notch care our NHS is supposed to deliver.

“Instead, they are forced to endure unacceptable delays due to the Scottish Government’s lack of investment.

“If the Scottish Government doesn’t deliver additional funding soon, they will be letting down heart condition patients across the Lothians.”

John Cooper Clarke comes to Edinburgh for 2024 National Tour

  • John Cooper Clarke celebrates 50 years in showbiz with the Get Him While He’s Alive Tour 
  • Tour coming to Queens Hall in Edinburgh on 12th & 13th April 2024
  • John Cooper Clarke released brand new poetry collection -”What” published by Picador on 8th Feb 2024

Literary phenomenon John Cooper Clarke is back and better than ever, returning with a brand new tour and poetry collection this 2024. John will be performing at Queens Hall in Edinburgh on 12th & 13th April 2024. 

John’s new show will take fans on a completely one-of-a-kind journey through poetry and comedy. John’s live touring career has gone from strength to strength, with John recently returning from an epic North America tour in September 2023.

This year he’s back on home turf, as he continues to sell out theatres and halls across the UK, with a stretch of shows in Ireland also recently added. 

It’s a chance to see one of the world’s most important and entertaining spoken word artists at his bold and brilliant best. 

‘WHAT’ is the new collection from Britain’s “Poet Laureate of Punk” and will be published on 8th February to coincide with John’s 2024 national theatre tour celebrating 50 years of showbiz.

Venues for the “Get Him While He’s Alive” tour include the Edinburgh Queens Hall, a reunion show with very special guest Linton Kwesi Johnson at the London Palladium and three nights at Salford’s Lowry Theatre.

John’s new collection “What”, which will be published by Picador, is full of John’s much-loved sardonic wit and hilarious ponderings on modern life and follows on from John’s bestselling  The Luckiest Guy Alive. 

The original people’s poet, John’s cultural influence spans literature, music, and fashion, and his unique poetry and delivery style transcends generations. 

From creating some of the most iconic poetry of the modern era, including  “I Wanna Be Yours” (recently celebrating over a billion streams in its incarnation as a hit record by the Arctic Monkeys) to sharing his life story through his 120k selling memoir of the same name, John is still as relevant as he was when he shot to prominence in the 1970s.” 

Tickets for the Get Him Whilst He’s Alive Tour are available from https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/events/detail/dr-john-cooper-clarke or
www.johncooperclarke.com.

Picador will publish What on 8th February 2024 priced £16.99

Scottish Government slammed for making vision impaired play ‘tactile paving roulette’

Sight Scotland launches ‘Pave the Way’ campaign to have tactile paving installed in every train station in Scotland

Sight Scotland, and Sight Scotland Veterans, have slammed the Scottish Government for placing lives at risk by forcing blind and partially sighted people to play tactile paving roulette in train stations across the country.  

In August of last year, the Minister for Transport confirmed that tactile paving was installed in eighteen train stations around the country and said that all the remaining one hundred and forty-eight stations owned and managed by Scotland’s Railway will have tactile paving installed by the end of 2023. Unfortunately, this promise has been reneged on.  

For most people living with a visual impairment, public transport is the only means they have to make journeys around the country. Tactile paving is a system of textured ground surface indicators that are primarily designed to assist individuals with visual impairments.

These tactile indicators typically consist of raised patterns or distinctive surfaces that can be felt underfoot or with a mobility aid, such as a cane. At a railway station, without tactile paving to indicate where the platform ends, visually impaired people face a serious risk to their safety and could fall onto the train tracks. 

Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, explains: “We are launching this campaign as a lack of tactile paving at railway stations poses serious safety risks for many blind and partially sighted people.

“While we welcome the completion of phase 1 to upgrade the eighteen high priority stations, the Scottish Government’s deadline has been and gone for the remaining one hundred and forty-eight train stations without tactile paving.

“This is completely unacceptable and as a result many people with vision impairment are having to play tactile paving roulette, as they do not know what to expect from one station to the next.  

“This is not scaremongering, or an over exaggeration; without tactile paving to indicate where the platform ends, visually impaired people face a serious risk of falling onto train tracks. We’re calling on the Minister for Transport to urgently upgrade all train stations in Scotland with tactile paving so that blind and partially sighted people can use our railways safely.”  

Samantha Gough, a visually impaired athlete from Edinburgh, who recently had an horrendous experience whilst travelling by rail, is backing the campaign and says action needs to be taken before a serious accident occurs. 

“I recently travelled to England by train and needed to change at Doncaster. Unfortunately, no-one was there to help me, and the station did not have tactile paving. It was a nightmare, a horrendous situation to be in, fast trains were screaming past with the wind hitting me and despite screaming on the platform for help, no one heard. People have died falling on the tracks before and I thought it was about to happen to me.”   

Please support Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans’ Pave the Way campaign by writing to the Transport Minister to demand that tactile paving is installed on all stations in Scotland: https://sightscotland.eaction.org.uk/tactile-paving-now  

For more information visit: sightscotland.org.uk or sightscotlandveterans.org.uk