I received a message from Melanie through Comments on the NEN blog early this morning.
Just to let you know, Melanie, I tried to respond to you immediately but unfortunately the link to your email address bounces back.
The link you asked me to download in your message simply hangs – so unless you get in touch there is nothing further I can do.
Please do email me at northedinnews@gmail.com as soon as possible to enable me to investigate this further.
Thanks.
What better time for 14 men to get together with one voice to highlight that Men can get breast cancer too – than Men’s Health Week (15th – 21st June).
“I never thought that I would get breast cancer” – for many men it is a complete shock, as often they don’t even know that men can get breast cancer too!
Although the number of men affected by breast cancer is much lower than for women, the mortality rate for primary breast cancer in men is high in comparison, due to lack of awareness and late detection. Every year, 370* men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK and 81* men die of the disease.
Two years ago, six men who had all had the disease, joined forces with breast cancer charity Walk the Walk and created the Men get breast cancer too! campaign, determined to raise awareness and to hopefully save lives. When they all met each other, it was the first time that such a number had ever been together in the UK.
As a result, they have worked together on several campaigns and have all been busy putting up posters (until Covid-19), advising men how to Check their Chests.
Now more men have joined the original six, all united in sharing their experiences. Their aim is that eventually everybody will know that men get breast cancer:
Andy Manson – Reading (Stage four breast cancer, which had spread to lymph nodes)
“I’d been experiencing a stabbing pain in my left nipple for months but ignored it – it was my wife Michelle who forced me to go to the doctor.
The speed with which the GP referred me to the breast clinic at the Royal Berkshire Hospital was my first inkling that something was wrong. I was aware at the time that men could get breast cancer – I knew it existed, but I didn’t know what to check for. I had no lump which I could feel – so at the time, I ruled it out. I thought there always had to be a lump.
When I got my diagnosis – it’s like the cliché́ – you never expect it to be you.”
Amrik Rhall – Leeds (Diagnosed with a 2.5 cm tumour, in the early stages of breast cancer)
“My girlfriend Shirelle had pointed out a lump on my chest, I was able to feel it myself, but I decided it was probably nothing to worry about.
Shirelle wasn’t happy to just forget about it. Undeterred, she wasted no time in booking a doctor’s appointment for me. Despite my objections to going, I eventually relented.
A short consultation and check-over later, the doctor had come to a similar conclusion as me. He told me he was 90% sure that there were no problems and that the lump would simply be a cyst, but sent me for a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy.
I was 100% not expecting the result I received one week later, I nearly fainted!”
Dave Gill – Blandford Forum, Dorset (15 mm tumour in left breast. Diagnosed with Grade 2, ER Positive, Her2 negative carcinoma)
“My wife Kalaya and I were in Thailand checking out hotels for our daughter’s wedding. I spent a lot of time driving around and found that the car seat belt was rubbing on my chest and making it sore. I found a small lump next to my left nipple and we assumed that it was probably a blocked cyst.
On my return to the UK, both my GP and the consultant at Poole General Hospital thought it was a cyst too, but arranged for me to have a minor operation to remove it. I was wheeled out of the theatre and the surgeon told me she had found a small tumour and had just sewn me back up again.
Surprised is an understatement. I didn’t have a clue that men could get breast cancer and it hadn’t even been mentioned to me at all as being a possibility before this point.
I had been treated for minor skin cancers for years, so I wasn’t frightened by the concept of having cancer – it was breast cancer that scrambled my mind, how could I have it?”
Bryan Thorn – Baglan, Port Talbot (Diagnosed with a grade 2, 3cm invasive ductal carcinoma in right breast, with malignant tissue in the lymph nodes)
“I noticed a lump in my right breast when I was showering. I wasn’t checking myself, I didn’t even know men were supposed to check their chest area. I wasn’t naive enough to think men couldn’t get breast cancer, but it wasn’t something you heard much about.
“I made an appointment with my GP straight away, who checked the lump and the area around it, and referred me to the breast clinic. The consultant I saw had a prod around the lump area, told me it was fatty tissue and that there was nothing to worry about.
“12-14 months later, I noticed the lump was getting bigger, the nipple became inverted, and I started to get discharge from it and it also became painful to touch.
“I went back to my GP who quickly referred me back to the breast clinic. Within 10 minutes of my breast clinic appointment, I was going for a biopsy and a mammogram, and I was told it was likely to be breast cancer. It was.
“It was very surreal and a bit of a whirlwind. I think my first reaction was relief at being told the cancer was treatable”.
Dave Talbot – Olveston, Bristol (Had a lump the size of a golf ball – diagnosed with hormone receptive breast cancer)
“I found a lump between my nipple and armpit, it wasn’t sore and it wasn’t hard, I just thought it was a boil. I didn’t tell anyone about the lump – not even my partner.
I wasn’t aware that men should check their breasts, but I was acutely aware that if your body changes, you shouldn’t leave it.
I went to see my GP, who checked the area and said it was quite common for men to get fatty deposits, but she referred me to a specialist. It was at this point that I told my partner about the lump.
When I saw the consultant he took a biopsy there and then, and it went straight to the lab as a matter of urgency.
I wasn’t shocked to hear I had cancer, but my first instinct was ‘how long have I got? Is it going to kill me?’ I defy anybody who receives a cancer diagnosis not to be a bit scared.”
Richard Galloway – Wirral, Merseyside (Diagnosed with an 8mm ductal carcinoma)
“Initially, when I was getting irritation in the area around my nipple, I thought I had jogger’s nipple. Then, in the shower, I noticed a lump just below my left nipple – something to be more concerned about.
A week or so later at the doctors. I was told it was probably a cyst, and to come back in a couple of weeks if it was still there.
I waited five weeks before going back for a follow-up as I felt there was a lack of urgency. I was referred to the breast clinic for a biopsy.
I didn’t even know that men could get breast cancer, mainly because I’d just never had to think about it. When I was diagnosed, I must admit I thought “why me? what’s wrong with me?”
David Aggett from Henstridge, Somerset (Diagnosed with breast cancer, which has spread to his lungs)
“I’m a vet and found a tiny lump smaller than a pea under my right nipple after I got crushed and bruised by a cow. I gave it a couple of weeks to go away – then went to the GP.
It took a second biopsy to make the diagnosis, which sent alarm bells ringing, plus during that time my nipple started to invert. So when I got to the surgeon’s office, I would have been surprised to be told it wasn’t breast cancer.
As a very practical person and as the diagnosis wasn’t a surprise, I had prepared for the news.
After maybe 20 seconds of silence and numbness, I just wanted to get on and sort it out. What are we going to do? When’s surgery? What about chemo? When will I return to work? Etc.!!”
Alan Herbert – Scharnegoutum, The Netherlands (Diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma Stage 3 cancer with lymph-gland involvement).
“Cancer? That diagnosis hadn’t even crossed my mind!
I was strong and healthy, I was a long distance runner and I am also a registered nurse and sport masseuse.
I knew men could get breast cancer – in fact, I had worked on a breast surgery ward and had run an oncology clinic.
After finding a lump beside my nipple, which I thought was probably a cyst, I made an appointment with my doctor. She examined me and said, “Well I don’t think it’s cancer as it’s smooth, but I’ll send you for a mammogram just to be safe.
I also had a biopsy taken from the lump and a sample from the lymph gland. This hadn’t been planned so I asked the technician “off the record” how it looked. He said “50/50,” but he lied.
I wasn’t surprised at the diagnosis, but disappointed that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes”.
Glenn Cooper – Fareham, Hampshire (Diagnosed with breast cancer which has since spread)
“I had a persistent cough that had lasted a few weeks before I visited the doctor. My wife Marguerite insisted that I go and get something to fix it.
As the doctor was writing out my prescription, I asked him to check a lump that I had felt on my chest behind my nipple a few weeks earlier.
After a quick examination, the doctor concluded the lump was probably nothing serious, but referred me for more checks. A mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy came next. Each doctor that I saw was confident that the lump was nothing to worry about as there was no history of cancer within the family, yet just one week after my first appointment, I was given the news that the lump was, in fact, breast cancer.
My diagnosis of breast cancer came as a huge shock; I had heard somewhere that men could get breast cancer, but had never even thought about getting it myself. However, I remained calm and pragmatic about the diagnosis, quickly focussing on what steps I needed to take for treatment”.
Mark James – Porthcawl (Diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer)
“I noticed one day that my left nipple didn’t look quite the same as my right nipple; it was slightly wonky in comparison. It looked as though the nipple was folded over, but it wasn’t really a bother; I was more concerned with a hernia I had at the time.
When I had a pre-op for my hernia I took my top off in front of the nurse who told me that I should get the nipple looked at. I went straight to the surgery and saw the next available doctor who wanted to refer me. Less than a week later I was having a mastectomy to remove my breast cancer.
It didn’t surprise me – it just made me more curious. After my wife’s own diagnosis with breast cancer, I’d done some reading on the subject so I knew men could be affected.”
Mark O’Connor – Cork, Ireland (Diagnosed after finding a 2 inch lump on his nipple)
“I was in bed, on holiday when I found a lump on my left nipple. At first I just thought I had knocked it, as I was working as a builder at the time so was used to getting bashed about a bit. The lump started changing shape so I spoke to my wife, Tina, and arranged an appointment with my doctor. He didn’t give me any indication that I could have breast cancer, but I was referred to the Breast Clinic straight away.
About a week later, I had a mammogram and a biopsy that same day at Cork University Hospital (CUH). The lump was rock hard and two inches in size, so the specialist I saw was alarmed.
I received my results the following week – I had breast cancer. I remember my consultant looking shocked, but we both wanted to get on with the treatment. I needed a mastectomy of the left breast, and the operation was booked in for a week later.
When I was given the diagnosis, I was taken aback, I didn’t know men could get breast cancer, nor did my wife. “
Giles Cooper – Conderton, Gloucestershire (Diagnosed with cancer in his right breast)
“Because of my family history, I’d started checking my chest. My father was 77 when he died from breast cancer, he was from the generation of men who never really discussed medical issues. Until my father was diagnosed, I didn’t have any idea that men could get breast cancer.
I discovered a lump in my right breast, hidden right behind the nipple. I ignored it to start with, but eventually had it checked out by my doctor, having been encouraged by my wife, who’s a nurse.
Although I was expecting the worst, the news that I did have breast cancer was still an immense shock.”
Roy Collins – Bexhill-on-Sea (Diagnosed with a 6cm tumour, which had spread to his lymph nodes)
“My wife caught me getting out of the shower one day. She is a nurse and noticed that my nipple was inverted. I hadn’t been conscious of it and it certainly didn’t hurt.
She sent me packing to the doctor’s and from there I was sent to the hospital for tests including a biopsy.
My inverted right nipple had been caused by a lump behind the nipple, which my surgeon told me had been growing for probably six months.
I didn’t know that men could get breast cancer and certainly didn’t check myself.
When I was diagnosed, I just turned to the consultant and said ‘if you need to take my breast off, give me radiotherapy, chemo – just do it. Just get rid of it!’ “
Mike Greenhalgh (Diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer and is BRCA2 positive)
“I discovered two lumps in my breasts – one on each side, a small lump near my left nipple and a smaller swelling on my right breast, whilst I was in the shower. I hadn’t been checking myself, so it was completely by accident. After a couple of months my wife, both of us were GPs, prompted me to speak to my own doctor. I have Parkinson’s and we thought it might be a side effect of my medication.
My GP referred me to a consultant and I had a biopsy – a few days later, my consultant said he wanted to see me. He told me that I had breast cancer, I was very surprised, I hadn’t even contemplated that it might be breast cancer. I had been a GP for 27 years, but had never seen a case of breast cancer in men at my surgery, nor had my own GP. I felt the need to be strong to reassure those close to me, but also to remain positive about the outcome of my disease.
I’m one of five children and have an identical twin, Bill. After my diagnosis, I and all my siblings were tested for BRCA. Myself, my older brother and twin brother tested positive for BRCA2 as did one of my sisters. My other sister tested negative”.
*Breast Cancer Now, June 2020
*£3 offer is the only supermarket meal deal to include premium sandwiches*
*Deal also includes options for vegans, Free From, sushi, freshly made sandwiches and hot rolls*
Morrisons is to become the only retailer to sell premium sandwiches as part of its lunchtime meal deal.
‘The Best’ range which is priced at £2.75 individually will now be included in the £3 meal deal. The new selection will include; ‘The Best’ New York Deli Grab Bag; ‘The Best’ Ham Hock and Egg Sandwich; ‘The Best’ Chicken and Bacon Sandwich and a Morrisons Chicken Caesar Triple Wrap.
Uniquely it includes baguettes, freshly made in-store sandwiches and hot rolls. Vegan options and even triple sandwiches and wraps are also included. Morrisons customers can enjoy an array of options including:
Freshly baked and hand filled baguettes and rolls
Salad boxes freshly prepared in store daily
A selection of Meat, Fish or Veggie sushi boxes
Hot Bacon or Sausage sandwiches
In the near future customers will also be able to create a salad box from the Morrisons salad bar, with everything from pasta salads, hard boiled eggs and falafel to onion bhajis, BBQ jackfruit and coleslaw.
Snacks include a jumbo vegetable samosa or succulent king prawns with a sweet chilli dip and for those with a sweet tooth – rocky road or caramel flapjacks.
Finally to wash it all down, there’s a wide range of drinks including Innocent Green Smoothies and Costa Coffee Lattes.
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Morrisons £3 Meal Deal Selection: |
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MAINS Sandwiches and Wraps – including triple sandwiches and wraps and vegan and gluten free options as well as Morrisons ‘The Best’ range of sandwiches Baguettes and Rolls – Freshly baked and hand-filled daily Salad Boxes – Freshly prepared in store daily Hot Rolls – Bacon and Sausage Sandwiches Pasta Pots – selection of pasta pots including loaded chicken and tuna and sweetcorn Medium Salad Box – Create your own salad box from Morrisons in store salad bar |
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SNACKS Crisps Fruit pots Yogurts Flapjacks Protein pots Sushi Snack Packs Selected Pastries |
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DRINKS Fizzy drinks including 500ml Coca-cola Water Fresh juice Hot Drinks from Morrisons in store coffee machine |
Morrisons meal deal is available in all stores nationwide.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Tuesday 15 June):
Good afternoon, and thank you very much for joining us again today. I’ll start – as always – with an update on the key statistics in relation to COVID-19.
29 new positive cases were confirmed in Scotland yesterday. Now I’m going to say more about the total number of positive cases in a moment, because from today we are incorporating new data into that total.
A total of 870 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That represents a total decrease of 94 from yesterday, but an increase of 3 in the number of confirmed cases in hospital.
A total of 18 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is also an increase of 3 since yesterday.
And I can confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,909 patients who had tested positive and needed to go to hospital with the virus have been able to leave hospital.
In the last 24 hours, zero deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – so the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, therefore remains at 2,448.
I would however stress – as I did last Monday – that although this is clearly hugely welcome and very encouraging, it is nevertheless common for fewer deaths to be reported at weekends and unfortunately I do expect that we will almost certainly report further COVID-19 deaths in the days ahead.
And as always, I want to emphasis that when we do report these figures, they are not simply statistics – they represent individuals whose loss is a source of grief to many. So once again, I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness.
I also want to express my thanks – as I always – to our health and care workers, and indeed to all key workers across the country. The Scottish Government and indeed I think people the length and breadth of the country are grateful to you for the work you are doing.
I’m going to focus on education in my remarks today, but before I do that, I want to highlight some new data which we are publishing for the first time today.
Up until now, we have only been able to publish testing results that come from NHS Scotland laboratories.
We have been able to report the total number of tests carried out by facilities run by the UK Government – for example drive-through centres and mobile testing units – but we have not yet been able to publish the breakdown of positive and negative results. Though I should say for the avoidance of doubt, the individuals tested have of course been notified directly of their results.
Public Health Scotland has been working with the UK Government to rectify this issue, and from today, we are able to provide daily figures for all tests in Scotland.
For example, we can see that of those people tested in the 24 hours up to 8 o’clock this morning, 29 positive cases were confirmed. Of those positive cases, 9 were from tests conducted at UK Government facilities, and 20 were from NHS Scotland facilities.
So In total, there have been 18,030 confirmed positive cases in Scotland since the beginning of this outbreak. 15,687 of these confirmed cases were tested in NHS Scotland laboratories and a further 2,343 were test through UK facilities.
Now I know that some people compare each days figures with the previous day’s very carefully. If you have been doing that, you will have expected the NHS lab number I’ve just given to be 88 cases higher than it is.
The reason it’s not is that where a person has been tested more than once – first at a UK facility and then in an NHS Scotland facility – we have removed them from the NHS figure to avoid double counting of testing.
It is also important to stress that including this data from UK facilities does not change the total number of lab confirmed COVID-19 deaths that we have been reporting throughout.
From Thursday onwards, we will be able to provide a more detailed breakdown of test results – by date and by region – on the Scottish Government’s website and I hope that this information will be helpful in giving a full picture of the progress that has been made on testing over the last three months.
Now as I indicated the main issue I want to talk about today is school education. And I want to address parents and young people very directly today. I know you are deeply anxious – as I am – about the impact of this crisis on schooling.
So I want to be very clear today about the some of the principles that we are working on and the Scottish Government’s expectations – and as we look forward to the new school year. I hope to leave you in no doubt about the priority I and the whole government attaches to making sure our young people do not lose out on education or have their life chances damaged as a result of this crisis that we are all living through right now.
So, firstly, I want to be clear that it is our expectation that, by the time schools return on 11 August – and obviously within necessary safety guidelines – councils will have put in place arrangements that maximise the time that young people spend in a school environment having face to face learning.
In this immediate period that we are in right now, the Scottish Government will be scrutinising council plans closely – and where we conclude that all possible steps have not been taken to maximise face to face teaching and learning, we will ask councils to reconsider and revise their plans.
Innovation and creativity will be required here – but let me also be clear that where there are genuine issues of resources, the Scottish Government will work with councils to address those and the quality of your children’s education will be the absolute priority in those discussions.
And then from the 11 August starting point, our aim will be to return to normal schooling as quickly as we possibly can – recognising that of course that along the way we need to build the confidence of parents, young people and teachers that schools are safe.
And I want to be particularly clear on this point. While we of course have a duty to be open with parents that none of us right now have a crystal ball, and that the path the pandemic will take in the months ahead remains uncertain, it is absolutely not the case that we are ‘planning’ for blended learning, with children learning at home for part of the school week, to last a year – or anything like it.
On the contrary, we do not want blended learning to last a single moment longer than is absolutely necessary and so we will be working with councils to return schools to normal as quickly as we can.
We want young people to be back having face to face teaching for 100% of the school week as soon as it is feasible.
To that end, our regular three-weekly reviews of the Coronavirus regulations will now include specific consideration of the evidence and data relating to transmission of the virus within schools and amongst young people – and where that suggests that safety restrictions can be lifted or eased without putting pupils and teachers at undue risk, we will do so.
As part of these reviews, we will ask our International Council of Education Advisers to consider experiences in other countries.
We will also be working with councils to ensure ongoing and enhanced support for any time that young people do spend learning at home.
And let me be clear it is our firm intention, as things stand right now, that next year’s exam diet will go ahead.
We will also be considering carefully how we work to address and mitigate and make up over time any impact of this crisis period on young people’s learning.
Ensuring that our children and young people have the highest quality education – and that life chances are not negatively impacted by what we are all living through right now – is of absolutely critical importance.
I want to give you my personal assurance that it is central to my and to the whole Government’s thinking as we plan and steer the country through our emergence from lockdown.
Before I hand over to the Chief Medical Officer, I want to end by emphasising again our key public health guidance because sticking to this guidance right now remains the most important way of enabling us to make further progress out of lockdown – which I very much hope we will do later this week.
You should still be staying home most of the time, and you should still be meeting fewer people than normal.
When you do meet people from another household, please stay outdoors, and stay 2 metres apart from them.
Don’t meet with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day – and keep to a maximum of eight people in a group.
Wash your hands often. Take hand sanitiser with you if you are away from home.
Wear a face covering when you are in shops or on public transport.
Avoid touching hard surfaces if you can and clean any that you do touch.
All of these measure – hand washing, surface cleaning and wearing face coverings – will all help us to reduce the risk as we start to return to more normal life.
Indeed – if anything – these measures become more important, not less important, as we move through this pandemic.
I’d ask all of you to bear that in mind.
And, just as importantly, if you have the symptoms of COVID-19 – a fever; a new cough; or a loss of, or change, in your sense of taste or smell – ask for a test immediately, and please follow the advice on self-isolation.
You can book a test at nhsinform.scot or by phoning NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816.
Sticking to these rules- as you can see from the numbers we are reporting each day – has had and is having an impact. By doing the right thing, we are suppressing the virus.
We are saving lives.
And we are creating the firm foundations on which we can take further steps out of lockdown.
So my sincere thanks, to all of you once again, for continuing to abide by these rules and by this guidance.
Police are appealing for information which could assist with identifying the body of a woman recovered from the River Forth.
A report was received of a body seen in the water off Society Road west of South Queensferry around 9.45am on Saturday, 13 June.
The woman was recovered with the aid of HM Coastguard.
Herd death is currently being treated as unexplained.. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.
Officers are now appealing for information which could aid identifying the woman.
She is described as approximately early to mid-30s, 5ft 5in tall and of slim build. She has dark shoulder length hair which was dyed red, and has four small tattoos in a cluster on her outer leg above her right ankle, consisting of a fire symbol and a symbol similar to multiple apostrophes in a circle.
She was wearing two necklaces, both of a thread like material. One was red/orange in colour and the other green. One had small silver stars and the other green gemstones.
Anyone who may be able to assist identifying the woman is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident 1128 of 13 June.
Since the global pandemic hit the UK – wreaking havoc with our lives, our health and care systems, and our businesses – Hibernian supporters have been magnificent in their backing for the club.
Our support has been the silver lining on a cloudy horizon. In turn, we have sought at every turn to keep supporters informed as honestly as we are able to. With that in mind, it is now important to let supporters know that difficult choices must be considered to reduce costs to protect the future of Hibernian.
We are today embarking on a process of consultation with our people over proposals to find cost reductions. This is no different from any other business in this economy, many of which have already taken steps to protect their future. We must all recognise that the club must be financially sustainable.
When we outlined our ambitious plans at our AGM a few months ago, no-one could have predicted that the healthy cash balance the club enjoyed at that time would be severely depleted a few months later as we faced this crisis and no revenue being generated from normal operations.
The club has continued to meet its full liabilities, internally and externally, with some of these deferred but still due later in the year. This initial action was a vital step, allowing us breathing space to manage cashflow and, importantly, to engage with our staff.
With no clear end in sight and a full return to football in stadia full of supporters likely to be in 2021, there has been, and there will continue to be, a substantial and unsustainable strain on the Club’s finances.
We forecast that our revenues will be halved in 2020-21 and we anticipate a significant loss for the current season that was cut short in March, despite the support shown by fans so far. That is the reality we face, and the continued uncertainty and restrictions mean our current cost structure is not sustainable.
Chairman Ronald Gordon said: “We’re all excited that football is returning – but it will be behind closed doors, with likely limited attendance as a next phase. That means we continue to endure limited revenue opportunities for the foreseeable future.
“Therefore, several initiatives, activities and services at our club need to be paused or scaled back until it is safe, permissible and financially prudent for us to resume activity.
“We must now focus our limited resources on our core business – and that is supporting our first team to deliver success on the pitch. That is what we are here to do. This scaling back will have an impact on our people, and we enter into a period of consultation with them to discuss the potential impact on them. I would like to thank the contribution and efforts of all of our staff during this difficult time.
“I would also like to thank our supporters who, recognising the threat to the club, have responded. Around 8500 Season Tickets for next season have sold so far, with more selling each day despite fans knowing that the timing and shape of next season is far from clear at this stage.
“Our “Thank You NHS” home shirt was launched to national acclaim and record sales. And with the 2019-20 season called early, with four home matches not played, less than 15 per cent of season ticket holders have requested a refund.
“We will get through this by all working together. Supporters, staff, management and players have all played their part so far, and I believe will continue to do so.”
Monies raised through the sale of season tickets for 2020-21 will help fund next season’s campaign. We welcome the announcement of a framework agreed between the SPFL and Sky which should see the top-flight of Scottish football resume in August.
With football facing a “behind closed doors” start to the season, the new framework means those who have already purchased season tickets for season 2020/21 now know they are guaranteed to see all home matches live until entry to stadiums returns.
Hibernian will soon announce full details of our package, which is being designed to give our season ticket holders the best possible value and a unique, exciting and enjoyable Hibernian matchday experience.
Leeann Dempster, Chief Executive, said: “I would add my thanks to Ron’s for the professionalism shown by our staff throughout this crisis.
“From the start, in light of the uncertainty around what shape next season will ultimately take, we have sought to ensure our supporters have the fullest understanding of the situation before us, and that includes what your ticket will secure for you.
“Any supporter who cannot commit to travel this difficult journey with us will be treated fairly, with respect, and with our understanding, but we hope and believe you will want to be with us every step of the way.
“We understand not everyone is able to help as they might like in these difficult times, however if you can help, we thank you for it.”
Nurseries and other early learning and childcare (ELC) providers have received new guidance to help them plan for reopening when it is safe to do so.
Although some settings are providing critical childcare to vulnerable children and children of key workers, most will remain closed until later in the summer.
The new guidance sets out the core public health measures that will need to be taken to allow safe reopening, including:
• enhanced hand hygiene and cleaning practice
• caring for children in small groups and minimising contact between those groups
• maximising the use of outdoor space
• physical distancing between adults and older children at drop-off and pickup times.
The guidance was developed in partnership with Health Protection Scotland, local authorities, representatives of private and third-sector childcare providers, trade unions and the Care Inspectorate.
Children’s Minister Maree Todd (above) said: “We all want our youngest children to be back enjoying their nurseries and playing with friends as soon as possible. However, the safety of children and staff must come first, so nurseries and other childcare settings can only fully reopen when public health advice tells us it is safe to do so.
“This new guidance makes clear the principles that should be followed in preparing for staff and children to return. Our fantastic childcare practitioners know their settings best and they will be responsible for ensuring all necessary steps are taken to restart high-quality learning and care in a nurturing and safe environment.”
Lothian list Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has praised the UK Government’s job retention scheme which has protected over 100,000 jobs in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
| City of Edinburgh | 58,400 | ||||||
| West Lothian | 21,700 | ||||||
| East Lothian | 12,500 | ||||||
| Midlothian | 11,200 | ||||||
| Total | 103,800 | ||||||
He says the UK Government’s job retention scheme is an excellent example of how Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom are stronger together.
The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented national and global crisis which the Scottish and UK government have responded to together.
The UK Government has provided further support to businesses and individuals in Scotland through the self-employed scheme, bounce back loans, VAT referrals and increases in welfare support such as Universal Credit, as well as an extra £3.8 billion in support through Barnett Consequential funding.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, commented: “Lockdown in response to the outbreak of Covid-19 has been challenging for businesses throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“The uncertainty caused by this pandemic has put tens of thousands of jobs at risk, which the job retention scheme has managed to make more secure.
“It is remarkable that the UK government has been able to protect so many jobs during this pandemic.
“We must now focus on getting the economy moving again so that Edinburgh and the Lothians can start recovering from the Covid-19 outbreak. I have called on SNP Ministers to establish a Recovery Taskforce for Edinburgh and the Lothians.”
A Scottish plant hire business is keeping moving during the current crisis after securing support thanks to Bank of Scotland.
Mulholland Plant Services Ltd in Polbeth, West Calder, has over 600 units of plant equipment and machinery available for hire to civil engineering, housebuilders, local authorities, and industrial contractors across the UK, using its own fleet of lorries and service engineers to provide UK coverage for their customers.
Due to the government’s UK-wide lockdown introduced in March, the business saw 95% of its customers, mainly in the construction sector, stop work immediately though local councils and railway services continued to hire equipment.
As a result of the lockdown, turnover in April fell significantly compared to the same period last year.
The downturn has forced the business to furlough 85% of its employees with the remaining members working to support customers that are still open. This includes staff to deliver machinery, field engineers to support customers remotely, and labour to service and prepare the machines.
In order to pay its suppliers, staff wages and deposits for new plant equipment, Mulholland Plant Services Ltd, approached Bank of Scotland for support. The business secured a loan as part of the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
George Mulholland, director at Mulholland Plant Services Ltd, said: “The construction sector is a key revenue pillar for us but restrictions imposed by the government meant most of our customers, 95%, were forced to stop work at very short notice.
“Some of our local authorities and industrial contractor customers are still working throughout this crisis and need our services.
“With Bank of Scotland’s help, we’re able to continue supporting our customers that are currently working through what is a hugely challenging time for everyone.
“The funding will also help ensure we can pay our suppliers and equipment costs when business as usual resumes although it is unlikely to pick up as quickly as where we left in March.”
David Allan, relationship director at Bank of Scotland, said: “Planning a route through this stormy period is a huge hurdle for almost every business in Scotland.
“This is why we’re committed to being by the side of companies like Mulholland Plant Services Ltd to help them adapt and adjust in the short-term and come out of this unprecedented time in a strong position.”
Mimi’s Bakehouse is offering its customers a fresh way to support homelessness charity Cyrenians with its ‘pay it forward’ scheme, delivering cakes and sweet treats for at-risk communities across Edinburgh.
Cyrenians, a Scottish charity tackling the causes and consequences of homelessness, has adapted many of its service as part of its response to COVID19.
Their Community Cook School, which provided classes to those at-risk or with experience of homelessness, is now a production kitchen cooking 5000 nutritious ready meals a week, delivering to communities across Edinburgh: from those suffering the injustice of food poverty, to frontline workers separated from their families.
Mimi’s Bakehouse is now offering their customers the opportunity to ‘pay it forward’ by purchasing a box of handcrafted cakes for donation to Cyrenians to include in their food deliveries.
Ashley Harley from Mimi’s Bakehouse said: “We were keen to work with Cyrenians as they are providing an invaluable service to our local community during this particularly difficult time and nothing spreads joy more than boxes of cake.
“We are very lucky to have a wonderful customer base that donated over 500 boxes of cake to the NHS during peak lockdown and we hope to continue supporting others as best we can going forward.”
Ewan Aitken, CEO, said: “It’s been staggering and humbling to see the way that communities across Scotland have come together during an exceptionally difficult time, and we’re incredibly grateful for this generous show of support from Mimi’s Bakehouse.
“It’s absolutely wonderful to be able to include these high-end products in our deliveries, letting people know how valued they are – I would like to extend a thank you from myself and from everyone at Cyrenians to Mimi’s Bakehouse, and to their customers in advance, for their compassion and generosity.”
Find out more https://mimisbakehouse.com/collections/pay-it-forward/products/pay-it-forward-cyerians-box
