Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Hand on Heart: Ann gets set for Edinburgh Award

Heart of Midlothian owner Ann Budge has been preparing to receive the esteemed Edinburgh Award 2019:

Ann Budge

Impressions of the Heart of Midlothian Football Club owner’s hands have been cast in clay, pictured, by Leigh Bradley of the Colin Braid Stone Workshop, ready to be carved into stone.

The hand prints will be gilded and laid outside the City Chambers next to the prints of previous Edinburgh Award recipients and unveiled by the Lord Provost at a special ceremony in December.

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Frank Ross said: “If feels apt that Ann’s hand prints will be laid so close to the Heart of Midlothian when they are immortalised in stone along our own ‘walk of fame’.

“As an inspiring business woman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and community champion, she really is a role model. The Edinburgh Award 2019 will be the ideal way for our city to recognise all that she has achieved.”

The West Pilton-born entrepreneur was the first woman appointed to the senior management grade in brewing company Scottish & Newcastle, before co-founding Newell & Budge, a bespoke software and IT company, headquartered here in Edinburgh.

Amongst many academic and business recognition awards, Ann was listed as a role model by the Women’s Engineering Society and inducted into the Entrepreneurial Exchange Hall of Fame in November 2013.

Ann bought Heart of Midlothian Football Club out of administration in 2014 and within five years has successfully transformed Tynecastle into an exemplar family and community-friendly stadium, doubling revenue and building a solid and sustainable future for the business in the process.

Brexit Bill: Opposition, Scotland and Wales all want more time to have their say

Another day, another drama at Westminster yesterday. The Government attempted to bring forward a “yes” or “no” vote on its Brexit deal but was rebuffed by Speaker John Bercow (above), who said it would be “repetitive and disorderly” to debate it again. Continue reading Brexit Bill: Opposition, Scotland and Wales all want more time to have their say

Induction session choice for community councillors

The city council has organised induction sessions for newly-appointed Community Councillors:

Congratulations on your appointment as a community council member. The Council values the commitment and input of community councils and we look forward to working in partnership with you.

The CC elections attracted a high proportion of new members and I am delighted to invite new members to a community council induction session. If spaces remain then this will be opened up to returning CC members. I’d also like to make you aware that support materials are available on the council website.

The induction session aims to provide an introduction to the roles and responsibilities of community councils and community councillors, such as their statutory responsibilities in terms of planning, licensing and community planning.

The same session will be held on the following dates:

Saturday 9 November, City Chambers, High Street from 10 am until 12.30.

Wednesday 13 November, City Chambers, High Street from 6.00 pm – 8.40

Please respond to community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk  if you are a new member and would like to attend on either of the above dates by Friday 1 November 2019. 

Please let us know of anything you need to help you take part eg large print, disabled access requirements, hearing loop etc.

There will be opportunities at the induction for networking and discussion and putting forward your ideas for future training and support.

Ross Murray

Governance Officer, Strategy & Communications Division CEC

Carnegie Trust UK: new report on Digital Resilience

  • Digital inequalities exist between young people in and out of care settings, but also persist between residential houses.
  • Young people employ a number of methods to access the internet including use of public WIFI (such as buses, fast food outlets or libraries), nearby WIFI (walking around neighbouring streets) and repurposing the available Ethernet cables for other devices.  
  • Use of hotspots from personal devices using data can cause power imbalances within residential houses.
  • Enterprise grade technology is not suitable for a domestic settings.
  • Young people were not opposed to internet monitoring or filtering and suggested restriction measures that they feel should be implemented.

The Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership has published a new report, supported by the Carnegie UK Trust, which explores the digital experiences of looked after and accommodated young people in Glasgow.  Continue reading Carnegie Trust UK: new report on Digital Resilience