An NHS Lothian staff member has received his MBE at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for his voluntary work with mountain rescue teams.
Stephen Penny, 61, has worked with NHS Lothian as a training advisor and lead for volunteer responders within the Lifelines team at the Rivers Centre since 2021. Lifelines helps support the physical and mental wellbeing of volunteer and emergency responders.
Stephen, who is married to Sarah and is a dad of three, lives in the Scottish Borders and has been a mountain rescue volunteer for over 30 years with Scottish Mountain Rescue and Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team.
Stephen said: “You can’t volunteer as a responder without the support of your family and at yesterday’s MBE investiture at the Palace of Holyroodhouse Sarah was beside me all the way through – just like over the years of volunteering.
“I grew up in a rural area and it’s always been important for me to give something to my community. I was inspired to join mountain rescue after meeting some volunteers at an emergency services open day.
“My greatest sense of achievement comes from knowing you’ve helped someone in their time of need. I’ve found that the skills you learn from being a mountain rescue volunteer also have a lot of value in other aspects of your life, including in your day job.”
Stephen was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List in 2019 but, due to pandemic restrictions, was not able to receive this until now.
Sixty years before, in 1959, Stephen’s grandfather received an MBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his efforts during and after World War Two, as well as his voluntary work as a special constable.
Stephen said: “Community was really important to my dad and grandfather, and they instilled this in me. It was an honour to be given an MBE, especially sixty years after my grandfather received his.”
Gill Moreton, Lifelines lead for NHS Lothian, said: “Stephen brings a wealth of knowledge to his role at Lifelines, including his lengthy and extensive volunteering experience with mountain rescue. The Lifelines and Rivers teams are delighted for Stephen as he finally receives his MBE.”
As we enter into a new year, cyber crime continues to threaten businesses. Cyber attacks cost the global economy an estimated $6 trillion USD in 2021, and the costs are predicted to increase for 2022.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, hackers have been quick to exploit the growth in home working practices. Small businesses also reported an increase in attacks, and with 60% closing within six months of falling victim to a data breach, establishing a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy has never been more important.
Anthony Green, CTO and cyber crime expert at FoxTech, discusses what businesses should watch out for in the coming year: “In 2022, with many organisations implementing flexible working policies, and bringing personal devices into the office, it’s important to understand how cyber attackers might continue to exploit our changing working practices.
“It is often easier for attackers to breach home network devices, so when personal devices are being used to access company data at home, or brought into the office and connected to company networks, it can expose their system to hackers searching for vulnerabilities to exploit. With hybrid working policies expanding companies’ cyber risk, it’s vital to be aware of what the threats are, and how to prevent attackers gaining access.”
To help businesses plan their cybersecurity strategies, FoxTech has put together a guide to the top predicted cybersecurity threats for 2022, and what organisations can do to protect themselves:
Ransomware
Ransomware was the defining force of cyber attacks in 2021. Hackers infiltrate a system, steal sensitive data and demand a ransom for its return. Ransomware attacks surged by 144% in 2021 from the previous year, and the problem is only expected to develop in 2022.
Anthony comments: “A spate of high-profile ransomware attacks in 2021 has led many organisations to review their cyber risk controls and implement more effective strategies against data loss.
“While this might make it more difficult for cyber criminals to mount traditional ransomware attacks in the short term, attackers are incredibly agile, so we are expecting their strategies to shift in the coming year”
“To prevent your business from falling foul to a ransomware attack, there are two things to consider:
Preventing an attacker from gaining network access – investing in an external security assessment is the most reliable way to discover your vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity experts can then configure your security tools to protect you from the latest methods of attack.
Catching an attacker before it’s too late – it can take months for an attacker to gather the data they need to demand a ransom. Working with an external, specialised cybersecurity company that can monitor your system and quickly alert you to any suspicious activity can be the difference between a minor incident and devastating financial loss.
“Constant systems monitoring – by someone who is aware of developments in attackers’ tactics – will be more important than ever, as cyber criminals are looking for new ways to circumvent security operations. Currently, businesses are subject to 10,000 attempted attacks a day, but it often takes months for hackers to infiltrate an organisation’s most well-protected data. Catching a threat straight away, and acting quickly to mitigate the effects of a breach, will prevent attackers from stealing enough sensitive data to deliver a ransom.”
Phishing
Over 75% of cyber attacks start with someone opening a malicious email. These emails are designed to extract data from the recipient, usually a password, which is used to gain further access to an organisation’s network. Once an account takeover has been successful, hackers are able to mount more sophisticated attacks.
So how can businesses protect themselves from phishing scams?
Anthony comments: “Security awareness training is essential. Only 14% of UK companies perform cybersecurity awareness training, but educating employees on how to spot phishing scams is crucial.
“Things such as shortened links, an impersonal address, or anyone asking for private information, can all indicate that an email is not legitimate, even if it appears to come from a trusted source.”
The NCSC provides free security awareness training available here:
It is also imperative to set up Two Factor Authentication on email accounts and ensure the secure configuration of your email service.
Business Email Compromise Attack
In 2022, when so much business will be conducted through online conversations between remote workers, organisations need to be aware of business email compromise attack – also known as ‘conversation hijacking.’ These attacks are well-researched, and highly personalised, making them difficult to detect and very effective.
This kind of attack usually comes once access has been gained through a phishing attempt. A hacker reads through breached emails to learn as much as they can about business practice and payment details.
Next, they will use this information to craft seemingly authentic messages which can be sent to both employees and customers, with the aim of tricking them to transfer money or update their payment information.
“A scam that we are seeing more and more frequently is when a hacker impersonates an organisation’s CEO to redirect large payments to their own accounts,” says Anthony.
“Once this money has been lost, it is almost impossible to retrieve, so it really is crucial to prevent hackers gaining access in the first place – and to have your accounts frequently and carefully monitored by cybersecurity experts who can spot an intruder before the final attack has been mounted.”
Chief Executive Officer Anne Gibson to elevate reputation and leverage growth
Secondary breast cancer charity Makes 2nds Count is off to a flying start in 2022 with the appointment of a dynamic Chief Executive Officer.
Accomplished in leadership roles across a range of sectors, Anne Gibson brings a wealth of Third Sector experience and will support further growth as Make 2nds Count continues to champion research and education in the field of what is often regarded as the forgotten cancer.
The disease – also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer – is an incurable cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. It can be treated but, on average, there are around 35,000 patients in the UK living with secondary breast cancer and the death toll here is a shocking 1000 women a month.
Anne Gibson will lead development of a three-year strategic plan to elevate the charity’s reputation as a key player in improving quality of life for patients through its research activities, supporting patients and families and enhancing awareness of the disease.
She has worked in leadership roles across local and national government, the Third Sector and the independent care and education sectors. She was an HM Inspector of Education and has worked in partnership with the Care Inspectorate and with Audit Scotland.
Her skills and expertise include organisational development, continuous improvement, quality assurance, building leadership, community engagement and participation and developing partnership. Anne currently sits on a number of Boards including a non-executive Director role with NHS 24.
Anne said: “The most important thing we can give to patients and their loved ones is hope.
“Make 2nds Count is already making a tangible difference to those living with the disease, and their families, through its inspiring support and research initiatives. However, more education, support and research is still needed and I’m delighted to be part of such a passionate team with huge aspirations to deliver that this year.”
Make 2nds Count founder Lisa Fleming, 38, of Edinburgh, says: “Having Anne on board will be transformational for us as we drive the charity forward and evolve.
“Her appointment is just the most exciting start to what we predict will be a very constructive year for us. We’ve already come so far but we look forward to achieving so much more in 2022.”
Lisa set up Make 2nds Count after discovering she had both primary and secondary breast cancer. She had had no previous breast cancer diagnosis, warning signs or lump when she was told the disease had already spread to the majority of her bones. It swiftly spread to her brain and she continues to live with the disease – knowing it is also a death sentence.
As we enter this third week of the new year, many of us will be considering how we can maintain the heart-healthy habits we started at the beginning of 2022.
Staying motivated can be particularly challenging, especially during the winter months, however research indicates that if we are able to maintain a habit for around 66 days, it can turn from a short-term to a long-term habit.
To help you reach your goals over the coming months, here are some tips for increasing success:
Set a Goal
One of the most important things we can do for our motivation is set a goal. It helps us to focus on the future and gives us something to aim for. Remember to make your goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART).
Challenge Your Thinking
Next time you find yourself shying away from a positive habit such as exercising or cooking a healthy meal, consider if the thoughts you are having about the task are logical or helpful.
For example, instead of saying “I don’t have time to cook”, you may say to yourself “I don’t have as much time as I would like, but I can still make something quick and healthy”.
Set Cues
Setting reminders or cues for ourselves can increase our chances of success.
Try taking out your sports kit the night before a run or setting an alarm to move once per hour.
Track your Progress
Tracking progress can be a great way to see the improvements we make, which can increase our motivation to continue.
You can use apps such as MyFitnessPal, or even a simple spreadsheet to track weight loss, running times or the number of vegetables you eat per day!
Pair Up
Forming a habit with a friend or family member can be a great way to increase accountability and share success!
Most people admitted to adult care homes will no longer have to self-isolate for two weeks under new guidance issued to care home operators.
People transferring from hospitals to care homes will no longer need to isolate if they have had a negative PCR test in the previous 48 hours, so long as they have no symptoms of a respiratory virus and have not been exposed to COVID-19 over the previous 14 days.
The isolation period for care home residents testing positive for COVID-19, or for close contacts of COVID cases, is also being cut from 14 days to 10 days to bring restrictions closer to those for the general public.
The measures are being taken in line with clinical and public health advice, recognising the high levels of vaccination in care homes and the need to balance the risk and impact of infection for people living in a communal setting against the potential harms caused to residents by long periods self-isolating.
Residents who have been in hospital for acute overnight stays will also no longer need to isolate, and will not need a negative PCR test, provided there is no clinical reason to think that they have COVID.
Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “We know isolating for longer time periods can be distressing and harmful for care home residents and for their loved ones.
“Reducing the length of time care home residents have to isolate if they catch COVID, or are identified as close contacts, reflects the ongoing risks facing people who live communally, in a homely environment with other care home residents, many of whom have long term conditions.
“It is also crucial that care homes continue to support indoor visiting. Yesterday the First Minister advised the lifting of guidance limiting the number of households meeting indoors. However, she stressed that it would be sensible for people to remain cautious in their social interactions for the time being.
“We therefore recommend that there should be no set limits to the number of households visiting each resident, Care homes will determine group sizes and numbers taking into account the size of the visiting area and other factors.
“As before there should be no restrictions placed on frequency and duration of visiting which will guided by care home arrangements and circumstances.”
Edinburgh Leisure is on the search for new volunteers to step this way to train as walk leaders for their award-winning Active Communities programme, Ageing Well.
A Walk Leader training course will take place on Friday, 18th February from 10.00am – 1.30pm. The training is laid back and friendly and there are no exam or tests.
The Ageing Well Project is run by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with NHS Lothian and delivers a range of city-wide activities which support people to become, and remain, active in later life. The emphasis is on meeting new people and making physical activity accessible and enjoyable.
Ryan Dignan, Health Development Officer (Older Adults) at Edinburgh Leisure explained: “Our programme relies on the generous support of volunteers – older adults who give up 1 or 2 hours a week to help and support other older adults to get or stay active.
“No previous experience is necessary – just enthusiasm, the ability to get on well with people from differing backgrounds and ages and a love of walking.
“It’s not just Ageing Well who benefit from the volunteers’ gift of time, our volunteers say that they develop deeper connections within their communities, feel better physically, mentally and emotionally; and are better able to manage health conditions such as stress.
“On completion of their training, they will lead or support one of the many weekly walking groups that take place across the city.
In 2018 the Ageing Well programme was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), which is the highest award given to UK volunteer groups and is the equivalent of an MBE. The award reflects the tremendous contribution of Edinburgh Leisure’s Ageing Well volunteers and the positive difference they make to the lives of participants.
Ageing Well activities have been developed to cater for a wide range of tastes and abilities and all activities are either led by or supported by fully trained volunteers, who are all older adults themselves.
Jerry Gregson, one of Ageing Well’s valued volunteers who gives up 2-3 hours of his time each week, and who has been involved with the programme for 15 years explains: “Being retired, I love having the regular social contact that being a walk-leader brings, as well as the satisfaction of knowing I am doing something that is useful to others in our age-group.
“It’s also an excuse to explore the many highways and byways across the city. We take walkers to places they didn’t know about and wouldn’t go themselves, certainly not alone. Even after 15 years, I get a kick from someone saying, ‘I’ve never been this way before’.”
Anyone interested in volunteering as a walk leader and to join the training course on 18th February should email: ryandignan@edinburghleisure.co.uk
With the revelations that staff inside Downing Street held two staff parties with alcohol and music the night before Prince Philip’s funeral last April – and while social contact remained banned – health and wellness store Eden’s Gate wanted to ascertain the hardest working Prime Ministers of all time.
Using Hansard, they looked into how many spoken parliamentary contributions each PM has made, as well as how many weeks they held office, and ranked them to reveal the hardest working Prime Minister of the 20th and 21st century.
Key points:
Boris Johnson is the hardest working prime minister, making an average of 12.8 contributions in parliament per week.
James Callaghan and Theresa May come second and third, with an average of 11.3 and 6 contributions per week respectively.
The Labour party is the hardest working party overall, with average weekly contributions per PM of 4.8 compared to the Conservative party’s 4.
Tony Blair only made one contribution per week on average, making him the least hard-working Prime Minister of the past decade.
Full data can be found below.
Tyler Woodward, CEO of Health and Wellness store Eden’s Gate, said: “It comes as no surprise to me that Boris Johnson has been named hardest working PM in terms of parliamentary contributions. After all, he has been in office throughout Brexit and a worldwide health crisis!
“I’d suggest he makes sure to make time for himself and ensure he’s sleeping and eating well to avoid burnout.”
Past Prime Ministers
Spoken parliamentary contributions
Weeks in office
Av. Contributions per week
Boris Johnson
1,405
109
12.8
James Callaghan
1,821
161
11.3
Theresa May
960
158
6
Gordon Brown
853
150
5.7
Harold Wilson
2,326
405
5.7
Sir Edward Heath
1,067
193
5.5
Harold Macmillan
1,293
353
3.6
Sir Anthony Eden
328
92
3.6
David Cameron
684
322
2.1
Sir John Major KG CH
668
335
2
Baroness Margaret Thatcher
1,019
603
1.7
Sir Winston Churchill
696
451
1.5
Neville Chamberlain
179
159
1.1
Tony Blair
510
530
1
Stanley Baldwin
198
377
0.5
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
35
122
0.3
Clement Attlee
0
326
0
James Ramsay MacDonald
1
354
0
Andrew Bonar Law
0
–
0
David Lloyd George
0
–
0
Herbert Henry Asquith
0
–
0
Arthur James Balfour
0
–
0
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
0
–
0
Methodology: Eden’s Gate used Hansard to find the number of spoken parliamentary contributions each prime minister made whilst in office. They then divided this by how many weeks each prime minister spent in office to get the average number of contributions each PM made per week. They then ranked these in order to find the most and least hard working prime ministers of the 20th and 21st century.
Labour list MSP for Lothian region Foysol Choudhury returned to the Public Petitions Committee yesterday to continue his support for a local constituent, Lewis Condy, who is highlighting the importance of children having access to swimming lessons.
His petition was last discussed in November last year when the Committee decided to write to key write to key sector organisations to gather more information.
The Committee heard evidence that over 40% of children leave primary education unable to swim and that there is a direct correlation between a child’s social and economic background and their opportunity to learn to swim.
Mr Choudhury said: “We know that having access to swimming lessons gives people a benefit to their safety in and around water, and to their health, fitness and wellbeing.
“The Committee has heard that there are significant gaps in the provision of swimming lessons with the availability of facilities and the cost of lessons being significant factors driving unequal access.
“Resolving these inequalities is a matter of equality opportunity.
“Currently, there is no statutory curriculum for learning to swim in Scotland.
“We have seen from the responses to my constituent’s petition, there is widespread support within the sector and from the public for doing more on this issue.
“I am delighted that the Committee has agreed to keep this petition open and write to Scottish Government to find out how they intend to proceed.
Fellow Labour committee member Paul Sweeney MSP said: “Teaching kids to swim is a fundamental lifesaving exercise.
“It is not a recreational activity, necessarily. I think it’s important to consider it as a public safety matter rather than a sporting matter”.
To see a video of the discussion please click here
It’s a new year and we hope you’re all raring to go. If you’ve made resolutions, we hope you stick to them!
HoNC certainly intends to. We won the right to purchase the building. We’ve been awarded enough funds from the Scottish Land Fund to pay for it. We have a business plan. We have architects. We have lawyers. We have volunteers at the ready. What we need now are the keys and then it’s all hands on deck.
“So when will that be?” you ask.
Many of you have no doubt seen that the pupils and staff of Victoria Primary School have now moved into their new building and may be wondering when HoNC will be moving in to the old one.
Well the fact is that it probably won’t be until well into March. There are still formalities to be completed and final contracts to be signed, but the HoNC board is on the case and we’re hoping that there will be no hiccups before we can get started on the real work on the ground.
With the onset of Omicron some of our interim projects about which you might have been expecting news, had to be postponed, but they’re waiting in the wings for the right moment to get going again.
We’ll bring you news about them as soon as we have it.
In the meantime, sign up for free membership if you haven’t already done so, which will give you the right to have your say at the next AGM, (if you live in the area of benefit). Or sign up as a volunteer and offer your skills to the community.
Once we have the keys, we will need all sorts of practical help to get the Heart fit for purpose and operating the way the community would like to see.
We’ll need helping hands to clear any old school “rubbish” left behind, more to clean and paint, and repair and all sorts of things, so get ready.
