As the historic Warrender Swim Centre prepares to reopen its doors to the public once again after two years of renovations, Edinburgh Leisure is holding a recruitment open day and is searching for people who are ready to dive into a new opportunity.
The Open Day is being held at the Royal Commonwealth Pool on Monday, 26th September from 11am – 7pm and they are looking for a new team of lifeguards.
Brian King, Manager of Warrender Swim Centre explained: “The open day is a great opportunity for prospective candidates to find out more about a career with Edinburgh Leisure, the role of a lifeguard first hand from our team, and how to apply quickly and easily for the role. You’ll need to be a good swimmer, but we can offer either full or part-time work and great career prospects.”
Prospective candidates attending will be registered on our applicant system and once registered, they’ll undertake a short competency-based interview and need to complete a water test.
If the interview is successful, appointed candidates would be required to apply for a PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) certificate. Interested candidates should visit the Edinburgh Leisure website or drop into the Royal Commonwealth Pool between 11am – 7 pm on 26th September.
As a charity, Edinburgh Leisure is dedicated to keeping people in Edinburgh active, and over 5 million annual visits are made to their 50 venues, which includes leisure centres, swimming pools, golf courses and the UK’s biggest indoor climbing wall.
But they’re more than their venues. Each year their Active Communities programme uses the power of physical activity and sport to support over 10,000 people affected by disabilities, health conditions, poverty, and inequalities to improve their health and wellbeing.
Making a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing is at the heart of what Edinburgh Leisure does and it takes a big team to deliver this ambition with everyone playing their part.
As an employer, they pride themselves on providing a supportive and enjoyable work environment that their team are proud to be a part of. They offer a generous rewards package, staff discount scheme and the option to join their Group Personal Pension Fund.
If you have what it takes for a career with Edinburgh Leisure, they will support you with the necessary training and support to have a long and fulfilling career.
Young people invited to take part in National Discussion
Every child and young person in Scotland is being encouraged to get involved in a National Discussion on education.
Let’s Talk Scottish Education invites those aged three to 18 to share their ideas, views and experiences.
Feedback from young people, as well as from parents, carers, teachers and others working in education and beyond, will play a vital part in shaping the future of education. This will include the reform programme that will see the creation of three new education bodies and a review of qualifications and assessment.
The National Discussion, which is being co-convened by COSLA, will run until 5 December. It is being independently facilitated by Professor Carol Campbell and Professor Alma Harris, who will report their findings to Ministers and COSLA in spring 2023.
Schools are being invited to take part in the Discussion in ways that best suit them and their learners. This may be through classroom discussions, homework tasks or by encouraging children and young people to have discussions at home or with friends. Discussion guides have been issued to schools to help encourage involvement.
Children and young people can also contribute by emailing the Scottish Government or through social media, using the hashtag #TalkScottishEducation.
More information will be available over the coming weeks on other ways that young people can get involved in online and regional events.
Ahead of launching the Discussion during a visit to Carnegie Primary School in Dunfermline, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “It has been 20 years since Scotland last held a national debate on the future of education. Since then, the education landscape has changed beyond recognition, as has the world around us. It’s time for a new National Discussion.
“Our reform programme will build on all that is good in Scottish education and deliver real change and improvement. Our children and young people hold the biggest stake in the education system so it is right that their views should be at the centre of those plans.
“We are inviting every child and young person to get involved. We want to hear all voices, particularly those who feel they haven’t been heard in the past.
“Resources have been developed to help prompt discussions around the country; within organisations, around kitchen tables and in our schools and youth settings.
“The vision which is created following the National Discussion will set out what education in Scotland needs to look like not only in the near future but 20 years from now – so Let’s Talk Education.”
COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “I’m delighted that we are launching the National Discussion and pleased that COSLA will co-convene the discussion with the Scottish Government, reflecting the importance we place on learning in Scotland, and the joint responsibility we have when it comes to education.
“This is an exciting opportunity for children and young people, staff in our schools, families and wider communities to get involved and make their voices heard. I hope that everyone who has something to say on how we deliver education in Scotland takes the time to get involved in the months ahead.”
Patrick McGlinchey, Executive Director of national parents group Connect, said: “We welcome the launch of the National Discussion and look forward to supporting learners and their families to participate fully.
“Connect will work hard to ensure children, young people, and their families are heard loud and clear during the national discussion, and that the future of Scottish education is child-centred, with parents by their side.”
The Chancellor is expected to announce reforms to the welfare system that will encourage thousands more into work and to boost their earnings, helping grow the economy.
Around 120,000 more benefit claimants will be asked to take active steps to seek more and better paid work, or face having their benefits reduced.
Over 50s to get more support to find work, boosting economic growth.
The Chancellor is this week expected to announce changes to Britain’s welfare system that will help boost people’s earnings, get them into work and support economic growth.
Changes to Universal Credit expected to be announced later this week will require benefit claimants working up to 15 hours a week at National Living Wage to meet regularly with their Work Coach and take active steps to increase their earnings or face having their benefits reduced.
This gradual expansion is an increase from the 12-hour threshold and will bring an additional 120,000 benefit claimants into the Intensive Work Search Regime.
With more than 1.2 million job vacancies across the UK, Work Coaches will set clear expectations with claimants and make sure they stick to their commitments. These commitments could include applying for jobs, attending interviews or increasing their hours. People who don’t fulfil their job-search commitments without good reason could have their benefits reduced in line with existing benefit sanctions policy.
Eligible claimants over 50 years old, including new claimants and the long-term unemployed, will also get extra support from Work Coaches. The newly unemployed will get 9 months of targeted sessions, and people who are long-term unemployed will receive a booster session followed by 3 months of intensive employment support.
Rising economic inactivity in the over 50s is contributing to shortages in the jobs market, driving up inflation and limiting growth. Returning to pre-pandemic activity rates in the over 50s could boost the level of GDP by up to 1 percentage point.
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Our jobs market is remarkably resilient, but it is not perfect. While unemployment is at is at its lowest rate for nearly fifty years, the high number of vacancies that still exist and inactivity in the labour market is limiting economic growth.
“We must get Britain working again. These gradual changes focus on getting people back into work and maximising the hours people take on to help grow the economy and raise living standards for all.
“It’s a win-win. It boosts incomes for families and helps businesses get the domestic workers they need, all while supporting economic growth.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Chloe Smith MP said: “As we continue to face economic challenges and labour market shortages, we are committed to helping people on lower incomes to boost their pay – because we know work is one of the best ways to support your family and help grow our economy.
“Whether it’s increasing their hours in their current role, entering a new sector or switching careers, we want people of all ages and all stages to be able to progress into fulfilling careers.
“The expertise our dedicated DWP Work Coaches bring, will help to drive this change by removing barriers to progression and opening up opportunities for training and building skills, to increase earnings.”
These changes will be Great Britain-wide and, in line with usual practice, the UK Government will work with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to determine the most suitable way to deliver support in Northern Ireland in due course.
Certain groups will remain exempt from sanctions, including people who are unable to work due to long-term sickness or a disability.
How the new interest rates affect house prices and rent across the UK
Housing market: hurry if you’re selling, halt if you’re buying, stay if you’ve borrowed, finance experts advise
Landlords will likely increase rent prices or sell to cope with increased mortgage repayments
Inflation and interest rates will keep rising, but house prices are already slowing down
TODAY, the Bank of England will decide what the new base interest rates might be, currently at 1.75%. Top market analysts expect this to further rise to 2.25%.
The Office for National Statistics announced on August 17th that UK inflation rose to 10.1%, from 9.4% two months earlier. The Bank of England expects it to further increase, peaking at 13.3% in October. The accompanying higher interest rates and bleak two-year economic outlook generally means bad news for homebuyers, landlords and renters across the UK.
Top market analysts at CMC Markets expect interest rates to further rise to 2.25% this month. This directly impacts mortgages on variable rates – around 1 in 5 households in the UK – and another 3.1 million whose fixed-rate periods expire in 2022-2023, according to UK Finance estimates.
Borrowers whose repayments are directly linked to the base rate, as set by the Bank of England, will now face mortgage repayments at rates between 3% and 4%, up from 1.75% and 2.75% only five months earlier. This will inevitably spill into rent prices.
CMC Markets analysed the latest data for June 2022 from HM Land Registry, published on August 17th, and concluded that the likely tendency for house prices is in a temporary slowdown, which is good news for those waiting a little longer to buy a home.
Michael Hewson, Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets comments: “Houses sold in June 2022 only increased in price by 1% compared to May, whereas, last year, this constituted a much more generous 5.7% surge.
“This is only the first month this year for prices to slow down at such a fast rate, so some caution before jumping to conclusions is advised. Remember, house prices may be slowing down, but they are not decreasing. Importantly, since this is transactions data processed at the time, it does not take into account the big leap in interest rates that the Bank of England announced later that month, let alone the even bigger hike in August.
“Therefore, despite the soaring inflation and rising consumer prices across the board, UK house prices appear to be trailing behind because demand for homes has generally come to a screeching halt. Most buyers are weathering the storm for a few more months at least, while some are also working out how the cost of living crisis will pan out in the medium term so that the new mortgage is not squeezing their pockets beyond their comfort zone.
“For those still keen to get on the property ladder, there are plenty of fixed-rate banking products that can insulate them from the current spiralling interest rates on mortgages. They should, however, prepare for the possibility of being faced with higher-than-expected repayments once the fixed rate period expires, as the new variable rates are at the lender’s discretion. Fixed rates are not a cure-all either, as they may now be set to a higher level to start with.
“The buy-to-let market is equally volatile. Landlords will either pass the increased mortgage repayments onto tenants by increasing their rent or simply sell fast to lock in a better price. Right now though, those already on the property ladder are generally better off staying put rather than moving or re-mortgaging. They would not get a good deal on their old house in this market and may likely end up losing more money overall.”
What did the Bank of England do earlier in August?
The Bank of England explained that the rise in interest rates was necessary due to external pressures which are expected to persist. This means that British firms and residents will continue to feel this weight reflected on rising domestic prices, wages outpaced by soaring inflation, and even higher mortgage repayments, despite the Bank’s attempt to widen the borrowing pool through less restrictive mortgage rules.
Although historic, the Bank’s decision was not a surprise for trading analysts at CMC Markets, a London-headquartered financial services company, who believe the Bank was expected to raise interest rates higher than 1.25% during the June meeting, as a means to keep import inflation in check.
This is on the backdrop of a 10% year-to-date depreciation of the British pound sterling against the US dollar and an indication from the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, of a further interest rate increase by 0.5% or 0.75% in September.
Michael Hewson comments: “The UK currently fares worse than both the EU and the US. This is due to its closer dependence on energy shocks than the States and less government intervention to soften the blow compared to its European counterparts.”
What’s next and when will things calm down?
Other than adjusting the interest rates to the accurate level to keep abreast of import inflation, the economic projections for the UK paint a bleak outlook for the next two years.
The UK is projected to enter a recession in the final quarter of this year, the Bank of England announced. The country’s economy will contract by 1.25% in 2023 and 0.25% in 2024, however, inflation is becoming a much bigger long-term threat, with unrealistic chances of falling back to the desired 2% much before 2024.
The current political race for the Conservative Party leadership and the consequent fiscal policies promoted by the new British government is a major factor to take into account for any inflation, GDP, and unemployment projections and investment decisions.
As it stands with the current measures, inflation is expected to peak at 13.3% in October – a sharper increase than the Bank anticipated in June, originally estimated at 11%. It will continue to rise throughout 2023 only to decline in 2024.
Meanwhile, forecasts for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) are less optimistic now, expected to decrease only to 9.5% in the third quarter of 2023, although the Bank anticipates a sharp fall in prices immediately thereafter.
Selling prices are set to increase to reflect rising costs while real household post-tax income is expected to plunge in 2022 and 2023. The Bank predicted that core prices will peak at 6.5% this year, meaning that, in the following six months, food and energy will constitute more than half of the headline CPI.
The next meeting for the Monetary Policy Committee, where the Bank of England will decide what the new base interest rates might be, is today – September 22nd.
The TUC has today (Thursday) called on the Chancellor to bring forward an emergency budget that delivers for “working Britain”.
In a submission to the Treasury, the union body warns the government not to repeat the same mistakes of the “Osborne era” when pay and public services were slashed and huge tax breaks were given to big business.
The TUC says the priority for ministers must be to get wages rising across the economy and to fix the staffing crises plaguing hospitals, social care, education and other frontline services.
Pressure on wages
New analysis from the union federation shows that real wages down are down by over £100 a month compared to this time last year – a number that rises to £190 for public sector workers.
For the typical nurse this means a real-terms pay cut of £1,000 over the next year and a real-terms pay drop of £4,300 since 2010.
The TUC says rather than “handing out bungs” to corporations and City bankers the government should:
Bring forward inflation proof increases in the minimum wage, universal credit and pensions to October to help families through the cost-of-living emergency.
Get the minimum wage on a path to £15 an hour as soon as possible.
Give public service staff a real-terms pay rise that at least matches the rising cost of living and begins to restore earnings lost over the last decade.
Strengthen and extend collective bargaining across the economy, including introducing fair pay agreements to set minimum pay across whole sectors.
Impose a larger windfall tax on oil and gas companies that that are profiteering from UK families.
Make sure everyone pays their fair share of taxes by going ahead with increases in corporate tax, and equalising capital gains tax rates with income tax as a first step to fair taxes on wealth.
Speaking ahead of Friday’s emergency budget, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:“Friday’s mini budget is an acid test for this government. Are ministers on the side of working people, or more interested in handing out bungs to big business and City bankers?
“Tax cuts will do nothing to jumpstart the economy and will only line the pockets of the wealthy and companies like Amazon.
“When millions are struggling to make ends meet, the Chancellor should focus on getting wages rising across the economy – not helping out corporations.
“That means a £15 minimum wage as soon as possible, boosting universal credit and fair pay deals for workers across the economy.
“And it means ensuring those who’ve profited from this crisis pay their fair share – with a bigger windfall tax on oil and gas giants like Shell and BP, and new taxes on wealth.”
On the need to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, Frances added:“We need a budget the delivers for working Britain – not more continuity conservatism.
“Kwasi Kwarteng mustn’t reheat the failed policies of the Cameron-Osborne government, which slashed pay, workers’ rights and public services.
“This pushed people into debt and locked families into years of declining living standards.
“After the longest wage squeeze in modern history, people can’t afford to tighten their belts any more.”
Environmental campaigners say that all councils in Scotland should be working to reduce the numbers of cars on the road, as people across the country celebrate Car Free Day.
Today (22 September) is Car Free Day – an annual event to highlight how neighbourhoods and communities could be improved with fewer vehicles on the road. Today and over the weekend, there’ll be events across Scotland as grassroots groups and councils try to raise awareness of the alternatives to car use.
Fewer cars can create stronger economies and communities by boosting small businesses and local high streets, and improving public health. Air pollution primarily from traffic is responsible for 2,500 premature deaths in Scotland every year.
To coincide with Car Free Day:
+ Glasgow City Council has introduced ‘Street Play’, where residents can close streets from 22-25 September to host parties, workshops and cycling classes + City of Edinburgh Council will close Waverley Bridge to hold events on it (above) + Dundee has its first Kidical Mass ride, protecting children cycling in areas with no segregated cycle lanes. This is one of over 200 Kidical Mass rides across Europe this weekend
New research launched by the Clean Cities Campaign found that 62% of people support the idea of one car-free day a week, to open the streets to walking and cycling and improve air quality. If this was implemented in major European cities, it could save between 541,000- 945,000 barrels of oil per year.
The Scottish Government has pledged to reduce total car km travelled by 20% by 2030. A final plan will be published on how to achieve this before the end of the year.
Gavin Thomson, transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Transport is Scotland’s biggest source of climate emissions, it’s creating dangerous levels of air pollution and it’s costing people far too much money. It needs to change.
“This Car Free Day, there’ll be street parties and bike rides and community-building activities that aren’t possible if our towns and cities are filled with cars. When we remove cars, like on streets that become pedestrianised, we open up public space for communities and businesses.
“The Scottish Government has committed to reducing car travel by 20%, but we’ve yet to see any detail on how they will deliver this. It’s clear that our cities should be limiting cars, opening up space for communities. A regular car free day in cities would be a great idea.”
Longer-term joint planning is needed to address child poverty in Scotland, which has increased since targets were set in 2017, according to a new Audit Scotland report.
The Scottish Government’s policies and spending remain more focused on helping children out of poverty rather than long-term measures to prevent it. Over a quarter of children in Scotland – 260,000 – were living in poverty before the Covid-19 pandemic. And the current cost-of-living crisis risks making the situation worse.
Covid-19’s impact on data collection means child poverty statistics are only available up to 2019/20, the half-way point in the Scottish Government’s first child poverty plan. But even with the data it would not be possible to assess the plan’s success. This is because the Scottish Government did not set out what impact the 2018-22 plan was expected to have on levels of child poverty.
The government’s second child poverty delivery plan takes a more joined-up approach to tackling child poverty, spanning central and local government and their partners. But detailed joint planning is now needed to ensure policy actions are delivered and progress measured. Policy development also needs to meaningfully involve the views of children and families with experience of poverty.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said:“Poverty affects every aspect of a child’s wellbeing and life chances and has wider implications for society.
“The Scottish Government needs to work with its partners to quickly set out the detail of how the second child poverty plan will be delivered, monitored and evaluated.
“Government policy takes time to have an impact on child poverty and so it is essential ministers also act now to set out options for reaching their long-term targets in 2030.”
William Moyes, Chair of the Accounts Commission, said:“Councils have a key role to play in tackling child poverty through measures such as housing, education, childcare and employability. But there is limited information available across councils about what they are doing and its impact.
“Better collection and sharing of information about councils’ child poverty work will help support learning and improvement across Scotland.”
Heat Waves by Glass Animals is the most streamed FIFA song, with a staggering 1.9 billion streams on Spotify.
Blur’s Song 2 is the oldest song in the ranking, placing seventh overall, with more than 560 million streams.
The 2010s dominate the ranking, with 14 entries in the top 20.
A new study has revealed the most popular FIFA songs, with Glass Animal’s Heat Waves taking the top spot.
The research, conducted by online gaming site Solitaired.com, analysed Spotify data to discover the number of streams every song featured on a FIFA soundtrack has ever received, from FIFA: World Cup ‘98 to the most recent FIFA 22 game, launched last year.
A spokesperson for Solitaired.com commented on the findings: “Since 1998, the music that accompanies FIFA game menus has slowly but surely blossomed into one of the game’s main selling points and with every new game comes a new, almost equally anticipated, soundtrack.
With the FIFA 23 release date on September 27th, it will be interesting to see how the current ranking of the most streamed FIFA songs changes as the new soundtrack is revealed, which will sadly be the last game, and soundtrack, of the games’ series.”
The most streamed FIFA songs
The study revealed that Heat Waves by Glass Animals is the most streamed song featured on a FIFA soundtrack, with a staggering 1.9 billion streams on Spotify. Heat Waves featured on FIFA 2021, which appeared on the British group Glass Animals’ third studio album, Dreamland. The song reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and number one in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States, where it also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ranking second is The Nights by the late Swedish DJ AVICII, with more than 1.1 billion streams. The song appeared on the FIFA 15 soundtrack after being released in late 2014. Billie Eilish’s hit single you should see me in a crown is next on the list, with more than 692 million streams, closely followed by Imagine Dragon’s On Top of the World, with 683 million Spotify streams.
Interestingly, the songs from the 2010s dominate the top 20, with 14 entries overall, including fan-favourite Love Me Again by John Newman which featured on FIFA 14, ranking eighth overall, with 494 million streams.
Additionally, only one song from the 1990s made the top 20 – Song 2 by Blur, making it the oldest song in the ranking. With more than 560 million streams to date, Song 2 featured on the soundtrack for FIFA: Road to World Cup ‘98, which was the first game in the series to feature a soundtrack.
The Top 20 Most Streamed FIFA Songs
Artist:
Song:
Year:
Total Spotify Streams:
1. Glass Animals
Heat Waves
2021
1,946,964,717
2. AVICII
The Nights
2015
1,163,964,283
3. Billie Eilish
you should see me in a crown
2019
692,812,784
4. Imagine Dragons
On Top of the World
2013
683,964,847
5. Kaleo
Way Down We Go
2016
643,561,438
6. MGMT
Kids
2009
599,007,927
7. Blur
Song 2
1998
560,576,371
8. John Newman
Love Me Again
2014
494,064,676
9. Rosalia & Ozuna
Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi
2020
465,460,354
10. Vance Joy
Mess Is Mine
2015
395,291,133
11. LSD ft. Labrinth, Sia, Diplo
Genius
2019
382,638,591
12. Muse
Supermassive Black Hole
2007
370,594,842
13. Major Lazer
Que Calor
2020
347,958,743
14. Peter Bjorn and John
Young Folks
2008
338,367,458
15. New Order
Blue Monday
2005
285,463,188
16. Kygo ft. Kodaline
Raging
2017
270,224,195
17. Gorillaz
Rhinestone Eyes
2011
264,349,990
18. Saint Motel
My Type
2015
253,134,043
19. Childish Gambino
Feels Like Summer
2019
245,942,140
20. Disclosure ft. Sam Smith
Omen
2016
238,175,156
The most streamed FIFA songs of the 2000s
FIFA soundtracks are reflective of the year they are released, so they often provide a source of nostalgia for many long-time players. Unsurprisingly, Kids by MGMT ranks as the most streamed FIFA song from the 2000s, from 2009 specifically, with 599 million streams on Spotify. Supermassive Black Hole by Muse ranks next from 2007, with 370 million total streams, closely followed by Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John from 2008, with more than 338 million streams.
Also, the research revealed that FIFA 2009 is a popular soundtrack with fans, with five entries from 2009 in the top 15 songs from the 2000s. These songs include: Kids by MGMT, Mercy by Duffy, Untouched by The Veronicas, Always Where I Need to Be by The Kooks and Ready For the Floor (Soulwax Remix) by Hot Chip.
The Top 15 Most Streamed FIFA Songs of the 2000s
Artist:
Song:
Year:
Total Spotify Streams:
1. MGMT
Kids
2009
599,007,927
2. Muse
Supermassive Black Hole
2007
370,594,842
3. Peter Bjorn and John
Young Folks
2008
338,367,458
4. New Order
Blue Monday
2005
285,463,188
5. Duffy
Mercy
2009
232,202,405
6. Caesars
Jerk It Out
2004
193,467,887
7. The Jam
Town Called Malice
2004
147,686,251
8. The Veronicas
Untouched
2009
133,517,836
9. Bloc Party
Helicopter
2006
103,448,991
10. Scissor Sisters
Take Your Mama
2005
92,965,463
11. Safri Duo
Played A-Live (The Bongo Song)
2003
73,877,764
12. The Kooks
Always Where I Need to Be
2009
63,288,599
13. Hot Chip
Ready For the Floor (Soulwax Remix)
2009
62,539,194
14. Tribalistas
Ja Sei Namorar
2004
58,835,591
15. Gorillaz
19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)
2002
57,139,760
The ultimate FIFA playlist
Within the FIFA community, many fans often discuss and debate the most iconic songs ever featured on the game, as well as their favourite soundtracks by year. The below table lists the most streamed song on each FIFA soundtrack since 1998, including some classic fan-favourites and a few surprises.
Interestingly, English band Gorillaz are the only artist to feature twice, both in 2002 with 19-2000 (Soulchild Remix), which has received 57 million Spotify streams and in 2011 with Rhinestone Eyes, which has 264 million streams.
The Most Streamed FIFA Songs from Every Year
Year:
Artist:
Song:
Total Spotify Streams:
1998
Blur
Song 2
560,576,371
1999
Fatboy Slim
The Rockafeller Skank
86,888,733
2000
Reel Big Fish
Sell Out
47,532,833
2001
Moby
Bodyrock
17,895,220
2002
Gorillaz
19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)
57,139,760
2003
Safri Duo
Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)
73,877,764
2004
Caesars
Jerk It Out
193,467,887
2005
New Order
Blue Monday
285,463,188
2006
Bloc Party
Helicopter
103,448,991
2007
Muse
Supermassive Black Hole
370,594,842
2008
Peter Bjorn and John
Young Folks
338,367,458
2009
MGMT
Kids
599,007,927
2010
Matt & Kim
Daylight
167,592,928
2011
Gorillaz
Rhinestone Eyes
264,349,990
2012
Foster the People
Call It What You Want
106,199,550
2013
Imagine Dragons
On Top of the World
683,964,847
2014
John Newman
Love Me Again
494,064,676
2015
AVICII
The Nights
1,163,964,283
2016
Kaleo
Way Down We Go
643,561,438
2017
Kygo ft. Kodaline
Raging
270,224,195
2018
Tash Sultana
Jungle
194,454,302
2019
Billie Eilish
you should see me in a crown
692,812,784
2020
Rosalia & Ozuna
Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi
465,460,354
2021
Glass Animals
Heat Waves
1,946,964,717
2022
Seb
Seaside_Demo
117,223,691
The research was conducted by Solitaired.com, a free, browser-based card game platform with more than 500 games available to play.
Penguin Books UK and Twinkl are coming together to increase primary school pupils’ access to books by writers of colour, by giving away books including by Sharna Jackson and Malala Yousafzai to 500 schools across the UK.
Twinkl are producing a range of learning resources to accompany titles in the donation, to support teachers to integrate the new texts into their teaching.
Penguin Books have joined forces with Twinkl Educational Publishing to donate books by authors of colour to 500 UK primary schools.
The donation of books from Penguin, Puffin, Ladybird, and Vintage and Andersen Press forms part of Penguin’s Lit in Colour campaign, and aims to give pupils access to a wider range of authors, characters and books to tackle their stark underrepresentation in UK schools.
Each participating school will receive 100 books, covering a range of titles across fiction, non-fiction, poetry and mythology; from much-loved classics to new voices. Authors included in the selection are Matthew A. Cherry, Malala Yousafzai, Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali and more. Each school will also receive a class set of The Good Turn by Sharna Jackson.
Research by Lit in Colour, carried out by Penguin Books and the Runnymede Trust in 2021, revealed a stark picture of under-representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic authors in the teaching of English Literature in this country.
This is relative both to these authors’ place in contemporary British literary excellence and school population demographics. According to the research, 82% of young people do not ever recall studying a book by a Black, Asian or minority ethnic author, while 70% agree that diversity is part of British society and should be represented in the school curriculum.
The research also found that a key barrier for primary school teachers was a lack of ready-made resources available from teaching sites that are focused on diverse texts. This is a significant challenge for educators who rely on these for the basis of their planning.
In response to this, Twinkl are producing a comprehensive set of learning resources that aim to make it as easy as possible for educators to create a full lesson around these titles and immerse learners through a selection of activity sheets to be used alongside the books and as follow-on activities.
Twinkl’s comprehensive series of educational resources will cover 20 titles that will support bringing new literature to classrooms. The learning materials will consist of various worksheets and activity packs. These include 60-second reading activities, to biography fact files and writing packs. These resources will be available to freely access online and can be used in connection with Penguin’s Lit in Colour book list.
Zaahida Nabagereka, Penguin Random House’s Head of Social Impact, said: “Partnering with Twinkl on this first ever UK wide Lit in Colour Primary School donation is a really significant step in addressing the barriers the Lit in Colour report identified in 2021.
“We are committed to supporting teachers to take diverse books into their classrooms with confidence, and key to that is resources. This collaboration strengthens the argument that we can achieve more when we tackle systemic issues together.”
David Angrave, Twinkl’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “As a global education publisher, we are delighted to work with Penguin on such a meaningful campaign. Our Lit in Colour resources aim to engage learners in a wide variety of diverse titles in the classroom. Through a range of voices in books, children can discover different cultures and identifiable characters.
“We are looking forward to continuing to collaborate with Penguin with this campaign and help build an inclusive outlook which celebrates differences and what brings us together.”
Sharna Jackson, author of The Good Turn,“When I was younger, there was a pronounced lack of access to many books that reflected my experience – as part of the curriculum, or in my school library.
“It’s why I wholeheartedly support the transformative work that Lit in Colour does to expand and enrich the curriculum. I am so incredibly proud that The Good Turn can be a small part of this change, as this donation from Lit in Colour and Twinkl will make an enormous difference to thousands of young readers who deserve to see themselves and their experience reflected in the books stocked on their school library shelves.”
To find out more about how your school can get involved with the Lit in Colour book giveaway, please visit our website.
Primary teachers can apply by completing this short form by Friday 30th September.
Innovative OPAT scheme saves 45,000 hospital admission bed days
A new service which has already saved 45,000 hospital bed days this year is being further rolled out over the coming months.
The Out-patient Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) service allows people to be treated at home or in out-patient settings – reducing the need for hospital admission or long stays.
Patients are able to receive intravenous antimicrobial therapy or other complex antibiotic treatment in an out-patient clinic at a time convenient to them, and in some areas even at home rather than as an inpatient.
The service, part of the right care in the right place initiative, is just one of many innovative programmes which health boards are using to help reduce pressures on the rest of the system.
Figures published by the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group show that between 17 January 2022 and 21 August 2022 on average 250 people per week have been treated by the OPAT service and more than 45,000 hospital admission bed days have been avoided in that period.
OPAT services are supported by £50 million of Scottish Government funding through the Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative.
Beleaguered Health Secretary Humzah Yousaf welcomed a piece of good news. He said: “I am pleased to see the roll-out of the Out-patient Antimicrobial Therapy service.
“We know that our accident and emergency departments continue to be under significant pressure, and that is why we are working at pace to deliver this scheme, and others like it, to provide more care in the community while reducing pressure on hospitals.
“We know there is a real benefit to treating people at home where possible. We are determined to build on this success and want to see this approach adopted across as many health boards as possible.”
Dr Andrew Seaton, Chair of the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group and Consultant in Infectious Diseases, said: ““Hospitals are under significant pressure as we try to recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic and there is a real need for initiatives to support recovery and promote different ways of caring for our patients traditionally managed in hospitals.
“OPAT is an excellent example of how nurses, pharmacists and doctors can work together to provide high quality patient centred care without the need for a hospital bed. The focus now on further developing virtual capacity and new ways of working with support across Scotland for initiatives like ours is very welcome”.
Nine health boards currently use OPAT services and the programme will be rolled out further over the coming months.
Yesterday’s announcement was somewhat overshadowed by news that the latest hospital waiting times in Scotland are the WORST EVER.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said the figures showed the “crisis in A&E is not merely continuing, but deepening”.
