Children and young people at Edinburgh’s Sick Kids hospital were treated to a Christmas surprise from some famous faces when players from Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby joined them on a video call.
Players including Christoph Berra, Craig Gordon, Ryan Porteous, Martin Boyle and Grant Gilchrist took time out from their busy training schedules to Zoom with some of their biggest fans, tell festive jokes and answer all their Christmas questions.
The Zoom calls brought lots of smiles and laughter to the wards, thanks to revelations including Christoph Berra confessing that he is receiving a mop from his mum this Christmas and Ryan Porteous and Martin Boyle treating one young fan to a rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
The footballers and rugby players would usually visit the Sick Kids to meet children and their families in person in December, which is unfortunately unable to happen this year due to Covid restrictions.
The Zoom calls were organised by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports the Sick Kids and works hard to make Christmas magical for those visiting the hospital every year.
Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager at ECHC, said: “The hospital visits from Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby are always a huge hit with the children and young people so it’s a real shame these weren’t able to go ahead this year.
“However, we would like to say an enormous thank you to the players for taking time out of their day to chat with some of the children and young people via Zoom. Some of the kids are massive football and rugby fans so it really made their day to meet their favourite players.
“Christmas is a very special time of year and we work hard to ensure no child or young person misses out on the magic of the festive season. This year has been harder than ever for those at the hospital, so we are incredibly grateful to Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby for continuing to support us and for spreading so much joy and Christmas cheer with the calls.”
ECHC runs a living advent calendar throughout December, which sees a different door in the hospital opened each day to reveal a surprise visitor or activity.
The advent calendar activities are limited this year by restricted visiting; however, the charity is determined to make this Christmas as magical as possible for children and young people, with everything from a silent disco, a festive cinema experience and a visit from a real ballerina.
Mairi Gougeon appointed Minister for Public Health and Sport
New role for local MSP Ben Macpherson
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has appointed Mairi Gougeon as the new Minister for Public Health and Sport, among a range of new appointments which she said come “at a crucial time for Scotland” as the nation faces a number of challenges.
As well as the wider role of improving Public Health and promoting sport at all levels in Scotland, Ms Gougeon will play a key role in tackling the pandemic with responsibility for Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing across Scotland, with the Health Secretary taking the lead on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Ben Macpherson is to become Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, supporting both Roseanna Cunningham and Fergus Ewing where he will focus on the impacts of Brexit on the rural economy, support efforts to tackle climate change and to protect our wildlife and biodiversity.
Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation Ivan McKee will take on additional responsibilities for supporting Finance Secretary Kate Forbes as the Scottish Government prepares to publish its Budget early in the new year.
Minister for Europe and International Development Jenny Gilruth is to take on responsibility for Migration.
Last week the First Minister nominated Angela Constance as Minister for Drugs Policy.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “At a crucial time for Scotland, these new appointments ensure that we have a ministerial team fully focused on tackling the many important challenges facing us.
“Mairi Gougeon has proven herself to be a highly effective Rural Affairs minister working with stakeholders, balancing competing interests and taking on difficult policy challenges. She will now be part of the team protecting and improving Scotland’s public health, and will play a key role in the pandemic, taking the lead on testing.
“Mairi will work alongside the new Minister for Drugs Policy Angela Constance, who is tasked specifically with tackling what is another major public health emergency in Scotland.
“Ben Macpherson takes on the environment post at a critical time in our fight against climate change and as we take new steps to protect Scotland’s wonderful and diverse natural environment. Having previously worked on Climate Justice and Climate Finance, Ben will continue our work to protect wildlife, enhance biodiversity and support Scotland’s rural economy.
“With responsibility for migration, Jenny Gilruth will be working to tackle the demographic challenge threatening to undermine our economy and our society, and Ivan McKee will assist Kate Forbes in supporting firms through the pandemic, ensuring Scottish Government procurement backs Scottish business and in preparing our Budget early in the new year.”
Police are appealing for information to help trace a man one week since he was reported missing from his home in Craigentinny.
Lukasz Machalski (26) was last seen in the West Pilton Drive area around 9pm on Sunday, 13 December. There was a possible sighting of him about 12pm on Monday, 14 December, in the Restalrig area. Lukasz has not been seen or heard of since. There is growing concern for his welfare.
He is described as being 5th 10ins tall, with fair blonde hair which is often shaved. At the time he went missing Lukasz was wearing a grey jacket, grey tracksuit bottoms and Nike trainers that are black and gold.
Lukasz is known to have links with Glasgow and may have travelled to the city. He is also familiar with the West Pilton and Restalrig areas of Edinburgh.
Inspector Gordon Duff of Craigmillar Police Station said: “It has now been a week since Lukasz was reported missing and along with his family, we are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare and are keen to locate him as soon as possible.
“I would urge anyone who may have seen him to contact us immediately. Similarly, if Lukasz is reading this, let us know you are safe and well.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident number 2653 of 13, December
First Minister’s daily press briefing, Monday 21 December:
Thanks for joining us. Before I start today, can I say mainly for the benefit of the journalists on the line that I will require to end this briefing by 13:30, at the latest, even if we haven’t got through all of the questions, which I will obviously try to do.
I understand that the COBR meeting planned for today is likely to take place from 13:30, at any time from 13:30 onwards. Obviously, I have to be free to participate in that.
I will speak in a few moments about the announcements I set out here on Saturday evening and I will also reflect on some of the decisions that have been made and intimated over the weekend by other countries in respect of closing borders with the UK but first of all, let me begin with today’s statistics.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,504.
That represents 6% of the total number of tests carried out, and the overall number of confirmed cases is now 113,050.
As you will have noticed, today’s figure represents a significantly higher number of new cases than we have seen in recent times.
We think that this may be, in part, down to a processing backlog last week within the UK Lighthouse system.
So please be aware that today’s figures may be affected by that backlog of cases now coming through the system and being reported on. However we are doing further analysis of these case numbers to confirm that.
I can also confirm that 1,078 people are currently in hospital – that is an increase of 17 from yesterday.
59 people are in intensive care, which is 1 more than yesterday.
No additional deaths have been registered in the last 24 hours, of a patient who first tested positive over the previous 28 days.
However, as you know, registration offices tend to be closed at weekends – and so the figures we report for deaths on Sundays and Mondays can be artificially low as a result of that.
In total, since Friday’s update, 44 deaths have been registered.
That takes the total number of deaths, under this daily measurement to 4283.
Every single one of those deaths is obviously a source of heartbreak. And yet again, I want to send my thoughts and my condolences to everyone who has been bereaved as a result of this pandemic.
I am joined today by the Chief Medical Officer, and by the Chief Constable. The Chief Constable will talk about Police Scotland’s approach to enforcing Covid regulations as we head into the Christmas period.
For my part, let me stress again, how much I and the Scottish Government values the hard work, professionalism and public service of Scotland’s police officers and the staff who support them. Those qualities are always appreciated, but have been particularly important and valued during the last few difficult months.
The main thing I want to do in my remarks today, is to reflect a bit more on developments over the weekend.
I’m going to spend a bit of time on these, because I do know and I understand how upsetting Saturday’s announcements, in particular, were for so many of you.
The first thing I want to do is reiterate the point that none of the actions I announced on Saturday were taken lightly.
The analysis so far of this new variant of Covid that has been identified in the UK does give us real cause for concern – because the indications at this stage are that it is much more transmissible than previous strains of the virus.
Let me stress through that there is no evidence so far that this new strain causes more severe illness and I think that is reassuring.
Further analysis of this new strain is being carried out, so there is much we still have to learn, but given what we have been advised so far, it is essential to take the risk seriously and act accordingly.
The key lesson of the last ten months is that if we are complacent in the face of this virus, or if we act too slowly, or if we wait for all possible information before making decisions, the virus can run away from us very quickly – with very serious consequences.
So that is the context for the strong precautionary and preventative action we announced on Saturday.
Let me now turn to some of the detail and consequences of that.
Firstly, I will address the announcements yesterday that several countries – including France – have instituted travel bans to prevent people from the UK entering their countries.
Our advice for individuals here is already that you should not travel to or from Scotland, unless it is absolutely essential.
Indeed, travel to and from other parts of the UK without an essential reason is prohibited by law for now.
This is a decision we do not take lightly – but one that is necessary to prevent more of this new strain entering Scotland.
In terms of international travel, most of the attention overnight, of course, has been on the decision by France to put in place a ban on accompanied freight traffic, essentially lorry traffic, entering France.
France has said this morning that they hope to establish a protocol to enable movement to resume – something that we very much welcome. However we do not yet know exactly when that will take effect.
We hope the current situation will improve over the course of the day – but of course for as long as it pertains, it has significant implications for many businesses in Scotland.
It affects the ability of exporters, including our important seafood sector, to deliver to overseas markets. And it also affects our ability to import certain goods and supplies into the UK and into Scotland.
I will chair a Scottish Government resilience meeting on this later today. Before that, as I indicated at the outset, I will take part in a COBR meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, bringing the UK Government and devolved governments together to discuss these issues and we are working very closely with the UK Government and we will continue to do so to mitigate any impacts.
I have heard calls from our food sector for the UK Government to take a number of steps to enable them to continue to export, and I support those calls.
In particular the UK has planned for port disruption as part of a no deal Brexit, and those plans should now be activated.
We have also urged the UK Government to seek to extend the current Brexit transition period, or to secure a grace period before any deal is implemented, to prevent further disruption.
I think everybody would accept that all of us have enough on our plates to deal with right now, without compounding those difficulties by the end of the Brexit transition period.
For the moment, however, I want to stress two key points.
Firstly, the stockpiles of medicines being built up ahead of Brexit are in place – and so whilst we monitor medicine supply very carefully, we have no immediate concern. We are also assured that there is no risk to supplies of the Covid vaccine.
And secondly, we have been assured by supermarkets that they are well stocked for Christmas. So there is absolutely no need for people to buy any more than you normally would.
I would ask everybody to please support each other and shop responsibly. These are difficult times we are living through but we have been served well by that spirit of solidarity and it is important that it continues over this next period.
Let me now turn to the decisions I set out on Saturday.
Some have questioned, and indeed I anticipated this on Saturday, the need for these actions given that overall prevalence of Covid in Scotland is currently quite a bit lower than in some other parts of the UK.
There is two points it’s important for me to make about that.
Firstly, Scotland’s case numbers have been volatile in recent days – and after some weeks of decline, and I indicated this earlier last week, we think they may be rising again.
Today’s numbers, indeed even with that caveat I put around these earlier on, have shown that may be the case.
Because of that, our R number has risen, and after a couple of weeks of it being slightly below one, we think it is now hovering around 1 again.
So even without the new strain we have no room for complacency as we head deeper into the winter.
However, it is the concern about the new strain that necessitated the very stringent actions I set out on Saturday.
We know this strain already exists in Scotland – though we think it is still at lower levels than in the south of England.
However, if it is the case – as early analysis suggests – that this strain is up to 70% more transmissible and that it could add up to .4 to an R number already hovering around 1, the risk of it rapidly spreading here – as it appears to be doing in some other parts of the UK – is very real.
In London and the south east of England, it is thought that this new strain might already account for between 40 – 60% of all new cases.
That’s what we’ve got to stop here in Scotland and that’s the reason for the actions that I announced on Saturday.
As I said earlier on, over the course of this pandemic, perhaps the most important thing we have learned, I know it is perhaps the most important thing I have learned, is that failing to act quickly, is almost always a mistake in the face of Covid.
If we do nothing now, we are likely to see more new infections in Scotland as a result of this variant – placing an even greater strain on our health service, and unfortunately leading to more deaths.
But as things stand, with our lower prevalence in a relative sense, we still do have a chance of keeping this situation under control while the vaccination programme continues – and while we get case numbers back to very low levels again.
That is why we announced action on Saturday on two fronts – to stop more cases of this new variant from coming into Scotland, and to stop it spreading further within the country.
In relation to the first of those, as I said earlier – we are maintaining a strict travel ban on non-essential travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK.
That ban – which will not be relaxed at all over Christmas, even on Christmas Day unfortunately – is one of the issues the Chief Constable will talk about in his remarks.
However since this variant has already established a foothold in Scotland, we also need to reduce the risk of it spreading further here.
We have taken three key decisions to do that.
Firstly, we are now enabling indoor mixing between households only on Christmas Day itself, and only within Scotland – rather than over a 5 day period across the UK.
Fundamentally, though, my advice is not to meet indoors at all, even on Christmas day, if you can possibly avoid it. If you can, see family from other households outdoors only.
The second key decision that we have taken, is to impose tighter restrictions after Christmas.
We will apply level 4 measures to all of mainland Scotland from Boxing Day morning, from one minute past midnight on Boxing Day for a period of 3 weeks although we will review these level 4 restrictions after 2 weeks.
What that means is that from Boxing Day morning, non-essential shops will close. So will pubs, cafes and restaurants, apart from for takeaways. And we will be asking everyone to work hard to reduce any unnecessary interactions with other households.
Non-essential travel to and from different local authority areas will also be prohibited from Saturday.
The exceptions to level 4 will be Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and the other island communities where we have reduced restrictions in recent weeks. These areas will go into level 3 but, again, with no non-essential travel to and from them.
The third key decision on Saturday was to delay the return of schools after the holidays. Again, a decision we did not take lightly. Everybody knows how hard all of us have worked to keep our schools open from August.
This decision means that – with the exception of children of key workers and more vulnerable children – pupils will not return to learning until 11 January and then, until the 18 of January at least, schools will be online only.
These were all decisions I wish we didn’t have to make, and I know they were horrible decisions for all of you to have to hear.
I am well aware of the impact that level 4 restrictions in particular will have – on people’s wellbeing, and on businesses such as retailers and the hospitality sector.
I spent a fair bit of time when I went home on Saturday night after doing the media briefing here, reading the many emails I had received.
I think it is important for me to do that. And these were from people, many completely understanding of the need for these decisions – but nevertheless who wanted me to know the impact on them and their families. It is heart breaking for so many of you.
And I want you to know I do understand. And if I thought there was an alternative to any of these decisions, I would take that alternative in a heartbeat.
But I know the consequences of not acting now to stop this virus could be catastrophic.
So I am genuinely sorry to have to do these things. But believe me when I say they are necessary.
We can’t take the risk of allowing this new variant to spread as rapidly in Scotland, as it appears to be doing in some other parts of the UK.
We know that this virus, like all other viruses, it exists solely to spread to as many other people as possible, that’s how it survives. And what we unfortunately now know, is that it seems to have become much better at doing that through the new variant.
So if we don’t act now to curb it’s spread, we run the risk of cases running out of control in the early part of the new year.
The restrictions we have put in place and that will come into effect over the weekend give us a much better chance of preventing that while we allowing more of the population – especially those who are most vulnerable to the virus – to become vaccinated.
And while I know that it is very difficult to hear talk of lights at the end of the tunnel right at this moment in time, we shouldn’t forget that the vaccination does give us that hope for the future that we haven’t had at any point in these last 10 months.
The final point I want to make before handing over to the Chief Constable, is that although the new variant of the virus seems to transmit more easily – it can still be stopped in its tracks and the way to stop it in its tracks are through the same measures we have emphasised so many times before.
Physical distancing from people in other households, 2 metres if and when at all possible; washing hands as often as you can; wearing face masks; opening windows while indoors; staying outdoors with other households as much as possible – all of these things still work in reducing the transmission of the virus.
In fact, this new variant has made them more important than ever. So after ten months of all of us becoming really fed up of all of these measures, it is important now more than ever that we really do try to remember them at all times.
That’s why we are asking you to avoid indoor meetings on Christmas Day as far as possible, difficult though I know that is – because indoor meetings are the best possible environment for the virus to spread.
And it’s also why every single one of us should still be remembering the facts advice.
face coverings
avoid crowded places
clean your hands and clean hard surfaces
keep two metres distance from people from other households
and self-isolate, and get tested immediately, if you have symptoms.
I know how difficult all of this is. The last 10 months have been unremittingly hard for everybody. And I suspect this next two weeks are going to be even harder yet, it’s a time of year when we should be looking forward to spending time with our loved ones. I do know how tough it is but this is necessary.
We must do these things to get us through this next phase of the pandemic, while the vaccination programme gathers pace as safely as possible.
I can never thank you enough for continuing to bear these sacrifices and continuing to do all of the things necessary to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe. So thank you, for all of that.
Being separated from family and loved ones over the Christmas period is one of the biggest concerns facing callers to Samaritans, the charity has revealed.
Volunteers on the 24-hour helpline say almost a third of callers are feeling concerned about their wellbeing over Christmas, with the majority of those worried about being separated from family and loved ones, and coping with being lonely during Christmas or having to spend Christmas alone.
Samaritans surveyed 1,400 of its own volunteers in Ireland and the UK to see how callers to the helpline have been feeling about the festive season.
Niall Mulligan, Executive Director for Samaritans Ireland, wants to remind the public that Samaritans are there 24 hours a day, including Christmas Day, for anyone who is distressed, lonely or suffering.
Samaritans volunteers in the Republic of Ireland answered almost 40,000 calls in December 2019. More than 50 volunteers answered over 1,150 calls and written contacts on Christmas Day alone.
“It has been an unprecedented year with the pandemic affecting so many people’s health and wellbeing and this will be a very different Christmas for many people,” Mr Mulligan said.
“Some may not be able to visit family or friends, others may have family oversees who cannot travel home, and for others missing normal events, like Christmas Mass or socialising in the local pub, can be devastating.”
“We know that people struggle more at Christmas, as it’s a time when loneliness can really hit home. We want people to know that we are available 24/7 for everyone on freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie.”
Among the volunteers on duty this Christmas Day will be Bernie Keane and her brother Thomas Carbery, who will be on duty together in Samaritans Waterford branch.
Bernie said it’s “no sacrifice” to volunteer on Christmas night as she loves being there for others when they need someone to talk to.
“I find it very rewarding to volunteer on Christmas Day,” said Bernie, who joined Samaritans 12 years ago.
“A lot of places close for Christmas, like care and day centres, and there are very lonely people, some with mental health issues, who may not see anyone for the whole of Christmas. Giving them 15 minutes just to talk to someone can make a difference.
“They may not be suicidal, but they’re so lonely. Other callers may have had a fall out with family members or other issues may surface like bereavement.”
Thomas joined Samaritans five years ago when he retired as a sergeant in the Irish Defence Forces.
“It can be hard sometimes on a particular call, but at the end of that call when someone says thank you for being there it feels good. You can’t get that feeling anywhere else,” he said.
“It’s nice to be there at Christmas when people need you and when they do not have anyone else to chat to. You could be the only person they talk to all day. It’s a good feeling to know you have been there for that person. It’s definitely been hard for people this year.”
Tonight, Samaritans in Ireland will also mark the Longest Night of the year – the Winter Solstice on Monday December 21st – by asking landmarks across the country to illuminate in green to remind people we’re there for them in their darkest hours.
Dublin’s Convention Centre, The Rock of Cashel, Kilkenny Castle, Millmount in Drogheda and Limerick County Council offices are among those taking part to raise awareness of our service.
Images will be shared across social media channels with the hashtags #LongestNight #AlwaysThere.
SOME of the world’s most talented female drummers have joined forces to release a Christmas single to help raise awareness of mental health issues in young people in music.
‘Little Drummer Girl’ is a unique take on the Christmas classic, ‘Little Drummer Boy’, which features 12 drummers from the UK and US. The single was arranged and coordinated by The Echo Lab Music Studios in Perthshire.
Charlotte Bibby, drummer and director at The Echo Lab, says: ‘The inspiration for this project came from my desire to raise awareness of the mental health issues that affect young musicians, while also raising the profile of female musicians – who generally don’t get the recognition or same spotlight as their male counterparts.
‘The loss of Frightened Rabbit front man, Scott Hutchison, was also a huge catalyst for the project. He was a massive inspiration to me and his death really highlighted the fact that more needed to be done to support the mental health of musicians.’
Money raised through sales of the single will be split between two charities; Tiny Changes, a Scottish mental health charity set up in memory of Scott Hutchison; and Action for Children, which works to support and protect young people across the UK.
Among the sponsors of the initiative was Specsavers Audiology in Edinburgh.
Jonathan Bell, audiology director for Specsavers in Edinburgh, says: ‘We are delighted to support such a fantastic initiative in the lead up to Christmas.
‘The work of both Tiny Changes and Action for Children is a true inspiration – particularly over the festive period. We wish every success for the single and hope the funds raised go a long way towards helping young people in music who are suffering from mental health issues.’
Other sponsors include Natal Drums, Istanbul Mehmet cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Forty-Six Creative Consultancy, Chuck Cumming, Wing Design, Dylan White, and Karl Parsons.
The single, which has just been released, is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Spotify.
Bank of Scotland’s Business Barometer for December 2020 shows:
Overall confidence of firms in Scotland rose 29 points in the past month to -9%
Companies in three of 12 UK nations and regions return to net optimistic position for the first time since March
Report shows biggest month-on-month improvement in UK business confidence in four years after vaccine rollout begins
Business confidence in Scotland increased to its highest point since the pandemic began in March, rising 29 points month-on-month to -9% during December, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking.
Scottish firms’ optimism towards the economy increased by 38 points month-on-month to -12%, while confidence in their own business prospects rose 20 points to -7%. Together, this gives a headline confidence reading of -9%.
Businesses’ hiring intentions showed that a net balance of 33% of businesses in Scotland expect to reduce staff levels over the next year, down 10 points on last month.
The Business Barometer questions 1,200 businesses monthly and provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.
Across the UK, overall confidence saw its largest monthly increase for more than four years in December, following vaccine progression announcements. Confidence climbed by seventeen points to -4% in November to -4%. Economic optimism jumped 23 points to -5%, while firms’ confidence about their trading prospects increased 11 points to -3%.
All 12 UK nations and regions saw a rise in overall confidence during December. The most marked improvements were reported in Scotland (up twenty-nine points to -9%); the South West (up twenty-two points to 5%) and the West Midlands (up twenty-two points to 4%). The North East, South West and West Midlands all moved into net positive territory for the first time since March this year.
The South West recorded highest confidence at 5%, followed by the West Midlands and South West, each at 4%. The North West had the lowest confidence during December at -13%, despite confidence increasing month-on-month by 15 points.
Fraser Sime, regional director for Scotland at Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking, said: “To see an increase in the confidence of Scottish businesses is a step in the right direction as we come to the end of what has been a very difficult year.
“The roll-out of the vaccine should buoy spirits further as it helps to bring light to a Covid-19 exit strategy, but this optimism could falter in coming months with continued uncertainty over lockdown restrictions.
“Whatever the new year brings, we’ll continue to be by the side of businesses across Scotland, as we all work together to support the country’s recovery from the pandemic.”
National overview
In the industry sectors, confidence reached the highest levels seen since the start of the pandemic. Manufacturing reported a strong rebound this month despite looming uncertainty during the survey period about the UK’s new trading arrangements with the EU, surging by twenty-five points, from -25% to 0%.
This was followed by a growth in confidence for construction, which rose by eighteen points to -5%; services, which jumped by sixteen points to -5% and the retail sector which reported an eleven point lift in confidence to -1%. Nevertheless, entering the holiday trading period, confidence in retail, as in other sectors, remains below the long-term average.
Paul Gordon, Managing Director for SME and Mid Corporates, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said:“It has been encouraging to see a clean sweep of regional confidence increases this month.
“Despite the regional restrictions across the UK, it is promising to see regions beginning to report above-average confidence figures. While we can primarily attribute this uptick to the news of the vaccine progress, it has also injected a boost in confidence for the sectors, with manufacturing rebounding strongly and other sectors following suit.
“We know that confidence has been volatile in 2021, it is positive to see this sharp rise in confidence and we hope this continues through to the New Year.”
Hann-Ju Ho, Senior Economist, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “The news of the vaccine progress has bolstered this month’s confidence figures, more than offsetting uncertainties around the UK’s new trading relationship with the EU.
“While confidence remains below average and significant challenges lie ahead, it is heartening to conclude a challenging year with a notable improvement in business sentiment and with the positive momentum hopefully continuing into 2021.”
With Saturday’s latest setback, however, it’s clear that we’re far from out the woods yet. 2021 may prove to be every bit as challenging as 2020 has been for UK businesses – Ed.
BOY ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH ASSAULT NEAR UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Inspector Norman Towler of St Leonards Police Station said: “Officers have arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with a racial assault which happened in George Square on Friday, 11 December.
“A 21-year-old man was approached by a group of youths, who spoke to him and subjected him to racial abuse before he was assaulted. The victim was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
“The teenager will be reported and enquiries continue to trace others involved in the incident.
“I would like to thank those who have assisted with our enquiries so far, any form of hate crime is completely unacceptable and I would ask anyone with any further information to contact officers as soon as possible.
“Those with information should report this to 101, quoting incident number 2927 of 11 December.”
The Iniversity issued the following statement following the attack:
On Friday 11 December 2020, one of our students was the victim of a racist attack outside the Main Library. This was an appalling incident, which we wholeheartedly condemn.
All of our University community should feel safe on campus, and we will not tolerate violence, racism or any other form of discrimination.
We are working closely with Police Scotland to support their investigations into the incident, and to increase the presence of security and police in the area. We have conducted a swift review into our response on the night and continue to work with the student community to address their concerns.
A range of help has been offered to the victim to support them after their ordeal. However, this will of course be upsetting and concerning for our whole community. We want to reassure our students and staff that we will do everything in our power to ensure that people have a safe and happy experience on campus.
Anyone affected by the incident should contact our Advice Place on advice@eusa.ed.ac.uk, or visit the following links to access support:
2020 has been challenging and, although many people like to give generously to charity at Christmas, it may be difficult to make a donation this year.
Rather than gifting money, this Christmas you can help support the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) by collecting and donating used stamps from cards and parcels you may receive.
Your stamps will be recycled and turned into vital funds that will help RNIB make Christmas as open and inclusive as possible for children with vision impairment. By supporting RNIB with your stamps, you can help make good things happen for these children, like ensuring they receive a letter from Santa in a format they can read.
To get involved and receive a pre-paid envelope for your stamps, visit www.rnib.org.uk/stamps or call 0303 123 9999.
After this all you need to do is send your stamps using RNIB’s freepost envelopes, and they’ll take care of the rest. It really is that simple!
Show your support for RNIB this Christmas and New Year by collecting stamps and help make life better for blind and partially sighted people.
A rarely-seen Second World War flying boat is back in the sky after its engine failed while attempting to take off from Loch Ness in Scotland.
The PBY Catalina seaplane ‘Miss Pick Up’ suffered severe engine failure after a day of filming at the loch – famous the world over for the legends of the mysterious Loch Ness Monster.
The beautifully-designed flying boat, developed by the US Navy, was lifted out of the water by a crane. Engineers then discovered the engine was severely damaged and needed to be replaced.
But now, thanks to donations from aviation enthusiasts throughout the world, the RAF Duxford-based plane is once again soaring through the skies of Britain.
The plane is maintained by the not-for-profit Plane Sailing, a Cambridge-based team of dedicated pilots and volunteers whose sole mission to keep the much-loved aircraft flying.
In total £31,390 was raised by just under a thousand well-wishers donating to the gofundme page.
Former RAF Harrier pilot Paul Warren Wilson, the leader of Plane Sailing’s Catalina operation and The Catalina Society, said: “She flies! We can’t thank the people who donated enough. It is thanks to them this venerable old veteran is once again in its natural element and we are incredibly grateful to them all.
“After being towed to safety by the Loch Ness RNLI, the Catalina was carefully lifted onto a private quay where an engine change was carried out by her engineering crew.
“This is a complex enough operation in the warmth of her Duxford hangar where suitable equipment is available. So, doing it in the open during a Scottish winter took a lot of grit and ingenuity.
“It’s wonderful to see her up and running. I admit I was holding my breath during take-off but everything went smoothly.”
When the engine work was finished the pilots had to wait for suitable weather and light winds so that Miss Pick Up could be lifted back onto the waters of Loch Ness.
After further checks and refuelling at Inverness-Dalcross Airport, Miss Pick Up headed south for an overnight stop at Tatenhill airfield in the Midlands before flying on to the Imperial War Museum airfield at Duxford on December 2.
Miss Pick Up is one of the world’s only airworthy Catalina flying boats and is largely self-funding as it appears at up to 20 air shows a year – but because of COVID, it has been to just two in 2020.
All the funds raised were used on crane hire, transporting the spare engine from Duxford to Loch Ness, workshop facilities, and scaffolding.
The plane was stranded on the west side of the Loch at Urquhart Bay and was lifted onto the quayside by crane using a pair of lifting points on the wings.
The Miss Pick Up has two engines and each lasts for 1,200 hours flying before it must be refurbished.
Catalina quick facts:
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was produced for the US Navy but was also flown by the RAF and the air forces of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union.
Catalinas were used in anti-submarine warfare, patrol bombing, convoy escort, search and rescue missions, and cargo transport.
The aircraft was involved in almost every major operation in the Second World War – notably combatting the dreaded German U-boats in the Atlantic, locatingthe German battleship Bismarck, and the sighting of the Japanese invasion force heading for Ceylon.
It was produced in San Diego, New Orleans, Quebec, and Vancouver during the war.
There are just 20 still flying throughout the world. Miss Pick Up is the only one located in Europe.
