A man has been arrested and charged by Police Scotland in connection with culpable and reckless conduct after two unlawful gatherings were held in Edinburgh.
The first was held during the afternoon of Saturday, 5 September, and the second on Thursday, 10 September, outside the Scottish Parliament and in the surrounding areas.
A 60-year-old man has now been charged in connection with both gatherings, which were held in opposition to the Covid-19 restrictions, and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Superintendent David Robertson of Edinburgh Division said: “Officers attended both of these gatherings to help ensure the safety of the public and to remind those attending to adhere to the current guidelines.
“We engaged with a number of people and encouraged them to comply with the law. As we have routinely said, enforcement will be a last resort but we will use the powers at our disposal where required to do so.
“We are asking people to take personal responsibility and remember that the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to stay safe, protect others and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.”
All of Scotland’s 32 local authorities and more than 25 individual community regeneration projects will receive a share of £30 million of new investment for regeneration and town centres.
The funding will be available immediately through the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and the Town Centre Fund (TCF), both delivered in partnership between Scottish Government and COSLA.
Edinburgh’s share of the Town Centre Fund is £954,000.
The Govanhill Baths refurbishment in Glasgow, Midmills in Inverness, which will support creative industries and cultural social enterprises in the Highlands; and the Mossedge Centre, which will be a multi-purpose facility for use by the surrounding communities in Linwood Renfrewshire are among the community led regeneration projects that will benefit from this funding.
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “We want to go beyond rebuilding – to refresh and reform and help drive the social and economic renewal necessary to achieve the best future for Scotland.
“This further £30 million capital funding for regeneration and town centres will stimulate local construction across Scotland and support disadvantaged areas in the recovery.
“Communities are best placed to identify specific needs and aspirations and this regeneration funding enables the delivery of a wide range of locally-developed projects to be made into reality.
“Our places must work for our communities, and the Town Centre Funding will build on the success of last year’s fund. With it, local authorities will be able to drive forward projects that help people live better locally and reduce their carbon footprint while driving footfall to local businesses.”
COSLA Environment and Economy Spokesperson Cllr Steven Heddle said: “The additional challenges facing Scotland’s most vulnerable communities due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic means there has never been a more important time to strengthen the economic, social, and physical wellbeing of our places.
“This additional funding for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Town Centre Fund will support the regeneration aspirations of our communities, and also accelerate the delivery of projects to support the recovery, tackle disadvantage and deprivation and support jobs.”
Linwood Community Development Trust will receive £400,000 from the RCGF this year to bring forward completion of the Mossedge Centre.
Trust Manager Kirsty Flannigan said: “Complemented by the existing 3G pitch, the Mossedge Centre will provide a resource for all within the local community, including a purpose-built home for our community run Roots Shop.
“Now we see the finishing line in sight, and can look forward to the post-pandemic future with confidence, knowing that this project will provide a legacy for present and future generations of the Linwood community.”
New National Garden Scheme report highlights the importance of gardens and outdoor spaces during lockdown
A new report from the National Garden Scheme emphasises the vital role that gardens and outdoor spaces played – and continue to play – in the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the nation during lockdown.
Bringing together feedback from garden owners, viewers of their unique Virtual Garden Visits that aired throughout lockdown, and an online survey conducted in August, the National Garden Scheme report confirms that the power of gardens to do good has never been more important.
George Plumptre, Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme said, “Anecdotally, from the responses we received to our Virtual Garden Visits during lockdown, we knew that gardens (real and virtual) were playing a significant and important role in people’s lives.
“In August, to back this up, we ran an online survey entitled ‘The importance of our gardens and outdoor spaces during lockdown’. Over 2,400 people responded giving us a set of key statistics which confirmed much of the feedback we had already established; that access to gardens and green spaces can play a vital role in our ability to cope in times of crisis.
“The report lays out our findings, the statistics along with some of the long-form stories that survey respondents shared with us, and the feedback from a selection of our own National Garden Scheme garden owners.”
KEY FINDINGS:2,419 people responded to the online survey
92% said their gardens and outdoor spaces were ‘extremely important’ to them during lockdown in terms of health and wellbeing
87% said that a key benefit gained from access to their garden/outdoor space during lockdown was ‘It helped to relieve stress.’
100% of those with balconies or window boxes (35 respondents) said a key benefit was the reduction in stress – all of these respondents were within an urban or suburban environment
Of respondents with access only to a public outdoor space (20 respondents) 95% said that a key benefit was that ‘It helped to relieve stress’ (as opposed to 87% overall)
78% said that a key benefit gained from access to their garden/outdoor space during lockdown was ‘It helped them appreciate nature’
69% said that a key benefit gained from access to their garden/outdoor space during lockdown was ‘It kept them fit and contributed positively to their physical fitness’
86% said they used their gardens more during lockdown77% used their gardens for relaxation
81% spent their time growing and propagating seeds
70% grew their own produceEnjoying time to watch and encourage wildlife, connecting with neighbours ‘over the garden gate’, completing overdue garden projects and enjoying the sanctuary of their outdoor spaces were common themes in the long form responses.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, James and the Giant Peach … children and adults have been delighted by Roald Dahl’s books for generations. September 13 is Roald Dahl Day, a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our favourite Dahl stories and characters with fellow fans all over the world.
Here, Dahl fan and former primary school teacher Laura Steele of educational resources experts PlanBee shares her top facts about the much-loved author.
Who was Roald Dahl?
Roald Dahl is one of the most famous authors in the world. His children’s books have been translated into almost 60 different languages, and sold over 250 million copies worldwide.
He was born on September 13 1916, in Llandaff, South Wales. His parents were Norwegian.
School Life
Roald joined Llandaff Cathedral School in Wales when he was seven. He was said to have been a mischievous child. On one occasion, he and his friends devised the ‘great mouse plot’ when they hid a dead mouse in a jar of gobstoppers in order to give an unpleasant old sweet shop owner a fright. The boys were later found out and caned by their headmaster while the sweet shop owner watched. (This story, as well as many other tales from his childhood, is recounted in his autobiography, ‘Boy’.)
As a result of the caning, Roald’s mother withdrew him from the Cathedral School and sent him to St Peter’s Boarding School in Weston-super-Mare. He was just nine years old. Roald was very homesick to begin with, and even pretended to have appendicitis so that he would be sent home!
When he was 13, Roald became a pupil at Repton School in Derbyshire. One of the rare highlights of being a pupil there was when the boys were asked to sample and rate new chocolate bars for Cadbury!
Overall, however, he did not enjoy his school days, calling them ‘days of horror’ that were filled with ‘rules, rules and still more rules that had to be obeyed’. When, aged 17, he was asked by his mother if he wanted to go to university, his reply was: ‘No, thank you. I want to go straight from school to work for a company that will send me to faraway wonderful places like Africa or China.’
African adventures
Roald’s first job with an oil company sent him to work first in Kenya, and then Tanzania. In Tanzania, Roald saw many wild and dangerous animals, including lions, rhinos and hyenas, but it was the snakes he feared the most.
Flying ace
Roald joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in Kenya at the outbreak of the Second World War, and became a fighter pilot. Unfortunately, he crash-landed in the Western Desert of North Africa and was badly injured.
I Spy!
After being discharged from the RAF, Roald became a British Intelligence Officer (a spy!), passing on important information to the government. He worked alongside another spy, Ian Fleming, who later became famous for his James Bond 007 series.
Becoming an author
In 1961, Roald Dahl’s first novel for children, ‘James and the Giant Peach’, was published. In total, he wrote 20 children’s books – 17 fiction books and three poetry books.
Do not disturb!
Roald had a small hut at the bottom of his garden where he would go to write. It contained a battered old armchair and a table of strange mementos, including a silver ball made from old chocolate wrappers, and a piece of his own hip bone that was removed during an operation!
Ten Fun Facts about Roald Dahl
Roald’s parents named him after the Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, who was the first man to reach the South Pole, in 1911.
In Norwegian, Roald’s name is pronounced ‘Rooo-al’, with a silent ‘d’.
When he was a child, he had two pet mice called Marmaduke and Montague.
As an adult, Roald was 2 metres tall.
He could speak three languages, English, Norwegian and Swahili, the official language of Kenya and Tanzania.
Roald’s first ever piece of published writing was an account of his plane crash during the Second World War.
Roald invented over 250 new words (there is even a special Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary).
According to his teachers at school, Roald was never very good at writing.
September 13th, 2020 would have been his 104th birthday.
Roald wrote for four hours every day. He did not want his children disturbing him while he was in his writing hut, so he told them wolves lived there!
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), this morning (Saturday 12th September 2020) confirmed that it had issued ten regional flood alerts for Scotland over the weekend period.
Mark Franklin, SEPA’s Duty Flood Manager, said: “With yet another wet weekend forecast for much of Scotland, SEPA has issued ten regional flood alerts.
“Persistent, and occasionally heavy rain will bring a gradual build-up of surface water and rising river levels during Saturday evening and into Sunday across many parts of the North, West and Central Highlands. This is likely to result in localised flooding of land and roads, as well as some transport disruption.
“Parts of Argyll, Easter Ross and Lochaber could experience flooding affecting communities and disruption to infrastructure due to the heaviest rain – and people living, working and travelling in these areas are advised to ensure they have signed up to Floodline and are prepared to take action to protect property. Advice on what you can do to prepare can be found at floodlinescotland.org.uk/
“North Ayrshire, the Central Highlands and the Ochils may also see impacts from rainfall, with localised flooding of known trouble spots likely.
“The Met Office has issued a weather warning for Central, Tayside & Fife, Highlands & Eilean Siar and Strathclyde from 18:00 on Saturday 12 until 23:59 on Sunday 13 September.
“SEPA is working 24/7 to monitor rainfall and river levels, and is in close contact with the Met Office and other partners to review the forecasts, which are combined with local expertise from all regions of Scotland to understand and present the flooding risk. Flood Alerts and Warnings are likely to be issued during Saturday and the most up-to-date information is always available on our website.”
Don’t walk through flood water – 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet and hazards can be hidden under the water.
On the road or on public transport we can expect difficult conditions.
Drive with care, and do not travel through deep fast flowing water. It only takes 30cm of fast flowing water to move an average family sized car.
If you are walking beside rivers be extra careful of wet footpaths and possibly small watercourses in spate.
What’s the difference between a Flood Alert and a Flood Warning?
We use forecast weather information provided by the Met Office combined with our own observation of rainfall and river levels and advanced hydrological modelling to provide advance warning of flooding.
Regional Flood Alerts are early advice that flooding is possible across a wider geographical area. The purpose of the Alerts is to make people aware of the risk of flooding and be prepared. We normally issue them 12 to 24 hours in advance of the possibility of flooding.
Flood Warnings are more locally specific and are issued for areas where we have gauges on rivers to measure the exact river height. They are issued at shorter notice when we are more certain that a specific area will be affected.
Today’s Area of Concern Map
Area A Persistent, and occasionally heavy rain will bring a gradual build-up of surface water and rising river levels during Saturday evening and into Sunday across many parts of the North, West and Central Highlands. This is likely to result in localised flooding of land and roads, as well as some transport disruption. Parts of Argyll, Easter Ross and Lochaber could experience flooding affecting communities and disruption to infrastructure due to the heaviest rain – and people living, working and travelling in these areas are advised to ensure they have signed up to Floodline and are prepared to take action to protect property. Advice on what you can do to prepare can be found at floodlinescotland.org.uk/
Area B North Ayrshire, the Central Highlands and the Ochils may also see impacts from rainfall, with localised flooding of known trouble spots likely. The Met Office has issued a weather warning for Central, Tayside & Fife, Highlands & Eilean Siar and Strathclyde from 18:00 on Saturday 12 until 23:59 on Sunday 13 September.
A law firm from Edinburgh is aiming to raise vital funds for nine of the UK’s best loved charities, after signing up for Will Aid, the annual charity will writing campaign.
Adams Law has signed up to the scheme, which runs throughout November, for the second year in a row.
The firm has raised £2,434 for the nine charities involved since it joined the scheme. This year it raised a total of £1,120.
Farah Adams from the firm said: “We are very excited to be involved in the Will Aid campaign again this year.
“It gives us an excellent opportunity to reach people in our community who do not have a will and help them to protect their loved ones for the future.
“It also means we can raise funds for nine incredible charities which make a huge difference to people in need both here in the UK and around the world.”
The Will Aid scheme takes place across the country during November and supports ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (N. Ireland).
Thanks to the generosity of solicitors like Adams Law, the campaign has raised more than £21 million for these charities since it launched 31 years ago.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, charities are in need of donations now more than ever.
Campaign director Peter de Vena Franks said: “One in three people die in the UK without making a will, often leaving confusion and chaos behind along with the sadness of losing a loved one.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly made people reflect on the fragility of life and reinforced the importance of having a professionally-written will in place.
“Will Aid encourages people to prepare this vital piece of paperwork at the same time as making a difference by raising money for charity.
“We are thrilled that Adams Law has joined this year’s campaign. They have contributed a great deal to our fundraising efforts in the past and I know they will continue to work with us in future.”
Law firms across the country are being asked to sign up and pledge a portion of their time to write basic wills, putting duty before profit and instead asking clients to make a voluntary donation.
The suggested voluntary donation for a basic Will Aid will is £100 for a single will and £180 for a pair of mirror wills. Donations support the vital work of the nine partner charities.
Any additional work to the will can be charged separately and is paid to the law firm.
Will Aid solicitors will be following the most up-to-date government health advice to ensure that face-to-face meetings remain safe. Many firms will be able to write wills at a distance via a phone or online consultations. Some firms will only be offering their services remotely. Participating firms can be contacted directly for more information.
For more information about how to sign up or how to make an appointment to write a will visit www.willaid.org.uk/solicitors.
Break-ins to garden sheds, garages and thefts from gardens are common throughout the country. In fact, many criminals consider this type of crime to be low risk, as they don’t have to force entry to your home.
Many people store bikes, power tools and expensive gardening equipment in their sheds making it very attractive to criminals.
The good news is that there is a lot you can do to outsmart garden thieves. A few simple solutions can make all the difference to the security of your garden:
• Make sure the lock is in good working order. Fit a mortise lock (BS3621:2007) and/or use a good quality closed shackle padlock on your shed door. The hasp should be attached using coach bolts or anti tamper screws rather than basic screws.
• If there are any windows in the garage/shed, fit a grill, adhesive frosting or put a curtain over the window, so that people cannot see in.
• Fit a shed alarm. These can be bought online for around £10.
• Secure all the equipment including bicycles that you can by padlock and chain, make sure it is attached to the building – a ground anchor is preferable.
• Security mark your bicycles, lawnmowers, toolboxes and garden furniture, by engraving, painting or using a DNA security marker kit and register these. Available online.
• Consider installing a garage defender, which secures the door to the ground.• Surrounding hedges or trees should be trimmed or cropped so as not to provide cover for thieves.
• Clear your garden all of debris, rubble and tools that may be used to force entry.
• Install security lighting to illuminate your garden.• Consider topping your fence or wall with a trellis, which will provide an additional barrier and provide support for climbing plants.
• Aggressive plants and shrubs, such as Berberis and Hawthorn can help deter intruders.
• If purchasing security products look for items endorsed with the Sold Secure or Secured by Design logo.
If you see anyone acting suspiciously near to your premises please contact the police immediately with as detailed a description as possible of any person or vehicle involved.
Please call 999 if an emergency and urgent police assistance is required or 101 if not urgent to report the matter to the police.
Scotland Secretary Alister Jack’s has written to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, about the UK Internal Market Bill:
11 September 2020
Dear Nicola,
I am writing to correct the false claims you have made about the UK Government’s Internal Market Bill, introduced to Parliament on Wednesday, 9 September.
As we’ve been clear, the Bill will protect and strengthen our internal market which is so vital to Scotland’s economy with 60 per cent of our exports, worth over £50 billion per year, going to other parts of the United Kingdom.
It will also create new opportunities for the UK Government, working with the Scottish Government, local authorities and other partners, to invest in Scotland.
That’s why I have described the Bill as a win-win for Scotland.
It is good for business, jobs and consumers. It will boost our economy and help us rebuild from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bill has now begun its passage through Parliament and will be debated at length in the weeks ahead.
In accordance with the Sewel Convention, the UK Government will seek a Legislative Consent Motion so the Scottish Parliament, also, will have the opportunity to consider our proposals.
Before this takes place, I wish to correct a series of assertions you have made about the Bill.
1. You have said the Bill will lead to a ‘race to the bottom’ in terms of food standards and environmental protections. That is emphatically not the case.
The UK is a world leader in food and environmental standards and that will not change.
Also, as you know, the UK Government and all devolved administrations have agreed a common framework on food and feed safety and hygiene law which clearly sets out the ‘rules and regulations related to the production and distribution of food and feed’. Guaranteeing our shared commitment to high standards across the UK.
The UK Government is proud of our record and keenly aware of the premium our high standards place on UK goods in overseas markets.
2. Similarly, your speculation that Scotland could be ‘forced to accept chlorinated chicken’ is unfounded.
As we have previously reminded Scottish Government ministers during discussions about the Bill, chlorine washed chicken is illegal in the UK. The UK Government has been clear we will not sign a trade deal that would compromise our high standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.
Of course, we recognise and welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to high standards in these areas. Our shared view should be the basis of an agreed UK approach to high standards.
3. You also claimed the new spending power contained in the Bill could divert funding from schools and hospitals in Scotland. This is not the case.
Education and health are – and will continue to be – devolved to the Scottish Parliament and decisions on funding in those areas are for your Government to take. Scotland’s block grant is at a record level and the Barnett Formula will continue to operate as set out in the Statement on Funding Policy.
The UK Government’s spending power set out in the Bill will complement existing Scottish Government spending powers. This can only be a benefit to the people and businesses of Scotland.
They will enable us to spend money previously controlled by the EU to make strategic investments of UK-wide importance.
This is good news for the communities we serve and I am confident these new opportunities will be warmly welcomed by the people of Scotland.
4. You claim the Bill, had it been in place at the time, would have prohibited the Scottish Parliament from legislating to introduce a minimum price for alcohol. Again – as we have already made clear to Scottish Government ministers – this is incorrect.
Under the terms of the Bill, the Scottish Parliament would be able to introduce a minimum alcohol price provided, of course, it was not applied only to alcoholic drinks produced in certain parts of the UK.
5. You claim the Bill is ‘a naked power grab’ and ‘an attack on the powers of devolution’. It is not.
The Scottish Parliament will lose none of its existing powers. Indeed, as powers return from Brussels when we leave the Transition Period at the end of the year, scores of new responsibilities will flow to Holyrood.
It should be noted that your Government’s ambition to take Scotland out of the UK and into the EU would remove these powers from the Scottish Parliament. That is the only threat to Holyrood’s powers.
6. Finally, you claim the Bill would ‘break’ or ‘cripple’ devolution.
I’m afraid your Government is never less convincing than when it purports to champion a system it unashamedly wishes to overthrow.
Independence would destroy devolution, ending our system of two governments which was backed overwhelmingly by the people of Scotland in the referendums of 1997 and 2014.
The UK Government emphatically supports devolution and our Bill will strengthen the Scottish Parliament and create new opportunities for Scotland.
Your colourful description of the Internal Market Bill as ‘an abomination’ is deeply regrettable.
In my view, it would be abominable for the people of Scotland to be misinformed about a Bill which has such potential to improve lives and strengthen our country.
THE RT HON. ALISTER JACK MP SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has since written to the UK Government voicing concern at its plans for a post-Brexit internal market, saying it represents a threat to the Scottish economy.
Ms Hyslop said the proposed Internal Markets Bill will jeopardise Scotland’s food and drink sector, which has a world-renowned reputation for high standards and high quality products.
She also highlighted how the Bill will undermine the good progress made on common frameworks, the preferred means of managing policy difference across the UK when EU rules no longer apply.
Last month the Scottish Parliament considered the original proposals set out in the UK Government White Paper and voted overwhelmingly – by 92 votes to 31 – to reject them.
In her letter to Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Ms Hyslop said:
“Coronavirus (COVID-19) is clearly currently the biggest challenge for business and the economy. Unnecessary legislation, which undermines devolution, on top of an entirely unnecessary end to the Brexit transition period will do nothing to protect or promote trade across the UK and beyond.
“If this legislation were already in place, Scotland would not have been able to lead the way on the ban on smoking in public, on introducing minimum unit pricing for alcohol, having rules on the marketing of raw milk consistent with the nature of the dairy sector in Scotland, or taking forward bans on the sale of plastic-stemmed cotton buds and microbeads in cosmetics.
“A linked concern is the prospect of the UK entering into future international trade agreements which might result in lower standard products being accepted into UK markets. Scotland’s world-leading food and drink sector, for example, is built on a reputation for the highest quality produce and nothing should be done to put that at risk.”
New industry group issues appeal as Scottish Government enforces further limits on gatherings
A new body representing many of Scotland’s most successful restaurant and bar owners has called on the Scottish Government to immediately shut down licensed premises which flout social distancing regulations.
The newly-formed Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG) comprises many of the country’s largest and best-known restaurant and bar businesses, including The DRG Group, Buzzworks Holdings, Signature Pubs, Montpeliers, Manorview Group, Lisini Pub Co, Caledonia Inns, G1 Group, Siberia Bar & Hotel, Mor-Rioghain Group, and Caledonian Heritable.
The businesses are founded and based in Scotland and collectively contribute a significant investment to the Scottish economy, employing close to 6,000 staff across the country. The well-known venues have a combined turnover of over £275 million.
Yesterday the organisation demanded that ‘rogue licensees’ who fail to enforce social distancing regulations, in light of the revised Scottish Government guidance limiting gatherings to six people from two households, should be shut down immediately to safeguard the wider industry.
Award-winning hotelier Stephen Montgomery, spokesman for the SHG, who runs two hotels in Dumfries and Galloway, said: “We have been forced to act because our industry is facing an existential crisis.
“The vast majority of bars and restaurants in Scotland have been adhering religiously to every regulation that has been introduced because we realise the very future of our industry is at stake.
“The Scottish Government simply must not take a blanket approach if a few rogue licensees fail to do the right thing.
“All members of the SHG are united in calling on the Scottish Government to immediately shut down the operators of bars and restaurants who don’t adhere to the very highest standards of social distancing, PPE and other essential hygiene measures.
“Targeting the few bars and restaurants which are breaking the rules is the proper and proportionate way to proceed, particularly in light of the revised Scottish Government guidance limiting gatherings to six people from two households.
“Responsible bar and restaurant owners across Scotland are also essential to the effective use of the track and trace system. If you shut down restaurants and bars, you are massively increasing the risk of more house parties and irresponsible gatherings, where track and trace is almost impossible.”
The SHG founding members are:
The DRG Group – Mario Gizzi
The Di Maggio’s Restaurant Group (The DRG) is Scotland’s largest independently owned restaurant operator. Founded by Joe Conetta and his nephew, Mario Gizzi, in 1983 with the creation of the Glasgow institution, Di Maggio’s. Thirty years later, Mario is still at the helm, co-managing the business with Joe’s son, Tony Conetta. DRG now has 25 restaurants in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Brands within the DRG include Di Maggio’s, Café Andaluz, Amarone, Barolo, The Anchor Line, Atlantic and Cadiz. Gizzi is also co-owner of another successful restaurant business. Turnover £40m – 1,200 plus employees.
Buzzworks Holdings – Kenny Blair
Buzzworks Holdings is one of Scotland’s fastest growing independent restaurant and bar operators, managing twelve prestigious venues across Ayrshire and beyond with over 500 staff. The award-winning company offers an aspirational dining and entertainment experience through four stylish brands – Scotts, House, Lido & Vic’s & The Vine – bringing in an annual turnover of over £18m. It is currently ranked within The Sunday Times Best 100 Best Companies to work for in the UK.
Signature Pubs – Nic Wood
Signature Pubs formed in 2003 with a current t/o £35m Scottish hospitality business of 22 non branded venues – independently owned, operated and financed. We employ +700 staff to operate these bars, restaurants and hotels. Representations of all aspects of the sector eg Kyloe Restaurant & Grill – premium steakhouse within The Rutland Hotel in Edinburgh’s West End, The Spiritualist – cocktail bar in Merchant City, Glasgow, Cold Town House – restaurant, bar, entertainment venue and microbrewery offering tours and experiences in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket.
Montpeliers – Innes Bolt
Launched in 1992, Montpeliers is a forward thinking bar/restaurant, nightclub and hotel group. It turns over more than £15m and has seven venues employing just over 250 staff. These include Tigerlily, Rabble, Montpeliers, Indigo Yard, Eastside and Candy Bar. David Wither and Ruth Wither (Partners) also founded one of the most successful online hospitality training businesses – Flow.
Manorview Group – Steve Graham
Established in 2007, The Manorview Group boasts eight luxury boutique hotels across the central belt of Scotland and more than 500 employees. They specialise in the restoration of old and tired properties, transforming them into luxury boutique hotels. These include The Busby Hotel, Busby; The Torrance Hotel, East Kilbride; Boclair House, Bearsden and Cornhill Castle in Biggar. The business turnsover in the region of £16m.
Lisini Pub Co – Lisa Wishart
Lisini Pub Company is one of the most successful, independent, family run hospitality businesses in Scotland. With almost 50 years’ experience its portfolio of hotels, bars and restaurants in Lanarkshire include: Angels Hotel in Uddingston, Dalziel Park Hotel in Motherwell, The Parkville Hotel in Blantyre and The Castle Rooms in Uddingston. The company turns over in the region of £8m and has 240+ employees.
Caledonia Inns – Billy Lowe
Formed in 2017 by Billy Lowe who formerly owned Saltire Taverns (sold in 2015) has owned 36 bars over the course of the last 25 years. His current venues include Black Ivy and MacSorley’s in Edinburgh. The business turns over £8m and has 100 employees.
Caledonian Heritable – Graeme Arnott
Caledonian Heritable turns over in excess of £45 million and employees some 800 plus people. It is one of Scotland’s biggest bar and pub owners and operators.
G1 Group – Lesley Welsh G1 Group was founded in Glasgow in 1990 and is Scotland’s largest independently owned hospitality group. With a diverse collection of over 50 venues, they specialise in the restoration and refurbishment of buildings with listed status. G1 operate a handful of hotels in Edinburgh, as well as a range of restaurants, bars and pubs all over the country. They also operate 3 cinemas, including the only independently owned IMAX in the UK. G1 has a turnover of £85m with 930 staff.
Siberia Bar & Hotel – Stuart McPhee With a turnover of £1.5m and employing 28 staff, Siberia Bar & Hotel, is an award winning independently owned bar, restaurant and hotel on a site that has been operated and developed by the company in Aberdeen city centre for over 40 years.
Mior-Rioghain Group venues offer fine Scottish hospitality and a range of local food and drink that showcase the very best Scotland has to offer. The business employs 125 people across its three sites in Aberdeen and Inverness and turns over £3.5m.
Young players can study to degree level while pursuing their professional careers
Edinburgh Napier is teaming up with Heart of Midlothian FC and Hibernian FC to support young Academy players on a dual career pathway – studying at the same time as training and playing with their clubs.
A new course has been specifically tailored towards players whose training commitments make traditional study options difficult. The programme was developed in response to a request from HMFC Head of Academy, Roger Arnott, who was looking for a way to help support the young players to remain in education while beginning their journey as a professional footballer.
The University’s innovative part-time programme, for which young players from both Celtic and Rangers have also signed up, combines campus-based workshops and online learning which will develop the academy players’ knowledge of elite sport in a business context.
It will support the players’ integration into the world of professional football, while at the same time developing important academic and business-related skills. This approach is being used to allow the players to understand their environment, find their place within it, and connect more productively with professional sport and the world of employment.
The players will begin their studies this month at a level which offers six modules over two years to Certificate of Higher Education standard, with topics including psychology, the athlete in sport, and football in the digital age.
They can continue studying part-time for a further two to four years to complete a BA in Business and Enterprise in Sport degree, building their management, communication and leadership skills, financial acumen, and ability to identify entrepreneurial opportunities.
Students enrolling on the new pilot course must be registered as academy level footballers, but do not require Scottish Higher level school qualifications for entry; they will typically have chosen to pursue a professional football career before completing their Higher year at school.
Upon successful completion of this award, these players will be at the same or a higher education point as their peers who chose to remain at school. In this way, we hope to remove the disadvantage of leaving school for these players, while fully supporting that choice by using their new environment as a context for their learning.
The course offers the flexibility other study options have lacked for youngsters dedicated to football, and could be the key to a future career in sporting performance, administration, funding or marketing.
The only one of its kind in Scotland, this course is being piloted with a limited number of clubs initially and will be evaluated with input from dual career experts across Europe, with a view to potentially rolling out the model nationally and internationally.
Dr Tom Campbell, Programme Lead, BA Business & Enterprise in Sport, said: “One of the real strengths of the programme lies in the widespread application of theory to a familiar context, allowing students to draw upon their existing sporting experience while generating new knowledge and understanding.
“This new development will see the same principles applied to the football academy environment, and having the academies’ input into the design of the course has been invaluable in creating a state-of-the-art programme.
“I have no doubt that the students will hit the ground running and find the course to be engaging and rewarding.”
News of the course follows the announcement in June of a collaboration between Edinburgh Napier and the Scottish FA to launch the BSc (Hons) Football Coaching, Performance & Development, a four-year undergraduate programme to develop coaching professionals for the modern game.
Dr Susan Brown, Edinburgh Napier lead for partnerships and enterprise in sport, said: “This programme, developed in collaboration with the clubs, is an important part of Edinburgh Napier’s commitment to supporting the dual career of athletes, not only those who have reached elite level performance, but also those who are committed to pursuing a career in performance sport but are still in the development stage.
“This approach will take advantage of the environment the players are in.
“There is mounting evidence that a dual career approach is beneficial to performance and not only a useful activity for the future. We believe we can help the clubs support their young players to succeed both on and off the pitch.”
She added: “It is in developing these productive partnerships that we as a University can support clubs, organisations and governing bodies in sport and ensure that our academic programmes are fit for purpose for the students we work with. This programme follows the new collaboration with the Scottish FA, and existing partnerships with Scottish Rugby, Scottish Gymnastics and Cricket Scotland in particular, where the University is a key partner in the development and delivery of education provision at multiple levels.”
Graeme Mathie, Sporting Director at Hibernian FC, said: “It is a fantastic position for us as a Club to be able to deliver not only a high quality football education, but now through this partnership with Edinburgh Napier, a high quality education programme to our players. It is very much aligned to our strategic aim of being a Learner’s Club, and I have no doubt the players will benefit from the programme.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to my colleagues Sean McPartlin and Steve Curnyn who have been in discussions with the university for some time in order to deliver this partnership, and also to confirm a list of learners of various ages and stages from within the Club.”
Roger Arnott, Heart of Midlothian FC Academy Manager, said: “As a club, we place a strong emphasis on developing our young players both on and off the park.
“This partnership with Edinburgh Napier offers our talented youngsters the chance to enrol in a fantastic higher education programme. We have no doubt that this will stand them in good stead in the years to come.”
