North Edinburgh News – Page 2095 – The NEN

COVID: G7 leaders pledge to work together to ‘build back better’

The Prime Minister chaired a virtual meeting of G7 Leaders yesterday.

All leaders agreed on the opportunity 2021 presents for the G7 to take a united approach to shared challenges as we build back better from the coronavirus pandemic.

They agreed on the need to ensure coronavirus vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics reach those that need them, wherever they are in the world. The Prime Minister welcomed the contribution all G7 members have made to ACT-A and the COVAX vaccine facility. He also set out the UK’s commitment to share the majority of any future surplus vaccines with COVAX.

The Prime Minister emphasised the need to learn lessons from this pandemic and highlighted the importance of agreeing common protocols to prevent future pandemics. He noted the value of a global health treaty in this context.

G7 leaders welcomed the United States’ readmission to the Paris Climate Agreement and agreed on the need for a green, sustainable global recovery.

The Prime Minister said that the G7 should work together to pave the way to the Kunming Convention on Biological Diversity and COP26 Summit in Glasgow in November.

All leaders agreed on the important and unique role the G7 plays as the world’s leading democracies. The Prime Minister welcomed the united stance taken by the G7 in condemning the recent coup in Myanmar and the detention of Alexey Navalny in Russia. He stressed the responsibility the G7 has to demonstrate to the world the benefit of our shared democratic values in creating open and prosperous societies.

The Prime Minister looked forward to seeing his fellow leaders in person at the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June.

G7 Leaders’ Statement: 19 February 2021

We, the leaders of the Group of Seven, met today and resolved to work together to beat COVID-19 and build back better. Drawing on our strengths and values as democratic, open economies and societies, we will work together and with others to make 2021 a turning point for multilateralism and to shape a recovery that promotes the health and prosperity of our people and planet.

We will intensify cooperation on the health response to COVID-19. The dedication of essential workers everywhere represents the best of humanity, while the rapid discovery of vaccines shows the power of human ingenuity.

Working with, and together to strengthen, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and supporting its leading and coordinating role, we will: accelerate global vaccine development and deployment; work with industry to increase manufacturing capacity, including through voluntary licensing; improve information sharing, such as on sequencing new variants; and, promote transparent and responsible practices, and vaccine confidence.

We reaffirm our support for all pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), its COVAX facility, and affordable and equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, reflecting the role of extensive immunisation as a global public good.

Today, with increased financial commitments of over $4 billion USD to ACT-A and COVAX, collective G7 support totals $7.5 billion. We invite all partners, including the G20 and International Financial Institutions, to join us in increasing support to ACT-A, including to increase developing countries’ access to WHO-approved vaccines through the COVAX facility.

COVID-19 shows that the world needs stronger defences against future risks to global health security. We will work with the WHO, G20 and others, especially through the Global Health Summit in Rome, to bolster global health and health security architecture for pandemic preparedness, including through health financing and rapid response mechanisms, by strengthening the “One Health” approach and Universal Health Coverage, and exploring the potential value of a global health treaty.

We have provided unprecedented support for our economies over the past year totalling over $6 trillion across the G7. We will continue to support our economies to protect jobs and support a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive recovery.

We reaffirm our support to the most vulnerable countries, our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, and our partnership with Africa, including to support a resilient recovery. We will work through the G20 and with the International Financial Institutions to strengthen support for countries’ responses by exploring all available tools, including through full and transparent implementation of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative and the Common Framework.

Recovery from COVID-19 must build back better for all. Looking to UNFCCC COP26 and CBD COP15, we will put our global ambitions on climate change and the reversal of biodiversity loss at the centre of our plans.

We will make progress on mitigation, adaptation and finance in accordance with the Paris Agreement and deliver a green transformation and clean energy transitions that cut emissions and create good jobs on a path to net zero no later than 2050. We are committed to levelling up our economies so that no geographic region or person, irrespective of gender or ethnicity, is left behind.

We will: champion open economies and societies; promote global economic resilience; harness the digital economy with data free flow with trust; cooperate on a modernised, freer and fairer rules-based multilateral trading system that reflects our values and delivers balanced growth with a reformed World Trade Organisation at its centre; and, strive to reach a consensus-based solution on international taxation by mid-2021 within the framework of the OECD.

With the aim of supporting a fair and mutually beneficial global economic system for all people, we will engage with others, especially G20 countries including large economies such as China.

As Leaders, we will consult with each other on collective approaches to address non-market oriented policies and practices, and we will cooperate with others to address important global issues that impact all countries.

We resolve to agree concrete action on these priorities at the G7 Summit in the United Kingdom in June, and we support the commitment of Japan to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in a safe and secure manner this summer as a symbol of global unity in overcoming COVID-19.

Scottish care home visits to resume next month

Routine indoor visiting of care home residents by relatives, friends and carers can resume from early March with care providers supporting residents to have up to two designated visitors each and one visit a week for each visitor, the Scottish Government has announced.

With a wide range of protections now in place against COVID-19 for care home residents, it is has been decided meaningful contact should be made easier for the wellbeing of residents and their loved ones.

The most recent of these protections is the COVID vaccine with more than 99.9% of older care home residents and 92% of staff now vaccinated with first dose.

Additionally, the national picture of coronavirus outbreaks in care homes is improving. NRS data shows that deaths from coronavirus in care homes have fallen by 62% in the last three weeks and the balance is now in favour of allowing contact to resume.

Guidelines to be published on Wednesday 24 February will support care providers to resume visiting for up to two designated visitors per resident.

Every time someone goes into a care home it is a COVID risk. But we are acutely conscious that continued restriction of contact for residents with relatives can contribute to loneliness and isolation and worsening physical and mental health. With the range of protections in place against COVID, the bigger risk now is the continued separation of residents from loved ones.

Visitors will need to wear face coverings and any PPE requested by the care home, and are strongly encouraged to take a COVID test on-site. While visiting may sometimes still be restricted, for example in the event of an outbreak at a care home, the expectation will now be that homes will facilitate regular weekly contact as long as certain safety conditions are met. We will then work to continue to gradually increase the frequency and duration of contact.

Health Secretary Jeanne Freeman said: “The decisions regarding restrictions on visiting for care home residents have been some of the most difficult we have faced and I have the greatest sympathy for those who have been unable to see relatives and loved ones in person for so long.

“Care home staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support continued contact between residents and their loved ones but these restrictions have been hugely challenging for them, as well as for care home staff and colleagues.

“We deeply regret the deaths and other harm caused by coronavirus in our care homes, but we also recognise the harm caused to the wellbeing of residents and families as a result of an inability to see those they love.

“We must remain vigilant about the risks but with multiple layers of protection now in place the balance is in favour of allowing visits. Everyone, including visitors, has a responsibility to ensure that visits take place as safely as possible by continuing to follow safety advice.

“The additional protection in place includes infection prevention and control measures (IPC); personal protective equipment (PPE) in care homes and testing of staff and visiting professionals to care homes, which have developed processes and protocols for safer indoor visiting to take place.

“The guidance we are publishing sets out an expectation that providers will put in place arrangements to enable regular visits to resume from early March and from the discussions I have had with providers, I now expect all care homes to have embraced this guidance by mid-March.”

Cathie Russell of Care Home Relatives Scotland said: “We look forward to working with care home providers, public health and oversight teams to ensure that the new guidance allows residents to enjoy meaningful contact with their closest relatives and friends once more.

“It has been a very difficult year. The deepest ties of love are important and we can never thrive without them.”

Donald MacAskill, chief executive of Scottish Care, said: “The COVID pandemic has presented frontline care home staff and managers with many challenges but undoubtedly the hardest has been keeping residents apart from family and friends.

“We have now reached a very different place and with a range of COVID-19 protections in place, including vaccination and testing, combined with the use of PPE and IPC, we are at a stage where we can re-introduce safer indoor visiting to Scotland’s care homes. This day has been long-awaited and we understand that it will be an emotional time for many.

“Scottish Care is committed to supporting staff and managers, residents and family, to make sure that these guidelines succeed in their aim of reconnecting individuals.

“We commit to working together to overcome any challenges and difficulties we might face and to support those who may still be anxious and fearful, so that together we can ensure that a painful period of separation can be replaced by greater togetherness.”

Gabe Docherty, on behalf of Scottish Directors of Public Health, said: “There’s not been a day when these very human considerations haven’t weighed on the minds of my colleagues and I as we’ve endeavoured to safely negotiate all the challenges COVID has presented.

“It is always been the focus of Directors of Public Health to reinstate visiting as soon as there was evidence that the risks of doing so were greatly reduced. So I warmly welcome and wholeheartedly endorse the approach – and all that it means for care home residents, their families and Care Home staff.”

Councillor Stuart Currie, Health and Social Care Spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, said: “Local Government welcomes the forthcoming guidance on resuming meaningful contact for care home residents and recognises the impact that restrictions have had on residents, their families and friends and care home staff.

“This guidance supports all parts of the system to ensure that meaningful contact is undertaken safely with a number of safety and protection measures in place.”

The Scootish annnouncement follows a statement from the UK Government earlier this morning that every care home resident in England will be allowed one regular indoor visitor from 8 March.

Bravery and excellence celebrated at Police Scotland

The outstanding achievements and bravery of Police Scotland officers and staff and members of the public was recognised and celebrated yesterday (Friday, 19 February).

The Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards was held virtually due to the pandemic, with officers and staff and award winners and their families able to view the ceremony remotely from across the country.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone QPM presented 25 Bravery awards to 31 police officers and 16 members of the public.

Among those receiving an award were:

• PC David Murdoch, PC Phoebe Pritchard, PC Michael Shields and PC Allan Wardrop who bravely entered a building on fire on Ayr High Street in May 2020. The building was well alight and many residents were asleep due to the time of day. Their courageous actions led to the rescue of many people and prevented any loss of life.

PC David Murdoch, PC Phoebe Pritchard, PC Michael Shields and PC Allan Wardrop
• Detective Constable Glynn Powell who entered the Water of Leith while off duty and to rescue a three-year-old child who had fallen into the river in September 2020. He administered emergency first aid after pulling the child to safety. The girl went on to make a full recovery.

• Dr George Parsonage who has been involved in more than 2000 rescues on the River Clyde over the course of 40 years’ involvement with the Glasgow Humane Society. He has worked closely with police and the other emergency services throughout this time and his expertise in river rescue is highly renowned.

DR George Parsonage

Mr Livingstone also presented Excellence awards to 15 individuals and teams in 11 separate categories.

• Police Officer of the Year was named as Detective Inspector Michael McCullagh of the Cybercrime Investigations Unit for his instrumental work in helping develop the overall understanding of cybercrime in Scotland.

• Policing Partner of the Year was awarded to Castlerock Edinvar team leader Cheryl Neill. She worked closely with community officers to reduce anti-social behaviour and improve living standards at social housing run by the social landlord in Edinburgh.

• Team of the Year was awarded jointly to Dumfries and Galloway Division CID and the National Wildlife Crime Unit for their investigation into poisoning incidents involving birds of prey in the Stewartry area. This investigation led to an individual being convicted of wildlife crime offences.

• Police Scotland’s voluntary officers were also honoured, with Special Constable Stuart Anderson and Special Constable Lee McWhinney jointly named Special Constable of the Year.

SPC Anderson became the first special constable to lead a drugs operation in his home area of Fife, while SPC McWhinney gave more than 1000 hours of voluntary service over 12 months in West Dunbartonshire and has now joined Police Scotland as a probationary officer.

Special Constable Stuart Anderson and Special Constable Lee McWhinney

Mr Livingstone said: “The last 12 months have underlined the relentless and challenging nature of policing.

“Officers and staff are playing a crucial role supporting the national response to coronavirus. At the same time, they continue to meet the needs of our communities, providing day-to-day policing and responding to a number of demanding and high profile incidents.

“Today is an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding policing which occurs all over Scotland, day in, day out, and to commend members of the public for the selfless acts of bravery and courage to help their fellow citizens.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all our winners and nominees and thank them for their commitment to public service.

“I’m also grateful to Police Mutual for their continued support of this important event.”

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf said: “The Bravery and Excellence Awards allow us to reflect on selfless acts of courage which have made a real difference to people at their greatest time of need and to recognise the innovative and high quality work by officers and staff from across the Service, the Scottish Police Authority and other partners.

“I want to thank all the officers, staff and members of the public, who were nominated for awards, for their service and support in these challenging times.

“I have always been proud of the dedication shown by our police officers and police staff, to keep us all safe, and the current pandemic has highlighted that the police workforce is highly adaptable in its response to new challenges.”

Martyn Evans, Chair of the Scottish Police Authority, said: “Congratulations to all today’s winners and to those nominated for awards. These are truly extraordinary times but Police Scotland’s officers and staff continue to excel in challenging circumstances.

“Today’s awards ceremony gives us the opportunity to celebrate just a small number of examples of bravery and courage but we at the Authority acknowledge that examples like these are being carried out across Scotland on a daily basis as officers and staff work alongside partners and members of the public to keep Scotland’s communities safe.”

Sir Jon Murphy QPM DL LLB (Hons), chairman of the Police Mutual Oversight Committee, said: “Each nominee is a credit to their family and friends, their communities, and the police service.

“We are always proud of your outstanding demonstrations of courage and I am delighted to also be able to recognise bravery and excellence in policing through our sponsorship of these awards.”

Corinne Porter, relationship manager for Police Mutual, Scotland, Northern Ireland and north England, said: “It is an honour for Police Mutual to be sponsoring the Police Scotland Chief Constable’s Bravery & Excellence Awards and I, along with all my colleagues, would like to offer our thanks to those who were nominated for your achievements as well as congratulations to the winners.

“Thank you for continuing to inspire us in all that you do.”

The Excellence Award winners are:

Equality Award – Detective Constables James Dainton and Alison Fraser (North East Division)

Policing Partner of the Year – Ms Cheryl Neill – Castlerock Edinvar (Edinburgh City Division)

Team of the Year – Dumfries CID and National Wildlife Crime Unit (Dumfries and Galloway Division and Specialist Crime Division)
Police Officer of the Year – Detective Inspector Michael McCullagh (Specialist Crime Division)

Probationary Constable of the Year – Constable Amy Ritchie (Edinburgh City Division)

Police Member of Staff of the Year – Ms Sheena Brennan (Corporate Services Division)

Special Constable of the Year – Special Constable Stuart Anderson (Fife Division) & Special Constable Lee McWhinney (Argyll and West Dunbartonshire Division)

Police Scotland Unsung Hero Award – Ms Susanne Carmichael (Specialist Crime Division)

Wellbeing Award – Ms Jackie Tindal and Sergeant Sandra Fleming (Corporate Services Division)

The Bravery Award winners are:

Constables James Will, Alison Davis and Dayle Crawford (North East Division)

Master Nathan Anderson-Moores (The Lothians and Scottish Borders)

Mr Gerrard Morrison (Renfrewshire and Inverclyde)

Sebastian Williams (Argyll and West Dunbartonshire)
Constable Callum Forbes (Fife Division)

Ms Natasha Huk and Mr Robert Petrie (Edinburgh City)

Constables David Johnston and Craig Barr (Greater Glasgow Division)

Constables Lisa Parker and Greig Porteous (The Lothians and Scottish Borders Division)

Constables Allan Wardrop, Phoebe Pritchard, Michael Shields and David Murdoch (Ayrshire Division)

Ms Nicky Page (The Lothians and Scottish Borders)

Mr William Wilson (Tayside)

Liam Erskine (Ayrshire)

Detective Constable Glynn Powell (Edinburgh City)

Dr George Parsonage (Greater Glasgow)

Seen something? Say something

National Adult Protection Day 2021

The local body responsible for co-ordinating the safety and well-being of adults in Edinburgh is backing the fourth national Adult Protection Day today (20th February 2021).

Edinburgh’s Adult Protection Committee is hoping to raise awareness of how some adults are harmed or abused. It is encouraging people to act on their gut feeling and say something when they see anything that points to an abusive situation to someone they know or come across.

Harm and abuse can take many forms; physical, psychological, financial, sexual harm, neglect and self-harm but there are usually signs and clues that indicate something out of the ordinary might be happening.

Through the Edinburgh Adult Protection Committee, City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian, Police Scotland and local voluntary sector organisations, are committed to working together to tackle abuse of vulnerable adults.

Jackie Irvine, Chief Social Work Officer at City of Edinburgh Council said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe. However, for some people, a disability, health condition or impairment can prevent them from being able to keep themselves from harm.

“It’s not always easy to tell if an adult is in trouble, but there are signs and situations to be aware of. For example a person may have unexplained cuts and bruises or refuse to talk about their injuries.

“They may be failing to look after themselves or their property, or are confused where their money has gone, or giving money to people they know for reasons that might concern you. They may constantly be having people – friends or strangers – ‘hanging out’ at their house.”

Anne Neilson, Chair of the Adult Protection Committee added: “We all have a responsibility to look out for people in our communities. If you’re concerned an adult is at risk of harm, or something feels wrong, it’s right to have it checked out.

“Of course we understand that sometimes members of the public may not want to get involved, intrude on privacy or subject another person to unfair accusations. But the process can be simple – you can send an email or anonymous phone call and it will be checked out and any support needed will be given. It may be a false alarm, but there’s no harm in being sure.”

Find out about the types of harm we can help with and if you are worried about an adult at risk of harm you can contact the social work service Social Care Direct on 0131 200 2324

Random Acts of Nature: Buck & Birch donates hundreds of bottles of Elderberry Elixir to those in need this week

Recipients include care homes and Scottish charity, FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland

Supporting the vulnerable, endorsing natural ingredients and championing the Scottish community, Buck & Birch launched the Wild Elderberry Elixir to boost immunity amidst the global pandemic.

Now, to mark Random Acts of Kindness Week (14^th – 20^th February), Buck & Birch will be teaming up with FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland and also working with local care homes, charities and more, to donate hundreds of bottles of the Elixir, ensuring it reaches those who will benefit most from its sustainably harvested herbs and spices.

FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland, which is run by the charity Move On, will receive 500 bottles of the Elixir, worth £7,500, to aid in supplying members of the community who are particularly susceptible at this time.

On top of that, Buck & Birch will continue its permanent initiative to offer a little health help to those in need, with each bottle of Wild Elderberry Elixir sold from any Buck & Birch retailer, seeing an additional one donated to frontline workers; following on from those already provided to care homes and charities for the elderly, last year.

Tom Chisholm, director of Buck & Birch, explains they are just a Scottish business who want to give something back: “For millennia elderberries have been used to minimise the risk of catching cold and flu as well as alleviating the symptoms.

“So, in response to the COVID outbreak we teamed up with Monica Wilde of Napiers the Herbalists to make our Elderberry Elixir, suitable for the whole family and the perfect, tasty way of getting your daily dose of this beneficial fruit.

“The whole point of us launching the Elixir was to help boost physical health and wellbeing, so surely the point is that it reaches those that are in need of it most?”

Jim Burns, Director of Operations of Move On explains why donations such as these are so important: “Here at FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland we take surplus product from across the food and drink industry and redistribute it to organisations that support the most vulnerable, including children, the homeless, refugees and elderly people.

“When we receive donations from the likes of Buck & Birch, it means we can provide more varied deliveries to our charity partners, who can then in turn offer a wider range of food and drink to the people they support.

“This is exceptionally important when we are in the midst of a global lockdown, when life for many, is already harder than before.”

Buck & Birch Wild Elderberry Elixir is also available to purchase (£14.99): https://www.aelderelixir.com/aelder-shop/elderberry-elixir

Wild Elderberry Elixir – family food supplement — Aelder ElixirA concentrated elderberry, bramble and rosehip syrup providing a good source of Vitamin C, enhanced with sustainably harvested herbs and spices. Each 5 ml serving contains 100mg of vitamin C. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Family food supplement www.aelderelixir.com

Lothian Buses announce new links to Vaccination Centre at Ingliston

Lothian Buses has today (Friday 19 February) announced its intention to introduce new daily transport links to the NHS Lothian Vaccination Centre located at the west of the city at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston.

From Sunday (21 February), Skylink services 200, 300 and 400 will be rerouted to provide vital links direct to the Royal Highland Centre from across Edinburgh and will assist thousands of individuals as they make the essential and important journey to the Vaccination Centre located within the grounds.

Services will stop at the Ingliston Road stop every day between approximately 07:45 hours and 21:00 hours.

The company has launched a dedicated Vaccination Centre journey planning webpage where locals can find information on how to travel to NHS Lothian Vaccination Centres across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Nigel Serafini, Interim Managing Director at Lothian Buses, said: “We are delighted to be able to support NHS Lothian with the rollout of the Covid-19 Vaccination programme by making it easier for residents across Edinburgh and the Lothians to travel to their appointments, as well as offering vital public transport links for those keyworkers and volunteers helping within the centre.

“Our teams have worked hard over the last 12 months to ensure our buses are clean, safe and accessible for those that require to make essential journeys.”

Lothian also recently announced that Lothian Country’s Service 275 will be rerouted to serve the Vaccination Centre at Pyramid’s Business Park, West Lothian, providing vital links across the region for locals attending vaccination appointments.

Information on services operating to Edinburgh Airport via Royal Highland Centre is outlined below:

Skylink 200 – Ocean Terminal <> Airport via Newhaven, Granton, Muirhouse, Drylaw, Blackhall and Clermiston.
Skylink 300 – Surgeons’ Hall <> Airport via Tollcross, Shandon, Slateford, Sighthill and Gyle Centre.
Skylink 400 – Fort Kinnaird <> Airport via Niddrie, Royal Infirmary, Gilmerton, Fairmilehead, Oxgangs, Clovenstone, Sighthill and Gyle Centre.

A renewed sense of community after year of pandemic but divisions are widening, says study

Scots have revealed that their local communities are growing closer, and have become more important after a year spent closer to home, however the pandemic has left society itself more divided.

The findings are revealed in PwC’s latest Future of Government research, Rethinking Levelling-Up, which also shows that Scots back the UK Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. Affordable housing, better paying jobs, skills development and vibrant high streets are seen as the key priorities for the recovery.

While 36% of Scots polled for the research said their local community has become more important to them, and 39% agree that the pandemic brought their community together, a greater number (43%) feel that it has increased social divisions.

The survey found that 51% of Scots believe inequality exists between London and other parts of the UK. Additionally, 47% said there was inequality between the four UK nations – though this was lower than reported from those polled in both Wales (50%) and Northern Ireland (58%).

Further to this, 30% of Scots said there was inequality between urban and rural areas and 34% between cities and towns.

The increased sense of community during the pandemic is reflected in where the Scottish public believe the UK Government should prioritise spending.

Better quality and more affordable housing is the top priority among Scots, with 76% of those surveyed saying it should top any Government’s spending agenda.

Behind this, 53% said helping people get access to better paying jobs was a priority, followed by investment in upskilling (47%), investing in high streets and town centres (46%), providing a better safety net for those most in need (40%) and investment in public services (39%).

The findings from Scotland largely reflect the overall picture across the UK, where the top four priorities are the same.

The survey also found that more than half of those surveyed in Scotland (60%) said they would recommend their area as a place to live, with just 11% saying they were unlikely to do so.

A similar number (61%) said their area was a good place to bring up a family, with 13% saying the opposite. The recommendation figure drops sharply however, when asked if Scotland was a good place to start a business – with 28% saying they were unlikely to recommend this.

Stewart Wilson, Government and Public Sector leader, PwC Scotland commented: “The pandemic has made enormous changes to the way we live and with the public spending more time closer to home they are clearly feeling more connected to their neighbours and local communities.

“This makes it clear that the levelling up agenda needs to be reset around local targeted investment and building community resilience to ensure the recovery is delivered fairly across the UK.

“The ‘levelling up’ agenda will need to take into account perceived inequalities across the country, and focus on areas where the public feel their lives can be improved – such as more affordable housing, better jobs and upskilling for the future. Government and private sector must collaborate to ensure society and communities move in the same direction at the same pace.”

Opportunities to build on trust

Over half of respondents nationwide (47%) hold the central government responsible for reducing geographical inequality. However, fewer than one in ten of our respondents trust that central government ‘listens to people like me’ or ‘takes my needs into account when making decisions’.

People feel greater connections with third sector community groups and charities and local government, with 29% and 25% feeling that community groups and charities respectively listen to ‘people like me’.

In Scotland, just 36% of those polled said their local community had been treated fairly by the UK Government during the pandemic, compared to more than half (53%) who said they’d been treated fairly by their employer.

During the pandemic the role of business has been under the spotlight, and business emerges with an opportunity to play a greater role in improving opportunity, social mobility and equality in the places where they operate.

Over half of respondents (55%) feel they have been treated fairly by their employers during the pandemic and 38% see businesses as most responsible for good jobs. Some 43% of respondents trust business to act to deliver a fair recovery, compared to 38% that trust central government and 40% that trust local government.

Skyrora students get the chance to Reach for the Moon

Two students have landed places in what is reckoned to be the most prized university placement programme in Scotland – working with Edinburgh-based space rocket firm Skyrora.

Bethany Taylor and David King, who were selected from more than 100 applicants, will be based at Skyrora’s production facility at Loanhead – supporting the company’s aim to help Scotland to become a key player in the UK’s space race programme.

Bethany, a Mechanical Engineering student at University of Edinburgh, and David, an Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Sheffield have joined Skyrora’s technical team – supporting manufacturing, vehicle launches and more Skyrora XL stage testing.

Both David and Bethany will play a part in assisting Skyrora to achieve its goals for 2021.

Bethany said: “I am really looking forward to learning about how the business is run and having the chance to work on different projects, using the knowledge that I have learnt at university, on real life projects within Skyrora.”

David added: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the team at Skyrora, who are getting the UK back into space. It will be a great chance to push myself and learn from all the talented individuals who work here.”

The UK space industry now employs close to 42,000 people across the country and generates an income of nearly £15 billion every year. Scotland’s space industry is made up of 130+ companies, and it already employs more than 7,500 people.

Skyrora – through a range of important breakthroughs, including successful test launches and pioneering an eco liquid-fuel – has established itself as the UK’s leading private rocket company, supporting the burgeoning small satellite market. It aims to launch its first rocket – the Skyrora XL – from a UK site in 2023.

Skyrora’s Graduate Placement Programme is highly regarded by UK Universities as a vital pathway to help propel young engineering talent into the rapidly developing space sector.

Dr Jack James Marlow, Head of Engineering at Skyrora said: “2021 will be another important year for Skyrora as we move towards our first launch – an event that also will be of huge significance to the UK’s space industry ambitions.

“But to achieve our goal – and continue to support the focus on space as a growth sector in both Scotland and the UK – it’s vital we continue to engage with universities to forge and develop the new talent of the future.

“With 100+ applications, Skyrora’s placement programme has seen major interest from all over Europe.”

Skyrora offers technical positions for students at the start of each year, as well as summer internships.

Students interested in participating in Skyrora’s student programme or are looking for further information, please see the website for further details:

www.skyrora.com/career.

Schools encouraged to use free video content

ClickView has been selected by the National e-Learning Partnership to host West OS online learning content created by schools, local authorities and RICs to support online remote learning.
To complement this learning content, ClickView is offering schools in Scotland free access to its full range of curriculum aligned video learning content, free of charge until March 31, 2021.
All schools in Scotland are encouraged to benefit from the offer

To help teachers engage students in remote learning the National e-Learning Partnership and leading video content provider, ClickView, are offering all schools across Scotland free access to their full range of dynamic, highly visual resources.

Already trusted by many Scottish schools and local authorities including Edinburgh and Inverclyde ClickView was selected to host and stream the National e-Learning Partnership’s West OS pre-recorded content, providing a secure and reliable vehicle to share a growing bank of over 1000 valuable, teacher recorded videos, with schools across Scotland.

In addition to this, the National e-Learning Partnership agreed with ClickView to offer all schools across Scotland the opportunity to have full use of its high-quality curriculum aligned content to supplement and extend the West OS provision. The three-month agreement valued at nearly £500k is currently being offered until the end of March, to support schools through lockdown.

Gayle Gorman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, said, “Schools and practitioners are working hard to develop and deliver remote learning across the country.

“It’s fantastic that practitioners in Scotland now have free access to ClickView’s educational videos to provide additional support for the work they are doing locally at this time. Complementing the National e-Learning offer, this further strengthens the overall national offer of support for remote learning.”

Michael Wilkinson, managing director of ClickView, said, “As lockdown continues, the majority of teachers are finding it increasingly hard to motivate their students. Today’s students’ preferred format of information consumption is video. Curriculum aligned video-based learning content brings together movement and noise to convey an efficient message and capture their attention.

“ClickView and the National e-Learning Partnership encourage all schools to take up this offer to help them through the current challenges of remote learning. This doesn’t just mean learning can continue outside of physical classrooms, but provides the opportunity to revitalise traditional education practices, putting transformative world-class resources at their fingertips, for meaningful experiences at all levels of learning.”

John Stuart, workstream lead officer at the West Partnership, said, “We are delighted that West OS is hosted on ClickView because it provides the ideal platform for learners and school staff in Scotland to access on demand, high quality educational content as part of the National e-Learning Offer.

ClickView’s current offer of free access to their educational videos until the end of March, complements the continually growing bank of West OS content to provide excellent support for remote learning.”

To find out more, visit Clickview.co.uk.

Shedding light on the condemned witches who were actually healers

RCN Foundation funds historical research project

The RCN Foundation has funded a history of nursing research project to document the stories of nurses and midwives accused of witchcraft in Scotland, as part of its programme of work to celebrate the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

The Foundation has awarded a Monica Baly Education Grant to a team of researchers from Edinburgh Napier University to investigate almost 150 witches recorded on the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft as being folk healers and midwives.

The team from the Nursing and Midwifery Subject Groups in the School of Health and Social Care, comprising of Dr Nicola Ring, Nessa McHugh and Rachel Davidson-Welch, will investigate the stories of these individual nurses and midwives, documenting who they were, and reflecting on their practices from today’s healthcare perspective.

Scotland’s Witchcraft Act was introduced in 1563 and remained law until 1736. During that time nearly 4,000 people, mainly women, were accused of witchcraft.

The accused were imprisoned and brutally tortured until they confessed their guilt – often naming other ‘witches’ in their confessions. Most of those accused are thought to have been executed as witches, being strangled and then burned at the stake, leaving no body for burial.

People were accused of being witches for many reasons- some were mentally ill, some had land and money others wanted. However, many of those accused and executed as being ‘witches’ were guilty of nothing more than helping to care for others during sickness and childbirth – they were early practitioners of midwifery and nursing.

Dr Nicola Ring said: “I am delighted we have been awarded funding from the RCN Foundation to investigate this over-looked part of nursing history. Telling the stories of these Scottish women and men cruelly and unfairly accused and punished for helping the sick and women in childbirth highlights the injustices these people faced.

“It supports Claire Mitchell QC and Zoe Venditozzi in their ‘Witches of Scotland’ campaign, which seeks posthumous justice – a pardon for those convicted of witchcraft, an apology for all those accused, and a national memorial dedicated to their memory.”

Deepa Korea, Director of the RCN Foundation, said: “We are very pleased to fund this project as part of our programme of work to mark the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

“This is an important project which will not only document the experiences of these early nurses and midwives and the injustices they faced but provide a fresh look at the early role and perceptions of nursing and midwifery, prior to the accepted Victorian archetype.”

Claire Mitchell QC said: “Zoe Venditozzi and I (Witches of Scotland) are delighted that this work is being done to investigate and record the history of Scottish women and, in particular, those who were caught up in witchcraft allegations.

“We know from our research that some of the women and men were healers – involved in folk medicine and early midwifery – who were prosecuted for witchcraft and paid with their life. This work shedding a light on this tragic history is important.”