Edinburgh based enterprise Sustainably is crowdfunding to transform ‘giving tech’.
Sustainably, voted Richard Branson’s Start-Up of the Year in 2019, have announced the launch of their crowdfunding campaign on crowdcube.
The mother-daughter team are looking to raise £300,000 which will enable them to market to new users and charities as well as improve functionality and launch a B2B platform.
Now supporting 40 charities, including Macmillan, Shelter and the British Heart Foundation, Sustainably is a free app that lets people easily and safely give to their chosen good causes by rounding up cashless transactions and donating spare change automatically, every time they shop.
Loral Quinn, Co-Founder and CEO of Sustainably, said: “We believe that many of us want to support charities but don’t want to commit to one cause and face the hassle and guilt of later cancelling.
“People want convenience, flexibility, transparency and control. With services such as banking, transport and music becoming more automated and frictionless, we aim to do the same for giving.
“86% of Gen Z and millennials (the UK’s biggest givers) want to donate via mobile and see their impact. And while 50%+ of donations are still made in cash, we live in an increasingly cashless society.”
Inspired by fintech, augmented reality, gamification, the internet of things and big technology businesses who had become part of everyone’s daily lives, Loral and her daughter Eishel merged their combined experience in FTSE100 digital strategy and ethical retail, to come up with the idea of Sustainably.
Current investors include Skyscanner’s co-founder, Lastminute.com founder Brent Hoberman’s Founders Factory. The duo also won the WeWork’s Creator Awards – judged by Ashton Kutcher and Monzo’s co-founder scooping £140,000 further investment.
Sustainably’s app lets individuals and corporates effortlessly make a positive impact every day and sends charity updates showing you the difference you’ve made. You set your donation limits and can stop, start, pause or change them at any time. We’ll never pressure you or share your details. Simply connect your card or device to the app and shop as usual.
Eishel Quinn concludes:“We’re not just the co-founders of Sustainably, we’re also mother and daughter, and we started Sustainably because we wanted to make a difference.
“We exist to enable people around the world to have a positive impact every day. We’ve created Sustainably so that every financial interaction can have a positive social, environmental and economic impact.”
SKYRORA has revealed it has conducted successful trials of a ‘space tug’ which can play a key part in ensuring the UK becomes a world leader in tackling the issue of space junk.
The Edinburgh-based rocket development company believes the Orbit Transfer Vehicle – part of its Skyrora XL rocket due to launch in 2023 – could clear debris, reposition satellites and remove defunct satellites from orbit.
In the week that the UK and UN sign a historical agreement on space sustainability, Skyrora have thrown its support behind the initiative.
The company recently showed its own commitment towards a sustainable space industry with the launch of its space tug, which is one of many initiatives that will allow the government to meet its goals.
Its announcement comes after a directive was signed this week between the UK Science Minister and the UN to agree a new approach to sustainability in space, as well as equipping authorities with the power to act against firms responsible for creating space junk.
The agreement commits the UK government to a series of events and outreach efforts, ultimately aimed at promoting the Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (LTS Guidelines).
Those guidelines ensure “the conduct of space activities indefinitely into the future”, an ability now under threat from the growing cloud of space debris. Developed and published by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, the voluntary rules had come under criticism for their lack of enforcement mechanisms.
However, with the UK now actively endorsing the guidelines, there is to be increased awareness and prominence within the industry.
Skyrora is already establishing itself as a key innovator not just in the UK space race, but in ensuring it places space sustainability as a crucial element in its planning and company vision.
It has developed a new way of launching satellites without damaging the environment as well as creating an eco-friendly fuel that ensures the UK has the most environmentally friendly space industry in the world.
The latest chapter in its investment in sustainable technology – and signalling another crucial milestone for the entire UK space industry – is the successful test on an innovative “reignitable” rocket engine or space tug, capable of manoeuvring once in orbit.
The test – at its engine development facility in Fife – involved a full mission duration static fire test (450 second burn over three firings) of the upper (or third) stage of their orbital-class vehicle, Skyrora XL.
Skyrora now believes this provides for a full mission-ready Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV – or space tug) that can perform a number of in-space missions once it has delivered its payload.
This includes tackling the issue of space junk by removing redundant space objects from orbit. There are around 34,000 objects above 10cm in size in Earth’s orbit that would be considered space junk – 3,000 of which are redundant satellites. Moving at around 10km/s, these objects could produce debilitating damage to operational satellites or even the International Space Station.
And as we see increasing numbers of constellations being placed into orbit, with the likes of OneWeb and SpaceX planning on sending thousands of satellites up, then as those numbers grow, so does the demand for a vehicle that can make multiple stops and functions in space without the need for multiple launches.
Skyrora CEO, Volodymyr Levykin, said: “Our goal was always to be mission ready once all the regulations and permissions were in place, and this development not only brings us closer to that point but also takes us beyond simply launch readiness.
“It’s important to show that even in these challenging times we are still a nation that continues to innovate and take the lead in some of our most lofty ambitions.
“We aim not only to conduct efficient launches from UK soil in the most environmentally friendly way, but ensure that each single launch mission has the possibility of conducting the level of work that would have historically taken multiple launches. With this approach we enter a whole new level of efficiency with full consideration of environmental impact taken into account.
We are delighted that members are discussing these matters in Parliament imminently on the 4th February and expect due attention to be made given and further action to be taken to adapt the regulations to reflect the UK’s commitment to sustainability.”
Last January, the company achieved the first ever eco liquid-fuel rocket engine ground tests take place using their own Ecosene fuel derived from unrecyclable waste plastics that would otherwise be disposed of in landfill. The fuel itself emits around 45% less greenhouse gases and is particularly suited to cope in the Scottish weather.
And Skyrora have also pioneered a bespoke Mobile Launch Complex which allows them to never leave a footprint when launching. All launch infrastructure is carried in containers, even their mobile erector, where the launch vehicles takes off from, not harming any land environments.
Mr Levykin added: “We have found a way to not only sustain our operations in orbit, but also clean up the way on how we get there.
“Thanks to our Ecosene fuel and our Mobile Launch Complex, we are not just committed to playing our part but we are committed to being responsible and responsive to the on-going threats of global climate change. This is the right way to go forward.”
First of all, we have had a magnificent response to our digital appeal which we launched so recently on 25th January.
Thanks to all who have very kindly donated old laptops or tablets to help families in the community who needed help to access online learning. We have already dealt with around a dozen such items, some of which are being wiped and processed while others are awaiting collection and soon they will all be winging their way to Victoria Primary School. Please continue to get in touch.
We understand that others have been delivered directly to the school following our appeal and if you would still like to help but have no old machines you no longer need, you can also donate funds to enable the school to buy more.
An average laptop or tablet suitable for home-schooling could cost around £200 but any smaller contributions that could go towards that would be most welcome. You can contact the school directly below:
This is such an encouraging example of the community helping each other, just what Heart of Newhaven proposes to expand on once we’re fully operational.
The main news for you this month however is about the launch of our CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN.
This will go live on 14th February. It’s all about the Heart of course – it seemed a very suitable date for obvious reasons.
While we have applied to the Scottish Land Fund for the purchase cost of the site, we still need immediate funds to pay our legal advisers, currently working on the contract with CEC. Then there are the essential repairs to such things as windows and the roof, as well as fire and safety features.
There is also the preparatory work we have to do in the way of design costs to enable us to move into the buildings and get them going with our “meanwhile use” plans to bring the centre “online” stage by stage.
The campaign will go live on Crowdfund Scotland and there will also be links from our website and social media channels.
Please consider donating something, no matter how small, to enable this ambitious project to go ahead – and don’t forget to spread the word among neighbours and friends!
Finally, may we remind you to visit our website regularly. There’s always something new, including several blogs being posted on the different pages, that you might enjoy.
This month for example, the Culture & Heritage page is hosting a contribution from one of our many volunteers, who talks about the Hispanic community in Newhaven and how they’ve adapted and settled in to the local community.
On our new Intergenerational page, there’s not only an explanation of what intergenerational means, but a blog from trustee Judy Crabb.
Of course our regular blog from the chairman will be along soon as well.
Alexander Lukashenko is the President of Belarus since 1994. He is known as Europe’s last dictator. Why? Because international monitors have stated that every election he won after 1994 was neither free nor fair.
The people of Belarus have now had enough of living under this sham. The declaration last August that Lukashenko had again won the Presidency and had secured 80% of the vote was too much to bear.
Since August citizens of Belarus have been peacefully and creatively demonstrating for a democratic future. But their peaceful protests are met with intimidation and violence.
The last six months have recorded unjust persecutions including hundreds of documented cases of torture against the opposition, civil society and journalists. Many students have been dismissed from universities and denied the right to education.
Thousands have been detained and several hundred prosecuted on fabricated charges and denied the right to a fair trial. Even in the face of world-wide condemnation Lukashenko still grips on to power.
Today is a Day of Solidarity with the people of Belarus – our group joins with people and organisations all around the world that call on Lukashenko’s regime to stop their intimidation and violence and for inclusive national dialogue to take place followed by new credible and transparent elections.
The UK has reached a crucial moment in terms of social care. Two key messages at the heart of UNISON’s Pay Fair for Care national day of action and rally were that we must ‘stand up for care workers’ and ‘keep up the pressure’.
The event – co-hosted by the Future Social Care Coalition, a cross-party alliance of more than 80 organisations and individuals – comes against a background of crisis in the social care sector.
That has been compounded by 11 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has raised awareness nationally of the work that care workers do, but in a context of increased risk to their own lives as the virus took a devastating toll on care homes and the vulnerable.
Yet many employees in care homes, together with those looking after people in the community, earn less than the real living wage of £9.50 an hour (£10.85 in London). UNISON wants ministers to ensure every care worker is on the real living wage rate, as a bare minimum.
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea told those attending the rally: “Care is part of the infrastructure of this country … it is essential.”
Ms McAnea was able to refer to an independent report, commissioned by the Scottish government and only released moments before the rally, which stresses that the care sector is “highly gendered”, with 83% of the workforce being female.
“Were 83% male, she said, “it would not be marginalised as it is.”
But she continued: “This is a happy day – we’ve got fantastic support. Let’s stand up for care workers. Make what happens in care, fair and deliverable.”
Care worker and UNISON senior vice president Sian Stockham told the rally a little of her own story – and why she has started a petition to government to create an emergency support fund to increase care workers’ wages.
“The general public is calling us heroes and going out and clapping for us – let’s put those claps into words,” she said.
Not only is pay in the sector low, there’s also an issue with zero-hours contracts, she added. “How can you budget when you don’t know what you’re getting?”
Ms Stockham, who at 66 is unable to retire and has two jobs in order to make ends meet, went on: “There have been times when I couldn’t put my heating on. A few years ago, I remember walking around with holes in my shoes.”
On misconceptions about the nature of care work, she responded ironically: “Oh, I’m ‘low-skilled’,” before explaining just a few of the skills her work entails.
Many speakers stressed the need for cross-party political support for the issue – ‘it’s the only way to get things done’ was a recurring theme.
Liz Kendall, Labour’s shadow minister for social care, said: “Transforming social care is the challenge of our generation”, adding that, “We must make sure that all frontline care workers get the pay and conditions that they need.”
She – like many other speakers – noted that social care and the NHS “are inextricably linked”.
But not only was the current state of social care “morally wrong,” it was also “economically illiterate.” If carers have to give up work or reduce hours, or if a vulnerable person is stuck in hospital because of a lack of care, both are far more costly to the economy than properly funded social care.
The rally saw speakers from across the Westminster spectrum, from the charity and voluntary sector and from trade unions.
They included former health secretary Jeremy Hunt and independent peer Lord Victor Adebowale, the chief executive of the social care enterprise Turning Point, who stressed the need for a proper living wage for care workers.
Former minister for pensions Baroness Ros Altmann said that nobody disagreed about the need for an overhaul of the social care system, but “we need to get on with it” and “we need a new Beveridge,” referring to the 1942 report by Liberal economist William Beveridge that formed the basis for the Welfare State as part of the country’s recovery after WWII.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner – herself a UNISON member and former care worker – described the pandemic has having “created a hunger and a thirst for us to do the right thing”.
Social care “saves the taxpayer so much money in the end,” she said. Stressing the importance of it being a cross-party campaign, she added: “But no more jam tomorrow”.
Two panel discussions sandwiched messages of support, which included video calls from national treasures Joanna Lumley and Jo Brand.
“I’m backing UNISON’s call for a living wage for all the care workers,” said the Ab Fab star. “They seem to be the invisible part of our nation’s health system. They look after millions of people, they do it for practically nothing and some of them for nothing at all. It seems massively unfair that they’re the forgotten ones.”
Comic and former nurse Jo Brand – after apologising for her “lockdown haircut” – said that “care workers are simply not rewarded for the very, very hard work that they do. Pay care workers a living wage.”
Other messages came from Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey, shadow immigration minister Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour peer David Blunkett and shadow minister for employment Seema Malhotra.
As the rally concluded, Ms AcAnea reminded everyone: “Let’s keep the pressure up!”
As temperatures drop once again, Cats Protection is urging owners to spare a thought for the welfare of their pet cat.
Plunging temperatures, icy conditions and snowfall present a number of risks for cats, particularly those who like to wander outside.
Following these simple tips can help to keep felines feeling fine:
Cats are at increased risk of road accidents after nightfall – try to keep your cat indoors overnight and time meals to keep your cat away from roads when they are at their busiest
Antifreeze is lethal for cats so always keep this out of your cat’s way and clear up any antifreeze spills immediately
Ensure your cat can reach his chosen toileting site and if your cat is seeing snow for the first time, consider giving him access to a safe and enclosed area such as a garden and accompany him when he goes out
If your cat does venture out when it’s snowy, wipe off any road grit and other substances that may stick to his paws or fur when he returns
Provide shelter for cats that go outside. Keep the doors of sheds and outbuildings closed, wedged slightly open or install a cat-flap so cats do not become trapped inside
Check your cat-flap regularly to ensure it hasn’t frozen over or become blocked by snow and if you provide an outdoor water source, check it hasn’t frozen over
If your cat seems reluctant to venture outside in snow or ice, provide an indoor litter tray
Cats may climb into vehicle engines for warmth. Be vigilant, and check beneath or knock on the bonnet before starting your vehicle
Take special care of cats with arthritis, as the cold can severely affect inflamed joints.
Provide additional warm and comfortable places to rest or sleep. If your cat is finding it hard to reach favourite resting places then look at ways of making it easier for him. Also ensure he can easily access his chosen toileting site
Neutering is vital, not only to prevent unwanted kittens being born but to reduce roaming, especially during bad weather.
Ensuring your cat is microchipped also increases the chance of being reunited if he becomes lost
A total of 786,427 people have now received their first Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination in Scotland, including 93% of over-80s living in the community.
Some 99% of older adult care home residents have received a first dose, along with 89% of staff in older adult care homes. A total of 272,365 frontline health and social care workers have also been vaccinated, exceeding the initial target of 230,000 staff provided by health boards.
This week, following the opening of new mass vaccination centres, including the Edinburgh International Conference Centre and Aberdeen’s P&J LIVE at TECA, there has been a 49% increase in the number of vaccinations carried out compared with the previous week.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Scotland’s COVID-19 vaccination programme is now delivering ahead of our expectations, thanks to the enormous efforts of our vaccination teams. I would like to thank everyone who is working tirelessly to make this a success, and also every individual who has taken up their offer of a vaccine.
“Our aim is to vaccinate as many people as possible with both their first and second doses. The vaccine deployment plan was predicated on an uptake of at least 80% in each cohort – though so far we are significantly exceeding that for care home residents and staff, frontline healthcare staff, and over 80-year-olds in the community. If you are aged over 80 but have not yet received your invite, you should contact your GP surgery so they can assist.
“We hope to see a significant drop in the disease due to the vaccination programme, however this will take a number of months to evaluate fully. In the shorter term, we are monitoring the uptake rate but we also have a comprehensive surveillance system in place to monitor outcome of vaccine efficacy and disease reduction.
“Each health board is working hard to get the vaccine into people’s arms as quickly as possible, and everyone eligible will be offered the vaccine as we work our way through the priority groups.”
‘Always drive as if you are being watched by the police’ – RAC says dashcams are a ‘game changer’ in enforcement
As many as 89 dashcam video recordings of alleged motoring offences were submitted to police forces every day in 2019, according to data analysed by the RAC.
A total of 32,370 pieces of footage were received by 24 police forces that accept video evidence of driving offences from members of the public, double the number recorded in 2018 (15,159). Data from the RAC’s freedom of information request also shows that a quarter of these (25% – 8,148) went on to result in prosecutions.
Police forces, according to the RAC’s study, are making it increasingly easy for drivers and other road users to submit camera footage of unsuspecting alleged rule-breakers, with all of Britain’s 44 forces now accepting dashcam video, and the vast majority online via their websites.
The greatest number of potentially prosecutable offences in 2019 were – perhaps unsurprisingly – submitted to The Met Police, a total of 8,082. Surrey had the second highest tally with 3,542, followed by West Midlands – 3,242 in third spot and Gwent – 3,037 – in fourth. Greater Manchester received the fifth highest number of dashcam videos with 2,940.
The footage submitted to police related to the following offences: dangerous driving, careless driving/driving without due care and attention, driving too close to cyclists, contravening red traffic lights, contravening double white lines, contravening ‘no entry’ signs, illegal use of a handheld mobile phone and evidence of vehicles apparently without MOTs.
RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “Even before the decline in the number of roads police enforcing traffic offences, law-abiding drivers were often frustrated that there was never an officer there to deal with infringements they witnessed.
“The advent of dashcams, phones with cameras and helmet cameras have been a game changer as drivers can now easily submit footage to almost every police force.
“As so many drivers and cyclists are now using dashcams and helmet cameras every road user needs to be very conscious that any of their actions that aren’t in accordance with the law could end up with the police. Some will inevitably find this out the hard way while others will hopefully become increasingly mindful of it.
“In terms of how effective dashcams are from a law enforcement point of view our freedom of information request shows that one-in-four footage submissions lead to a successful prosecution.
“There are no doubt numerous reasons why this figure isn’t higher, but we suspect it has to do with the recorded evidence not being as conclusive as it needs to be. This may be due to the nature of the offence, with certain offences such as double white line, red traffic light and ‘no entry’ contraventions being easier to determine than illegal handheld mobile phone use and careless driving.
“It might also be the case that footage filmed on mobile phones is not as comprehensive for officers to work with as video evidence from dashcams and helmet cams which film live footage continuously when the vehicle is in motion. Those choosing to submit mobile phone video – whether as passengers or pedestrians – may well have missed the worst of the alleged offence as they reached to capture it.
“With more and more people getting dashcams the message for 2021 has to be: always drive as if you’re being watched by the police. If more drivers who are inclined to break the laws of the road were to think this way, the safer the roads would be for all of us.”
The RAC stocks a range of dashcams at varying price points at:
Rare Birds Book Club has offered a welcome distraction and a meaningful network for women across the world since its inception in 2017. As COVID-19 brought about the closure of businesses from independent to global, the monthly membership and digital book club saw its figures explode, with an increase in sales of over 52% during the first lockdown alone.
Twelve-months on and with three lockdowns under the country’s belt, the brand, which offers letterbox sized gifts to keep us entertained, has found itself to be one of the few winners of the pandemic.
The home of women’s fiction, Rare Birds Book Club has been a balm to combat the loneliness, anxiety and unease that Coronavirus has brought, not to mention the boredom. Showing just how much a year of being homebound has affected the nation’s shopping habits, Rare Birds announced a 255% increase when comparing January 2020 to January 2021 and an overall increase of 204% YoY. This equates to over 1,200 new monthly members across the last twelve months.
As a monthly service which delivers a surprise work of female fiction to your door, Rare Birds Book Club’s best-seller for 2020 was the pay-as-you-go option, “people love the flexibility and convenience, especially in these uncertain times” according to founder Rachel Wood.
However, that being said, last year saw over 44% of all Rare Birds purchase a 12-month membership or longer, meaning that for them the club is more than just something to keep them going during lockdown. On top of that, figures saw an almost even split, with 51% of members purchased for themselves, whilst 49% ordered as a gift for someone else.
Rachel Wood expands on why now, more than ever, people have been reawakening their love of reading: “Our mission at Rare Birds is simple: to make reading fun again. This year, nothing has seemed particularly fun and with fear at an all-time high and an inability to see our loved ones, a little escapism has been sorely needed.
“From the excitement of receiving a surprise book to the ability to gift those we miss, and have it fit neatly through their letterbox, we have been doing what we can to offer a touch of light relief in this difficult year.”
With a plan that is sure to set the literary world on fire, Rare Birds predicts it will double its members in 2021, finishing out the year with even more likeminded bibliophiles.
The brand will also see a number of big releases including a new line of gifting and a new way of selling in the second half of the year.
A Scottish Ambulance Service vaccination car and specially adapted bus have been operating out of Stanley, Perthshire, this week to deliver Covid-19 vaccinations to residents, identified by NHS Tayside, who live in remote and rural areas.
Around 400 people are expected to be vaccinated via trained Scottish Ambulance Service staff operating out of an modified coach – offered and supplied free of charge by Lochs and Glens Holidays of Gartocharn – and a car which has been visiting homes.
Since Wednesday (February 3), a team of five staff members from the Scottish Ambulance Service have been delivering the first dose of the Oxford vaccine – AstraZeneca – to people aged over 70 to 79 and also clinically vulnerable patients.
An Ambulance Service car staffed by a SAS trained vaccinator has also been visiting housebound patients’ homes in rural Perthshire to vaccinate them.
Scottish Ambulance Service Medical director Jim Ward said: “This is a great initiative in the fight against Covid-19. We have already vaccinated more than 5,000 of our own staff, Community First Responders and students, which has been a fantastic effort by everyone involved.
“The bus is essentially a mobile vaccination clinic that can access remote and rural Scotland, providing a sheltered place where people can come and get vaccinated in a safe environment by trained healthcare professionals. The car will allow people who cannot leave their homes to be vaccinated.
“We have received great feedback from the people who have been vaccinated on the bus and also by those who have been visited at their homes. We are very grateful to Lochs and Glens Holidays for providing the bus and look forward to working alongside other health boards and Scottish Government colleagues in developing the initiative and rolling it out to other areas of Scotland.”
The vaccination bus and car pilot aims to support Health Boards in their vaccination efforts and appointments are made via GP practices.
Dr Daniel Chandler, Associate Director of Public Health at NHS Tayside, said, “The vaccination programme is progressing well in Tayside with over 60,000 people already vaccinated across Dundee, Angus and Perth & Kinross.
“This mobile service provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service will help provide extra capacity to support our GPs and community vaccination teams as we move into the next phase of the programme.”
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We appreciate all the offers of support as we roll-out the biggest vaccination programme ever undertaken in this country.
“I would urge everyone to take up their appointment when they are offered one. The vaccination programme is one of three key ways we are working to beat this virus, along with our expanded testing programme to identify cases and break chains of transmission and the important lockdown restrictions everyone in Scotland must follow. All these measures work to greatest effect when they work together.”
Neil Wells, Managing Director from Lochs and Glens Holidays, said: “It’s great to be able to help the Scottish Ambulance Service with their work to vaccinate our rural communities.”
