Category: North Edinburgh News

Can Do Collective elects Hazel Jane as their new Convener

The Can Do Collective – a connected community of enterprise support organisations and leaders on a mission to build a world-leading entrepreneurial, innovative and creative society – has announced the election of Hazel Jane, who is Entrepreneur Engagement Manager for Tech Nation, as their new convener. 

Elected every two years, the Can Do Collective conveners’ role is to drive momentum for the Can Do Movement across Scotland, building on its reputation as a beacon globally in entrepreneurial eco-systems and supporting the growth of this powerful community of inspiring entrepreneurial leaders, who in turn deliver impact for Scotland.

Hazel Jane commented: “As an entrepreneur engagement manager for Tech Nation covering all of Scotland, my primary role is very much speaking with founders, stakeholders and government as well as liaising with my colleagues across the rest of the UK, to understand what our eco-system looks like on a UK landscape and how we can be doing better, and how we can thrive.

“It is exactly these insights and experiences that I intend to bring to the Collective so that we can continue to support our business community to thrive here.”

Founded upon a shared belief that Scotland has always been a ‘Can Do’ nation, the aim of the community today is to work together to enable entrepreneurs of all kinds to flourish and to prove that by working collaboratively they can increase the odds of success.

Hazel continued: “I am fully committed to genuinely helping with the issues that we are facing in Scotland and the rest of the UK right now.

“Brexit, in particular, has hit businesses in ways that we didn’t imagine. This is something that we, as entrepreneur support organisations will have to think about and hopefully share a lot of knowledge around.

“With regards to the pandemic, I think that there are still a lot of unknowns, and it’s really important to touch on the fact that these challenges aren’t just financial – there is an immense amount of change for business owners and entrepreneurs, who are leading their employees into a world that we don’t yet understand. Successful business recovery in a post-pandemic era is also going to require a new world of working and I hope that we will be front runners, leading by example.

“I believe that the role of the Collective is to share genuine best practise and support one another to get behind movements. For me, this is about being able to reach a huge group of companies that work to drive entrepreneurship and, supporting them with information and advice that will help to drive change and growth from within. Everything that the eco-system is doing is for the greater good of all entrepreneurship in Scotland.”

The Can Do Collective is funded by The Scottish Government and supported by a dedicated team within the independent charity Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation. Made up of over 70 public, private and social enterprise support organisations from across all corners of Scotland, The Collective community represents 16 industry sectors.

New Town campaigners call for More Trees, please

Fettes Row & Royal Crescent Association (FRRCA) is stepping up its campaign against plans to redevelop two key sites adjoining the New Town conservation area and removing scores of trees as well as encroaching upon the community amenity of George V Park.

The city council’s Development Management Sub-committee will hold a hearing on February 17 on Ediston’s plans to demolish the old RBS IT centre on Dundas Street and build some 400 flats, offices and maybe a hotel on one of the biggest such sites in the capital.

The developer plans to remove mature trees surrounding the site, including alongside and within the nearby park which is especially enjoyed by large numbers of families with children. It recently applied to remove a further four trees on Fettes Row and severely prune others as they are considered “dangerous” in an unspecified manner.

This is on top of earlier plans to remove 84 trees on the site – and build offices/flats 5m taller and 6m closer than the current IT centre in a way that will heavily overshadow the park. The developers say they will replace trees – but there is no guarantee they will.

Separately, there are plans to demolish Centrum House at 108-116 Dundas St and replace current offices with 44 flats (and three more retail units), with the proposed building reaching as far as the footpath and removing all the current trees, with no replacements. Consultation on these plans ended on January 29.

FRRCA has launched a dedicated website, www.more-trees.info with its own blindfolded teddy bear logo and the message “more trees, lower heights” as part of its campaign to persuade the council to reject the two applications and replace them with new plans more sensitive to the world heritage nature of the area and to environmental concerns.

For further info, please contact: Judith Symes, FRRCA chair via judith.symes@gmail.com and visit our Facebook page

Online support for new teachers

Hundreds of teachers who are new in post, or working in pastoral or child protection roles, are to be offered support to manage the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland have partnered with social enterprise organisation KnowYouMore who will provide coaches for the new online one-to-one sessions. Sessions are already being offered to headteachers as part of a support package funded by the Scottish Government last September.

The new programme now includes support for more than 500 teachers in their first four years of post-probation to discuss any personal or professional pressures they are facing as a result of delivering remote learning.

Education Secretary John Swinney, said: “COVID-19 has placed unprecedented strain on school staff and none more so than those who have pastoral care and child protection responsibilities ensuring the emotional welfare of our children and young people as we recover from the pandemic.

“The teacher support package I announced last year will complement the existing professional training and support already taking place for staff in schools across Scotland. Teachers need to be part of a supportive online community and have the space to stop and think about issues that are causing concern.”

Gayle Gorman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Education Scotland Chief Executive, said: “Education Scotland is fully committed to ensuring the education workforce feel supported and I’m delighted this next phase of our coaching and mentoring offer is available more widely.

“We have found that it really benefits teachers to know there is someone with a listening ear who are there for them. Our 1:1 coaching and mentoring sessions for Headteachers have proved a really popular way of supporting their wellbeing and now the offer is also open to post probation teachers, teachers new to role and those with pastoral responsibilities. I would encourage more practitioners to sign up.”  

Ken Muir, Chief Executive, of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, said: “GTC Scotland is pleased to be working with our partners in education to deliver this important coaching to support hard-pressed teachers who are doing all they can to maintain quality learning in challenging circumstances.

“In addition to this coaching, GTC Scotland itself has invested heavily in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of education professionals and will continue to do so throughout the pandemic.”

£2.8m for Edinburgh business support: first come, first served

Eligible Edinburgh businesses can apply for new Discretionary Fund payments from Wednesday

Applications for £2,000 business grant payments will be open on the City of Edinburgh Council’s website from Wednesday 3 February.

This follows the approval of a recommended fund framework at Friday’s specially-convened Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee.

The framework will guide the Council in distributing £2,796,150 from the Scottish Government for discretionary business grant funding.

To date, the Council has provided financial support to over 15,000 Edinburgh businesses in response to COVID-19, with funding in excess of £156 million since March 2020.

This newly approved ‘Discretionary Grant Fund’ will aim to assist businesses that have been without financial support since the introduction of Brake Restrictions and latterly Strategic Framework Restrictions in October and November 2020. Businesses will receive one off payment of £2,000. This will equate to approximately 1,400 businesses being supported.

Applications to the fund will open on a first come, first served basis on Wednesday 3 February 2021 at 8am.

The eligibility criteria have been designed to especially support applications from suppliers to those businesses that have been forced to close, businesses operating without rateable premises, and businesses that are deemed essential but who have lost their customers due to the restrictions imposed since October 2020.

Businesses can review the required here:  full eligibility criteria and mandatory evidence . Due to the limited funding available, applications will be handled on a strictly first come, first served basis.

The fund will close when 1,500 applications have been received and reopen (with advance notice) once those applications have been assessed, assuming that they do not all meet the eligibility criteria.

Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “We know how important this fund is to businesses – in many instances it will be lifeline and as a committee we take that responsibility very seriously.

“It’s a finite pot of money so we’ve worked hard to make sure we get this right – targeting the fund towards the businesses that need it the most and trying to reach as many as possible.

“The fund is aimed at businesses who have been ineligible for other Scottish Government support and who’ve suffered significant losses as a result of restrictions brought in since October.

“We’ve consulted with partners like the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Chamber of Commerce who have been amazing at helping us to sense check our approach.

“They’ve shared their valuable knowledge and understanding of their members’ experiences to help us draft the best framework we think is possible in the circumstances.  And we’ve had very useful consultations and input from other elected members.

Councillor Mandy Watt, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Vice Convener said: “We’ve taken this report to a special committee so that we can start supporting those businesses in need as soon as possible. Sadly, there will still be small enterprises facing hardship who won’t get one of these grants.

“Further government discretionary grant funding for businesses, as announced yesterday by the Finance Secretary, should be released as quickly as possible so we can give them the assistance that they desperately need.”

 “From Wednesday 3 February, businesses that fit the criteria agreed today can start to apply and we hope to be able to start making the first payments within a few days of that. We must stress that businesses will be allocated funding on a first come, first served basis.”

Missing person: LORNA FOUND

Police in Edinburgh are delighted to report that 71 year old Lorna Ferguson, reported missing earlier from Pilrig Street, Edinburgh has been TRACED SAFE AND WELL In the East Lothian area.

Police are releasing a further image of 71-year-old woman, Lorna Ferguson, missing from Bathgate this morning. The image shows Lorna near Pilrig Street.

Officers are also checking a reported sighting of Lorna in Portobello Road this afternoon.

Lorna Ferguson was last seen exiting out of Pilrig Park, Edinburgh, around 11am this morning, Saturday 30 January, 2021.

She is white, around 4 ft. 10 inches in height, with a medium build, and short silver hair. She was wearing beige coloured trousers, walking boots and a green Rab puffer jacket. She was walking her dog, a brown coloured cockapoo, with a luminous yellow, extendable lead.

Lorna has dementia and her family is extremely concerned. She has never gone missing before and they just want to know she is safe and well.

Extensive enquiries are under way to locate Lorna, but efforts so face have provide unsuccessful. Officers are checking CCTV footage for any additional information which could assist in the inquiry.

Anyone who has seen or has any knowledge as to Lorna’s whereabouts is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 1733.

Five ways to make your car cosier

Motorists have been offered five ways to warm up their car during the chilly weather.

Travel experts from LeaseCar.uk are encouraging drivers to buy a pair gloves, make hot drinks or buy extra heating devices in order to brave the cold.

Many cars now come with the luxury of heated seats, or even heated steering wheels, whilst these luxuries aren’t available in every car, there are now plug-in alternatives.

However, the age-old favourite of letting the engine heat up shouldn’t be ignored, as this ensures hot air will be emitted.

A spokesperson from LeaseCar.uk said: “Being warm and comfortable whilst you’re driving is very important, being too cold can be extremely distracting.

“There are age old hacks such as warming the engine up before you set off and ensuring you’re wearing plenty of layers, and these shouldn’t be sniffed at.

“However, modern inventions such as heated seats and steering wheels provide a little more luxury and can be more effective at heating you up.”

These are LeaseCar.uk’s top tips for making cars cosy:

1. Gloves

Fingers are often the first to feel the cold, so keeping them warm in gloves is a must. Driving gloves are very common and can range in price from £20 to £200. Depending on whether you want the finest supple leather, or a basic material which will do the job, there’s a pair of gloves for you.

2. Steering wheel cover

When driving you always have to have two hands on the wheel, which means that touching a very cold steering wheel will undoubtedly make the driver feel the freeze. You can invest in a furry steering wheel cover which will feel warmer than cold plastic.

3. In-car heater

If your car heating doesn’t quite cut it, you can purchase an in-car heater. It plugs into the power socket and you can stick it onto the dashboard, allowing it to circulate heat throughout the car. If you’re someone who particularly feels the cold you can even use it at the same time as your normal heating.

4. Plug in seat warmer

If your car doesn’t come with heated seats, that doesn’t mean they’re something you can only dream of. You can buy seat covers which plug into the cigarette lighter and have a heating system in them, meaning you can enjoy a warm comfortable drive.

5. Hot drinks

Another way to warm your cold fingers and hands is to think ahead and prepare, or buy, a warm cup of coffee or tea. Perfect to wake you up during the commute but the got air it emits will also help increase the temperature of the car.

Three steps the UK Government must take now to solve the Brexit border chaos

The current trade disruption between the UK and the EU is the result of ignoring expert advice and a chaotic information campaign, which must urgently be solved in three steps, says leading London accountancy firm Blick Rothenberg.

Alex Altmann, a partner and head of the firm’s Brexit advisory group, says: “We warned about serious disruptions many months ago and advised the Government to introduce an implementation phase for businesses to cope with the new customs formalities.

“The foolishness and amateurism of the Government’s approach has created existential threats to many businesses on both sides that currently struggle to trade with each other. The disruptions must urgently be solved in three steps.

“First, the Government must temporarily relax the requirement for EU traders to have an office in the UK to import goods, and subsequently ask the EU commission to do the same. The most serious problem today is that businesses without a presence in the other market cannot import their goods without appointing a customs agent.

“ This is how the new customs rules have been designed by the UK and the EU as part of the Brexit deal. This is a serious flaw. Customs agents are rare and very expensive and the UK currently requires about 20,000 more agents to meet demand. The Government should take this step very urgently to avoid a major supply chain disaster in the weeks ahead.”

Altmann added: “Second, the Government needs to admit that their expensive Brexit information campaign has not prepared businesses well enough for the new trade relationship with the EU. The guidance provided by the UK Government contains conflicting information, not enough detail, and to some extent, wrong advice.

“This has become particularly apparent with regards to the new border situation with Northern Ireland. It has become clear that the Government’s guidance has not been drafted by trade and customs experts, which is a serious shortcoming.

“The Government must take a step back now and relax the rules for the time being, while redrafting guidance and advisory papers based on the final Brexit deal arrangements. This is the only way to overcome the misinformation and provide traders and freight carriers with the confidence they need to sell cross-border.”

Altmann, who is also a Chairman at the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany said: “  “Thirdly, there are some serious flaws in the Brexit trade deal that the Government must put high up on the agenda to clarify and potentially renegotiate with the EU.

“ One area that continues to create confusion among traders and their freight carriers is the new rules of origin provision. The Government presented the Brexit deal as a tariff and quota free agreement. This is only partly true. Tariffs still apply in the normal way for manufactured goods which contain more than 40 percent of ingredients with origins outside the UK or EU.

“There is no guidance of how businesses should calculate and document the origin analysis. This is causing major disruptions to supply chains. Again, we recommend that the new rules of origin are temporarily paused until there is sufficient guidance and expertise available to work this out.”

Search for lockdown’s walking heroes begins

National charity Living Streets is asking people to nominate local groups or individuals who have gone the extra mile to improve their community for walking this year.

Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, is looking for inspiring entrants for the Charles Maher Award – Walking Champion 2021.

The award was set up in honour of Charles Maher, a campaigner and longstanding supporter of Living Streets – formerly the Pedestrians Association – and recognises an individual, group or organisation who has helped achieve a better walking environment and got people walking.

After a year which has seen streets improved so people can walk while socially distancing and seen more people walking for exercise, the charity is keen to celebrate the people who have made this possible.

Mary Creagh, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “We know there are some dedicated people out there who work tirelessly for their local community to transform their streets into safer and more attractive places.

“We want to recognise the brilliant work they’ve done which has helped people to stay healthy, happy and connected during the pandemic.”

Individuals, local groups, organisations or local authorities can self-nominate themselves or others for the Living Streets Charles Maher Award.

Nominations close on 16 February 2021. The nomination form is on the Living Streets website: www.livingstreets.org.uk/maher

The award will be presented at Living Streets’ National Walking Summit on Thursday 18 March 2021. Full details and ticket information at www.livingstreets.org.uk/NationalWalkingSummit

DBI programme: More support for people in emotional distress

More support will be available to people experiencing emotional distress following the expansion of the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme to further local areas.

If someone presents as ‘in distress’ to emergency services or in a primary care setting, this programme can offer them a call from a trained operator within 24 hours. They will then be provided with up to two weeks of one-to-one support to help address issues which might be contributing to their distress, including, for example, money worries and relationship problems. 

NHS Ayrshire and Arran are the latest health board to launch a DBI programme, following the rollout of a local service in Inverclyde earlier this month. Since it began in 2017, the programme has been made available in ten Health and Social Care Partnership areas.

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: “This is an innovative programme and, we believe, world-leading intervention which provides vital support to people experiencing emotional distress. It is a crucial part of the wide range of actions we are taking to improve public mental health and wellbeing.

“Since its launch in 2017 over 12,800 people have been referred for support and these new sites, in addition to the new pathway through the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub helpline, will help us expand this service across Scotland by 2024.”

Someone who has experience of the DBI programme is Pamela, who self-presented as in distress to her GP. Pamela (her name has been changed to protect identities) had experienced depression and anxiety for some time but was finding it difficult to manage due to an altercation with a neighbour who was verbally aggressive towards her.

Pamela said: “I cannot thank DBI enough for the help I have received from them. I feel less stressed and now have ongoing support in place for the future which has given me more confidence.

“I feel encouraged now to start doing things again that I enjoy, like hobbies and seeing family again. DBI has also improved my self-esteem and I now know that I am worth more than what I had been willing to accept previously.”

National DBI Programme Manager Kevin O’Neill said: “Our partners across Ayrshire and Arran and Inverclyde have shown incredible collaboration in support of building connected compassionate support for people in distress.

“We welcome our new regions to the growing DBI community and we look forward to working and learning with them in our collective programme of incremental growth and continuous improvement with the shared ambition of providing the best connected compassionate support possible.”

Distress Brief Intervention – Connected Compassionate Support | DBI.scot

Shelter rescue dog Major makes history as First in the White House

Major, President Biden’s shelter rescue dog, has been hitting the headlines for all the right reasons. First adopted by President Joe Biden in 2018, Major becomes the first shelter rescue dog to live in the White House.

This is welcome news for many pet lovers who have already taken the step to foster or adopt a dog or cat in need. 

In this article Perfect-Pets Books explores the growing trend of high-profile politicians who have famously rescued a pet. If you are interested in rehoming or fostering a dog Rescue Dogs the Essential Guide by Perfect-Pets Books is a great place to start. Full of essential information the guide addresses the key points one should consider before taking in a dog and re-homing it:

The recent election results which confirmed Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election has sparked a few fireworks to say the least. However, one of the nicer stories to emerge was the announcement that the Biden family will be bringing their two German Shepherd dogs Major and Champ to live in the White House.

The last four years has seen no pets in the White House and this announcement drew smiles and applause from animal lovers across the country. 

The ASPCA president and CEO Matt Bershadker said: “We’re thrilled the Bidens’ dog Major will be the first shelter dog ever to call the White House his home. This is a wonderful opportunity for people to see how fostering and adopting animals saves lives, helps animal shelters, and brings love and joy to families.”

It has also been hinted by President Biden’s wife, Dr Jill Biden, that they also have plans to add a feline companion. If so, it will be the ‘first cat’ since George W. Bush’s cat India a.ka. Willie.

Giving a home to a rescue dog or cat has been given a great boost in recent years by high-profile politicians.

When Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved into Downing Street, he made headlines with his rescue dog Dilyn. Dilyn was rescued from a breeder by animal charity Friends of Animals Wales before being adopted. He was moved into Downing Street in September 2019.

Dilyn, who is a Jack Russell, has proved to be quite popular and has a growing following on Instagram. His Instagram page has attracted more than 2,000 followers.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has not been the only PM to add a rescue to Downing Street.

Back in 2011 Larry the Cat, a rescue from London’s Battersea Cats and Dogs Home moved into Downing Street. Larry was known for his high chase-drive and hunting instinct developed during his time on the streets and came highly recommended.

Even after David Cameron left office Larry remained at Downing Street. Larry never actually belonged to Cameron and instead belonged to a civil servant, but his story made great headlines.

 Larry the cat is one of a long line of Downing Street cats, known unofficially as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. One of the most famous and longest serving cats was Humphrey adopted in 1989. Humphrey was adopted after wandering into No 10 as a stray while Margaret Thatcher was prime minister. He remained throughout the administration of John Major and eventually moved out six months after Tony Blair won the 1997 general election.

The re-introduction of four legged companions in the White House will certainly get tails wagging. Although Biden’s dog Major is said to be the first dog shelter rescue to live in the White House, research says this is not entirely true as there was a previous dog rescue. What makes Major special is that he was adopted from a shelter.

According to the fact-checkers at Snopes.com they have found that President Lyndon B. Johnson’s mixed breed dog Yuki was found by Johnson’s daughter Luci at a gas station on Thanksgiving Day in 1966. Luci officially gave the dog to her dad as a birthday gift in 1967.

Nevertheless, the story of Major is a happy one and it raises awareness about pet abandonment. Animal shelters are desperately in need of owners for the many strays that fill their centres.

Covid has created an explosion of pet ownership with many owners truly appreciating the companionship of their new addition(s) during these difficult months. Equally, reports show Covid has also created a growing number of pet abandonments. These have occurred for a variety of socio-economic reasons such as unemployment or a lack of research from owners.

If you are interested in adopting a new pet or acquiring a pet from a breeder Perfect-Pets Books have an extensive range of essential guides for dog and cat lovers that offer advice and information to help owners provide the best care possible. Books such as First Aid for Dogs, The Essential Guide to Dog Rescue and the Essential Guide to Dog Training act as great complements to Perfect-Pets’ most popular dog and cat breeds essential guides.

To learn more visit www.perfect-pets.org for further information. Use code Perfect20Off at checkout and get 20% off.