A 44-year-old man has been convicted of the murder of 77-year-old Jadwiga Szczygielska. Roman Frackiewicz was found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday.
Police were called around 7.50am on Saturday, 18 April, 2020 to Pirniefield Bank in Edinburgh after the body of Jadwiga Szczygielska was found within her home.
Detective Inspector Bob Williamson of the Major Investigation Team in Edinburgh explained: “Jadwiga Szczygielska was a generous and caring woman who was well liked within the community. She allowed Roman Frackiewicz to stay in her home at a time when he had nowhere else to live.
“Frackiewicz repaid Jadwiga by taking advantage of her within her own home and abusing her kindness. We will never know why he chose to attack her that night but his actions were violent, brutal and cruel resulting in the catastrophic injuries suffered by Jadwiga.
“This guilty verdict will never bring Jadwiga back but I sincerely hope it will bring some sense of justice to her family.”
– Food to come from Morrisons food-making sites, distribution centres and suppliers –
– Morrisons will work with food redistribution charity The Bread and Butter Thing to reach 30,000 families in 100 locations –
Morrisons is extending its work with leading food redistribution charity The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT), to provide great quality food for thousands of families in the UK, while at the same time significantly reducing food waste in its food making operations and supply chain around the UK.
Food factories are the second highest source of food waste after households, according to the food waste charity WRAP. This typically happens because of overproduction, imperfections, mis-labelling or because the food runs out of shelf life.
During 2021, Morrisons plans to redistribute surplus food to 30,000 families in need through TBBT. Morrisons partnership with TBBT was set up in 2016 and has so far provided 2m meals to its members.
The food – amounting to another 800 tonnes or 2 million meals a year – will come from a range of Morrisons food-making sites, distribution centres, and UK suppliers. The range of products donated will include fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, prepared food and bread.
TBBT will redistribute it to families in need of healthy and nutritious meals. Its research found 80 per cent of adults who received food from TBBT are skipping meals themselves to feed their families1.
So far, the partnership has enabled TBBT to double its reach from its Greater Manchester origins. A second TBBT warehouse opened in County Durham in November 2020, new vans will take the fleet to 10, and over 50 hubs are expected to be operational across the North of England by mid 2021. Morrisons support will enable the charity to expand nationally to 100 locations by the start of 2022.
Steven Butts, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Morrisons, said: “Reducing food waste is important to our customers, colleagues and shareholders.
“We’ve made very strong progress in reducing waste in our supermarkets over many years. But there is still more to do behind the scenes and this extension of our partnership with TBBT will mean that they can do even more for families around the UK while at the same time helping us further reduce wasted food.”
Mark Game, CEO TBBT, said:“We’ve all faced enormous challenges this year and we could not have done it without Morrisons’ continued support and the heroic efforts of its team to keep its surplus food coming to us in addition to feeding the nation during this tumultuous time.
“I’m enormously grateful to Morrisons and all its staff for helping us to keep our members fed with quality, nutritious food which, for a whole variety of reasons, couldn’t be sold.
“We work in some of the UK’s most deprived communities. The financial savings for people using our service are significant, people eat better quality and a bigger variety of food, and we save tonnes of surplus edible food from going to waste.
“It’s a win/win solution for everyone. Morrisons have been a major supporter since our launch in 2016, and I’m excited that this new, extended partnership will enable us to grow nationwide.”
Morrisons has pledged to reduce operational food waste by 50% by 2030. To date the supermarket has launched the biggest Wonky fruit and veg range, has donated surplus food from every store, and offers boxes of veg, bakery and deli items for just £3.09 via the Too Good to Go App. Since 2015 Morrisons stores have also given surplus food to local good causes – totalling 3.5 tonnes last year.
Morrisons has 18 of its own food making sites – preparing meat, fruit, veg, fish, bakery and fresh food products, plus six distribution centres. The supermarket is the largest fresh food manufacturer in the UK, and makes more than half of the fresh food sold in its stores.
A new safety campaign to help reduce the number of domestic accidents involving under-5s in Scotland has been launched by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
During lockdown many people are spending more time at home than ever before. However, more accidents happen in the home than anywhere else – every year in the UK, about 6,000 accidental deaths are caused by home accidents.
In Scotland, there are an average each year of 1,856 children under five years old injured so severely that they require hospital admission due to injuries in the home.
Evidence shows that falls, poisonings, burns and scalds – many of which happen in the home – are the most common injuries leading to A&E attendance and hospital admission for pre-school children.
Liz Lumsden, RoSPA’s community safety manager for Scotland, said: “Due to their inquisitive nature, children under the age of five are among the most likely to end up in A&E because of a home accident.
“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many of us have spent more time at home than we may otherwise have done which can increase the likelihood of little ones having a mishap.”
To help prevent home accidents among young children in Scotland, RoSPA will be coordinating an awareness-raising campaigning which promotes key home safety messages this week. The campaign is supported by Aberdeen Health and Social Care Partnership, Aberdeen City Council and the Scottish Government.
The campaign will include short videos which demonstrate how to avoid common accidents that occur in the kitchen, bedroom, living room and other parts of the home.
Commenting on the campaign Community Safety Minister, Ash Denham MSP, said: “I am pleased to see the launch of this campaign which looks to help prevent accidents in the home among young children.
“With children spending more time indoors at home, and the added factor of many parents having to juggle childcare with working from home, we know there is an increased risk of potential accidents.
“I would like to thank the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for their continued dedication to help keep our children and young people in Scotland safe during these unprecedented times.”
In addition to the campaign videos and graphics, you can find further home safety advice on the Keeping Kids Safe hub, at https://bit.ly/3iteczf
Social Renewal Advisory Board report: January 2021
Tackling poverty and inequality can be central to Scotland’s recovery from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a new report.
The Social Renewal Advisory Board has published 20 Calls to Action to help create a fairer country, with recommendations around the themes of Money and Work; People, Rights and Advancing Equality; and Communities and Collective Endeavour.
The report, If not now, when?, will now be considered by the Scottish Government.
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “This ambitious report is a challenge to be bold as we recover from COVID-19.
“It recognises the strong response to the pandemic which has taken place across Scotland thanks to the collective efforts of local and national government, communities, organisations and individuals. The actions recommended build on work to tackle poverty and reduce inequality, taking a human-rights based approach.”
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Everyone has felt the impacts of the virus, but those who were already facing disadvantage have faced even greater challenges.
“We are committed to ensuring our renewal, alongside our response, ensures a Fairer Scotland for everyone no matter their circumstances.”
Sally Thomas, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Chief Executive and Joint Chair of the report’s Editorial Sub-Group said: “While there is no doubt the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges, it has also re-energised work to tackle the inequalities that persist and stand in the way of Scotland becoming the inclusive, fair and progressive country we all want.”
Fellow Joint Chair and Chief Executive of Crisis Jon Sparkes said: “If accepted and implemented, the calls to action in this report will transform Scotland, building on firm foundations of social justice by continuing to tackle poverty and inequality, ensuring basic rights are realised and working towards fairer, healthier and empowered communities.
“We must seize this opportunity because if not now, when?”
commit to working towards a Minimum Income Guarantee for all
offer skills, training and qualifications programmes targeted to those most affected by the pandemic – including disabled people, minority ethnic communities and lone parents
commit to a new Affordable Housing Programme, delivering 53,000 affordable homes, including 37,100 homes for social rent
set a target to end digital exclusion in the next parliamentary term
work with local government and other partners to give more say to people and communities over the decisions which affect their lives
strengthen approaches to address and prevent hate crime and public sexual harassment.
Police are appealing for information following a hit and run in Midlothian.The incident, which saw a pedestrian struck by a silver VW vehicle, happened at around 2.45pm on Tuesday (19 January) on the A701 near Gowkley Moss roundabout.
A 55-year-old man sustained serious but not life threatening injuries as a result of the collision and was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Officers are appealing for anyone with any information to get in touch.
Constable Kevin Liddell of Dalkeith Road Policing said: “We are appealing for the assistance of the public to trace the vehicle involved.
“I would ask if you were in the area at the time of the incident and may have witnessed the collision that you get in contact with officers.
“I would also appeal to anyone who has any dashcam or mobile phone footage that could assist with our investigation.
“Police can be contacted by calling 101 and quoting incident number 1700 of Tuesday, 19 January, 2021.”
Now lockdown lessons are firmly underway again Barnardo’s is launching a website to help teachers support their pupils who may be experiencing mental health and wellbeing issues.
Called Barnardo’s Education Community (BEC) the site is aimed at teachers, lecturers and staff working in the education sector.
Its aim is to be a ‘one stop shop’ where educators can go for trauma-informed resources, support and advice about how to help children and young people cope with any issues they are experiencing.
Crucially there is also a selection of resources for education professionals with a focus on both their wellbeing and that of their department.
These will help them deal with the immense strain they are under in managing their own experiences, while also coping with the impact of secondary trauma through supporting children and young people.
Visitors to the site, which launches today (January 21), will find useful materials about how best to support pupils who are experiencing feelings of loss, grief and bereavement, including the impact of trauma, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding for the BEC came from a generous grant from the Westminster Foundation, which has made £12.5m of funding available since the start of the pandemic to charities and community organisations tackling the repercussions of coronavirus.
But the website will not stop when the lockdown restrictions are relaxed. Instead the content within BEC will be continuously evolving to meet the ever changing needs of children, young people and educators.
A key part of this evolution will be the ‘community of practice’ section of the site where visitors will be able to take part in facilitated and peer-led discussions about current and emerging topics.
These discussion forums will provide the opportunity for education professionals to discuss and share best practice at a nationwide level.
And people who participate in these discussions will also be helping shape the site and its content because the Barnardo’s team will be creating resources to help educators deal with these emerging issues.
Uniquely, on top of all this, BEC includes free access to video, webinar and audio training on the resources, as well in-person training where necessary.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “As a former teacher I know just how difficult it can be to support children who are struggling with challenges at home or a history of trauma.
“In the age of COVID this is so much harder, with many children falling behind in their learning during the lockdowns, facing anxiety and mental health problems, and worrying about their parents’ jobs or their grandparents’ health. On top of all this teachers are facing huge pressures personally and professionally.
“This is why I’m delighted to be launching Barnardo’s Education Community today, with vital health and wellbeing resources to support educators at this uniquely difficult time.
“I’d urge everyone to treat this as your community. Take part in online discussions with your peers and bookmark the page on your browser so it is always there when you need help.
“And if there are any resources you need but cannot see on there already then get in touch and we’ll work on creating them for you. The goal is for the site to be constantly evolving to meet your needs.”
The Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, who Chairs the Westminster Foundation, said: “We may not know for some time the true extent of anxiety and trauma that children are experiencing through the pandemic, but we do know that changes to education have placed teachers and families under immense strain as they try to support children adapt or come to terms with the negative consequences of Covid.
“We also know that lockdown learning has a greater impact on the more vulnerable children in society as they face the real possibility of poor mental health compounding their existing disadvantages.
“We shouldn’t assume that education professionals can simply react to this without any extra help, on top of the many existing challenges they face. I’m proud the Westminster Foundation’s support has helped create the Barnardo’s Education Community and hope it will become a vital resource to everyone in the education sector.”
LothiansMSP Miles Briggs has expressed concern at theLevel of Covid-19 vaccinations in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
The Tory MSP said: “It is concerning that Edinburgh is lagging behind in the number of people who have received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccinations.
“Edinburgh has a higher number of care home residents, who take longer to vaccinate, than other local authorities, which may have slowed down the process.
“What is important now is that the level of Covid-19 vaccinations in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s is ramped up to get everyone in the community vaccinated as soon as possible.
British Gas workers are burning the new contracts to show graphically their defiance of the imposition of hourly pay 15% below the agreed rate, says GMB Union.
Day six of the British Gas strike was ‘rock solid’ as an estimated 7,000 workers downed tools over the company’s plan to sack them all
Meanwhile angry engineers across the country are set to burn new contracts – which they have been told they must sign, or be fired in March:
In a show of defiance, engineers across the UK will burn new contracts tomorrow (Friday 22 January) at 10am:
London: Havering Town Hall, Main Road, RM1 3BB
Edinburgh: Scottish Gas call centre, 1 Waterfront Avenue, Edinburgh EH5 1SG
Cardiff: British Gas Customer Call Office, 4 Callaghan Square, Tresillian Way, Cardiff, CF10 5BT
Stockport: British Gas Office, New Bridge Lane, Stockport, SK1 2HQ
Members across the country – picketing at their vans due to the pandemic – will also be filming and photographing their contracts being burned at the same time.
Engineers and other workers will also down tools on January 22, 25, 29, 30, 31 and February 1 in anger as profitable British Gas provokes further disruption for its customers.
British Gas engineers and staff voted overwhelmingly by 89% to strike after boss of parent company Centrica Chris O’Shea threatened to fire them all if they didn’t “accept” cuts to pay and terms and conditions.
The strikes provoked by the company have caused massive disruption already – with an estimated 100,000 homes waiting for service across the country.
British Gas parent company Centrica reported an operating profit (before exceptional items and tax) of £901 million in 2019.
The operating profitability of its UK home heating business rose by 27 per cent in the first six months of 2020.
Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary, said: “GMB members at British Gas are burning the new contracts to show graphically their defiance of the imposition of hourly pay 15% below the agreed rate – as well as other changes.
“This is yet another attempt get through to Mr O’Shea that staff accepting cuts of this magnitude in a profitable company is wishful thinking in the extreme.
“British Gas has provoked disruption to more than 100,000 households already in the backlog for services. That number will grow due to the seven new strike dates.
“The company needs to put customers and staff first by abandoning wishful thinking and taking ‘fire and rehire’ off the table.
UNCON 3.0 is the third iteration of a biannual festival, designed for and by young people, celebrating the best in youth arts and creativity in Scotland.
The coronavirus pandemic has had an enormous impact on every aspect of children and young people’s lives, including on art provision, and their opportunities to participate and progress within the arts, screen and creative industries.
During the virtual UNCON on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January 2021, partners from across the youth arts sector will share reflections on the challenges of the past year and consider how children’s voices and aspirations can be heard in the recovery process.
The programme will feature a mix of pre-filmed and live performances, presentations and panel discussions, artwork and manifestos created by children and young people.
Children, young people, policy makers and anyone with an interest in children and young people’s rights are invited to join the conversation. The programme includes live events which are free to access. Full details of the programme and information about how to register is available on the Creative Scotland website.
Fiona Dalgetty, Fèis Rois said: “Young people from Fèis Rois and the Highland Youth Arts Hub have taken part in every UNCON to date, and we are excited to participate online this year.
“Overcoming the challenging move to a digital event, the team at Creative Scotland have put together an ambitious programme and we are excited for the audience to see the video our young people have created.”
Katie Brennan, Collective said: “For this year’s UNCON, we’ve been working in partnership with Edinburgh Young Carers on a postal project, asking young people to reflect on their experiences of lockdown and hopes for the future through mail art.
“We look forward to UNCON as a space in which the hopes, concerns and priorities of young people from all backgrounds will be heard by organisations and policy makers.”
Paul Sullivan of CELCIS said “We know the importance of creativity in helping children and young people to develop new skills, express themselves and have fun. COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on every aspect of children and young people’s lives, including their opportunities to access creativity.
“Our hope for UNCON is that through showcasing the creative skills of a number of talented care experienced young people and projects, we can further highlight the need for creative opportunities to be protected for children and young people all across Scotland.”
Sarah Mcadam, Time to Shine Manager, Creative Scotland said: “As with so many things, the lead in to this UNCON has felt very different to previous years. We know that the coronavirus will continue to have a significant impact on children and young people’s futures and it’s more important than ever to make sure we are listening to what is important to their lives.
“As this UNCON takes place at the beginning of a new decade, we look forward to working with a youth arts sector that meets these challenges head-on and continues to support Scotland’s children and young people to thrive in and through the arts and creativity.”
