Category: North Edinburgh News

COVID Christmas: Governments sing from the same hymn sheet

Clear messaging on celebrating safely?

A joint statement on staying safe at Christmas from the UK Government, Scottish Government, and Welsh Government:

As we approach the festive period, the UK Government, Scottish Government, and Welsh Government are seeking to balance pragmatism with the overriding priority of protecting public health.

To do this, we have joined together to issue clear guidance and recommendations, as follows:

A smaller Christmas is a safer Christmas, and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas. The safest way to spend this Christmas is with your own household or your existing support bubble in your own home – and we strongly recommend that this is what you do if at all possible.

We know the extraordinary lengths that people have gone to this year to protect their loved ones and the NHS. We know that people want to see life return to normal. And with vaccines now being deployed, next year we are confident it will do. But to get there safely, this cannot be a normal Christmas. We must continue to work together to prevent the spread of the virus, and to protect our friends, our families and our front-line workers.

In some areas, the number of people with COVID-19 is rising rapidly, as it is in much of Europe. It is vital that we all act responsibly over Christmas to limit the risk of further transmission and keep each other as safe as possible. One in three people who have COVID-19 don’t show symptoms but can still pass on the virus.

To protect you and your loved ones, we recommend that you think very carefully about the risks of forming a bubble. Discuss alternatives to meeting up in person, or ways of meeting up outdoors instead. Only form a bubble if you feel you absolutely need to.

If you do decide you need to form a Christmas bubble, take precautions to minimise risk by stopping unnecessary social contact outside your immediate household as soon as possible, and for at least five days before you meet other households in your bubble, and by working from home if you can. On no account should you visit another household if you, or anyone in your household, is feeling unwell or is self-isolating.

Scientific advice is clear: the longer you meet others for, the higher the risk of you catching and spreading the virus. If you do intend to form a bubble, you should keep the bubble small and your visits short.

The five day period is a window of opportunity and should be seen as a legal maximum, not a target. If you do form a bubble, we recommend that you meet with it for the shortest possible time. You should not stay overnight unless absolutely unavoidable.

It is particularly important to think about the greater risks to more vulnerable people. If you are over 70 or clinically extremely vulnerable, think carefully about the risks. The safest approach may be not to form a Christmas bubble.

If you do form a Christmas bubble, then be especially careful to observe the guidance: meet outdoors where possible, wash your hands regularly, keep a distance from those you do not live with. If you meet indoors, ensure good ventilation by letting in fresh air. The clinically extremely vulnerable and the elderly will be prioritised for vaccination in the early part of next year.

If you are in an existing household or support bubble with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, think carefully. To help reduce the risks to their health, the safest approach would be to celebrate with your household or support bubble and not with others.

If you are forming a Christmas bubble you should consider carefully the risks of travelling at all. If you live in an area with the highest level of protection, for example, tier 3 in England and level 4 in Scotland, you should avoid travelling to lower prevalence areas where possible.

Each administration will issue specific travel advice based on its own circumstances. If you have to travel, book ahead to enable you and others to travel safely and plan your outward and return journeys carefully. Once you arrive you should stay local and not travel within the area.

If you form a Christmas bubble, practise safe behaviours: washing your hands, making space between members of different households wherever you can, and letting in fresh air. Following these behaviours, even within the home, will greatly reduce the risk of transmission.

We will all need to carry on practising safe behaviours after Christmas. This means shopping only if you can do so safely: shop online where you can; avoid crowds; and, if you are in crowded areas, wear a face covering and only go where it is well ventilated.

It is also really important to cut down on social contact after seeing your Christmas bubble, to reduce the risk of chains of transmission. This includes not meeting up with friends or family outside your household for New Year’s Eve. The tier or level rules will be in place on New Year’s Eve / Hogmanay and it is essential, as the minimum, that these are followed by everyone.

By taking these steps together, we can all enjoy a safer Christmas.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has joined with the leaders of the UK Government and the Welsh Government in issuing guidance on how the public should approach Christmas celebrations this year.

The First Minister has stressed that the strong recommendation of the Scottish Government to people across Scotland is to celebrate Christmas this year within  your own household and in your own home – and as far as possible to keep any interaction with other households to a minimum. This is by far the safest way to spend this Christmas and keep your loved ones safe.

However, certain flexibilities were agreed in recognition of the impact of loneliness over Christmas on wellbeing and the fact that some people will not be willing to leave loved ones alone.

These provide a window of opportunity and should be seen as legal maximum to work well within. The guidance being issued seeks to reduce risks as far as possible for anyone choosing to use these flexibilities.

The First Minister stressed that the following key points should be taken into consideration by anyone choosing to spend time with other households indoors: keep the duration of any interaction as short as possible: keep any bubble as small as possible; avoid travel and overnight stays unless unavoidable; and comply with all distancing and hygiene advice.

She said: “Our strong advice this Christmas is to stay at home with your own household. Any interaction with other households should, as far as possible, be outdoors. That is the best way of keeping yourself and your loved ones safe this Christmas.

However, we recognize that in some cases, the isolation caused by being alone over Christmas will in itself cause harm to people’s welfare and that is why we have created a window of flexibility with accompanying guidance, to ensure that any household mixing is done as safely as possible,

“If you choose to form a bubble over the Christmas period, then you should take into consideration these key points:

“First, minimise the number of people in the bubble – while three households is the legal maximum, our recommendation is that two households would be better, and you should keep as far within the maximum of eight people over the age of 12 as you can. In short, the smaller the bubble is, the better and safer it will be.

“Second, you should minimise the time spent with your bubble, especially indoors. The five days is a window of opportunity, not a recommended time that it is safe for you to spend together – indeed, the Scottish Government recommends that you do not meet up with people in your bubble on any more than one day over the period and do not stay overnight unless it is unavoidable. And you should minimise the distance you intend to travel.

“You should also avoid all travel between high prevalence areas and low prevalence areas – in particular, that means avoiding travel to or from Scotland and Tier 3 areas in England, and to or from any Level 4 areas in Scotland (of which there are currently none).

The First Minister concluded: “Being asked not to see loved ones at Christmas unless absolutely essential is one of the toughest things imaginable. But, this year, it is essential to help keep people safe.

“With a vaccination programme now underway, a return to more normal life is on the horizon – and I hope that the prospect of brighter days ahead will help all of us get through this difficult Christmas as safely as possible.”

The Scottish Government guidance on Christmas and the festive period has been updated.

PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON’S CORONVIRUS UPDATE STATEMENT

‘So have yourselves a merry little Christmas – and I’m afraid this year I do mean little’

It is just a week since the United Kingdom began the biggest vaccination programme in our history.

And the public is coming forward at an extraordinary pace to get a jab, to protect themselves, beginning with the elderly and the most vulnerable.

With 138,000 recipients of the first dose – and more joining them every minute – there is no doubt we are winning and we will win our long struggle against this virus which makes it all the more important that we hold our nerve this winter.

Because we are now in a race to protect us all while doing everything we can to keep the virus under control.

And thanks to the colossal collective effort in November we did bring the R below 1; we did get the infection rate down.

But I must be frank with you – we are already seeing worrying rises in some parts of the country: Kent is still seeing rising infections; the number of cases in London is at 270 per 100,000 people. And that’s why we acted quickly by moving London into Tier 3 from today.

And tomorrow (Thursday) the Health Secretary will announce the outcome of the latest tiering review.

And so like every other European country facing similar challenges we have come to this moment, a great global festival – a turning point, a time of year that is of immense emotional and spiritual importance.

But also a moment for us to exercise extreme caution when we must remember that one of the most striking features of this virus is that it spreads invisibly from people who don’t even have symptoms which is in fact around 1 in 3 of everyone infected.

And that’s why from the beginning this virus has been so hard to fight and that’s why it’s so important to follow the rules – and why this Christmas it’s vital that everyone exercises the greatest possible personal responsibility.

And having looked at the latest data – with our colleagues in the Devolved Administrations, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, we have decided that the overall situation is, alas, worse and more challenging than we had hoped when we first set the rules.

So while it would not be right to criminalise people who have made plans and simply want to spend time with their loved ones, we are all collectively across the UK, governments at every level, asking you to think hard and in detail about the days ahead and whether you can do more to protect yourself and others.

We are keeping the laws the same – but we all want to send the same message: a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas, and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas.

When we say three households can meet on five days, I want to stress these are maximums, not targets to aim for.

And of course it is always going to be safest to minimise the number of people you meet.

And that means that if you are visiting others over Christmas, we are asking you – in the five days beforehand, as early as this Friday – to reduce the number of people you are in contact with to the lowest possible, because this virus spreads from human contact.

If possible don’t travel from a high prevalence to a low prevalence area and avoid staying away from home overnight if you can.

Remember, the vaccine is on the way and our aim is to inoculate everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable or elderly in the early months of next year.

So if you’re elderly, the best way to minimise your personal risk is to wait to be vaccinated before spending time indoors with others.

And if you have an elderly relative, you might want to delay seeing them until they’ve been vaccinated.

And whatever your plans for Christmas, please think carefully about avoiding crowds in the Boxing Day Sales

And no one should be gathering in large groups to see in the New Year – remember the rules in your local area will apply.

In most places across the UK, I’m afraid that means you cannot mix with other households indoors.

All the information about how best to protect yourself and your loved ones is being made available on gov.uk.

So have yourselves a merry little Christmas – And I’m afraid this year I do mean little

But with the vaccine, and all the other measures that we are taking, we do know things will be better in this country by Easter. And I’m sure that next year Christmas will be as normal for every family in the country.

An early Merry Christmas for local community projects

As a difficult year draws to a close, 20 community groups in Edinburgh are ending 2020 with some good news: a £328,583 cash boost from The National Lottery Community Fund! 

Among the local organisations receiving early Christmas cheer are Ama-Zing Harmonies, Muirhouse Millennium Centre and North Edinburgh Arts.

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Kitchen design studio puts the business in the hands of its team

DEDICATED staff at a kitchen design business have been given full control of their futures as it becomes the first employee-owned firm of its type in the UK.

Cameron Interiors, which has a studio in Edinburgh’s Dundas Street, has become renowned throughout Scotland for luxury German kitchens – and is the country’s only Bulthaup dealer, regarded as the most exclusive kitchen brand available.

Founded in 1979 by Leonard Cameron, since 1997 it has been owned and run by Managing Director Kirsten Robeson and her husband Ian. It has since grown to a team of 12 across the two locations, supported by a dedicated and trusted installation team, some of whom have been with the business for more than 40 years.

Having initially considered a trade sale, this idea was quickly rejected and instead they chose to entrust and empower their dedicated team, who work with discerning private clients, architects and carefully selected developers such as Edinburgh based Square & Crescent.

Kirsten, who is originally from Glasgow and has been with the firm since leaving college in 1993, said: “This is my chance to ‘pay it forward’ to a brilliant team that have enabled us to cement our position in the market and allow us all to look forward to a bright future.

“Designing kitchens at this upper end of the market is a deeply personal process and the people and the service are as essential as the unwavering quality of the product.

“The notion of selling to a trade buyer was a non-starter, as so much would be put at risk. When I found out about employee-ownership I was intrigued – and huge thanks to Linzi Wilson of Consilium for guiding us through the process as smoothly as possible.”

All shares of Cameron Interiors have now been placed into an Employee Ownership Trust with all staff immediately becoming beneficiaries. In time, all employees can benefit from an annual share of any profits.

To ensure a smooth transition, Kirsten will remain MD for the medium term, fully supporting and advising the business before ultimately retiring with Ian to spend more time with their family.

She will also take a seat on the Trust Board alongside Edinburgh manager Louise Delaney, who has many years’ experience working to grow the business and has played a crucial role in its east coast expansion. Aileen Wilson will remain Glasgow store manager, having played an integral role in the management team.

Kirsten had been unaware of the employee ownership option until a conversation with her accountants, Consilium CA. Partner, Linzi Wilson introduced the idea, and as Linzi explained how the Employee Ownership Trust worked, Kirsten saw this as the ideal solution.

Linzi said: “Consilium are delighted to have advised Cameron Interiors on the successful transition to Employee Ownership.  It has been a pleasure to work with Kirsten and the team and look forward to the business flourishing under the new ownership structure. 

“It was evident from our initial discussions with Kirsten that preserving the legacy of the business and protecting the workforce and her loyal clients were significant priorities for her when considering the options for succession. 

“This is the third Employee Buyout we have advised on in recent months, all completed since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Employee Ownership can be an excellent solution for business owners who are considering their succession planning options.

Carole Leslie of Ownership Associates also advised on the deal. With demand for the succession model growing year on year, Carole has now helped more than 60 businesses achieve their goal.

Carole said: “Cameron Interiors is the embodiment of quality kitchen and interior design in Scotland – renowned not just in Glasgow and Edinburgh, but throughout the country.

“Brands like theirs are so often family affairs, making succession difficult. In becoming the first to go through employee ownership they are blazing a trail, one that I’m sure many more will follow.”

April Bingham, Head of Corporate, Bellwether Green, provided legal advice. 

April said: “It was fantastic to work with Carole and Linzi again and for the first time with the team at Cameron Interiors.

“It is obvious that Kirsten was extremely keen to find a path for the company that embraced the whole team and inspired them to participate in its onward journey.”

For more information on Cameron Interiors, visit: https://cameroninteriors.co.uk/

Did you see accident on Leith Walk roundabout?

Police are appealing for witnesses after a car collided with a cyclist and subsequently failed to stop. The incident happened around 7.50pm last Saturday (12 December, 2020).

The cyclist was travelling northwards on London Road from Blenheim Place and entered the roundabout with Leith Walk.

A silver vehicle joined the roundabout eastwards from Antigua Street and a collision occurred, causing the 25-year-old male cyclist to fall to the ground. He did not required medical treatment.

The silver vehicle failed to stop at the scene and continued eastwards from the roundabout onto Elm Row.

Constable Andy Crothers, of the Road Policing Unit based at Fettes, said: “We are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or anyone who was in the area around that time and may have dash cam footage to come forward.

“We’re also looking to speak to the driver who left the scene, so we’re appealing for them to contact us.”

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3528 of 12 December 2020.

Protect Scotland App now available to anyone 12 or over

NHS Lothian urges locals to download app to help stop the spread

Young teens living in the Lothians are being urged to join the fight against COVID-19 by downloading the Protect Scotland app.

The free app is now available to those aged 12-15, and parents are being asked to encourage their child to download it if they have a compatible smartphone, to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

The age range has been extended to allow younger people to protect themselves and those in their household – and help make sure they can keep meeting up with friends outdoors.

NHS Lothian today highlighted how the app offers an additional layer of protection, building on existing person-to-person contract tracing in place, and the more people that download it and use it, the more effective it will be.

Already downloaded over 1.7 million times since its launch in September, the Protect Scotland app enables people to self-isolate far quicker if they are exposed to the virus, reducing the risk of them infecting others.

Once downloaded, it works in the background, using Bluetooth technology to anonymously alert people if they’ve been near another app user who has tested positive for coronavirus.

And if they themselves test positive, app users are being encouraged to enter the code they’re provided, so close contacts can be quickly notified.

This latest update of the app will also reflect the reduction of the isolation period length to 10 days.

People’s privacy is be protected, as the app uses encrypted anonymised codes to determine close contacts, which are deleted after 14 days.  It doesn’t store details on an individual, or their location.

https://youtu.be/rzGzh0msKNA

Katie Dee, NHS Lothian’s Interim Director of Public Health, said: “I would encourage those aged 12 – 15 to download the free app, and parents to encourage their children to get the app, if they have a compatible smartphone.

“The app helps support NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect system, adding an additional means of notifying people who have been exposed to the virus, allowing them to self-isolate far quicker which reduces the risk of them infecting others.

“Using the app and following FACTS will help protect your household, and help young teens continue to be able to meet up with their friends more safely.  The more people that use it, the more effective it will be in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the area.”

Download the free app today at protect.scot and protect yourself, your family, and Scotland against coronavirus.

Report shows positive impact of Best Start Grant payments

Scotland’s least well-off families have seen a marked increase in their income from three Scottish Government benefits, according to an evaluation report published yesterday.

The evaluation of the three Best Start Grant payments shows that families on the lowest incomes were able to buy essential items for their children as a result of these new benefits. 

Best Start Grant is available to families on low incomes as their children reach certain key stages. They are able to access this whether in or out of work as long as they get one of eight qualifying benefits or tax credits available through the Department for Work and Pensions or HMRC.

People receiving the payments said that the money helped them stop getting into debt or having to cut down on other essential household spending, such food and bills. People were able to use the money to help buy essential items for their children like cots and prams, as well as to arrange days out for their family or to buy books and clothing.

The most common qualifying benefit among recipients was Child Tax Credit (57,055), followed by Universal Credit (44,810), Working Tax Credit (23,560), and Income Support (18,030). Other qualifying benefits include Housing Benefit, Jobseeker’s allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Pension Credit.

Parents and carers in and out of work who get benefits or tax credits are being encouraged to check if they are eligible and apply. 

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our full Best Start Grant package has been in place since June 2019. I’m delighted that just a year and a half later that we are already getting feedback that this money is making a real difference to people’s lives.

“We continue to work hard to make sure that everyone accesses the support they are entitled to. I often hear families say that they don’t think that they can access this support because they are working. I’m glad to see so many families who are in work and on low incomes getting this extra boost. And I know that more families than ever are accessing benefits and this is important additional help for you too. 

“I would urge anyone who gets a benefit or tax credits to check if you are eligible for these payments and to apply. And those eligible for Best Start Grant are now able to apply for the £10 per week Scottish Child Payment that will start in February 2021. Parents and carers can make sure they are getting everything they are entitled to by talking to the Money Talk team. This service and the Best Start Grant payments are there to help families maximise their income and to support efforts to tackle child poverty.”

Paula, from Forfar who received the Best Start Grant Early Years Payment for her daughter, Arwen 3 said: “I work 12 hours a week as a treasurer for our local church but because I also receive Universal Credit due to being on my own with two children, I qualified for the Best Start Grant Early Years Payment.

“It was easy and straightforward to apply online and money was paid direct into my bank account once the application was completed.

“I am very good at planning ahead and budgeting for uniforms or school shoes or normal shoes or just clothes and jackets, that kind of thing, so to receive that extra money was just a nice thing for the family and for us to spend time together.

“We received the payment during the summer holidays which was a great bonus, it let us have the opportunity to go away for a couple of family day trips to places like the safari park.”

During the course of the evaluation research, a recipient of Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment said: “I didn’t apply until after she was born because I just thought I’ll not get it.

“Because you do kind of think ‘och no I’m not going to, I’ll never get that’ and luckily when the baby was born I spoke to my friends a wee bit more and I was like ‘do you know what. I will’. What’s the harm? You pay your taxes all your life and work really hard so why shouldn’t you get something back?”

  • read the full interim evaluation report: Interim Evaluation of Best Start Grant
  • Interim Evaluation of Best Start Grant: Annex B: Qualitative Research 
  • parents and carers aged 18/19 do not need to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit if they are dependent on someone else, i.e. they are named on their parent or carer’s benefit claim. Parents and carers under the age of 18 do not need to be on any payments or benefits to qualify for Best Start Grant
  • Best start Grant is three payments to help families at key stages in a child’s life 

ACE: GCHQ recognition for University’s cyber security work

Edinburgh Napier named an Academic Centre of Excellence in new Government programme

Edinburgh Napier University is among the first in the UK to be recognised for its commitment to cyber security education under a new initiative from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ.

It is one of eight institutions named an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE) for delivering first-rate cyber security education on campus and promoting cyber skills in the community.

Edinburgh Napier was recognised with the initiative’s Silver award for its ambitious vision in the field.

The University already has NCSC-certified undergraduate and postgraduate programmes – BEng Cybersecurity and Forensics, and MSc Advanced Security and Digital Forensics – which underlines the value of the qualifications, and helps to attract high quality students from around the world.    

The newly-announced NCSC accolade will now see cyber security integrated into programmes across the wider university, and greater emphasis on engagement with external stakeholders.

Professor Bill Buchanan, from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing, said: “The work of the NCSC is key to the development of excellence in cyber security education and knowledge exchange. These new ACEs will not only work within their own university departments, but also spread cyber security collaboration across their institution.

“Moreover, they will support a core collaborative foundation around cyber security education and knowledge exchange within each of their geographical areas. This includes working with industry, the public sector, government agencies, colleges, and so on.

“It is hoped that the ACEs-CSE will develop as trusted fundamental building blocks for a safe, secure, resilient and enterprising country. The days of silos of knowledge have passed, and we all need to work together and share our knowledge.”

The ACE-CSE programme, led by the NCSC and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, also recognised Abertay, Lancaster, Southampton, South Wales, Surrey, Warwick and the West of England universities in this first round of applications.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “I am delighted we can now recognise the first tranche of universities as Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Education, complementing our existing programmes which recognise high quality cyber security research and degree courses.

“It is a testament to the continual efforts of academics, support staff and senior management that cyber security remains high on their agenda.

“We very much look forward to working with them over the coming years and strongly encourage other universities to work towards achieving similar recognition in the future.”

Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said: “The UK has some of the brightest minds in the world working in tech and it’s right we celebrate universities where so many people develop relevant and cutting-edge skills.

“We continue to work closely with academia to nurture the next generation of cyber security talent and I urge interested education institutions to apply for this recognition.”