North Edinburgh News – Page 2187 – The NEN

Metro Bank’s top tips for debt management

· Debt Awareness Week 22 – 28 March 2021

· Nearly 500,000 in rent and mortgage arrears

· Mortgage payment holidays deferral ends on 31 March 2021

For the first time since the pandemic hit, normal service will start to resume as financial payment holidays wind down and nearly nine million Britons who have taken on debt during the pandemic will need to start tackling their debt repayments.

Hot on the heels of Debt Awareness Week (March 22-28), March 31^st will be the last day that homeowners can ask for a mortgage payment deferral. The UK’s community bank, Metro Bank is advising any homeowner concerned about being able to return to normal payments to talk to their mortgage provider as soon as possible.

Recent published data estimates close to half a million people are in rent or mortgage arrears because of coronavirus and 130,000 UK households are still taking advantage of mortgage payment holidays, which is of concern as 16 million people expect their income to fall in the next six months.

Andy Piggott, Director of Lending Products, Metro Bank, said: “We recognise that homeowners have faced extraordinary circumstances impacting their finances and we are here to help.

“We want to talk to our customers who are struggling and encourage them to contact us as soon as possible. Anyone worried about how they are going to start paying their bills again should be proactive in seeking support. Good lenders will want to work with their customers to help find a manageable solution.”

Metro Bank has put together these top tips to tackle any financial worries:

TALK TO YOUR LENDER

Good lenders want to help. If you can’t resume your payments, they can look at a range of options including:

· Short term options, such as accepting reduced payments for an agreed period of time.

· Long term options, such as extending your mortgage period to reduce payments.

· Good lenders will explain the impact of what the tailored support means for you and your mortgage, including what will be reported on your credit file and whether you will be considered to be in arrears during any agreed arrangement.

FREE DEBT ADVICE

These organisations offer free help about budgeting and can give advice on how to talk to your lender about your repayments:

1. The Money Advice Service – moneyadviceservice.org.uk

2. Citizen’s Advice Bureau – citizensadvice.org.uk

3. StepChange – stepchange.org

4. National Debt Line – nationaldebitline.org

5. Shelter – shelter.org.uk

6. Granton Information Centre – www.gic.org.uk

SUPPORT FOR MORTGAGE INTEREST

If you are on state benefits – income support, pension credit, job seeker’s allowance, universal credit or employment or support allowance – you may be able to get government help for interest payments on your mortgage – visit gov.uk/support-for-mortgage-interest for more information.

For more information please visit

– https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/mortgages/i-want-some-information-about/mortgage-payment-support/

CASE STUDY: PIOTR

Providing welfare advice at the right time and in the right place can both provide health benefits for patients and reduce demand on the NHS.

Funded by NHS Lothian through the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, Granton Information Centre runs an advice service in GP surgeries and medical centres.

Piotr (35) found Granton Information Centre’s GP service a lifeline when he and his family faced eviction:

“Life was going along quite happily. We didn’t have much money but my children were well fed and clothed and we were okay. That all changed in the space of a few weeks and I struggled to cope,” Piotr explained.

“First, my wife had to give up her work earlier than we had planned. She was expecting our third child but she became ill so she had to stop working. She had high blood pressure and we did not want to put her life, or the baby’s life, in danger.

“We had been saving what we could because we knew my wife would be going on maternity leave, so it just meant being even more careful about what we spent.

“Then, two things happened in the space of a few days. First, my car broke down and it needed a really expensive repair. At the time I was doing three different jobs to try to make ends meet. I needed the car for delivering parcels during the day and also to get me to my other jobs. What made things worse was that if I didn’t work I didn’t get paid.

“Then, the same weekend, I injured myself playing football with my son! It was crazy – I fell awkwardly and landed on my wrist! I had planned to cycle to one of my other jobs to keep some money coming in, but I sprained my wrist and ankle and so now I couldn’t even do that!

With no income and debts quickly spiralling, Piotr ignored letters from his landlord.

“I put it off”, he explained. “Although my English is okay, the letters were difficult to understand. I did not want to worry my wife so I kept it to myself. I hoped that, once I was working again, I could sort it and things would be okay. That was wrong – things would just have got worse and worse.”

Piotr accompanied his wife to an appointment to see her practice nurse, who suggested it would worthwhile speaking to a Granton Information Centre adviser.

The adviser was in the medical centre at the time – and Piotr explained his problem.

“At last I felt able to share my problem with someone. She was very patient”, Piotr said. “We were so lucky to have met her that day. She explained that we were facing eviction: unless immediate action was taken we would have found ourselves homeless.

“It was very serious, but our adviser was so good. She made sure that we were able to stay in our home. She also worked with us to find out what benefits we were entitled to. I had thought I could not claim benefits because I was working – but I was wrong. ”

While Piotr and his family are not debt-free, their debts are being managed and the family are now receiving the benefits they are entitled to.

Piotr concluded: “It was a relief to talk over our problem with someone who understands the system. I had been keeping it all to myself and it made me ill. We were so close to losing our home.

“Now, we can plan our future. And I am more careful when I play football!”

£30 million for charities and social enterprise

A new £30 million fund is being established to support small businesses within the third sector, helping them to grow as Scotland recovers from the impacts of coronavirus.

The fund will be designed to respond to a need for third sector organisations to access loans to help grow and explore new forms of social investment and finance. It will also help support the sector to meet the challenge of the pandemic and to become more sustainable in the long-term.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “We have worked hard to support the third sector throughout the pandemic. This new fund will focus on those organisations with the potential to grow, contributing to jobs and making a positive contribution to our communities and the wellbeing economy.

“It also goes some way towards our commitment to explore other strands of social investment, including capital loans, to build upon Scotland’s world leading position in social enterprise.

“The fund will help this sector to ensure that it not only supports our communities, but is at the very forefront of our recovery, leading our communities and our country through recovery.”

Yvonne Greeves, Board member at Firstport & Chair of Catalyst Fund, said: “The Catalyst Fund is an exciting new addition to the social investment arena in Scotland.

“The patient, revenue-based repayment model is well placed to help certain social enterprises obtain the capital they need to start-up and grow, whilst offering them a more flexible repayment approach to match their ambitions.

“We welcome the support from the Scottish Government in backing this innovative model and we look forward to supporting social enterprises with potential for high-growth to enter new markets and deliver significant social impact.”

The Third Sector Growth Fund will build on more than £1 billion which has been invested in communities since the start of the pandemic, which includes a recent commitment to a further £14 million to allow the Communities and Third Sector Recovery Programme to continue to the end of June.

The Third Sector Growth Fund will have three elements:

The Social Catalyst fund, which totals £15 million, will help growing organisations which are not able to access finance through standard loans, offering investment which can be repaid based on turnover, rather than growing interest rates. This would suit small businesses and start-ups whose income is variable.
The Circular Economy Fund will support activity which builds on sustainability of social enterprises and enables growth through investment loans. Together with The Long Term Third Sector Finance Fund which will offer loans for social enterprises and Third Sector organisations over a period of 18-24 months. a total of £10 million will be available.
The Social Impact Venture Portfolio will offer investments of equity into mission-driven businesses, encouraging organisations to adopt a social enterprise model. This is worth £5 million.

The delivery partners are The Social Impact Venture Portfolio and Social Investment Scotland, a social enterprise and a charity offering loan funding and business support across the sector to make a positive impact on lives, society and the environment.

Social Investment Scotland will manage The Circular Economy Social Enterprise Fund and Long Term Third Sector Finance Fund.

The Impact Investment Partnership Scotland (IIPS), an entity owned equally by Firstport and Social Enterprise Scotland (SES), will manage the Social Catalyst Fund.

Access to the funds will be by application. Further details of the funds and how to apply will be published on the partner organisations websites later this Spring.

Community spirit triumphs in Edinburgh as local people donate to support each other

The Actimel campaign to “Give Communities Their Best Shot” * has got off to a hugely successful start. With 339,080 Actimel bottles already donated to Fareshare and Foodcloud in the UK and Ireland, it’s clear that the willingness to help local people is still very much alive in lockdown 3.

Central & South East Scotland is smashing it as 8,770 bottles have already been donated to Edinburgh Fareshare distribution centre.

Recent research ** found that as many as 1 in 2 people are concerned about their community’s immunity. In fact over half of British people place the same importance on the health of their community as they do on their own family and 78% of people are concerned about the health of the most vulnerable people in their communities.

Lindsay Boswell, CEO Fareshare says: Lindsay Boswell, CEO Fareshare says: “It’s great to see so many packs donated through the Actimel campaign so far, but there is still more that people can do.

“FareShare has more than doubled the amount of food we distribute in response to the Covid-19 crisis, now supplying frontline charities with enough food to create 2 million meals each week – with two thirds being accessed by children and families.

“Now more than ever it’s vital to ensure vulnerable people can access a balanced diet, which is why the support from Actimel is so important. This campaign gives shoppers a means to support the most vulnerable people in their communities, by simply buying a pack*.”

Sarah Dossett, Marketing Director Actimel says: “We’re delighted with the success of our campaign so far and really inspired by the community spirit of the Scottish public.

“Helping those that need it most, such as the people helped by FareShare, is what we believe in as a company. As a certified B Corp it’s very much a part of what drives us every day.”

Small but mighty: Each shot of Actimel*** is packed with 10 billion L. casei cultures along with 1/3 of the recommended daily intake in vitamin D, as well as vitamin B6 which support the normal function of the immune system. Just one shot a day and you can take on whatever the day throws at you.

● Actimel contains Vitamins B6 & D to help support the normal function of the immune system.

* Give Communities Your Best shot” T&Cs: 18+. UK & Republic of Ireland. Start date 00:01 on 01/01/21. Closing date 23:59 on 30/04/21. Promotional packs. To participate, visit www.actimel.com, enter the unique code on the lid and select your community. Selection to be made from a list of different pre-defined regions that you can discover on our website.

Limited to 100,000 packs donated in UK and 10,000 in ROI to food related charities, in the UK: FareShare (Charity No: 1100051), in ROI: FoodCloud (Charity No: CHY21177). Full T&Cs see www.actimel.com.

** Danone General Health Attitudes Survey of 1000 adults in UK & Ireland

*** Contains naturally occurring sugars

INK on MESH crowdfunder launches today

Lorna Brown is seeking your support to turn her dream of a creating a community arts and design resource in Newhaven into a reality.

Lorna explained: “Creative Scotland selected my business plan for their crowdmatch funding support in February this year.

“I’m looking to achieve my goal of establishing INK on MESH, a community print space that offers classes, courses and tuition in screen printing and stitched textiles.

“Post – pandemic, INK on MESH will become a space that promotes and encourages creative expression, community connections, confidence building and well being through hand craft and heritage skills education.

“I can continue to develop my own textiles brand, Blessed Unrest and also provide affordable space and specialized equipment for developing, emerging and graduate practitioners.”

INK on MESH is an interest partner with The Heart of Newhaven Community, one of the first dedicated intergenerational centres in the UK and will potentially open there in Autumn 2021 or in another local retail space.

Lorna added: “Individuality prevails! You can give people the same instructions and access to the same materials & equipment but how they explore that, interpret and express that is entirely UNIQUE … this is one of the fascinating and constant motivating experiences for me as a craft educator.

“Ink on Mesh will become that dedicated space where people at all ages and stages can come to explore their unique ideas through the craft of screen printing and textiles. Let’s make this happen!”

The crowdfunder launches at 9am this morning (Monday 22 March).

Crowd funder for #inkonmesh – https://crowdfunder.co.uk/ink-on-mesh

Linda’s friend and colleague Lisa Arnott said: “I can not express how super delighted for my amazing best friend Lorna Brown of BlessedUnrest and her Crowdfunding launch for the new and amazing dedicated print studio INK on MESH.

“Her Crowdfunding starts at 9am on Monday 22nd March. It’s an amazing way to become part of her story, show your support for a well-needed resource for our community and support the arts and design industries.

“Set your watches and phone alarms for 9am on Monday 22nd March!”

Please start supporting and following:

Facebook:@inkonmesh

Instagram:@inkonmesh

Twitter@inkonmesh

Individuality prevails!

Let’s make this happen!!Monday 22nd at 9am.

Law firm Gillespie Macandrew announces charity partnerships

Gillespie Macandrew announces new charity partnership with Alzheimer Scotland and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity

Leading Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew has begun a three year charity partnership with Alzheimer Scotland and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC). Alzheimer Scotland provides support for those living with dementia and the ECHC supports children and their families in a variety of healthcare settings.

The new partnerships are a key part of the Firm’s overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, which includes donating 1% of pre-tax profits each year to the nominated charities. The firm has an established and active CSR committee which includes representatives from all four of Gillespie Macandrew’s offices.

As well as financial support, staff are given a day off each year to take part in charitable activities and as a result of this commitment to the nominated charities, the Firm has donated a total of over £130,000 in the past five years.

Chief Executive Officer Robert Graham Campbell commented: “We have a long and proud history of supporting charitable causes, whether it is engagement though volunteering, providing funding and pro-bono legal advice or partnering to host training opportunities.

“We look forward to working with our two new charity partners to support the excellent and valuable work they do.”

Stakeholder Engagement Lead from Alzheimer Scotland, Caroline Miller said: “The incredible commitment from Gillespie Macandrew will help us provide a range of person-centred support for people living with dementia and their families, who have been devastated by the pandemic.

Money raised will also go towards our exciting project to build the UK’s first Virtual Dementia Resource Centre so we can offer support no matter where you are and what time of the day it is.”

ECHC’s Fundraiser Amy Ford added: “Gillespie Macandrew’s support over the next three years means that we can continue transforming the experiences of every child and young person in hospital and healthcare throughout the duration of the pandemic and beyond.

When the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People opens on Tuesday 23 March, ECHC will be there to support children, young people and families in many ways and we simply could not do this without the generosity and kindness of our charity partners like Gillespie Macandrew.”

Alzheimer Scotland and ECHC were nominated and voted for by staff and Gillespie Macandrew is pleased to be able to offer our support, particularly at a time of increased pressure on the services they provide.

The firm has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth and advises on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, energy, tax and disputes.

“And so shines a good deed in a weary world”

Author celebrates ‘Covid hard work and kindness’ in a commemorative charity book

Inspired by Shakespeare’s “and so shines a good deed in a weary world”, an author has donated her time to produce a commemorative book celebrating the hard work and kindness seen across the UK during the Covid pandemic.

Anna James spent more than 6 months interviewing key workers, everyday heroes and familiar faces as well as charities and organisations and collating the stories and photos of their ‘good deeds’.

She has self-published the 350+ page coffee-table style book to celebrate their efforts and to raise money for the NHS and other good causes.

Amongst many others, the book includes contributions from NHS workers, dustbin men, cleaners and farmers; home-schooling families, isolating couples and Covid survivors; Her Majesty the Queen, Captain Tom, Ian Broudie, Banksy and Charlie Mackesy; Fareshare, Samaritans, NSPCC and Age UK; M&S, The Royal Mint, Chester Zoo and even a loo roll manufacturer!

The book also features hundreds of photos of some of the things we’ve all been seeing and experiencing over the past 12 months.

Anna said: “I desperately wanted to do something to help but didn’t know how to be useful – I’m a bit squeamish with anything medical and always get lost, even with satnav, so I’d have been no good at volunteering to help people or deliver things.

“After a few sleepless nights, I decided to stick with what I’m good at and to create a special compilation of this most unusual moment in our history. I would make one of my commemorative books as my small gift to the national effort.

“2020 was an unprecedented year with monumental challenges and heart-breaking sadnesses but amongst that, there was also exceptional hard work, adaptability and kindness. Our humanity and community spirit shone in the darkness and I thought it was important to celebrate that, so we’ve got something to look back on and be proud of.

“I also thought it was important to record some of the things we were all seeing and experiencing – in years to come, when this is hopefully far behind us, will we remember the rainbows? That people joined forces in their thousands to make masks and scrubs for the NHS?

“Will we remember that we clapped outside, every Thursday night? That whole towns and cities were deserted and that shops ran out of toilet roll? I wanted to document some of that to help us remember; as a social history record for us to show our grandchildren, and for them to show theirs.

“I am humbled to have become the caretaker of this most amazing collection of stories from all these everyday heroes who share what they did to help the country and each other, which are heart-warming and heart-wrenching in equal measures.

“It’s probably the book none of us would ever have wanted but perhaps the one we all need, to remind ourselves what a kind and generous bunch we can be.”

As we approach a year since the UK went into its first lockdown, Covid Kindness: UK 2020 is available to order at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Covid-Kindness-UK…/dp/1527275825 to help you remember and reflect on the past 12 months.

All profits go to NHS Charities Together and other good causes.

Heart Research UK: Healthy tips

Eating healthy lunches at home

Many of us are spending more time at home due to COVID-19 and this can mean reaching for the comfort foods when we feel bored, stressed or need cheering up.

On busy days, it is easy to pop to the kitchen and grab a quick lunch without thinking too much about whether it is good for you.

We have some tips for planning and preparing healthier lunches at home:

Include plenty of fruit and veg

Fruit and vegetables are packed with nutrients and fibre to help keep your heart healthy. Find healthy salad or vegetable soup recipes online or in recipe books to include in your lunch plan. Finish off your lunches with a portion of fruit and a low-calorie yoghurt.

Increase your fibre intake

A diet that is high in fibre can reduce your risk of heart disease. Good sources of fibre include fruit and vegetables, beans and pulses and wholegrain foods. Try to regularly include a portion of wholegrain food in your lunches, such as brown bread, wholemeal pita, wholemeal pasta or brown rice.

Include lean sources of protein in your lunches

Foods that are high in protein can help you to feel full for longer and this can prevent you from snacking on less healthy foods during the day. Lean sources of protein include grilled skinless chicken or turkey, canned tuna, soybeans, tofu and low-fat dairy products.

Plan your lunches in advance

Planning your lunches in advance will allow you to put a little more thought into what you are eating as well as saving you time and money. Try creating a weekly lunch plan before the start of the week and shop for ingredients in advance.

Prepare your lunches the night before to save time during busy days or try cooking large quantities of home-made soups and store single portions in the freezer.

You can find more healthy tips, recipes and advice at heartresearch.org.uk.

Firth of Forth death: can you help?

Detectives are continuing their enquiries and appealing for any assistance to establish the identity of a young man who was recovered from the Firth of Forth at Burntisland on Friday (19 March).

Around 10.20am on Friday morning, officers were called to the shore near to Aberdour Road, Burntisland where the body of a man had been found in the water. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a full report will be forwarded to the Procurator Fiscal.

The man is described as white, aged in his late teens to early twenties. He is between 5ft 7ins to 5ft 9ins in height of very slim build with short blond to light brown hair. He was wearing grey Lonsdale jogging trousers, a grey hooded ‘Saltrock’ jumper and blue Adidas high-top trainers.

Detective Sergeant Conrad Musgrave from Dunfermline Police Station said: “We are carrying out extensive enquiries to find out who this young man is and trace his family.

“We are also working to establish if he is the same person who we previously appealed for information on, after being seen acting in a concerning manner on the Forth Road Bridge in the early hours of Tuesday, 9 March.

“I would urge anyone who may recognise this description, or who has any information that may assist us to please contact Dunfermline Police Station through 101 quoting reference 0898 of 19 March.”

Minister announces plans for improvement in drug services

Women, families and children are among those who will benefit from separate funds worth a total of £18 million to improve drugs services.

Four schemes are planned for May with the funds coming from the additional £250 million announced by the First Minister to tackle the drug deaths emergency over the next five years.

The four projects will aim to develop consistent treatment standards around the country and ensure more people can get access to services that can reduce harm, provide treatment and ultimately save their lives.

The four funds are:

a £5 million Communities Fund to provide resources to community and third sector organisations to increase capacity
a £5 million Improvement Fund to support improvements to services for outreach, treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare, with dedicated support for women
a £3 million Families and Children Fund to support the families of those affected by drug misuse during treatment
a £5 million Recovery Fund for additional residential rehabilitation capacity

Minister for Drugs Policy Angela Constance said: “We have said a national mission is needed to tackle the drug deaths emergency and this coming year will see funding for alcohol and drugs support increasing to £140.7 million.

“This latest round of funding sees us build on the £1 million Communities Fund and £1 million Improvement Fund we launched in February. We want to make additional resources available to more community and third sector organisations so that we can support more people into treatment and offer support to their families.

“I am pleased we are also able to direct more funding to develop services specifically for women and children. We want to make it easier for women to access treatment by removing any barriers such as a lack of childcare.

“I have already committed to taking action on the recommendations from the Residential Rehabilitation Working Group and this will be backed by £100 million over the next five years.

“We recognise residential rehabilitation may not be for everyone which is why we are determined, as part of our national mission, to make sure that people can access whatever treatment is right for them in the right place at the right time.”

Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs CEO Justina Murray said: “There is an urgent need to improve support for children, young people and adult family members – all of whom are harmed by others’ alcohol and drug use, and all of whom have faced even bigger harms during the COVID pandemic.

“We know most family members remain hidden due to the stigma, shame and secrecy of substance use in the family, along with the lack of visible, high quality family support across Scotland.

“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government and with families to transform this situation, so that every family member in Scotland can reach the support they need, regardless of their situation or location.”

Leith Walk pigeons will be flying home this summer

A sneak peek of the restoration of Edinburgh’s much-loved Elm Row pigeons has been revealed ahead of their reinstatement in the street later this year.

The public artworks, created by sculptor Shona Kinloch, were first removed during the original tram project in 2006. Now, as part of Trams to Newhaven, the seven bronze birds are being refurbished or completely recast before their grand return.

Specialists from Powderhall Bronze have been renovating, sandblasting and applying ‘patina’, which creates the familiar green colouring, to the existing statues, as well as casting three brand new pigeons. This has involved making wax replicas using the original moulds for the sculptures, before pouring in molten metal to produce a finished product.

It is intended to restore the pigeons on Elm Row during the summer, alongside the London Road Pillar Clock. This is being refurbished by clockmaker Smiths of Derby, involving the removal of any rust, preparing the surface for priming and repainting.

They’ve also constructed a new aluminium deer and repaired the Coat of Arms of Edinburgh, which both sit at the top of the clock.

Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: These pigeons are a little piece of Leith Walk history, so I’m delighted that they’ll soon be back in their rightful home as part of the Trams to Newhaven project.

Construction work is continuing apace on the tram line, with tracks being laid along the route. Now, as we begin to welcome some of Leith Walk’s public art back into place, we’re starting to build a picture of what the area will look like once this major project is complete.

Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: Our seven bronze birds are looking beautiful in time for their return to Leith Walk, and it’s been fascinating to see the work that’s gone into their refurbishment.

“I know many people will join me in welcoming them back later this year.”

Kerry Hammond from Powderhall Bronze added: “We were delighted to work on Shona’s cast bronze Elm Row pigeons again after all this time. They have always been very popular and it will be great to see them sited back for the public to enjoy.

Construction on the Trams to Newhaven project continues to progress to schedule, with ongoing track-laying on sections of Leith Walk, Constitution Street and at Ocean Terminal.

Other work underway, or soon to commence, includes the rebuilding of the South Leith Parish Church wall, following a major excavation of the area, and surfacing and public realm works along parts of the route.

A protected cycle lane between the Foot of the Walk and Ocean Terminal, which will complement the Trams to Newhaven project, is also being developed as well as pedestrianising Sandport Place Bridge and creating a bus-only section at the Shore.

A public consultation on concept designs recently closed.

You can watch videos of Council Archaeologist John Lawson discussing the pigeons’ restoration with Kerry Hammond of Powderhall Bronze and artist Shona Kinloch and of the full recasting of one of the pigeons on the Trams to Newhaven YouTube channel.

Find out more on the Trams to Newhaven website.