Category: North Edinburgh News

Additional £48 million for level 4 changes

Action to ensure businesses across Scotland impacted by level 4 restrictions get additional and faster access to financial support have been announced by the Finance Secretary Kate Forbes.

This is in addition to the £570 million package of support, including the Strategic Framework Business Fund which has been open since November.

Businesses that are required to close or modify their operations by law can apply for a Temporary Closure Grant or a Business Restrictions Grant through their local authority website. Grants of up to £3,000 are available for every four weeks of restrictions, payable in arrears while restrictions last.

An additional £41 million will top up support for non-essential retail and gyms, which are required to close in level 4. This is in addition to top up grants for hospitality that were announced earlier this month.

Non-essential retail and gyms will be given up to an additional £3,000 and can claim this funding through their local authority website if they have not already submitted an application.

The cap on the maximum support available through the Strategic Framework Business Fund will also be lifted from 1 January for businesses that operate from multiple premises.

To accelerate the distribution of financial support, a further £7 million will help all local authorities recruit additional staff or backfill positions to meet increased demand for coronavirus (COVID-19) grants and speed up the payment process.

Ms Forbes said: “With mainland Scotland now entering level 4, the Strategic Framework Business Fund is already open to businesses required to close or modify their operations by law.

“In recognition of the substantial increase in the number of businesses eligible for support, I have provided additional financial resources of £7 million to local authorities to upscale operations and streamline grants. Work is already underway to ensure businesses get support as quickly as possible.

“I recently announced a top up grant to hospitality businesses, and today I can confirm that a further top up grant will be provided to non-essential retail businesses and gyms.

“Since March the Scottish Government has allocated more than £2.3 billion to business support and more than £1.2 billion to economic recovery.

“On top of the additional £570 million package of support announced at the start of this month, these changes will manage that increased demand, accelerating the grant application process and in turn getting these essential payments to businesses as quickly as possible.

“We welcome the news of further consequentials and will set out shortly how these will be utilised to meet the needs of business. It is likely that a significant amount will be used to meet the substantial increase in businesses applying to the Strategic Framework Business Fund at Level 4.”

Call The Midwife is top Christmas television choice (after The Queen’s Speech)

BBC One secured the top five most watched programmes, and seven out of the top ten, as audiences turned to the channel across the Christmas Day.

BBC One was the channel of choice showcasing a range of entertaining programmes across drama, comedy and entertainment.

Kate Phillips, Acting Controller of BBC One, says: “BBC One had the most popular show on Christmas Day as audiences escaped to Poplar for the Call the Midwife special.

“I’m really proud of the range and quality of programmes we’ve shown across this special day. BBC One entertained the nation and provided something for everyone to enjoy after a particularly difficult year.”

Christmas Day ratings 2020: Top ten programmes

RankProgrammeChannelMillions
1The Queen’s Christmas BroadcastBBC One6.3
2Call the MidwifeBBC One5.4
3Blankety Blank Christmas SpecialBBC One5.3
4Strictly Come Dancing Christmas CountdownBBC One4.9
5The WheelBBC One4.7
6Coronation StreetITV4.5
7Mrs Brown’s BoysBBC One3.8
8EmmerdaleITV3.6
9EastEndersBBC One3.5
10The ChaseITV3

The secret ingredient in your British cuppa

New research review highlights the health benefits of thearubigins – a polyphenol found only in black tea

Whether it’s clean eating, superfood diets or rapid ways to lose weight, green tea is lauded for its health credentials; with regular black tea – enjoyed by millions of Brits every day – often forgotten.

“New research review highlights the health benefits of thearubigins – a polyphenol found only in black tea”

All this could change with the publication of a new scientific review, in the journal, Nutrition & Food Technology[1], which argues that the little-known polyphenols found in black tea – called thearubigins – have equally powerful health benefits.

Not only this, Brits have the highest thearubigin intake, in Europe with the average tea drinker taking in 327 mg daily – more than double the European average of 156 mg and 50 times higher than the intakes in Spain.

The new review, undertaken by the Tea Advisory Panel – www.teaadvisorypanel.com, examined the results from five human studies and 17 laboratory studies looking specifically at thearubigins, one of the flavonoid group of polyphenols.

The main areas of health which could be influenced by thearubigins were gut health, blood pressure, and anti-cancer effects, in part due to their powerful antioxidant potential and anti-inflammatory effects.

Lead author and tea expert, Dr Tim Bond, comments: “Research on thearubigins is at an early stage in comparison with the wealth of data we have on the benefits of drinking green and black teas.

“However, it’s clear from laboratory studies that thearubigins are important antioxidants and appear to have anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as regulating gut function.

“Thearubigins could be key to understanding the mechanisms behind the well-known health benefits of black tea and the identification of actives that are responsible for these. We now need to build on this work with clinical trials in human populations”.

Dr Carrie Ruxton, from the Tea Advisory Panel, adds: “Health features are often full of good news about green tea and our much-loved British cuppa can be overlooked.

“This new review is great for people who prefer a regular cup of black tea and adds to the considerable evidence on tea’s role in maintaining heart health, cognitive function and gut health”.

New Turing scheme to support students to study and work abroad

Thousands of students will be able to study and do work placements across the world through a brand new scheme that replaces the UK’s participation in Erasmus+.

The Turing scheme will be backed by over £100 million, providing funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools to go on placements and exchanges overseas, starting in September 2021.

The new scheme will also target students from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas which did not previously have many students benefiting from Erasmus+, making life-changing opportunities accessible to everyone across the country.

The programme will provide similar opportunities for students to study and work abroad as the Erasmus+ programme but it will include countries across the world and aims to deliver greater value for money to taxpayers.

The UK will reap the rewards from the investment, by boosting students’ skills and prospects, benefitting UK employers, and supporting Global Britain’s ties with international partners.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “We now have the chance to expand opportunities to study abroad and see more students from all backgrounds benefit from the experience.

“We have designed a truly international scheme which is focused on our priorities, delivers real value for money and forms an important part of our promise to level up the United Kingdom.

“These opportunities will benefit both our students and our employers, as well as strengthening our ties with partners across the world.”

UK organisations will be invited to bid into the scheme in early 2021. Successful applications will receive funding for administering the scheme and students taking part will receive grants to help them with the costs of their international experience.

The benefits of the exchanges to schools and colleges will be assessed and the learnings used to build on future schemes. Funding decisions for subsequent years will be subject to future spending reviews.

To meet delivery timescales, universities, colleges and schools are encouraged to begin preparation with international partners as soon as possible.

Universities UK International Director, Vivienne Stern, said: “Evidence shows that students who have international experience tend to do better academically and in employment, and the benefits are greatest for those who are least advantaged.

“The new Turing scheme is a fantastic development and will provide global opportunities for up to 35,000 UK students to study and work abroad.”

International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, said: “As the International Education Champion, I’m pleased to see that the government is committed to international exchanges.

“So much of what makes education so rewarding for all is the chance for students and learners in schools, colleges and universities experience new cultures and, by doing so, develop new skills.

“This scheme represents a sizeable investment from the Government and I look forward to working with the Government to develop a scheme that will make real our commitment to Global Britain.”

CONCERN OVER ALTERNATIVE SCHEME

On learning of the UK Government’s decision to withdraw from the Erasmus+ scheme, Scotland’s Education Secretary John Swinney said: “The decision of the U.K. Tory Government to leave the Erasmus Scheme not only closes opportunities for our young people and narrows any claim to an outward U.K. perspective.”

Universities Minister Richard Lochhead also expressed his profound disappointment at the UK Government’s decision to withdraw from the Erasmus Plus exchange programme and described the move as ‘a huge blow’.

Annually, over 2,000 Scottish students, staff and learners use the scheme. Scotland attracts proportionally more Erasmus participants from across Europe – and sends more in the other direction – than any other country in the UK. Through associated youth work projects the scheme is estimated to deliver at least £7 in value for every £1 it costs in public cash, and its value to the economy has been estimated to be worth nearly £34 million annually since 2014.

Students in Northern Ireland are to be given access to Erasmus, but the Brexit deal will now prevent Scottish students from participating.

Further and Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said: “The loss of Erasmus is huge blow. This is simply unacceptable and we are looking at alternative options.

“After years of discussions and meetings, the UK Government has made these decisions irrespective of the views of the Devolved Administrations. We found out from media reports more details of the UK’s alternative scheme which is a watered down and less well funded version of Erasmus and it’s not even an exchange program because there is no support for visits to Scotland. 

“I have since spoken to my UK counterpart and expressed our profound disappointment that the UK chose to abandon Erasmus which plays such a key role in opening up opportunities and horizons for so many young Scots. Crucially, it is a scheme that brings different countries and nationalities together with massive cultural and educational benefits. 

“I am seeking further clarification on what the new scheme looks like and how they intend to provide funding on a par with the amounts historically secured under Erasmus.

“We also need confirmation that they will ensure all those who currently benefit from the programme will be supported and crucially how the devolved nature of education would be protected under their new scheme and we will resist using the Internal Market Bill to foist an inferior UK scheme on Scotland.”

Abortion: The right to choose

A lot of pregnancies are unplanned. It’s common to feel stunned, scared, embarrassed or isolated when facing an unplanned pregnancy (writes LORNA FROST).

Deciding whether or not to continue with the pregnancy can be very straightforward and obvious for some people while others can find it a difficult and complicated decision. It’s important that the decision as to whether or not to continue with a pregnancy is made by the person it most affects.

Early medical abortion involves taking two sets of pills. Since April 2020, in light of COVID-19 and the importance of minimising risks of spreading the virus, abortion care providers in Scotland have been able to allow early medical abortions (taking  both sets of pills) at home. This avoids travel to GPs and hospitals to access abortion services. It is a way of keeping abortion safe and accessible.

Now the Scottish government is seeking views on the future arrangements for early medical abortion at home. The responses will affect whether the current arrangements continue once there is no longer a risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Surveys have found that most people are pro-choice. They think that deciding whether or not to continue with a pregnancy is a personal decision that should not be interfered with. If you agree please take 10 minutes to respond to the Scottish government’s consultation on early medical abortion at home.

Please do this now – the deadline for responses is 5th January 2021.

Just click on the link for guidelines which suggest how to respond.

To find out more, contact your local Edinburgh Abortion Rights Group – you can follow us on https://www.facebook.com/AbortionRightsEdinburgh

Walk This Way: Anstruther to Crail is Scotland’s favourite walk

Which? reveals the UK’s favourite walks to blow away the cobwebs over the holidays

The Buttermere Circuit in the Lake District has been named the UK’s top-rated walk in a survey of more than 50 popular routes, ranging from gentle strolls to full-day hikes.

With the UK continuing to face coronavirus restrictions, limiting opportunities for socialising indoors over the festive season, Which? has revealed the UK’s favourite walks, as voted for in a survey of nearly 3,000 Which? members.

The Buttermere Circuit in the Lake District, a 4.5 mile lakeside walk, took the top spot of the table, receiving a walk score of 88 per cent.

It was awarded five stars for scenery, thanks to its combination of a rippling silver lake next to dramatic mountains. Visitors also rated it favourably for accessibility, peace and quiet, and places of interest available on the route.

It was followed by Helvellyn, a tough eight-hour hike up the third-highest peak in the Lake District.

It received a walk score of 87 per cent, with hikers giving it five stars for its stunning scenery and views from the Striding Edge Ridge. While not one for the faint of heart – Which? recommends only experienced walkers tackle this route – the path is well trodden, and the chances of real danger are slim. Which? gave this walk five out of five for difficulty though, and facilities along the route are limited to non-existent, so walkers should come prepared.

The Rhossili Headland in Gower and Solva to St David’s route in Pembrokeshire, both coastal walks in Wales, also received walk scores of 87 per cent.

These routes were both ranked two out of five for difficulty, making them both nice options for a pleasant but invigorating stroll. Those who enjoy a bite to eat or a drink as part of their walk should head to Rhossili, awarded five stars by visitors for food and drink, while nature fans will be rewarded on the walk from Solva to St Davids, where they may even spot grey seals and porpoises – an indication as to why visitors gave it five stars for wildlife.

Receiving the third highest score – and the accolade of Scotland’s best walk – was the Anstruther to Crail stretch of the Fife Coastal Path, with a score of 86 per cent.

A comfortable saunter between two fishing villages, this route was given five stars for peace and quiet and should only take a couple of hours to complete. The path is clearly waymarked too, allowing walkers to find their way easily while making the most of the views across the Firth of Forth.

Other routes also receiving 86 per cent were the Botallack Mine Walk in Cornwall, the Craster, Dunstaburgh and Low Newton Circuit in Northumberland, and the Old Man of Coniston in the Lake District.

Dunseverick Castle to the Giant’s Causeway was named Northern Ireland’s best walk, receiving a score of 85 per cent and five stars for both scenery and places of interest.

The five-mile route, including a descent down the 162 Shepherd’s Steps to take in the view of the 40,000 basalt columns at the end, is well-maintained and was rated two out of five for difficulty by Which?, with visitors also awarding it four stars for facilities along the way.

Ben Lomond in Scotland was also given a score of 85 per cent, along with High Force & Low Force in the Durham Dales, Housesteads to Steel Riggs along Hadrian’s Wall, and the Mawddach Estuary in Wales.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Whether you’re looking for easygoing strolls to fill the space between Christmas and the new year, or you’re after a breathtaking hike to help you shake the dust off your feet after this year, our rundown of the country’s favourite walks should provide plenty of inspiration.

“While coronavirus restrictions might prevent us from travelling to some of the farther-flung destinations on our list, the good news is that we are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to stunning walks across the UK, meaning there are walks to be enjoyed wherever you are in the country.”

Table of results:

Maps:

Fire Service warns of home fireworks COVID danger

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is warning of the dangers of using fireworks in private events over the festive period.

With many public events cancelled due to COVID-19, families and communities are being reminded that using fireworks in gardens and common areas can have devastating consequences.

Improper use of fireworks can cause serious injuries, distress pets and neighbors and impact on the work of Scotland’s emergency services.

Deputy Assistant Chief Officer (DACO) Alasdair Perry, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Head of Prevention and Protection, said: “With public events unable to go ahead, we may see people hosting private events in their gardens to mark the festive season and perhaps New Year’s Eve.

“However, we must warn communities that fireworks are explosives at the end of the day, and if not used properly their use can cause life-changing injuries.

“I would urge anyone considering purchasing fireworks to be well aware of both the dangers and the essential safety guidance.”

The SFRS has created a Fireworks Code to help keep communities safe.

DACO Perry added: “If you are going to buy fireworks, then make sure it is from a reputable seller.

“Always follow the instructions carefully and follow our firework code. We want everyone to bring in the new year safely, so please do not take any risks as we say goodbye to a difficult year for all of us.”



The call has also been backed by the Scottish Government. Community Safety Minister Ash Denham said: “This Festive season is going to feel very different and at this usual time for celebration I urge everyone to follow the rules on meeting up with other households to help stop the spread of the virus. 

“It is vital that on Hogmanay the public adhere to the rules restricting travel between different local authority areas and meeting up with other households. Under both level 4 and level 3 restrictions it is not possible to meet up indoors or in large groups outdoors on Hogmanay.

“With large, organised Hogmanay firework displays cancelled this year – we know that some people may consider using fireworks in their back gardens. If you do plan on using fireworks please do so responsibly and safely. If we all play our part we can ensure that Hogmanay this year is safe and enjoyable for everyone.”

To view the fireworks code and find more information on how to stay safe around fireworks, visit: 

https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/your-safety/fireworks-safety.aspx

Competition launched to showcase young people’s art to world leaders at COP26

● Actor and broadcaster Cel Spellman launches a nationwide art competition, Creative Earth, in collaboration with COP26 and WWF 

● Competition launched at a surprise event in a school in Great Yarmouth 

● Young people from across the UK are competing for a chance to have their artwork  

displayed at the COP26 Climate Change conference in Glasgow 

● The work seeks to inspire world leaders, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to create a better planet for future generations  

An art competition has been launched for young people across the UK, with the winners having  their artwork displayed at the COP26 Climate Change conference next year in Glasgow.  

The Creative Earth competition is part of a UK Government initiative, Together for our Planet, and  launched in collaboration with the WWF to encourage young people to use the power of art to  capture their hopes and dreams for the planet in the future.  

To kickstart the competition, Cel Spellman, star of Netflix’s White Lines and BBC Radio 1, surprised a  group of year seven students at Ormiston Venture Academy in Great Yarmouth via a special Zoom  call.  

Cel invited the children to be the first to get creative. The students were then given the opportunity  to talk about their chosen artwork creations with Cel and explain why it is important to them. 

Cel, who is a WWF ambassador said: “The Creative Earth art competition is such a unique and  exciting opportunity for children from across the UK to have their voice heard and show world leaders  exactly the kind of world they want to live in, inherit and pass on to future generations.

“I’m asking as  many under-16s as possible to please get involved and be part of something special as we aim to  create a better, greener, sustainable future and call on world leaders to commit to making that a  reality and bring about the change we so desperately need to see, reminding them it’s young people  who will live with the consequences of our actions now.” 

Creative Earth artwork entries will be judged by a celebrity panel and COP26 President Alok Sharma  in Spring 2021.

Special prizes will be awarded for the best artwork in each age group. Judges will also  select the best pieces to be displayed at the COP26 summit in November next year.  

Alok Sharma, COP26 President said: “Across the world, young people are leading the call for climate  action and we want to make sure this is properly recognised at COP26 in Glasgow. That is why I hope  young people from across the country will seize this opportunity to showcase their vision for a  greener future.” 

Simon Gilbert-Barnham, Principal at Ormiston Venture Academy, said: “It’s not every day that pupils  get a chance to influence the UK Prime Minister and world leaders!

“This competition is an incredible  opportunity for young people to present their vision for a greener, healthier and happier planet.  Everyone at Ormiston Venture Academy is over the moon to be taking part in the Creative Earth art  competition and we can’t wait to see the entries that come in from young people around the country.”

The Together For Our Planet campaign aims to work with businesses, civil society groups, schools  and the public across the UK to help build awareness around the importance of tackling climate  change in the run up to the COP26. 

Find out more about the competition and enter now on the Together for our Planet website.

Edible Edinburgh: Working together to end food poverty

Councillor George Gordon, Chair of the Edible Edinburgh Partnership, writes about work to reduce food poverty and promote local growing:

Writing in my role as the Chair of Edible Edinburgh Partnership, I wanted to highlight the superb food hamper distribution programme recently launched by UNICEF in association with the Partnership and Edinburgh Community Foods. 

As you would hope and expect, UNICEF recognises the devastating effect the pandemic is having on individuals and families in the lower income bracket who are now experiencing food poverty and insecurity. 

This is the first time the charity has directly invested in the UK as they, like we do, recognise that this has created a situation that will take a considerable length of time to fix* (see below – Ed.). Yes, we can see light at the end of the tunnel as we roll out a UK-wide vaccination programme, but this will take time to achieve. 

Edible Edinburgh is working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and other partners to try and tackle poverty right here in Scotland’s capital city – a very real and unacceptable situation. 

Thanks to the work of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, published earlier this year, there can be no doubt that this support is desperately needed – and I’m delighted that the Council has committed to ending poverty in our city by 2030.

This specific programme will supply 450 individual families with the necessary food they require to survive through this Christmas period. I hasten to point out these are all newly identified families who have not been part of any previous existing programmes put in place by the Scottish Government or the Council. The vast majority are delivered through the third sector, who are predominantly charitable organisations. 

I could fill this whole column with praise for the organisations involved and with the statistics and individual testimonies from those hardest hit – the many people I’ve spoken to in my various positions as a Councillor about the real hardship many of our fellow citizens are faced with. 

I also want to take this opportunity to highlight another key piece of work that Edible Edinburgh are doing in association with the Council – that is the provision of areas of land for food growing as part of the Community Empowerment Act. 

A consultation on the draft Edinburgh Food Growing Strategy, Growing Locally, which sets out a plan to grow more locally, consume more locally and to increase awareness and engagement, went live on 1 December. 

Our aim is to identify areas of food growing through allotments, community growing space and at least four areas for market gardens which will be run and maintained by community groups and organisations. A fine example of this is what is being currently built at Lauriston Farm and I look forward to seeing progress over the next couple of years. 

My request to you is simple: get involved! Please take the time to give your views (before the closing date on 18 January) and remember there are no stupid ideas. This is hugely relevant and important as we move toward providing more locally produced sustainable food sources for our city and our country. 

By doing so we can live better while helping to reduce food insecurity, carbon emissions – and, of course, poverty.

In response to comments made in the House of Commons about Unicef UK’s funding of UK food programmes last week, Anna Kettley, Unicef UK’s Director of Programmes and Advocacy, said:

“Unicef UK is responding to this unprecedented crisis and building on our 25 years’ experience of working on children’s rights in the UK with a one-off domestic response, launched in August, to provide support to vulnerable children and families around the country during this crisis period.

“In partnership with Sustain, the food and farming alliance, over £700k of Unicef UK funds is being granted to community groups around the country to support their vital work helping children and families at risk of food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Unicef will continue to spend our international funding helping the world’s poorest children. We believe that every child is important and deserves to survive and thrive no matter where they are born.”

NOT SOCKS AGAIN!?

Aldi encourages customers to donate unwanted Chrsitmas socks to people who need them most

This December Aldi will launch a thoughtful new initiative encouraging customers to donate any unwanted or extra unused socks they received as Christmas gifts to charities supporting homeless people across Scotland.  

Every year millions of people receive socks for Christmas and they are often a gift that no one really wants or needs. However, they are one of the things homeless charities always run out of over winter and Aldi’s ‘Not Socks Again?!’ initiative aims to put these gifts to better use by donating new and unused socks to local homeless charities.  

Aldi’s ‘Sock Amnesty’ boxes will be in stores across Scotland from 27th December to the end of January where people can drop off their unused Christmas socks to help keep homeless people warm this winter.  

Aldi has linked up with three charities across Scotland who will benefit from the initiative;  Simon Scotland, Aberdeen Cyrenians, and Trust in Fife, who work tirelessly to provide care and support for the most vulnerable people in society.  

​Hugh Hill, Director of Services and Development at Simon Community Scotland, said: “As you can imagine, Scottish winters are absolutely freezing, and we often just don’t have enough socks to go round.

“We’re so pleased that Aldi has launched this initiative and we’re so grateful to Aldi and their customers for helping to keep the people we support warm this winter.”   

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “We wanted to do something to support homeless charities this Christmas who are working day in day out to support the most vulnerable people in society.

“One thing that homeless charities say they are always looking for is socks, so we thought, why not allow our customers to donate any unwanted socks they are given as a Christmas present to people who will really value them. 

“Aldi will also contribute a £250 donation to each charity in the hope of helping the most vulnerable during winter.” 

Aldi’s Sock Amnesty boxes will be in store from 27th December and customers are invited to drop off any unwanted, new and unused, socks which will be donated to the charity in their local area.  

This initiative builds on Aldi’s commitment to supporting communities across Scotland. Since 2016, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund has supported over 458 local clubs with more than £240,000 worth of donations. Aldi is also Kiltwalk’s official ‘Supermarket Partner’ and in 2019 was responsible for fuelling over 20,000 Kiltwalkers across events in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Dumfries.  

Since July 2019 Aldi has helped over 200 charities provide over a million meals to vulnerable people across Scotland through its partnership with community engagement platform, Neighbourly. 

The supermarket is also set to relaunch its popular Supermarket Sweep programme next year in support of local foodbanks. 

To find your nearest store please visit: www.aldi.co.uk/store-finder