A Council community hub in Westerhailes has opened as Edinburgh’s newest Covid-19 testing centre as part of the UK Government’s drive to make testing more accessible to local people.
Providing an additional and safe spot for anyone showing symptoms, nearby residents can now pre-book a test at the Gate 55 centre by visiting www.nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or by calling 0800 028 2816.
Anyone attending an appointment will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the centre safely, with additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.
Adam McVey, Council Leader, said: “Keeping Edinburgh’s residents safe remains our top priority and the best way to do that is by encouraging people to follow the latest guidance and get tested if they have any Covid-19 symptoms.
“We’re already playing our part by providing the Government with staff support and access to the Usher Hall for testing, which has been going really well. It’s helping hundreds of people every week to get tested so I’m pleased that we’re now building on this by opening up our community hub at Gate 55.
” Well-known and well-placed for all West Edinburgh residents, it’s an ideal site to offer easy access to testing. It will prove particularly useful for those in our community who don’t have private transport and for nearby students, if they’re feeling unwell.
Cammy Day, Depute Leader, said: “The Usher Hall site has been fantastic and many students and local people are finding it easy to walk or cycle in to get checked. It isn’t handy for everyone though – particularly those in the West of the city.
“The new option of visiting Gate 55 will provide more choice and a familiar and accessible place for people in Sighthill and Westerhailes. I urge anyone with symptoms to follow the guidance and make sure they get checked out.”
The Gate 55 testing site is open now between 8:00am and 8:00pm and can be found at 55 Sighthill Road, Edinburgh.
Those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout, including while travelling to and from the testing centre.
Anyone who tests positive will be contacted by contact tracers to help people to identify who they may have been in close contact with and protect others from further transmission.
Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from contact tracers, asking them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus. They will be advised to also book at test if they develop symptoms.
Statement given by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Monday 19 October):
Good afternoon, thanks for joining us again today. I will give you the usual report on the COVID statistics first of all. I can report that the total number of positive cases yesterday was 993.
That represents 17.1% of people who were newly tested and 6.4% of the total number of tests that we carried out and I am going to come on later to say a little bit more about these different measurements.
The total number of cases now stands at 47,708. 362 of today’s cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 294 in Lanarkshire, 122 in Lothian and 57 in Ayrshire and Arran.
The remaining cases are spread across the other seven mainland health board areas.
754 people are currently in hospital which is an increase of 40 from yesterday and 61 people are intensive care, that’s two fewer than yesterday.
Now for the eagle-eyed amongst you who follow these figures very closely day-to-day and might have spotted that yesterday’s hospital and ICU figures and today’s don’t exactly tally,
I can tell you there has been a small revision made to the figures reported by Ayrshire and Arran yesterday and that will be shown in the publication that will appear on the website later.
I also regret to say that in the last 24 hours 1 additional death has been registered of a patient who had tested positive over the previous 28 days.
We also reported 15 deaths on Saturday. So since I last stood here to give the daily update on Friday, 16 additional deaths have been registered. And the total number of deaths, under the daily measurement is now 2,610.
That figure is a reminder of the heartbreak that this virus is capable of causing and once again I want to pass on my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.
Now I have got a few things I want to briefly update on today. I am going to highlight two points about the daily figures that I have just reported and at the end of my remarks I will look forward to the week ahead and some of the decisions that lie ahead of us.
But briefly first of all, let me just look back. It seems clear from anecdotal reports that people overwhelmingly stuck to the rules over this weekend, including the rules on household gatherings.
And that’s really important – stopping households meeting up indoors is, as you know, crucial to slowing the spread of Covid.
But I am aware that it is also really tough, and it gets tougher with every week that passes.
I just wanted to take the opportunity today to say thank you to everyone who has played a part by following the rules and guidelines. You are making a difference and please be assured of that.
Let me now cover a couple of issues relating to the daily statistics. We reported only 316 new cases yesterday and as you can see that’s far lower than the numbers we have been reporting on previous days.
Now, we are still exploring this with the UK Government but we think this might be because from Friday onwards, quite a large number of tests were diverted from the Lighthouse laboratory in Glasgow, to be processed in other laboratories in the Lighthouse network.
Our understanding – although we do not control this process – is that this was to ensure that the Lighthouse lab in Glasgow didn’t handle more tests, from across the UK, than it had the capacity to deal with promptly.
We also understand that the tests diverted included those of people with symptoms, who had gone to drive-through or walk-in testing centres.
And it stands to reason these people are more likely to test positive than asymptomatic people who are being tested as part of routine care home testing, for example. And that might help to explain why yesterday’s number of positive cases was probably artificially low.
The rerouting of cases was due to stop yesterday and my expectation is that any new cases which we would have expected to see yesterday, will be included in the figures for today and tomorrow, although we continue, as I said earlier, to explore whether there might be any other issues at play here.
Of course this is one reason why – when we consider the number of positive cases – we always look at the trends over a number of days, rather at any single day at a time.
And of course our Test and Protect teams will be working to identify contacts of positive cases as soon as the information about them comes into our case management system.
And I would remind anyone who may be waiting for a test result, that you should of course be continuing to self-isolate while you wait for that. That is a really important part of our collective effort to control the virus.
Now, the other point about our statistics that I want to cover, relates to the percentage of people who test positive for Covid.
And I’m afraid that – as occasionally happens – I’m going to discuss an issue now which is quite technical, but which is important, so please bear with me as I always like to try and give you an understanding of what lies behind our statistics and the reasons for any change in how we are calculating any aspect of them.
For some time now, as you know, I have reported here a daily figure for the proportion of people who test positive for Covid – that’s an important metric that allows us, amongst other metrics, to determine whether the virus is spreading more rapidly or going into decline.
To arrive at that figure what we have done so far is measure the number of people
testing positive, as a percentage of the total number of people being tested, who had never been tested before. That’s why you hear me say every day that it is a percentage of people newly tested.
That ensures that we don’t count people who are tested twice in a very short period of time – for example if a test result needs checked, or perhaps some days tested both on admission to hospital and then a few days later.
Now the current measure has been helpful so far in assessing how the virus is spreading.
All of you will have seen in recent weeks in the percentage of positive cases that we have reported the rise in that has been consistent with the rise in case numbers, in hospital admissions and increasingly, unfortunately, in people dying.
However the way in which we currently calculate this becomes less reliable over time as more and more people in the population have been tested.
We are now more than 7 months into the pandemic and already more than 1/7 of the population of Scotland has already been tested for Covid. Under our existing measure, none of those people will ever count again as a newly tested person – someone who has not been tested before although if they test positive their positive result will be counted.
Let me illustrate that with an example – if you had a fever in August, if you got a test then and you didn’t have Covid – and then you have a cough now, you get tested again, and it turns out you do have Covid – your positive test will be counted, but you will not count as a “newly tested person”, when we work out the percentage.
So, as you can see, over time as more and more people who have already been tested go for further tests – and remember almost 40,000 care home workers are tested every single week – what happens is that the percentage of positive test that we report is artificially high and gets more and more artificially high as time goes on.
So we have been discussing this issue in some detail with the UK’s Office for Statistics Regulation. We have taken their advice into account in deciding a new measure, and will continue to engage with them on future improvements.
Instead of relying only on people who have been newly tested, we will now calculate the percentage of positive tests, based on the total number of test results which have come in on that day.
Now that measure is simple to calculate. And it does come closer to matching the methodologies used by the World Health Organisation, for determining whether the virus is out of control.
It is worth stressing though that although it is a better measurement for this stage in the pandemic for the reasons I have tried to set out as clearly as possible , it’s still not perfect so we’ll continue to look at further improvements. And the imperfections are these – if you need to be tested more than once in the same day or the same week, all of those samples will now be counted.
And in addition, the new measure – to a much greater extent than the old measure – combines test results from different groups of people.
The majority of our tests are of people who have symptoms of Covid.
But we also test lots of asymptomatic people every week as well, principally people who work in care homes. And those tests are much less likely to be positive than tests of people with symptoms, so in a day-to-day basis that could lead to some fluctuations in the daily percentage.
But on a weekly or monthly basis that the trend in test positivity will be clear.
And our view is that the new measure will give us a better picture of the course of the virus over the weeks and months ahead. The old measure was the most accurate for the early phase of the pandemic, we think this one is more accurate for the next phase.
Now, as you have just gathered, that is quite a technical change, and thanks for bearing with me if you have managed to do so. But we also want to give you a bit of time to see the effects of the change in methodology. So, for that reason, and also to be completely transparent, to avoid any suspicion, what we are trying to do here is change methodology to result in a lower number, every day for at least the rest of this week I will am going to give you both our old and our new measurements when I give you the daily figures. Eventually though, I will start to report the figure under our new measurement only.
So to remind you of what I said earlier on, on the old measurement taking people just newly tested, our test positivity rate today was 17.1%, on our new measurement taking all tests it was 6.4%.
The final point I want to cover is to look to the week ahead as I indicated last week we will publish this week detail of our new strategic approach to tackling the virus. I hope to discuss the outlines of this tomorrow with leaders of the other parties in the Scottish Parliament.
And we will then publish a strategic framework at the end of the week, before debating it in parliament next week.
One of the things the framework will set out are the different tiers or levels of intervention and restrictions which may be applied in future – either locally or nationally across Scotland – depending on how the virus is spreading.
We will also indicate – based on the latest advice from the National Incident Management Team and our clinical advisers – what levels should apply to different parts of the country or potentially all of the country once the current temporary restrictions on hospitality come to an end on 26 October.
The framework will also summarise our work to improve the effectiveness of existing measures to curb Covid – for example how we will work to improve compliance with FACTS advice and all of the other guidelines; the review of our testing strategy and how we will continue to support Test and Protect; and also how we will provide support for businesses and individuals so that they can comply with all that they are being asked to do, either now or in the future.
Publication of the framework is an important step, as we look ahead to the winter and prepare to manage the virus over, what may well be and I would expect to be, a very challenging period.
We hope that the framework can command broad support both politically in parliament and across wider society.
But this is where I will end, it is worth stressing that – although the strategic framework will update our approach to tackling the virus – many of the basic elements of that approach will not change.
In particular, it will continue to be vital that to slow the spread of the virus, all of us as individuals stick to all of the essential rules and guidelines on hygiene, physical distancing and limiting contact with other households.
Let me just briefly remind everyone of what those current general rules and guidelines are.
As I said earlier, except for very specific purposes – such as childcare – none of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now.
When we do meet – outdoors, or indoor public places that are open like cafes – we shouldn’t meet in groups of any more than six people from a maximum of two households.
Only car-share if it is essential to do so
Work from home if you possibly can and again I would appeal to employers to facilitate that for your workers.
Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t done so already.
And finally, remember FACTS.
Wear Face coverings, it is now the law, as of today, to wear them in communal areas in work places, like corridors
Avoid crowded places.
Clean your hands and hard surfaces
keep two metres distance from people in other households.
and Self isolate, and get tested, if you have symptoms.
These are the basic things, no matter the other rules in place at any given time, these are the basic things that if all of us do all of them all of the time then we give ourselves the best chance of keeping the spread of the virus under control
It’s the best way to look after ourselves, to look after our loved ones and our communities.
And ultimately it is the best way to protect our National Health Service and save lives.
Thank you again for listening today and thank you particularly for bearing with me through quite a long, laborious and technical update on how we will calculate the percentage of people testing positive.
A grand total of £3,530,025 has been raised by the STV Children’s Appeal throughout 2020, bringing the total amount raised by the Appeal since its formation in 2011 to over £24 million.
A busy year of fundraising culminated in a successful telefundraiser broadcast on STV on Friday. The programme, hosted by Lorraine Kelly, saw stars including Andy Murray and KT Tunstall encouraging Scots to support the Appeal, which raises funds for vulnerable children and young people across Scotland.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also made a memorable appearance in this year’s show, starring in a specially-recorded sketch alongside comedian Janey Godley (download here), in which she delivered Godley’s iconic catchphrase “Frank, get the door!” for the first time.
The Scottish Government has again pledged to match fund £1 million towards the final total raised.
The STV Children’s Appeal has seen a wide range of “community heroes” from across Scotland helping to raise money this year, including:
· 91-year-old Jan Collins from Troon (picture attached), who raised £8,621 by completing 1,000 holes of golf in his garden
· Inverness schoolboy Shaun Maclean (picture attached), 8, who ran 200 laps of his garden and raised £966
· Gerry Long, a postman from Ardrossan, who cheered up local residents during the national lockdown in April by dressing up as a different fictional character each day to deliver mail – raising £450 in the process
Corporate supporters of the Appeal have included supermarket chain Lidl. Its customers and staff helped to raise £73,000 this year – bringing the total amount Lidl has raised for the Appeal to over £500,000.
Baroness Margaret Ford, Chair of the STV Children’s Appeal, said: “Once again, we are absolutely blown away by the incredible generosity of STV viewers – particularly at a time when donating may be harder to do than normal.
“Their support, along with that of our community heroes and corporate fundraisers, will make a real difference to the one in four children living in poverty throughout the country.
“These young people, who have felt the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic more than most, urgently need our help – and we’re committed to distributing the funds as quickly and efficiently as possible. On behalf of everyone at the STV Children’s Appeal, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every person who has supported us throughout this year.”
Early nights, getting in touch with nature and building exercise into the day could help boost motivation as the chilly days set in.
The health and wellbeing experts at Testogen have put together their eight top tips for those wanting a natural boost as the days get shorter and colder.
Getting to bed early, eating well and exercising during daylight hours are among the advice suggested by the experts.
Other suggestions include looking at exercise routines, changing workout times and training with a friend.
A spokesperson for Testogen said: “A dip in motivation at this time of year is only natural. The days are shorter, the mornings darker and the temperatures are dipping. The good news is there are lots you can do to give motivation a boost.
“Heading to bed a little earlier, getting out and enjoying nature and setting time aside to do the things you enjoy are all easy changes to make.
“It’s also important to think about your exercise regime too. If you train outdoors, think about when you train – daylight hours are best where possible – and consider partnering with a friend to make training in the cold a little more bearable.”
Here are Testogen’s tips for boosting motivation this Autumn:
1. Go to bed early
Autumn and winter are great seasons to catch up on sleep and recuperate. Make a conscious effort to go to bed earlier – not only will a decent night’s sleep increase your motivation, it will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to face the day. Remember to avoid looking at any tech for around an hour before going to bed and leave them out of the bedroom.
2. Enjoy nature
Take a walk and enjoy everything around you. The changing colours of leaves, the misty, magical mornings and bright chilly days. The fresh air and time to think and clear your head will do wonders for your motivation.
3. Training changes
Your training schedule will need to change to take into account the shorter days. If you train outdoors, try to stick to daylight hours and where you can, train with a friend. Having a training buddy is great for motivation.
4. Build activity into your day
Try building activity into your day rather than trying to cram it in before or after work. Use the hour’s lunch break to go for a run, take a brisk walk or hop onto your bike. A short workout will leave you feeling refreshed for the afternoon.
5. Eat well
Think about what you eat, make sure your diet is balanced and enjoy plenty of fruit and vegetables. The odd over-indulgence is fine but remember everything in moderation.
6. Accessorise your home
Now’s the time to declutter, pack away all the summer clothes and furnishings and bring out the winter ones instead. Cosy blankets, rugs and autumnal candles will create a welcoming space.
7. Layer up
Whether exercising or relaxing at home, pile on the layers to stay warm. If you’re training, light layers which you can peel off as you warm up are the way to go. If you’re at home, cosy jumpers are a must.
8. Make time for you
Always set time aside for yourself, especially if you’re constantly juggling work, family and activities. Use the time to do something you enjoy – a walk with friends, watching your favourite series or having your own mini pamper session.
Supermarket Aldi launched BrewDog’s ‘ALD IPA’ in stores on 15th October
The brand was created during a Twitter exchange between the two companies after shoppers drew similarities between Aldi’s Anti-Establishment Beer and BrewDog’s Punk IPA
For every case bought, both BrewDog and Aldi will donate a tree to BrewDog’s Forest, supporting the brewer’s commitment to reducing carbon and fighting climate change
Craft beer fans will be heading to Aldi after the supermarket revealed it will be stocking ALD IPA, a beer born out of Twitter banter between best-selling independent brewer, BrewDog and the leading supermarket. No, you’re not reading that with your beer goggles on!
The eponymous beer was first created as a joke tweet after shoppers commented on the resemblance between Aldi’s Anti-Establishment beer and BrewDog’s popular Punk IPA. BrewDog initially suggested it would create ‘Yaldi IPA’ in a mocking social media post.
However, the supermarket, which is known for its ‘Like brands’ approach, responded with: ‘We would have gone with ALD IPA, send us a crate and we’ll talk…’[1] The crate must have done the trick, because now just two months on, what started as a spoof brand is being sold exclusively at Aldi stores!
The brew-tiful ALD IPA will be available as a Specialbuy from Thursday 15th October and is BrewDog’s first ever exclusive creation for a supermarket. A 4.7% session IPA, it is based on BrewDog’s beloved Hop Fiction recipe and will cost just £1.39 per can.
The humorous Twitter exchange that sparked the creation of this beer was followed with anticipation by tens of thousands of people[2]. As the conversation unraveled, it was decided that for every case sold, Aldi and BrewDog will each donate a tree to be planted in the BrewDog Forest located in the Scottish highlands. BrewDog announced earlier this year that it is now a ‘carbon negative’ business as it takes twice as much carbon out of the air as it emits.
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director Aldi Scotland, says: “We couldn’t resist stocking ALD IPA, which supports our mission to work with the UK’s best independent suppliers.
“Plus, with customer enquiries through the roof after the conversation broke on Twitter – it really was a no brainer to give our shoppers what they want.”
James Watt, co-Founder of BrewDog comments: “Ald IPA has been one of our favourite collaborations to date, it’s definitely one no one saw coming! From a mockup on Twitter, to being stocked at Aldi stores across the UK, the response has been incredible.
“Most importantly, both BrewDog and Aldi have agreed that for every case sold an extra tree will be planted in the BrewDog Forest. A win-win for our customers, and the planet!”
For those that fancy themselves a bit of a hop-head and want to get their hands on ALD IPA, head to Aldi stores now to pick up a can. Shoppers will need to get in there quick though – as with all Specialbuys, once they’re gone, they’re gone!
British gardeners have been offered advice on the best flowers to plant for winter colour.
Plant pros at GardeningExpress.co.uk have revealed nine hardy climbers, shrubs and bedding plants which brave the cold to brighten up dreary gardens in the coldest, darkest months.
Blooming gardens are usually associated with the bright, warm days of spring and summer, but there are a variety of hardy plants that survive and even thrive in the colder months.
From pansies and daphne to snowdrops and clematis, these plants will help gardens look spectacular all year round.
A spokesperson for GardeningExpress.co.uk said: “Gardens needn’t look dull, dreary and dormant through winter, as there are a number of fantastic plants which are perfect for adding a splash of colour in the coldest, darkest months.
“From climbers and shrubs to bedding plants and evergreens, there’s something suitable for every spot in every garden. Pots and flowers borders will be brightened up in no time.”
1. Christmas Rose
These flowers bloom usually in January but sometimes as early as Christmas. They feature large, round, white flowers above low-growing mounds of leathery, deep green foliage, and are perfect for growing at the front of a partially shaded border.
2. Pansies
These low-growing, bushy perennials have large, striking flowers and heart-shaped leaves, and are a gardener’s staple. The bicoloured flowers have darker, face-like markings in the centre. Most varieties flower in spring and summer but some have been bred to bloom November to March, so make sure you buy the right type.
3. Mahonia
Mahonias feature slender spikes of bright yellow flowers that are popular with winter-active bumblebees, as well as evergreen rosettes of glossy dark green leaves. They flower between November and March and should be grown in moist but well-drained soil in partial shade.
4. Daphne
These colourful shrubs bloom in late winter and early spring. They’re great for small gardens, with some varieties suiting window boxes and containers too. Most varieties bear clusters of small flowers in various shades of red or pink, and sometimes white or green too.
5. Snowdrops
Snowdrops are some of the first bulbs of the year to flower, heralding the end of winter. With so many different species and varieties to choose from, the snowdrop has fast become a winter favourite amongst UK gardeners. For natural looking drifts, gently cast the bulbs across the planting area and plant them exactly where they land.
6. Winter clematis
Winter clematis is a perennial climber with glossy, evergreen foliage, and it flowers December to January. As a group one clematis, they don’t need pruning, though this can be done lightly, straight after flowering, to restrict their size.
7. Heather
Winter-flowering heathers are inexpensive, and a brilliant plant for low-growing texture. Evergreen, easy to grow, small, manageable, and long-flowering, it looks great in pots and comes with pink, white and purple flowers.
8. Cyclamen
Braving the cold, Cyclamen are winter heroes that can be brought to flower from autumn to spring. The flowers come in a variety of red, pink and white shades, which look fantastic in pots or planted under trees.
9. Winter Aconite
Cheery winter aconite bulbs produce golden, cup-shaped flowers surrounded by a green collar of leaves. In fact, they look just like buttercups, except they flower in the depths of winter. They love a moist soil and a shady position, so they’re perfect for planting among trees.
Shared Lives Plus, which is launching its Homeshare scheme in Scotland, is one of ten charities to receive £50,000 as part of Ecclesiastical Insurance’s Movement for Good awards.
The awards, set up by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical, have seen a total of £1million given to charities across the UK this summer. 500 charities have already been awarded donations of £1,000 and now 10 charitable organisations will benefit from £50,000 grants.
Shared Lives Plus, which aims to build communities where everyone lives a full life by sharing lives and homes, was one of 10 charities1 selected from over 1,000 entries.
The fund will allow the charity to develop its Homeshare scheme in Scotland, a project that carefully matches someone in need of support to live independently with someone who has a housing need and can provide care. The project fosters mutually beneficial and enriching relationships across communities.
Each of the £50,000 awards are designed to support the advancement of education, skills, arts, culture and heritage, as well as citizenship or community development. Applications were assessed against four key areas; impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.
Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “Our Movement for Good awards have been met with an overwhelming response. A huge number of charities have submitted projects for the £50,000 grant and it’s clear that charitable organisations are in need of support now more than ever.
“We believe this financial boost will create long-lasting improvements for communities and support charity workers during what is an incredibly testing time for many.
“Ecclesiastical is a unique financial services group. Owned by a charity, our core purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society. Charitable giving is at the heart of our business and we are proud to be able to give all available profits to the good causes which are important to our customers.
“We know that £50,000 can make a huge difference to the life-changing work that charities do and we are looking forward to seeing how these awards will help make people’s lives better.”
Ben Hall, Development Manager at Shared Lives Plus, added: “I didn’t expect to win at all and when we were told, I was delighted! For us, this project would not be taking place in the coming year without the award from Ecclesiastical’s Movement for Good. It really is as simple as that.
“Homeshare will be a new idea in Scotland and it is vital that we raise its profile. Our goal is that we want to bring shared living to more people and create a kinder and stronger society. This grant allows us to create those plans.”
An amazing 253,879 people around the UK supported the Movement for Good awards during its first phase earlier this year, with over 13,695 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 500 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated.
Phase two saw 1,059 project submissions for the £50,000 awards. Following a review of all the applications, a panel of judges made their final selection of the winning projects2.
A PUB boss who went out of her way to help vulnerable people at the start of the coronavirus pandemic is fuming at being wrongly brought into an Old Firm football fans row.
Dianne Irving, who runs the award-winning The Crown, the historic Howard Arms and newly-refurbished Milbourne Arms – all in Carlisle – received national acclaim when she delivered meals to the vulnerable across the city at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.
But this weekend Dianne found herself wrongly dragged into a Covid controversy about football fans heading to Carlisle from Scotland to watch the Celtic versus Rangers clash on TV.
One fan posted on social media that he’d organised a 49-seater coach from Dalkeith near Edinburgh so that Celtic and Rangers fans – unable to watch the game in a pub in Scotland due to lockdown – could travel south of the border to watch Saturday’s game on TV at the Howard Arms in Carlisle.
But Dianne, who runs the Howard Arms in Carlisle, knew nothing about the football fans’ trip.
She says they must have meant a different pub because the Howard Arms in Carlisle doesn’t even show live football on TV.
And the historic city centre pub wouldn’t even have room to accommodate 49 people given it is restricted to table service due to coronavirus rules.
Dianne said: “We know absolutely nothing about this. We never heard from this person. We didn’t have any group bookings. We don’t even show live sport at The Howard!
“We haven’t had any Rangers or Celtic fans in the pub this weekend. This whole story has absolutely nothing to do with us.”
Dianne has been at the forefront of technology, and adhered to all the Covid-19 rules to ensure all her regulars at all her pubs are able to enjoy a safe environment.
She only operates table service at all the venues she runs, takes advance bookings, and enforces social distancing throughout.
She and her staff have been widely praised by customers throughout the pandemic for the lengths they have gone to in order to make everyone feel secure.
Dianne said: “We have put the health and well-being of our customers and staff as the number one priority throughout the pandemic. We would never compromise that.”
Yet because of the football fan’s post, spreading false information, she has found herself, totally innocently, at the centre of a social media storm over the weekend.
She has even been contacted by environmental health on the back of complaints based on the completely incorrect information.
Dianne said: “It’s hard to take to be honest. It’s difficult enough, as anyone in the hospitality industry knows right now, to run a business in this climate.
“But when you work night and day to make sure you are complying with every regulation, only for someone to put a post on social media, wrongly naming our pub, it’s infuriating and so damaging to everything we are doing. It’s soul destroying.
“Our regulars know the type of pub The Howard Arms is. They know this has absolutely nothing to do with us. But anyone else, reading about these football fans on social media, or in the wider media, doesn’t necessarily know the truth. That’s why we need to put the record straight so people know that we have absolutely nothing to do with this.”
Dianne, managing director of Drouth Ltd, is well-known for the responsible way she runs her business.
The Crown was this year shortlisted in two of Greene King brewery’s national awards as Community Pub of the Year and also Entertainment Pub of The Year.
Dianne also won Best Turnaround Pub of The Year for The Crown in the Great British Pub Awards in 2018.
The Howard Arms in Lowther Street in Carlisle city centre, known for its striking Royal Doulton tiled exterior, has been registered in local directories since 1855.
The historic interior is a fine example of old State Management pubs, which Carlisle is famous for, with small snug-like rooms and a central bar.
A starter payment should be made to people claiming Universal Credit (UC) for the first time to ensure that everyone has enough money for basics such as food and heating during the wait for their initial monthly payment, the Work and Pensions Committee says.
The Committee’s report on Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment finds that the current wait of at least five weeks causes difficulties for some households. While the existing system of Advance pay-ments for those in need can provide a valuable financial lifeline, the Committee is concerned that some people are unable to afford the required repayments.
The Committee warns that this leaves people with a difficult choice: five weeks with no income, or the risk of debt and hardship later.
The report concludes that the introduction of a new payment – equivalent to three weeks of the standard allowance – would be a simple way of ensuring that new claimants had the money they needed for basic living essentials. For people moving from existing benefits, DWP should make the move seamless wherever possible—and pay a starter payment in other cases.
Advances should still be available for people who need further support to get by, but they should be renamed ‘new claim loans’ to make clear that they will need to be repaid. The DWP should also recognise that a request for a loan is a clear indication that someone is struggling and offer support as early as possible.
Reflecting evidence from Sir Iain Duncan Smith, among others, the Committee has also called for changes to the way that historic tax credit is clawed back from people when they move to Universal Credit—and for DWP’s debt collection to follow best practice in the private sector.
In addition, the Committee calls on the Government to make permanent the £20 per week increase in the standard UC allowance announced in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rt Hon Stephen Timms, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said: “There is a growing body of evidence that moving to Universal Credit leaves many reliant on food banks, falling seriously behind with their rent, and even experiencing increased levels of psychological distress.
“The Government’s response is that there is no proof that Universal Credit—and in particular the wait for a first payment—is the direct cause of those difficulties. So DWP needs to commission research, and quickly, to find out what lies behind these deeply worrying findings.
“Our social security system should not be leaving people without the money they need for food and heating.
“In the meantime, the Government must face up to the fact that its current system of Advance loans simply isn’t working. They leave people facing the toughest of choices: go without income for at least five weeks, or have repayments subtracted from their future UC payments—which are already barely enough to get by on.
“We cannot understand why people who are already claiming benefits need to wait for at least five weeks when they move to Universal Credit—especially when nothing in their lives has changed. Their move should be seamless.
“For people claiming benefits for the first time, or people who’ve faced a significant change in their circumstances, the Government should provide starter payments. Doing so would both cut down on the need for Advance loans and ensure that nobody is forced into debt just to be able to afford to eat and keep a roof over their heads.
“UC is a highly automated system. That has been a real strength over the last few months, with the huge influx of new claims caused by the coronavirus pandemic. But it can also be a major weakness, leaving people without the tailored support they need, and Ministers unable to make the changes they want to see.
“There is much the Government can do without completely dismantling the UC system: we hope that our proposals, taken together, offer practical solutions for making Universal Credit work for everyone who needs it.”
Key report findings and recommendations
Starter payments
All first-time claimants of UC should receive a starter payment equivalent to three weeks of the Standard Allowance.
The payment should be made two weeks after the initial claim and only once the claimant’s identity has been verified, to guard against fraud.
People claiming legacy benefits should be moved seamlessly to UC, but where they cannot be they should receive a starter payment instead.
The impact of the wait
The Committee received evidence from both organisations and individuals which suggested that a significant proportion of people face financial difficulties during the wait for a first UC payment.
Citizens Advice said that half the people it helps during the wait period are ‘unable to keep up with bills, rent or are forced to go without the essentials such as food and heating’.
The National Audit Office said that the wait for a first payment can exacerbate claimants’ debt and financial difficulties.
DWP must carry out research to develop its understanding of the possible impact of UC, particularly the wait for the first payment, on the use of food banks; on claimants’ levels of rent arrears; and on levels of psychological distress.
Advance payments
Even with starter payments, the Committee anticipates some people claiming will still need to ask for an Advance (a loan to tide them over during the wait).
The DWP risks misleading claimants, and damaging its own credibility, if it insists on denying the obvious fact that these Advances are interest free loans.
Advances should be renamed ‘new claim loans’ so it is clear that they need to be repaid.
The Department should offer support to anyone requesting a substantial Advance, as it would be a clear indication that someone is struggling with the transition to UC.
Tax credit debt
Repayments of tax credit overpayments can compound hardship for people who may already be struggling.
The Committee recommends that recovery of tax credit debt from people claiming UC should begin only when the claimant has repaid their Advance (if they have taken one out).
Repayments of remaining debts should be capped at 10% of UC standard allowance and written off entirely if they have not been pursued for more than six years.
Universal Support and Help to Claim
The DWP must invest in expanding and developing its Help to Claim service so it is closer to its original plans for Universal Support.
The service must go beyond assisting with an initial claim and should include debt advice, support for people struggling with repaying Advances and support for people with complex needs.
The Work Capability Assessment and support for disabled people
The Committee finds it troubling that, because of the time taken to complete a Work Capability Assessment, some disabled people and people with health conditions must wait much longer than five weeks to receive their full UC entitlement.
Four months, on average, is too long to wait and the DWP must work to speed up the process.
Coronavirus measures
In its report DWP’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Committee welcomed the decision to increase the standard allowance in UC and the basic element in Working Tax Credit by £20 per week.
The Government should now extend the increase past April 2021 and make the rise permanent.
