North Edinburgh News – Page 2287 – The NEN

Law firm Purdie & Co. joins Will Aid campaign for another year

A law firm from Edinburgh is aiming to raise vital funds for nine of the UK’s best loved charities, after signing up for Will Aid, the annual charity will writing campaign.

Purdie & Co. has signed up to the scheme, which runs throughout November, for the second year in a row.

The firm has raised £27,747 for the nine charities involved since it joined the scheme.

Struan Douglas from the firm (above) said: “We are very excited to be involved in the Will Aid campaign again this year. It gives us an excellent opportunity to reach people in our community who do not have a will and help them to protect their loved ones for the future.

“It also means we can raise funds for nine incredible charities which make a huge difference to people in need both here in the UK and around the world.”

The Will Aid scheme takes place across the country during November and supports ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (N. Ireland).

Thanks to the generosity of solicitors like Purdie & Co., the campaign has raised more than £21 million for these charities since it launched 31 years ago.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, charities are in need of donations now more than ever.

Campaign director Peter de Vena Franks said: “One in three people die in the UK without making a will, often leaving confusion and chaos behind along with the sadness of losing a loved one.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly made people reflect on the fragility of life and reinforced the importance of having a professionally-written will in place.

“Will Aid encourages people to prepare this vital piece of paperwork at the same time as making a difference by raising money for charity.

“We are thrilled that Purdie & Co. has joined this year’s campaign. They have contributed a great deal to our fundraising efforts in the past and I know they will continue to work with us in future.”

Law firms across the country are being asked to sign up and pledge a portion of their time to write basic wills, putting duty before profit and instead asking clients to make a voluntary donation.

The suggested voluntary donation for a basic Will Aid will is £100 for a single will and £180 for a pair of mirror wills. Donations support the vital work of the nine partner charities.

Any additional work to the will can be charged separately and is paid to the law firm.

Will Aid solicitors will be following the most up-to-date government health advice to ensure that face-to-face meetings remain safe. Many firms will be able to write wills at a distance via a phone or online consultations. Some firms will only be offering their services remotely. Participating firms can be contacted directly for more information.

For more information about how to sign up or how to make an appointment to write a will visit www.willaid.org.uk/solicitors.

Tonight: Scotland Talking Europe – Latvia and Estonia

How much do you know about Estonia and Latvia and their economic, cultural and social links with Scotland?

This evening Edinburgh4Europe, supported by the European Movement in Scotland, is hosting a live webinar that aims to take a deep dive into these two Baltic countries that both joined the European Union in 2004.

Scotland now needs to use soft power to maintain our links with EU member countries. But to do this effectively it is essential to audit our relations with each of the 27 members. With that in mind this evening’s webinar focuses on Latvia and Estonia.

The two speakers this are Christopher Kenmore Consul for Latvia in Scotland and Peter Ferry, the Consul for Estonia in Scotland.

The event will be chaired by Mark Lazarowicz, Chair of the European Movement in Scotland.

Despite their size and recent membership Latvia and Estonia already hold considerable influence in the EU. Yesterday it was announced that the past Prime Minister of Latvia, Valdis Dombrovskis, will take on the key Trade portfolio, and another Another strategically important portfolio – Energy – is held by Estonia’s Kadri Simson.

Whilst research by Kirsty Hughes from the Scottish Centre for European
Relations has found that irrespective of the constitutional context “it will be hard for Scotland to influence future EU developments from the outside. But bringing expertise, building long-standing bilateral relationships, participating in debates and stepping in early and constructively …. will all pay dividends”.

So, increase your knowledge of Latvia and Estonia and join in the conversation this evening from 7pm by registering your email using this link:

https://lu.ma/EMiS-Scotland-EU-Relationship

and engaging on social media using the hashtags #ScotlandTalkingEurope #Latvia #Estonia.

Game-changer? New spin-out will tackle the ransomware threat

Memcrypt aims to repeat earlier University cybersecurity success stories

Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing has revealed plans to spin out a business dedicated to tackling the multi-billion pound ransomware market.

Memcrypt follows earlier University cybersecurity ventures ZoneFox, Symphonic Software and Cyan Forensics in making the leap from research lab to the market.

Ransomware – malware that encrypts files, giving the attacker scope to demand a ransom to restore access – is increasingly becoming the attack of choice for cyber criminals as it has a high chance of financial return coupled with a low chance of detection, and the threat is increasing daily.

However, the University’s cryptography experts are developing new methods of detecting ransomware as it runs. This will provide new ways of stopping the ransomware from infecting systems before it has a chance to spread.

The team’s work is part of Innovate UK’s CyberASAP programme accelerator, and is also supported more recently by Scottish Enterprise’s High Growth Spin-out Programme – the early stage growth challenge fund.

Memcrypt has evolved around a technical team of Professor Bill Buchanan, Dr Peter McLaren, Dr Owen Lo and Dr Gordon Russell, and a core business team of Dia Banerji (Imagine Ventures Ltd) and Matt Burdge (the Business Development and Relationship Manager supporting the School of Computing), as the University seeks to repeat earlier successes in converting ground-breaking research into high impact spin-outs.

Threat analytics spin-out ZoneFox has since been acquired by US giant Fortinet, and Symphonic Software and Cyan Forensics have also scaled up to become players in the international marketplace.

At the heart of Memcrypt lies Dr Peter McLaren’s PhD work, the first to discover the presence of the key schedule of a popular encryption method – ChaCha20 – within running memory on the computer. Another team member, Dr Owen Lo, earlier showed that encryption keys could be discovered just by listening to the electrical noise created by a device.

Dr McLaren said: “The core of our approach is to search for things that look completely random with memory, and mark these as suspicious.”

Dia Banerji said: “Ransomware attacks can have a debilitating effect on businesses, often leading to loss in revenue, falling share prices and reputational losses. We aim to better protect those at risk, and work with law enforcement agencies on improving their responses to these attacks.”

PGP Academic – Bill Buchanan (Dr), lecturer in the School of Computing

Professor Bill Buchanan (above), who played a key role in the research which paved the way for Edinburgh Napier’s earlier cybersecurity spin-out successes, added: “Ransomware affects virtually every market sector, and can affect every size of company. While building our company in Edinburgh, we aim to scale on an international basis.”

Fiona Mason, Head of Business Engagement and IP Commercialisation at the University, said: “We are delighted that our emerging spin-outs are recognised by CyberASAP and by Scottish Enterprise.

“Our success here is testament to the entrepreneurship, commitment and creativity of the University’s academic staff and students, supported by our talented Business Engagement and IP team in the Research Innovation and Enterprise Office who worked tirelessly to bring these opportunities to life.

“Over the last 10 years, our School of Computing has achieved three successful cyber spin-outs; ZoneFox in 2010, Symphonic in 2013 and Cyan Forensics in 2017.

“All of these spin-outs are currently in operation and growing, with ZoneFox having been acquired by the NASDAQ-listed US company Fortinet. This success is further highlighted in a UK government-backed report from The London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement (LORCA), which listed Edinburgh Napier in the top six universities that have contributed to the cybersecurity spin-out ecosystem.

“We believe Memcrypt will be our next game-changer.”

Committees unite to scrutinise UK Government coranvirus response

Westminster’s Health and Social Care Committee and Science and Technology Committee have today launched a joint inquiry into lessons to be learned from the response to the coronavirus pandemic so far.

Scope of the inquiry

The two Select Committees will jointly conduct evidence sessions examining the impact and effectiveness of action taken by government and the advice it has received. Each Committee will draw on specialist expertise and call witnesses to consider a range of issues including:

the deployment of non-pharmaceutical interventions like lockdown and social distancing rules to manage the pandemic;
the impact on the social care sector;
the impact on BAME communities;
testing and contact tracing;
modelling and the use of statistics;
Government communications and public health messaging;
the UK’s prior preparedness for a pandemic; and
the development of treatments and vaccines.

Joint Inquiry Chairs Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP and Rt Hon Greg Clark MP issued the following statement:

“Parliament has a crucial role in scrutinising the actions of government at a time when the country is in the grip of a crisis such as the current pandemic with its tragic impact on lives and livelihoods.

“Important lessons need to be learned that can help inform further decisions that will need to be taken in the months ahead. It is crucial to learn and apply them now since the Public Inquiry that the Prime Minister has promised is likely to be some time away.

“Our committees will jointly learn what went well, what didn’t, and what lessons must be learnt at this point in the pandemic.

“We will use the independence of our cross-party committees and weekly detailed questioning of witnesses to consider the decisions taken and the evidence they were based on and assess their effectiveness. We will develop clear recommendations so that the UK can benefit from the lessons learned for future stages of this pandemic and for future crises.”

Edinburgh College appoints two new Board members

Edinburgh College’s Board of Management has appointed two new non-executive members to support it in leading the strategic direction of the College.

The new members are experienced figures in Scottish public life and have an extensive background in human resources, organisational development and law, within the public and private sectors.

The new Board members are management consultant Alex Killick and Toni McAlindin, an employment law specialist.

Alex Killick has held senior positions at NHS Tayside and the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SGHD), and until recently was the Director of People at Glasgow Caledonian University. Alex is now a Director at Leading Kind, a management consultancy which specialises in wellbeing, equality and workforce development.

Toni McAlindin is an experienced employment law consultant and a qualified barrister, who currently serves as an Employment Tribunal Member.

Toni previously served on the Court of Stirling University for six years, and was a non-executive board member at the former Jewel & Esk College.

Interim Chair of Edinburgh College’s Board of Management, Ann Landels, said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to welcome Alex and Toni to their new roles. Both have a vast wealth of experience in human resources and workforce development, as well as strong links within education.

“Their respective experiences and skillsets will serve the College and the Board well as we aim to continue maximising experiences and opportunities for all of our students.”

Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “I am pleased to welcome Alex and Toni to the Board of Management as we work to achieve our ambitions for the future.

“Their mixture of experience in the commercial and public sectors will add to the range of knowledge and expertise already at the Board’s disposal which, will no doubt, be of great benefit as we strive to be Scotland’s pre-eminent College, delivering life-changing education to our students.”

Find out more about the Edinburgh College Board of Management.

West Pilton attempted murder: Police appeal for witnesses

Detectives are appealing for information following the attempted murder of a 19 year-old man at a flat in West Pilton Grove last night.

At around 8.40pm on Wednesday evening (7th October), the 19 year-old man and another man were outside shops on Ferry Road Drive in Edinburgh, when they were involved in an altercation with a group of youths.

The 19 year-old man received a facial injury then made his way home to West Pilton Grove.

At around 9.30pm, he was in the flat when four men forced entry and seriously assaulted him. Police and Ambulance attended and the injured man was taken to Edinburgh Royal Hospital where he is being treated for stab wounds.

Hospital staff describe his condition as serious.

The four men responsible are white and aged in their late teens or early twenties:

The first man was of medium build and wearing a grey hooded top, a black gilet and black jogging trousers.

The second man was wearing a black hooded top and black jogging trousers.

The third man was wearing a green top and black jogging trousers,

The fourth man was of heavy build and wearing a black hooded top, blue t-shirt, black jogging trousers and white trainers.

Detective Sergeant Rory Legge of Corstorphine Police Station said: “Our enquiries are continuing into this incident and we have been carrying out enquiries and gathering CCTV from the local area to help us establish the identity of the four men responsible.

“I would appeal to anyone who witnessed, or who has information on the incident outside the shops on Ferry Road Drive or the further assault in West Pilton Grove to contact us as soon as possible. “Anyone with information should contact Corstorphine Police Station through 101 quoting reference number 3512 of 7 October.

“Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

Follow the Scottish Government Covid-19 rules and respect shop workers, says Usdaw

Retail trade union Usdaw has responded to yesterday’s tightening of the Covid-19 restrictions, by the Scottish Government, with a call for respect for shop workers.

From this weekend, shops across Scotland are to return to 2 metre physical distancing and reintroduce safety measures put in place earlier in the pandemic.

Usdaw is reminding customers of the five simple steps to encourage considerate shopping, that were agreed with the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and the Scottish Government, urging the public to play their part in creating a safe and enjoyable retail environment for other customers and retail staff:

1. Queue considerately.

2. Maintain social distancing.

3. Follow instructions inside and outside shops.

4. Follow all necessary hygiene measures.

5. Be respectful to shop staff.

Tracy Gilbert – Usdaw’s Scottish Deputy Divisional Officer said: “Unfortunately the early part of the Covid-19 crisis saw instances of abuse towards shop workers double and we are absolutely clear that ‘abuse is not part of the job’.

“With infections rising we understand why the Scottish Government wants to return to the original safety guidance for shops, that we developed with the SRC, to provide staff and customers with a safer shopping experience.

“Customers need to play their part and be patient, observe social distancing and show respect to shop workers. Retail staff are key workers delivering essential services and that role must be valued and respected.”

Building for the future: £20m investment in Western General Hospital

A £20.6 million investment from the Scottish Government has been granted to improve cancer care services for patients at the Western General Hospital.

It will fund a range of construction and refurbishment projects to Oncology wards, services and facilities at the hospital. This includes building two new Linear Accelerator (LINAC) bunkers to house specialist cancer treatment machines, improvements to patient accommodation increasing the number of ensuite single rooms and relocating the Cancer Assessment Unit.

The project forms part of a wider masterplan for the Western General Hospital to transform services, create more space, comfort and privacy and provide access to modern facilities and cutting-edge equipment.

Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Lothian, said: “This Scottish Government funding marks a key milestone in an ambitious programme of investment to ensure the Western General hospital continues to provide high quality treatment and services into the future.

“It will greatly enhance the hospital as a centre of excellence and help us work towards our longer-term vision of opening a new Regional Specialist Cancer Centre.”

Additional projects currently being funded by other capital investments at the Western General include the modernisation of Haematology inpatient services and construction of a new outpatient facility, funded by an exceptional and incredibly generous charitable donation of circa £12 million.

A £1 million investment will create new facilities to expand the Clinical Trials footprint and a £6.2 million Renal Dialysis facility is also being constructed which will offer improved clinical areas and better clinical team facilities.

These projects are supported by a programme of ongoing infrastructure improvements and upgrades in and around the hospital to enable the construction and refurbishment works.

Chris Stirling, Site Director at the Western General Hospital added: “This work will greatly enhance the care, services and environment at the Western General. We are committed to the long-term future of the Western General and ensuring we provide staff and patients with the clinical space and services they deserve.

“We are grateful to everyone who has supported the projects so far and to our neighbours and the community for their patience and understanding whilst work progresses.”

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The Scottish Government is pleased to be supporting improved cancer facilities at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. It is a mark of improved population health that more of us are living longer overall, however this also means the incidence of cancer is rising.

“Improved treatments also mean more of us live longer with cancer as a chronic condition. It is therefore vital our NHS facilities keep pace with demand and offer the best environment possible for people with cancer and those who treat and care for them.”

Work across the projects is expected to be completed over the next three years, finishing in 2022.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs said: “This much needed investment at the Western General Hospital is welcome news and the improvement of cancer care service is crucial for the South East of Scotland.

“Cancer care has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and getting services fully resumed is critical for patients who are diagnosed with cancer.

“Ultimately a new Cancer centre, based at the Western General, will be needed going forward. This funding, which I have previously called for, will significantly improve cancer services until the new centre is built.

“I have called on SNP Ministers to update Parliament on plans for a new build Edinburgh Cancer Centre.”

New debt letters rules will support people in problem debt

New rules for debt letters will help people to better understand and manage their debts, reducing distress and supporting mental health

The letters borrowers receive from their lenders when they are seriously behind on repayments will be easier to understand and less intimidating as a result of new rules proposed by the Treasury today.

Default Notices are designed to give people who are falling behind on their debts fair warning before lenders take further action, but much of the formatting and content has not been updated in nearly 40 years.

Research from the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and debt charities has shown that large amounts of capitalised text and legal terms can make the information contained in the letter hard to understand, which has the unintended consequence of confusing and distressing people. This has a negative impact on people’s mental health as well as their ability to effectively manage their debt.

As part of the government’s effort to support people in problem debt, it will legislate to change the language and presentation of information in debt letters. T

The new rules will make debt letters less threatening by restricting the amount of information that must be made prominent and requiring lenders to use bold or underlined text rather than capital letters. Lenders will also now be able to replace legal terms with more widely understood words and letters will clearly signpost people to the best sources of free debt advice.

John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: Being behind on your credit repayments can be a really distressing experience which is made worse by a confusing and intimidating letter from your lender.

“As part of our effort to help to people struggling with their finances, it’s right that we look again at the legislation around these letters. These new rules will help to take the fear out of finance by ensuring that letters are easier to understand, less threatening, and empower people to take control of their finances.

“Some vital work has been done by charities, the industry and the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and I am grateful for their support in tackling this important issue.”

Martin Lewis, Founder and Chair of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity, said: It’s no exaggeration to say that this change could save lives. Over 100,000 people in England alone attempt to take their lives each year due to debts, and four times that consider it.

“So we’re delighted the government has agreed to back this element of our campaign and change the default demand rules. The last thing people struggling with debt need is a bunch of thuggish letters dropping through the letterbox, in language they can’t understand, written in shouty capitals alongside threats of court action.

“And the timing is crucial, with millions of people facing debt and distress due to the pandemic, the sooner we end these out-of-date laws which force lenders to send intimidating letters the better. Today’s changes will make the most distressing debt letters much less intimidating, and crucially will also easily and calmly point people in serious debt to get the free, non-profit, debt advice they need.”

Eric Leenders, Managing Director, Personal Finance at UK Finance said: “The banking and finance industry understands the impact that debt can have on a customer’s wellbeing and has been working closely with government to help support customers, especially those in vulnerable circumstances.

“Lenders have to send Default Notices and these important changes announced today will ensure that customers receive more appropriate and supportive communications.”

These new rules are the latest in a wide package of support put in place to help people struggling with their finances, especially through coronavirus.

This includes £38 million of extra funding to debt advice providers this year and working with lenders and financial regulators to give people access to payment holidays on their mortgages and a range of consumer credit including credit cards, personal loans, motor finance and payday loans.

The government has also given the Financial Conduct Authority strong powers to protect consumers who borrow money, including cracking down on payday lenders, capping the cost of rent-to-own, and taking action on overdraft fees.

The new rules will be delivered through secondary legislation and are expected to come into force in December 2020. All lenders will then be required to make the changes within six months.

If you are experiencing debt problems, don’t ignore it and hope it will go away – it won’t; it will get worse. Seek help NOW.

Granton Information Centre can help. Telephone 0131 551 2459 or 552 0458 or email info@gic.org.uk

Clean Air Day: are cars electric?

To encourage more people to drive an electric vehicle on Clean Air Day Scotland, (today, Thursday 8^th October), the UK’s largest national car club network, Enterprise Car Club, is offering members up to £40 free driving credit when they book any of its 24 electric cars based in Scotland.

The vehicles are located in in dedicated bays with their own charging points in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Stirling and Fife (at Lochgelly and Cardenden).

Enterprise has also permanently expanded its Scottish car club fleet with 10 brand new electric vehicles to give more drivers the opportunity to try the technology for free on Clean Air Day Scotland, and beyond, bringing the total up to 24 plug-in electric cars. All 24 cars are either a 2019 or 2020 40kWh Nissan Leaf and feature the latest environmentally friendly technology and 180 miles of range.

Every Enterprise Car Club vehicle is cleaned between each rental and is backed by the Complete Clean Pledge, an enhanced series of cleaning and hygiene measures to bring reassurance to renters since COVID-19 and ensure that car club use continues to be a reliable motoring option.

The Complete Clean Pledge includes vacuuming and sanitising with a disinfectant that meets leading health authority requirements, with particular attention to more than 20 high-touch points.

Clean Air Day is the UK’s largest air pollution campaign. Dozens of ‘virtual’ promotional events involving hundreds of people, including school children, are being held across Scotland with the campaign led by Environmental Protection Scotland (EPS) on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Enterprise is seeing growing support for its electric vehicle fleet across the UK. While the majority of renters drive fewer than 50 miles when they use an electric vehicle, many are regular users and happy to drive an electric car for 100 miles or more per day. People booking the vehicles can check the charge level on the Enterprise app to ensure that it is ready to meet their needs.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said, “We know that the number of people in Scotland who would consider buying an electrical vehicle continues to increase year on year, so what better way to mark Clean Air Day than to allow them to try driving one for free?

“We also know that the price point for new vehicles remains high for many, despite prices coming down as demand increases. Car clubs are a fantastic opportunity for more drivers to enjoy the benefits of an electric vehicle and will help us in our bold ambition to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032.”

EPS Policy and Communications Officer John Bynorth said: “Having recently hired an electric vehicle to drive from Glasgow to Inverness and back, I can say this is a fantastic way to travel about the country in an environmentally friendly way.

“There are zero exhaust tailpipe emissions from EVs, making them the cleanest vehicles on our roads and helping to improve air quality. The average distance between any given location in Scotland and the nearest charging point is just 2.78 miles and there are over 3,600 charge-points, with multi-vehicle charging hubs in Dundee and Falkirk. We encourage motorists to rent an Enterprise Car Club electric vehicle and help make October 8 the cleanest Clean Air Day yet.”

“We are delighted to be supporting Clear Air Day Scotland by giving people an extra incentive to try driving an electric vehicle,” said Diane Mulholland, General Manager for Enterprise Scotland.

“Car clubs benefit communities in many ways and have been proven to reduce mileage because people only pick them up when a car is absolutely the right vehicle for a trip. A shared electric vehicle not only reduces road traffic – it also means zero emissions. We’re very proud to have Scotland’s largest publicly available EV fleet, and we’re looking forward to seeing more people trying them out.”

Enterprise Car Club is the UK’s largest national network of on-street low emission car club vehicles and is one of the most convenient ways to get motoring quickly. Members can book Enterprise Car Club with an app, open the vehicle with a smartphone and head off on their trip within moments.

Members of Enterprise Car Club can pick up any of the 1,400 on-street vehicles currently available for rent in more than 180 cities, towns and communities across the UK at many locations including on-street, at Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches, at railway stations and in many housing development.

Car clubs have been shown to bring a range of benefits. They can reduce CO2 emissions, help towns and cities to improve air quality, encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, make business travel policies greener, promote shared transport and encourage active travel.

Membership to Enterprise Car Club costs from £2 per month. Vehicles can be booked either by the hour or by the day. Check the Enterprise Car Club website for more information on the Scotland Clean Air Day promotion.