MORE than 4,500 students housed in university-managed accommodation have been able to access vital support throughout the pandemic, thanks to a dedicated team comprised of staff and students.
“Residence Life” at the University of Edinburgh has been responsible for the welfare of what is thought to be Europe’s largest population of “locked-down” students, as thousands of predominantly international students remained in the City as the pandemic hit.
The innovative group, founded in 2014 on an evidenced based model popular in large campuses in the United States has worked throughout lockdown, moving digitally and increasing its programme of community-building events.
Its team consists of student welfare professionals, wardens living on-site and 200 Resident Assistants (RAs) – returning students who are appointed to welcome and support first year students while running a busy events calendar.
Christopher Tucker, Director of Residence Life, (above) said: “It’s well documented that adapting to the first year of university life can be extremely challenging for many, even in normal times.
“For lots of students living away from home, the lockdown will have really taken its toll, making them feel isolated, uncertain and a long way from family.
“The response from our team has been nothing short of remarkable. We have supported the University’s Community Support team with delivering food outside the door of anyone self-isolating or shielding, along with basic cleaning supplies.
“We have also been calling these students daily to check in and monitor their recovery, while encouraging physical distancing in the accommodations. Furthermore, the team has been incredibly creative and organised virtual social events that have proven far-reaching and popular, we have had over 10,000 in attendance to all of our events since we started our program.”
“We have also developed new and creative ways to provide a mixed model of 24-hour digital and in person welfare support to all of our residents. Throughout the pandemic Residential Life has been supporting our community using these developing practices.”
The University has praised the Residence Life team for stepping up to the challenge at such a challenging time.
Carina Svensen, Director of Accommodation, Catering and Events at The University of Edinburgh, said: “We have nothing but admiration for the way in which our Residence Life, its wardens and its student team has stepped up to the challenge of looking out for the wellbeing of this large, often vulnerable population.
“It just demonstrates that Residence Life is a huge selling point for the University’s accommodation. We hope it gives students joining in the weeks ahead a lot of confidence and reassurance.”
Events created by RAs have ranged from online cook-alongs, life drawing, wine and cheese nights and academics have been invited to host webinars on a range of topics.
Christopher added: “It’s been vital that while we’re so detached physically, we still foster a real community spirit. Nobody living in our accommodation should feel alone.
“We’ve noticed some really interesting trends too, which we hope we can take forward with us.
“It’s been fascinating to see how quickly students have moved back to Facebook for its community, a platform most young people now associate with their parents! Like most of the country, students are loving learning simple pleasure skills, such as baking and drawing.
“Going forward into the new academic year we’d naturally love to be able to host more in-person events, but if there is one good thing that can come out of the pandemic, it has shown just how quickly we can come together online.”
The University of Edinburgh has one of the largest accommodation offers of any university in the UK, with the capacity to house more than 10,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. It typically witnesses significant excess demand for spaces.
Operated by its Accommodation, Catering and Events team, this group has developed and provides a range of new approaches to keep student residents safe, including providing support for those required to self isolate in their rooms, including meal deliveries.
Physical distancing measures are being introduced in all public areas, which will be subject to increased cleaning and disinfecting measures.
ClickView announces partnership with City of Edinburgh’s Local Education Authority, highlighting commitment to inclusive, innovative, and transformational digital learning:
It has been a big month for many families across Scotland, as most pupils returned to school for the first time in nearly five months.
With schools staff, students, parents and care givers adjusting to a new normal and tackling ongoing uncertainty, some positive news to start the term has been announced, with staff and students across all City of Edinburgh schools returning with access to world-class video resources.
ClickView are delighted to have partnered with City of Edinburgh’s Digital Learning Team to provide all Primary, Secondary and Special schools with access to 1000s of high-quality teaching and learning videos and resources, all mapped to the Curriculum for Excellence.
Already in motion pre-school closures following positive feedback from Edinburgh schools, the roll out of the ClickView platform across all City of Edinburgh schools has been accelerated, given the undeniable pressure felt by staff, students, parents and care givers throughout lockdown and need for digital learning resources.
Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener for City of Edinburgh Council explained: “As demand for digital learning resources has increased, ClickView fulfills what has been a growing need, guaranteeing our schools staff and students have access to world-class digital resources.
“The launch of ClickView is another step in our journey to bridge the educational equity gap, ensuring every student and teacher in Edinburgh has our commitment and support for an inclusive, innovative, and transformational education, which can be sustained inside and outside of the school gates.”
Following months of disruption and an uncertain school year ahead, the access to ClickView is a huge step forward for City of Edinburgh’s education system, providing schools with resources to complement and enhance their teaching and learning strategies; supporting a reduction in teacher workload, increasing engagement and ultimately supporting the best possible outcomes for students.
Putting world-class teaching and learning resources at the fingertips of educators and students, the introduction of ClickView will also give parents and care givers peace of mind that schooling for the year ahead is safeguarded; with unrestricted access for schools to curriculum-aligned video content, teaching resources and the best of broadcast TV for educational purposes.
UK Managing Director of ClickView, Michael Wilkinson, commented: “For a number of years, ClickView have proudly supported teaching and learning across many schools and colleges in Scotland.
“It is fantastic to see Edinburgh’s leadership in this space, with a systemic approach to ensure the highest possible standards of teaching and learning, supporting their passionate educators and improving the life chances of so many young people.”
The world’s leading video content resource for primary schools, secondary schools and further education settings, ClickView supports over 4500 schools, colleges, and universities around the world.
On a mission to transform and revolutionise how video can be utilised to increase student engagement and boost student outcomes; the roll out in schools across Edinburgh follows the recent decision by ClickView to extend access to the free platform, which was launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A diluted version of the main platform, the free site enables teachers to access hundreds of ClickView’s most popular videos and learning resources.
To find out more about the curriculum-aligned video content or to explore the free version of the site, visit Clickview.co.uk.
We at Ye Olde Inn have loved seeing so many of you come out and support us over August and we don’t want it to stop, so we are exclusively going to continue the Eat Out To Help Out scheme ourselves for September and October!
Yes that means for Monday – Wednesday you can have 50% off your food and soft drinks on us! We are doing this to say thank you to you guys for your continued loyal custom to be a part of this great deal you must call and book and quote “Ye Olde Eat Out”
This is bookings only so we advise you get booking ASAP as this will fill up fast!
Once again thank you so much to each and every one of you for your incredible support,
North Edinburgh Arts and Sustrans are holding a bike locking and safety checking session in MacMillan Square on Friday 28th August from 12:00 – 3:00pm.
Bring your bike along to learn how to check it is safe to ride and how to lock it securely to prevent opportunistic theft.
Numbers are limited to 3 households every 30 minutes. Last demonstration will be at 2:30.
BREAKING NEWS: Secondary school pupils to wear face coverings from Monday
GMB has this morning (Tuesday 25 August) called on the Scottish Government to bring forward a COVID testing regime for every school across Scotland, after a survey of its members found that two-thirds of support staff in schools and nurseries do not feel safe at work.
The union has written to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education John Swinney MSP, urging him to follow the interventions made in the social care sector by giving workers the opportunity to access COVID testing in their workplace.
Following a survey conducted between Thursday 20th and Monday 24th August of over 1,400 members employed in support staff roles, including cleaners, janitors, caterers and pupil support assistants, the union learned that:
The vast majority (96 per cent) believe regular testing should be offered at work;
Two-thirds (63 per cent) do not feel safe at their work;
Over one-fifth (23 per cent) have confirmed a suspected or positive case of COVID at work; and
Just under half (46 per cent) would not know what to do if there was a suspect or confirmed case of COVID at their work.
The results are published against the backdrop of increasing concerns over COVID 19 infection and transmission in Scotland’s schools.
GMB Scotland Organiser Helen Meldrum said:“Over a week since the return of Scotland’s schools, it’s clear that many support staff do not feel safe at their work and overwhelming majority of them want to be able to access a COVID test at work.
“If support staff need to book a test, they must absorb the financial costs and time implications to do so, and for a chronically low-paid workforce with many employed on multiple contracts across multiple workplaces, that’s just not credible.
“The failure over the summer months to listen to the voices of school support staff echoes what we witnessed in care earlier this year, and in this case the political focus has been on teachers and pupils while support staff have been forgotten.
“You cannot have a safe return to full-time education if a significant chunk of the workforce needed do not feel sufficiently safe, valued or heard by our decision-makers, and that’s why we urged the Deputy First Minister to intervene now.”
A school in Dundee has been closed with pupils and staff asked to self-isolate after it was linked to 27 new cases in the city.
JUST ANNOUNCED:
Scottish secondary school pupils will have to wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas from next Monday, Education Secretary John Swinney has confirmed.
SafeDeposits Scotland is working with landlords who provide student accommodation to help overcome challenges brought on by Covid-19, as the number of overseas students returning to the UK drops.
During lockdown, the not-for-profit organisation reached out to landlords and tenants to provide advice and information around changes to the sector due to the pandemic. It works closely with all landlords including those that have been impacted by the decrease in students enrolling this academic year.
The Glasgow-based tenancy deposit scheme holds deposits on behalf of landlords and agents in line with government regulations designed to ensure responsible leasing.
As the sector continues to work towards pre-Covid-19 levels of activity, SafeDeposits Scotland is urging landlords to focus on providing the best renting experience for current tenants, while considering options to diversify their future tenant base.
Mike Smith, operations manager at SafeDeposits Scotland, said: “UK universities expect to see a £2.6 billion shortfall in the next academic year due to the pandemic, with 20% of domestic students not returning to university, and 75% of overseas students not enrolling this September.
“Pre-lockdown, demand for student accommodation in Scotland was notably high. Boasting some of the UK’s top universities, it’s no surprise areas including Aberdeen, Dundee, St Andrews, Glasgow and Edinburgh experienced an influx of students each year looking for housing.
But despite the drop in numbers of students expected to enrol this year, it’s evident there’s faith in the resilience of the sector, with a number of high-profile developments announced in the past month alone.
“Two recent Edinburgh examples of long-term growth within the sector include the new 120-bed purpose built student accommodation complex set to be built at Haymarket, while Unite Student has confirmed plans for a £24 million build of student flats at Meadowbank.”
To understand the concerns of landlords in the private rented sector during these unprecedented times more clearly, SafeDeposits Scotland carried out research to find out how they have coped during lockdown and how they feel about leasing property in the new academic year.
Mike explained: “We’re confident demand for student housing will return, whether it is in the private rented sector or for purpose-built accommodation. However, until we have a clearer picture of what future academic enrolment figures are like, landlords could consider alternative ways to lease properties.
A good example is renting to young professionals that are looking to move away from home for the first time. The demands of these tenants are similar to students in the private rented sector, and it can be a way of keeping properties occupied until we know more about the future of higher education.
“We recently carried out research with our landlords that are renting to students. This revealed that almost half (43%) secured new tenancies during lockdown while almost three quarters (73%) of this group expressed concerns around what this academic year will look like for them.
“To alleviate concerns, we’ve been working closely with landlords to ensure the tenants they do have in place now have the best experience. To support, we’ve moved our face-to-face workshops online to offer free advice and information. Our Charitable Trust has also recently announced its funding towards research being carried out by the University of Stirling. This research is exploring the benefits of allowing tenants more flexibility to make a house a home.
“We believe having happy tenants leads to longer tenancies, creating more vibrant communities where people want to live. This boosts local economies and helps increase demand for rental property in that area.
“The property sector has been resilient during past economic challenges, but the full impact of the pandemic is yet to be seen. We know the government is working hard to support international students hoping to return to Scotland to continue their higher education studies. This will have a hugely positive impact for our landlords who rely on overseas students to rent their properties, and hopefully we will see the results of this work.
“In the short term, we urge landlords to implement safety guidance from the Scottish Government and manage risk wherever possible, while tenants adhere to the measures put in place.”
Good weather and Eat Out To Help Out has boosted high street footfall
But retail and hospitality jobs at risk as office workers continue to stay away
Think tank warns this may not be sustained as we head into autumn
New data from the Centre for Cities High Street Recovery Tracker reveals that Eat Out To Help Out is helping the high street, but workers are resisting the Government’s calls to get back to the office – with average weekday city centre footfall showing no change at all since early July.
Using mobile phone data, the tracker shows that the Eat Out to Help Out scheme has encouraged more people to visit city and town centres. On average on Monday to Wednesday evenings in early August visitor numbers were 8 percentage points higher than in late July.
But the scheme has been less effective in large cities. In London, the number of city centre visitors on Eat Out to Help Out nights was just 3 percentage points higher than the same nights in late July – one of the lowest increases in the UK. In contrast, average footfall on Eat Out to Help Out nights in small cities was on average 10 percentage points higher than in late July and in medium sized cities it was 14 percentage points higher.
Seaside towns appear to have been some of the biggest beneficiaries of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme and the good weather. With a 23 percentage point increase in Monday to Wednesday night visitors, Bournemouth has had the biggest Eat Out To Help Out boom. Meanwhile Southend, Blackpool and Brighton have also benefited.
Biggest percentage point increase in Mon-Wed night visitors from late Jul to early Aug
Rank
City or town
Smallest percentage point increase in Mon-Wed night visitors from late Jul to early Aug
1
Bournemouth
23
1
Aberdeen
-3
2
Southend
22
2
Basildon
0
3
Dundee
21
3
Aldershot
3
4
Doncaster
20
4
London
3
5
Peterborough
19
5
Barnsley
4
6
Swansea
19
6
Blackburn
4
7
Ipswich
19
7
Sheffield
5
8
Middlesbrough
18
8
Wigan
6
9
Milton Keynes
18
9
Manchester
6
10
Blackpool
18
10
Mansfield
6
UK city average: 8 percentage point change from late July to early August (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)Source: Locomizer
Workers are showing no signs of getting back to the office…
The number of workers heading back to the office has increased in fewer than half of the UK’s biggest city and town centres.
In central London and Manchester, early August weekday footfall rose by just one percentage point compared to the early July. While Leeds, Bristol and Nottingham all saw no change and in Birmingham city centre the number of workers has fallen this summer.
The persistently low numbers of workers going back into city centres, particularly in big cities, reinforces the concerns for the future of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars that depend on office workers for custom.
But, again, overall footfall in bigger cities is much weaker than in smaller places. Central London’s overall footfall increased by just five percentage points since early July, and Manchester and Leeds’ by 7 percentage points. On the other hand, footfall in small cities increased by 14 percentage points and medium-sized cities by 18 percentage points over the same period.
“But a question mark remains over whether the footfall increase that we have seen this summer can be sustained into the autumn without the good weather and Government incentive – particularly with so many people still working from home.
“Shops, restaurants and pubs face an uncertain future while office workers remain at home. So, in the absence of a big increase in people returning to the office, the Government must set out how it will support the people working in city centre retail and hospitality who could well find themselves out of a job by Christmas.”
Designed for people managing long term health conditions but also useful for those have gotten out of the way of being active, find activity challenging or have trouble getting started, this resource from the ‘We Are Undefeatable’ campaign is excellent.
The attached ‘Five in Five’ booklet presents a simple template: choose 5 exercises from the activity library and do each one for 1 minute, adding up to a 5 minute mini-workout.
Have a look and please share it with anyone you think might be interested.
Investing in THESE Toys Can Make You a Millionaire
Hot Wheels have the most monthly searches at 894,500, with the most valuable car said to be worth £134,000.
Trading Cards have sold for the highest amount, with a Honus Wagner 1909 card being sold for £2.9m.
Disney VHS Tapes have the least amount of monthly searches and have sold on eBay for £11,000.
Over the past 6 months, we’ve all had a lot of extra time on our hands and have been using that time to clear out all the nooks and crannies in our homes that have been untouched for years.
These clear outs have filled our hearts with nostalgia, as we go through old photo albums, clothes that no longer fit and childhood toys.
Although toys might not seem likely contenders for items to invest in, if you are able to come across the right ones and keep them in perfect condition, you may have hit the jackpot!
The experts at OnBuy’s Toy Department decided to look into some of the most valuable toys and games that could earn you a fortune.
ITEM
NUMBER OF MONTHLY SEARCHES
HIGHEST RECORDED AMOUNT SOLD FOR ($/£)
Comic Book
284,200
$3.2m / £2.4m
Trading Cards
20,800
$3.8m / £2.9m
Toy Cars (Hot Wheels)
894,500
$175k / £134k
Dolls (Barbie)
675,000
$303k / £231k
Beanie Babies
153,800
$600k / £458k
Board Games
560,900
$147k / £112k
Disney VHS Tapes
6,500
$15k / £11k
The Highlights
With a monthly search of 20,800, the highest amount recorded for the purchase of a Trading Card is said to be £2.9m ($3.8m) for a Honus Wagner 1909 card.
Other specific Trading Cards of value include Magic: The Gathering Alpha Black Lotus card, Yu-Gi-Oh Black Luster Soldier card and a Pokémon Holographic First Edition Charizard.
Having the fourth most monthly searches with 284,200, Comic Books are big in the investing game too.
In 2014, a first edition of Action Comics from 1938 sold on Ebay for just over £2.4m when the bidder had only put it up for 99 cents (76p). Other comics of similar value include Detective Comics, Amazing Fantasy and Marvel.
With 153,800 monthly searches, the most expensive sold bundle of Beanie Babies in the world, that went for £458,000 ($600,000), was a large Wallace, two regular sized Wallace’s, Cashew and Huggy.
Other valuable Beanie Babies include Rainbow, Valentino, Princess the Bear, Bubbles and Piccadilly Attic.
Having the second most monthly searches at 675,000, the most expensive Barbie doll ever sold was the Stefani Canturi doll, which went for £231,000 in 2010 due to the necklace the doll sported having been designed by Stefano Canturi and featured emerald-cut pink diamonds.
Other dolls worth value include Original Barbie (1959), Marie Antoinette Barbie and Pink Jubilee Barbie.
Hot Wheels cars have the highest number of monthly searches standing at 894,500 and one of the rarer finds is said to be worth £134,000 the 1969 pink, rear-loading Beach Bomb.
Currently standing at 560,900 monthly searches, the original Monopoly game made in 1933 was sold at an auction for £112,000.
Lastly with the least amount of monthly searches, the most successful Disney VHS tape was sold on eBay for £11,478 ($15,000) – it was the Beauty and the Beast Black Diamond.
