VPZ is the UK’s leading vaping retailer with over 160 stores throughout the UK. Since it was established in 2012 it has helped over 700,000 smokers quit.
VPZ Director Doug Mutter says the 12 per cent rise in vape sales figures across the industry is no surprise due to its effectiveness as a smoking cessation tool but urged the wider industry to take steps to educate consumers on sustainable products.
Doug said: “The significant increase in sales figures across the industry last month highlights once again that vaping is the best way for people to quit smoking and make a major lifestyle that improves your health and financial wellbeing.
“At VPZ, our stores offer a dedicated one-to-one service to help smokers quit and our consumer intelligence tells us that the majority of customers prefer being instore where they can access a personalised service and get the right guidance and advice from our staff that can’t be accessed elsewhere.
“VPZ specialists are trained and have expert knowledge, engaging with smokers to educate them on the health, environmental and financial benefits of switching to reusable and sustainable vaping products.
“Our approach gives adult smokers the help and advice they need at a time when local stop smoking services across the country are under threat whilst supporting the country’s ambitions to become a smoke free nation by 2030.
“As the UK’s leading vaping retailer we are supportive of the Government’s disposable vape ban but it’s important that they take on board advice and guidance to regain much-needed momentum and ensure that the country meets its targets.”
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon returns to the region to meet with key partners to seek long-term solutions to the situation in Israel and Gaza
Minister to discuss joint efforts to counter illegal Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea
He will also celebrate strengthened bilateral ties with Gulf allies, following announcement Gulf Nationals are now eligible to apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme
The UK Minister for the Middle East will embark on a tour of the Middle East as the UK seeks to build momentum towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and lasting stability and security in the region.
Lord Ahmad will arrive in Oman today (Monday) for the first leg of the visit before travelling to Kuwait and then concluding the visit in Saudi Arabia.
The Minister is expected to meet with key figures, including Saudi Arabia’s Vice Foreign Minister, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League as well as Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Ambassador Abdullah Al-Yahya and Oman’s Undersecretary for Political Affairs Sheikh Khalifa Al Harthy.
The Minister will discuss how to ease the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through an immediate humanitarian pause in fighting leading to a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.
He will also outline the UK’s efforts to counter Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and make clear that illegal attacks by the Houthis are completely unacceptable.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for Middle East, said: “We want to see an end to the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible, and it is clear that wider escalation and instability in the region is in nobody’s interests.
“Our engagement with partners in the Middle East, including Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is absolutely central to efforts towards achieving a sustainable, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and building wider regional security.”
The 16th session of the UK-Oman Joint Working Group will be co-chaired by Lord Ahmad alongside Oman’s Undersecretary for Political Affairs Sheikh Khalifa Al Harthy.
Meanwhile, in Kuwait, Lord Ahmad will co-chair the twentieth UK-Kuwait Joint Steering Group alongside His Excellency Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Lord Ahmad is also due to meet with the Palestinian Ambassador.
In Saudi Arabia, Lord Ahmad will meet with the Vice Foreign Minister and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
This visit is the latest in a series of visits to the region by the Minister, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the last fortnight.
The Foreign Secretary has recently visited the region multiple times, including Oman and Saudi Arabia to build on the UK’s call for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
The Minister will also welcome the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme which has opened for Gulf Cooperation Council and Jordanian nationals, making travel to the UK smoother and cheaper.
The scheme will allow unlimited visits to the UK over two years.
CAN Ahmed’s latest visit succeed where all other attempts by world leaders have failed? Er … let’s say it’s unlikely.And the body count will continue to rise.
The House of Commons adjourned for February recess on Thursday 8 February and will next sit on Monday 19 February at 2.30pm.
Discover the fascinating Second World War history of East Fortune airfield at the National Museum of Flight this half-term.
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, families can travel back in time during a weekend of themed activities on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 February.
Set on one of the best-preserved Second World War airfields in the UK, half-term activities will bring this extraordinary history to life with costumed interpreters and genuine military flying equipment from the period.
Families can also explore the site with the new Family Satchels containing puzzles and activities to enjoy together, before discovering the Museum’s historic hangars filled with fascinating aircraft and interactive displays.
The support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery means that Second World War at East Fortune is free with Museum admission.
Steve McLean, General Manager at the National Museum of Flight, said: “As one of Scotland’s best days out, the National Museum of Flight is the perfect destination for families this half-term.
“We are delighted to be able to offer these free activities thanks to the generous support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery and I hope our young visitors will enjoy learning about life at East Fortune during the Second World War.”
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “We hope families enjoy this captivating experience in the half-term, as they explore the rich history of the Second World War at the UK’s best-preserved airfield.
“Our players have raised over £4 million for National Museums Scotland, enabling the museums to offer many free and fascinating activities to families across Scotland.”
The National Museum of Flight is home to a world class collection of aircraft, from a Supermarine Spitfire to Scotland’s only Concorde.
The attraction houses the family-friendly Fantastic Flight gallery with its interactive exhibits where visitors can explore the science of aviation and discover how aeroplanes fly.
They are also able to learn more about East Fortune’s wartime heritage in the Museum’s Fortunes of War exhibition.
Charity warns rising rents and pensioner poverty could be ‘catastrophic’ for older Scottish renters
1 in 7 pensioners in Scotland (150,000) are in poverty, and over half (75,448) of those are renters
New research finds that just 30% of older renters feel fully informed of their housing rights
Older private renters in Scotland are plagued with damp, unsafe and unaffordable homes
Charity calls for the Scottish Government to ensure affordable rents, that tenants’ rights are upheld and rented homes are maintained to a decent living standard
Older Scottish renters living on a low income urgently need greater protections in the upcoming Housing Bill, says Independent Age, the charity supporting older people in poverty.
It says that renters in later life face a “catastrophe” if action is not taken, with record rent increases in recent years and a growing number of older renters across the nation being pushed into poverty.
The organisation today launches its report Homing in: How to improve the lives of older Scottish renters, which uses polling, Government data and a survey of over 500 older renters to understand the reality of renting in later life in Scotland.
Almost two in five (39%) older Scottish private renters now live in poverty, up from 24% a decade before1. Independent Age says that older renters on a low income are “terrified” their rent could rise after the end of the current rent rise cap on March 31st.
The new report has unearthed older tenants’ daily challenges with affordability, the threat of eviction and poor standards. The charity found that less than a third of older renters (30%) feel fully informed of their housing rights while a shocking one in five (21%) saying they know nothing2.Independent Age believes that this worryingly low level of awareness among tenants of their rights in the private rental sector is leaving poor and sometimes unlawful practice unchallenged.
The charity calls on the Scottish Government to ensure:
Private rents are controlled at an affordable level for older people on a low income.
Landlords are required to inform tenants of independent housing advice services when they serve them notice.
A housing ombudsman is established, giving private tenants the ability to challenge issues like poor maintenance.
Tenants are informed of their rights as renters.
Affordability
In Scotland, almost two in five (39%) older private renters live in poverty3, while more than a quarter (28%) of those surveyed say they have less than £200 disposable income a month after paying rent. In the last year, over 4 in 5 (81%) say they have faced a rise in rent of up to £50 a month.
With the temporary limit to rent increases set to end next month, the charity has heard from older people who, faced with increasing costs from all angles, including rent, Council Tax and energy, are struggling to pay their rent.
An older person who is looking for a new property to rent told the charity: “it is really scary how much starting rents have increased in the last six months”.
Independent Age warned that without action to ensure housing affordability in the private rented sector, more older tenants across Scotland will be forced to make difficult decisions such as making further cutbacks to food, energy and water to cover rent.
Housing quality and standards
65% of older Scottish peoples’ homes are in a state of disrepair4. Independent Age’s survey found that 40% of older private renters were not satisfied with the standard or quality of their home5, however polling found that more than 1 in 10 (12%) older private renters questioned feel uncomfortable raising concerns with their landlord, for fear of negative treatment.
Independent Age says that problems with damp, heating and energy efficiency come up frequently for older renters. One older person said that their house was “never warm… there is a smell of damp in the winter months. There is a huge opening in the back wall where the boiler is located. The wind whistles into the flat.” Another said that their home was cold “even in the summer.”
The charity said that not only are some of the conditions described by interviewees likely in violation of the Repair Standard that sets out a minimum standard that rental properties must meet, but tenants are scared to ask for necessary and reasonable repairs in case they are served with a ‘revenge eviction’. One man said: “I know if I complain to my landlord, it will get me nowhere but homeless.”
Evictions and homelessness
The report reveals that almost one in six (17%) older private renters are worried that their landlord will evict them in the next 12 months.
Almost three in five (59%) say that searching for a new home would be difficult6, likely due to older people sometimes needing special adaptations, such as a ground floor flat, and the growing unaffordability of rents.
Terrifyingly, there has been a 23% rise in the number of older people experiencing homelessness in the last year, up from 891 people in 2021/22 to 1100 in 2022/23.
Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive of Independent Agesaid: “For all of us, an affordable, safe and secure home is essential for our wellbeing and should be the norm. That’s why it is a catastrophe that, for many Scottish older renters on a low income, this is far from the reality.
“The Scottish Government made positive moves in recent years to protect tenants. But with many of these protections from eviction and rent increases coming to an end soon, we’ve spoken to many people renting in later life who are absolutely terrified about what will happen over the coming months.
“The Housing Bill is a once in a generation opportunity for the Scottish Government to make sure everyone has a home that is affordable, kept to a decent standard and free from the threat of eviction and homelessness.
“We hope they take action to ensure that all Scottish renters can live with dignity, no matter their age.”
Recommendations
Independent Age is calling for the Scottish Government to:
Establish a housing ombudsman to give tenants the power to challenge their landlords on poor maintenance and ensure that housing advice and advocacy services are accessible and properly funded so renters are aware of their rights.
Introduce a permanent system of rent controls so homes are affordable for older people on a low income, commit to building more social housing and increase access to, and funding of, Discretionary Housing Payments that support those on Housing Benefit who have a rent shortfall.
Ensure tenants, including those in later life on a low income, are informed of their rights.
Enshrine the right to adequate housing in Scots Law
Place a duty on local authorities to help someone threatened with homelessness in the next six months and require landlords to inform tenants of independent advice services before or when they serve them an eviction notice.
Independent Age is also calling on the UK Government to commit to uprating Local Housing Allowance every year so that Housing Benefit matches rises in local rents.
Scottish film star Graham McTavish dives into the dramatic seascape that is William McTaggart’s The Sailing of the Emigrant Ship in the newest film in the Perspectives series by National Galleries of Scotland.
Released on 6 February the Outlander actor explores how the painting resonates with his own personal experiences of emigration and shares his research into the passage of Scots to New Zealand during the Highland Clearances.
McTavish has long been engrossed in the extraordinary history of Scotland, exploring the heritage of his birth country and its people.
Together with Outlander co-star Sam Heughan, the intrepid Scotsmen recently published a book on their adventures journeying across New Zealand, Clanlands in New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts, and an Adventure Down Under.
While exploring the new Scottish galleries at the National in Edinburgh, which is home to the nation’s historic collection of Scottish art from 1800 to 1945, McTavish became gripped by the work of McTaggart and the significance of the moments captured in his paintings.
The Sailing of the Emigrant Ship, painted in 1895, depicts a ship of Scottish emigrants moving off under a stormy sky, with a glimpse of a hopeful rainbow in it. On the shore, other members of the clan have been left behind.
In the Perspectives film, McTavish discusses the painting with the National Galleries of Scotland’s Outreach Co-Ordinator, Robin Baillie, detailing his research.
McTavish admits that Outlander has played some part in romanticising these landscapes, but that it is important to remember the historical significance of what these people went through.
‘I don’t think we can imagine it now, what it must have been like for Scots in the 1800s. Wearing big woollen coats and getting on the boat knowing it could take about 120 days on average to get to New Zealand.
‘The rainbow in the painting is showing this idea of a promised land, but a lot of them were sold a lie. Those people were told there were beautiful plots of land for them to farm on, but when they arrived it was thick bush down to the shoreline and precipitous cliffs. They must have got there and thought “we have been robbed” but they didn’t have the option to turn back, they had to get off the ship.’
McTavish has spent years discovering Scotland’s torrid history and is fascinated by how this has changed Scotland’s landscapes and how the country is viewed worldwide today.
The Sailing of the Emigrant Ship is one of very few 19th-century paintings which explore this topic directly ̶ the wider topic of the Highland (and Lowland) Clearances is also addressed in the new Scottish galleries through the interpretation and in landscape paintings.
‘I speak to many, many people, Americans in particular, and when they talk about that Scottish landscape, I try to explain they are experiencing a landscape which has been decimated.
“The emptiness of those glens and straths, that wasn’t how they were. And now they talk about the great vistas and beautiful views across the mountains, views that would have been populated by people living and having their own communities.
“But the absence of those people is what tells the story of those clearances.’
Having moved around from a young age, McTavish was born in Scotland, then his family relocated to London before emigrating to Canada, and then (several years later) to New Zealand.
Exploring his experience, McTavish shares his own resonance with the painting: ‘In the book Sam and I just published, Clanlands in New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts, and an Adventure Down Under, I became particularly interested in the emigration of Scots to New Zealand and what that experience would have looked like.
‘I was an emigrant, first of all I left Scotland to go to England, then I left there to go to Canada. You feel very alone, I think is one way of describing it. I felt this enormous pressure to speak in a Canadian accent, it sounds silly, but I was 8 and I wanted to fit in. So, to think of all these people that are portrayed here and what they left behind and the unknown they were going to – it really is amazing.’
‘There’s a courage involved in stepping off the shore of your home and knowing you may never return. It takes a particular type of person or a particular type of circumstance that takes you there. Many of them would have had no choice.’
In the recently released Perspectives film, McTavish explores how McTaggart’s painting evokes his own memories of emigrating throughout his life and the emotions it sparks.
‘I have made choices in my life that have moved my family across the world but that was nothing compared to what these people did. I made the decision to move to LA from London, with my wife and child. I remember telling friends at the time and they’d say “what, you’re moving to America? When am I ever going to see you?”. And that’s in the 21st Century!
“It would have been a knife in the heart for a lot of these people in the painting, doing that in the 1800s and never seeing many of your loved ones again.’
‘It would have been this tangle of emotions that they would have felt. There would be some sort of feeling of hope, along with the desperate need for change. So desperate that it would force them to leave the place they loved and grew up in.’
‘To me the artist’s choices, of how McTaggart depicts the people, in the painting shows this. They look like they are disappearing, they are fading, they are not fully fleshed out and you can see through them. It is that sort of sense that the world is just dissolving. For the people looking back that is what they are seeing, their world as they know it disappearing.’
Throughout his travels and living in locations across the world, McTavish notes that the Scots he has met along the way have a strong pride in their heritage. McTavish himself admits he feels lucky that he always has Scotland to come back to.
Reminiscing about one particular line by his character Dougal in the hit TV show Outlander, he says it was a significant line for him to say, not just for the character but for himself.
‘Catriona Balfe’s character, Claire, talks about Dougal’s narcissism and how he is self-obsessed. He stands there and he takes the insults and then he says, “you’re right, it’s true I do love myself, but I love Scotland more”.
‘It meant so much for me to say that and to give him that grounding. We can all look at people like Dougal and think “what was he thinking?” But during that period of the second Jacobite rebellion, they really thought they could win, they absolutely did.’
‘Starting in Scottish theatre, I was constantly moving I didn’t have a sense of rooted home, wherever I was I made it home. But it is strange whenever I come back to Scotland there is a deep feeling of relief when I get here. It’s just a sense of real belonging, I don’t have a home in Scotland but when I am here, I feel at home.’
There is even more Scottish art, history and stories to discover at the new Scottish galleries at the National. Dive into dramatic landscapes, encounter iconic images and be wowed by colour.
A free experience for everyone right in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre.
Edinburgh Division held a ‘Meet the Police’ event today in the Scottish Parliament for the Deaf community and BSL users.
A variety of topics were discussed ranging from the role of the police, hate crime, home security and online safety.
The presentation was delivered by two Police Scotland officers with BSL skills, PS Grant Robertson (E Division), and PC Stephanie Rose (PPCW).
This event allowed members of the community to communicate directly with a police officer. We were very pleased to see a great turn out and some very good questions were put to officers.
A future event will be planned in the coming months, but in the meantime if any member of the Deaf community, or a BSL user needs to contact the police, we can be reached in an emergency using the ‘999 BSL Emergency Video Relay Service for Deaf People’ and for any non-emergencies (101) via the ContactScotlandBSL Video Relay Service.
Further details can be obtained via the links below:
Calling all brave and curious explorers, this February The Real Mary King’s Close is shining a light (or lack of) onto Edinburgh’s history, illuminating the lives of former residents and unravelling truths about their deaths with Lantern Led Tours.
The Lantern Led Tours are available for a limited time only during Half Term, where guests will descend into complete darkness with the only light source being the flicker of their lanterns, as they explore Edinburgh’s history.
Hidden beneath the Capital’s iconic Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s best underground experience is ready to send those daring to on a time-traveling adventure.
The one hour guided tour will transport customers to another era, with eerie interactions from two insidious characters that used to strike terror into people’s hearts at their very sight.
Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “The Real Mary King’s Close is a place filled with excitement and mystery and stands as an important part of Edinburgh’s history.
“We’re delighted to re-launch our popular Lantern Led Tours after a highly successful run last year and give visitors the chance to follow in the footsteps of past residents, this time with only a lantern to guide them.
“This is the perfect activity to do with friends and family over the February holidays and discover more about the city’s dark past together.”
Lantern Led tours open from Friday 9th February to Monday 26th February, running each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 6pm to 9pm.
Tickets cost £30 per adult and £24 per child (5 to 15yo – no under 5’s allowed).
New aquatic exercise research for fall prevention looking for participants to get involved
An exciting new aquatic exercise research study is looking for participants to get involved.
Aqua Steps, is a new exercise programme, developed by experts in the field from the University of Edinburgh, Glasgow Caledonian University and Edinburgh Leisure. The programmes are delivered as part of a research project, and aims to improve the balance, strength, endurance, confidence, and independence of the participants.
One-third of people aged 65 years or over fall every year with more than 4 million people falling each year in the UK, which is approximately 11,000 people daily. Falls reduce quality of life, lead to nursing home admissions, cause about 90% of hip fractures and half of deaths due to injury. The annual NHS and social care cost for fall-related injuries is more than £3.3 billion.
Older adults who have some of the following: feel unstable/unsteady; have poor gait or balance, have a history of falling or are at risk of falling, have low bone density or previous fracture are encouraged to get in touch to take part.
Dr Stelios Psycharakis, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics at the University of Edinburgh said: “Aquatic exercise can improve many of these factors and has many benefits.
“For example, the buoyancy of the water reduces spine and joint loads and allows exercising without having to support one’s weight, while the pressure of the water on the body assists with balance and mobility which may be preferable for people who find land exercise challenging or have high risk/fear of falling.”
Amy Fastier, Health Development Officer (Falls Prevention) at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.
“The study is looking to see if water-based classes have similar benefits as land based as there is no current research on water based activity in preventing falls.
“Participants don’t need to be strong swimmers as the exercises take place in shallow water and everyone will be encouraged to work at their own pace during the class, guided by our expert instructors.
“People who may have difficulty getting in and out of the pool without some help, are welcome to bring along a family member, carer, or friend.
“Pools hoists (for safe entry/exit from the water) are available at swimming pools and will be used when necessary.”
High-quality research on aquatic exercise in fall prevention is scarce. This programme will deliver an aquatic intervention for people with high risk of falls. The data we get will be used to look at the programme’s effects on falls risk and compare it with an established land-based programme, Steady Steps, which is delivered by Edinburgh Leisure to see whether there are similar benefits to the existing research on land-based classes.
The classes are free, with the cost covered by funding provided by the Chief Scientist Office for Scotland. The exercise sessions will take place in the shallow water only in one of five swimming pools in Edinburgh and Midlothian*.
The pools are Warrender Swim Centre (Marchmont), Dalry Swim Centre (Dalry), Ainslie Park Leisure Centre (Inverleith/Pilton), Glenogle Swim Centre (Stockbridge) and Penicuik Leisure Centre (Penicuik).
Participants would be required to attend for two sessions per week (30 minutes in the water for each session) over a course of 16 weeks. Different time slots will be available.
The programme will start in the first week of March 2024 (last week of March for Penicuik).
Interested parties willing to take part should contact the Aqua Steps administrator, Diane Chirnside on AquaSteps@ed.ac.uk and will be assessed for their willingness/ability to participate and complete the intervention.
Spaces are limited so people are encouraged to get in touch as soon as possible, and ideally by early to mid-February.
Please let staff know of any allergies or dietary requirements so we can make sure everyone can enjoy a lunch 
