Participants across the country are being invited to sign up to the Leukaemia Care Step Out Challenge for Spot Leukaemia, which launches this September.
The aim is to move as far as you can between 1st and 30th September and raise as much as you can – there’s no minimum limit. To take part you can walk, run, cycle or run and set whatever distance you want to. Once signed up, all you need to do is ask friends and family to sponsor whatever they can.
Chief Executive of Leukaemia Care, Zack Pemberton-Whiteley, said: “The challenge is free to sign up to and people can raise anything they can – as every penny raised makes a difference to those living to help make a difference to those living with a leukaemia, MDS or MPN diagnosis.”
Leukaemia Care is delighted to reveal this year’s medal in an eco-friendly design, to be given to anybody who reaches the £50 milestone.
There is also a fabulous new t-shirt for the 2022 event for anybody who raises over £100, while those who raise £250 or more will receive a £20 gift card for the Leukaemia Care online shop.
This year Leukaemia Care has introduced two fantastic overall trophies – one for the fundraiser that raises the most and another for the person who covers the most distance during the challenge.
Sign up to Step Out then join the Facebook community to get motivated for your challenge.
Ahead of Blood Cancer Awareness Month later this year, the charity is keen to share the six most common symptoms of leukaemia which are; fatigue, shortness of breath, fever or night sweats, bruising or bleeding, bone or joint pain, and repeated infections.
Learn more about the signs and symptoms of leukaemia here.
Jade Lindsay graduated Business Studies with Human Resources Management this summer at Edinburgh Napier University Business School. Jade was adopted at the age of three and is the first person from her birth family to complete school and go into higher education.
After completing her SQA Highers and unfortunately not getting the results she needed to pursue her dreams of becoming a vet, she had to rethink her choices. Jade decided to go on my world of work, a website that helps people discover a career that matches their skills.
After completing the different skill and personality tests, Jade said she was given a new purpose as she was recommended to pursue a career in Human Resources. Jade applied to Edinburgh Napier for their business and HRM degree and got an unconditional offer.
Jade said:“I was adopted at the age of three with a very difficult start to life and was the first person in my birth family to complete all of school and enter into higher education, which was a huge achievement.
“During my years at Napier University I have experienced lots of support and made lifelong friends. Over Christmas 2021, I applied to many graduate jobs and recorded many interviews as I looked forward to life after university.
“After completing my last lot of exams in May, I received the news that I was invited down to Bristol for an assessment centre for GKN Aerospace, a global organisation which leads the aerospace technology industry.
“I was one of only 3 business students out of over 400 applicants to get to the final stage of recruitment.
“I was successful in my endeavour and I have now accepted an offer of a position in the 27 month HR graduate programme which includes 2 global placements and specialisation in one of the HR departments at the end of the programme.
“I will be starting my new chapter in September and I look forward to graduation.”
This year’s ceremony saw over 2,000 students graduating from the university’s 6 schools.
INSPIRING BARBERS can become fully qualified in just 15 weeks as a booming barbering business announces a new training academy in the capital.
Sovereign Grooming will launch the academy in July within its New Waverley salon in Edinburgh’s city centre and is looking to train up 52 students per year across its two academies.
After investing £500,000 last year to launch its first barbering school and salon in Glasgow, Sovereign Grooming is set to expand the successful programme in Edinburgh in a continuing bid to address the significant skills gap in the male grooming industry.
The centrally located 1,200 sq. ft. space sits across two floors and will be transformed to feature both the original salon and the new academy, allowing budding barbers the chance to get first-hand salon experience.
Kyle Ross, who founded Sovereign Grooming, has a decade of experience under his belt as one of Scotland’s top barbers and will be training students one-to-one alongside elite barbers Liam Allen and Nathan Robb – who have both been shortlisted for Barber of the Year at the upcoming Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards.
Kyle said: “We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our Edinburgh academy which will complement our Glasgow branch in helping to close the skills gap we are seeing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our Glasgow academy aims to qualify 36 students each year and the new Edinburgh facility will add an abundance of exciting graduates to the industry’s talent pool, with the ambition of training 600 barbers over the next decade.”
Sovereign Grooming’s students benefit from hands-on training throughout the programme and work towards achieving an SVQ Level 2 Barbering qualification which is recognised worldwide. The academy teaches the day-to-day workings of a leading men’s grooming brand while providing students with extra skills in photo shoots, session styling, stage presenting and fashion styling.
The Edinburgh academy will also offer advancement courses to established hairdressers and barbers, carrying out bespoke and tailored sessions to suit student needs.
Kyle said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this in Edinburgh for people considering a career in the male grooming sector. We want the Edinburgh academy to train the next generation of expert barbers right here in the centre of Scotland’s capital and it’s great to be able to provide that service over a 15-week period.
“It’s been rewarding to train up Glasgow students and we’re thoroughly enjoying setting people off on their barbering career path. The time is right for expanding this in Edinburgh to help barbers kickstart that journey.”
Kyle Ross opened Sovereign Grooming in his hometown of Aberdeen in 2016 which has since expanded to Edinburgh and Glasgow establishing itself with its luxury male grooming services. 2022 saw the brand’s expansion into barbering training, with the launch of its three-story salon in Glasgow’s city centre.
Kyle was named Scottish Men’s Stylist of the Year in 2017, a year which also saw him win Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards. He won Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards in Germany and was subsequently named Best Barber at the Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards 2018.
Going from strength to strength, Kyle was shortlisted for GQ Magazine’s Barber of the Year title in 2019, one of only a handful of stylists outside London to have been shortlisted.
Drum Property Group is seeking occupants for high quality office space in the refurbished 1930s ‘Red Sandstone’ building which extends from 106 to 154 Leith Walk.
The distinctive two-storey building, completed in 1933 in the Scottish Art Deco style, will provide flexible and open-plan space for a range of contemporary business suites overlooking Leith Walk, housed above a row of shops, restaurants and a popular bar.
Simply branded ‘The Red Sandstone’, the building now forms an iconic gateway to Drum’s current £50 million transformation of the 2.9-acre Stead’s Place site, which will bring 148 new homes to the rear of the development linking Leith Walk to Pilrig Park and beyond.
Originally designed as an office complex supporting the London Midland Scottish Railway goods yard, the ornate building was completed with a red Dumfries sandstone fascia and black marble pediment and became a highly recognisable business and retail focal point towards to foot of Leith Walk.
As part of Drum’s regeneration of the Stead’s Place site, The Red Sandstone has now undergone a complete refurbishment creating a variety of flexible and light-filled office space connected by a common entrance hub to suit a range of business uses.
Welcoming the launch of The Red Sandstone office suites, Graeme Bone, Drum’s Group Managing Director said: “Sitting above a vibrant retail parade containing shops, cafés, restaurants and a popular bar these sympathetically restored office suites provide an ideal small business location in the diverse and dynamic community of Leith.
“Directly connected to the tram, cycle and bus networks and only 10-minutes from the city centre, The Red Sandstone is the gateway to the new Stead’s Place residential development to the rear, connecting Leith Walk to the green space and sanctuary of Pilrig Park, a five-minute walk away.
“We hope the refurbished building will, once again provide a distinctive focal point and destination for Leith Walk, continuing the rich tradition of diversity and independence which makes the area such an exciting destination in which to live, work and visit.”
The ground floor of the Red Sandstone building is currently being let to a variety of retail and food and beverage operators, with tenants expected to start taking occupancy later this summer.
For more information on The Red Sandstone and its office suites, visit www.theredsandstone.com or contact office agents Culverwell on 0131 243 9617.
The Scottish Government has appointed Nora Senior CBE as the new Chair of the Edinburgh College Board of Management.
Over the course of a 30-year career in industry, Nora has held several senior leadership positions, latterly as Group Executive Chair of global communications and government relations consultancy, Weber Shandwick, and previously with Saatchi and Saatchi.
A former Businesswoman of the Year, Nora holds extensive experience at non-exec board level in both public and private sector organisations, having been Chair of the Scottish Government’s independent Enterprise and Skills Board and as President of British Chambers of Commerce.
She was honoured with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2017 for services to UK businesses.
Ms Senior said: “I am really excited to be taking on the role of Chair of Edinburgh College Board of Management and working with the Board and Audrey and the team to accelerate the focus, purpose and importance of the college within not only the education sector but as part of the wider innovation and business transformation landscape.
“I look forward to working with our staff and students to deliver an exceptional teaching and learning experience and placing the college at the heart of our community.
“My thanks go to Ann Landels for her strong guidance and contribution to the work of the college as Interim Chair.”
Edinburgh College Principal and Chief Executive Audrey Cumberford said: “Having had the privilege of working with Nora in her capacity as Chair of the Scottish Government’s Enterprise and Skills Board I am both delighted and excited with her appointment as the new Chair of Edinburgh College, Scotland’s Capital College.
“Nora’s extensive leadership experience in industry and the public sector, alongside a deep understanding and passion for the role that colleges play in their local communities and wider regions will be invaluable as we strive to realise our full potential and ambitions.”
Nora takes over the position from Non-Executive Board Member (and Vice Chair) Ann Landels, who acted in an interim capacity for over two years. Ann said: “I am delighted to welcome Nora as the new Regional Chair of the Edinburgh College Board.
“It has been my privilege to be Interim Chair of the Board since November 2019 and to lead the Board through the challenging times presented by Covid-19. It is a testament to the work of the Principal, the Executive Team and all our staff at Edinburgh College that we continued to deliver high quality education throughout that time.
“As we anticipate the resumption of a more normal College experience in the 2022/23 session, I am very much looking forward to supporting Nora in her new appointment as I resume my role as Vice Chair.”
TheCOVID-19 Recovery Committeeis to analyse the impact of the pandemic on the Scottish labour market, including how long Covid, long-term sickness and early retirement is affecting the number of those in work.
As the country starts the process of recovery from the pandemic, a key issue that has emerged is a persistently high number of people no longer part of the workforce, termed ‘economically inactive’.
A blog by the Fraser of Allander Institute concluded in April 2022 that: “More worrying for the outlook for the Scottish labour market is the fact that we now have over 20,000 more people economically inactive because of long-term sickness than we had pre-pandemic.”
The Committee will investigate the reasons behind these high numbers, including the emergence of above average numbers of long-term sick.
They want to understand if this is this due to pre-existing conditions, or new conditions, such as long COVID, or other factors, such as stress brought on by pandemic experiences. The Committee will also look at whether early retirement is one of the drivers behind this change in the labour market.
COVID-19 Recovery Committee Convener Siobhian Brown MSP said: “Unlike previous economic shocks, where the labour force numbers recovered much more quickly, we are seeing concerning persistent numbers of long term economically inactive people.
“We want to find out why this has happened and what needs to be done to encourage these people back into the work place.
“We are keen to learn more about the labour market impact of the pandemic on people with pre-existing health conditions, what influenced people to take early retirement and whether specific groups of society or areas of the country have been impacted more than others.
“There is no doubt that the reasons behind this will be complex but in order to address this issue we must first understand why people are no longer working.”
Latest UKHSA data shows monkeypox transmission continuing primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (GBMSM).
The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) technical briefing on the current UK monkeypox outbreak shows no signs of a decline in the outbreak. In line with global observations, there is no evidence of sustained transmission beyond these networks.
The outbreak continues to grow and information from cases strongly suggests the virus is passing primarily via close or sexual contact. UKHSA Health Protection teams in all regions of England continue to identify and risk assess close contacts of confirmed cases.
The majority of people with monkeypox can be safely managed at home and there have been no deaths in the UK. Most people experience mild disease but it can cause a significant illness in some that requires hospitalisation, including severe pain.
A vaccination programme is beginning, and sexual health services will offer the vaccine to anyone considered to be at higher risk of exposure. This includes people with a recent history of multiple partners, participating in group sex, attending sex on premises venues, or have recently had a bacterial sexually transmitted infection.
Up to 6 July 2022, there were 1,517 laboratory confirmed cases in the UK. The median age of confirmed cases in the UK was 36 years old. In England, 99% of cases are male and 74% are known to be London residents. 16% (226) of England cases reported recent foreign travel, with 176 of these reporting travel within Europe.
The briefing includes a breakdown of events that cases reported attending, 572 in total. 17% of those who provided information had been to a sex-on-premises venue and while this does not confirm transmission occurred there, UKHSA continues to conduct outreach work with event organisers and to provide guidance on how to minimise risk across a range of settings.
Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA said: “It’s concerning that we are continuing to see the outbreak grow and we urge the public to do all they can to help us slow the spread.
“If you’ve recently had new or multiple sexual partners, please be vigilant to the symptoms of monkeypox, and be aware that many of the cases we’re seeing are finding only a single, or few, lesions.
“If you are concerned that you may have monkeypox, take a break from events, meeting with friends or having sexual contact. Instead, stay at home and contact 111 or your local sexual health service for advice. Please contact the clinic ahead of your visit and avoid close contact with others until you’ve been reviewed by a clinician.
“To assist with our contact tracing, we encourage everyone to ensure they exchange contact details with sexual partners.
“If you are called forward for vaccination, we strongly recommend that you take it.”
UKHSA will continue to publish regular technical briefings as the response to the outbreak continues.
UKHSA published the latest epidemiological overview for the ongoing monkeypox outbreak yesterday.
It shows that as of 7 July, there were 1,552 confirmed cases in the UK. Of these, 1,482 are in England with a significant majority of cases in London.
Latest UKHSA data shows monkeypox transmission continuing primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (GBMSM).
Further epidemiological data and additional analysis can be found in UKHSA’s regular monkeypox technical briefings.
STUC: WHY SCOTLAND CAN’T AFFORD PRIVATISED SOCIAL CARE
The Scottish Government’s approach to their new National Care Service has been declared “untenable” by Scotland’s largest trade union body.
Launching their report ‘Profiting from care: why Scotland can’t afford privatised social care’, the Scottish TUC (STUC) has accused the Scottish Government of “falling glaringly short” in their plans for a transformative National Care Service.
The trade union organisation, representing unions from across health and social care, is calling for the Scottish care home estate to be transferred out of private ownership in totality.
Research within the STUC report reveals that Scotland’s large private social care providers are associated with lower wages, more complaints about care quality, and higher levels of rent extraction than public and third sector care providers.
Under current Scottish Government plans, the proposed National Care Service would remain “ownership neutral”, embedding a role for the private sector in social care.
The research finds:
• Nearly 25% of care homes run by big private providers had at least one complaint upheld against them in 2019/20, compared to 6% of homes not run for profit.
• In older people’s care homes, staffing resources are 20% worse in the private sector compared to the not-for-profit sector. • Privately owned care homes only spend 58% of their revenue on staffing, compared to 75% in not-for-profit care homes.
• Over the last six years, the public sector has paid on average £1.60 more per hour to care workers.
• The most profitable privately owned care homes take out £13,600 per bed (or £28 of every £100 received in fees) in profits, rent, payments to the directors, and interest payments on loans. This compares to £3.43 in every £100 in fees for the largest not-for-profit care home operators.
The report argues that a truly transformative National Care Service must be based on a not-for-profit public service, delivered through local authorities with an ongoing role for the voluntary sector.
Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary, said: “Our new STUC research clearly shows that large privately owned care homes perform worse than not-for-profit care homes at almost every level. They are worse for those receiving care, worse for the workers providing care and worse for the taxpayer.
“It simply isn’t the case that Scotland can’t afford to buy out private care homes, we can’t afford not to. As it stands, the Scottish Government are falling glaringly short in offering the transformative shake up to social care Scotland badly needs.
“As the National Care Service Bill makes its way through Parliament, politicians must focus their attention on the kind of organisations we want to provide care for our citizens, not as seems to be the case just now, the centralisation of commissioning and outsourcing procedures.”
The recommendations have been backed by Care Home Relatives Scotland. The influential group, set up during the pandemic, have been working to strengthen relatives rights as a result of care home visitation restrictions during COVID-19.
Catherine Russell, Care Home Relatives Scotland: “This report should be essential summer reading for every member of the Scottish Parliament.
“The research findings endorse everything Care Home Relatives Scotland said in our response to the NCS consultation. Our fear is that millions will be spent on upheaval and reorganisation when the priority must be to focus on improvements and with resources on the frontline where they are desperately needed.
“We also share the STUCs grave concerns about the further marketisation of social care and community health services.
“As the report demonstrates, private homes are not the most cost effective or highest quality. They are extremely costly for residents who need to pay and the profit motive tends to drive down staff conditions.
“Scotland can and should find a better, fairer way to do things and this research will be a very useful contribution to that debate.”
Katerina Dufkova has overcome more than most students usually have to during her university career and has achieved a bachelor with honours in Social Sciences. She was named Edinburgh Napier University’s most inspiring student for 2019-2020 which is no surprise considering what she has had to overcome throughout her studies.
As a survivor of Complex PTSD she immigrated to Scotland by herself at the age of 18 to remove herself from the proximity of her biological family who were the primary source of her trauma. She has excelled despite this difficult start to life and began her studies at Edinburgh Napier University in 2016.
Now 35, Katerina was in the final stages of completing her degree when the pandemic started, which meant she then had to juggle home schooling her 8-year-old daughter, whilst also completing her degree studies.
On top of this Katerina was in an ongoing custody battle with her daughter’s father with the support of women’s aid. Katerina persevered nonetheless and will graduate this summer.
Graduations July 2022 – Graduations July 2022 – Katerina Dufkova, Social Sciences
She said: “Despite facing many obstacles, I was able to complete my undergraduate degree and was pleased to be named the most inspiring student 2019/20 for always being helpful to my peers whilst going through an incredibly challenging time myself”.
This year’s ceremony saw over 2,000 students graduating from the university’s 6 schools.
Speaking on the eve of this weekend’s Eid Al Adha celebrations in Edinburgh. Lothian MSPFoysol Choudhury said: “It will be an honour to attend once again “Eid Al-Adha Pray in the Park” event at Inverleith Park on 9th July, which will start with a prayer at 9.30am. The event is organised by the Adha Trust in Edinburgh and is supported by Edinburgh Mosques.
“Last year’s celebration saw more than 2,000 people attending and this year, organisers are expecting 10,000 people to attend – if the weather holds up!
“Eid Al-Adha or the “Feast of Sacrifice” is a four-day celebration, which will be celebrated this year in the UK from 9th till 13th July according to moon sightings. This Muslim holiday also marks the end of the yearly Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
“It is the biggest Muslim holiday, which is celebrated every year with friends, family and neighbours by Muslims across the world, with the symbolic sacrifice of a lamb that is divided in three to be shared with loves ones and the needy.
“I would like to offer my good wishes to the Muslim communities in the Lothians and across Scotland and the UK. It is special time where we can again celebrate Eid Al-Adha with our friends and family in person again and I hope Muslims worldwide will be able celebrate in peace and safety particularly during these challenging times.
“I find that these religious festivals are a great way for communities to get together, allowing us to share our cultures and traditions so we can better understand our differences and celebrate them to foster more tolerance in our society as well as enriching our daily lives.
“I have also submitted Motion S6M-05178 for Eid Al-Adha 2022, which has already gained great cross-party support.
