The team at Autism Initiatives are dusting off their trainers once more for its annual fundraising campaign Walk for Autism, which returns this March.
The charity hopes to make it the biggest one yet in its five-year history when participants from up and down the country walk 10,000 steps per day for the eight days between March 26th and World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd.
Last year, the campaign’s participants collectively walked over an impressive 194 million steps and raised more than £621,000, making it their most successful year to date.
The money raised goes towards helping individuals with autism while supporting autism projects in the UK & Ireland that encourage the pursuit of specialist interests, promote physical activity and help autistic adults and children learn and develop every single day.
Walk for Autism Fundraising Manager Liz Oakley said: “This campaign is especially important to us as we have seen first-hand how much it can improve peoples’ lives; not just with the money raised but for all those who take part. Our aim is to create a wonderful community of likeminded people who are passionate about autism and believe they can make a difference.
“These past two years have been tough for everyone, and walking has been proven to help with mental wellbeing, which is just another positive reason to get involved.
“Walkers can complete their steps at any time and in whatever way suits them; whether it’s walking the dog, stepping on the treadmill or conquering a long-distance hike. It’s important to remember that each and every step counts so even if you can’t get out and about steps around the garden or even around your home will all contribute.
“You can track your steps easily using a pedometer or smart phone apps to make sure you’re hitting your target. The concept is simple, but the rewards are huge.”
For this year’s theme of ‘We Walk for Autism’, Walk for Autism is encouraging people to do their walking with friends and family. Walkers can sign up on the charity’s website and begin their fundraising straight away, with the charity providing helpful tips on the fun and varied ways to raise money.
Those who sign up and pledge an upfront £20 will get a Walk for Autism t-shirt to assist in their fundraising, as well as a tutorial on how to create their very own homemade confetti canon using household items to celebrate their completion of the challenge.
Liz added: “Autism affects more than 700,000 people in the UK and Ireland each year and it’s vital that we continue to help as many of those people as possible through our fundraising efforts.”
Walk for Autism is a campaign led by charity Autism Initiatives Group who have been working to improve the lives of autistic people and their families across the UK and Ireland for almost 50 years.
You can get involved by visiting their website at:
More than 2.7 million people have received their free flu jab and anyone eligible who has not yet been vaccinated has been urged to come forward.
The programme, which has so far seen a 90% uptake in over 65s, was paused in December so that health boards could prioritise the delivery of COVID-19 booster jabs to combat the Omicron variant.
Flu vaccinations are now on offer again until the end of March for those in high risk groups.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Flu can be serious, and the vaccine is the safest and most effective way to help protect the most vulnerable against the illness and alleviate pressure on the NHS and social care services.
“With COVID-19 still circulating, it is important that those eligible for a free flu vaccine take up the opportunity. The NHS Inform website provides information on the vaccine and how to arrange an appointment in your health board area.
“The fact that 90% of the population aged 65 and over have been vaccinated against flu this season is testament to the incredibly hard work carried out by health boards and Integration Authorities during the autumn and winter vaccination programme.
“I can’t emphasise enough how grateful I am to everyone involved from planning to delivery in these most challenging of circumstances.”
They say the way to a someone’s heart is through their stomach and this Valentine’s Day, Aldi Scotland has teamed up with an up-and-coming Scottish Agony Aunt to help its shoppers discover what their purchases say about their love life.
The supermarket is encouraging shoppers to share a copy of their receipt or a list of their latest purchases via Aldi Scotland’s social channels for the chance to receive love and dating tips from Dear Ashleigh, based on what is in their shopping basket.
Dear Ashleigh, a beautician from Glasgow, has been a trusted listening ear for her clients for over 10 years, but during lockdown decided to use this experience to offer love and life advice to her online followers looking for guidance on their relationships.
Creating the perfect hybrid of Cilla Black’s ‘What’s your name, where’d you come from’, and Gillian McKeith’s ‘You are what you eat’, Aldi and Ashleigh will be playing cupid in the run up to Valentine’s Day to find what shopper’s eating and drinking habits suggest about their romantic side and to offer tips on what to look for when searching for their soul mate.
Ashleigh, online Agony Aunt, commented:“In my experience, people tell you the most about themselves subconsciously, and more often than not, it’s the small things that they themselves haven’t noticed which reveals the most.
“I’m looking forward to helping Aldi shoppers find out a bit more about themselves and where they should be looking for love.”
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said:“We have such a varied range of products from local suppliers in our Scottish stores that often the combination of items picked up can say a lot about shopper’s likes and dislikes.
“So, to mark this Valentine’s Day we thought it would be fun to work with Ashleigh to get her opinion on what a shopping list reveals about our shopper’s love lives and offer some sage advice for our single shoppers looking for love.”
Shoppers can add romance to any menu this Valentine’s Day with Aldi Scotland’s Valentine’s Specialbuy range available from 10th February, including Love Heart Lorne sausage (£1.09, 150g), Loch Fyne Oysters (£3.99, 360g) and Loch Fyne Scottish Live Mussels (£2.99, 1kg). Customers can also pick up some award-winning gins including Eidyn Premium Scottish Gin (£19.99, 70cl).
Ashleigh will be sharing her analysis of Aldi Scotland receipts on social media on Valentine’s Day – share your latest purchases with Aldi Scotland via Facebook or Instagram for a chance of personalised dating tips from Ashleigh.
A call for views into the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill has been launched by several Scottish Parliament Committees.
The wide-ranging Scottish Government Bill, seeks to make permanent some of the temporary, emergency legislation introduced during the pandemic, and to extend others, which are due to expire by March 2022.
The Bill covers a number of policy areas including alcohol licensing, bankruptcy, justice, education (closing establishments and continuity of education), freedom of information, and vaccinations and immunisations.
Some key proposals outlined in the Bill include:
• maintaining provisions in the UK Coronavirus Act that enable Scottish Ministers to enact measures via public health regulations for any future public health threats, in line with powers that are already in place in England and Wales;
• maintaining provisions that grant Scottish Ministers power to restrict access to educational establishments on public health grounds;
• maintaining pre-eviction protocols relating to rent arrears in the private rented sector, placing more responsibility on landlords to ensure correct procedures are followed and that tenants are fully informed of their rights;
• allowing extended time-limits for criminal proceedings to temporarily remain in place to help the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service manage the backlog of cases arising from COVID-19; and allowing cases to continue to be heard through digital and physical means.
Four Parliament Committees will analyse the Bill. The COVID-19 Recovery Committee is the lead Committee scrutinising the Bill; while the Criminal Justice Committee will consider the justice policy measures; the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee will consider the tenancy and eviction policy measures; and the Education, Children and Young People Committee will look into education related provisions.
Speaking as the inquiry was launched, Siobhian Brown MSP (above), Convener of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee, said:“This pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of our lives, from restrictions on how we live, to mass vaccinations and significant changes in how public services are delivered.
“The threat of COVID-19 meant a great number of temporary, emergency legislatives measure were introduced at speed, but with these measures due to expire in March 2022, the time is now to decide which of these in the Bill should be put in place permanently.
“We recognise the size and scope of this Bill mean a diverse range of people and organisations may wish to comment on it. That’s why respondents will have the option to complete a short survey, where they can give their views on a specific aspect of the Bill, or a longer form, more detailed option is also available.”
“The Scottish Government’s stated aim for the Bill is to support Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic but we want to make sure it does not go too far, and that any changes which are made permanent act to benefit the people of Scotland and ease pressure on the public services we all rely on.”
The Convener continued:“Given the wide-ranging nature of this proposed legislation, the Parliament was keen to ensure it was given an appropriate level of scrutiny.
“That’s why we are bringing several Committees together, who will work collaboratively and use their specific areas of expertise in order to assess the impact of this Bill as effectively as possible.”
EVOC & EHSCP invite you to a shared learning and networking event focused on building partnerships and networks in Edinburgh’s NW Locality.
Hosted by EVOC and the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, this is one of four locality-based events focusing on how we can develop relationships and referral networks to improve support for clients – particularly those who might benefit by engaging with local organisations to explore preventative and early intervention ‘Conversation 1’ type activities.
NORTH WEST LOCALITY EVENT OVERVIEW
Dr Linda Irvine-Fitzpatrick, EVOC’s Bridie Ashrowan andthe NW Locality Manager will discuss the interconnections and learning from the Three Conversations Model, The Edinburgh Wellbeing Pact and work within communities.
Here’s some of that wonderful feedback we received last year:
“So much out there – great to come up to date with the resources and look at the potential supports.”
Ryanair and British Airways have finished at the bottom of Which?’s annual survey of short-haul airlines, with both companies panned for providing poor customer service to those with disrupted flights during the pandemic.
The consumer champion surveyed more than 1,300 passengers for their experiences of flying with short-haul airlines in areas such as boarding, cabin cleanliness, customer service and value for money since November 2019.
In a second part of the survey, Which? asked more than 1,100 passengers whose flights were disrupted how satisfied they were with how their airline handled the issue. The actions of some airlines – delaying or denying refunds for flights cancelled, or which passengers could not take, due to Covid – were reflected in these results.
Budget carrier Ryanair received an overall customer score of 55 per cent and a lamentable 47 per cent in the refund satisfaction category, with one in five customers telling Which? it took them more than a month to get a refund.
One customer said: “Ryanair is the most awkward airline to deal with that I have ever come across. It seems to be proud of being difficult.”
Themes that have appeared time and again – making Ryanair a fixture in the bottom three of Which?’s airline survey for more than a decade – were also evident, with another passenger adding: “Total lack of transparency about costs, and treating passengers like cattle to be squeezed for the last penny.”
When asked, ‘Is there an airline you would never fly with?’, three-quarters (74%) named Ryanair. Ryanair scored no better than two stars for all the measures in the main customer satisfaction survey – apart from value for money, where it scored three stars.
BA was second from bottom with a customer score of 63 per cent – just behind TUI Airways, but with a much lower refund satisfaction score.
Passengers reported spending hours on hold only to be hung up on, or passed endlessly between different departments. This disappointing customer service, along with two-star ratings for food and drink, seat comfort and value for money, led one passenger to describe BA as ‘a budget style airline at premium prices’.
However, BA’s cabins ranked as joint cleanest alongside KLM and Jet2.
Jet2 was top of the table and earned a Which? Recommended Provider endorsement.
Its record on delivering refunds was the best: more than eight in 10 (84%) respondents were satisfied with the outcome when their flight was disrupted because of Covid, and throughout the pandemic, most passengers have received a resolution in two weeks.
Nine in 10 Jet2 customers told Which? they got a full refund, rather than having a voucher foisted upon them.
Its Covid flexibility policy is one of the best, allowing customers to make fee-free changes for most pandemic-related disruption, including lockdowns, quarantines and changing FCDO advice.
One Which? survey respondent said: “The pandemic has seen Jet2 shine. Its standard of customer care exceeds that of any other low-cost airline.”
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:“Ryanair’s consistently terrible customer service has made it a fixture among the worst performers in our surveys for many years – but the airline plumbed new depths with its handling of Covid refunds.
“BA’s reputation also deservedly took a battering when it took a hard line on refunds for passengers who could not travel because they followed government health guidance.
“Many passengers will not forget how they were treated by companies during the pandemic. Covid could still cause disruption to international travel, so we would advise travellers to book with operators that have flexible booking policies and a record of treating their customers fairly.”
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 digital, data analytics and IT infrastructure, within the private sector. The new Board members are former Chief Executive Officer of Vianet Group PLC. Stewart Darling and Kerry McCormack, Head of IT at First Sentier Investors.
As Chief Executive Officer of Vianet Group PLC, Stewart Darling led the transformation of the business from a service provider to a technology company, and established new revenue streams that delivered multiple years of growth which saw the value of the business double as it became a leading player in the Internet of Things and data analytics industry.
Stewart has also served as a Non-Executive Director of the governing body for golf in Scotland.
Kerry McCormack is an experienced IT professional, leading a Global IT team at First Sentier Investors. Prior to taking up the Global Head of IT role in 2018, Kerry had joined First Sentier Investors as an Application Developer in 2001 before progressing to become a member of the IT Leadership team.
Kerry has been involved in a broad range of global strategic projects reflecting her specialist IT knowledge and experience of the investment management industry.
Interim Chair of Edinburgh College’s Board of Management Ann Landels said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to welcome Stewart and Kerry to their new roles.Both have a vast wealth of experience in both digital and IT infrastructure, as well as strong links within important areas of our curriculum.
“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 delighted to welcome Stewart and Kerry to the Board of Management as we work to achieve our ambitions for the future.
“Their industry experience and knowledge and, in particular, expertise in the use of technology will undoubtably support the College in delivering for our students, communities, local businesses, and employers at a time when using technology to develop new ways of working and learning have never been more pertinent.
“The depth and breadth of experience of our Board is hugely important and I look forward to working with our new members.”
10th April – Edinburgh Festival Theatre audition date
Leading entertainment industry training programme and talent management, Stagebox, has announced audition dates taking place across the nation from April 2022.
The annual search sees experts audition passionate performers aged 8-18 years old from across the country (and internationally), offering successful members the chance to benefit from world class training and opportunities in a contemporary supercharged industry accelerator for musical theatre, television and film.
Last year’s auditions saw the Stagebox team meet thousands of performers from across the UK and beyond, and this year they anticipate similar interest. This year, auditionees will be able to select whether they are auditioning for an acting or musical theatre membership and their audition day will see them be put through their paces in this discipline.
Many young performers training at Stagebox have already landed dream roles on stage and screen, thanks to the expert training and management.
Stagebox has secured their clients major lead talent screen roles in Oscar nominated and Emmy award winning productions, including Peaky Blinders (Netflix), Sex Education (Netflix), Robin Robin (Netflix), Ted Lasso (Apple TV+), Avenue 5 (HBO), The Power (Amazon Studios), Pistol (Disney +), BAFTA anthology Superdad (Channel 4), Gentleman Jack (Netflix/HBO), Lagging (BBC) and many more.
Stagebox management clients also continue to star in West End and UK Tour musicals including Frozen, Matilda the Musical, School of Rock, Annie, The Grinch, Mary Poppins and Tina the Musical to name a few.
To further the opportunities for their clients, Stagebox Management has also brokered agency partnerships stateside, working alongside Innovative Artists, Paradigm Talent, Luber Roklin Entertainment, Gravity Hill, KMR, Maverick and more.
Commenting on the upcoming 2022 auditions, Stagebox’s General Manager, Jasmine Quinlan Gardner, said: “We are so excited to begin our nationwide search for the stars of today and tomorrow.
“We are proud of our inclusive, diverse and extraordinarily talented community and we can’t wait to meet those who will join us on the journey.”
Kirsti Bagger, Head Agent at Stagebox, adds: “At Stagebox, the training is second to none, preparing our young stars for careers on the stage and screen. 2021 was one of our most successful years ever with Stagebox Management clients wrapping on global award-winning feature films and television series and critically acclaimed theatre productions.
“We’re committed to making auditions for Stagebox free as part of our ongoing dedication to inclusivity in the arts. We only open for auditions once a year, and we’re excited to see our 2022 auditionees’ incredible new talent!”
These auditions are guaranteed to fill up fast and limited spaces apply. To register your spot for your preferred audition date, please visit the Stagebox website to apply.
The changes were made to The Highway Code on Saturday 29 January 2022.
Here are 8 of the changes that you need to know about.
1. Hierarchy of road users
The introduction section of The Highway Code has been updated to include 3 new rules about the new ‘hierarchy of road users’.
The hierarchy places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy. It does not remove the need for everyone to behave responsibly.
It’s important that all road users:
are aware of The Highway Code
are considerate to other road users
understand their responsibility for the safety of others
There is new guidance in the code about routes and spaces which are shared by people walking, cycling and riding horses.
People cycling, riding a horse or driving a horse-drawn vehicle should respect the safety of people walking in these spaces, but people walking should also take care not to obstruct or endanger them.
People cycling are asked to:
not pass people walking, riding a horse or driving a horse-drawn vehicle closely or at high speed, particularly from behind
slow down when necessary and let people walking know they are there (for example, by ringing their bell)
remember that people walking may be deaf, blind or partially sighted
There is updated guidance for people cycling about positioning themselves which includes:
riding in the centre of their lane on quiet roads, in slower-moving traffic and at the approach to junctions or road narrowings
keeping at least 0.5 metres (just over 1.5 feet) away from the kerb edge (and further where it is safer) when riding on busy roads with vehicles moving faster than them
People cycling in groups
The updated code explains that people cycling in groups:
should be considerate of the needs of other road users when riding in groups
can ride 2 abreast – and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders
People cycling are asked to be aware of people driving behind them and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when it’s safe to do so.
People cycling passing parked vehicles
The updated code explains that people cycling should:
take care when passing parked vehicles, leaving enough room (a door’s width or 1 metre) to avoid being hit if a car door is opened
You may cross a double-white line if necessary (provided the road is clear) to overtake someone cycling or riding a horse if they are travelling at 10 mph or less (Rule 129).
There is updated guidance on safe passing distances and speeds for people driving or riding a motorcycle when overtaking vulnerable road users, including:
leaving at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph, and giving them more space when overtaking at higher speeds
passing people riding horses or driving horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 10 mph and allowing at least 2 metres (6.5 feet) of space
allowing at least 2 metres (6.5 feet) of space and keeping to a low speed when passing people walking in the road (for example, where there’s no pavement)
Wait behind them and do not overtake if it’s unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances.
People cycling passing slower-moving or stationary traffic
The updated code confirms that people cycling may pass slower-moving or stationary traffic on their right or left.
They should proceed with caution as people driving may not be able to see them. This is particularly important:
on the approach to junctions
when deciding whether it is safe to pass lorries or other large vehicles
The code has been updated to clarify that when turning into or out of a side road, people cycling should give way to people walking who are crossing or waiting to cross.
There is new advice about new special cycle facilities at some junctions.
Some junctions now include small cycle traffic lights at eye-level height, which may allow cyclists to move separately from or before other traffic. People cycling are encouraged to use these facilities where they make their journey safer and easier.
There is also new guidance for people cycling at junctions with no separate facilities.
The code recommends that people cycling should proceed as if they were driving a vehicle where there are no separate cyclist facilities. This includes positioning themselves in the centre of their chosen lane, where they feel able to do this safely. This is to:
make them as visible as possible
avoid being overtaken where this would be dangerous
People cycling turning right
The code now includes advice for people cycling using junctions where signs and markings tell them to turn right in 2 stages. These are:
stage 1 – when the traffic lights turn green, go straight ahead to the location marked by a cycle symbol and turn arrow on the road, and then stop and wait
stage 2 – when the traffic lights on the far side of the junction (now facing the people cycling) turn green, complete the manoeuvre
People cycling have priority when going straight ahead at junctions
The code clarifies that when people cycling are going straight ahead at a junction, they have priority over traffic waiting to turn into or out of a side road, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise.
People cycling are asked to watch out for people driving intending to turn across their path, as people driving ahead may not be able to see them.
7. People cycling, riding a horse and driving horse-drawn vehicles on roundabouts
The code has been updated to clarify that people driving or riding a motorcycle should give priority to people cycling on roundabouts. The new guidance will say people driving and or riding a motorcycle should:
not attempt to overtake people cycling within that person’s lane
allow people cycling to move across their path as they travel around the roundabout
The code already explained that people cycling, riding a horse and driving a horse-drawn vehicle may stay in the left-hand lane of a roundabout when they intend to continue across or around the roundabout.
Guidance has been added to explain that people driving should take extra care when entering a roundabout to make sure they do not cut across people cycling, riding a horse or driving a horse-drawn vehicle who are continuing around the roundabout in the left-hand lane.
The code recommends a new technique when leaving vehicles. It’s sometimes called the ‘Dutch Reach’.
Where people driving or passengers in a vehicle are able to do so, they should open the door using their hand on the opposite side to the door they are opening. For example, using their left hand to open a door on their right-hand side.
This will make them turn their head to look over their shoulder behind them. They’re then less likely to cause injury to:
people cycling or riding a motorcycle passing on the road
people on the pavement
Using an electric vehicle charge point
For the first time, the code includes guidance about using electric vehicle charging points.
When using one, people should:
park close to the charge point and avoid creating a trip hazard for people walking from trailing cables
display a warning sign if you can
return charging cables and connectors neatly to minimise the danger to other people and avoid creating an obstacle for other road users
