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Centre for Cities: Recovery gathers pace as UK emerges from Covid-19 pandemic restrictions

Centre for Cities has published the latest data on its High Streets Recovery Tracker, up to the end of August.

The data suggests that footfall in all of the UK’s largest cities and towns is now recovering as the UK emerges from pandemic restrictions.

Some key findings from the latest data:

By the end of August, average footfall in the centre of the UK’s largest cities and towns reached 64% of pre-Covid levels – up from 53% at the end of July.
Footfall was highest in seaside resorts and other tourist destinations. It exceeded pre-Covid levels in Blackpool, Bournemouth and Southend and came close in Brighton, York and Edinburgh.
Reading saw a 41 percentage point increase in footfall between the end of July and the end of August – the biggest increase in the country. This is likely to do be due to Reading Festival.
The increase in footfall that places saw in August was driven by evening and weekend leisure visitors rather than workers. Worker footfall remained low throughout the summer
Overall footfall in central London and the centres of other large cities also remained low throughout the summer – both compared to other cities and compared to pre-pandemic. In central London overall footfall at the end of August was just 43% of pre-pandemic levels. On the weekend it was higher, at 67%, but still trailing smaller cities.

Where did city centre footfall increase the most in August?
Increased the most	Increased the least
Rank	City	August footfall increase (percentage point)	Last week of August footfall level (% of pre-Covid)	Rank	City	August footfall increase	Last week of August footfall level (% of pre-Covid)
1	Reading	41	95	1	Mansfield	1	77
2	Blackpool	40	160	2	Portsmouth	2	68
3	Southend	30	123	3	Sheffield	3	57
4	Edinburgh	27	94	4	Northampton	3	64
5	Bournemouth	24	123	5	Slough	3	62

You can explore the all the data for the 63 largest cities and towns on our interactive tracker.

Centre for Cities publishes footfall and spending data on a monthly basis. The next release will be published in mid-October and cover the full month of September.

Christmas at the Botanics unveils more surprises for festive trail

The winter spectacle, Christmas at the Botanics, has confirmed more installations for this year’s trail when it opens on 25^th November, including a new festive finale.

Running for 32 nights at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, friends and family will be able to come together to explore 15 dazzling installations along the one-mile route and experience the outdoor twilight trail.

The latest installations confirmed for this year include Digital Rain, Fireflies in the Wood and the cascading Sea of Light (above) which will feature as the festive finale:

Digital Rain – is an immersive installation by Bespoke Lighting and Video, featuring LED pixels that ‘rain down’ on those below to create a shimmering shower of light.
Fireflies in the Woods – is an enchanting installation from Electric Foundry, containing 100 points of light that twist through the tress to create a magical woodland wonderland.
Sea of Light – brings an enthralling mix of sound and light technology, from award-winning company ITHACA, that flows across the landscape in spectacular, glittering waves.

To meet current Scottish Government guidelines, reduced capacities and a one-way system will be in place for the comfort of visitors coming together to celebrate the festive season. Health and safety measures, in place to protect visitors, will be monitored throughout the run.

Simon Milne, Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “This year’s trail promises the arrival of new, exciting and atmospheric installations enabling visitors to enjoy the Garden landscape in a completely different way.

“As we begin our landmark restoration programme, Edinburgh Biomes, we greatly appreciate the contribution that the trail makes to funding our plant research and conservation projects. By coming to the trail, visitors help to support our important work in Scotland and around the world.

“I look forward to welcoming visitors from within the capital, Scotland, the UK and overseas to the Garden to experience this magical moment in Edinburgh’s festive calendar.”

Jonathan Marks, Chief Development Director at Raymond Gubbay, a division of Sony Music, which promotes the event, added: “This year’s easing of restrictions will allow more people within Edinburgh and beyond to safely visit this enchanting spectacle.

“We are excited to welcome new artists and a brand-new festive finale that is bound to impress. There is so much to look forward to and we can’t wait for people to visit this magical winter experience.”

Tickets for this year’s show are on sale now. For further ticket information, pricing and timings, please visit www.rbge.org.uk/christmas.

A timed entry system will remain for the trail this year with visitors encouraged to book now to avoid disappointment.

Christmas at the Botanics is one of 15 illuminated trails staged across the UK by leading events promoter Raymond Gubbay Limited, a division of Sony Music. Christmas at the Botanics is presented in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the trail is created by Culture Creative.

For more details visit https://mychristmastrails.co.uk/ and follow @mychristmastrails on Facebook and Instagram.

Thousands of teenagers missing out on Child Trust Fund cash

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is today urging young people to check if they have a hidden pot of gold – in the shape of a Child Trust Fund (CTF).

It is now one year since the first account holders started turning 18 and around 55,000 CTFs mature every month. This means their owners can withdraw funds or transfer savings into an adult ISA. Hundreds of thousands of accounts have been claimed so far, but many have not.

CTFs were set up for all children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 with a live Child Benefit claim.

Parents or guardians set up these accounts with Child Trust Fund Providers – usually banks, building societies or investment managers – using vouchers provided by the government. If an account was not opened by the child’s parent, HMRC set one up on the child’s behalf.

Between 2002 and early 2011, about six million CTFs were opened by parents or guardians, with a further million set up by HMRC.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, said: “It’s fantastic that so many young people have been able to access the money saved for them in Child Trust Funds but we want to make sure that nobody misses out on the chance to invest in their future.

“If you’re unsure if you have an account or where it may be, it’s easy to get help from HMRC to track down your provider online.”

Some young people may not know they have a CTF – or some parents or guardians may have forgotten who they set the account up with. To help them find their accounts, HMRC created a simple online tool.

Any young people unsure about whether or not they have a CTF should first ask a parent or guardian if they remember setting one up. Once they know who their provider is, they should contact them directly – and either request to withdraw the money or transfer the funds into an adult ISA or other savings account.

For those who cannot access the tool, HMRC will provide alternative, non-digital routes to finding a CTF provider upon request. HMRC will send details of the provider by post within three weeks of receiving their request.

The accounts were set up to encourage positive financial habits and a saving culture among the young account holders. HMRC is working with the Money and Pension Service (MaPS) and the CTF providers to continue to provide financial education to the beneficiariescation to the beneficiaries.  

At 16 years, a child can choose to operate their CTF account or have their parent or guardian continue to look after it, but they cannot withdraw the funds. At 18 years of age, the CTF account matures and the child is able to withdraw money from the fund or move it to a different savings account.

Police events to mark World Suicide Prevention Day

Yesterday saw the first of Police Scotland’s events to mark World Suicide Prevention Day which is on Friday (10th September).

We are grateful to Veterans First Point Lothian and Ithrive Edinburgh who joined us at Whitefoord House and also at the Gyle Shopping Centre to raise awareness of the support available to people affected by suicide.

Police are holding two events today, both of which run from 11am until 2pm:

They will be at Ocean Terminal along with Projekt 42 Penumbra Chris’s House and The Edinburgh Crisis Centre.

A team will also be at the Veteran’s Cafe in The Stafford Centre with Veterans First Point Lothian and Ithrive Edinburgh

Leading with Kindness: Carnegie UK urges organisations to put kindness at their heart

Nearly two years ago, Carnegie UK first convened a Kindness Leadership Network (KiLN), made up of members from different sectors spread across England, Scotland and Wales, with the stated aim of supporting and challenging organisations to move kindness ‘off the page’ and into practice.

As with many things, COVID-19 changed the nature and timetable of this programme of work, but it also presented opportunities for embedding kindness in organisational responses to the pandemic.

Today, we are delighted to launch a set of materials that tells the story of KiLN which we hope will inspire and support other organisations to join this growing movement in seeking to put kindness at the heart of their practice.

1. Our main report, Leading with kindness, narrates the journey we’ve been on since 2019: how KiLN members adapted to COVID-19, and what we learnt about what is possible when kindness becomes an operating principle.

2. The report culminates with a Commitment to Kindness, which distils the collective experience of KiLN members into six goals designed to enable organisations of all kinds and in all places to sustain and deepen their focus on kindness.

3. Alongside this, we worked with Simon Anderson and Julie Brownlie to produce Getting the measure of kindness – a guide that aims to support organisations to develop their approach to the persistent challenge of measurement.

4. Finally, over the next week we’ll be releasing a number of digital stories that aim to communicate the value and importance of kindness in a new way for people within organisations, and people interacting with organisations (look out for these on social media).

However, we don’t just want to share this learning; we want it to lead to action that improves wellbeing.

Therefore, if these reports resonate with the journey that you and your organisation are on, we invite you to endorse the Commitment to Kindness, to use it as a framework to enhance your organisation’s approach to implementing kindness, and to join a growing movement of ‘kind organisations’.

Finally, we would love to hear your thoughts and reactions, which you can share with the team via ben.thurman@carnegieuk.org and with others at @CarnegieUKTrust

#CommitmentToKindness.

With best wishes

SARAH DAVIDSON

Chief Executive, Carnegie UK

Twitter: @CarnegieUKTrust

www.carnegieuk.org

Turn the Tables

Edinburgh homeless project changing lives through DJ’ing nominated for major national award

An Edinburgh based social enterprise whose mission it is to use DJing to change the lives of people affected by homelessness, is appealing for votes in order to be crowned National Lottery Project of the Year.

Turn the Tables beat off stiff competition from more than 1500 organisations to reach the public voting stage in this year’s National Lottery Awards, which celebrate the inspirational people and projects who do extraordinary things with the help of National Lottery funding.

There are 17 shortlisted finalists from across the UK, who will compete in a four-week public vote to be named the inaugural National Lottery Project of the Year. Winners will receive a £3,000 cash prize for their project and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy.

Turn The Tables was started in 2018 by Robbie Tolson, an Edinburgh-based professional DJ, when he volunteered at a homelessness charity. He set up DJ workshops for people living in hostels and temporary accommodation with the vision to share his passion for DJing and live performance. This grew into Turn The Tables.

A National Lottery grant received during the pandemic was a lifeline for the organisation and has enabled them to further expand their work in Edinburgh and Glasgow with The Homelessness DJ project.

Participants graduate through three creative stages from beginner to professional, with the programme culminating in a live stream performance. Some recent graduates of the project have done so well they have been offered positions as Turn The Tables resident DJs and have been booked to perform live under the Turn The Tables banner at major events including the recent Riverside Music Festival in Glasgow.

Robbie Tolson, founder of Turn The Tables, said: “We are delighted to have been made a finalist in this year’s National Lottery Awards, especially after such a tough year.

“Our belief is that nobody should live their life without live music. That’s why we have created a safe environment for vulnerable people, who often avoid music venues and events, to not only experience live music but to also be the headline act.

“We are so proud of all the people involved in this project and the positive changes being made by so many. To be recognised for that is an honour and we really hope people will get behind us and give us their vote.”

Jonathan Tuchner, from The National Lottery, added: “In these challenging times that we still find ourselves in, we see so many examples of inspirational work throughout our communities, driven by these very projects.

“It’s thanks to National Lottery players, who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes, that brilliant projects like these, are possible.

“Turn The Tables are doing some incredible work in their local community and they thoroughly deserve to be in the finals of the National Lottery Awards Project of the Year 2021. With your support, they could be a winner.”

To vote for Turn The Tables, please go to lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards. Or simply use the Twitter hashtag #NLATables. Voting runs from 9am on 6th September until 5pm on 4th October.

Delayed Discharge in NHS Lothian returns to pre Covid-19 levels

The number of days that patients who have been delayed from leaving hospital because of no appropriate place to go to has risen to 7,829 for July 2021, the latest month statistics are available for.

This is an increase of 2,004 from 5,825 delays throughout June and triple the number of bed days occupied from delayed discharge at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when 2,531 delays occurred.

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic SNP Ministers made the decision to move hospital patients into care homes, to free up hospital space for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. It later emerged that patients being moved from hospitals to care homes where not tested for Covid-19 leading to higher rates of Covid-19 deaths in care homes than anywhere else in Scotland.

The level of delayed discharge in NHS Lothian has now returned to pre- pandemic levels with the number of bed days in hospital for delayed discharge being 11 higher than March 2020, 7,278, when hospital patients where moved to care homes.

Edinburgh and the Lothians were in the process of recovering from a Social Care crisis before the pandemic hit, with the peak of delayed discharge in hospitals being in October 2018, when 11,855 combined days when patients were not able to leave hospital, despite being back to health.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “These figures are very concerning, with the number of patients being stuck in hospital without a suitable destination, returning to pre pandemic levels.

“In Edinburgh and the Lothians there has been a long standing challenge to provide social care, which started to shift towards care in the community.

“We are now seeing increasing numbers of patients not able to leave hospital and the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board are planning on closing more care homes.

“Patients leaving hospital must have a suitable destination to go once recovered, so that we are not in a position where people are waiting days on end in hospital, when they don’t need to be there.”

MSP welcomes Forth Ports plan for full repair of Leith’s A-Listed Victoria Swing Bridge

Forth Ports has today announced plans to fully repair the Category A Listed Victoria Swing Bridge located at the Port of Leith to conserve the bridge for the future and create a useable space for the local community.

The private six figure investment will see the bridge, which is the largest counterweighted swing bridge in Scotland, fully repaired, with a phased programme of specialist works which will protect the character and form of the bridge.

Forth Ports’ plans are outlined in a Listed Building Consent application which has been lodged with City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). The proposed repair programme is to be carried out in phases and includes:

The full refurbishment of the northern and southern walkways
Re-decking the central carriage way
Replacement of the decked turning circle areas
A full repair and repaint of metalwork on the bridge

The Victoria Swing Bridge was designed by Alexander Rendel and opened in 1874 to provide an efficient road and railway route for the port following the completion of construction of Albert Dock in 1869.

The bridge was originally B listed but was upgraded to an A listing in 2014. It is constructed of riveted wrought iron, timber and steel and originally carried a double rail track along its central deck (providing access for both trains and road vehicles) and features pedestrian walkways on either side.

Following receipt of Listed Building Consent from the Council, Phase I – the refurbishment of the north and south pedestrian walkways – is expected to be undertaken this year, with the remaining work anticipated being undertaken in 2022. Pedestrian access to the bridge for the local community will be maintained for the duration of the works.

Commenting on the project, Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive at Forth Ports, said: “The Victoria Swing Bridge is a well kent sight in Leith and it is an important and rare surviving example of our heritage.

“The plans we have submitted to the Council have been well thought through and will ensure that the repairs are appropriate for the conservation of this important landmark.

“We want to also create a useable space for the local community and we hope that once the bridge has been restored, people will be able to enjoy this historic space.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “This is excellent news that Forth Ports are investing in a full repair of the Victoria Swing Bridge.

“The bridge is an iconic part of Leith’s history and has been in need of refurbishment for some time.

“I am pleased that the bridge is being preserved so that people can enjoy using it for generations to come.”

Sir Chris Hoy joins hundreds of cyclists to ‘Break the Cycle’

Sir Chris Hoy led the way today as he joined hundreds of other cyclists on a charity cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh to raise money to help build two new villages for people experiencing homelessness.

The Olympic legend completed the 60-mile route to support Social Bite’s ‘Break the Cycle’ campaign which has so far raised over £700,000 as it aims to fund the creation of two new Social Bite Villages in Glasgow and London.

The cyclists set off from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and pedalled through to the finish line in Edinburgh, near the Social Bite Village in Granton on Sunday 5 September.

Each of the participating cyclists fundraised since the campaign launched earlier this year, with entrants having access to a host of special prizes, including naming a house at one of the new villages and a signed medal from Sir Chris.

Amongst the 540 participants was former Scotland Rugby player, John Barclay, as well as residents and staff from the Social Bite Village in Edinburgh.

TV fitness guru, Mr Motivator, was also on hand to warm the cyclists up on the start line and welcome them over the finish line at the end of their journey.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, CEO and Co-Founder of Social Bite, who also completed the cycle, said: “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to cycle alongside a sporting hero like Sir Chris and the hundreds of other passionate supporters that completed the route alongside us.

“Having so many people support the cause is incredibly humbling and Sir Chris’ backing of this campaign has been a major boost in our efforts to raise money for two new villages for people in a situation of homelessness.

“We’re working very hard behind the scenes on the plans for two further Social Bite Villages in not just London and Glasgow but other major cities as well, and the money from Break the Cycle will help turn these plans into a reality. We’re all very grateful to all of our supporters and partners who have helped push the campaign forward.”

As well as the charity cycle, the fundraising campaign has been open to all levels of fitness and ability, with people across the UK taking part in virtual challenges since March to raise money.

Challenges have ranged from long distance challenges, through to different exercise routines depending on what suited people best.

Sir Chris Hoy said: “I’ve been a huge supporter of Social Bite and the incredible work it does for a number of years now.

“I’ve seen the positive impact the charity has on so many people’s lives and I’m really thankful to everyone who has been able to support the Break the Cycle campaign so far.

“It was fantastic to meet all the other cyclists and join them for the ride which will make such a difference to the lives of people experiencing homelessness.”

Since opening in July 2018, Social Bite’s Edinburgh village in partnership with Cyrenians has helped 43 people find their feet again, 100% of the residents in a recent survey preferred living at the Social Bite Village over Hostels or B&Bs.

The village offers a supportive community to help people build an independent life, with the village blueprint offering an alternative to how society responds to homelessness.

Money raised from the Break the Cycle campaign will go towards creating the two highly supported communities with the pro bono help of engineering firm Arup.

10% of funds raised from the event will also be donated to SAMH, the Scottish Association for Mental Health and further funds will be invested in Social Bite’s mission to Break the Cycle of homelessness by providing food, employment opportunities, and housing projects.

To find our more or donate, please visit: breakthecycle.co.uk

Community Renewal Fun Day at Bingham Park this Saturday

Community Renewal Lifting Neighbourhood Together is a ground-breaking project, which is currently testing a new approach in lifting a whole neighbourhood out of poverty in five years. It has received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and is being delivered in Bingham, Magdalene and The Hays.

The official launch took place in October 2020. However, lockdowns and Covid safety measures stalled the team’s visits to the local residents, so they have decided to host a fun day and picnic to officially launch the project to the community.

The event will take place at Bingham Park on Sat 4 September 1 – 3pm

During the day, residents will enjoy family friendly events, entertainment and much more. And along the way, the team will be talking to residents to find out more about their aspirations for the neighbourhood.

All residents from Bingham Magdalene and The Hays are welcome.