Buy Social Scotland campaign launches to make it easy to find presents with a purpose
The pandemic has set the public on course to transform their shopping habits as they turn to businesses that give back.
New research from Social Enterprise Scotland shows that 38% of Scottish residents said the experiences of lockdown have made them more likely to support social enterprises. [1]
There are over 6,000 social enterprises in Scotland generating over £3 billion in trading income and employing almost 90,000 people. Socialenterprises deliver positive social or environmental change and re-invest some or all of their profits into supporting Scottish communities.
Currently a third (29%) of Scottish consumers have bought from a social enterprise in the last year, with 20% of these buying products and services from social enterprises on a regular basis.
But of those who haven’t purchased from a social enterprise this year, 46% highlighted it’s because they don’t know of any social enterprise to buy from.
To address this problem, Buy Social Scotland, a new online directory of social enterprises, has been launched. It will tap into the huge demand for gifts, goods and services with a positive impact on communities, local areas and the environment.
BuySocialScotland.com features a wide range of ethical gifts that give back, with products, experiences and vouchers ranging from arts and crafts to health and beauty, home and garden, clothing and accessories for adults and children, and sport and wellbeing.
The directory includes 100 listings from social enterprises from all over Scotland.
These include Invisible Cities, which trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides in their cities and Mecoco, that offers work experience opportunities for disabled people to make eco-friendly candles, diffusers and soaps.
Also featured are Grace Chocolates where women who have touched the Scottish Criminal Justice System make exquisite handmade chocolates and The Blankfaces, the UK’s first non-profit fashion label, helping the homeless in Glasgow.
Another participant in the campaign, Chris Gillan, Founder of Heroes Drinks, said: “There has never been a more important time for the public to buy local and support businesses in their community. Buying Social is a great way to do this, as profits are often used to support those most disadvantaged or in need of support in our community.”
“Heroes Drinks was formed to support our military community by donating profits to our partner charities and using the remaining profits to support employment and work placement opportunities for veterans.”
A 2019 study by the Thomson Reuters Foundation claimed Scotland was a “rising star” when it came to supporting social enterprises, in part due to Scottish Government support for the sector.
Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell said: “Scotland’s social enterprises have a positive reputation for giving back to their communities and delivering positive change while contributing to the Scottish economy. They are supported through the Government’s social enterprise action plan.
“The Buy Social Scotland directory will help the public support their local communities by choosing to buy a present with a purpose this festive season.
“I would encourage people to see if there is a good ethical gift option for their loved ones this year, so they can make a gift with a difference.”
Chris Martin, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise Scotland, added:“Scotland leads the way in social enterprise, but for too long many social enterprises have been a hidden secret.
“With so many ethical shoppers looking to find great products and services while also helping to build a better, fairer society, now is the time for Scotland to Buy Social and support businesses that give back.”
Public health advice is NOT to alter Christmas term date
Christmas and New Year school holiday dates will remain as planned.
The timing of school holidays, which vary around Scotland, was raised with Ministers in the Education Recovery Group, given many schools break up very close to Christmas and the potential for increased social interaction in households following the limited relaxation of rules between 23-27 December.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney said: “Being in school is in the best interests of children and our priority remains to ensure schools are safe, and open. I want to thank school leaders, teachers and school staff for their outstanding commitment to education that has enabled children and young people to learn safely in school since August.
“The advice I have received from public health officials, and the COVID-19 Sub-group on Education and Children’s Issues, is not to alter Christmas and New Year holiday dates.
“We also know vulnerable children may be at greater risk if they are out of school for an extended period, and I am mindful of the impact an extension to school holidays would have for working parents. For these reasons I do not see a clear rationale for changing term dates and disrupting children’s education.”
Teachers union EIS says the decision will anger many teachers – and some have turned their anger on their own trade union.
One said: “This is the most horrific insult to everything teachers have been doing this year! @EIS are you actually going to stand up for us and do anything about this? If not now, then what exactly is your purpose?
Another added: “What?!! Are you completely ignoring the fact most people return a week after everyone has been allowed to mix indoors? This is the most alarming part: how many pupils and teachers are going to have to isolate in January! When are you going to actually stand up for us!
A third said: “This is an absolute disgrace. I am so angry at the Scottish Government. It is a complete insult to all school staff who are exhausted and on their knees after a very difficult term in very uncertain times. EIS have to start doing something NOW!!
The EIS website is currently down.
Read the advice from COVID-19 Sub-group on Education and Children’s Issues.
More details about the COVID-19 Sub-group on Education and Children’s Issues, including a list of members, can be found here.
More than 1,000 children have been waiting more than a year for treatment
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a “mental health emergency” as new figures indicate that more than 1,000 children and young people have been waiting more than a year for mental health treatment.
The figures from Public Health Scotland also indicate that only one Scottish health board is meeting the Scottish Government’s waiting time target of 18 weeks from referral to treatment over the quarter to September 2020 and two out of five are not being seen within this 18 week target.1
The SCSC has called on the Scottish Government to redouble its efforts and for a “national crusade” to tackle this emergency as the number of referrals return to pre-lockdown levels.
It has also backed calls by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland that £145 million from additional £1.1 billion COVID-19 funding granted in the autumn be applied to mental health services.
While 4,032 children and young people were treated over the period July to September 2020 by child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), only 60.6 per cent were seen within the 18-week waiting target and only one health board, NHS Ayrshire and Arran met this target.
The report also highlights that in September 2020, 1,060 children and young people had been waiting more than a year for treatment, up from 632 on the same point last year.3 In addition, 365 had been waiting over a year prior to treatment compared with 220 in the same quarter the previous year.
The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the COVID-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.
It has called reiterated its call for a “national crusade”, with the Scottish Government working closely with authorities, including the third and independent sectors, and investing significantly in mental health services. The coalition has also urged that greater awareness is made of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.
The SCSC has warned that self-isolation and social distancing have had an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression. It has noted that even the most resilient children are going to need additional support as they navigate this transition back into whatever is the new normal, and some will need a lot of extra support.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a highly challenging environment for both our young people and our mental health services.
“While referrals are beginning to return to pre-lockdown levels, it is vital that children and families are provided with the support they so desperately need, especially given the impact of the pandemic on mental health. The fact that more than 1,000 of our most vulnerable children have been waiting more than a year for treatment in this respect is deeply troubling.
“We would urge the Scottish Government to look to not just the NHS, but the third sector and other independent organisations to play a key role in this. Our mental health services must receive the funding they vitally need or we face a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.”
Waiting times (with adjustments) for people who started their treatment from July to September 2020, by NHS Board of treatment:
Health board
Total number seen
% seen within 18 weeks
NHS Island boards
62
83.9%
NHS Dumfries & Galloway
95
88.4%
NHS Ayrshire & Arran
233
91.9%
NHS Lanarkshire
248
62.1%
NHS Lothian
518
59.5%
NHS Grampian
343
85.7%
NHS Fife
274
63.9%
NHS Forth Valley
182
40.1%
NHS Borders
32
71.9%
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley
1,451
47.6%
NHS Highland
198
74.2%
NHS Tayside
396
57.8%
NHS Scotland
4,032
60.6%
The number of young people waiting for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Lothian has dramatically increased since March this year.
The number of young people waiting 0-18 weeks for mental health support has dropped from 1,223 in March to 963 in September this year. The number of young people waiting over a year to be seen for mental health support has risen from 381 in March earlier this year, to 581 in September, an increase from 14.8% to 21% of young people having to wait over a year.
Waits for young peoples mental health support have been growing over the last two years, but have significantly increased over the last 6 months since Covid-19.
At the start of this year NHS Lothian invested £3 million to hire 40 extra staff including, clinical psychologists, registered nurses and occupational therapists
In September this year Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council, in partnership with MYPAS, announced pilot schemes for counsellors to be place in schools for this academic year.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“In Edinburgh and the Lothians we were already facing a mental health crisis for young people, which has only got worse since Covid-19.
“Young people having to wait over a year to be seen for mental health support is very distressing for the person who is note getting the support they need and their family.
“CAMHS staff work tirelessly to provide invaluable mental health support, but they must be further supported by SNP Ministers and NHS Lothian to meet the high demand for their services.
“Remote mental health support is not the right solution for everybody, but where appropriate this must be fully utilised to reach and support as many young people as possible.
“SNP Ministers have been in charge of our health service for over 13 years, during which time mental health service waiting times for young people have got significantly longer.”
48% of Scottish charities reported a decrease in income this year, as a result of the pandemic
Almost two thirds (61%) of Scottish charities experienced an increase in demand this year, more than the UK average of 55%
Almost a half (47%) of Scottish charities anticipate further demand over Christmas
Across the UK, homelessness/refuge charities saw an 81% increase in demand since the pandemic, followed closed by mental health service charities (77%)
According to the latest report by leading match-funding charity, the Big Give, half of Scotland’s charities would usually secure more than a quarter of their voluntary income during the Christmas period, while a staggering 22% would typically raise between 50 – 75%.
But this year, it’s a very different story as demand will outweigh donations, as almost half (49%) expect donations this year, and over the next 12-months, to be lower than usual.
“We run a Giving Tree at Christmas, ensuring that children who ordinarily would not get a gift do. Last year we handed out over 10,000 gifts to children in the North East of Scotland, we expect demand for this [charity service] to increase this year, as more people are pushed into poverty and having to make real choices, do we eat, do we pay bills or do we buy our children gifts.” – reported one of the Scottish charities which took part in the survey
Christmas is a critical time for charity fundraising, this year more than ever before.
The Big Give saw a 24% increase in applications for their annual match funding campaign, the Christmas Challenge, which offers the public the opportunity to have their donations matched between 1-8 December.
This year charity income was badly impacted by Coronavirus, as high street charity shops have been closed and fundraising events cancelled. The report, in which over 1,000 UK charities were surveyed, reveals that almost half (48%) of Scottish charities reported an income decrease.
“During Lockdown, we had to close our shops, which is our source of income, in order to support our charitable work and the foodbank …” – reported one of the charities which took part in the survey.
Christmas has always been a critical point in the year for vital fundraising, as 50% of the Scottish charities who participated in the survey said that they usually raise a quarter of their annual voluntary income in December, while 22% raise a staggering 50-75% of their income.
Donations aren’t meeting demand
During the year, almost two thirds (61%) of Scottish charities saw an increased demand in their services. And sadly, it’s only predicted to get worse, as the pandemic puts a further strain on charity resources; almost half (47%) anticipate an increase in demand for their services during the Christmas period.
“Our foodbank remained open and we delivered food parcels to those who were isolating. The demand has grown hugely. In order to reopen we had to spend money on ensuring that our shops were safe for customers to return to and for our staff and volunteers to work in. We have reduced the amount of stock in the shops so that we can make them safe, therefore reducing our income.” – reported one of the charities which took part in the survey
Charities are using a variety of tactics to cope but thousands could close
More than one in 10 (13%) of Scottish charities have had to make staff redundancies, while over a quarter (26%) will be restructuring the charity, as preservation measures.
In the UK, 60 of the 1,000 surveyed (6%), are considering mothballing or closing completely. Extrapolated across the sector, this could mean the closure of around 10,000 charities. Smaller charities are particularly vulnerable.
“We are teetering on the edge of collapse if we can’t raise enough funds this Christmas.” – Reported a London-based child welfare charity
James Reed, Chairman and Chief Executive of recruitment company REED, and Trustee of The Big Give,commented:“The disruption caused by Covid-19 is hugely challenging for the charity sector. We are approaching an alarming crunch point where many worthwhile organizations might fail for lack of funds. Now, more than ever, both charities and their beneficiaries need and deserve our support.
Reed added: “Charitable campaigns, such as The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge, provide a vital lifeline for charities and this report clearly highlights why giving this year, no matter how small your donation, is more important than ever.”
Homelessness and refuge charities, and those supporting people’s mental health are particularly vulnerable this Christmas.
While almost a third (31%) of charities across the sector in the UK have already experienced a “double whammy” of decreased voluntary income and increased demand for services since the pandemic, homelessness/refuge charities saw the greatest demand, up 81% since the pandemic hit, followed closed by mental health service charities (77%)
Tom Kerridge, Michelin-starred chef, author and TV presenter, who is backing this year’s campaign, through the charity Only a Pavement Away, commented: “Christmas highlights how important friends and family are and this year more than ever, the idea of not being able to spend it with your loved ones is sad for everyone.
“So imagine being homeless, having no close friends or family to spend it with and that sense of loneliness on what should be a day surrounded by love. This year more than ever, the plight of homeless people is so important and charity is key at this time of year.”
The net effect of Coronavirus has been a decrease in volunteering
Almost half (43%) of Scottish charities reported a decrease in volunteering since the pandemic, likely linked to the lockdown and the social distancing measures put in place. Only 13% of charities have reported an increase, despite community morale being at an all time high, the circumstances of the year has made physical support extremely difficult.
Volunteering at Christmas is likely to be affected as well. The worst-affected sector across the UK this year is Cancer, with charities reporting an 82% reduction in income), followed by hospitals/hospices (79%), animal welfare (67%) and older people (64%).
“As our schemes require face-to-face contact with volunteers, approximately two-thirds of our current volunteers have been unable to volunteer over this period. Our greatest need at present is for new volunteers without underlying health conditions who will be able to volunteer and meet the increasing demand for our services.” – reported Open Homes Nottingham, who provide accommodation for homeless 16 – 25-year-olds
Smaller charities are hardest hit
The decrease in income has hit smaller charities hardest, with the smallest (income under £100k) reporting an average decrease of around half (51%) of their total income. With those charitable cause sectors experiencing the largest drops in income so far, being Armed Forces/veterans causes, sports/recreation, cancer and older people.
Some areas have been worse affected than others, with charities in the South West (76%), East Midlands (69%) and Wales (69%) reporting the greatest reduction in income.
The report was compiled following a survey of 1,011 UK charities was conducted as part of research for the Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s largest online match funding campaign. Since 2008, the Big Give has raised over £135m for charities through match funding. At a critical time for the sector, the 2020 campaign will support over 750 charities across a broad range of sectors, geographies and size.
A number of Scottish charities are participating in the campaign including:
This year, the Big Give Christmas Challenge has been endorsed by more than 20 celebrities, including Jo Brand, Sue Perkins, Sir Michael Palin, Tom Kerridge and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, to name a few, all of whom feature in the campaign’s official video – https://youtu.be/nTO-NsK__Gc
For further information on the Big Give Christmas Challenge, or to donate, visit: theBigGive.org.uk
To mark Human Rights Day on Thursday 10th December, composer Max Richter’s groundbreaking recording project VOICES, inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will be broadcast for the first time on BBC Radio 3 and 35 international radio stations in Europe, the US, Australia and beyond, in collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union.
Max Richter and his creative partner Yulia Mahr will also participate in a global Q&A with the United Nations to mark the day.
Also on 10th December, Decca Records will release a brand new EP featuring four international language narrations of ‘All Human Beings’ (the opening part of VOICES) in French, German, Spanish, Dutch and English.
At the heart of VOICES is a profound sense of global community, born out of Richter and Mahr’s career-long stance that creativity can play an activist role in our world.
The album provides a place to think about the questions facing us through the prism of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In a time of dramatic global change, VOICES offers a musical message of hope.
Richter and Mahr invited people around the world to be part of the piece, crowd-sourcing readings of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be interwoven into the work, which features an ‘upside-down’ orchestra. They received hundreds of submissions in over 70 languages. These readings form the aural landscape that the music flows through: they are the VOICES of the title.
Max Richter and Yulia Mahr say: “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to present VOICES once more. In these strange and challenging times it is more important than ever to keep the music playing and the message of the Universal Declaration alive.
“Thinking back now to the premiere of VOICES in February feels like visiting another world. In these strange and anxious times it is a great privilege to be able to mark Human Rights day by presenting the work again, in spite of the pandemic.”
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Human Rights Day is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in rebuilding the world we want, with global solidarity, interconnectedness and shared humanity.
As part of Human Rights Day 2020, Max Richter and Yulia Mahr will collaborate with the UN to amplify the message of the Declaration of Human Rights.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will host a Q&A with Richter and Mahr to discuss VOICES, as part of their digital Human Rights Day events and Mahr’s breathtaking video of‘All Human Beings’ will also be shown on the OHCHR website.
The powerful themes of humanitarianism running through VOICES were informed by Yulia’s own upbringing. She explains: “I was born in Hungary at a time when it was a Communist country.
“I have such vivid memories of our street, where the buildings were still peppered with bullet holes from the revolution in 56, and where some were still in ruins from World War Two.
“In those days each person was allocated a certain predetermined amount of living space, so every flat would contain multiple generations or sometimes even different families. I lived with my great grandfather, my grandmother, aunts, father and mother in three rooms.
“My grandmother had fled persecution by the Nazis to the safety of Chile for 20 years – and so in the confines of our flat I was raised on stories of escape, persecution, community and hope. My grandmother remained a humanitarian throughout her life – helping refugees and being part of an international movement towards peace.
“In the end my own convoluted story saw my mother and I replicating the large scale migrations of the 20th century and I arrived in the UK aged eight – lonely, confused and desperate for security.
“While I could rarely see my grandmother after that – her spirit has never left me and it is this spirit that informed the conception and writing of VOICES.”
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIONS OF‘ALL HUMAN BEINGS’
The voice of Eleanor Roosevelt, who served as the first chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights and played an instrumental role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be heard at the start of ‘All Human Beings’, the opening track of VOICES.
Richter incorporates Roosevelt’s 1949 preamble reading of the Declaration into the piece alongside a narrator to convey a sense of youth and the future. On the album the narrator is acclaimed actor Kiki Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk, The Old Guard).
To mark Human Rights Day, Decca Records will release an exclusive EP of five new versions of ‘All Human Beings’ featuring multiple narrations performed by acclaimed global artists.
Actor Nina Hoss (Yella, Homeland) reads in German, Iranian-born actor Golshifteh Farahani (Extraction, Paterson, About Elly) in French, author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (winner of the 2020 International Booker prize or The Discomfort of Evening) in Dutch and María Valverde (Cracks, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Broken Horses) in Spanish. Olivier Award-winning actor Sheila Atim MBE, who will also perform in the BBC Radio 3 broadcast, narrates the new English version.
Richter says: “When I started thinking about how to present the Declaration, I came across a recording of Eleanor Roosevelt from 1949 reading the preamble. She’s so fundamental to the writing of the Declaration, it was really important to start with her.
“The narrators bring a sense of youth and potential in that performance because the Declaration is really about the future; it’s about the world we haven’t made yet. While the past is fixed, the future is yet unwritten, and the Declaration sets out an uplifting vision of a better and fairer world that is within our reach if we choose it. VOICES is a musical space to reconnect with these inspiring principles.”
BBC RADIO 3 AND GLOBAL EBU BROADCAST
The momentous global broadcast of VOICES will be recorded at BBC’s Maida Vale studios, presented by Elizabeth Alker. It will be presented in a new version for a 24-piece ensemble including strings, 4-member choir, electronics, solo soprano and narrator. The BBC Radio 3 broadcast of VOICES features violinist Viktoria Mullova as soloist, soprano Grace Davidson, members of London-based vocal ensemble Tenebrae, the Max Richter ensemble – with Richter himself on keyboards and electronics – and Sheila Atim as the narrator.
36 European Broadcasting Union-associated radio stations in 34 countries will join the unique broadcast of VOICES, providing listeners across the globe with a renewed moment of hope and a moment of reflection in unprecedented times.
Max Richter and Yulia Mahr conclude,“We are thrilled about the partnership with the UN Human Rights Office, and the collaboration with BBC Radio 3 and the EBU which have made it possible to perform VOICES once more. In this challenging time in human history, the text of the Declaration is more important than ever.”
The TUC is spearheading a #SickPayForAll campaign.
The union body says that as we move into winter, cases of coronavirus are surging rapidly. It adds that no one should be faced with both illness and the fear of being plunged into debt.
The TUC says however that 2 million people do not even qualify for sick pay.
Its petition demands the government scrap the minimum earnings threshold for statutory sick pay, increase the weekly level of sick pay to at least £330 per week, and give employers the resources to afford sick pay for their workers.
The TUC argues that even for those who do qualify, the current payment of £95.85 a week is not enough to pay the bills. Four in 10 workers would be forced into financial hardship.
“At a time of skyrocketing cases, fixing statutory sick pay can prevent the spread of the virus and ensure millions can get paid to quarantine safely at home,” the TUC #SickPayForAll petition notes.
It adds: “No one who self-isolates should worry about putting food on the table. No one should feel forced to go to work instead of recovering from the virus. Everyone has the right to decent sick pay.”
Charities in Scotland are among those sharing £37,730 in the latest round of funding from Leeds Building Society Foundation.
The Foundation, which works to support those who are disadvantaged, socially isolated or in vulnerable circumstances, is helping charities in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Airdrie, Fife and Auchindarroch.
Grants totalling £6,158 will:
Buy props and equipment for Indepen-dance in Glasgow, to allow disabled people to participate in remote dance and movement sessions
Provide two Merida Big Seven mountain bikes to the Preshal Trust in Glasgow, for its weekly cycling fitness programme
Purchase digital equipment and mobile phones for Bright Lights Relationship Counselling in Edinburgh, so remote counselling sessions can continue
Buy seven mini-portals for Firsthand Lothian in Edinburgh, to facilitate online games, art, craft and mindfulness sessions to support mental health
Furnish a new therapy room for those who have experienced abuse for the Moira Anderson Foundation in Airdrie
Provide laptops and iPods for Fife Young Carers to support young carers in keeping up with their education online
Purchase electronic tablets for Developing Potential SCIO in Auchindarroch, to enable mental health support workshops to continue running remotely
In the latest funding round, a total of 42 charities across the UK have benefitted from donations totalling £37,730.
“We’re pleased to be able to assist these charities supporting people in need in communities in Scotland,” says Gary Hetherington, the chairman of Leeds Building Society Foundation.
“The pandemic has presented many extra challenges for charitable organisations of all sizes.
“Whether revamping technology to provide more online facilities or investing in PPE to offer help to maintain more in-person services in a COVID secure environment, these grants will greatly assist the vital services offered within these local communities.”
The Foundation is funded by the Society and its members via the Your Interest in Theirs scheme*.
It primarily provides grants towards practical items that directly support those in need including those with disabilities, affected by homelessness, or with serious health issues.
Applications for grants can be submitted throughout the year and are reviewed by the Foundation quarterly. To find out more, charities should visit the Leeds Building Society website.
It seems that almost every week we learn of some new scientific breakthrough to help us beat Covid. Last week it was good news about the vaccine from Pfizer BioNTech and then Moderna.
This morning we heard the fantastic news that the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine has been highly effective in clinical trials – there are more tests to be done, but the signs are that this vaccine – financed partly by British taxpayers, working in partnership with a great British company – this vaccine could be both affordable and easy to use and highly effective.
We have ordered 100m doses, and thanks to the work of the Vaccines Task Force we have secured more than 350m doses of potential vaccines of all kinds – but we are not out of the woods yet
We can hear the drumming hooves of the cavalry coming over the brow of the hill but they are not here yet.
Even if all three vaccines are approved, even if the production timetables are met and vaccines notoriously fall behind in their production timetables it will be months before we can be sure that we have inoculated everyone that needs a vaccine and those months will be hard.
They will be cold – they include January and February when the NHS is under its greatest pressure and that is why when we come out of lockdown next week we must not just throw away the gains we have all made. So today we have published out Covid Winter Plan which sets out a clear strategy to take the country through to the end of March.
We will continue to bear down hard on this virus. We will use tough tiering – in some ways tougher than the pre-lockdown measures and details of those tiers are on the gov.uk website later this week when we have the most up to data and we will be sharing details of which tier your area is going to be in.
I should warn you now that many more places will be in higher tiers than alas was previously the case, and we will simultaneously be using the new and exciting possibilities of community testing – as they have done in Liverpool – and there will be a clear incentive for everyone in areas where the virus prevalence is high to get a test, to get one of these rapid turnaround lateral flow tests and do your best for the community.
Get a test to help to squeeze the disease and reduce the restrictions that your town or city or area has endured and that way – through tough tiering and mass community testing we hope to let people see a little more of their family and friends over Christmas.
Now I know that many of us want and need Christmas with our families; we feel after this year we deserve it but this is not the moment to let the virus rip for the sake of Christmas parties.
‘Tis the season to be jolly but’ tis also the season to be jolly careful, especially with elderly relatives.
And working with the Devolved Administrations we will set out shortly how we want to get the balance right for Christmas and we will be setting this out later this week.
Christmas this year will be different and we want to remain prudent through Christmas and beyond into the new year, but we will use the three tools that I have described to squeeze the virus in the weeks and months ahead: tiering, testing and the roll-out of vaccines, employing all three techniques together so as to drive down R and drive down the infection rate.
And I really am now assured things really will look and feel very different indeed after Easter and that idea of and end goal or date is important because at last – if the promise of the vaccines is fulfilled – we do have something to work for a timescale, a goal around which businesses can begin tentatively to plan and with luck and with hard work we will be seeing improvements before then.
But for now the problem is not a shortage of hope or a lack of optimism, not with the amazing news that we are getting from the laboratories in this country: the challenge now as we face this difficult winter ahead is to fight down any over-optimism to master any tendency to premature celebration of success.
That success will come all the faster if we work together to follow the guidance maintain the basic disciplines as people have done so heroically over the last few months: hands, face, space and get a test if you have symptoms because that is the way we will beat it together.
As Scotland prepares for an unusual festive period filled with firsts, Zero Waste Scotland is encouraging Scots to start their own new tradition this Christmas.
The organisation is a launching a campaign to help Scots with practical ideas and tips on small changes to cut our carbon footprint linked to waste, calling on everyone to retain the joy in what for many will be a different festive period.
Many Scots have embraced lifestyle changes that benefit the environment during lockdown – from making the most of food to repairing clothing, and recycling as much as they can.
Now Zero Waste Scotland is challenging the nation to apply that ethos to Christmas and come up with a ‘Christmas first’ that’s good for the planet and spreads a little joy.
Jenny Fraser, consumer campaigns manager at Zero Waste Scotland, said:“It has been wonderful to see how people across Scotland have continued to do their bit for the planet during lockdown – whether that’s by making or buying reusable face coverings, baking yummy treats from leftover ingredients, upcycling furniture or making the most of every available space in their recycling bins.
“It has been a challenging year for many and lots of people will be experiencing Christmas ‘firsts’ because of circumstances beyond their control this season. We’re encouraging people to take the opportunity to set their own – and we’re excited to hear all about them via the hashtag #ChristmasTrimmings.”
As Scotland’s circular economy expert, Zero Waste Scotland helps consumers and businesses reduce waste and emissions to combat climate change.
The organisation has come up with the following ‘Christmas firsts’ as examples of actions that keep the joy of Christmas without a hefty carbon footprint:
Ask for a second-hand gift. Research from Zero Waste Scotland shows most Scots would be happy to receive a pre-loved gift – but many would be unlikely to buy one for someone else². Why not turn that around this year by asking gift-givers (and Santa) to shop second-hand – either in person where Scottish Government coronavirus guidance allows or on online auction sites likes Gumtree and eBay?
Give a gift that keeps on giving. Subscriptions, donations and sponsorship are a great way to share the love without the ‘stuff’ – and support a good cause. Why not invest in a streaming platform like Netflix for the movie buff in your life, subscribe to a comic or magazine, sponsor an animal, or donate to a charity close to a loved one’s heart?
Make your own wrapping paper. With Scots using upwards of 19,000 miles of wrapping paper in previous years, a DIY effort could be a fun way to cut your carbon footprint down to size. Why not use kids’ drawings to wrap gifts, or if you have received a delivery recently jazz up the brown paper it was stuffed with? Just remember to avoid glitter and foil as paper mixed with these can’t be recycled.
Have a ‘Christmas dinner conference’. We all know how hard it can be to please everyone, so with smaller gatherings this year it’s the perfect time to get everyone involved in planning the Christmas shopping list. Whether you’re hosting an extended household (following Scottish Government coronavirus guidance) or just the immediate family, why not start a conversation about what you’ll eat come Christmas? Planning ahead will help you buy only what you need and stop good food going to waste.
Zero Waste Scotland is encouraging Scots to share their own ‘Christmas firsts’ on social media using the hashtag #ChristmasTrimmings.
The campaign aims to help everyone in Scotland have a happy Christmas without the waste, whatever way they’re celebrating this year.
Better support is needed to help BAME women in the transition from school to the workplace, according to a report issued today by a group taking part in a Scottish Parliament project aimed at increasing women’s involvement in politics.
The Young Women Lead leadership programme has this year explored employment opportunities for women from ethnic minorities considering recruitment, retention and development policies and practices
The report examines routes into employment for BAME women and the role employers play in this process. The report also looks at addressing racism and discrimination, including unconscious bias, in the workplace through diversity networks, raising cultural awareness, flexible working and harassment policies.
It recommends that local authorities promote BAME identifying individuals to senior positions in primary and secondary schools, with representation at the top of organisations key to improving the systems in place.
It is also recommended that the Scottish Government ensure employers collect and use workforce data to benchmark current levels of BAME women within their workplace in order to identify underrepresented populations.
Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani MSP, who convened the group, said: “With the Black Lives Matter movement demonstrating that the fight for racial equality continues, it is so important that we look to Scotland’s young people to help us find solutions and push for change.
“I have seen first-hand the commitment and determination of these young women, in the face of a global pandemic, to make a difference in the lives of women across Scotland. They are nothing short of inspirational. I believe the recommendations in this timely report are a step towards creating real change for future generations.
“It has been a highlight of my time as Deputy Presiding Officer to convene the Young Women Lead Committee and I wish all of this year’s participants the utmost success in their future endeavours.”
Speaking as the report was launched, Dr Patrycja Kupiec, CEO of YWCA Scotland – The Young Women’s Movement, said: “This year’s Young Women Lead is the first parliamentary committee in the history of the Scottish Parliament that comprises solely of young women from ethnic minority backgrounds.
“Investing in diverse leadership is key to building a fairer Scotland for all, and despite challenges brought on by lockdown restrictions, this group of 23 young women have demonstrated that they are a force for change. They have investigated barriers young BAME women experience during transition from education to employment and barriers in the workplace.
“The results of this timely and much needed research are highly relevant for any organisation in the public or private sector looking to implement innovative young women-led solutions to create an equal, diverse and inclusive culture in which young BAME women can thrive and progress.”
Revati Campbell, Young Women Lead Committee member, said: “This year’s YWL Report is about a really important issue that’s directly affected the lives of every one of the participants in this year’s cohort.
“This is such a distinct issue, often overlooked. I’m so proud of all the work we’ve done to create this report and excited to see it released.”
Madeleine Planche, Young Women Lead Committee member, said: “I am so grateful that despite the challenges this year – with the support of our wonderful Parliament team – that our report will be published.
“Everyone is so passionate about this topic and hopefully it will help to create meaningful change.”
Lauryn Mwale, Young Women Lead Committee member, said: “Young Woman Lead was a once in a lifetime experience. The people I met and what they taught me will stay with me forever. I used to call myself apolitical, but this experience has really opened my eyes to the scope and power of government.
“As a young black woman in a country which isn’t my own, it was a great privilege to contribute to the report. Today, Scotland is my home and I am very fortunate to live in a place that appreciates my voice, not in spite of my background but because they see value in my lived experience”.
