Spartans Alternative School have won an international award for a social enterprise created by their students.
Bethany Marshall (below left, pictured with Ashey Telford) explained: “At the Spartans Community Football Academy’s Alternative School we created artwork using paint and footballs.
“We then learnt how to use photoshop and to create digital drawings that became designs for our mugs. The mugs where then sold to raise money for UEvolve. This was our chosen charity for our social enterprise ‘Creative Collaborstions’.
“We have been working on this since February 2020 to raise awareness of young male mental health. Despite Covid-19 we continued to develop the social enterprise.
“As a result we won a social enterprise award and featured in the schools edition of the Big Issue. We have since sold a total of 100 mugs 50 Big Issues and we have 30 mugs still to sell. We’re proud to announce we have just received the Social Enterprise World Forum award 2020 for Health and Wellbeing.”
Spartans Alternative School manager Emma Easton added: “We still have more mugs to sell as sales were hampered by timing of Covid lockdown. Profits are going towards U-Evolve to support young men’s mental health – this was the charity our students chose.”
Research highlights England’s local councils with the lowest social mobility opportunities
The effect of deprivation in dozens of English local authorities is now so persistent that some families face being locked into disadvantage for generations unless the right action is taken, a new report shows today.
In the most detailed study of regional social mobility ever conducted in the UK, the report from the Social Mobility Commission identifies local councils with the worst and the best social mobility in England.
In the “coldest spots” those from disadvantaged backgrounds, entitled to free school meals, have little chance of making a better life for themselves or their children. They also earn much less than their more affluent peers.
These areas, which range across England, include:
Chiltern
Bradford
Thanet
Bolton
Wolverhampton
Kingston-upon-Hull
Fenland
Mansfield
Walsall
Gateshead
Kirklees
St Helens
Dudley
Bolton
Wigan
Individuals aged 28 from disadvantaged families in these councils earn on average just over half the amount of those from similar backgrounds in the most mobile areas. They also earn much less than those of the same age from more affluent families living nearby.
Steven Cooper, interim co-chair of the commission said: “These findings are very challenging. They tell a story of deep unfairness, determined by where you grow up. It is not a story of north versus south or urban versus rural; this is a story of local areas side by side with vastly different outcomes for the disadvantaged sons growing up there.“
Areas with high social mobility, where those from poorer backgrounds earn more and the pay gap with those from affluent families is smaller include:
The results, covering around 320 local councils in England and 800,000 young adults, show a postcode lottery for disadvantaged people. In areas with high social mobility, disadvantaged young adults earn twice as much as those with similar backgrounds in areas with low social mobility – on average, over £20,000 compared with under £10,000. Annual earnings from this group range from £6,900 (Chiltern) to £24,600 (Uttlesford).
Councils with the lowest earnings for disadvantaged individuals include:
Bradford
Hyndburn
Gateshead
Thanet
But they also include:
West Devon
Sheffield
Malvern Hills
Kensington and Chelsea.
Those with the highest earnings include:
Broxbourne
East Hertfordshire
Forest Heath
Havering
Uttlesford
Wokingham
But those from poor backgrounds also face unfairness on their doorstep. Pay gaps between the most and least deprived individuals in local authorities with the poorest social mobility are 2.5 times higher than in areas of high social mobility.
Education, often blamed for social mobility differences, is only part of the answer. In areas with high social mobility, gaps in educational achievement account for almost the entire pay difference between the most and least advantaged sons. On average it accounts for 80% of the difference.
However, in local authorities where social mobility is low it is much harder to escape deprivation. In such areas, up to 33% of the pay gap between the highest and lowest earners is down to non-education factors, like local labour markets and family background.
Disadvantaged workers are restricted by factors including limited social networks (fewer internships); inability to move to more prosperous areas; limited or no financial support from family; less resilience to economic turbulence due to previous crisis such as 2008 financial crash and less developed soft skills.
The commission is now urging regional and community leaders to use the findings to help draw up tailored, sustained, local programmes to boost social mobility, building on the approach in some Opportunity Areas.
The commission will also ask the government to extend its current Opportunity Areas programme – which gives support to 12 councils – to include several more authorities identified as the areas with the most entrenched disadvantage.
Professor Lindsey Macmillan, Director of CEPEO at UCL and Research Fellow at IFS said: “This new evidence highlights the need for a joined up-approach across government, third sector organisations, and employers.
“The education system alone cannot tackle this postcode lottery – a strategy that considers the entire life experience, from birth through to adulthood, is crucial to ensuring fairer life chances for all.”
Laura van der Erve, Research Economist at IFS and co-author of the report, said: “Not only do children from disadvantaged backgrounds have considerably lower school attainment and lower adult earnings than their peers from more affluent backgrounds, we also find large differences in the outcomes of children from disadvantaged backgrounds across the country.
“This highlights that children’s opportunities in England are still defined by both the family they were born into and the area they grew up in.”
Key findings
Social mobility in England is a postcode lottery, with large differences across areas in both the adult pay of disadvantaged adults, and the size of the pay gap for those from deprived families, relative to those from affluent families.
Disadvantaged young adults in areas with high social mobility can earn twice as much as their counterparts in areas where it is low – over £20,000 compared with under £10,000
Pay gaps between deprived and affluent young adults in areas with low social mobility are 2.5 times larger than those in areas with high social mobility.
In areas of low social mobility, up to 33% of the pay gap is driven by family background and local market factors, over and beyond educational achievement.
Characteristics of the coldest spots: fewer professional and managerial occupations; fewer outstanding schools; higher levels of deprivation and moderate population density.
The Social Mobility Commission is an independent advisory non-departmental public body established under the Life Chances Act 2010 as modified by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016. It has a duty to assess progress in improving social mobility in the UK and to promote social mobility in England.
Students from Edinburgh Napier and the City of Glasgow college have linked up to design a new visitor hub for Beecraigs Country Park in Linlithgow.
Two teams from the Scottish institutions were tasked with creating an ecologically sustainable, environmentally friendly, and inclusive focal point to the vibrant country park.
The aim was to layout a proposed building that could be constructed and deconstructed away from the intended site, known as offsite construction.
Team 2 won the first prize of £600 in the Offsite Ready challenge, when they designed a hub which would cater for cyclists, with open and accessible areas.
Team 1 delivered their presentation on a centre which would withstand the elements, including a mezzanine complemented by the carefully considered path of the sun. They received the runner up prize of £300.
From Edinburgh Napier, the winning team included digital designer Zarja Krevelj, production manager Emily Rankin, production manager Callum MacGillivray, and Agata Gaspari in charge of the summer pavilion.
The ‘Are you Offsite Ready? Online design challenge’ was sponsored by Finnish renewable materials manufacturers, Stora Enso, who donated £900 to reward students for their efforts.
Rory Doak, Business Development Manager at Stora Enso UK & Ireland said: “Stora Enso were thrilled to support a student-led design project, showcasing the abilities of students to adapt to new working conditions and produce manufacturable, sustainable and inclusive designs.
“I hope that we will see more competitions emerge, like this, that equip students with strong fundamental knowledge of BIM, inclusivity, and sustainable construction with timber. I am sure these principles will be key industry drivers in the future, and these students will continue to champion these design principles as they build their careers.”
The challenge was originally conceptualized by Edinburgh Napier lecturer Dr Mila Duncheva and research assistant for the Centre for Offsite Construction and Innovative Structures, Louise Rogers; with Catriona Jordan, from City of Glasgow College, as a way of giving students an opportunity to gain some industry experience out with the university curriculum and in lieu of the international internships usually available to students from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Engineering & the Built Environment.
Dr Mila Duncheva said: “This challenge was designed to develop students’ transferable skills including teamworking, problem solving, working to tight deadlines and collaborative digital workflows using Building Information Modelling (BIM).
“I was astounded by both teams’ intricate technical solutions and striking visual presentations and am delighted we provided a positive experience for them during the worst of the pandemic.”
The project spanned 12 weeks, starting in June. It presented challenges for the students as they learned to work together remotely, whilst figuring out how to get the best from their designs and cater for the park’s one million yearly visitors.
The Offsite Ready challenge teams collaborated with West Lothian Council to provide accurate geographical plans of the proposed sites. And engineering consultant firm SWECO who did an analysis of the project’s factors.
Students also attended a collection of lectures designed and delivered by their mentors, to help inform their designs.
With most of the mentors coming from Edinburgh Napier University, this included: Prof. Pat Langdon, Prof. Robert Hairstans and Dr Andrew Livingstone, working alongside industry leaders such as Matt Stevenson from SNRG
Eirwen Hopwood of West Lothian Council said she would like to see one of these designs become a reality at Beecraigs Country Park in the future.
This challenge was part of the wider Offsite Ready project funded by the Construction Industry Training Board and led by the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre in collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University, City of Glasgow College, Construction Wales Innovation Centre, Ministry of Building Innovation and Education and Class of Your Own.
The national celebration of Battle of Britain Day on 15 September is a major event. But do you know what we are commemorating and why, and how can you explain its significance to your children? Former primary school teacher Laura Steele of leading education resource creators PlanBee has all the answers.
What was the Battle of Britain?
The Battle of Britain was a decisive air battle between Britain and Germany in the Second World War, which took place between July and October 1940.
How did the Battle of Britain begin?
Germany, led by Hitler, had invaded much of Europe, and Britain was the only country left to conquer. Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe, Germany’s air force, to fly over and bomb towns and army defences on the south coast of England, hoping to weaken the British defences before invading by land. The first bombs were dropped on 10th July 1940.
How did Britain respond?
Hitler did not anticipate the strength of the Royal Air Force, and Britain’s determination to fight back. He decided to focus the attack on the air force bases of Britain instead, bombing airport runways and radar stations, hoping to weaken the RAF. Hitler became impatient at how long it was taking to defeat Britain, so he also ordered the bombing of large cities such as Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and London.
What was ‘The Hardest Day’?
18th August 1940 was named ‘The Hardest Day’ after a particularly fierce air battle between the RAF and the Luftwaffe. Germany aimed to destroy RAF Fighter Command, the control centre of Britain’s fighter aircraft. Both sides suffered heavy losses. Despite shooting down twice as many German planes in the sky, the RAF lost many of their aircraft when they were destroyed on the ground.
What happened on ‘Battle of Britain Day’?
The Germans felt that they were getting close to victory. On 15th September, a huge bombing attack was launched on London. Immediately, RAF pilots took to the sky in their fighter planes, shooting down many German aircraft. This was a key turning point; although more air raids occurred after this date, they became less frequent.
How did it end?
At the end of October 1940, Hitler abandoned his plans to invade Britain. After the Battle of Britain, the RAF had seriously weakened the Luftwaffe and caused Hitler’s first major defeat of the war.
Seven fascinating facts about the Battle of Britain
● The name ‘Battle of Britain’ was coined by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In a speech he made after the defeat of France, he said, ‘ …the Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin.’
● The leader of the RAF was Sir Hugh Dowding. The leader of the Luftwaffe was Hermann Göring.
● Despite the Luftwaffe having more aircraft, the RAF had the advantage of radar which gave them advance warning of where and when German aircraft were approaching.
● The Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire were the main RAF fighter aircraft. The Hurricanes were responsible for 60 per cent of German losses.
● The Messerschmitt bf 109 was the most dangerous German fighter plane. The Luftwaffe’s Heinkel He III was capable of carrying bombs weighing up to 250kg.
● At the beginning of the Battle of Britain, the RAF had 1,963 aircraft while the Luftwaffe had 2,550. By the end, the RAF had lost 1,744 and the Luftwaffe 1,977.
● After the Battle of Britain, Winston Churchill said, ‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’ This is why the pilots who fought in the battle became known as ‘The Few’.
Hi Everyone,I have been experiencing network issues today. There will be no further posts until this is resolved, hopefully later this afternoon (fingers crossed!)Apparently my call is very important to my service provider, so, although I am in a queue, this should be sorted with minimum fuss … !
We’re so pleased to let you know that the 7th round of the University of Edinburgh’s Community Grants scheme is open.
The scheme helps the development of projects, community activities and sustainable local action through funding and collaboration.
The deadline to submit your application is 5pm on Friday 25th September 2020.
Who can apply?
Applications are welcome for projects which could benefit people living in the City of Edinburgh and/or the neighbouring local authority areas, and should show how they could grow relationships between local communities and the University.
If you’re thinking of applying and don’t currently have a relationship with the University, the University’s Community Team is happy to try and put you in touch with members of the University who might be interested in your work.
What about Covid-19?
Projects which could help local communities adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic are welcome, but this is not a requirement.
How much funding can I get?
Applications for substantially less than £5,000 are welcome. However, if you require £500 or less, you may also be interested in the University’s Micro-grant scheme.
Since the University launched its Community Grants scheme in 2017, it has awarded over £270,000 to around 80 local organisations.
The Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund is a £3.5million fund from the Scottish Government. The aim of the Fund is to help secure the survival of Scotland’s independent cinemas, enabling them to re-establish and adjust their business models in response to Covid-19.
The fund addresses the critical financial need faced by Scotland’s independent cinemas to enable them to return to full-time operation, significantly reducing the risk of wide-spread redundancies and closure of vital community assets.
Guidelines for applying to the Fund have now been published ahead opening for applications on Monday 14 September.
Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Developmentat Screen Scotland said: “We very much welcome the First Minister’s recent announcement of £31.5m in emergency funding for culture in Scotland and are pleased, as part of that, to be able to quickly offer £3.5m of that funding to support Scotland’s independent cinemas.
“These cinemas not only present a broad range of high-quality creative programming to a varied audience, but they also serve as community hubs in geographically diverse parts of Scotland, including some of our more remote places.
“This fund will offer a vital lifeline to those independent cinemas which have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, helping them to return to full-time operation and protect jobs.”
The Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund is the first of five new emergency funds to be delivered by Creative Scotland over the coming weeks as follows:
The £15m Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund will support organisations that provide opportunities for cultural engagement and who have been unable to trade due to the impact of Covid-19. It includes both organisations who provide opportunities for audience engagement (such as galleries, performing arts spaces, commercial theatres, comedy clubs and nightclubs) as well as those that enable and deliver cultural activity (such as production facilities, music and dance companies). Eligibility criteria and guidelines for applying are currently in development and will be published on Thursday 10 September. The fund will open for applications on Thursday 17 September and awards will be made by the first week in November.
The £5m Creative Freelancer Hardship Fund will address the current financial hardship being felt by creative freelancers who normally work in the culture sector, but whose work has been impacted by Covid-19. We are currently working to appoint partners to ensure a wide spread of coverage of this fund and we anticipate opening for applications from early October.
The £5m Sustaining Creative Practice Fund will support artists to continue developing new creative work that will make a significant contribution to Scotland’s recovery from COVID-19. This includes £1.5 million for the Culture Collective programme, mentioned in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, supporting organisations employing freelance artists to work in and with communities across Scotland. The remaining £3.5m will be added to Creative Scotland’s existing open fund which is open for applications from individuals now.
The £3m Youth Arts Fund will ensure creative opportunities for children and young people continue to exist across Scotland despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The fund will include targeted and open funding to youth music and wider youth arts organisations, a scheme to devolve grants locally to artists who work with young people and small grants delivered directly to young people to support them fulfil their creative ambitions.
Details of all funds will be published on the Creative Scotland website and publicised through media and social media communications.
For the first time, 10 UK charities are uniting to respond against the impact that COVID-19 is having on the charity sector by staging The Massive Get Together – an online charity event comprising of celebrity entertainment, performance, prize draws and lots of laughs, in a bid to raise £500,000!
This special collaborative, relaxed, and fun variety event, the brainchild of one of the UK’s leading charities Volunteering Matters, will be hosted live from London by TV and radio presenters Gaby Roslin and Amanda Byram.
Streaming live and online on Thursday 17th September at 20:00 to an anticipated audience of more than 20,000, these 10 incredible charities are inviting us to ‘take the night off’ and relax with them to enjoy their fun online event which promises to have ‘something for everyone’ – including no 1 hits, comedy, and surprise special guest appearances.
UK charities are facing over £12bn1 loss in income due to the COVID-19 restrictions as critical funding and crucial fundraising events ceased overnight. This means that the UK voluntary sector is expected to face a colossal funding shortfall by the end of the year.
Chief Executive of Volunteering Matters and Founder of the Massive Get Together Paul Reddish said: “This year the nations’ charities have been critical to so many. They’ve been at the heart of much of the COVID-19 response – from delivering food to supporting those most isolated in every community throughout the UK.
“Their staff and volunteers continue to provide these vital services, such as end of life care and key support for the vulnerable, despite of the ongoing conditions created by this pandemic.”
Charities have seen demand rise, and the sector is expecting to see over £12bn loss over the course of 2020. One in 10 charities2 are at risk of closure if things continue as they are. Charities and organisations that do manage to survive will face major constrictions and capabilities to operate the way they once did. Even with the gentle easing of restrictions, large scale fundraising events will not be able to function for many months to come.”
The unique aspect of this campaign is the cooperation and unity of all 10 charities who have seamlessly united together for a common goal of responding to the ongoing challenges and impact COVID-19 is having on their sector.
In the face of coronavirus, charities are #NeverMoreNeeded for the essential support they provide in crisis and beyond, and how they shape our society for the better.
Paul continued: “We thought if leading members of the charity sector could come together and join forces, then collectively we could unite and help each other respond on mass to the impact of COVID-19. That’s the thinking behind the Massive Get Together – When charities unite, to entertain us all.”
The Massive Get Together will provide an evening of entertainment and variety, surprise and intrigue, whilst fundamentally facilitating valuable fundraising for the 10 amazing charities involved – Marie Curie, The Children’s Trust, FareShare, St John Ambulance, Royal Voluntary Service, Love Your Neighbour, Crisis , The Conservation Volunteers, Thames Hospice and Volunteering Matters.
For just £10 audiences will be supporting all 10 incredible UK charities, making a positive difference within action against homelessness and hunger, protecting the vulnerable, connecting communities, supporting end of life care and volunteer provision, as well as helping emergency and crisis response services.
Tickets for The Massive Get Together go live today – people can access the event by donating just £10 to help 10 charities at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-massive-get-together.
The Massive Get Together online event will be hosted live from London by TV & radio broadcasters Gaby Roslin and Amanda Byram.
Gaby Roslin said “The Massive Get Together is a really unique online event, with charities coming together to put on a fabulous variety show. The past few months have been challenging for everyone, and this evening will offer entertainment that people can enjoy from the comfort of their own home, whilst raising much-needed money for 10 vital charities.
“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to present The Massive Get Together with Amanda, and do my bit to help these charities, who have all been affected by the impact of COVID-19.”
Amanda Byram said “We find ourselves living in extraordinary times and I think it’s incredible that charities are coming together in this way to support each other. It is such a feel-good event and I am so honoured to be a part of it and also over the moon to be working with the wonderful Gaby for this very special online evening.”
Family brand unveils huge haul as climax to summer giveaways
A BRAND renowned for its sweet treats is set to grant a popular wish – by awarding a lifetime supply of its famed ice cream to a lucky fan.
As the culmination of its “Summer of Simple Pleasures” promotion, Mackie’s of Scotland are offering the chance to win a lifetime supply of their ice cream – two litre tubs every month for life. Entries are open this week and all entrants from the 10 weeks of giveaways will be included in this final draw.
The campaign is the Aberdeenshire family firm’s largest ever on-pack and online competition, with ten weeks of carefully curated prizes intended to provide the winners with simple joy.
So far more than 50,000 people have entered to win prizes celebrating ice cream but also many other simple pleasures such as cooking for friends and family, listening to music, receiving unexpected flowers – and even the simple pleasure of clean new sheets with a bed makeover.
Karin Hayhow, Marketing Director at Mackie’s of Scotland, said: “We couldn’t host our summer campaign about simple pleasures without incorporating our favourite simple pleasure of all…which is, of course, ice cream!
“We are having fun helping people celebrate the simple things in life, because they can often be the best and bring the most joy.
“The response so far has been great and we are looking forward to making someone’s childhood dream of winning a lifetime supply of ice cream become a reality!”.
500,000 tubs of Mackie’s original and bestselling “Traditional” ice cream have been specially designed to coincide with the UK-wide campaign. Its ice cream is made simply and naturally, using fresh milk and cream on the fourth generation family dairy farm in rural Aberdeenshire.
It’s not the first time Mackie’s has given away the lifetime supply prize, with a fan from Swindon securing the big prize four years ago, coinciding with Mackie’s 30th anniversary producing ice cream.
The company’s ‘sky to scoop’ ethos sees it create everything from milk to its packaging on-site, renewable energy is a cornerstone of the business – with four wind turbines, a 10-acre solar farm and a biomass energy plant providing over 80% of the company’s energy requirement.
The lifetime supply of ice cream winner will be drawn at random on Monday 7th September (closing midnight on Sunday 6th September) – the simple entry form is at www.mackies.co.uk/simplepleasures
Hi Everyone,I have been experiencing network issues today. There will be no further posts until this is resolved, hopefully later this afternoon (fingers crossed!)Apparently my call is very important to my service provider, so, although I am in a queue, this should be sorted with minimum fuss … !
