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Collaborate and create: Students unveil their vision for beauty spot visitor hub

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.

Battle of Britain Day explained

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’.


Download free resources at https://planbee.com/products/battle-of-britain-freebee-pack

Long Weekend

BLOG UPDATE

Dear Readers,

Having spoken to Virginia Media it seems we need to replace our broadband router.

This will be delivered tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, so hopefully normal news service will resume on Sunday.

Rather than trying to post using my phone (like this) I will take the opportunity to live life without the internet – at least for a couple of days.

Remember reading books? Listening to music – but not on your laptop? It might just catch on!

I’ll keep you posted!

DAVE P

(Editor)

System Problems

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 … !

Community Grants available

Change local lives with a grant of up to £5,000

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.

Find out more and apply! 

Emergency funding for culture

Small movie theater

Creative Scotland has published details of the Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund, the first of five emergency funds to be delivered over the coming weeks. 

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 Development at 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. 

Volunteering Matters: The Massive Get Together

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.”

https://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/news/charities-are-facing-a-124bn-shortfall-in-income-for-the-year/

2 https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/one-in-ten-charities-at-risk-of-closure-within-six-months-due-to-coronavirus.html 

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.”

Lifetime supply of ice cream to be given away by Mackie’s of Scotland

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

To find out more about Mackie’s, please visit: https://www.mackies.co.uk/  

Drive-in Movies off to a flyer!

PIC: Lloyd Smith

Edinburgh International Film Festival and Unique Events, organisers of Edinburgh’s brand new Drive In Movies event, have hailed the opening weekend a huge success.

Over 4,000 people flocked to Edinburgh Airport to experience a 4-day outdoor cinema extravaganza, supported by Edinburgh Live, for people of all ages which included family favourites, all-time classics and thrilling blockbusters.

PIC: Lloyd Smith

Tickets for the next Drive-in Movies (24 – 27 September) are now on sale at edinburghdrivein.co.uk with another packed programme of cinema classics including Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Mamma Mia! Rocketman, Toy Story and Mean Girls, among others.

The opening weekend of Drive-in Movies saw thousands of people from Edinburgh and Lothians enjoying a fantastic outdoor cinematic experience in the comfort of their own vehicles and in the unique surroundings of Edinburgh Airport.

Strictly following the health and safety regulations and the Scottish Government’s advice, Drive-in Movies offered a safe and fun environment for people of all ages to experience what was the first post-lockdown outdoor event for many.

A top-notch selection of films was shown on a state of the art 100sqm LED screen, one of the largest mobile screens in the world with the audio broadcast straight to cars, for audiences to control the soundtrack.

Audiences sang along to Sunshine on Leith and Grease, shed a tear at Up, fell in love during William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet and enjoyed the planes landing and taking off nearby which was a particular treat at the screenings of Con Air and Airplane!

Prior to each film, audiences had a chance to sample some of the best fish and chips in the country from seafood specialists Alandas and those not behind the wheel, Edinburgh-based award-winning brewery’s Cold Town Beer.

Nairn’s Oatcakes distributed their ever-so-popular Oat Bars as a special treat for families who came to see Up and Mary Poppins Returns. Popular Edinburgh DJ Stewart Calverto became Captain Calverto as he warmed up the crowds with car disco and quizzes with spot prizes.

PIC: Lloyd Smith

Audiences took to social media to share their views of the event:

‘Great afternoon at #Edinburghdrivein @EdinburghAirpo1 Brilliantly presented by @UniqueEventsltd and @edfilmfest’

‘Had an epic time tonight at seeing alien at #EdinburghDriveIn, great set up’

‘brilliant night out at #EdinburghDriveIn’

‘Dreamy night at the drive-in. Thank you for the brilliant escape @edfilmfest @UniqueEventsltd’

Drive-in Movies’ opening weekend. Credit Lloyd Smith.

Drive-in Movies continues during the last weekend of every month for the rest of the year. September dates are confirmed as 24 to 27 September and the organisers are now pleased to reveal first titles for the event, an exciting selection of cult films and blockbusters: Back to the Future (1985) with some of the most recognisable lines and the inimitable Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, Big Trouble in Little China with Kurt Russell (1986), John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), all-time family favourite Toy Story (1995), teen comedy classic Mean Girls (2004), Drive (2011) with Ryan Gosling, and more recent hits, a homage to ABBA featuring Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia! (2008), Spike Lee’s Blackkklansman (2018), Incredibles 2 (2018) and Elton John’s biopic, Rocketman (2019).

Tickets are on sale now at edinburghdrivein.co.uk

SCHEDULE

Thursday 24 September

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (15, 1986) 10:00pm

Friday 25 September

INCREDIBLES 2 (PG, 2018) 2:00pm

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (12A, 1987) (CAPTIONED) 6:00pm

DRIVE (18, 2011) 10:00pm

Saturday 26 September

TOY STORY (PG, 1995) 10:30am

MAMMA MIA! (PG, 2008) (CAPTIONED) 2:00pm

BACK TO THE FUTURE (PG, 1985) (CAPTIONED) 6:00pm

BLACKKKLANSMAN (15, 2018) 10:00pm

Sunday 27 September

MARY POPPINS (U, 1964) 10:00am

MEAN GIRLS (12, 2004) 2:00pm

to be announced 6:00pm

ROCKETMAN (15, 2019) 10:00pm

Tickets available now at www.edinburghdrivein.co.uk priced from £27.50 – £35.00 (+ booking fee) per vehicle for up to 5 persons.

How are communities responding to Covid-19?

Public Health Scotland would like to understand more about how communities have responded to the impact of Covid-19 on the way we live our lives, right now and in the next few months, and how local community groups and organisations have supported this.

We are looking for examples in two areas: 

  • Firstly, how communities have adapted to the challenge of how we get around – has the way you travel changed as a result of Covid-19? Perhaps by walking, wheeling and cycling more, or as a result of changes to public and community transport services. What impact has this had?
     
  • Secondly, we are looking for examples of how communities and organisations have used their local areas differently by adapting streets and spaces, for example for children’s outdoor play or for leisure and relaxation, or how they have used or changed existing spaces for example parks, areas with trees or grass.

If you have examples to share you can submit your information and we will be in touch with you.

Did your community group or local project receive copies of the COVID Food Group August newsletter? If not, don’t worry – a few are still available!

Email northedinnews@gmail.com to arrange delivery.