COSLA is calling on all political parties to acknowledge the rightful role of Local Government in their manifestos ahead of this year’s Scottish Parliamentary elections.
The organisation, which represents all 32 Councils in Scotland, hopes parties will reference its recently launched Blueprint in their manifestos and make a commitment to its aspirations.
Commenting today, COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison said: “This last year has been like no other, the forthcoming elections to the Scottish Parliament will be like no other and Local Government is the sphere of Government at the heart of our communities like no other.
“The COSLA Blueprint provides a narrative around the kind of country we want, and about the changes that could make a real difference to communities across the country – the election this year offers the chance to make this a reality.
“The value of Local Government can be seen in our response to Covid-19, where Councils have taken decisive action to support communities, people, and businesses.
“For too long now Local Government has been given a poor diet – and that is why we developed the Local Government Blueprint, which is our menu for change that we want to see.
“The new Parliament provides the opportunity for us to reiterate our value – for too long Scottish Local Government has not had its rightful place at the top table.
“Our response during the pandemic has been remarkable, our Communities have appreciated what we have done on their behalf and realise that only Local Government comprises all of the various ingredients that can truly deliver for our communities
“Therefore we call on all parties to make a commitment to the COSLA Local Government Blueprint in their forthcoming Manifestos.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Get moving
Over the past year, it is fair to say that plenty of us have become more sedentary due to the effects of COVID-19. All those extra hours spent watching Netflix, with reduced travel time to work, and no gyms or sports facilities available, has meant that we haven’t always been paying attention to our hearts.
Heart Research UK have some tips to break the cycle and get us moving anyway we can:
Tracking your step count
The majority of us nowadays have technology that calculates our step count, heart rate, sleep time, stress levels and more. Using your phone/watch to count your daily steps has been shown to increase how likely we are to meet daily physical activity guidelines, and lead to more successful weight-loss.
Most of us don’t realise how few steps we are taking per day, or the significant impact we can have on our step count with just a short walk. Setting yourself a daily step goal can be a great first step towards improving your heart health.
It is recommended to try aiming for 6000 steps per day to start with. You don’t need to achieve this all-in-one go, and it is possible to meet this goal through taking regular breaks and walking around your house.
Going to the supermarket tends to be one of the only times many of us leave the house nowadays. Have you considered taking a backpack and walking to the shop to do your shopping?
This will increase your step count and be a great way to fit in some physical activity which involves walking with additional weight.
If the supermarket is too far, why not drive part of the way there and walk the rest, or even park the furthest you can in the supermarket car park from the entrance. Every step counts!
Avoid the ‘All or Nothing Attitude’
Have you ever thought “I will do the washing today” and then time becomes a problem so you end up thinking “I will leave it all to tomorrow then”; This is an all or nothing attitude. Plenty of us have this approach to many things. A way to avoid this is to break jobs up into parts. You may not have had time to do all of the washing, but you could have done some of it.
This can also relate to exercise and being physically active. One of the biggest barriers against physical activity is time, in general we tend to think if we can’t do a whole 30 minutes or 1 hour straight of exercise then there’s no point doing it at all.
However, this isn’t true! The recommended amount of physical activity per week in the UK is 150 minutes. This can be made up however you like as long as your heart and breathing rate increase! It is suggested that we aim for 30 minutes 5 times per week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t break up that 30 minutes into 3 x 10 minutes or even 6 x 5 minutes.
The key is to aim for little and often rather than all or nothing.
For example, why not try doing some calf raises whilst brushing your teeth, or some mini lunges whilst waiting for the kettle to boil? Most of us spend a lot of time sitting, whether that be watching TV, playing video games or working from home.
Set yourself a number of times per day that you need to stand up out of your chair. Before you walk away from the chair you could do 10 sit-to-stand exercises in a row, essentially this would be like doing 10 squats every time before you get out of your chair if you did this 5 times a day you would have achieved 50 squats!
Less than a day after NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover successfully landed on the surface of Mars, engineers and scientists at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California were hard at work, awaiting the next transmissions from Perseverance.
As data gradually came in, relayed by several spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet, the Perseverance team were relieved to see the rover’s health reports, which showed everything appeared to be working as expected.
Adding to the excitement was a high-resolution image taken during the rover’s landing. While NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover sent back a stop-motion movie of its descent, Perseverance’s cameras are intended to capture video of its touchdown and this new still image was taken from that footage, which is still being relayed to Earth and processed.
Unlike with past rovers, the majority of Perseverance’s cameras capture images in color. After landing, two of the Hazard Cameras (Hazcams) captured views from the front and rear of the rover, showing one of its wheels in the Martian dirt (above).
Perseverance got a close-up from NASA’s eye in the sky, as well: NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance. Orbiter, which used a special high-resolution camera to capture the spacecraft sailing into Jezero Crater, with its parachute trailing behind. The High Resolution Camera Experiment (HiRISE) camera did the same for Curiosity in 2012. JPL leads the orbiter’s mission, while the HiRISE instrument is led by the University of Arizona.
Several pyrotechnic charges are expected to fire later on Friday, releasing Perseverance’s mast (the “head” of the rover) from where it is fixed on the rover’s deck.
The Navigation Cameras (Navcams), which are used for driving, share space on the mast with two science cameras: the zoomable Mastcam-Z and a laser instrument called SuperCam. The mast is scheduled to be raised Saturday, Feb. 20, after which the Navcams are expected to take panoramas of the rover’s deck and its surroundings.
In the days to come, engineers will pore over the rover’s system data, updating its software and beginning to test its various instruments.
In the following weeks, Perseverance will test its robotic arm and take its first, short drive. It will be at least one or two months until Perseverance will find a flat location to drop off Ingenuity, the mini-helicopter attached to the rover’s belly, and even longer before it finally hits the road, beginning its science mission and searching for its first sample of Martian rock and sediment.
More About the Mission
A primary objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology research, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.
Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), will send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.
JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission and the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter technology demonstration for NASA.
Staff at Utilita’s Energy Hub in Leith are taking part in the ‘Future Steps’ campaign, a 10,000 steps-a-day challenge during the month of February to raise vital funds for The Prince’s Trust.
Utilita Energy is powering The Prince’s Trust Future Steps campaign, to enable the charity to give young people hope for the future by helping them to develop the skills and confidence needed to move into work, education or training.
Staff from the Energy Hub in Leith – who have been aptly named the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ – will each clock up 10,000 steps for 28 consecutive days throughout February, resulting in 60,000 steps a day and a massive 1.68 million steps in in total by the end of February.
Debra Clason, Team Leader of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ Future Steps team at the Utilita Energy Hub in Leith, said:“With so many young people’s lives disrupted and impacted by the pandemic, their education or career plans may have been put on hold, so it’s important that the support they need to confidently get back on track is there when they need it most.
“We’re telling the customers we speak to about the campaign, and also educating each customer about the Energy High 5 campaign – helping every household to reduce their energy spend by £163 per year.”
The Utilita Energy team aim to beat 5m steps they achieved in 2020. They’ve been walking at 6am and 6pm daily to fit the 10,000 steps-a-day challenge around their shifts – and have at times felt like arctic explorers!
Hub Manager Debra Clason, has been walking at 5am some mornings, she’s that competitive, and likes to inspire her team by always doing the most! Team Leader Donna Hall (above) said that on Thursday last week, steam from her breath was forming ice crystals in her hair!
Debra said: “Despite the sub-zero weather, Donna, Maxine and I from the team have recently ventured expeditiously up Arthur’s Seat.
“Whilst we only intended to walk around the outside of the old volcano, watching all the people sledging and snowboarding tempted the us to tackle the heights, and when darkness fell we made our way up to the top of Salisbury Crags.
“I brought a torch, but it wasn’t needed with the bright white snow. Coming back down, the three of us hopped, skipped and slipped to the bottom of the hill, frozen, exhilarated and in love with the Edinburgh skyline that made the climb worthwhile.”
Laura Heaton, Head of Corporate Partnerships at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We’reincredibly grateful to Utilita for making Future Steps possible by sponsoring the campaign, and to their teams all over the UK who have signed up to get moving in support of our cause.
“The funds raised will help us to keep up with demand from young people in these anxious times, so that they can get the advice and opportunities they need to get back on track and regain control of their futures – whatever challenges they may be facing.”
To donate valuable funds to help improve young people’s wellbeing and help them to get into work, please visit the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ JustGiving page here.
Up to 600+ classes with new live and on demand content available every day
Includes David Lloyd Clubs exclusive signature classes and wellness sessions
For children, a virtual after-school club including sport skills, cooking & story time
Exclusive virtual social and wellbeing events to support mental health
With Lockdown 3 and nearly a year of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic taking a physical and mental toll of the nation’s health, David Lloyd Clubs wants to do its bit to help by opening its doors (albeit virtually) for the first time.
With health, fitness and wellbeing content previously only available exclusively to its members, the UK’s largest health club is today making its David Lloyd Clubs @home available free of charge to the nation.
In response to the recent news that nearly half of the UK population are exercising less during the current lockdown than during the first in early 2020* the aim is to provide everyone the opportunity to access fitness and wellbeing content.
With David Lloyd Clubs @home, users can access some 600+ classes ranging from yoga and Pilates, to high intensity interval training (HITT), post-natal workouts and mobility sessions for runners, all delivered by David Lloyd Clubs expert team. A series of challenges across different genres enables users to progress and challenge themselves.
With loneliness a key symptom of the pandemic, providing access to a friendly virtual community is another key driver behind the launch, aiming to support users who may be struggling alone, those looking for an escape from working on the frontline or juggling the demands of home working and home schooling.
Virtual coffee mornings hosted by social enterprise coffee traders Change Please have seen members develop their barista skills and whip up tasty brunch options, quiz nights have opened up some friendly rivalry, and future plans include a virtual book club and more live interactive workshops.
If you need encouragement, advice and motivation to get you and your family off the sofa and into the great outdoors, DL Run Club group offers a warm welcome to runners of every level, and the David Lloyd Mile provides a friendly online community for families to share their daily outdoor exercise and offers younger ones the opportunity to win certificates for miles clocked up.
With reports suggesting the country’s third lockdown has triggered an unprecedented mental health crisis** there’s a dedicated wellness section too. Content includes meditation sessions, mindfulness programmes and beauty tutorials. There’s even a series of hair tutorials – ideal for those who may have been victim to a lockdown haircut!
For parents worried about their children’s development, a series of skills videos have been exclusively created focusing on Agility Balance and Co-ordination (ABCs).
These skills are the basis of all movement and physical activity and the windows of opportunity when children can develop the ABC’s more easily and quickly are typically between the ages of 5 -10/11. Armed with no more than some balloons, tennis balls, a racket and a bucket, children can follow along the fun 10-minute sessions. More family focused content within the app includes a daily story time session and cookery classes.
And for older people who may have struggled to leave the house to exercise during lockdown, the wide range of specially tailored fitness workouts and wellness content will help everyone keep fit and healthy until we can all confidently leave our homes again.
Glenn Earlam, CEO of David Lloyd Clubs says: “Our members have told us that David Lloyd Clubs @home has proved to be a lifeline over three lockdowns, keeping them fit, well and feeling connected.
“We know the last year has taken its toll on the nation’s physical and mental wellbeing and we wanted to be able to offer everyone the opportunity to benefit from the huge range of the content delivered by our friendly David Lloyd Clubs @home team.
“Exercise not only boosts physical health, but also has a huge impact on mental health. I genuinely hope we can encourage everyone to take a look and find something to help them.
“You don’t need to be a regular exerciser or feel confident in the weights room, there’s plenty of sessions that need no equipment and can be done in the house. But its far more than just fitness – we have meditation, mental wellbeing advice, hair and makeup tutorials, kids clubs and even quizzes and coffee mornings, so our @home App really is like a virtual David Lloyd Club experience in your own living room.”
Now available on Apple and Android – just search David Lloyd Clubs.
Foundation Scotland and OSCR to work together to revive around 400 dormant trusts in Scotland
The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and Foundation Scotland have revealed they’re preparing to launch a brand new project which could unlock additional funding for charities and other community and voluntary groups across Scotland.
“The Revitalising Trusts” project aims to identify charitable trusts registered in Scotland that appear to be inactive and support them to reactivate by using funds that are lying dormant.
Charitable trusts typically provide public benefit by making grants or donations to other charities, voluntary groups or individuals. So-called ‘sleepy trusts’ are identified as charities that have either had no income or expenditure over the last 5 years or have donated less than 30% of their total income over the last 5 years to help good causes.
The project will also look at charitable trusts that have failed to submit annual accounts and reports to OSCR within the last 5 years.
Whilst the full value of Scotland’s ‘sleepy trusts’ has yet to be established, a similar programme was launched by the Charity Commission in England in 2018 which has so far ‘revitalised’ £32 million.
With support from local community foundations, this is now providing targeted and local support for the voluntary community sector thanks to the creation of new local funds.
There are over 3,400 charitable trusts on the Scottish Charity Register and OSCR’s initial findings have identified around 400 that may not be using their funds to full effect.
OSCR’s vision is for a trusted and respected Scottish charity sector which positively contributes to society.
Chief Executive Maureen Mallon said: “The public expects charities to use their funds to fulfil their charitable purposes and deliver public benefit, but sometimes charity trustees need a little help or encouragement to do so.
“If trusts are underperforming, we want to find out why and, through our partnership with Foundation Scotland, to offer assistance or a wake-up call where necessary.”
As the community foundation for Scotland, Foundation Scotland will be delivering this project in partnership with OSCR. The Foundation has the experience and expertise of building local funds which provide long-term benefit for communities.
Chief Executive for Foundation Scotland Giles Ruck said “This is an exciting opportunity to modernise many historic trusts, and revitalise others, and enable them to invest in our communities once again.
“We work with registered and unregistered voluntary and community groups all over Scotland. We will ensure revitalised funds can also provide support to the smaller, lesser-known community groups working on the frontline across Scotland’s communities.”
The Revitalising Trusts project is expected to launch in April following the appointment of a Project Advisor. The role of the Advisor will involve working closely with Foundation Scotland and OSCR to identify inactive trusts, and support these trusts to reactive or reorganise to deliver public benefit once again.
The post is initially a 2-year contract up to 3 days per week working from home. Previous experience working with charitable trusts, expertise in charity finance and governance and strong analytical and interpersonal skills are essential.
Full details of the vacancy and how to apply can be found on the Foundation Scotland website.
It’s a long road to recovery for many who have contracted COVID-19. In Scotland over 185,000 people have tested positive for the virus, with over 57,000 of these cases recorded within Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
NHSGGC’s Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy teams have created a new online resource to help anyone who is recovering from the virus, having distilled what they have learned from helping people recover both at home and in hospital.
The new self-management resource is available to the public and is aimed at anyone managing the many types of symptoms associated with COVID-19. It also notes the pace of recovery may be slower than expected.
Common symptoms can include: fatigue, breathlessness, reduced exercise tolerance and lack of physical strength. The resource offers advice on recovering from the virus, managing breathlessness, general wellbeing, managing fatigue, exercise programmes and more.
Lynn Glen, Physiotherapist, NHSGGC, said: “We know that the lingering effects of COVID-19 can vary from person to person. We’ve had younger and older patients admitted to wards and intensive care units, some dealing with debilitating fatigue and breathlessness for months after being diagnosed, requiring weeks and months of rehab and physiotherapy input.
“Other patients may only require physiotherapy input for a shorter period. The length of time recovering from COVID-19 can also vary so we had to find a way to support people at home.
“We wanted to help people get back on their feet, to gain knowledge about the virus, learn how to manage their symptoms and ultimately recover with this new resource.”
You can access the new NHSGGC online resource here:
Lorna Graham, 27, who has been a nurse for three years, was diagnosed with COVID on 8 April 2020 and has not yet fully recovered. She was off work for six months and has since been diagnosed as suffering from Long COVID.
Lorna said: “The acute phase of my illness lasted a few weeks and I can truly say I felt like I was dying. Without question it was the worst I have felt in my life. It’s not that I haven’t been ill before. I have had sepsis and swine flu but this was different. It felt like I was drowning; at times I couldn’t get a breath.
“This all happened despite me being a fit 26 year old. I wasn’t a fitness fanatic, but I was active on my days off. I would go hillwalking regularly, so you could say I was fit and obviously young too.
“In the first few weeks I was at the COVID assessment centre a few times and was sent to hospital, although never admitted. I had a temperature, no taste or smell and just slept and slept.
“I waited to recover fully and it just never came. It was October before I felt able to go back to work.”
Nearly ten months on, Lorna’s health has yet to recover fully.
Top Ten Tips for Recovering from COVID-19:
Take it slow – recovery may take longer than you expect.
Eat well – your body needs nutrients to get better. This can be difficult when you lose your sense of taste / smell but just as important.
Sleep well – your body needs rest, take it easy.
Plan your day – especially important if you’re feeling fatigued. Plan your day and week to include consistent activity, rather than boom and bust cycles which may leave you more tired.
Deep breathing – sit in a relaxed position, breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth, lying on your front can also help.
Stay active – your physical strength may be impacted so build yourself back up with regular activity like walking or at home exercises.
Get up – easy to forget in lockdown, make sure you are regularly standing, set a timer to make sure you’re getting up once an hour.
Get out – make sure to get outside with nature proven to improve our wellbeing.
Relax – remember to relax your mind however that may be. Some people find meditation helpful.
Stay connected – speak to your loved ones regularly about your recovery and how you’re doing. We all need support.
The Scottish Government has welcomed a call from the United Nations for urgent action to tackle deepening food insecurity, poverty and injustice in the UK.
A report published today sets out the actions being taken in Scotland to protect human rights and ensure access to food for people on low incomes.
It comes in response to concerns raised last year with the UK Government by two leading international experts who act as Special Rapporteurs to the UN Human Rights Council.
Professor Michael Fakhri and Professor Olivier De Schutter wrote to UK Ministers last August about an alarming increase in food insecurity and poverty in the UK. They requested a response within 60 days.
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “The UN’s analysis has pointed to the systematic failings of the UK welfare system that have left people in hardship and crisis.
“Far too many people have experienced austerity, hunger and destitution as a direct consequence of UK Government policies and I am disappointed it has not yet issued a formal response to highlight how this will be tackled.
“Our detailed report highlights bold measures to put more money in people’s pockets, including our game-changing new Scottish Child Payment and our commitment to the Fair Work Action Plan and promoting the real Living Wage.
“The Scottish Government has now committed more than half a billion in social protection since the onset of the pandemic, including £130 million targeted at tackling food insecurity.
“However as long as key levers to move the dial on poverty and inequality remain at Westminster, the Scottish Government will continue to call on the UK Government to make the changes required to protect us all so we end the need for food banks and ensure everyone can afford to buy the food they need.”
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “Even before the pandemic began, significant numbers of people in Scotland were experiencing food insecurity. Over the last year we have seen many more swept into poverty.
“The Scottish Government’s report highlights that a ‘cash first’ response is the right approach, whether to replace Free School Meal provision or to make more crisis grants available to those who need them.
“Boosting incomes is critical to reducing food insecurity over the long term. Investing in the UK social security system will prevent more people being set adrift. Retaining the £20 uplift to Universal Credit next month will help loosen the grip of poverty and will act as a financial lifeline for thousands.”
Face masks are highly effective in reducing the chances of catching and spreading Covid-19, however, inconsiderate litterbugs are leaving their soiled goods all over the place.
This problem has become so overwhelming that local councils will spend around £20,000-100,000 of council tax payers’ money per area to clear up littered face masks.
“Wearing a face mask has allowed us to keep safe this year, and it’s fantastic how many people have adapted to regularly wearing one,” says Mark Hall, spokeseperson for BusinessWaste.co.uk “But would you pick up somebody else’s used mask?
“If people were as passionate about binning them properly as they are about wearing them in the shops, it would be much better for our environment and save our local councils time and money.”
The big problem
BusinessWaste.co.uk have previously reported that 50 million face masks are going to landfill each day across the UK, with face mask litter killing wildlife and ending up in our oceans.
But in our most populated areas, this problem has reached a boiling point.
More people mean more masks being used and littered, which is why local councils up and down the country are pledging combined millions to try and put a stop to this problem.
Hall: “We are incredibly grateful to the council’s for designating the money to help clean up this mess, but if people were able to stop littering their disposable masks it wouldn’t have had to come to such expensive measures.
“It’s a waste of money that could have gone towards more positive projects in the local area’s, but instead it’s being used to clean up borderline hazardous waste.”
So just how many masks are we talking about?
According to the latest report by the Office For National Statistics, 97% of people use a face covering when outside of their home.
And based on a recent survey, 51% of those wearing face coverings were using single-use masks.
Using these recent statistics, as well as looking at the current population size, Mark Hall at BusinessWaste.co.uk has estimated that 49%, of the total population, are using single-use masks.
Mark Hall went on: “If we assume these people are using a new mask each day, one a day for five days a week, that is a lot of masks and a lot of waste.
“Unless people make the switch to reusable masks, then we have to find simple and effective ways for people to dispose of these masks that won’t damage the environment.”
Time to properly dispose of masks
When BusinessWaste.co.uk asked 1,000 people if they would pick up a discarded facemask, 99% said no.
The most common response for leaving littered face mask, was not wanting to touch something they feared would be contaminated with Covid-19.
Mark Hall again: “It’s perfectly understandable that people wouldn’t want to pick up discarded masks on the street, especially when we’ve had the importance of hygiene drilled into us all year.
“It just highlights that we need to tackle the problem at the source, stopping masks from being littered rather than requiring people to go around picking them up.”
These bins would make it easier for people to dispose of masks while out and about, whilst also following government guidelines about separating personal waste from general waste.
Mark Hall concluded: “PPE bins are the best chance we’ve got to protect both people and the planet from the effects of this pandemic, while keeping our streets free from face mask litter.
“Without them, towns and cities around the UK will see local councils spending a small fortune clearing up after this mess.”
The UK Government has withdrawn from a proven scheme that has involved over 10m young people – students, apprentices and more – in exchanges across Europe in favour of an untested one-way scheme. But the Scottish and Welsh Governments are talking to Brussels about rejoining Erasmus.
How good are the prospects? Join us at 4:00 pm on Monday 8 February when we will examine why Erasmus-Plus has been such a success, why the mooted replacement Turing scheme is no alternative and how Scottish and Welsh young people should continue to enjoy the huge opportunities the EU scheme offers.
Chaired by Mark Lazarowicz, Chair of the European Movement in Scotland, we draw on the expertise of three/four authorities, including the founding spirit behind Erasmus, to explore the challenges and options ahead.
From Glasgow, Prof Anton Muscatelli, principal of Glasgow University and senior advisor to the Scottish Government, will give us his in-depth knowledge of an extensive range of economic and European issues. The university has been Britain’s biggest HE participant in the scheme.
From Cardiff, Hywel Ceri Jones, former European Commission director for education, who led the design and implementation of Erasmus and became director general for employment, social policy and industrial relations, will give a Welsh and European perspective.
From Glasgow, Rachel Sandison, vice principal, external relations, Glasgow University, will offer insights into we can best negotiate Scotland’s and Wales’s re-entry to the scheme.
From GlasgowMary Senior is Scotland’s official of the Universities and Colleges Union since 2009 and has been STUC (Scottish Trades Union Congress ) President since November 2020. Originally from the West Midlands, Mary has two decades of working within the trade union movement in Scotland.
