We’re so pleased to welcome our lovely ladies back for another term of Knit and Natter!
If you’re interested in learning a new skill or want to work on your own craft project in a relaxed space and enjoy chatting with other women, why not drop-in and give it a go?
Hope to see you tomorrow!
Society’s most depraved killers will face life behind bars with no chance of being released, under tough plans announced by the Prime Minister.
Making sure that life means life, judges will be required to hand down mandatory whole life orders to the monsters who commit the most horrific types of murder.
In the latest move to protect the public from the most dangerous offenders, this will place a legal expectation on judges to hand down whole life orders, except in extremely limited circumstances.
By putting this on a legal footing, judges will have greater confidence to hand out whole life orders without a risk of challenge in the Courts of Appeal.
This will mean the depraved killers who carry out vile crimes will be in no doubt that they will be in prison for the rest of their lives.
For the first time, whole life orders will also be the default sentence for any sexually motivated murders. This could have been applied in the recent tragic cases of Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa, putting their horrific killers in prison for their whole lives.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: I have shared the public’s horror at the cruelty of crimes we have seen recently. People rightly expect that in the most serious cases, there should be a guarantee that life will mean life. They expect honesty in sentencing.
“By bringing in mandatory whole life orders for the heinous criminals who commit the most horrific types of murder, we will make sure they never walk free.”
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk KC, said: “A whole life order will now be the expectation for murderers where the killing involves sexual or sadistic conduct.
“This important law change will ensure that the worst of the worst can now expect to spend the rest of their lives in prison.”
The announcement builds on the UK Government’s work to cut crime and build stronger communities, with violent crime down by 46 percent since 2010 and neighbourhood crime by 51 percent.
Since 2019, over 20,000 new police officers have been recruited and 100,000 knives taken off our streets. The Government has also launched a new Anti-Social Behaviour Plan to clamp down on crimes that can terrorise communities for good.
The Westminster Government is also making sure the worst offenders face the toughest possible punishment for their crimes.
Serious violent and sexual offenders now serve at least two-thirds of their sentence behind bars, ending halfway release, and the average custodial sentence length is longer across the board meaning that criminals are spending more time in prison.
The Government has also ended the automatic early release of terrorists through the Terrorist Offenders Act 2020 and introduced a 14-year minimum jail term for the most dangerous terrorist offenders through the Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021.
The Government is also committed to looking at changing the law to make sure that people who commit the most horrific crimes face their victims in court and hear first-hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones.
The Government will legislate for the changes announced today in due course.
No comment yet from the Scottish legal establishment.
Three businessmen each claimed the maximum £50k Bounce Back Loan and one dissolved his company to avoid repayment
Ivan Hristov Fratev, 57 and Bradley Malone, 57, both from London, and Ryan William Moir, 34, from East Sussex, have been banned from running businesses for a total of 26 years, after each separately claimed £50,000 for their companies in breach of the loan scheme’s rules.
Fratev was also given a 2-year suspended sentence with 4 months’ electronically tagged curfew, at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 23 June 2023, in addition to a 6-year ban, for dissolving his business after taking out the loan. The judge also included 15 days rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) as part of his suspended sentence.
Fratev was the sole director of Chingford-based BI&F Ltd, which traded as a construction, security and extermination business from premises in Alpha Road. In May 2020 he applied for the maximum £50,000 Bounce Back Loan, designed to help businesses keep afloat through the pandemic.
But within two weeks of the money arriving in the company bank account, Fratev applied to dissolve BI&F Ltd, without informing the bank that had loaned him the money. Failure to notify creditors of plans to strike off a company is a criminal offence.
He was caught through powers granted to the Insolvency Service in December 2021, which allow it to investigate directors of dissolved companies who are suspected of closing their business to avoid repaying Covid-19 support loans.
Peter Fulham, Chief Investigator of the Criminal Investigation Team at the Insolvency Service said: “Covid-19 financial support schemes were funded from the public purse to support genuine businesses during the pandemic. Directors who abused the scheme have exploited taxpayers.
“This two-year suspended prison sentence, along with a curfew order and a 6-year disqualification, reflects the thoroughly dishonest conduct of Ivan Fratev and should serve as a warning to others who engaged in such behaviour.
“The Insolvency Service will act to remove directors who abused Bounce Back Loans from the business arena.”
In another case in London, Bradley Malone, the sole director of ONENETPRINT Ltd, a print business trading from Palmers Road in East London, applied for the maximum £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in June 2020, stating that his company’s previous year’s turnover was £200,000.
The Bounce Back Loan scheme allowed a business to borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of the company turnover in calendar year 2019, with a maximum loan of £50,000.
The company went into liquidation in February 2022 owing the full amount of the loan, which triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
Malone told investigators that, during the application process, he had merely clicked ‘next’ on his phone, and the money arrived within the hour. But investigators discovered that Malone had in fact overstated the company’s turnover for 2019 in the application, to claim the maximum £50,000 loan.
They found that the company’s actual turnover for that year had been around £90,200, meaning ONENETPRINT Ltd had received around £27,400 more than it was entitled to, under the rules of the scheme.
In a third case, Ryan Moir, sole director of East Sussex-based Croxton Group Ltd, which traded as a builder from Green Street industrial estate in Eastbourne, applied for the maximum £50,000 Bounce Back Loan on behalf of his company in May 2020. He stated on the application that Croxton Group Ltd’s turnover the previous year had been £250,000.
When the company went into liquidation in May 2022, it owed around £184,500, including more than £49,400 towards the Bounce Back Loan. An investigation by the Insolvency Service showed that the company’s 2019 turnover had in fact been less than £21,000, meaning that Croxton Group Ltd had received almost 10 times more than it had been entitled to under the rules of the scheme.
The company’s liquidators are taking action to recover the money.
Malone and Moir were both banned from being company directors for 10 years, after the Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted disqualification undertakings from each director. Malone’s ban began on 17 July 2023, and Moir’s began on 19 July 2023. Fratev’s court-ordered 6-year disqualification started on 23 June 2023.
The bans prevent the former directors from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. In addition to his ban and two-year suspended sentence, Fratev is also subject to 4 months’ electronically monitored curfew between 7pm and 7am, and was ordered to pay court costs of £500.
Exhibitions & displays
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Beyond the Little Black Dress
Until 29 Oct 2023
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Ticketed (concessions available)
From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Beyond-the-Little-Black-Dress
Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
Until 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free
Delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth. This urgent issue is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic. Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide
Uniquely Scottish Silver
Until 26 May 2024
Grand Gallery
Free
Uniquely Scottish Silver brings together five distinct Scottish silver object designs: mazers, quaichs, thistle cups, ovoid urns and heart brooches. Discover some of the earliest and rarest survivals within the Scottish silver smiths’ craft.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Uniquely-Scottish-Silver
Events
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Audio-Described Access Evening: Beyond the Little Black Dress
12 Sep
17:30 – 19:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
Age 8+
Explore the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition supported by an audio-described tour of key objects, for those who are blind, partially sighted or visually impaired.
Book now nms.ac.uk/audio-described-access-evening
Film Screening: Fashion Reimagined
16 Sep
14:00 – 16:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+
Join us for a screening of this 2022 documentary film following fashion designer Amy Powney of cult label Mother of Pearl, a rising star in the London fashion scene. Documentary Fashion Reimagined follows designer Amy Powney as she embarks on a three-year journey to create a sustainable clothing collection and transform the way we engage with fashion.
Book now nms.ac.uk/fashion-reimagined
Medieval to Modern: Animal Illustration Workshop
16 Sep
10:15 – 16:00
Studio 2, Level 4
Tickets £5 – £6
Age 16+
Join natural history artists Rebecca Jewell and Sandy Ross Sykes to create your own artwork in the style of a Medieval Book of Beasts, inspired by our Library Archives and Natural History collections.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Medieval-to-Modern
Maths in Motion: Family Fun
25 Sep – 1 Oct
10:00 – 17:00
Around the Museum
Free
Drop-in and ticketed activities
Discover Maths in Motion with our Maths Week Scotland family activities.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Maths-in-Motion
Magic Carpet: Maths in Motion Special
27 Sep
10:30 – 11:00 and 14:00 – 14:30
Grand Gallery, Level 1
Free with booking required
Bring your little ones for a fun session on the Magic Carpet exploring maths in motion. Discover shapes, numbers, time and more through songs, action rhymes, objects and sensory play. Suitable for children ages 2–4 and their adult helper.
Bookings open 4 Sep
Find out more nms.ac.uk/magic-carpet
In Conversation: Black British Design
27 Sep
19:00 – 20:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+
Join Maria Casely-Hayford and Sequoia Barnes in a conversation exploring Black British fashion. Discover the trailblazing career of fashion designer Joe Casely-Hayford OBE in this conversation with Sequoia Barnes and Maria Casely-Hayford.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Black-British-Design
Fashionably Late
06 Oct
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £22 including exhibition entry
Strictly 18+
Our legendary Museum Lates return in October restyled for one night only as Fashionably Late. Join us for an evening of fun, frolics and fashion in the beautiful setting of the National Museum of Scotland at night.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Fashionably-Late
National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Brick Sundays
03 – 17 Sep
12:00 – 16:00
Free with museum admission
Inspired by our current Brick History display, each Sunday we will have a different build theme. Choose to make something inspired by the theme or build your own creation. For something a bit more energetic, take part in our speed build challenge and see if you can make it to the top of the champions’ board.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/brick-sundays
Doors Open Day 2023
23 & 24 Sep
10:00 – 17:00
Free
Visit the museum for free over Doors Open Days East Lothian weekend and learn about the history of aviation from the First World War to the present day. Immerse yourself in interactive galleries, supersonic experiences and our historic hangars and airfield.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Doors-Open-Day
Brick History
Until 05 Nov
10:00 – 17:00
Free with museum admission
Journey through history in our latest LEGO display by brick artist Warren Elsmore and his team.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/Brick-History
Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required
See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours
National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
MooFest
16 & 17 Sep
10:20 – 15:30
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Join us for a celebration of all things cattle at the National Museum of Rural Life.New for 2023, this weekend of cattle-inspired activities, talks and tastings for young and old alike.
Book your visit now nms.ac.uk/moofest
Adult Workshop: Natural Dyeing
23 Sep
10:15-16:00
Learning Centre
Age 16+
Tickets £50 – £55
Advance booking required
Join artist Elizabeth Viguie-Culshaw for a hands-on natural dyeing workshop at the National Museum of Rural Life using locally cultivated plants.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Natural-Dyeing
Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail
Until 6 Oct 2023
Trail
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Go on an adventure around the museum with a new family trail at the National Museum of Rural Life.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/lewis-s-scottish-adventure-trail
Follow us on Twitter…twitter.com/NtlMuseumsScot
Follow us on Facebook…facebook.com/NationalMuseumsScotland
Follow us on Instagram…instagram.com/nationalmuseumsscotland/
For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789
Everything Under the Sun has won two prestigious prizes
An Edinburgh Fringe show produced by an Edinburgh Napier University PhD student has claimed two prestigious awards.
Harry Ross, who studies at ENU’s Centre for Military Research, Education & Public Engagement, put on Everything Under the Sun in his role as Creative Director of Army at the Fringe.
As the theatre production’s 2023 run heads towards a conclusion, it has won the Scottish Theatre Awards Leading Light Prize, awarded to the best Scottish theatre production at the Fringe.
The show also collected a Scotsman Fringe First Award, an accolade marking its 50th anniversary which is designed to encourage performers to bring new work to Edinburgh in the spirit of adventure and experiment.
In addition, the show’s writer and director, Jack MacGregor, was shortlisted for the Bright Spark prize, for Scottish theatre artists embarking on their career.
Presented by Harry’s production company O’Neill/Ross, Everything Under the Sun tells the story of an interpreter attached to the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Mali, following an insurgency in the country in 2012.
Harry is now hoping to use the experience of this year’s production to inform his research at ENU, which examines the work of Army at the Fringe through a critical events lens. The organisation was set up in 2017 to spark conversations about the role of the armed forces in Scottish society.
Reacting to the awards, Harry said: “It’s really pleasing. It’s been good to take stories from the army and connect with very good young artists to tell them.
“Putting on these productions is pretty much a joint effort, so it’s satisfying to see them come together. The Army delivers the venue, and being a reservist myself has given it that extra personal connection.
“Working with Edinburgh Napier, it has been really helpful to lean upon expertise from across the University. For example, with the knowledge of festivals at the University, or even when it comes to acting.”
Harry’s Director of Studies, Professor Gerri Matthews-Smith, and second supervisor, Dr Gary Kerr, attended Army at the Fringe to see some of Harry’s creative works.
Professor Gerri Matthews-Smith said: “We are delighted to have Harry join us as a PhD student here at the Centre for Military Research, Education & Public Engagement.
“Harry is part of a vibrant Gold Covenant University research centre with multidisciplinary at the heart of our research.
“Army at the Fringe was thought provoking and I encourage people from all walks of life to go along to challenge their views on the role of the Army in Scotland. I am delighted that Harry has won these awards.”
Dr Gary Kerr said: “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe provides the opportunity for us all to share moments with each other, and the power of the arts allows us to challenge our thinking.
“Army at the Fringe is diverse, creative and hugely inspiring – the performances are a must-see!”
Army at the Fringe performances take place at Venue 358 – Drill Hall, Hepburn House, until 28 August 2023.
Parents have until 31 August to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that their 16-year-old is continuing their education or training, if they wish to continue receiving Child Benefit.
Many teenagers who recently received their Nationals exam results will be considering their future and whether to stay on in education. Child Benefit payments stop on 31 August after a child turns 16, but parents can extend their claim if their child is continuing in approved education or training.
It is easy for parents to update their Child Benefit record. They can use the online service on GOV.UK or the HMRC app to tell HMRC about their child’s plans.
HMRC recently wrote to parents about extending their Child Benefit claim. The letter included a QR code which, when scanned, directs them to GOV.UK to update their claim online. Any changes will be applied to their Child Benefit claim immediately.
Child Benefit will continue to be paid for children who are studying full time which can include:
Child Benefit will also continue for children who are studying on an unpaid approved training course through the ‘No One Left Behind programme’.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Child Benefit can provide financial support to families, so make sure you don’t miss out if your teenager is still eligible.
“You can quickly and easily extend your claim online or via the HMRC app, just search ‘Child Benefit when your child turns 16’ on GOV.UK.”
Parents will need a Government Gateway user ID and password to use HMRC’s online services. They will need their National Insurance number or postcode and 2 forms of ID to register on GOV.UK.
The UK Government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out about cost of living support, including help with childcare costs.
ATN Bangla UK filmed their ‘Will to Win‘ programme in local restaurant Britannia Spice, with local representative Foysol Choudhury MSP, local hero Dr Wali Uddin and host Amina Khanom.
The programme will be travelling around the UK to visit local restaurants and businesses, discussing their endeavours in the restaurant industry and also the challenges facing the sector today.
Following the filming of the programme, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “”Thank you to ATN Bangla UK for highlighting the challenges faced by the Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant industry in Scotland.
“Restaurants are struggling for the skilled staff they need. A culmination of issues such as VAT rates, the cost-of-living crisis increasing material costs and immigration laws are hitting the sector hard.
“This environment is meaning that the next generation are often not able or willing to take on the roles they once were.
We urgently need to do more to support the restaurant industry in these key sectors and to encourage new talent into the catering and restaurant world.“
Mr Choudhury notes that he will continue to raise the challenges faced by his constituents in the Scottish Parliament, to continue to support Scotland’s restaurants which contribute to a diverse and enriched society and economy.
You can watch the programme and schedule on SKY 779 or at https://atnbanglauk.tv/
This week sees the official launch of a new dedicated taxi zone at Edinburgh Waverley station. It’s the result of a collaboration between Network Rail and APCOA which is designed to enhance the overall journey experience for passengers using the station.
With space to accommodate up to 40 taxis, the facility in the New Street car park is the largest in Edinburgh city centre, offering a dedicated fleet of both hackney cab and private hire vehicles, including people carrier options for groups of up to eight, and standard TX taxis for customers with mobility impairments.
Agents are on standby throughout the station to take specific bookings at no extra cost, and passengers will receive real-time waiting updates if a vehicle isn’t available immediately.
Edinburgh Waverley’s station manager Chris King commented: “We’re delighted to have worked with APCOA to create a dedicated facility within the station area which will be great for passengers, particularly for those with reduced mobility, or those travelling with children, prams or luggage.
“It has also generated employment opportunities for local people and offers convenient onward travel options to those who need it, with the reassurance of either getting a taxi straight away or knowing for certain that one is on its way.”
Do you have a little one(s) aged 6 months – 3 years? Would you like to learn more about encouraging positive behaviours around food in a safe and supportive environment?
Why not join Sally and Jules this Wednesday from 10am-11am Pilton Community Health Project , we’d love to welcome you and your wee one(s).
Booking is essential and these sessions run each week for a total of 4 weeks. Please register using the link below or by contacting us via email (details on poster).
Link: https://forms.office.com/e/PnCrjDLJLA
Hope to see you soon!
Stepping Stones North Edinburgh
The short film in partnership with Scottish spiking charity Spike Aware UK will screen at The Old Well Cinema in Moffat this month
21st August 2023, Scotland: Today film production company Delilah Films announces the premiere of its debut short film Spiked will take place in Scotland on Wednesday 23rd August at The Old Well Theatre in Moffat. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
When single-mum Becky suspects she’s been spiked, she seeks frenemy police officer Andrea’s help in getting tested. Spiked is a short film set in the North-East of England.
An image from the film is available here: https://we.tl/t-xXpIClV1ag (L: Phoebe Lorenz, R: Emma Zadow)
Spiked was co-created by Delilah Films’ founder Phoebe Lorenz and BBC New Creative Emma Zadow. The film was created with support from Scottish charity Spike Aware UK, and in association with Northern Fortress Films.
It was directed by Alex Shipman (Female, Fifty and Fighting: Bam Bam).
Spiked has already been selected for numerous BIFA-qualifying festivals including Women X and Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2023.
Spike Aware UK is a registered Scottish charity covering England, Scotland, Wales & NI, and is a group who want to raise awareness of young people having their drinks drugged or spiked at social events.
It is the first registered charity and support network for victims of drink and needle spiking in the UK, and it organises, cooperates, supports and campaigns locally and nationally to spread awareness.
The event will also screen short film A Victim’s Story made by local filmmaker Rachael Ovens, and Still (also directed by Alex Shipman), an experimental documentary using real testimonies from women about their experiences in night clubs, visualised through an interpretive dance piece.
Phoebe Lorenz, founder of Delilah Films, says, “Having the premiere of this film in Scotland, timed just at the end of Edinburgh Film Festival, is a testament to our phenomenal partners at Spike Aware UK.
“The team behind Spiked want this film to make as big of an impact as possible for victims of spiking and to raise awareness of the issue, and we are really looking forward to the event.”
Colin Mackie, founder of Spike Aware UK, says, “We at Spike Aware UK are delighted to have played a part in bringing Spiked to the screen.
“We have been impressed by the professionalism and the enthusiasm of all involved in the project and hope this production will help highlight what is a growing problem.”
Spiked’s creator and founder of Delilah Films Phoebe Lorenz is a British-German actor, writer and producer. She co-wrote/produced award-winning film I’m Still Ethanin 2020 with Freida Films’ Amelia O’Loughlin and starring BIFA-Winning actor Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake).
Co-creator of Spiked Emma Zadow is an actor, writer and BBC New Creative. Her short film JIGGING, commissioned by BBC Arts & Screen South, won Best Short and Best Actress at Seattle Independent, Sydney Australian, Hong Kong Indie, Hollywood Boulevard and Red Moon Film Festivals.
Alex Shipman is a Director and DOP across documentary and fiction content. She works as a DOP for EPK/Behind the scenes content on Warner Brothers and Lucas film productions. As a director her short films have been selected for Cannes Film Festival (as part of the Straight 8 Challenge) and her last short film about women’s experience in nightclubs screened at the BFI Future Film Festival.
Northern Fortress Films was founded by Louisa Rose Mackleston in January 2021. Louisa is a Director, Writer & Producer from Bradford. Her production company aims to convey socially conscious stories through factual and narrative formats and has received funding from organisations such as UNESCO, the NHS & Bradford Council.
