Category: Uncategorized

Laings Edinburgh celebrates the gift of time this festive season

Independent luxury jeweller, Laings, has transformed its Edinburgh showroom into a Christmas wonderland, featuring traditional rich red and gold décor, to encourage its clients to treasure the time they have with loved ones and celebrate the magic of the festive season. 

Putting a focus on the gift of time, Laings has launched an in-store activation with the British Heart Foundation to help bring people together, giving clients the opportunity to send a special message through its dedicated showroom post boxes.

The charity initiative, which will see £10 donated by Laings for every letter received at its Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Southampton showrooms, and through its website, will help to end heartbreak from heart and circulatory diseases.

Each sentimental message sent to Laings will be emailed to the chosen recipient to open on Christmas day, endeavouring to put a glorious smile on their face. Once the recipient has enjoyed their letter, they will be able to see all the messages from across the UK showcased on the Laings website, displaying the warmth and love of Laings’ extended family.

Through six generations of family ownership, Laings understands the importance of long-standing relationships and celebrating special moments, with strong family values at its core.

Stuart McDowell, Managing Director of Laings, said: “Reflecting on what has been a challenging year for most, this year, more than ever, we must cherish the precious moments spent with our loved ones.

“Family is at the heart of Laings, and we feel the festive season is the perfect time to bring everyone closer together. Our winter campaign does just that – encouraging us to treasure the moments we get to spend together and creating memories which last a lifetime.”

With the season to sparkle now upon us, Laings has also unveiled a new Fine Jewellery and Diamonds collection which includes one-of-a-kind pieces, superlative designs and magnificent gemstones.

Amongst the handcrafted pieces includes an 18ct white gold diamond necklet with 37 dazzling pear cut diamonds (£78,200), 18ct art-deco inspired emerald and diamond ring (£27,900) and 18ct white gold sapphire and diamond oval cut statement earrings (£22,995). Created with the finest materials and crafted with excellence, the new collection reinforces that a gift from Laings is one to be treasured for generations.

The collections are on display in Laings’ festive campaign photoshoot, which features traditional Christmas and extravagant party scenes. Both prove the versatility of the collections at Laings and illustrate the magic of the festive season with gifting, champagne, ballgowns and, most importantly, love in the air.

The campaign can be seen in Laings showroom windows across all of its locations, bringing to life the festivities with a distinctive red and signature Laings blue colour scheme that only adds to the wonder of the jewellery in the spotlight.

Stuart added: “We are proud to help celebrate our clients’ memorable moments and this Christmas our talented team will be on hand to help you find the perfect gift – or something to add to your own wish list.

“As we continue to invest in every area of the business, we’re able to take our clients on an even more immersive journey, from offering them the opportunity to view our carefully curated collections in an enhanced showroom environment, to matching them with one of our in-house designers to create a bespoke piece.

“We’ve also recently introduced new brands to our esteemed portfolio, including luxury Maison Fabergé, as well as expanding our own collections, bringing new pieces and price points to our clients.”

Browse the latest collections at www.Laingsuk.com/Christmas or visit one of Laings’ showrooms to speak to a member of the team and to post your letter to a loved one.

All letters as part of the British Heart Foundation ‘messages to loved ones’ initiative should be submitted by 24 December 2021.

Police appeal after car overturns on Ravelston Dykes

Police are investigating following a road traffic crash which happened at Ravelston Dykes at the junction with Murrayfield Road.

At around 1.25pm on Thursday (2 December 2021), a beige VW Golf being driven east on Ravelston Dykes Road, at the junction with Murrayfield Road, collided with a white Citroen C3 before overturning and coming to rest in a nearby garden.

The driver and sole occupant of the Golf, a 61-year-old man, was extricated from the vehicle and taken to hospital for treatment. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The driver of the Citroen was uninjured.

Police attended along with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service. The roadway was closed until around 5.10pm to allow for the vehicle to be recovered from the scene.

Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick from Police Scotland’s Road Policing Unit based in Edinburgh said: “I’d like to thank those members of the public who came to assist the driver at the scene and provided immediate attention to him prior to the arrival of emergency services.

“We would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the crash, particularly the VW Golf before it collided with the Citroen, and anyone who could have dash-cam footage of the incident is asked to provide this to us as soon as possible.”

Those with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 and quote incident number 1578 of 2 December 2021.

National Lottery winners deliver festive cheer to Leith’s Living Memory Association

Christmas has come early for a group of elderly residents from Edinburgh after a group of big-hearted National Lottery winners donated a wealth of festive goodies to a local National Lottery-funded charity.

Six winners visited The Living Memory Association in Leith yesterday, hand delivering a Christmas tree and luxury gift hampers to be distributed among local people who rely heavily on the support the charity offers. 

Armed with Santa hats and Christmas jumpers, the winners got to work putting up and decorating the tree, as well as putting finishing touches to the hampers which included everything from individual Christmas puddings to Fortnum & Mason tea bags. 

As part of the festive surprise The National Lottery winners, who have a combined worth of more than £62 million, spent the morning with charity staff at its Wee Museum of Memory at Ocean Terminal. 

Based in Edinburgh, The Living Memory Association was established in 1986 and uses the power of memory and reminiscence to bring people together, regardless of their background or age. 

The charity has received over £1M in National Lottery funding since 2005 with much of this used to involve and empower older people throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians who have been badly affected by loneliness and isolation, particularly during the pandemic.

This includes those living with dementia and their carers. Using the evocative powers of sight, sound and smell, staff encourage visitors to recall past memories with many people spending hours browsing the museum’s displays and artefacts.  

The charitable National Lottery winner group included Fred and Lesley Higgins, originally from Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire, who won £57,975,367 on EuroMillions in July 2018.

The couple, who have supported a number of deserving causes since their win, were also joined by fellow Dundonian Ray Storey who won £1,050,000 on EuroMillions in 2014. 

Also visiting the charity yesterday was Libby Elliott from Fife, who won £2,159,664 on Lotto in 2012, alongside East Lothian couple Alan and Claire Gray who scooped £1,000,000 on EuroMillions in 2019.

Alan Gray, who visited the charity with wife Claire, said, “We had a really lovely time visiting the Wee Museum of Memory. 

“The team at The Living Memory Association really do some amazing work and we feel proud to have played a small part in supporting its work with elderly and isolated people. We hope our donations mean local residents can still enjoy a special Christmas treat on us!”

Miles Tubb, Project Coordinator at The Living Memory Association, said, “Everyone has had a tough time over the past 18 months but for elderly and isolated people it’s been particularly difficult. We are passionate about tackling loneliness and a big part of this is getting people together and reliving memories of days gone by.

“We are so grateful to players of The National Lottery for their continued support and to our new friends who visited us. What they have donated is incredibly generous. Despite the restrictions and challenges these hampers will provide some much-needed festive cheer.

“We are lucky to have previously received funding support from The National Lottery, so we are delighted to be able to continue our great relationship.”

The Christmas season has always been a special time for National Lottery winners with many coming together during the festive season to support charities across Scotland. However, COVID-19 restrictions have meant that The National Lottery has had to think differently over the past couple of years.

With safety and wellbeing paramount, all winners and wider team members adhered to safe working practices, following current guidelines and with face masks and regular hand washing mandatory.

By playing any National Lottery game, players generate more than £30M each week for National Lottery-funded projects. This money helps support everything from the local charity making a difference where you live through to helping our nation’s athletes win Olympic and Paralympic gold medals.

To date, over £45 BILLION has been raised and distributed to National Lottery Good Causes through more than 660,000 individual grants.

Thanks to National Lottery players, over £1.2bn. is being used by charities and organisations affected by the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which includes over £600M in funding support from the National Lottery Community Fund which is being used to help groups best placed to support people and communities through the crisis.

MHRA approves Xevudy (sotrovimab), a COVID-19 treatment found to cut deaths and hospitalisation by 79%

This monoclonal antibody – the second to be authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency – is for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of developing severe disease.

Another COVID-19 treatment, Xevudy (sotrovimab), has today been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after it was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease.

This follows a rigorous review of its safety, quality and effectiveness by the UK regulator and the government’s independent expert scientific advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines, making it the second monoclonal antibody therapeutic to be approved following Ronapreve.

Developed by GSK and Vir Biotechnology, sotrovimab is a single monoclonal antibody. The drug works by binding to the spike protein on the outside of the COVID-19 virus. This in turn prevents the virus from attaching to and entering human cells, so that it cannot replicate in the body.

In a clinical trial, a single dose of the monoclonal antibody was found to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by 79% in high-risk adults with symptomatic COVID-19 infection.

Based on the clinical trial data, sotrovimab is most effective when taken during the early stages of infection and so the MHRA recommends its use as soon as possible and within five days of symptom onset.

Like molnupiravir, it has been authorised for use in people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 infection and at least one risk factor for developing severe illness. Such risk factors include obesity, older age (>60 years), diabetes mellitus, or heart disease.

Unlike molnupiravir, sotrovimab is administered by intravenous infusion over 30 minutes. It is approved for individuals aged 12 and above who weigh more than 40kg.

It is too early to know whether the omicron variant has any impact on sotrovimab’s effectiveness but the MHRA will work with the company to establish this.

Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive said: “I am pleased to say that we now have another safe and effective COVID-19 treatment, Xevudy (sotrovimab), for those at risk of developing severe illness.

“This is yet another therapeutic that has been shown to be effective at protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19, and signals another significant step forward in our fight against this devastating disease.

“With no compromises on quality, safety and effectiveness, the public can trust that the MHRA have conducted a robust and thorough assessment of all the available data.”

Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, Chair of the Commission on Human Medicines, said: “The Commission on Human Medicines and its COVID-19 Therapeutics Expert Working Group has independently reviewed the data and agrees with the MHRA’s regulatory approval of Xevudy (sotrovimab).

“When administered in the early stages of infection, sotrovimab was found to be effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in high-risk individuals with symptomatic COVID-19. Based on the data reviewed by the Commission and its expert group, it is clear sotrovimab is another safe and effective treatment to help us in our fight against COVID-19.”

Sotrovimab is not intended to be used as a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19.

The government and the NHS will confirm how this COVID-19 treatment will be deployed to patients in due course.

Festive drink and drug-drive campaign launched

The Minister for Transport and Police Scotland have launched this year’s festive enforcement campaign to tackle drink and drug-driving, highlighting the criminal and personal consequences of being found guilty of driving under the influence.

The campaign is backed by 48-year old Niki Smith, who was paralysed in a road collision in 1997, when she accepted a lift from someone who – unknown to Niki – had been drinking.

Niki, from Aberdeenshire, has now shared her experience to remind drivers that drink-driving can have devastating consequences and urges anyone to think twice before getting behind the wheel – as even one drink is too many if you’re driving.

With Christmas parties returning this year, the festive enforcement campaign warns motorists of a zero-tolerance approach to drink and drug-driving.

In the last two months1 852 roadside drug tests have been carried out across Scotland, resulting in 395 positive tests. On average, specialist road officers encounter 40-50 motorists a week who have taken drugs. Drivers who provide a positive roadside drug test are arrested and taken to a police station where a blood sample is obtained and sent for further analysis. In the same time period, 600 drivers were arrested for drink driving related offences.

The campaign draws attention to the significant consequences – criminal as well as personal – of being found guilty of driving while under the influence of alcohol or with drugs in your system.

Minister for Transport Graeme Dey said: “The consequences of drink and drug-driving can be devastating and those found guilty of breaking the law could face a criminal record, a large fine, and up to six months in prison.

“Driving while under the influence puts not only the driver, but passengers and other road users at risk of serious injury, or even worse. Our message is clear, if you’re having a drink, leave the car at home and if you’re driving, the best approach is none.”

More than 20,000 drivers are stopped by the police in Scotland every month2 and Police Scotland’s enforcement campaign will see an even stronger focus on drink driving on Scotland’s roads from 1st December, so the chances of being caught are higher than ever.

https://youtu.be/XWa0cXppVHc

Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock, Police Scotland’s Head of Road Policing said: “We want everyone to enjoy this festive season for all the right reasons and so we are urging motorists to help us keep the roads safe for all.

“We continue to see motorists put others at considerable risk by driving under the influence of alcohol or after taking drugs, despite repeated warnings about the dangers of drink or drug driving.

” As we approach the festive season, our officers will be focused on targeting drivers who recklessly put others at risk by driving after consuming alcohol or drugs. Driving under the influence reduces reaction times and continues to be a factor in serious and fatal collisions. The fact you could kill or injure yourself or another member of the public should be reason enough not to risk it.

“As well as roadside breath testing, officers can also test drivers at the roadside suspected of taking drugs, following limits being set in law in October 2019. There is a zero tolerance approach to drugs most commonly associated with illegal use, including cannabis, cocaine and heroin.

“I am urging drivers to plan ahead this festive season, think how you’re getting home after drinking and consider the impact alcohol can still have the morning after. Please don’t drink or take drugs and drive, it’s not worth the risk, do your part, and help keep our roads safe this festive season.”

Recalling the day of the collision, Niki Smith said: “It was a Friday evening and my sister and I were having a great night out. I enjoyed letting my hair down in between working as a carer and being a busy mum.

“We accepted a lift from someone we knew, although we had no idea he’d been drinking. It was a small decision that changed my life irreversibly.

“It must have been heart-breaking for my family and partner to be told I’d broken my neck and was paralysed. My sister, who was in the car with me, broke her collarbone and was later diagnosed with PTSD. I’m glad it was me, as I would have struggled to accept her having my injury.

“There has definitely been years of stress, physical pain and frustration for me and everybody involved in my life. I have now found ways to enjoy special moments and not just sit at home and dwell on the difficult times. I’ve had to become a more confident person so people see me and not just the wheelchair. If I hadn’t had my kids I don’t think I’d be the person I am today.

“Last summer I got involved with Spinal Injuries Scotland and became a peer support volunteer. Their peer support workers inspired me to come forward and share my story, and the friendship, humour and empathy I’ve found there has been brilliant.

“I hope that by sharing my own experience I can help raise awareness of the devastating consequences drink-driving can have on so many lives.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through the same as me and my family.”

For more information go to roadsafety.scot or the Road Safety Scotland Facebook and Twitter (@roadsafetyscot) pages.

Leith armed robber jailed

Three men have been sentenced following armed robberies at jewellery shops in Leith (August 2019) and Dundee (in September 2019).

Dean King (above), 28, Anthony Wheeldon, 40, and Connor Willis, 24, had pled guilty in October 2021 of the raid at the Walker shop in Union Street in Dundee. Willis had also admitted his part in a raid on a jewellers in Great Junction Street in Edinburgh.

At the High Court in Edinburgh King was sentenced to nine years and two months and Wheeldon to 11 years plus four years on licence. Willis was sentenced for both robberies to 12 years plus five years on licence.

Detective Inspector Bob Campbell, the senior investigating officer for the robbery in Edinburgh, said: “We welcome this sentencing. Willis was a member of a gang that entered the jewellers in Great Junction Street armed with a sledgehammer and axes and stole a large quantity of jewellery.

“A member of staff was injured during the raid but still confronted the robbers. Willis is a violent man and is now facing the consequences of his actions in prison.”

Detective Inspector Gavin McKinlay, the senior investigating officer for the robbery in Dundee, said: “These men went to the shop in Dundee armed with weapons, threatened a customer and staff and made off with jewellery worth a five figure sum.

“They had only one thing on their mind, to get the jewellery and nothing was going to get in their way. Despite the high levels of intimidation displayed and the clearly terrifying experience for those within the shop they were thwarted by the bravery of a customer who challenged them and this distraction allowed staff to activate the alarm. This meant they made off with a much smaller haul than they might otherwise have taken.

“An extensive and complex police investigation tracked these men down to locations across Scotland and the north of England, but I would like to pay testimony to the bravery of the customer, who was injured and has fortunately recovered, and the shop staff who were left badly shaken by what happened.

“These men are now facing the consequences of their actions. There is no place for this kind of violence in our society and we will always do all we can to bring people responsible for such crimes to justice.”

Majority of Scots support immediate doubling of Scottish Child Payment, new poll finds

A majority of people in Scotland support next month’s Scottish Government budget being used to double the Scottish Child Payment immediately, new polling released today has found, as campaigners continue to press for Kate Forbes, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, to back the move.

The polling, conducted by Survation for the End Child Poverty coalition in Scotland, revealed that – once ‘don’t knows’ were excluded – 68% of people in Scotland support the immediate doubling of the benefit for low income families.

Among those who voted for the SNP at May’s Holyrood elections, this figure jumped to 74%. Young people aged 16-34 were even more likely to back the call, with that figure reaching 79% in favour.

It comes amid mounting pressure on the Scottish Government to respond with urgency to what campaigners are calling a “rising tide of child poverty” across Scotland. On 18th November, over 100 organisations from across Scotland wrote to Kate Forbes urging her to “do the right thing” and use December’s budget to double the payment.

While the Scottish Government have said the payment will be doubled ‘as soon as possible’ during the course of this Scottish Parliament, as of yet they have resisted calls to do so immediately. But anti-poverty campaigners have warned that, unless the Finance Secretary uses December’s budget to act immediately, Scotland’s child poverty targets risk failure.

Responding to the poll findings, Peter Kelly (Director, Poverty Alliance) said: “In Scotland, people believe in protecting one another and in doing the right thing. As this new polling makes clear, they overwhelmingly support taking action now to stem the rising tide of child poverty.

“Children and families living in the grip of poverty right now simply cannot wait. Scottish ministers must listen to people across the country who are calling on them to do the right thing, and double the Scottish Child Payment now.”

Polly Jones (Head of Scotland, Trussell Trust) said: “Families across Scotland are facing a really difficult winter. Right now, food banks in the Trussell Trust network in Scotland are giving out a food parcel every three minutes to people in crisis.

“This isn’t right, especially when we have the power to change this. Doubling the Scottish Child Payment now would be a huge boost to Scotland’s struggling families and I hope Ministers will listen to the public and act.”

Claire Telfer, head of Scotland, Save the Children, said: “This polling confirms what we know and what we’re hearing from parents and families across Scotland: the Scottish Child Payment is making a huge difference but it’s not going far enough and it needs to be doubled.

“Just last week a parent told us ‘Doubling the Scottish Child Payment would make a massive difference, any extra money a week would help.

“We know that many families with young children in Scotland are struggling to make ends meet, parents are going without food or not putting the heating on, to care for their children.

“As a society we can – and must – do better. Next month’s budget is a golden opportunity to act now and support families and drive down poverty by doubling the Scottish Child Payment.”

Spartans Alternative School students present ART OFFENDERS

ART OFFENDERS is the first exhibition presented to you by CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS

Wednesday 8th December 2021

4pm – 7pm

Spartans Community Football Academy, Ainsley Park, 94 Pilton Drive

This event is FREE

Prior to the pandemic, the young people who attend Spartans Alternative School connected their art with their social enterprise project and named it CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS.

Their mission was to create awareness and positive change while they explored different ways of creating art. This year they spoke a lot about war and the negative impacts that battle and war has had on the lives of our soldiers when they return home. 

This exhibition features drawings, paintings, creative writing, film and 3D work that will be available to purchase.  Specially designed cards, prints and mugs will also be on sale at our ‘pop up shop’. They have chosen to donate money raised, to Scottish Veterans residences, based in Edinburgh. 

SCOTTISH VETERANS RESIDENCES, provides supported housing for former members of the UK Armed Forces who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Their services are located in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow.

We look forward to welcoming you to come enjoy some Artwork and support our mission, to raise funds for Scottish war veterans.

Support targeted at most vulnerable as Scotland recovers from Storm Arwen

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) on the continuing impacts of Storm Arwen and has been briefed that the recovery is going to be greater and more challenging than first anticipated.

Last night’s update focused on the scale and severity of the adverse weather which will see a number of homes across the country remain without power overnight and continuing telecommunication and water issues.    

Significant efforts are ongoing to restore power as soon as possible and welfare support is being concentrated on the people and households who are most vulnerable and have the greatest need.

Mr Swinney said: “The scale of the damage caused by Storm Arwen is worse than we first feared and as a result our recovery will take longer than anticipated.

“We know this will create significant challenges for communities and households still affected by the storm’s impacts and I want to reassure them we are doing everything we can, liaising with local resilience partnerships, to focus efforts and resources. 

“We have been working closely and at pace with power companies who are maximising efforts to restore services to households currently without power.

“Plans are being put in place for further assistance to respond to the longer than expected recovery and we are concentrating getting power restored for vulnerable people and those who need it most.

“In extremely challenging circumstances we have seen an outstanding response from local resilience partnerships who have been providing vital support to local residents and I would like to thank them for their continuing efforts.”

COVID-19: New Omicron variant discovered in Scotland

Six cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant have been identified in Scotland.

Four cases are in the Lanarkshire area and two have been identified in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

Public Health Scotland and local health protection teams are supporting and contact tracing is being undertaken to establish the origin of the virus and any individuals they have come into contact with in recent weeks.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “This will be a worrying time for the six people now identified as having the new variant. All will receive expert help and support and Public Health Scotland will undertake enhanced contact tracing in all cases. This will help establish the origin of the virus and any further individuals they have come into contact with in recent weeks.

“There is still much to learn about the Omicron variant. Questions remain about its severity, transmissibility and response to treatments or vaccines and scientists are working at pace to provide additional information. Until more is known we must be cautious and do everything we can to minimise the risk of spreading infection.

“We have already taken steps and are aligning with the new border restrictions being introduced by the UK Government which will require fully vaccinated arrivals to take a PCR test within two days of arrival and to self-isolate until a negative result is received.

“These measures will be introduced as soon as possible and kept under constant review. However, we reserve the right to go further if necessary. We are also adopting the expanded red list of countries identified by the UK Government. This will also be kept under review.

“We must now redouble our efforts to follow the basic rules that have served us well throughout the pandemic – wear a face covering on public transport and in all indoor settings for food and retail; open windows especially if you have people visiting at home; keep washing your hands regularly and thoroughly. Work from home where possible, take regular lateral flow tests – especially before mixing with others outside your household. 

“If you have symptoms, self-isolate and take a test and if contacted by Test and Protect or public health teams please co-operate and follow their advice. All close contacts of suspected Omicron cases will be advised to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status.

“And of course, if you are eligible for your booster, or are still to have any dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, please get vaccinated now.”

BREAKING: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be holding a Coronavirus briefing at 10.30 this morning.