Coronavirus: Omicron update

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s briefing from St Andrew’s House this morning:

Good morning,

I am joined here today as you can see by the Chief Medical Officer.

Now today’s full Covid statistics will be published later on today, so I’m not going to provide all of the detail of those right now.

I can though confirm that the overall situation in Scotland does remain stable at this stage.

We have in recent days been seeing cases declining slightly.

We knew, however, that the weeks ahead would present real risks to this stability.

Colder weather forcing us indoors. Festive socialising. And a deteriorating situation in many countries across Europe.

However, over the past few days a new risk has emerged in the form of the Omicron variant and it is that that we want to update you on today.

I am going to set out what we know so far about the new variant – though I stress there is still much that we and the rest of the world do not know about it.

I will also give the most up to date information we have on numbers of cases identified so far here in Scotland – though I expect that this will be a developing situation in the days ahead.

I will set out the actions we have considered it appropriate to take so far on a precautionary basis.

And of course I will remind everyone what we can all do – must do, in fact – to help contain the spread of the virus in general but this new variant in particular.

Firstly, what do we know at this stage?

And as I said a moment ago, the most important point to make – which was underlined in a briefing issued by the World Health Organisation last night – is that there is still a huge amount that we do not know about the variant.

The number of mutations that it has – and the nature of these – and some of the very early indications from Southern Africa have raised the concern that this variant might be more transmissible than Delta which of course is currently the dominant variant in Scotland and many other countries.

However, much more data and analysis is required to be certain of this and, if it is more transmissible, to understand by how much.

Further work is also needed to confirm what impact this variant might have on the effectiveness of vaccines and the risk of re-infection.

The WHO said yesterday that preliminary evidence suggests there might be an increased risk of re-infection but stressed that information at this stage is still limited.

It also said that there is currently no information to suggest that the symptoms from Omicron are any different to the symptoms from other variants.

In other words, although again more data is still required, there is no evidence at this stage to suggest that the disease caused by Omicron is more severe.

Now the days and weeks ahead will tell all of us much more about the nature of this variant and therefore its implications, if there are implications, for our response to the pandemic.

What we do know at this stage, though, confirms in my view that we should treat it seriously, and we should continue to act on a precautionary basis at this stage.

While we all hope that the emerging understanding of it will reduce rather than increase our level of concern, there is no doubt that this presents – potentially – the most challenging development in the course of the pandemic for quite some time.

Let me turn now to the situation in Scotland. We have stepped up our surveillance in recent days and I want to thank public health teams for the work they are doing to ensure that we are able to detect cases of this variant quickly.

As we confirmed earlier today, that enhanced surveillance has identified 6 cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland so far – 4 of these are in Lanarkshire and 2 in Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

Now it is important for me to stress that the contact tracing of these cases is still ongoing. However, at this stage, we know that not all of them have any recent travel history to, or known links with others who have travelled to, the countries in Southern Africa where the variant was originally detected.

This suggests that there might already be some community transmission of this variant in Scotland but again let me stress there is no evidence yet that this is sustained – nor any evidence from the enhanced surveillance that it is widespread at this stage.

However, evidence of even limited community transmission underlines the importance of all of us increasing our compliance with the protections that are in place.

And I will turn now to the actions we have taken.

We have already reintroduced some travel restrictions – even with evidence of community transmission locally, these travel measures are important and I will say more about them shortly – but given that Omicron is already present in Scotland, we also need to consider carefully what steps are necessary and proportionate to reduce transmission here.

Some protections that the UK Government has announced in recent days in relation to England – for example the requirement to wear face coverings in some settings – are of course already in place, and in fact more extensive already, here in Scotland.

So at this stage, we are asking people, everyone across the country, to significantly step up and increase compliance with all existing precautions – face coverings, hygiene like washing hands and surfaces, getting vaccinated and of course testing yourselves regularly with lateral flow devices and, from now on, testing yourself before mixing socially with people from other households.

We are also reminding people to work from home if possible. As of today, I’m asking employers to make sure they are maximising the potential of home working.

However, this may be, and is likely to be, a fast-moving situation – so our response will be kept under close review as we learn more about the risk Omicron poses, and the nature of transmission here in Scotland.

A key part of our initial response will be to continue to identify cases as quickly as we can and, where possible after that, break the chains of transmission.

To that end, additional testing will be undertaken in areas where cases have been identified.

Now, our local response will complement the UK-wide travel restrictions that aim to avoid importing new cases while we are trying to curb community transmission.

Even with cases already here, it is really important to do what we can to prevent new seeding of the variant from elsewhere.

So in line with the rest of the UK, we have reinstated the red list of countries, and to date 10 countries from southern Africa have been added to that red list.

Anybody travelling back to Scotland from those 10 countries must enter managed quarantine for 10 days on their arrival.

In addition, anyone arriving in Scotland from anywhere outside the common travel area, will be asked to take a PCR test on the second day after arrival, and self-isolate until they get the result of that test.

We know, however, that the incubation period for this virus is very often more than 2 days.

So our view is that it would be sensible on a precautionary basis for these travel rules to be tightened further.

That’s a view shared by the Welsh Government.

I had a called yesterday with First Minister Mark Drakeford and he and I have this written this morning a joint letter to the Prime Minister.

We are proposing a tougher four-nations approach to travel restrictions at this stage that would see people arriving in the UK from overseas asked to self-isolate for eight days. Under our proposal, they would take a PCR test on day eight of their arrival, as well as on day 2.

We believe this measure would be more effective in identifying cases of this variant which result from overseas travel, and therefore help us prevent further community transmission from imported cases.

Now as we know from earlier stages of the pandemic, with so many people travelling to Scotland and indeed to Wales via airports in England, anything less than a four-nations approach to requirements like this will be ineffective. So we hope that a four-nations agreement can be reached.

A four-nations approach obviously requires the four nations to discuss these issues together, and hear the best advice available.

So Mark Drakeford and I have also called on the Prime Minister today to immediately convene a COBRA meeting – with representation from each nation – to discuss what additional steps we might have to consider and how we work together to tackle this new risk.

Mark Drakeford and I are also conscious of the very real concern businesses and staff will feel at the possibility of further protections becoming necessary.

Now let me stress we all hope this will not be necessary but it is prudent to plan ahead and so we have also sought confirmation that – should any further protections be necessary – Treasury funding will be available to any of the four nations that require to activate business support schemes.

Now, given the serious tone and content of my statement today, I want to stress this.

It is always important – and we’ve learned this over these past two years – in the face of new developments in this virus to prepare for the worst, to act on a precautionary basis.

But that does not mean that we are not hoping – because we are hoping – for something considerably short of the worst. We are still hoping for the best, and hoping that our developing understanding of this variant will reduce rather than increase our concern.

I very much hope that additional protections can be avoided. And while we will act on a precautionary basis we will also seek to act at all times in a proportionate manner.

I want to end by stressing what we can all do. Vaccination remains our most important line of defence.

We had already outlined last week that the Scottish Government was working to accelerate even further the booster vaccine programme. We will now step up those efforts more.

We are expecting a statement later today from the JCVI conforming its updated advice on vaccination.

The Scottish Government is getting ready to operationalise any new recommendations from the JCVI – for example in relation to the interval between second doses and boosters, or the range of people who can now receive booster jags and we will do that as quickly as is possible.

Vaccines do remain our best line of defence and I want to stress this point

If – and it is still an if – vaccines do prove to be less effective against this new variant, vaccination will still be hugely important.

Less effective does not mean ineffective.

If anything, the new variant makes it more important – not less important – to get all doses of the vaccine.

Over the weekend, 40-49 year olds became able to book boosters through NHS Inform.

Older age groups can already do so.

So if you are 40 or over, go to the website, book a booster for when you are due it.

And if you haven’t yet had your first or second doses, please book an appointment to get them now.

The Scottish Government will consider carefully in the coming days any further actions that are necessary, as we get more information about this variant and the extent of its presence here.

But the point I want to end on, and indeed stress at this stage, is that the same measures that have worked against previous strains of this virus, will also help us curb any transmission of this new variant.

So if in recent weeks you’ve been sticking a bit less rigorously to all of the public health advice, which I think is entirely understandable and I am sure we are all in that position to a greater or lesser extent, now is the time to start following all of that advice rigorously again.

Every one of us can make a difference in protecting ourselves and each other.

So let me just end with a reminder of what all of us can do and what it is really important that all of us do at this stage.

These steps are now vital so I am asking everybody not to see this as optional.

Firstly, get vaccinated.

It is the single most important thing we can do to protect ourselves and each other.

Secondly, test for Covid regularly. As I said, we will be increasing testing in areas where the new variant has been identified.

But for all of us, wherever we are, even if we are feeling fine, regular lateral flow testing is a really important way of finding out if we might have the virus.

So on any occasion that you are intending to socialize, or mix with people from other households – whether that is in a pub, a restaurant, a house or even a shopping centre – please do an LFD test. You can get kits online, or pick them up from local pharmacies or test centres. They are free so get as many as you need and keep your supply topped up.

And finally, comply with all of the existing protections.

Wear face coverings on public transport, in shops, and whenever you are moving about in hospitality settings.

Keep windows open if you have people in your house to improve ventilation because we know that helps.

Follow all advice on hygiene. It is time to go back rigorously to washing our hands, to cleaning surfaces.

And as I said earlier, please work from home right now if you can.

The Economy Secretary will be meeting business organisations later this afternoon and stressing that home working when possible will help us get through the winter and also this latest risk more safely.

The discovery of the new variant makes these measures more important than ever before. They will make a difference. And by sticking to them, we give ourselves the best possible chance of enjoying the more normal Christmas we are all looking forward to, but enjoying not just a more normal Christmas but a safer Christmas too, and hopefully avoiding the need for any tighter protections in the weeks to come.

So please, let’s all of us make sure that we up our compliance right now. This of course is a concerning development but if we take it as a reminder not to let our guard slip, then I hope we can protect the stronger position that we had already got ourselves into.

So please, get vaccinated, test yourself regularly, and follow all of the protections that are in place.

Thank you to everybody for doing all of these things and for what I know everybody will be seeking to do in the weeks ahead.

Council Leaders urge citizens to help limit Covid spread

City council leaders have urged residents to continue and renew efforts to help limit the spread of the Covid virus following the emergence of the new Omicron variant in Scotland.

The call from Council Leader Adam McVey and Depute Leader Cammy Day comes after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave a national update earlier today (Monday).

The First Minister stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, carrying out lateral flow tests regularly and rigorously following existing advice, including wearing masks, sanitising hands and surfaces and working from home where possible.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “With the emergence of the new Omicron variant it’s essential that we follow a precautionary approach. While we’re still learning about this variant it’s right that we take action to protect ourselves and those around us.

“We must continue our efforts to limit its transmission, particularly as we head into the coldest winter months. First and foremost that means getting vaccinated – get both your jags and, if eligible, your third, booster dose.

“It’s also crucial that we test ourselves regularly, especially if we’re mixing with others, and, of course, carry on following the public health guidance on handwashing, face-coverings, ventilation and meeting outdoors wherever possible.

“There’s so much we can do to slow the virus’s spread and, hopefully, enjoy the more ‘normal’ Christmas we’ve all been waiting for.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “The latest developments demonstrate that, while we’ve been making strides to limit the spread of the Covid virus, we need to remain alert.

“We can’t let all the sacrifices we’ve made so far go to waste – now is the time to redouble our efforts, look after one another and follow the rules.

“Together we can help limit the spread of the virus, reducing pressure on our health and care services over the winter and the need for further restrictions.”

Community test centres and mobile test centres are open for people with no Covid symptoms. Full details of these, and how to order home lateral flow testing kits, are available online.

Find out more about Council services during the pandemic on the Council website.

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 18^th 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.”

Miracle wee boy is first to switch on new Sick Kids Christmas lights

A little boy who was diagnosed with a brain tumour at only 12 days old was first to switch on the Christmas lights at Edinburgh’s new children’s hospital.

Joey Sharp, now 11 months old, endured two life-saving surgeries just days after he was born at Christmas time last year, and has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment at the hospital ever since.

Alongside his proud parents and with the help of big sister Carly (3), Joey pressed the button to light up the 20ft tree and surrounding area, following an introduction and countdown from Forth One presenter Boogie in the Morning.

Mum Sam said: “Our little Joey was only 12 days old when he had emergency surgery in December last year. Hours before, we were given the devastating news that he had a brain tumour.

“We were told to prepare for the worst. Our world had shattered. I had been making Christmas lists, buying presents and organising family fun. Suddenly, it all seemed hopeless.

“After eight agonising hours, 50% of the tumour was removed. But Joey was still seriously ill and needed a second operation. The days passed in a blur as we sat by his side in Intensive Care.

“Two days before Christmas, he had his second brain surgery. This time, they removed 98% of the tumour, but we still had a way to go. With six long months of intensive chemotherapy ahead, we were determined to make the most of every moment.”

Sam and husband Steven will always be grateful for all the care and support both they, Joey and Carly received while in hospital over the festive period.

The family are backing Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity’s (ECHC) new Christmas appeal, which asks supporters to help “Light Up Christmas” for those seriously ill children and young people facing a hospital stay this December.

Sam continued: “Throughout our time in hospital, ECHC was there for us at every turn, supporting us on the ward when none of our family or friends could visit.

“The charity’s activities gave us a break from our daily reality. Seeing Joey respond to bubbles in baby sensory sessions, and hearing singing and live music was wonderful. It gave us hope. The change that came over the ward when the charity arrived was amazing, everyone’s faces lit up.

“On Christmas Day, Covid rules were relaxed and we were allowed to be together. ECHC made sure our time was magical. They showered the kids with gifts and involved Carly in all the fun. The best gift of all was seeing her and her baby brother together for the first time since he was admitted.

“In March, we were transferred to the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. We felt anxious leaving the old Sick Kids but the moment we arrived we were reassured with the most wonderful welcome.

“The new hospital is made for children and families. It’s a bright, fun, friendly space that supporters of the charity should be proud to have made possible.

“Joey is now 11 months old, cancer free and growing stronger every day. Without doubt, the support from ECHC made a huge difference to his recovery and our first memories as a family so it was wonderful to have him be the first to switch on the Christmas lights for the charity at the new hospital!”

Children, families and staff gathered at the hospital entrance and watching on from windows were treated to a musical performance by Edinburgh Brass Band before watching Joey and his family light up the giant Christmas tree – very kindly gifted to ECHC by Conifox Adventure Park.

The Christmas Light Switch On is just one of many activities that the charity has planned to make Christmas as magical as possible for those who are sadly too unwell to spend it at home.

Victoria Buchanan, from ECHC, said: “We would like to say an enormous thank you to Conifox Adventure Park, Edinburgh Brass Band, Boogie in the Morning and Joey and his family for helping to make our first ever Christmas Light Switch On at the new hospital so special.

“Every year, ECHC makes Christmas magical for children in hospital by creating a living advent calendar around the wards with a new surprise behind each door, with everything from a real ballerina to festive magic sessions and a samba band! We also fund the hospital play team and Christmas gifts to make sure treats and distractions are always available to bring smiles and comfort.

“This is our first year in our new home at Little France, so we are determined to make it the biggest and best Christmas yet. Although we have lit up the building, we still need help to Light Up Christmas and make sure no child or young person in hospital misses out on the joy of the festive season.

“We rely solely on donations to do this. Please help by making a donation to ECHC this Christmas. You could Light Up Christmas for a child in hospital this December.”

To donate now to ECHC’s Light Up Christmas appeal, visit:

www.echcharity.org/christmas

Spartans Alternative School students present ART OFFENDERS

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

Wednesday 8^th 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.

200,000 Baby Boxes delivered

The number of Baby Boxes delivered to expectant parents has reached 200,000. The milestone comes after independent evaluation showed overwhelming backing for the box and its contents.

Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “We are proud that the 200,000th Baby Box has been delivered to a family preparing to welcome their wee one. It means that 200,000 newborns and their parents have now benefitted from a range of essential items.

“The Baby Box is part of our commitment to making sure that every child, no matter what their circumstances, has the best start in life. Deliveries of the boxes have continued throughout the pandemic, supporting parents at a time when many may be facing additional financial worries or having to cope without as much face-to-face support from family and friends.

“Last year, a record 98% of expectant parents requested a Baby Box, a big rise on the 85% when they were first launched in 2017.

“This is a further vote of confidence for the scheme following the independent evaluation that showed how much parents value the Baby Box and its contents.”

One Parent Families Scotland CEO Satwat Rehman said: “The fact that all babies in Scotland are gifted a box full of essential items means that as a society we want every child, regardless of their circumstances, to get the best start in life.

“We fully support this positive public health initiative that has the potential, through its universal approach, to make a contribution to the reduction of inequalities at the start of a baby’s life.

“Parents have told us that receiving the box made them feel the Government ‘cares about families’.”

A Baby Box is offered to all newborns in Scotland.

It provides families with a range of essential items for their first six months, delivered in a sturdy cardboard box, which can be used as a safe sleeping space during the early months of a baby’s life. The contents of the Baby Box are designed to inform and support positive parenting behaviours.

In an independent evaluation, 97% of parents who took part in research rated the box and its contents as good. Parents highlighted benefits of the box, including saving them money on essential items for newborns and helping with information on child health and development.

baby-box-evaluation-research-findings Download

Baby Box Evaluation: research findings

Baby Box Evaluation – full report

RWE’s £5 million community investment is upskilling lives in rural Scotland

· RWE marks £5 million donated over 15 years to community funds in Scotland

· Flexible financial support has benefited a wide range of local people, groups and infrastructure

· Bad á Cheò Wind Farm education & training fund provides residents with opportunities to upskill and increase employment potential

RWE, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, has reached the milestone of donating £5 million over 15 years, through its community funds set up at projects it operates in Scotland. The community funds help charities and causes to thrive and supports local communities.

The funds, which are made available in local areas surrounding RWE’s renewable energy projects, are provided directly to local groups and causes to help enhance and improve the services they provide, with projects spanning education and training, sustainability, health and wellbeing support, and community facilities.

This money goes a long way to supporting the sustainable development of the communities in which renewable projects are located. Hundreds of projects and communities have already been supported across Scotland with many other projects ready to be funded across the country.

RWE has a proud history of renewable development and working with local communities in Scotland. Today RWE operates 10 onshore wind farms across Scotland, with 14 more in development and construction, and continues to operate Scotland’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, Robin Rigg.

In total, RWE operates 26 sites in Scotland with many employees living locally. In addition to Community Funds, RWE is committed to offering community shared ownership at many of the projects in development.

The funding process is flexible and easily accessible, with decisions about funding allocations made by a panel of local representatives who know their communities best.

A number of examples of positive, grass roots projects funded by RWE’s Community Funds, including causes such as:

1 – Education and training fund supported by Bad á Cheò Onshore Wind Farm

Bad á Cheò Onshore Wind Farm Education and Training fund is open to residents living closest to the wind farm and provides bursaries to local people to access training and education opportunities that better equip them with the range of skills required to enter into, or retain, employment in key sectors. To date it has awarded nearly £50,000.

Taking advantage of the fund, the first two beneficiaries, Zoe Farquhar and Louise Todd, both undertook courses that increased their ability to generate more income and work for themselves.

Zoe Farquharson undertook an Introduction to Kiltmaking course, to enable her to meet a demand locally for handmade kilts by participants in Highland Dance Schools as well as sympathetic repairs to older garments. Louise Todd formalised her accountancy skills by taking a professional bookkeeping course that enabled her to increase the services her business could offer.

Thirty-five local people have received funding towards courses as diverse as childcare, sign language, deer stalking, welding inspection, accountancy and kilt making, or to assist them with costs whilst completing university education.

2 – Helping communities on their journey to net zero by supporting community energy projects

The An Suidhe Onshore Wind Farm Community Fund provided an investment in equity (share ownership) towards the River Avich Community Hydro Scheme. Providing financial support to the project while enabling a return of 4% back to the An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund.

This was the first investment in a community-owned renewable project from a community benefit fund in Scotland and an exciting example of how an area can achieve its renewable energy ambitions whilst continuously reinvesting in local initiatives.

Katy Woodington, Community Investment Manager UK & Ireland, said: “This is an important milestone, which represents the significant difference that renewable energy can make to people’s day to day lives as well as the planet.

“Funds are set up with decisions made by local people, so it is great to see them making the most of these flexible funds to support innovative projects, push boundaries and help realise their ambitions.”

There are additional long standing community and societal benefits that have been provided as a result of RWE’s green developments including a significant boost to local and regional supply chains, and supporting the development of high skilled, well-paid jobs and training programmes.

To date, RWE, which directly employs around 100 people in Scotland, has invested over £180 million in the country and recently confirmed its participation in the ScotWind seabed leasing round process, as we look to expand our global offshore wind portfolio.

RWE is the third largest renewable generator in the UK with the largest renewable project pipeline including the construction of the 1.4 GW Sofia and 857 MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farms. RWE is also progressing four extension projects in the UK, with a combined potential installed capacity of around 2.6 GW (RWE’s pro rata share: 1.3 GW.)

Furthermore, we successfully bid for two new adjacent offshore sites on Dogger Bank, developing some of the world’s most advanced offshore wind farms, in support of government net zero ambitions.

To find out more about RWE’s Community Funds, and the local projects and causes that they help to support, visit our Community finding in action page.

Healthy Heart Tips: Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is an approach to food where you pay full attention to eating. Research has shown that eating mindfully can improve digestion, help regulate appetite and helps us enjoy our food much more.

Here we share some simple ways to incorporate mindful eating into your daily routine:

Preparing your food
For many people, cooking can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be a rushed experience or something we do on autopilot. Whether you’re chopping, slicing, or marinating, the art of being mindful when you are cooking is an ideal opportunity to focus your attention on textures, sounds and smells. If your mouth waters – you know you’re on track!

Slow down
Taking the time to eat and chew your food thoroughly will enable you to taste the essence of the food. During a meal, you could practice taking smaller bites of food and try to put down your knife and fork between mouthfuls. You may be surprised at all the flavours that are released that you may not normally notice.

Eating around the table
When life gets busy, it can be easy to slip into the habit of eating on the run and neglect taking time to sit down together. Trying to factor in time for sitting around the table can be beneficial for all members of a family or household. It can help everyone switch off from the stresses of the day and provide an opportunity to reconnect over a meal.

No distractions
We tend to eat more mindlessly when we are distracted. We also don’t taste and experience the food as much because our mind is elsewhere.

Try eating with no distractions; this means eating without your laptop or phone, or when reading or watching TV so that you can relax and enjoy your food in the moment.

Mindful eating takes practice, and the more you practice, the more natural it will feel!

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/

NHS Lothian: Free staff parking permit scheme re-introduced at Little France to ease congestion

NHS Lothian is to re-introduce a staff car parking permit scheme on the Little France campus as part of a plan to help ease traffic congestion.

The scheme, which was suspended during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be reinstated next year as a free permit for staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) amid safety concerns around growing levels of congestion and queueing traffic on the site.

Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Lothian, said the site was unable to sustain the sheer volume of cars that arrive each day and the problem was causing delays for patients, staff and visitors, as well as blue light services which need access at all times.

He added: “The decision to re-introduce free staff car parking permits has been carefully considered and planned over recent months and is not a decision that was taken lightly.

“We have been experiencing significant congestion across the Little France campus which cannot be sustained. It causes delays to patients, visitors and staff and for the buses which are essential to service the hospital.

“Critically, however, it also causes serious issues for our blue light services which must be able to travel through the hospital site at all times.

“We are actively looking for additional long-term solutions for staff, including the implementation of a dedicated park and ride at Shawfair. In the meantime, a temporary new car park to provide more than 300 extra spaces on campus will also open in January.

“We will continue to engage with our staff throughout this process.”

The application process has been updated and staff who are interested in a permit are being asked to apply for the permit scheme, which will go live on January 17.

Forms will then be cross checked against the eligibility criteria, which is consistent across all NHS Lothian sites and includes questions about how far they have to travel, how long it takes, public transport links, the times of their journey and whether the role they perform requires them to move between sites during the course of a shift. Separate arrangements will be in place for those who have to attend in an emergency.

Staff who are already in possession of a staff parking permit will be able to use their current permit for one year, after which, it will be subject to an annual eligibility review.

Tracy Anne Miller, RIE Partnership Lead, NHS Lothian, said: “These next steps are essential. The site cannot cope with the levels of congestion we are experiencing. We will continue to engage with staff directly and help ensure they have equitable access to the scheme.”

NHS Lothian is actively investigating additional long-term solutions, and discussions are ongoing around the implementation of a dedicated park and ride at Shawfair.

In the meantime, a temporary car park, which will provide an additional 250 spaces will be available in January.

Staff are also being urged to consider car-share schemes. Where possible, car-sharing will be facilitated within departments, however plans are being developed to try and help match people from different departments, if required. More details will be released in due course. All car sharing schemes will be operated in line with Scottish Government guidance.