Scotland’s Social Action Inquiry is looking for Guides

My name is Darryl Gaffney du Plooy, and I am one of the Co-leads for the Social Action Inquiry (Scotland). The other Co-lead is Deborah Menezes.

We are currently looking for people to help shape the direction of the inquiry. We have given these roles the name of Guides because lived experience will be crucial  for us to navigate sensibly and sensitively through the complex landscapes of Scotland’s Civil Society.

We are inviting applications from any age and all backgrounds. We have produced Easy-Read materials and are welcoming applications sent via video and audio file for people who prefer these forms of communication. 

As well as the option to submit a written application The full details on how to apply can be found at Good Moves or on our Social Action Inquiry Website.

We appreciate that our deadline (12 noon, 22nd of October) might be too short for some people but we would like to communicate that we will be looking to recruit more Guides in 2022.

I also wanted to mention that we will also soon be ready to share with you a programme of activities for us to listen, learn and build bonds with people, places, and communities in Scotland.

Our intention is for the activities to mirror our approach to the inquiry, as in, focusing on relationships, being inclusive & participatory, and orientating energy towards action.

If either or both of these developments interest you, please share and if you would like to get in touch feel free to do so. We will be delighted to hear from you.      

Best wishes

Darryl Gaffney du Plooy

Co-lead Social Action Inquiry

Darryl@socialaction.sco

Invitation for Guides of the Social Action Inquiry in Scotland 

Do you want to live in a Scotland where communities   can make positive differences to their way of life? A Scotland that values social action and helps to make it happpen?  

We invite you to be part of our Social Action Inquiry team to shape the direction of the inquiry by adding your voice and experience into the inquiry process 

What is the Social Action Inquiry? 

The Social Action Inquiry is being set up to find out more about how communities can take action that makes a difference. It will look at what helps, and what gets in the way. It’s hoped that it will help influence how Scotland rebuilds after the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Inquiry’s vision is: 

A Scotland which recognises the value of social action and its potential to enable us to overcome the challenges we face in the 21st century.  

This independent inquiry will be led by people with direct, lived experience of Scottish communities which have felt powerlessness over decisions affecting their own lives, and that this power has been exercised by others. 

It will support people to find their voices, take action, and use what they learn to help create wider change.  For more details, see our website – socialaction.scot 

To help the Inquiry we are inviting people to become Guides.   

What will a Guide do?  

To allow for the Inquiry to create a more inclusive and sustainable journey the Guides will help  shape the direction of the Inquiry.  For more details on the role please download our invitation to become a Guide file below (General or Easy-Read versions). 

Work, Hours and Pay. 

The Guides will meet once a month for one full day, online or in-person.  

The Guides will be offered £200 per day for their time.  

The panel of Guides will be reviewed every six months. This is to ensure diverse perspectives can contribute into the Inquiry.   

I would like to be a Guide. How do I do that?   

You can choose apply that in four different ways:   

  1. Write your answers on our application form (attached below).  
  2. Write a personal statement (no more than 1000 words) telling us why you would like to be a Guide.    
  3. Send us a video, no longer than 10 minutes, telling us why you would like to be a Guide. 
  4. Send us an audio file, no longer than 10 minutes, telling us why you would like to be a Guide.   

 We have chosen these four different ways because we know writing applications can be difficult for people. Guiding questions with how to design your application can be found by downloading the ‘Invitation for Guides’ file below (General or Easy-Read versions)  

When is the closing date for applications?  

Applications are open until 12 noon on the 22nd of October  

We will let people know if they are being invited to an interview by the 29th of October.  

Interviews will be arranged for the week beginning the 1st of November.    

How to submit your application.  

 A copy of the application can be downloaded below.  

 Completed written applications should be sent to hello@socialaction.scot  

Video and Audio Files should be sent by WeTransfer, or via the communication platforms Telegram or  Whatsapp to 07867 181 040.   

Please send a confirmation email to hello@socialaction.scot  informing us which platform you have used to submit your application.   

If you would like to speak to someone above being a guide before you apply or have any additional queries regarding the role or any information noted above, please email:  hello@socialaction.scot    

Downloads

Invitation for Guides Easy Read

Invitation for Guides

Application Form Easy-Read Version

Application Form

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

Privacy Statement and References for Video and Audio File Applications 

Free community meal in Granton Community Garden on Wednesday

SCRAN VAN in the GARDEN

Wednesday 20th October 4 – 5.30pm

Come and join Granton Community Gardeners for a hot takeaway meal – you can either take it home, or sit and eat at tables in the garden.

FOOD IS ALL FREE and served until it runs out.

The Community Meal is run in partnership with Scran Academy and Pilton Community Health Project.

Police BME communities recruitment event tomorrow

Police Scotland are hosting a recruitment event aimed at people from minority ethnic communities with the opportunity to hear from serving BME officers.

Tues 19/10/21 6pm–9pm Fettes Police Station 5 Fettes Ave Edinburgh EH4 1RB

Contact: recruitmentpositiveactionteam@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Earth in Common: Croft Coorie-in

We’re so excited to introduce our first “Croft Coorie-in”, coming Saturday 30th October – 11am-4pm!

The Croft Coorie-in is a new exciting community day hosted by Earth In Common on Leith Community Croft.

We want to create a warm inviting space to come together and embrace our community for a better and more just future for all!

Come and warm yourselves up at our Coorie-in where you’ll find: environmental workshops, a craft corner for carving pumpkins and making placards for COP26, flea market stalls, local organisations discussing their work, and a film screening of “NOT WITHOUT US” by @takeoneaction

#COP26

#coorie

#cooriein

#leith

#leithcommunitycroft

#notwithoutusmovie

COP26 Green Zone: free tickets

In just two weeks leaders from almost every country on earth will gather in Glasgow for COP26 to negotiate how the world can come together to tackle the threat of climate change.

Alongside, the COP26 Green Zone will shine a light on the amazing and diverse world of climate action from 1st November.

From all over the globe, youth activists, Indigenous Peoples, small and large businesses and grass roots communities will be bringing COP26 to life with cultural performances, exhibitions, talks, film screenings and technical demonstrations.

Over 200 events will take place in the Green Zone over the 12 days of the summit. Hosted in the iconic Glasgow Science Centre, it will welcome visitors from 9am – 6pm each day.

Tickets are available free of charge, and most of the events will also be streamed live on the COP26 YouTube channel where people can access content for free and from anywhere in the UK or around the world.

https://greenzonetickets.ukcop26.org/home

First-ever Community Rail Week asks Scots to ‘go green by train’

Seven out of ten young people want to see more train travel in the future

The inaugural Community Rail Week, 18-24 October, is involving hundreds of community rail partnerships and volunteer groups, including many in Scotland, running activities to promote their local railways, and giving communities and young people a voice on green transport. 

Organised by Community Rail Network and sponsored by Rail Delivery Group, the Week is focusing on young people’s views, voices and futures, as a new survey is released exploring travel habits and attitudes to green travel among 1,000 16–24-year-olds: 1

  • Seven in ten (70%) young people are keen to see more people using trains in the future, with the vast majority (90%) saying the environment and climate emergency is an important issue to them;
  • Around half (48%) travel by train at least once a month, but one in six (17%) have rarely or never been on a train, or can’t remember when they last did;
  • While 94% have a station near enough for them to use, most (67%) admit there are factors getting in the way of them using trains, including practicalities with walking, cycling, or getting a bus to the station, being worried about cost, or driving or getting lifts being more convenient.

In Scotland, the region’s community rail partnerships and groups will be taking part in a range of activities to raise awareness of the difference that people can make by choosing to travel sustainably and encouraging people to make their own pledge to ‘Go Green by Train’. 

They will also hold a series of events and activities including:

  • Today (Monday 18 October), members of 6VT, an Edinburgh Youth Cafe, will travel from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Central on the 12.28 ScotRail service and complete activities on board highlighting the importance of going green by train as well as taking the ‘Going Green by Train’ pledge.
  • On Friday 22 October between 1-3, in South Lanarkshire, the Rail74 Community Rail Partnership are joining with local schools to give out ‘random acts of green love’ at Newton rail station and will launch the new green space at the station which has been adopted by St Charles Primary School. 
  • On Sunday 24 October, the West Highland Community Rail Partnership will host a “Building the Mallaig Railway” exhibition at Glenfinnan station exploring the railway contractor’s ‘unwittingly green’ credentials.

With greener transport recognised as a fundamental part of the solution to the climate emergency, Community Rail Week and the ‘Go Green by Train’ campaign looks to drive change at community level through the efforts of 74 community rail partnerships and 1,000 station friends groups across Britain – including 9 partnerships and over 260 groups in Scotland –  working to help people get out of their cars and onto trains and other sustainable modes. 

Transport has a huge role to play if the UK is to reach its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 100% of 1990 levels, or ‘net zero’, by 2050.

Figures show that:

  • Transport is now the largest emitting sector in the UK, making up 27% of domestic emissions in 2019; 1
  • Rail accounted for just 1% of domestic transport emissions in 2019, despite representing 10% of the total distance travelled, and is the greenest form of transport after walking and cycling; 2, 3
  • One train can remove up to 500 cars off our roads; 4
  • For a 30-mile journey, travelling by train instead of by car can reduce emissions by up to 86%. 5

Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network, said: “As we approach the international climate talks in Glasgow, the community rail movement across Scotland is coming together to highlight the great importance of green travel at a local and global level.

“Transport is now the biggest contributor of UK greenhouse emissions, so we face a pressing challenge to decarbonise the way we get around, for the sake of future generations – plus Scotland’s communities can benefit now from reduced traffic and pollution. Rail, combined with buses, walking, cycling, and shared mobility, provides a huge part of the solution: shifting as many journeys as we can onto these modes, and reducing private car use, can help us forge a more sustainable, healthy, inclusive future. 

“We’re excited to launch our first Community Rail Week with events and activities in communities across Britain, raising awareness and exploring how we can enable and empower more people to feel confident and able to go green by train.”

Andy Bagnall, director general at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Trains are inherently green so when people go by rail it’s more than a journey – it’s literally helping to save the planet!

“In future, we want trains to be the backbone of a decarbonised transport network so, as well as supporting initiatives like Community Rail Week, we want to work with government to reform ticketing and fares – if it’s easier for people to find and buy a good value ticket, more people will use rail as a green alternative to other ways of travelling.”

Vaccine certification enforcement gets underway across Scotland

The Coronavirus vaccine certification scheme will become subject to enforcement from today meaning higher risk venues and events affected must verify customers are fully vaccinated, or otherwise exempt, before entry.

The grace period from the October 1st launch date, allowing venues to test and trial the scheme without facing enforcement action, has now expired.

People attending a range of late night venues and larger indoor and outdoor live events, such as music festivals or large sporting events, will be required to show staff proof they are fully vaccinated or are otherwise exempt. This can be done via the NHS Scotland Covid Status App on their mobile device or using the paper certificate.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The grace period allowed venues and businesses affected more than two weeks to test the scheme in practice and make suitable arrangements. It has also provided the Government with helpful feedback from the sectors affected and we continue to liaise with them going forward.

“This is a very limited scheme and we hope this will allow businesses to remain open and prevent any further restrictions as we head into autumn and winter. This virus has not gone away and vaccine certification will have a role to play in keeping transmission under control as part of a wider package of measures. It adds a further layer of protection in certain higher risk settings.

“I also want to ensure that as many people get vaccinated as possible and particularly to increase uptake in the younger age cohort, so anything to incentivise that is helpful.”

Local council officers will be responsible for enforcement of the certification scheme which will apply to the person responsible for each premises. Officers will adopt an approach of engaging, explaining and encouraging the responsible person before enforcement options are considered.

People in Scotland can download the NHS Scotland Covid Status App via their mobile device. A paper certificate or the downloadable PDF is also available from NHS Inform.

New vegan ‘takeaway range’ from Quorn to hit shelves this month!

With winter evenings on the horizon, Saturday nights out are turning into Saturday nights in on the sofa. Make way for Quorn’s new vegan ‘takeaway range’, perfect for those looking for a meat-free twist on traditional takeaway treats, that are better for both you and the planet.

Kick off your fakeaway feast with the flavourful Quorn Crunchy Fillet Burger: a chicken-style fillet coated in fennel and smoked paprika seasoned coating. A healthier choice, it will pack a punch on the tastebuds but not the environment. From oven to plate in only 20 minutes, it’s never been easier to enjoy your own crispy fillets from the comfort of your own home, made the way you like it. Extra Mayo anyone!

The range includes three takeaway fan-favourite wings and strips, encased in Quorn’s signature crunchy coating. Made from the brand’s unique super-protein, mycoprotein, providing a feel-good option for those looking to cut down on their meat consumption:

Quorn Buffalo Wings

It’s time to turn up the heat. The meat-free Buffalo Wings are topped with hot and spicy flavouring to entice even the most passionate of meat-lovers with a cayenne pepper, crumbly coating. You’ll never want to order take-out again.

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Quorn Crunchy Strips

Indulge in the crunchiest of strips, perfect for gripping and dipping with all the family. What better way to spice up your night in than munching on your favourite takeaway-style chicken, but with a healthier, vegan twist?

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Gill Riley, Quorn Marketing Director, said: “As our evenings are getting colder and darker, we know our customers will be looking forward to cosy nights in with takeaways high up on the agenda.

“We’re excited to launch Quorn’s new takeaway range to enable families to have a fakeaway feast that is healthier for you and the planet. There is no better way to bring meat-free into your meals this winter.”

Quorn’s Crunchy Fillet Burger is available in a pack of two at Asda for RRP £2.50, from Monday 18th October 2021. The full wings and strips takeaway range will land on Tesco shelves alongside the Crunchy Fillet Burger from Monday 1st November 2021 for RRP £3.00 per pack.

 For more details, visit www.quorn.co.uk or follow @QuornFoods on Twitter and Facebook and @quorn_uk on Instagram.

Council urges landlords and homeowners to get ready for new fire safety legislation

The City of Edinburgh Council is reminding all city landlords and homeowners that every home in the Scotland must comply with new fire safety legislation which will come into force early next year.

By February 2022, all Scottish homes will need to be fitted with interlinked smoke and heat alarms which talk to each other – so when one goes off, they all go off.

As Edinburgh’s biggest social landlord, the Council is currently working with its contractors to fit new interlinked smoke and heat alarms, so that every one of its 20,000 Council-owned homes meets the new legislation and is made even more fire safe.

When this work’s done in each property, the electrical contractors will also undertake an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) if one has not been carried out recently.

Older residents in particular are being asked to be aware of the new fire safety legislation.

The Council’s Older People’s Champion, Councillor Catherine Fullerton, is calling on everyone who manages properties for older tenants in Edinburgh to make sure all new standards are met so everyone has the best chance of getting to safety in the event of a fire.

Cllr Fullerton said: “It’s absolutely vital that landlords and property management companies, particularly those that have a responsibility for older people within our communities, understand the new fire safety rules coming into force and act on them as quickly as possible. All properties, without exception, must be fitted with the new interlinking alarms, heat alarms and, where required, carbon monoxide detectors too.    

“I’d also urge older people or people with older relatives who own their own homes to check out the Scottish Government’s dedicated ‘Fire safety for homeowners’ webpages for more details and, if necessary, to help them to get their homes fitted with the right kind of alarms. There is also clear guidance for private and social tenants as well as new build homes.

“I’d encourage everyone to be sure they are using a Trusted Tradesperson to change their fire alarms to meet the new law – please don’t run the risk of having faulty or non-compliant ones fitted.”

A ‘Trusted Trader’ in Edinburgh can be found by using this website: 

www.trustedtrader.scot/Edinburgh/

If an older person is receiving Universal Credit, Edinburgh Care and Repair Service has been awarded funding from the Scottish Government to provide this service for free. If not, there will be a reasonable charge. 

You can telephone for further advice on 0131 337 111 or email reception@cre.scot.  

Host the perfect cheese and wine night with Morrisons

As part of Morrisons The Best event – a fortnight of offers in store across The Best range – Morrisons has paired a selection of top-rated wines with standout cheeses from The Best range.

The pairings will help customers host the perfect cheese & wine night for friends as the nights draw in.

Some of the wines are currently on offer:

  • The Best Pinot Grigio – £8 reduced from £10 until the 2nd November
  • The Best Gavi di Gavi  – £9 reduced from £11 he 2nd November
  • The Best Marques de los Rios Rioja Reserva  – £6 down £8.75 from until the 19th October