Union officials and postal workers from the Communications Workers Union were at Holyrood this week to give crucial updates to Members of the Scottish Parliament on the ongoing postal dispute.
MSPs heard from the CWU about the Royal Mail’s plans to cut 10,000 jobs, dismantle pay and conditions and end the universal service obligation.
Following the talks, Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“I was pleased to meet the CWU reps this week to discuss the future of our local postal services.
“It is vital that Royal Mail urgently make a fair offer to their loyal workforce to quickly bring an end to this dispute. I have written to Royal Mail on a number of occasions regarding the retention of jobs and better pay and conditions for our valued postal workers. I’ll continue to raise this for all those affected and I stand in solidarity with our postal workers.”
Craig Anderson Scottish Secretary of the CWU said: “We were very pleased with the response from MSPs who came along to meet us. They expressed their support for our posties and the services they provide to communities right across Scotland.
“We would encourage all MSPs to join our members on picket lines as we call for fair pay for our posties.”
A new charity endurance walk over some of Scotland’s most beautiful peaks raised over £100,000 in its inaugural year.
The Pentland Peaks Challenge, sponsored by Artemis Investment Management, took place in the glorious Pentland Hills near Edinburgh in late September.
The 179 walkers, including 84 staff from Artemis, chose from three routes. These ranged in difficulty from a ‘Bronze Challenge’, at eight miles and covering three peaks, to a ‘Gold Challenge’ that covered 27 miles and required walkers to scale seven peaks. The participants were supported by 25 volunteers who ensured that the day ran smoothly.
All the funds raised went to two charities. SANE is a national mental health charity that raises awareness, fights to improve services and provides emotional support. Mary’s Meals, based in Scotland, operates globally to provide school meals to more than 2.2 million children daily, giving them the energy to learn.
Derek Stuart, Chair of the Artemis Charitable Foundation, said: “I am incredibly proud that over 200 people took part in this new event. To generate over £100,000 for two amazing charities is a real achievement.
“Each year, our staff raise money and Artemis gives a proportion of its profits to the Artemis Charitable Foundation. Established in 2007, it manages our charitable activities and involvement in the wider world. Our staff and the trustees choose which charities will benefit with a particular focus on ones where the Artemis contribution can make a significant impact.
“The foundation supports ‘core’ charities in the UK and internationally in the areas of health, poverty, education and the environment, and also makes donations to global disasters and emergencies when they occur. In 2021 the foundation donated over £900,000 and the total amount donated since 2007 is £12.8 million.”
The next Artemis Pentland Peaks Challenge is due to take place on Saturday 2nd September 2023.
For further information on how to take part or donate, please visit:
The spectacular sight of a flying visit from Santa marked the start of Conifox Adventure Park’s magical festive extravaganza.
Leaving Rudolph and the other reindeer to rest, he hitched a lift and was helicoptered into the park, at Kirkliston near Edinburgh, by helpers Adventure001 Experiences, specialists in Edinburgh sightseeing trips.
Santa’s arrival kicked off this year’s popular Conifox Christmas Experience which is now even better than ever as Conifox has partnered with events specialists 21CC Productions which is also providing amazing lighting and effects.
From now until Christmas Eve, families can enjoy a carnival of festive fun, immerse themselves in the world of Santa Claus and all their favourite festive characters, enjoy a Christmas Funfair, in partnership with Taylor’s of Edinburgh Funfair, and an outdoor Christmas Market supporting local Scottish traders. There will also be various food vendors and a bar available for evening refreshments.
Among many attractions, they can visit is Whoville – look out for the Grinch! – the Magic Forest, Mrs Claus’ Kitchen, the Elf Disco Village and Reindeer Flying School, Santa’s Sweet Shop and the Naughty or Nice Scanner.
Santa will also be back in his sitting room to welcome every child who will receive a Golden Christmas Coin to exchange in the Toy Workshop for a gift of their choice. Then as darkness falls the winter wonderland lights up with 21CC’s amazing effects.
James Gammell, Managing Director of Conifox Adventure Park, says: “With the arrival of Santa the countdown to Christmas has well and truly begun and we’d like to thank Adventure001 Experiences for whisking him in to get the celebrations started.
“This year, we’ll also be supporting local charity Kids Love Clothes with their Christmas Toy Appeal and to show our support, we will be donating two hundred toys as well as using our Activity Centre as a drop-off point for any new toy donations.
“With your support, we can reach families who are struggling to look forward to Christmas this year so please support by dropping off a new toy whilst you are here.”
The Conifox Christmas Experience runs on selected dates until December 24, with entrance times at 15-minute intervals. Admission to the indoor Activity Centre and Adventure Park is not included with the tickets purchased for Christmas Experience Days or Nights, but they can be booked online.
To book tickets and for full terms and conditions, please visit:
Scottish law firm Gillespie Macandrew has made a significant charitable donation of £40,000 to be shared between its two charity partners, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) and Alzheimer Scotland.
As part of its ESG programme, in each of the last 7 years Gillespie Macandrew has donated around 1% of the firm’s annual pre-tax profits to its partner charities. In total this commitment has contributed over £210,000 to Scottish charitable causes.
The firm’s charity partners are nominated and chosen by staff and supported through volunteering and other activities. Last year Gillespie Macandrew began a three-year partnership with both ECHC and Alzheimer Scotland.
Robert Graham-Campbell, Chief Executive Officer at Gillespie Macandrew commented: “We are delighted to share the firm’s success with these two very important Scottish charities, particularly during a period of recessionary pressures for organisations and individuals.
Our practitioners deal with sensitive family matters every day and it is therefore very fitting that we support ECHC and Alzheimer Scotland who provide invaluable support to Scottish families.”
Victoria Buchanan, Deputy Director of Development at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, commented: “Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity is thrilled to receive this wonderful donation of £20,000! Being in hospital is tough for children but this donation will make things easier for them and their families.
“Through ECHC’s daily art activities, youth work and family programme on the wards, children can have fun and feel better supported to face whatever challenges lie ahead.
“We’d like to thank everyone at Gillespie Macandrew for their generous donation.”
Caroline Miller, Lead for Stakeholder Engagement at Alzheimer Scotland, commented: “We are so grateful to all of the people at Gillespie Macandrew for their continued support over the past year.
“People living with dementia and those who love them continue to be disproportionately affected by the legacy of the pandemic and the effects of the cost-of-living crisis so it’s vital that we continue to be there to make sure no one faces dementia alone.
“Gillespie Macandrew have made an incredible contribution during our partnership, raising over £40,000 which has all been used to support people living with dementia here in Scotland. Services supported include our network of Dementia Advisors who provide personal support, advice and advocacy and our Freephone 24 Hour helpline which is a lifeline for so many”.
Gillespie Macandrew has a long and proud history of supporting not for profit organisations and staff are given a paid day off each year to participate in charitable or corporate and social responsibility events.
The firm has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, advising clients on all areas of land and rural business, private client, commercial real estate, energy, tax and disputes, combining a personal approach with industry-leading expertise.
The winners of the SkillBuild National Finals 2022 have been announced, after nearly 80 construction trainees went head-to-head over three days.
SkillBuild, often dubbed the ‘skills Olympics’, is delivered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) in partnership with WorldSkills UK and offers a chance for trainees to compete in a bid to be crowned winner of their chosen trade.
Following the Regional Qualifiers, which were held at various colleges across the UK earlier this year, the National Finals took place at Edinburgh College on 15 – 17 November. The event attracted roughly 1,000 school visitors from across Edinburgh and the Lothians, exhibiting the variety of skills and career opportunities available within the industry.
SkillBuild is the largest multi-trade competition in the UK for construction trainees and apprentices, and as competitors progress through each stage, they are tested on their technical abilities, time management, character, and commitment.
The competition is viewed by many as an opportunity to develop confidence, self-esteem, and life skills, along with the potential for the highest-scoring eligible competitors to join ‘Squad UK’ and compete internationally.
Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, said:“I’m delighted to have been able to attend yet another year of SkillBuild, my favourite day in the calendar. It’s fantastic to meet all the talented individuals and hear about their career aspirations.
“It’s so important that we support this next generation of talent coming through to industry, encouraging them to pursue their passions and reach their full potential.
“It’s initiatives like SkillBuild that really make a huge difference and I’d like to thank everyone involved in making this year’s competition possible. Many congratulations to all the winners and everyone who competed, you should all be incredibly proud of yourselves.”
Ben Blackledge, Deputy Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said:“Congratulations to all the medal winners. It is a fantastic achievement, and we hope their success will inspire more people to consider an apprenticeship and technical training as a route to great career success.
“Using insights gained from our competition-based programmes, we work with our partners to raise standards in training, helping to drive economic growth across the UK.”
Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal and CEO, said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in what has been a wonderful week, a truly inspirational platform of talent from across the UK.
“It has been a privilege for us to host the WorldSkills UK National Finals with SkillBuild and to welcome so many people from colleges and training providers across the UK.
“We have seen an incredibly high standard of skills performance from all competitors, which will be of inspiration to the many young people we had through our doors to spectate. We hope this has opened many eyes to careers in the Construction sector, and indeed to the benefits of competing in skills events such as these.
“Congratulations to all the winners and medallists, and our thanks to all who have made this a fantastic experience for our College.”
CITB would like to thank all the fantastic sponsors of this year’s SkillBuild, which include Alford Awards, Albion Stone, BAL, British Gypsum, Institute of Carpenters, Crown Paints, Dickies, Nicholls & Clarke, NFRC, Schluter, SPAX, Stone Federation, TARMAC, The Tile Association, The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers and Weber.
If you or someone you know is interested in taking part in next year’s competition, visit Go Construct for more information.
David Lloyd Leisure, Europe’s leading health, fitness, and leisure group, has announced that work has begun on the much-anticipated David Lloyd Edinburgh Shawfair development, with the club opening in summer 2023.
Located in the new residential development area of Shawfair, Midlothian, which lies to the southeast of Edinburgh, the club will offer world-class health, fitness, racquets and spa facilities. David Lloyd Edinburgh Shawfair is anticipated to become a popular leisure destination for families as well as health and wellness enthusiasts in surrounding areas.
David Lloyd Leisure expects that the new club will generate up to 75 jobs, and the group said that it will explore opportunities to develop local community partnerships over the coming months. The development was granted planning approval in April 2021 following extensive consultation with the local community in 2020.
At the time of its planning approval, Midlothian Council officers said that “the proposal aligns with the masterplan principles for Shawfair to encourage sustainable, healthy lifestyles within a vibrant community”.
Construction began in October 2022, and the development phase is expected to generate more than £4 million for local subcontractors and companies and involve 50-60 construction jobs.
The centrepiece of the club will be the 100+ station gym, which will house David Lloyd Clubs’ cutting-edge gym concept with an unrivalled array of best-in-class equipment. There will be three group exercise studios; a hi-tech indoor cycling studio, high impact studio and a Mind & Body studio.
There is also a Clubroom café bar with a family zone, an indoor soft play area for the younger ones, and a business hub. An outdoor patio area will offer a space for outdoor dining and drinking on warmer days and evenings.
Michelle Chambers-Cran, Regional Manager at David Lloyd Leisure, said:“We are excited to be starting work on David Lloyd Edinburgh Shawfair and to be one step closer to bringing this new family-friendly leisure destination to life next summer.
“We know that people of all generations will relish what the club has to offer, from the state-of-the-art gym, racquet and spa facilities to the clubroom and children’s activities.
“Our philosophy is to create incredible health and wellness spaces where family and friends can spend quality time together.
“We look forward to engaging with the local community as the development takes shape over the coming months and would encourage those who want to follow our progress to register on the website for updates.”
The club will have a 250-space carpark and is well-connected to Edinburgh and surrounding towns in Midlothian and East Lothian by nearby bus, rail and cycle links.
Hidden Door 2023 will be taking over the former Scottish Widows complex at 15 Dalkeith Road in Edinburgh for a five-day immersive event.
From 31 May to 4 June, audiences will be invited into the building to witness its transformation from an office space into a spectacular, atmospheric festival of music, performance and art.
The iconic building, made of a series of hexagonal shapes, was designed by the architect John Hardie Glover. Since it opened in 1976 it has hosted financial institutions, with Lloyds Banking Group moving out of the site in 2020.
15 Dalkeith Road will provide the perfect blank canvas for the 2023 event, for which Hidden Door is planning something a little different. The maze of office and utility spaces in the six-acre site will host an incredible immersive event bringing together a whole range of art forms, including visual art, music, dance, and spoken word.
A series of ambitious collaborative projects produced by Hidden Door will see artists and performers from different disciplines working together to transform the vast interior. Audiences will be invited to journey deep into the building to seek out the performances and explore the artworks.
The full programme will be announced early next year, with a call for visual artists, dancers, musicians and spoken word performers to get involved.
David Martin, Creative Director of Hidden Door, said: “This is the sort of building I’ve always dreamed about taking over for Hidden Door. It has a sort of ‘Tardis’ quality – although it does look pretty big from the outside, nothing quite prepares you for the expanse of spaces on the inside – you really could get lost in there!
“Every time we consider an empty building in Edinburgh we ask ourselves what we could do with it, and this one presents us with the opportunity to do something quite different. We will commission a series of projects that will see artists working with musicians, dancers, set designers, lighting artists and sound designers, all creating a series of experiential theatrical environments throughout the building for our audience to discover. We really are aiming for high impact next year!”
Hidden Door are working in partnership with Schroders Capital’s Real Estate team and Corran Properties, who are leading the redevelopment proposals for the site. Redevelopment of the property is planned with proposals to revitalise the building as a leading example of a sustainable urban workspace with new residential accommodation, set within a stunning landscape setting.
Rebecca Gates, Head of UK Asset Management, Schroders Capital’s Real Estate team, said: “Ahead of looking to breathe new life into this very important building, we are delighted to support Hidden Door Festival’s wonderful proposals to transform the vacant space into a temporary cultural arts venue which can be enjoyed by the public.”
Responsibility for tackling the growing prevalence of flash surface flooding should be gripped by central and local government to prevent needless damage to property and human misery, the think-tank Localis has argued.
In a report published today entitled ‘Surface Tensions – working together against flash flooding’ the place experts argued the connection between increased urbanisation and surface water risk demand greater coordination between the public sector, developers and wider society.
The study found the separation of roles and responsibilities for managing and forecasting the impact flood risk are fragmented between a slew of government departments, agencies and local bodies, resulting in confusion when flooding does occur.
Of particular note, the report found that minor developments comprising nine houses or less, infill or permitted development – are aggregating the risk of surface flooding across an area, without a legal requirement to provide sustainable drainage. Official figures for the year to June 2022 show that 35,000 dwellings received planning decisions from local authorities where more than one percent of homes are already at risk of flooding as part of minor developments.
Given that 73% of minor development applications were approved across England in the same period, this could mean as many as 25,550 new homes built in areas that are already at risk of flash flooding, increasing pressure on infrastructure.
Among its key recommendations to reduce risk of surface flooding from climate change, Localis calls for the creation of a strong strategic planning authority with power for force national and local risk management authorities, such as the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) to work closely together and link up policy.
The report also calls for stronger collaboration between developers, landowners, LLFAs and central government agencies to understand and manage flood risk and resilience, and for this to be encouraged and incentivised across all new developments.
Localis Visiting Fellow, Professor Samer Bagaeen,said: “To tackle surface flooding, the next revision of the National Planning Policy Framework must require Local Plans to demonstrate how lead local flood authorities have assessed aggregate risk across the whole area, as well as how flood impacts will avoided, controlled, mitigated, and managed.
“And at the level of place, for infrastructure and procurements concerning flooding, lead local flood authorities should move away from human-engineered barriers and toward natural drainage systems that work to slow the flow of surface water and relieve pressure on sewers.”
Joe Fyans, Localis head of research,said: “As the UK is experiencing extremely wet days – more days of heavy summer rainfall on impermeable ground as well as a significant increase in heavy winter rainfalls – we are seeing an unsurprising increase the incidence of surface water flooding.
“How we go about funding this will be crucial. Central government would be best advised to pproduce a comprehensive flood infrastructure funding programme that is less restrictive and targeted toward places most at risk, while also encouraging ‘bottom-up’ practice by streamlining the funding process for smaller, district or community-based projects.”
Martin Milliner, claims director at LV= General Insurance, said: “As an insurer we see first-hand the very real and devastating impact flooding has on people’s lives. While we know the building of more homes is necessary to combat the housing crisis, the country is becoming less resilient to more extreme weather, and we must look at the future impacts this will have on our homes.
“The report highlights significant issues that continue to put an ever-increasing number of communities at risk, and it’s crucial that property developers, insurers and local authorities work together to tackle this important issue.”
“With the creation of our Flood-Proof Home of the Future we want to draw attention to the impact flooding could have on this country in 50 years, by showcasing the extreme features homes of the future may need to have to guard against flood risk.
“With the installation of such sophisticated flood proofing practically and financially out of the question for most homeowners, it’s more important than ever we work to combat the problem before such extreme measures are necessary.”
The Women’s Fund for Scotland has so far invested around £3 million to over 640 groups and is the only sex and gender specific grant maker in Scotland
Almost 1,000 life-changing grants have been made by The Women’s Fund for Scotland
42,967 women and girls have benefited from The Women’s Fund for Scotland funding
The Women’s Fund for Scotland (WFS), a charity created to help girls and women across Scotland, has released its 2022 Impact Report.
The report details the way WFS has been able to inspire and empower women across the past 20 years to help them overcome inequalities that affected their freedom, health, income, pay and power.
Founded in 2002, WFS is the only gender-specific grant maker in Scotland and the report highlights that to date, it has invested around £3 million in over 640 groups helping almost 43,000 women and girls. The work of the fund has helped to create 48 social enterprises and the grants have supported 65 women to become self-employed.
The report highlights many examples of the life-changing impact support from the fund has had on women from all walks of life in Scotland.
The fund has helped and supported a wide range of groups across Scotland from a textile training project, partnerships with Glasgow Girls Football Club and the Women’s Business Station, supporting Deaf Link to develop a tailored service to meet the needs of deaf women and girls experiencing abuse, to the “Followitapp”, a digital resource for women being stalked that is accessible through the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre.
One user of the app described how it has helped her record incidents, and feel like she doesn’t have to have the evidence of her stalker in her home:
“I never felt safe. I was at breaking point. When the App didn’t exist, I wrote things down. I would get to the stage where I didn’t want to write it down anymore. I didn’t want it lying about my house. It was just a constant reminder of my stalker. I just wanted to forget about it all.
“In the App, the time and date are already there for you, and it’s a lot quicker. You don’t need to fill in all the information there and then. I filled the rest in when I got to a safe place.”
Sue Robertson, Chair of the Women’s Fund for Scotland, says: “Our impact report provides the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the important work that The Women’s Fund for Scotland supports.
“In Scotland you are never more than 50 miles away from an organisation funded by the Women’s Fund for Scotland, and more than 42,000 girls and women have benefited from our funding. This is something we are extremely proud of and hope to build upon in the coming years.”
Shona Blakeley, Executive Director at The Women’s Fund for Scotland adds: “We are extremely proud of all the support we have been able to offer over the years.
“However, this is only possible thanks to our supporters, and we rely on their generosity and kind donations. For those who would like to donate, you can do so via our JustGiving page – https://www.justgiving.com/womensfundforscotland”
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs, has called on SNP Ministers to declare a homeless emergency across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
At General Questions in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Miles Briggs MSP asked Ben Macpherson MSP, Minister for Social Security and Local Government “Will he today now act and declare a homeless emergency here in the capital?”
Figures release on Wednesday showed that the number of estimated homeless deaths across Lothian had increased dramatically over the last three years.
Across Lothian estimated homeless deaths have gone from 26 in 2019, to 41 in 2020 to 63 in 2021. [Figures below]
The number of homeless applications has significantly increased over the last three years with 8,165 applications across East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian in the quarter ending 30th September 2021, compared to 6,334 applications for the quarter ending 30th September 2019. [Figures below]
There has been an unprecedented number of children living in temporary accommodation in East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian. Across Lothian 2,990 children were living in temporary accommodation at 31st March 2022, this compares to 2,140 children living in temporary accommodation at 31st March 2019. [Figures below]
Lothian list MSP Miles Briggs, who is the Conservative candidate for Edinburgh Southern, said:“The number of people who have died while homeless here in the capital has increased by nearly 150 percent over the last four years.
“Shelter Scotland have said the situation pointed towards public services failing people and a broken housing system.
“It is simply not acceptable, and Edinburgh City Council do not have the resources to deliver a solution.”
