Nominations now open for the 2021 LGIU Scotland & CCLA Councillor Awards
The only national awards ceremony celebrating the ‘vital’ work of individual councillors across Scotland opens its call for nominations.
Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) Scotland and CCLA are proud to officially launch the 4th annual Cllr Awards, honouring the achievements of councillors that so often go unrecognised.
This year’s award categories celebrate the essential and varied work of councillors and include the coveted Community Champion, Leader of the Year and New Councillor of the Year awards, alongside a new Resilience and Recovery category for 2021.
Nominations can be made by anyone who would like to recognise a councillor doing outstanding work for their community. They are open until Friday, 24 September with the shortlist unveiled at the end of October.
The winners will be decided by a panel of judges composed of senior councillors and officers as well as leading stakeholders from across the sector. They will be revealed at this year’s ceremony taking place on Wednesday, 24 November. Due to the ongoing Covid related restrictions, it will be held as a hybrid event with virtual link ups to a Glasgow venue.
This year’s awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners, CCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of LGIU Scotland, said: “Local government supports all of us, each and every day. On every street, in every town, up and down the country, it is the vital work of councillors that keeps things moving.
“Now is the time for us to support our local heroes by nominating those councillors who have stepped up to the plate during extraordinary circumstances to deliver for their communities.
“As we officially open nominations for Cllr Awards 2021, we welcome contributions from any member of the public as well as other councillors, officers and leaders. We look forward to once again receiving the highest calibre of nominations and showcasing the essential work of councillors in November.”
Over a third of Brits won’t tip via card due to lack of confidence it goes to the right person
A recent report from UK Finance has revealed the UK is another step closer towards becoming a cashless society as the number of payments made using notes and coins last year declined by more than a third.
As more businesses decide to go cashless, this new move towards a fast-tracked cashless society is having devasting effects on the nations tipping habits, according to a new report.
The 2021 Tipping Index commissioned by card payment specialist takepayments Limited, surveyed over 2,000 consumers to compare how tipping attitudes and behaviours have changed through the pandemic.
The findings reveal that pre-pandemic, cash was the most favoured payment method for tipping (91%) as almost two thirds (64%) of those that tip this way said they felt more confident the tip would go directly to the person who served them.
However as more businesses are no longer accepting cash, the research reveals less Brits are opting to carry cash as almost one in five (18%) said they no longer carry cash which they would usually leave as a tip.
This new cashless movement is impacting tipping habits as one in four (23%) said they would only leave a tip if they had spare cash on them and one in four (24%) said they would specifically bring cash especially to tip.
Coronavirus and hygiene fears play a part in people tipping less too, as almost one in six (14%) said they are now less likely to leave cash as a tip due to hygiene or health reasons.
While almost three in ten Brits recognise tips are a big part of peoples income, more than a quarter (27%) state that while places no longer accept cash and only accept card payments, tipping isn’t always possible as Brits lack confidence that tips made by card payments go directly to the person who served them (35%).
And for those Brits that do feel confident tipping on card, more than a third (35%) admit they leave a bigger tip when paying cash.
Sandra Rowley at takepayments Limited said: “While the sectors which commonly involve tipping can finally re-open, the professions who rely on tips to top up their income are unfortunately continuing to struggle due to the nation’s lack of knowledge around tips and card payments.
“There is a misconception around card payments and tipping which needs to be highlighted as businesses are able to separate tips from the cost of services when taking card payments.
“The government is set to announce a new proposal for a Tipping Bill next month which will hopefully give the public more knowledge around workers rights and tips, as well as instil confidence around tipping on card.”
The full findings of the takepayments 2021 Tipping Point Report are available to view here.
The Scottish Government are hosting a Public Health ‘Blether’, facilitated by Education Scotland, aimed at staff working in the Early Learning and Childcare sector to support the understanding of new public health guidelines for the sector.
During the session you will have an opportunity to hear from leading public health professionals, who will aim to provide reassurance and an opportunity for those participating to ask questions and share thoughts.
This event will be held on Microsoft Teams and as there are a limited number of spaces. If you are unable to attend the live event, a recording will be made available for you to watch.
When registering, there is an option to pose a question to the Public Health panel, these questions will then be collated and arranged by theme. A representative will present these questions on the audience’s behalf or we may ask you to unmute your mic and ask your question directly.
This is your chance to hear about updated guidance, connect with colleagues and ask public health officials questions
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It aims at celebrating and inspiring climate action. Featuring performances, stalls, kids’ and adults’ activities and more, this is not to be missed! 🌎 💚 ♻️ 🌳
Highlights of the ‘marketplace’ festival include:
• Family/Kids area 👪
• Market and stalls 🎪
• Background music, Live DJ 🎵♪
• Upcycling workshops ♻️
• Henna painting ✋
• Seed planting workshops 🌾🌱
• Storytelling and arts and craft 🎨
• Free clothes repairs 🧵 ♻️ 👚
• Free bike repairs 🚲 🔧
• Electric bike trials 🚴
• Free shop with clothes, books, shoes & more! 👚👠👗📚
• Free Yoga classes 🧘🏽♀️
Please join share the facebook event for more updates:
Parents have overwhelmingly backed Scotland’s Baby Box. In an independent evaluation, 97% of parents rated the box and its contents as good.
Around 186,000 Baby Boxes will have been delivered to families by its fourth anniversary on Sunday (15 August). Uptake among expectant parents hit a record high of 98% in 2020.
In the evaluation, parents highlighted benefits of the box, including saving them money on essential items for newborns and helping with information on child health and development.
In the evaluation:
91% parents agreed that getting a baby box had saved them money on items they would otherwise have to buy
84% of parents said they had found the leaflet on safe sleeping useful
60% of parents felt the inclusion of books in the baby box had encouraged them to start reading with their baby earlier – younger, first-time and lower income parents were particularly likely to say this
66% of parents said they found the leaflet on breastfeeding useful and 68% found the leaflet on post-natal depression useful
Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “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. I am delighted that so many parents continue to value the box, and that they and their babies are benefitting from it and its contents.
“It is encouraging to see that the positive impacts of the Baby Box are felt right across all families, but particularly among first-time parents, younger parents and families on lower incomes.
“This evaluation really highlights the positive impact it is having on parents and their newborns – a fitting tribute on its fourth birthday.”
Jackie Tolland, from Parent Network Scotland, said: “As a parenting organisation, we were delighted to be part of the launch of the Baby Box in 2017. Since then, we have heard many stories about how helpful and very much-needed the Baby Box has been to families.
“We continue to promote the Baby Box and thank the Scottish Government for keeping parents in mind at the start of their parenting journey. We appreciate all the support.”
Adults and children south of the border will be free to return to work, attend school, and meet friends and family as the protection from vaccines replaces the need for contact isolation from Monday
Instead of self-isolating, those who are double jabbed and under 18s identified as close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases are advised to get a free PCR test as soon as possible
Protection from remarkable vaccine rollout allows more freedoms, with over three quarters of adults now double jabbed
From Monday 16 August, people in England who are double jabbed or aged under 18 will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case.
The change was announced last month, as part of step 4 of the Government’s COVID-19 roadmap. With 75% of people having received both doses of the vaccine, the majority of adults will no longer need to self-isolate if they are contacts.
These changes can be made next week as a result of the remarkable success of the UK’s vaccine programme, with over three quarters of UK adults now double jabbed. The latest data from Public Health England and Cambridge University shows that around 60,000 deaths, 22 million infections and 66,900 hospitalisations have been prevented by the vaccines.
As of Monday, double jabbed individuals and under 18s who are identified as close contacts by NHS Test and Trace will be advised to take a PCR test as soon as possible to check if they have the virus and for variants of concern. People can order a PCR home test online or by calling 119, or going to a test site.
As double jabbed people identified as close contacts are still at risk of being infected, people are advised to consider other precautions such as wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces, and limit contact with other people, especially with anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable. They will not be required to self-isolate while they wait for the results of the PCR test.
Double vaccinated adults will no longer be required to self-isolate from Monday, as long as they received their final dose of an MHRA-approved vaccine in the UK vaccination programme at least 14 days prior to contact with a positive case.
Anyone who tests positive following the PCR test will still be legally required to self-isolate, irrespective of their vaccination status or age in order to break onwards chains of transmission. Meanwhile anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate and get a PCR test, and remain in isolation until the result comes back.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Asking the close contacts of people with COVID-19 to self-isolate has played a critical role in helping us get this virus under control, and millions of people across the UK have made enormous sacrifices by doing this. Every single one of these sacrifices has helped us protect the NHS and save lives.
“Getting two doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms, and from Monday we can take another huge step back towards our normal lives by removing self-isolation requirements for double jabbed people who are contacts of people with COVID-19. Double jabbed people who test positive will still need to self-isolate.
“Vaccines are what will bring this pandemic to an end – the wall of defence provided by the rollout is allowing us to get even closer to normal life. If you haven’t already, please make sure you come forward for your jab at the earliest opportunity.”
The vaccine previously allowed critical workers to leave self-isolation to ensure vital services continued. The changes introduced on 16 August will mean that, with some additional precautions for health and care settings, fully vaccinated contacts will routinely be able to attend work if they do not have symptoms.
Regular testing remains critical to controlling the virus as restrictions ease. Anyone with symptoms should take a PCR test to find out if they have the virus and to allow new variants to be detected.
Alongside PCR testing for anyone with symptoms or who is a close contact, everyone in England is encouraged to take up the government’s offer of free, twice weekly rapid testing to find additional cases among people who do not have symptoms.
UK Health Security Agency Chief Executive (UKHSA), Dr Jenny Harries said: Thanks to the huge success of the vaccine programme, we are able to ease self-isolation requirements for double jabbed people and under 18s. It is important that close contacts continue to come forward for a PCR test, in order to detect the virus and variants of concern.
“Although two doses of vaccine will greatly reduce your own risk of becoming unwell with Covid-19, it is still possible to contract the virus and pass it to others. So if you develop symptoms at any time – vaccinated or not – you should get a test and be very careful in your contact with others until you have received a negative test result.”
Removing self-isolation for under 18s comes ahead of thousands of pupils and students returning to school and college for the autumn term, and is crucial step to reduce disruption to education and keep children in the classroom.
In line with Step 4, ‘bubbles’ will end for all children under 18, social distancing will no longer be necessary, and schools will not need to stagger start and finish times. Two onsite tests should be taken by each secondary school and college student on return, followed by twice weekly testing at home. The UK Government will review testing requirements by the end of September.
Health and care workers in England
From Monday, most double vaccinated health and social care staff who are close contacts of cases will be able to routinely return to work, provided they have had a negative PCR test. Daily LFD tests will need to be taken for 10 days as a precaution.
Staff working with clinically extremely vulnerable patients or service users will need a risk assessment to be carried out by a designated person in the workplace before they return to work.
Workplace daily contact testing scheme
The Workplace Daily Contact Testing scheme will continue, with testing sites offering daily testing as an alternative to self-isolation for close contacts who are not double jabbed. Over 700 sites are now in operation across critical sectors, and over 1 million test kits have been distributed.
NHS COVID-19 app
Updates will be made to the COVID-19 app to align with the changing requirements to self-isolation. App users identified as a close contact who confirm that they are double vaccinated or under 18 not need to self-isolate and will be given advice to book a PCR test.
If someone is called by NHS Test and Trace and told they are a contact, they will be asked their age and their vaccination status. If using the NHS COVID-19 app, people will be asked to self-declare if they are under 18 or double vaccinated.
Over a third of parents (37%) are not organising their usual summer family holiday due to pandemic uncertainty
Almost half (47%) stating they would consider a London city break over their usual beach holiday
70% of parents cited ‘keeping the kids entertained’ as the number one challenge faced during the school holidays
Mayor joins with his new Mayors of Play to launch a reimagined version of the iconic London Tube map at ZSL London Zoo today to showcase the abundance of family-friendly indoor and outdoor events and activities across central London
Map has been curated by the new Mayors of Play – five lucky youngsters who are helping the Mayor to spotlight London’s family-friendly offering this summer
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, yesterday visited ZSL London Zoo to unveil a reimagined Tube map co-curated by his five new Mayors of Play to encourage families from across the UK to spend their summer in the capital.
The map launches as new research reveals the pandemic has left many parents unable to plan summer holidays as they usually would, with over a third (37%) of parents stating that they’ve not organised anything this summer due to pandemic uncertainty. As a result, London, with its abundance of activities and experiences is a must-visit destination for families everywhere.
And, with the same research showing that one in ten (14%) Brits have never visited London, 26% citing it is because they’ve never got round to it – this could be the summer where Brits choose the bright lights of the capital over often crowded coastal destinations.
Across the UK, parents in the North East are most likely to venture into London this summer, with 56% saying they’d consider a holiday in the capital. Parents in this region have stated that the vast choice of family friendly activities (18%), mix of outdoor and indoor activities (12%) and the city’s accommodation (10%) as the top three reasons for their city jaunt.
Sadiq’s Family Fun season is part of ‘Let’s Do London’, the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen. The season showcases the abundance of activities on offer for all families of all ages this summer and celebrates London’s status as Britain’s biggest playground.
The reimagined Tube map has been curated ‘for kids, by kids’ with the help of his newly appointed Mayors of Play. Following a hotly contested competition, the five winning Mayors of Play – Maya, 8, Elliott, 9, Mateo, 9, Narumukai, 10, and Nevaeh 11 – attended a summit at City Hall in July to help select a raft of thrilling, family-friendly activities in the heart of the capital.
The unique and vibrant guide invites families across London and nationwide to plan a day trip, mini break or a longer staycation in the city as it bursts back to life.
The new map focuses on Central London and features a mix of permanent and new accessible experiences indoors and outdoors that are open to families this summer – from firm favourites such as ZSL London Zoo, to the hottest new tickets in town including Sketch on the Square by the National Gallery and Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser at the V&A.
Both a mix of free and ticketed events are present, accommodating all family budgets, which will undoubtably please parents given the strain of entertaining the family over the lengthy holiday period.
Across London, children under five travel free with a fare-paying adult, Children under 11 can travel free on buses and trams at any time, and on Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and some National Rail services with a fare paying adult. Visitors to London can travel easily and conveniently by using pay as you go with contactless or Oyster.
When surveying the nation’s parents, the key challenges which emerged during the summer break included the cost of keeping children entertained (45%), finding fun activities to suit the whole family (33%) and children saying they were bored (33%).
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “After a long period which has seen children in particular miss out on so much fun and play due to the pandemic, there’s no time like the present to explore our city and enjoy all the fun and accessible activities London has to offer families this summer.
“The young Mayors of Play were tasked with helping me showcase the very best of family fun in London, and I’m delighted with the outcome of their hard work. This reimagined edition of our iconic Tube map showcases the breadth of the capital’s offering through the eyes of little Londoners – it’s for kids, by kids.
“With 70 per cent of families struggling to keep their children entertained during the school holidays, London – with its abundance of free things to do and exciting places to see – is an ideal holiday destination this summer and beyond.”
Kathryn England, Chief Operating Officer at ZSL London Zoo, said:“We’re delighted to welcome families back to our zoo this summer. Our hard working and passionate zookeepers, alongside our vast wildlife truly make this zoo a must-visit attraction in London – we’re thrilled the Mayors of Play agree!”
Mayor of Play, Elliott, 9, said:“It was really tricky choosing what to go on the Tube map – there’s so much fun stuff to do in London!
“Hopefully it will help other kids and their families explore this magical city this summer.”
With National Grief Awareness Day on 30 August, I’d like to highlight Cats Protection’s grief support service for cat owners.
Now in its fifth year, Paws to Listen is there for anyone facing the heartbreak of losing their cat, struggling with issues like euthanasia, or whose cat has gone missing. It is a free and confidential service, connecting callers with a volunteer listener over the telephone or via email.
Pet loss is not always fully recognised in society as a significant loss, causing many to be reluctant to talk about their grief. Additionally, Covid restrictions in the past year or so have often meant that people could not be with their pets at the point of euthanasia, which has compounded people’s grief. We feel it is important to normalise pet grief and let people know that they’re not alone and it’s OK to talk about it.
This year, our Paws to Listen service is being supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. I’d like to say a huge thank you to them for their continued support, which is also helping us to take care of cats at our centres and speak up for cats through our campaigning work.
The Paws to Listen phone line is open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) and can be reached on 0800 024 94 94.
