Arson attacks cause millions of pounds worth of damage to churches

Churches are being urged to take steps to prevent arson after a church in Sheffield was seriously damaged in an attack.

Claims data from specialist insurer Ecclesiastical shows over 150 churches across the UK have suffered arson attacks over the past five years, causing millions of pounds worth of damage to historic buildings.

In the latest incident, Pitsmoor Christ Church was the victim of a fire on 4 July, which South Yorkshire Police are investigating as arson.

While the number of attacks dropped during the pandemic, Ecclesiastical is warning churches to take urgent action over the summer months when arson attacks more frequently occur.

Nationwide threat

The data revealed that almost every county in the country has seen churches targeted by arsonists, with London, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Essex and Kent the worst affected.

Unlike theft of metal where organised gangs tend to carry out raids over a large geographical area, arson is often as a result of the actions of an individual and with no clear trends. This makes proactive action to protect church buildings even more important

Communities devastated

Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical was formed over 135 years ago to protect Anglican churches and church buildings against the risk of fire. The Gloucester-based company’s risk management experts produce fire prevention advice, including arson prevention guidance, specifically designed to help protect churches.

While thankfully a rare occurrence, the impact of arson on churches and the wider community can be substantial as recent significant fires have shown.

In 2017 the Grade II listed Church of the Ascension in Lower Broughton, Greater Manchester was devastated by an arson attack leaving the community distraught.. The restoration project, led by Ecclesiastical, is due for completion later this year.

More recently, All Saints Church in Mackworth, Derbyshire was gutted by fire in December 2020. A teenager has since pleaded guilty to setting fire to the church and schools in the area and is awaiting sentencing. A lengthy restoration project is underway to restore the Grade I listed building and return it to the local community.

Churches urged to take steps

Following the latest fire, Ecclesiastical’s risk management team has urged churches to take additional steps to protect themselves.

Jo Whyman, risk management director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “Our data shows that arson seems to be on the increase again and the impact of these attacks can be truly devastating.

 “It’s horrible to see churches damaged as a result of a fire – particularly at the hands of criminals. These buildings are part of the fabric of our society, at the heart of our communities, and have been for centuries. Senseless acts by individuals not only destroy bricks and mortar, but often priceless artefacts that have historical significance to our nation.”

Extinguishing the risks

To help manage the risk of an arson attack and help to protect the country’s cherished historic churches, Ecclesiastical’s risk experts have issued advice to churches.

These include:

  • Keep your church secure: At night lock your church doors, windows, and any external gates. Installing security lights and keeping the exterior well lit will deter intruders. Also, consider installing fire alarms, intruder alarms and CCTV that provides continual monitoring to an alarm-receiving centre.
  • Report suspicious activity and make your church look busy: Use the building as much as possible for church and community activities.
  • Practice good housekeeping: Keep internal doors shut and locked when not in use, this can slow the spread of fire through a building and prevents access to obscure areas. Safely store items that could start fires inside the church, for example portable heaters and matches, and move bins away from the outside of the building. Take particular care when building or maintenance projects are being undertaken, ensuring building materials and waste are stored safely, securely and well away from the building.
  • Carry out regular external inspections of your church buildings and grounds: Make regular checks to the building and report damage to the police and your insurers as soon as possible. Cut back vegetation on a regular basis.
  • Repair damage to the church immediately: A damaged building is at risk of further attacks, including arson. Ensure any damage is repaired and graffiti removed quickly.
  • Check your fire extinguishers: Check you have enough fire extinguishers including some that are water (hydro-spray) or carbon dioxide types.
  • Be prepared for fire: Keep up-to-date fire risk assessments for your premises. Consider ways in which deliberate fires could be started and how you can prevent or reduce the risk.

Mr Whyman continued: “Churches are legally required to carry out a fire risk assessment and in doing so they’ll be able to understand the risk of fire – including the risk of an arson attack.

“It is really important that steps are taken to prevent fires and by following our guidance you can help to reduce the risk of arson at your property. The good news is, many of the recommended safeguards don’t require capital investment but simple precautionary steps which could make all the difference.

“Our Risk Management team are on hand to assist our customers and bespoke guidance and support is available through our Risk Advice Line as well as general guidance available on our website.”

A full list of Ecclesiastical’s arson prevention advice can be found at the company’s website, www.ecclesiastical.com.

Scottish drivers face growing car insurance premiums

The average cost in Scotland is now £435, following a £31 (8%) increase year-on-year, according to the Confused.com car insurance price index

  • According to the data, Central Scotland is the most expensive region, with motorists paying £477 for their car insurance, on average. This is an increase of £34 (8%) year-on-year.
  • Drivers in the Scottish Borders pay the cheapest price for car insurance, despite a £29 (9%) year-on-year increase. Drivers in this region can expect to pay £366, on average.
  • Further research shows that almost half (45%) of drivers who received a renewal quote last quarter saw a price increase of £41, on average. However, drivers who shopped around on a price comparison site saved £54, on average (1) .
  • Louise O’Shea, CEO at Confused.com urges drivers to shop around ahead of time and to consider opting for annual payments, which could save drivers as much as 10% on their car insurance(3)
  • How to save money on your car insurance: Confused. money on your car insurance: Confused.com expert tips aim to help drivers save more on their insurance as the cost of living rapidly increases.

Car insurance costs across the Scottish regions are at the highest in almost two years following the steepest increase in prices since before the COVID-19 pandemic (Q4 2020), new data reveals.

The average cost of car insurance in Scotland now stands at £435, on average, with drivers seeing an increase of £31 (8%) compared to this time last year. That’s according to the latest car insurance price index (Q2 2022) from Confused.com, powered by WTW. Based on six million quotes a quarter, it’s the most comprehensive car insurance price index in the UK.

However, some drivers could expect to pay more than the national average, depending on the region in which they live. The data shows that drivers in Central Scotland pay the highest prices for car insurance, with the cost now £477, following a £34 (8%) increase compared to this time last year. Despite an annual increase of £29 (9%), drivers living in the Scottish Borders pay the cheapest costs for their car insurance, with an average premium of £366.

Meanwhile, drivers in East and North East Scotland are now paying £399 for their car insurance, following a £27 (7%) increase year-on-year. And drivers in the Scottish Highland and Islands are paying a premium of £394, on average, following an increase of £30 (8%).

Region Average Premium YOY £ YOY %

Scottish Borders £ 366 £29 9%

Central Scotland £ 477 £34 8%

East & North East Scotland £ 399 £27 7%

Scottish Highlands & Islands £ 394 £30 8%

It’s a similar picture across the rest of the UK, where prices increased by £32 (6%) over the past 12 months to £554. This is the highest prices have been across the UK in almost 2 years.

The reports of steeper car insurance costs might come as bad news for Scottish motorists, which is why it’s never been so important to shop around for the best deals when it’s time to renew.

However, while prices are increasing for most drivers across the UK, further research by Confused.com shows that many loyal customers are still taking a bigger blow, having seen their renewal increase more than the price of a new policy, on average.

A survey of 2,000 UK drivers(1) found that almost half (45%) of those who received their renewal last quarter saw their price increase by £41, on average. This is despite 1 in 10 (10%) drivers who have renewed their car insurance since January 2022 believing that prices wouldn’t increase after Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)(2) changes earlier this year. However, while prices are increasing for new policies too, the data shows that drivers could still save money by shopping around and taking out a new policy.

In fact, those who shopped around after receiving a more expensive renewal price saved £54, on average, after using a price comparison website and switching insurers.

Louise O’Shea, CEO at Confused.com reminds drivers that the recent FCA changes do not always mean a cheaper or like-for-like renewal price, as any increase to the average UK car insurance costs will be reflected in renewal premiums. And it’s likely that prices will continue to increase as motorists spend more time on the road, meaning that likelihood of claims will increase too.

It’s evident from the latest data that increases have been seen across other regions too, with the UK average premium now £554 – that’s £32 (6%) more expensive than 12 months ago.

However, despite annual increases across all regions, some areas in Scotland have in fact benefitted from a decrease in costs over the last quarter. For instance, although there has been an annual increase of £59 (16%) in Shetland, the average cost for car insurance in the area has actually decreased by £19 (4%) since the last quarter. Drivers in Aberdeen have also seen the average premium cost decrease by £2, making their annual cost £397, on average.

But despite small wins for some, other areas continue to see increased car insurance costs. For drivers in Glasgow, the average cost for car insurance is £523. This is a £39 (8%) increase compared to this time last year and also currently makes Glasgow the most expensive area in the whole of Scotland.

While prices are on the increase, data shows that female drivers are still paying cheaper prices compared to males(4). For males aged 17-20 in Central Scotland, car insurance prices are the most expensive in comparison to all other Scottish regions.

These costs have increased by an eye-watering £110 (8%) in the last 12 months, on average. Female drivers in Central Scotland also saw a 6% increase year-on-year, but this equates to £59 in comparison. In the past 12 months, the total cost for drivers aged 17-20 in this region has increased to £1,479 for males and £1,140 for females.

With the cost of living crisis worsening and further household bill hikes expected later in the year, drivers need to be savvier than ever. And when it comes to their car insurance, drivers should be shopping around, as it’s one expense that could guarantee a saving.

An option for drivers to save money on their insurance is by choosing for annual payments. While monthly direct debits may be the most convenient option, paying upfront for an annual cost could save drivers an extra 10% when taking out a new policy(3).

With so much to consider when it comes to car insurance, it can be confusing for drivers to know which factors will produce the best savings. To help motorists understand where savings could be made, Confused.com has created 16 tips to get cheaper car insurance costs. And it could be as simple as making sure all of your details are correct when taking out insurance.

Louise O’Shea, CEO at Confused.com comments: “With millions stung by the current cost of living, it can be disheartening to see that car insurance prices are also on the rise. As the latest data shows, we’re seeing some of the highest spikes in prices since before the pandemic.

“With us all still adjusting to life after lockdown, it’s likely that this is due to the number of insurance claims being made increasing as we get back into some sort of routine. Unfortunately, this means that you might notice a price increase when renewing or shopping for your car insurance.

“While prices are increasing, we know that car insurance is one area where you can still save money, which will help to balance out price hikes in other areas. It’s clear from research that renewal prices are often more expensive, and it can be easy to accept a higher price if it doesn’t look too bad given the expectation that everything is increasing at the moment. But please don’t do this. You can pay less!

“The car insurance market is very competitive right now, which is the perfect time to be savvy and shop around for a better deal. Taking some time to research the best available options can really pay off. We know there’s an insurer out there who can offer you a better price, which is why we guarantee to beat your renewal(5). And if we can’t, we’ll give you the difference, plus £20. So, if anything, you will make money!”

Phone scams reported to HMRC fall in Scotland

Phone scam reports have fallen by 84 pent cent in Scotland over the last year, new regional data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed. 

In the Scotland, 384 phone scams were reported to HMRC in June this year compared to 2432 in June 2021.  

People aged between 25 and 34 appear to be most affected by scams in the region, with 94 reporting phone scams in Scotland in June. 

HMRC has made significant efforts to tackle the problem and protect the public. Scam call reports from across all regions peaked in March 2021 with almost 76,000 reports. This was slashed to just over 5,000 in March this year.  

To fight phone scams, HMRC has worked with the telecoms industry and Ofcom to stop HMRC’s helpline numbers from being spoofed by fraudsters, who can no longer appear to be calling from an HMRC number. HMRC also has a dedicated customer protection team working on cyber and phone phishing scams around the clock. 

The drop in reported phone scams is a testament to the work of teams across HMRC in tackling fraud. HMRC’s phishing referral tools and innovative technology all play a part in the department’s efforts to combat fraud, which has resulted in fewer people falling victim to and reporting tax scams.  

Kelly Paterson, HMRC’s Chief Information and Security Officer, said: 

“We work tirelessly to tackle scams and protect hard-working taxpayers from becoming victims of fraud. 

“Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying that they are from HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. HMRC will never ring out of the blue threatening arrest. 

“To help us fight these crimes, forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599 and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Report tax scam phone calls to us on GOV.UK.” 

HMRC received over 212,500 reports in total of all kinds of scams, by email, text message and phone, over the past year, nationally. 

Phone scammers often call people threatening immediate arrest for fictitious tax owed.  Sometimes they claim that the victim’s National Insurance number has been used in a fraud or offer a fake tax rebate as a way of stealing personal and banking information.   

In addition to warning the public about phishing scams, HMRC urges people never to share their HMRC login details. Criminals using the logins could steal from the customer or make a fraudulent claim in their name. 

HMRC’s phishing scam advice is:

Stop:

  • take a moment to think before parting with your money or information
  • if a phone call, text or email is unexpected, don’t give out private information or reply, and don’t download attachments or click on links before checking on GOV.UK that the contact is genuine
  • do not trust caller ID on phones. Numbers can be spoofed

Challenge:

Protect:

  • forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599 and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Report tax scam phone calls on GOV.UK
  • contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen victim to a scam, and report it to Action Fraud (in Scotland, contact the police on 101).

The numbers in this release refer only to phone scam reports to HMRC using a GOV.UK form introduced in 2020 and do not reflect all of the phone phishing reports that the department has received through email and other channels.

Landlords plan to expand portfolios in response to growing demand

Handelsbanken research shows half plan to buy over the year ahead as confidence in residential and commercial property demand grows

SME landlords[1] are planning to expand their portfolios in the year ahead as optimism about residential and commercial property builds despite fears of an economic downturn and the cost of living crisis, new research* from property business experts Handelsbanken shows.

Its nationwide study shows half (49%) of professional landlords – those owning at least four properties – intend to buy more, of which 8% plan to invest in improving the quality of their portfolio, underlining their enduring confidence in bricks and mortar as long-term investment.

Just 7% of landlords expect to sell some or all their portfolio, and a third (35%) are committed to retaining their current properties for the next 12 months.

The first Handelsbanken SME Landlord Survey found 86% of landlords expect a rise in demand for residential property, with nearly two-thirds (63%) confident that commercial property demand will also increase in the next 12 months.

Landlords’ optimism is not being driven by expectations of substantial increases in yields – Handelsbanken’s research shows average yields are only expected to rise by 0.44% over the period, although 89% of landlords questioned do expect an increase.

Instead, their plans to buy more properties are motivated by a desire to diversify their assets across different sectors and regions.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) said their plans to buy are focused on expanding into different parts of the property market – the most attractive are houses (66%), followed by flats (38%), houses of multiple occupation (HMO) (34%) and commercial retail (32%).

Among landlords expanding their portfolios to different parts of the UK, London is seen as the most attractive region (selected by 53%), followed by the East of England (chosen by 40%) and the East Midlands (22%).

More than half (51%) of landlords on the acquisition trail said their reason for buying was simply feeling bullish about the market.

James Sproule, UK Chief Economist, at Handelsbanken said: “Recent house price growth shows how property has shown its resilience against economic doom and gloom and the cost-of-living squeeze. 

“Landlords are anticipating that a shortage of rental properties will help keep prices buoyant, particularly as working patterns continue to adjust to the post pandemic world and people seek to move back to big cities, particularly in popular areas such as London, which is also seen to be better placed to ride out the next series of economic challenges and opportunities.

“Landlords went through a tough period following the COVID-19 pandemic, with residential property transactions falling by more than half and business investment contracting. But the sector has survived and is now looking forward.

“The 2022-23 financial year is forecast to see a further softening in residential property transactions as vendors wait for the right buyer rather than accept any perception of loss in value.”

The table below shows how professional landlords rate the attractiveness of regions across the country:

REGIONHOW MANY LANDLORDS THINK IT WILL BE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
London53%
East of England40%
East Midlands22%
Scotland19%
Northern Ireland18%
North West14%
South East12%
Wales12%
South West10%
West Midlands8%
North East6%
Yorkshire & The Humber6%

[1] Professional landlords with a minimum of four properties in their portfolios. This applies to all references to “landlords” within this release.

Property_Survey_ReportDownload

4.5.% pay increase for Scotland’s NHS medical and dental staff

NHS medical and dental staff will be awarded a 4.5% pay increase for this year backdated to 1 April 2022. This is for all NHS Scotland medical and dental staff, general medical practitioners and general dental practitioners.

This comes following recommendations by the independent Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body (DDRB) of an annual pay uplift of 4.5% for NHS medical and dental staff.  The Scottish Government has accepted this recommendation.

The Scottish Government, BMA Scotland and other relevant stakeholders all participated and provided evidence to the DDRB to allow them to make their independent recommendations.  

This year’s award builds on the 3% uplift that was recommended and applied by the Scottish Government in 2021.  This means staff have been awarded a 7.5% pay increase over the last two years – but inflation currently stands at over 9% and rising.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The NHS has faced its biggest challenge during the pandemic and staff have been working tirelessly to continue to provide care while under increased pressure. 

“The continued hard work and dedication of staff ensures that the people of Scotland continue to receive world class healthcare as we remobilise NHS services and tackle waiting times.

“This uplift demonstrates that we value all our medical and dental staff and the important contribution they make. It’s crucial that we continue to not only recruit and build our future NHS workforce, but also retain expertise within NHS Scotland. 

“This announcement means that our senior medical staff will continue to be the best paid in the UK.  This will help ensure that NHS Scotland remains an attractive employment option for all medical and dental staff.”

The 4.5% pay uplift will be applied to all NHS medical and dental staffing grades and will be included in salaries with backdated payments to 1 April 2022 to follow as soon as practical.

Scotland’s health union UNISON is balloting 35000 NHS staff across Scotland to recommend they reject the Scottish government’s pay offer and vote to take strike action in the coming months.

The NHS consultative digital ballot closes on 8 August.

UNISON report that their members are angry and feel they are being taken for granted. UNISON say the Scottish government 5% pay offer is well below the rate of inflation – which is 10% – and it is deeply unfair as it will give those at top of the pay bands a pay rise of over £5,000 per year whilst those on the lower pay bands will get nearer £1000 per year.

This ballot is launched in the midst of a staffing crisis in the NHS, staff turnover is higher than ever, waiting lists are at an all time high and the NHS is facing real challenges to recruit.

There are over 6000 nurse vacancies across Scotland. Staff report to UNISON that they are regularly left in wards working with staffing levels below minimum standards. Staff also report they are constantly worried they make mistakes, or fail to deliver basic patient care. The problems were building long before Covid, the pandemic has only exacerbated the issues.

Wilma Brown, chair of the UNISON Scotland health committee said: “NHS staff have been taken for granted, staff have endured over 10 years of real terms pay cuts only to be told by the Scottish Government that, yet again, they will have to accept a below inflation pay rise.

“NHS staff have family bills to pay, food, energy and petrol prices are rocketing. NHS staff are struggling to afford the price of fuel to get them to work. They need more than praise and platitudes from Government, they need a decent pay rise to support their families.

“A 5% pay increase across the board just doesn’t cut it and the Scottish Government need to understand how angry we are. UNISON are urging UNISON members to vote to reject this pay offer and indicate that they will take the very difficult decision to take industrial action, unless of course the Health Minister improves the offer on the table.”

Financial Services Bill to ‘unlock growth and investment’ across the UK

Legislation to enhance the competitiveness of UK financial services and unlock growth and investment across the UK was introduced to Parliament yesterday.

The Financial Services and Markets Bill repeals hundreds of pieces of EU retained law to enable a coherent, agile and internationally respected regime that works in the interests of the British people.

Consumers will be protected through legislation safeguarding access to cash for generations to come and enabling the Payment Systems Regulator to direct banks to reimburse victims of Authorised Push Payment fraud.

The Bill will implement the government’s vision for the sector that is open, green, technologically advanced and globally competitive – while maintaining high levels of consumer protection.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi said: “Today is a landmark day for financial services in the UK.

“Through the introduction of this Bill, we are repealing hundreds of pieces of burdensome EU regulations and seizing on the benefits of Brexit to ensure the financial sector works in the interests of British people and businesses.”

The Bill implements the outcomes of the Future Regulatory Framework Review, giving the financial regulators greater responsibility for setting the requirements for UK financial services, and for the first time, a new secondary objective to promote the growth and competitiveness of the UK economy including the financial services sector.

This will complement the regulators’ existing objectives of ensuring the safety and soundness of firms, protecting and enhancing the integrity of the UK financial system, promoting competition in the interests of consumers, and ensuring that consumers receive an appropriate degree of protection.

The Bill also includes enhanced mechanisms for engagement with stakeholders and accountability, scrutiny and oversight of the regulators by Parliament and the Treasury. This includes a new ‘rule review’ power which will enable the government to direct the regulators to review their rules where it is in the public interest.

To maintain the UK’s position as an international, open and competitive financial centre, the Bill will reform EU-derived legislation governing our capital markets, ensuring that our rulebook is fair, outcomes based and maintains high regulatory standards.

This includes removing the share trading obligation and double volume cap from MiFID II, which restrict how and where firms can execute trades, and granting the FCA new powers to enhance the transparency and effective function of markets.

The Bill will also give new powers to the government and regulators to better enable them to implement Mutual Recognition Agreements – which are agreements between two trading partners, designed to remove technical and regulatory barriers to trade.

To ensure the UK remains at the forefront of new technologies and innovations, the Bill will enable certain types of stablecoins to be regulated as a form of payment in the UK.

In fostering these new innovations, the Bill will also enable the creation of Financial Markets Infrastructure Sandboxes – allowing firms to test the use of new technologies and practices in financial markets, increasing efficiency, transparency and resilience of new products.

As part of plans to ensure consumers are protected, the legislation includes measures that will safeguard access to cash for generations to come; powers to enable the Payments Systems Regulator to direct banks to reimburse victims of APP fraud; and establishes a new regulatory pathway for firms to be able to approve financial promotions, ensuring they better reflect FCA rules which state that promotions should be fair, clear, and not misleading.

As part of this approach, the government will ensure greater financial inclusion through powers enabling credit unions, which provide low-interest forms of credit, to offer a wider range of products to their members.

Amanda Blanc, Chief Executive Officer, Aviva said: “This Bill will bring much needed reform. 

“We want to move fast to a new regulatory framework for financial services and unlock the potential for greater investment in the UK.”

David Duffy, Group Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Money plc said: “Virgin Money welcomes the vision that the Chancellor set out last night to create a more open, green, competitive and technologically advanced sector.

“The new Financial Services and Markets Bill will bring about significant change to our industry, and we look forward to working in partnership with the Government as it delivers on its ambition to create one the most dynamic financial centres in the world.”

Chris Cummings, Chief Executive, the Investment Association said: “The Chancellor’s commitment to ensure the UK sets the standard for financial services globally is good news for savers and investors.

“We welcome the government’s aim to deliver new economic growth through harnessing innovation and ensuring the UK remains the most inclusive, open and transparent place to do business in the world.”

David Postings, Chief Executive of UK Finance, said: “The Chancellor’s vision in his Mansion House speech is for the UK to have a strong and internationally competitive banking and finance sector, which we strongly welcome.

“A successful financial services sector is critical for achieving economic growth and benefits the whole country – it is one of our most important industries, delivering jobs, investment and growth across every region.

“To ensure the sector continues to be successful, alongside maintaining the pace of reform, there needs to be a keen focus on international competitiveness from the next government.”

Expert reveals benefits of mind and brain training games

The benefits of keeping physically fit and healthy are a given when it comes to receiving advice on how to always stay on top of our physical performance. Still, experts have revealed that playing certain games and completing challenges that test our cognitive skills can stimulate our mental fitness, giving us ample ways of improving brain health.

Experts at SolitaireBliss have revealed how playing fun mind games and performing stimulating brain challenges can have huge benefits when trying to remain mentally fit.

Improving memory

One of the most beneficial effects of brain training games is their ability to improve memory, and with neurodegeneration commonly being disregarded as something only to worry about at an old age, many are unaware that deterioration can start as early as their 30s.

There are many ways to improve brain health and keep a sharp memory, and factors such as maintaining a varied diet along with good nutrition, having a healthy sleeping pattern, regular exercise and interacting with people you can keep your cognitive skills tested. These factors are all vital to sustaining a healthy brain but adding brain training games into your day can be a fun way to increase and add to your brain’s daily exercises.

Speeding up reaction time

Another perk of downloading a brain training app is its ability to help increase reaction times which depends on the central nervous system’s speed. High cognitive functioning reaction times can be highly beneficial, especially to those who excel in sports requiring fast hand-eye coordination and medical roles requiring swift and precise reactions.

Overall, higher cognitive functions stem from a healthy nervous system which proves how vital visual awareness and reaction times are, all of which can be exercised and improved with brain training apps.

Improving attention span

Having a short attention span can be a real annoyance when performing day-to-day tasks as it can lead to poor focus at work as well as cause problems in communication similarly, it can also lead to anxiety and stress due to the inability to finish complex tasks.

A major advantage of brain training games which get harder as you level up is that they can improve your attention span by being able to keep the gamer engaged and solely focused on the game at hand; this can be very beneficial to those who suffer easily from distraction and find it difficult to focus on one thing at a time.

Helps to assist those after suffering severe head injuries

There can be many causes for concern when a patient has suffered from brain trauma. Such injuries can lead to an alteration in mental state, whether difficulty concentrating or disorientation, and also fears of focal neurological problems. This could be anything from distorted or loss of vision, weakness in building back muscle and struggles with speech.

Many patients who have suffered severe head injuries will use brain training and memory games to rehabilitate and recover from such traumatic events. By stretching your brain muscles and exercising your cognitive skills, you are actively accelerating all elements of the brain, which can speed up improvement in strength, coordination, and balance.

Cancer Research Horizons renews partnership with Edinburgh University entrepreneur incubator programme

Cancer Research Horizons, the innovation engine of Cancer Research UK, the world’s largest independent cancer research organisation, is renewing its partnership with the University of Edinburgh’s flagship Venture Builder Incubator which supports the commercialisation of data-driven PhD research.

Cancer Research Horizons, through its Entrepreneurial Programmes, will sponsor ten places for cancer-related research projects from across the UK to take part on this 16-week programme which aims to drive academic entrepreneurship by supporting PhD students and early career researchers to develop their business ideas, build their skills and secure funding. 

In 2021, the first year of the Cancer Research Horizons collaboration, eight companies operating in the field of cancer were selected as start-ups for the incubator.

For the second year running, Cancer Research Horizons’ continued support for PhD students and researchers will play an important role in accelerating the commercialisation of ideas aimed at conquering cancer.

Laura Bernal, Venture Builder Incubator Programme Manager, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Cancer Research Horizons again this year.

“Our Incubator programme is designed to help fledgling entrepreneurs across all sectors of business build their skills and take their businesses to the next level and through continuing to build our relationship with the brilliant team at Cancer Research Horizons, we can ensure that we are supporting the commercialisation of vital research across 10 cancer-related projects this year.”

The Venture Builder Incubator, delivered by the Bayes Centre, the University of Edinburgh’s world-leading innovation hub for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, on behalf of the University’s five Data-Driven Innovation Hubs and Edinburgh Innovations, the commercialisation service of the University, will start later this year and builds on the success of the previous cohorts which have seen considerable success, attracting £1.8m in funding in the last 12 months.

Previous oncology-related ventures focused on developing early diagnosis tools and less invasive testing to enable improved outcomes for people affected by cancer. They included: OncoAssign, a precision medicine startup integrating AI and onco-diagnostics to deliver accurate treatment prediction; 10zyme, a start-up devising a simple method of detecting cancers through urine or saliva samples; ForceBiology, developers of a versatile, more accurate and cost-effective high throughput drug-screening platform for cancer and Therapevo, a screening platform striving to fill the gap between research and the medical testing of new therapeutic strategies.

Commenting on her experience as a participant in last year’s cohort, Estefania Esposito, Co-founder of Therapevo, said: “Being introduced to a network of Venture Builder cohorts past and present was invaluable.

“They all had different backgrounds, and even when they had similar backgrounds, they all added something: an experience, an idea or an opinion.”

Dr Alessia Errico, Associate Director of Search and Evaluation, and Entrepreneurial Programmes Lead at Cancer Research Horizon said: “We want to inspire the next generation of scientific entrepreneurs in the field of cancer research as well as inspiring cultural change within the industry, so working alongside Edinburgh University and their Data Driven Innovation programme provides us with the perfect platform to do this.

“Supporting entrepreneurs on the journey from an ideation to venture creation is one of the most important things that we can do, so we are excited about what this next year will bring.”

The Venture Builder Incubator is designed to help fledgling entrepreneurs across all sectors build their skills and take their businesses to the next level.  Start-ups are chosen after an application process which is open to PhD students, early career researchers and academic staff from the University of Edinburgh or Heriot-Watt University, as well as early career researchers focused on cancer-related projects from across the UK.

Each startup is provided with £2,000 as well as business support through a series of workshops, networking events, mentoring, peer-to-peer learnings and access to the University of Edinburgh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and its data expertise.

Applications have now opened for the Venture Builder Incubator 3.0. For more information visit https://edinburghdde.com/dde-programmes/venture-builder-incubator-2 

The early bird deadline for applications is Friday 22nd July and those entering before this date are guaranteed application feedback and the chance to resubmit their proposal and an invitation to a Bayes Centre Community Event.

The final deadline for applications is Friday 9 September.

PRENTICE CENTRE CLOSURE CONFIRMED

West Granton Community Trust Management Committee Decision

WGCT has issued the following statement:

At a meeting of the West Granton Community Trust Management Committee on Monday 18th June, the decision made on 27th June to wind up the Trust was confirmed.  This will mean the permanent closure of the Prentice Centre.  

It has been reported in the press that the City of Edinburgh Council were considering providing us with a one off grant of £50,000, however with no confirmation of the process to secure this funding nor the timescales involved, the Trust has been left with no alternative but to proceed with the winding up of the Trust. 

This is to ensure the orderly transfer of the premises to another charitable organisation and to meet our responsibilities to our tenants, staff and the community. 

This is in line with the Constitution of the Trust and the legal requirements associated with the closure of an organisation with charitable status.

The Management Committee would like to thank our loyal members for their support over the years and assure them that we have done everything within our power to avoid this situation. 

Given our current financial situation and with no guarantee of long-term funding for staff and overheads, we can no longer operate as a Trust.

Following the suspension of activities at the Prentice Centre on 1 July, there will be no further access for community use.  Staff will remain on site until mid-October to care for the building and to manage the process of winding up the Trust.

A sad day indeed for staff, management committee, members, patrons and the wider North Edinburgh community …

It is time for an honest man to step forward and set the record straight … WATSON: The Final Problem

WATSON previewed at Edinburgh Fringe last year, being enthusiastically received and achieving sell out shows. Now, refreshed and revised, Tim Marriott returns as Watson to Edinburgh before touring in the UK and internationally.

The play is a classic Sherlock Holmes tale of long buried secrets, betrayal and death. There is a shadow in the gutters, a spider’s web of poisonous intrigue plagues the city and Watson must face his greatest ever challenge.  

The year is 1894. Watson is alone. Sherlock Holmes and his beloved Mary are both gone. London seethes with false reports and rumour. It is time to set the record straight. So Watson tells his tale and the intrepid detectives must face their nemesis, the Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriarty. But as Watson takes us on a journey across Europe to the Reichenbach Falls, is the game really over?

“Impressive! A damn fine play” – Weekend Notes

“Brilliant. A must see” – Edinburgh Review

“A grippingly fine display… outstanding” – Broadway Baby

Watson: The Final Problem is created in collaboration with and directed by Bert Coules, the BBC’s head writer on adaptations of the Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, who says “Watson is often overlooked, but is more than Conan Doyle’s alter ego. Deeply affected by the effects of war in Afghanistan and appalled by dishonesty and falsehood, he is a remarkably contemporary character to bring to life on stage.”

90s sitcom star Tim Marriott played ‘Gavin’ in 7 seasons of the BBC sit-com The Brittas Empire. After a second career in education, he returned to the stage in 2018, travelling to festivals around the world with acclaimed productions of his PTSD awareness play Shell Shock and Holocaust themed Mengele.

BOOKING DETAILS

Time:13.10

Venue 20 – The Drawing Room, Assembly Festival, George Street

Dates: Aug 3-15, 17-28

Running Time: 60 mins

Tickets and Info: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/watson-the-final-problem