Targeted funding to recruit 1,000 new teachers and 500 pupil support assistants in the next academic year has been announced today by Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.
The additional £50 million will support COVID-19 education recovery as schools return to full time face-to-face learning. The announcement meets another commitment for the first 100 days of this government.
In addition, £65.5m permanent funding will be allocated annually to councils from 2022-23, which will help remove barriers to councils employing these additional staff on permanent contracts and meet the local needs of children and young people.
Ms Somerville said: “Our vision for COVID recovery and our priorities for Scottish education remain unchanged. Recruiting more permanent staff will be one of the cornerstones of recovery alongside the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff intensified support for reducing inequity, and enabling the highest quality of learning and teaching.
“The £50 million funding will allow councils to recruit more teachers and pupil support assistants next year. Looking further ahead, the additional £65 million annual funding delivered as part of the local government settlement will support councils to recruit these additional staff on permanent contracts.”
COSLA Spokesperson for Resources Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “This additional baselined funding is a welcome resource as we progress into education recovery. Prioritising the educational, as well as, health and wellbeing needs of our children and young people is essential for us all.
“Having the ability to recruit both teachers and support staff with certainty is one part of how we can ensure Councils can deliver the most effective experience for all.
“We do however, look forward to continuing to work with Government to address broader recruitment and retention needs that supports the delivery of high quality education to all.”
Since the start of the pandemic 2,700 additional teachers and support staff have been recruited through £190 million from the Scottish Government.
The government’s commitment to recruit 3,500 additional teachers and pupil support assistants during this Parliament, including this 100 days commitment, is over and above those already recruited using this funding.
Police are appealing for information after an armed robbery in Edinburgh. The incident happened around 1am this morning (Monday 9 August) at the Genting Casino on Dundee Street.
An unidentified man was seen loitering in the underground carpark of the premises at Fountainpark before approaching a member of staff who was outside taking a break. He threatened the staff member with a knife, before taking their phone and instructed the staff member to take them into the casino.
Once inside the suspect proceeded to threaten two further staff members at the cash desk and took a five figure sum in cash and casino chips which are stamped with “Fountainpark”.
He left on foot through an emergency exit back into the underground car park.
The man is described as being of Middle Eastern ethnicity, aged in his mid-to-late twenties, of a thin build and spoke with a mixed Scottish, Asian accent. He was wearing a hooded black down jacket, a black face mask covering the lower half of his face, black trousers, black gloves and black Nike trainers with a white motif.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait of Corstorphine CID said: “Nobody was injured in this incident but it was a frightening experience for the staff members involved.
“Extensive enquires are ongoing to identify the man responsible, including reviewing CCTV from the area.
“I would urge anyone with information which could help to identify the man, or anyone who was in the area at the time and saw anything to contact police as soon as possible.
“Similarly, I would ask anyone who becomes aware of a large quantity of casino chips stamped with “Fountainpark” in the city to report this to police immediately.”
Anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident 0176 of 9 August, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Scientists are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system, according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, released today.
Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already set in motion—such as continued sea level rise—are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.
However, strong and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases would limit climate change. While benefits for air quality would come quickly, it could take 20-30 years to see global temperatures stabilize, according to the IPCC Working Group I report, ClimateChange2021:thePhysicalScienceBasis, approved on Friday by 195 member governments of the IPCC, through a virtual approval session that was held over two weeks starting on July 26.
The Working Group I report is the first instalment of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), which will be completed in 2022.
“This report reflects extraordinary efforts under exceptional circumstances,” said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. “The innovations in this report, and advances in climate science that it reflects, provide an invaluable input into climate negotiations and decision-making.”
Fasterwarming
The report provides new estimates of the chances of crossing the global warming level of 1.5°C in the next decades, and finds that unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to close to 1.5°C or even 2°C will be beyond reach.
The report shows that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are responsible for approximately 1.1°C of warming since 1850-1900, and finds that averaged over the next 20 years, global temperature is expected to reach or exceed 1.5°C of warming. This assessment is based on improved observational datasets to assess historical warming, as well progress in scientific understanding of the response of the climate system to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
“This report is a reality check,” said IPCC Working Group I Co-Chair Valérie Masson-Delmotte. “We now have a much clearer picture of the past, present and future climate, which is essential for understanding where we are headed, what can be done, and how we can prepare.”
Everyregionfacingincreasingchanges
Many characteristics of climate change directly depend on the level of global warming, but what people experience is often very different to the global average. For example, warming over land is larger than the global average, and it is more than twice as high in the Arctic.
“Climate change is already affecting every region on Earth, in multiple ways. The changes we experience will increase with additional warming,” said IPCC Working Group I Co-Chair Panmao Zhai.
The report projects that in the coming decades climate changes will increase in all regions. For 1.5°C of global warming, there will be increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and shorter cold seasons. At 2°C of global warming, heat extremes would more often reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health, the report shows.
But it is not just about temperature. Climate change is bringing multiple different changes in different regions – which will all increase with further warming. These include changes to wetness and dryness, to winds, snow and ice, coastal areas and oceans.
For example:
● Climate change is intensifying the water cycle. This brings more intense rainfall and associated flooding, as well as more intense drought in many regions.
● Climate change is affecting rainfall patterns. In high latitudes, precipitation is likely to increase, while it is projected to decrease over large parts of the subtropics. Changes to monsoon precipitation are expected, which will vary by region.
● Coastal areas will see continued sea level rise throughout the 21st century, contributing to more frequent and severe coastal flooding in low-lying areas and coastal erosion. Extreme sea level events that previously occurred once in 100 years could happen every year by the end of this century.
● Further warming will amplify permafrost thawing, and the loss of seasonal snow cover, melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and loss of summer Arctic sea ice.
● Changes to the ocean, including warming, more frequent marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, and reduced oxygen levels have been clearly linked to human influence. These changes affect both ocean ecosystems and the people that rely on them, and they will continue throughout at least the rest of this century.
● For cities, some aspects of climate change may be amplified, including heat (since urban areas are usually warmer than their surroundings), flooding from heavy precipitation events and sea level rise in coastal cities.
For the first time, the Sixth Assessment Report provides a more detailed regional assessment of climate change, including a focus on useful information that can inform risk assessment, adaptation, and other decision-making, and a new framework that helps translate physical changes in the climate – heat, cold, rain, drought, snow, wind, coastal flooding and more – into what they mean for society and ecosystems.
This regional information can be explored in detail in the newly developed Interactive Atlas interactive-atlas.ipcc.ch as well as regional fact sheets, the technical summary, and underlying report.
Humaninfluenceonthepastandfutureclimate
“It has been clear for decades that the Earth’s climate is changing, and the role of human influence on the climate system is undisputed,” said Masson-Delmotte.
Yet the new report also reflects major advances in the science of attribution – understanding the role of climate change in intensifying specific weather and climate events such as extreme heat waves and heavy rainfall events.
The report also shows that human actions still have the potential to determine the future course of climate. The evidence is clear that carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main driver of climate change, even as other greenhouse gases and air pollutants also affect the climate.
“Stabilizing the climate will require strong, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and reaching net zero CO2 emissions. Limiting other greenhouse gases and air pollutants, especially methane, could have benefits both for health and the climate,” said Zhai.
Customers encouraged to contact supplier for support and switch to better deal if possible
Support available for customers struggling to pay bills or in vulnerable circumstances with additional help for those on prepayment meters
Energy suppliers sign up to industry commitment to reach out to those who most need help this winter
Customers can avoid the increase by shopping around or asking their supplier to put them on a better deal
The energy price cap will increase from 1 October for the 15 million customers it protects. Those on default tariffs paying by direct debit will see an increase of £139 from £1,138 to £1277. Prepayment customers will see an increase of £153 from £1,156 to £1309.
This increase is driven by a rise of over 50% in energy costs over the last six months with gas prices hitting a record high as the world emerges from lockdown.
Surging global fossil fuel prices are already driving up inflation for consumers, making fixed rate energy tariffs not covered by the price cap, as well as petrol and diesel more expensive.
The price cap offers a safety net for customers who haven’t switched by making sure that suppliers only pass on legitimate costs.
Those on default tariffs are saving an estimated £75-£100 or £1 billion every year as a result.
Any customer in vulnerable circumstances or worried about paying their energy bill should contact their supplier to access the support available.
Customers may be eligible for extra help such as affordable debt repayment plans or payment breaks, emergency credit for prepayment meters and a £140 bill rebate under the Warm Home Discount.
Last week suppliers also signed up to an industry commitment to reach out to those who most need help this winter.
Customers can also shop around to save money before the increase takes effect on 1 October.
Those who don’t want to switch supplier or are unable to can ask their supplier to put them on a better deal.
Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of Ofgem, said: “Higher energy bills are never welcome and the timing and size of this increase will be particularly difficult for many families still struggling with the impact of the pandemic.
“The price cap means suppliers only pass on legitimate costs of supplying energy and cannot charge more than the level of the price cap, although they can charge less.
“If you’re struggling to pay your bill you can get in touch with your supplier to access the help that’s available and if possible, shop around for a better deal.
“We have put tough rules in place to ensure suppliers treat customers who are struggling with bills fairly, and welcome their commitment to reach out to those who most need help this winter. Where help is not forthcoming, we will not hesitate to act.
“I appreciate this is extremely difficult news for many people, my commitment to customers is that Ofgem will continue to do everything we can to ensure they are protected this winter, especially those in vulnerable circumstances.”
Ofgem adjusts the price cap twice a year based on the latest estimated costs of supplying energy.
The biggest and most unpredictable factor is the wholesale cost of electricity and gas paid by suppliers and influenced by global markets. This accounts for roughly 40% of the overall price cap level.
Gas prices have risen to a record high in Europe due to a recovery in global demand and tighter supplies. This is increasing the cost of heating homes and pushing up electricity prices.
Last winter, the level of the cap fell by £84 after passing onto customers the savings from lower wholesale energy costs as countries went into lockdown and demand fell.
Leading housebuilder, Persimmon Homes in Scotland is urging youth groups, schools and sports clubs across its North, East and West regions to apply for a share of its £1million charity giveaway before it’s too late.
Projects must make their applications to the Building Futures scheme at www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/ before the closing deadline of midnight on August 15 2021.
Persimmon’s scheme aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health and sport.
Persimmon Homes regional chairman for Scotland, Doug Law, said: “The last 18 months has been a challenging time for everyone but now restrictions are starting to ease, it’s more important than ever to look after our mental and physical health.
“We’re extremely proud to be making donations between £1,000 and £100,000 to grassroots sports groups, charities dealing with physical and mental wellbeing issues, as well as community arts and education projects.
“Over the years we’ve seen what a massive difference this funding can make to schools, clubs and charities, so we’re encouraging everyone to apply now.”
Building Futures is delivered through the Persimmon Charitable Foundation in partnership with Team GB, the British Olympic Association, and the housebuilder enlisted the help of Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Dani Rowe (top) to launch the scheme.
A total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded across Persimmon’s 32 businesses to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.
Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national online public vote. The winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in November.
In each sector – education & arts, health and sport – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.
Last year’s top prize winners were Northampton Swimming Club (sport), Ringsfield Hall Eco Activity Centre (arts & education) and The Children’s Hospital Charity (health).
Catherine Foster, trusts fundraising manager for The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “It’s difficult to put into words how we felt when we won the top prize of £100,000, it was like all of our Christmases came at once.
“The funding has been put towards a new cancer and leukaemia ward and it’s going to be absolutely amazing once it’s up and running. We’re going to have a state-of-the-art facility thanks to Persimmon Homes so we don’t really have any words to say thank you enough.”
Doug added: “We want to hear from local groups, charities and individuals who have ambitious plans on how they would spend the big cash prizes. We’ve had some fantastic applications over the years so we’d urge anyone, however big or small their idea is, to apply today.”
To find out more about or to apply Building Futures visit:
Blackhall Mosque, 1 House O’Hill Road, EH4 2AJ from Monday 9 August to Thursday 12 August and Saturday 14 August from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Sunday 15 August 9.30am to 5pm
Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre, 30 Harvesters Way, EH14 3JF from Monday 9 August to Sunday 15 August, 9.30am to 5.30pm (5pm on Sunday)
VACCINATION BUS ARRIVES AT NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS TOMORROW
Projects aiming to help transform towns and neighbourhoods could apply to a new £10 million multi-year fund.
The Scotland Loves Local Fund aims to encourage people to think local first, and support businesses and enterprises in their community. The fund will provide match funding of between £5,000 and £25,000 for projects run by groups like town centre partnerships, chambers of commerce or community and charity trusts.
Administered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership it aims to bring new, suitable, creative projects and activity to towns and neighbourhoods – helping build local wealth and increase footfall and activity, while supporting local enterprise partnerships. Eligible projects could include things like community shops, marketing and digital schemes, or enabling larger construction projects delivery.
Community Wealth Minister (Eh? – Ed.) Tom Arthur said: “To support Scotland’s towns and neighbourhoods recover from the pandemic we are launching a new £10 million Scotland Loves Local Fund.
“This will provide 50% match funding for local projects between £5,000 and £25,000. Whether it be funding for small-scale improvements or adaptations, climate or active travel programmes, home delivery digital schemes, pop up shops and markets, or the direct funding or expansion of Scotland Loves Local loyalty card schemes – communities will be able to decide how best to improve their local area.
“This 100 day Scottish Government commitment reinforces our determination to support all our communities as they recover from the pandemic and will help strengthen the vital support being provided through the Scotland Loves Local marketing campaign and loyalty card scheme.”
Scotland’s Towns Partnership Chief Officer Phil Prentice said: “Over the coming years, this significant commitment from the Scottish Government will make a real difference – empowering communities to take action that will make their areas fairer, greener and more successful. We are delighted to be working with ministers to deliver this.
“This funding will unlock the great potential of our towns and neighbourhoods, allowing them not just to recover from the impact of Covid-19, but to create a stronger, more sustainable future which has localism at its heart. I would encourage interested organisations across Scotland to get their applications in.”
Director of Milngavie Business Improvement District and Business owner Wendy Ross said: “The Scotland Loves Local campaign was a massive help to Milngavie, especially at the peak of the pandemic when non-essential retail businesses were forced to close.
“Using the digital experience of our business improvement district place manager and his network of collaborators, the Loves Local funding was invested to build many e-commerce websites very quickly so we could continue to trade online, with click and collect and deliveries.
“This was a critical help for local businesses and really opened our eyes to aspects of the digital world that we knew little about. Using the Loves Local messaging and excellent #ThinkLocalFirst campaign, we used social media and milngavie.co.uk to reach local people. That really struck home and continues to do so.”
Eating fish and chips at the beach is Brits’ top memory from childhood holidays
Paddling in the sea, amusement arcades and caravan stays also make the top five
Gen Z (18-24s) is the most nostalgic for caravan holidays
As staycations boom and Brits rediscover the joys of a holiday on home soil, the nation’s favourite childhood memories of UK breaks have been revealed.
The study, conducted by Park Leisure, the luxury holiday park operator, asked 2,000 adults for their best memories of domestic holidays and eating fish and chips at the beach took the top spot. More than half (52%) of Brits said a seaside trip to a chippy was a happy memory from their youth.
Many Brits remember coastal trips fondly, as paddling in the sea (47%) and exploring rock pools (29%) also rank highly. Other beach activities, such as going crabbing (16%) or having a ride on a donkey (14%), also brought back good memories.
For lots of families, childhood holidays often involved staying in a caravan, and almost two in five (39%) Brits are nostalgic for this style of vacation.
Interestingly, out of all the age groups, Gen Z (18-24-year-olds) rank caravan holidays the highest amongst their childhood memories (third favourite), showing how their appeal remains as great as ever.
The nation’s top 10 favourite memories of holidays in the UK are:
1. Eating fish and chips at the beach – 52%
2. Paddling in the sea – 47%
3. Going for walks – 44%
4. Playing in amusement arcades at the seaside – 41%
5. Staying in a caravan – 39%
6. Picnics – 32%
7. Exploring rock pools – 29%
8. Playing games with family and friends – 26%
9. Making new friends – 20%
10. Barbeques – 17%
Favourite holiday memories vary across the UK, with people in some cities recalling times where they learnt new skills.
More than one in seven (15%) Mancunians learnt to ride a bike while on a UK break, slightly more than Londoners (13%), while people in Cardiff (19%) and Sheffield (16%) remember being taught how to fly a kite.
Lisa Williams, director of marketing and holiday sales at Park Leisure, said: “Many of us look back on childhood holidays with great affection, and it’s been lovely reflecting on all these happy memories.
“It was great to see that every generation had similar favourites, which shows that traditional holiday activities, like rock pooling, walking and picnics, are still going strong!
“Many people will have explored new corners of the UK over the last year or so, and hopefully families will now continue to holiday on our own shores, so the next generations can enjoy similar memories in the future.”
HIDDEN Door has announced details of more than 20 visual art graduates whose work will feature at this year’s festival.
The news comes as a crowdfunder to help transform a disused warehouse into a vast exhibition space for the graduates’ work reaches 20% of its target.
With last year’s festival cancelled due to the pandemic, the 2021 event is taking place mostly outdoors, in the shadow of the Granton Gasworks in North Edinburgh. But with the addition of the huge warehouse, just over the road from the main festival site, the footprint of the festival is effectively doubled.
To support the plans, Hidden Door have launched a crowdfunder to raise £10,000, with supporters able to pick from a wide range of rewards including an immersive treasure hunt experience through the festival grounds, exclusive hand-printed T-shirts from Acorn Print Studio, VIP passes for the festival and limited edition prints by Hidden Door artists.
The warehouse we plan to transform
The visual artists taking part in the Hidden Door Graduate Exhibition are:
Adela Kaluzinska, Alliyah Enyo, Becky Brewis, Cara Kennedy, Csian Jemecel Canave, Eilidh Nicoll, Elvey Stedman, Jack Waygood, Josie KO, Katelyn Grant, Keziah Macneill, Kirsten Millar, Leah Moodie, Madeleine Kaye, Martha Stefani-Bose, Martin Crawford, Mclaughlin + Williamson, Miriam Levi, Molly Kent, Paria Goodarzi, Rhona Sword, Sam M Harley, Scott Hunter and Verity Church.
They all graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow School of Art, Grays School of Art, University of Dundee, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and Edinburgh Napier University in 2020 or 2021.
The artists were chosen from Hidden Door’s Graduate Support Network, launched earlier this year to support recent graduates. These artists will be paid for their work through the proceeds raised from this year’s Crowdfunder. For many of them, it will be their first paid creative opportunity.
Jill Martin Boulalaxai, Visual Art Curator,said: “Hidden Door is committed to supporting emerging creative talent, providing a platform for showcasing work and collaborative projects.
“The graduate exhibition at this year’s festival is the first of many exciting opportunities being made available through our Graduate Support Network. We really hope people will get on board with our vision and help us transform this incredible space.”
Opening daily from Wednesday 15 – Sunday 19 September, the Granton Gasworks site will feature two stages for live music and other performances, with dynamic lighting on the giant gasholder to be programmed in time with the music to create a stunning visual experience for festival-goers.
The neighbouring warehouse will be home to the art exhibition and a number of performances.
