The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK) is launching the UK’s first water rescue Emergency Drone Piloting Award.
The water safety and lifeguarding experts, have partnered with innovative Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and Drone specialists Eagle Eye Innovations (EEI) to create a unique water rescue award, launching this month.
The Emergency Response Drone Pilot Award offers candidates the opportunity to learn the skills, technical knowledge and legalities of using and operating a drone to assist with water-based rescues.
The drones are fully waterproof, specially designed for rescues and can find a person in difficulty and deploy a torpedo buoy or inflatable lifesaving device, allowing precious time for a lifeguard or Emergency Services to reach the casualty.
The course content is Civil Aviation Authority approved and covers; rules and regulations of formal drone flying in the UK, practical drone flying techniques and the lifesaving skills required to perform emergency actions with a drone that preserves life until rescuers arrive.
Upon completion, candidates will receive three accreditations: a CAA A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 C of C), a General Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVA) and a RLSS UK Emergency Response Drone Pilot Award.
RLSS UK was established more than 130 years ago and is acknowledged worldwide as an expert in lifeguarding and water safety. They have a proud history of helping to reduce the number of lives lost to drowning and sharing their lifesaving knowledge to save lives and ensure everyone can enjoy water safely.
Eagle Eye Innovations (EEI) are a unique company within the still fledgling Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). They are the longest-running RPAS Academy in the UK, with unrivalled experience -including RAF trained instructors with over 70+ years combined and Military Search and Rescue qualified instructors.
EEI is responsible for training much of the UK’s police force and other emergency services.
Robert Gofton, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), said: “We are excited to be partnering with EEI on this pioneering new rescue award.
“Concerningly accidental water-related deaths increased in 2021. If using the latest technologies, such as drones, can preserve life until rescuers can reach a casualty, it can only lead to saving more lives and stopping families from suffering tragedy of losing a loved one.”
Sion Roberts, Managing Director, EEI, said: “The partnership we have established with the RLSS UK brings an exceptional team that can emphasise and educate the disruptive capability of Remotely Piloted technology, through professional training processes and world-class instructors.
The flying skills and knowledge that the candidates will learn from the course will add a unique and lifesaving capability to their existing skillsets. It’s another great example of using Drones for Good”.
Tony Weston, who attended the trial course, said: “Wow – what a week, learning a new life skill – flying a drone that could aid the saving of lives! The experience was memorable, and the training team were excellent.”
The award is ideally suited to Emergency Services – Fire Rescue and Police, Local Authorities, Open Water Venues, Triathlon Clubs, Canal & River Trusts, Landowners, River Rescue, Search & Rescue companies. The first course is on Monday 25 – Friday 29 April 2022 at RLSS UK’s headquarters in Worcester.
Today, the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) releases its annual population data, with a record 35m pets in the UK in 2022. Pet ownership is at a peak and 17.4m households (62%) own a pet.
In the UK there are now 13m dogs and 12m cats, 1.6m indoor birds, 1.4m domestic fowl, 1m rabbits, 900k Guinea pigs, 700k pigeons, 600k hamsters, 600k tortoises and 600k horses.
But while 4.7m households (17%) have acquired a new pet since the start of the pandemic, sadly 3.4m (12%) have given up a pet over the last year.
Although over a half (57%) of new pets have been welcomed into homes with children (2.7m households), Gen Z and Millennials represent 53% of those owning new pets (2.6m households). 25% (1.2m) are 16-24 year olds and 29% (1.4m) are 25-34 year olds.
Almost one quarter (23%) of the people in these age groups have been unable to keep their pet and 71% of all relinquishments can be attributed to this demographic (2.1m households). Looking at which pets were relinquished, 60% were dogs and 45% were cats. However, anecdotally, rehoming centres are seeing more small mammals such as rabbits.
Nicole Paley, PFMA deputy CEO, comments: “Reflecting the recent ONS report with its new shopping basket containing a pet collar[iii], we are not surprised to see these strong figures.
“However, on closer inspection, we are concerned about the number of owners who have given up their pet. We are keen to investigate why owners are giving up their pets and where they are being relinquished.
“We believe that many pets are being sold on to recuperate funds, in addition to being taken to rehoming centres. We are working closely with the CFSG (Canine & Feline Sector Group) plus other animal welfare charities to identify what the pet care sector can do to support owners and prevent this from happening.”
The main reason 16-24 year olds gave up a pet was a change in living arrangements with 34% citing this factor. 23% claimed financial obstacles and 22% identified a change in working arrangements.
Behavioural concerns were a reason for 13% of those who relinquished in this age group. For those slightly older aged 25-34 years old, both working and living arrangements were an issue affecting 41% and 39% respectively.
The research revealed that 40% of owners don’t have pet friendly offices with an extra 11% unsure.
Nicole continues: “At the PFMA, we believe there is a need to boost the provision of pet-friendly policies at work and in rental accommodation. There are some excellent campaigns focused on this.
“We also need to ensure that potential pet owners are aware of the full implications of pet ownership and the significant responsibility that comes with a new family member.
“We are active in supporting pet ownership education campaigns such as National Pet Month and we work to promote the many excellent resources provided by the network of UK charities and welfare organisations. Woodgreen, for example, have a service whereby struggling owners are supported in their own homes. Rehoming centres should always be the first port of call for owners unable to cope.”
Linda Cantle, Director of Pet & Owner Support Services at Woodgreen Pets Charity explains: “Sadly, we are seeing the number of requests for intake increase, which has been most significant for dogs and small pet species (rabbits in particular).
“Unfortunately, we cannot always accommodate pets straight away, resulting in concern about how these pets are being rehomed instead. Online or private sales may be worse for pets’ welfare in the long-term, especially if they have significant medical or behavioural needs that go on untreated.
“On a more positive note, we at Woodgreen have seen demand for our outreach, behaviour advice and online workshops increase. Well over 200 people receive support each week, indicating that many owners are keen to work at keeping a pet.
“We’d encourage any owner experiencing problems with their pets to reach out as soon as possible for guidance, as many common issues can be improved in the home with trusted advice and support.”
Pet welfare expert at RSPCA, Dr Samantha Gaines, adds: “The relinquishment figures are very worrying but, sadly, not surprising as we are now starting to see an increase in requests for help and rehoming and particularly with rabbits.
“Bringing an animal home to join your family is a significant commitment and responsibility and the increase in ownership during the pandemic did cause concerns that some people may not have fully considered whether they would be able to properly care for them for the rest of their life.
“We understand that circumstances can change and, sometimes, this leaves families having to make the heart-breaking decision to give up their pets. However, we also know that animals are often signed over to charities, rehomed or even abandoned because people took on a pet without the necessary research or appreciation of the responsibility and commitment.
“Following the surge in pet acquisition during lockdown, with many people now returning to normal life, and with the cost of living rising at a shocking rate, at the RSPCA we fear this is just the start of a pet welfare crisis; and we’re worried that it’ll be charities like us that are left picking up the pieces.
“Pets are wonderful additions to the family, but it is a huge responsibility and people need to do their research. As we have highlighted in our research findings, the burden is too great for some people.
“To address this, the pet industry is working together to educate as many new owners and potential new owners as possible.”
Official figures reveal that council taxpayers in Edinburgh pay on average £587 a year less than they would in Tory-run England and £398 less than in Labour-run Wales.
Across Scotland, council tax payers get the best deal in Britain. The figures also demonstrate that the savings for Scottish council tax payers in comparison to what those in England and Wales will pay is going to be even greater next year.
The research shows that Band D council tax payers in Edinburgh pay £1,379 which is £587 less than the equivalent in England and £398 less than in Wales.
Council tax across Scotland is lower than in England – for 2022/23, the average Band D Council Tax bill in Scotland is £1347 compared to £1966 in England and £1777 in Wales.
For 2022/23, the average charge for all property bands, including E, F, G and H, is between £413 and £651 lower in Scotland than England.
The average council tax increase in Scotland for 2022/23 was 3.0%, compared with 3.5% in England and 2.7% in Wales.
Commenting, SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said: “Council taxpayers in Edinburgh are paying £587 less than they would in England. In fact, council taxpayers across Scotland get the best deal in Britain.
“On top of the £150 council tax rebate announced last month by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, this demonstrates that the Scottish Government is doing all it can within its restricted powers and resources to keep as much money as possible in the pockets of Scottish families.
“Council tax bills in Edinburgh are so substantially lower because the SNP has such a strong record of delivering the best value. For an entire decade the SNP Scottish Government froze the cost of council tax – despite Westminster continuing to slash the Scottish budget.
“The SNP Scottish Government is also rolling out a social security system based on fairness and respect. It has introduced the ‘game-changing’ Scottish Child Payment – which will deliver £25 per week per child for the lowest income families in Edinburgh – and we are increasing a range of Scottish social security benefits by six per cent.
“It is a glaring contrast with the Westminster Tory Government which, far from protecting hard-pressed families from the spiralling Tory cost of living crisis, it callously cut vital Universal Credit support by £20 a week for the poorest families.
“This is a real tale of two Governments and the people of Scotland will have the opportunity to send a message to Boris Johnson by rejecting the Tories in the local elections on May 5.”
‘A tale of two governments’?It’s worth pointing out that neither Boris Johnson nor Nicola Sturgeon will be standing in May’s LOCAL government elections. These elections are supposed to be about who runs our council services!
Edinburgh is currently under the control of an SNP – Labour ‘Capital Coalition’ partnership. Do you think Edinburgh taxpayers are really getting a ‘good deal’? – Ed. …
Local elections will be held across all 32 Scottish local authorities on 5th May. Just over 1,200 council seats will be determined.
Local government is a hugely significant part of the public service landscape in Scotland. Local government’s revenue settlement from the Scottish government in 2022/23 is almost £12bn, accounting for just shy of one third of the Scottish government’s total revenue spending.
Drawing on this settlement – plus resources from council tax, fees and charges – local authorities will manage and deliver social care services, pre-school and school education, and a raft of environmental, planning and cultural services.
In this context, it is perhaps surprising that turnout at local government elections is typically less than 50% (turnout in 2017 was 47%). Low turnout partly reflects a sense among the electorate that their vote makes relatively little difference to the delivery of public services, for two reasons.
First is a pervasive view that local authorities have relatively little power to influence service delivery in meaningful ways, regardless of the political control of the council, as local authorities are often perceived largely as delivery agents of the Scottish government.
Second is a set of issues around political accountability. The results of local government elections are often ambiguous – after the 2017 elections, no mainland council authority was controlled by a single party (moreover, it is not always the case that the largest party forms part of the governing coalition). On top of this, the profile of local politicians is often low. Recent research indicates that three quarters of people are not confident that they could name the leader of their council.
Data from the Scottish Household Survey – an annual survey of around 10,000 households – indicates that in 2019, fewer than a fifth of adults thought they could influence decisions affecting their local area.
At the same time, only just over one quarter actually wanted to be more involved in the decisions of their local council (Chart 1). The last decade has seen a persistent decline in the proportion of adults who want to be more involved in local democracy.
Chart 1:Percentage of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with various statements about local services.
Source: FAI analysis of Scottish Household Survey
The Covid pandemic may have raised the public’s awareness of local government and the breadth of activities it is responsible for. Local authorities were instrumental in delivering financial and other support during the pandemic – both to households and to businesses – supporting testing and tracing infrastructure, and ensuring the safe reopening of schools. It will be interesting to see whether this manifests in any increase in turnout in this year’s elections.
People have different views about how much we should care about the public’s relatively low interest in local government, and what we should do about it. For some, the answer is greater policy autonomy, both in general terms and in relation to local taxation in particular. For others, elected mayors (or provosts) would raise profile and accountability.
On the first of these issues, policy autonomy, there has been little progress during the past five years. In fact if anything, things are moving towards less not more local autonomy. Throughout the past five years the Scottish government has made increasing use of specific (ring-fenced grants). Meanwhile, the government’s plans to establish a new national social care agency – which have a number of well meaning justifications – have been referred to by Cosla as ‘a direct attack on localism and on the rights of people to make, and benefit from, decisions taken locally.
Local government funding, 2017/18 – 2022-23
One of the dominant issues going into the 2017 local government elections was the very constrained nature of the local government financial settlement over the past five years. Between 2013/14 and 2017/18, the core local government revenue settlement declined by £750 million in real terms according to SPICe which is equivalent to a 7% real terms reduction in its budget.
What’s happened to local government budgets during the past five years?
Unsurprisingly, local government budgets increased substantially during the pandemic. Local government General Revenue Grant increased by £2.4bn in 2020/21 to reach £9.3bn. The increase offsets the loss of around £1bn of non-domestic rates revenue as a result of pandemic-related tax reliefs, and also reflects increased grant to enable local authorities to play a critical role in delivering pandemic-related support to households, businesses, and the wider pandemic infrastructure (e.g. testing facilities).
The local government settlement in 2021/22 was not as high as in 2020/21, as the recovery began to take effect.
By 2022/23, core local government funding – including general revenue grant, NDR income and specific grants – is slightly lower in real terms than it was in 2017/18 (Chart 2). If we also include additional funding from the Scottish Government that is transferred into the local government settlement from other portfolios, then the story is that local government funding from the Scottish government is around 3.5% higher in 2022/23 than in 2017/18.
These additional revenues include £380m for health and social care integration and mental health, £234m to pay the living wage to social care staff, and £150m for additional teaching and support staff in schools. It does make sense to include these elements in the calculation. But even so, the 3.5% real terms funding increase has to be seen within the context of a significant increase in local government’s delivery responsibilities over the same period.
In other words, whilst the story of the past five years has not been one of funding cuts – at least as clearly as at the last election – local government’s funding settlement has nonetheless been very constrained.
Chart 2:Local government core funding from Scottish Government, real terms.
Source: For 2017/18 to 2021/22, Provisional Outturn and Budget Estimates (POBE); for 2022/23, Local Government Finance Circular 1/2022.
One result of this funding constraint is a further concentration of local government spending on education and social care. Between 2017/18 and 2021/22 (the latest year for which data is available), spending on education increased 6% in real terms, whilst for social work the increase was 5%. The flipside of this was a 9% real terms decline in local government spending on cultural services and an 8% decline in environmental services spending.
Despite these funding pressures, overall satisfaction with council services had held up reasonably well, at least until 2019 – the latest year for which we have comparable data (Chart 3). However, there was also some evidence of a decline in satisfaction with particular aspects of local government service delivery in 2017 and 2018. This coincides with a period when local government funding was cut particularly rapidly. It will be interesting to see how this trend is affected by the pandemic once data is available.
Chart 3:Percentage of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with various statements about local services.
Source: FAI analysis of Scottish Household Survey
Looking ahead
Local government will retain a critical role over the next five years in delivering key Scottish government priorities and commitments, particularly around childcare, educational attainment, and climate objectives (e.g. in relation to improvements to the housing stock and active travel plans). And clearly, major existing agendas such as health and social care integration and digitalisation of public services will remain high priorities.
Yet at the same time, it is hard to see an immediate reversal in the broad trend of funding constraint. The forthcoming Scottish government Spending Review, to be published in May, should shed further light on the funding outlook for 2023/24 and 2024/25.
In addition to consideration of the local government funding envelope in totality, local government will be interested to know more about the outlook for its core budget, relative to elements of the budget that are ringfenced in some way.
The government has committed to work with local authorities to produce a fiscal framework for local government this parliament. The expectation is that this might set out clearer criteria about when it is or isn’t appropriate for local government funding resources to be ringfenced. But the timescales for production of the review are not yet known.
A major area of uncertainty is what the future of social care will mean for local government.
The Scottish government has set out its intentions to establish a new National Care Service by 2026. There are a number of well-founded justifications for the proposed National Care Service, including parity with the NHS, stronger opportunities for staff retention, and consistency of service across the country.
But there is little clarity yet about what the reforms will mean for the role of local government in shaping local priorities. COSLA has accused the proposals as representing an attack on localism.
Another uncertainty is the prospects for local tax reform. The past five years have seen relatively little movement on this front. The government has introduced legislation to allow local authorities to introduce Workplace Parking Levies, although the practical advantage of this as a policy has been temporarily stymied by the pandemic.
Debates around the introduction of local powers over tourism levies is progressing slowly. On council tax, the SNP-Green Collaboration Agreement makes the case for a ‘fairer, more inclusive and fiscally sustainable form of local taxation’. It proposes a process of deliberative engagement and a citizens jury to consider reforms in further detail. Whether this process culminates in a more concrete political willingness to reform council tax than previous processes remains to be seen.
The past five years have seen no major revolutions of local government financing arrangements or public services delivery. But evolution continues at pace. Local government played a critical role in supporting the pandemic response, and continues to play an increasingly important role in delivering core Scottish government commitments in areas from child poverty and the cost of living crisis to climate change.
The next five years may see more substantive evolution in the role and responsibility of local government in Scotland. Whether this happens in a way that enhances, or further erodes, public engagement with local democracy remains to be seen.
The National Climate Campaign empowers underserved communities across Scotland with climate change knowledge
Dynamic Earth have delivered a packed programme of events and experiences exploring climate change including the delivery of STEM kits to a local children’s hospital, as part of a National Climate Campaign uniting Scotland’s Science Centres.
The kits, designed for young people, contain a variety of activities and experiments focusing on earth and environmental sciences, with connections to climate change and marine environments.
These boxes give young people the chance to explore connections between ocean depth and pressure, experience augmented reality colouring-in, build their own rope and more, bringing science directly to them wherever they are.
Alongside their STEM kit distribution, Dynamic Earth delivered a series of in-person events and digital programmes reaching over seven thousand people as part of a campaign, building on the legacy of COP26 alongside Scotland’s other science centres.
The centre has been running climate change workshops with community audiences and family learning activities with local primary schools, reaching groups including the Edinburgh Young Carers Project Care for Carers and the Citadel Youth Centre.
Brought together by Glasgow Science Centre, the centres have joined forces to inform, inspire and empower a diverse audience to tackle the climate crisis and ensure the discussion on climate change remains open.
Working together to further climate science education in their communities, the National Climate Campaign saw each centre deliver a coordinated and interactive campaign of over 89 events, reaching over 13,000 members of underserved and underrepresented audiences by the end of March 2022.
The programme strived to make science more relatable and helps learners build up their science skills to understand the world around them.
Elsewhere in Scotland, Glasgow Science Centre have been hosting weekly community visits and film screenings, shining a light on the importance of science in the community and engaging with groups who are unlikely to visit Glasgow Science Centre regularly and can be most affected by climate change and its effect on lifestyle.
In total Glasgow Science Centre have facilitated 16 community group visits this year to the Science Centre, including visitors from Glasgow Disability Alliance, Yorkhill Green Space and African Challenge Scotland.
They have engaged 374 people who may have not visited the centre before, while also offering 3,000 primary school pupils in remote, rural and deprived areas access to their online interactive ‘Learning Labs’.
A highlight from Aberdeen Science Centre’s 20-event programme was last month’s Supper and Science Evening, where families came together to cook an evening meal at Northfield Academy.
While the meal was cooking, Science Centre staff ran a series of climate-themed workshop activities, including one where they recreated an oil spill with feathers and soap, to give the children some hands-on climate science experience.
In Dundee, the team created 150 climate-themed community kits for young people, containing a mini solar-powered windmill as well as other items to show how earth and environmental sciences connect to climate change and marine environments, while also engaging over 1,000 primary school pupils in activities during COP26 Schools Week.
Eilidh Massie, Marketing Director at Dynamic Earth said: “It is so important for people to not only learn about our amazing planet, but also to understand that the Earth’s climate system is something we have taken for granted for too long.
“At Dynamic Earth we’re committed to reminding people, young and old, that we need to act now before the damage is irreversible.
“It has been a fantastic opportunity to work collectively with Scotland’s Science Centres as part of the National Climate Campaign to further these messages.”
Stephen Breslin, CEO of the Glasgow Science Centre said:“We set up the National Climate Campaign to ensure that there is a legacy of climate engagement left behind after COP26.
“We hope that by providing communities across Scotland with our knowledge and resources, we can act as a magnet for climate engagement and help empower young people to make considered decisions and learn what climate change means for them.”
Environment Minister, Mairi McAllan said: “Young people have been among the strongest voices calling for urgent global action to address climate change.
“This campaign will make sure that young people in communities across Scotland continue to play a key role in our journey to becoming a net zero nation, delivering a lasting legacy for COP26, and making their voices heard loud and clear.”
For more information on the National Climate Campaign and Scottish Science Centre’s climate change education programming visit:
Developer HUB and Bridges Fund Management (“Bridges”), a specialist sustainable and impact investor, have submitted plans for a residential-led development on Beaverhall Road.
The scheme will provide 205 Build to Rent homes, including 52 affordable homes, as well as creative workspace co-designed with locals and a new publicly accessible courtyard.
The proposals for Beaverhall Road will replace an existing warehouse building, with a contemporary scheme that maintains the site’s status as a hub for the local creative community, while bringing new homes to the area.
New public realm, Makers Yard, will sit at the heart of the scheme, acting as a focal point for both residents and commercial tenants, as well as neighbours. The scheme will also feature a large mural, displayed on one of the external walls.
As with all HUB and Bridges projects, people and planet are at the heart of the scheme. The new development makes efficient use of a brownfield city centre site and will deliver ‘tenure-blind’ homes for all ages, meaning all residents’ homes will be of the same high quality.
The plans exceed current Scottish sustainability regulations and include a communal air source heat pump to provide environmentally responsible heating for the entire building and a biodiverse green roof.
Designed by architects shedkm, the scheme has been developed in close collaboration with the local community and current businesses, with the ground floor creative workspace co-designed by the existing tenants.
Situated in Canonmills, the proposed development is within easy reach of the city centre, while benefiting from a sense of community created by the area’s existing amenities.
Situated within walking distance from both Stockbridge, close to the Royal Botanic Gardens, and Leith, which Time Out recently named one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, the HUB and Bridges scheme will allow residents to explore the best that the city has to offer.
Tom Valente, Development Manager at HUB, said: “We are hugely excited to have submitted plans for one of our first schemes in Edinburgh.
“We were struck by the vibrancy of the creative community in the area and knew immediately that we wanted to maintain that by placing studios and maker spaces at the heart of the development.
“The mix of Build to Rent and creative workspace is one that we know works fantastically well in terms of fostering a sense of community and making places where people choose to live.”
Eight boys have been charged in relation to the racial abuse and assault of two adults in the North West of Edinburgh.
The boys, aged between 12 and 15 years, were identified following an investigation into the incident which took place at Silverknowes Road on Saturday 5th March, and they have now been traced and reported.
Inspector Jonny Elliott of Drylaw Police Station said: “We are committed to an immediate and robust response when faced with antisocial behaviour. We will not tolerate this sort of behaviour and officers left no stone unturned to ensure a positive outcome.
“I’d like to thank the local community for their support during this enquiry.”
Hate crime can be reported to police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency. Find out more about hate crime and how to report it via the Police Scotland website:
An Edinburgh ambulance crew have been praised for saving the life of a man who had an allergic reaction to wheat after eating a Scottish morning roll while on holiday.
Terry and Elizabeth Hanson, of Blaydon, Tyne and Wear, have passed on their thanks to Scott Atkinson, Paramedic, and Andrew Innes, Technician, both of Edinburgh City Station.
The pair were on holiday and were walking in Newhailes around 2pm when Terry had a reaction to wheat, which quickly turned into anaphylaxis.
Terry, 71, said: “We were visiting friends. I had breakfast, and I foolishly had a Scottish morning roll, even though I knew I had an allergy to wheat flour.
“Everything was okay until I started walking and the times I’ve had anaphylaxis in the past, it’s always been associated with eating wheat flour and then exercising afterwards, so it was just totally the wrong thing to do.”
Elizabeth said: “I noticed he was very pale and just didn’t look right. He kind of staggered to a bridge. After a few minutes, he totally lost consciousness.”
She said a group of cyclists passing by stopped by; one called an ambulance and Elizabeth administered an EpiPen.
She explained: “The ambulance arrived very, very quickly and just in time to save my husband’s life. The two ambulance staff were accompanied by a university student who was observing and helping.”
She said they were “blue lighted” across Edinburgh by Scott and Andrew to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, adding: “My husband was seen immediately and stabilised. One of the ambulance staff found me in the waiting area and updated me with everything, even though it was extremely busy.
“Nursing staff also took the time to update me in the waiting area too.
“I am in no doubt that his life was saved by the swift actions of the ambulance staff and I would like to pass on our sincerest thanks and gratitude to them – I hope they realise how incredible they all are.
“The staff who attended to him were all very efficient and friendly. I feel he received the absolute best care that he could have possibly received.”
Following the incident on November 13, 2021, Terry was discharged at 3am the following morning.
He has now recovered at home and added: “I just want to say thanks very much to the ambulance crew for saving my life. I’m sure I would not have made it if not for them.”
Regional community leaders and volunteers are in line to win a security kit worth up to £200 for their organisation, thanks to an initiative called the ‘Secure Communities Scheme’ currently being run by security specialist Burg-Wächter UK.
It’s simple to apply to the scheme to nominate a particular project or initiative for a chance to win a bundle of Burg-Wächter security products.Any regional initiative that is run by or supports the local community can apply.
Burg-Wächter launched the scheme in recognition of the fact that people around the country who are doing their bit for their community should not have to worry about the security of their premises, equipment or storage areas. The company’s Secure Communities Scheme is its way of saying thank you to community leaders for supporting people in their area.
The type of project or organisation that the scheme is open to is very wide-ranging. It could be a scouts group; a local sports group like a cycling or football club; a school after-hours club; a hospital or healthcare community programme; a provider of events for children or OAPs; a facilitator of village activity; or a town/village charity.
As long as the initiative is run by or supports the local community, and it has a specific security need Burg-Wächter would like to hear about it. Successful applicants will each receive a tailored security kit to help secure property, premises, equipment or storage areas to the value of £150 – £200 at retail price.
The Secure Communities Scheme is an ongoing initiative, which has already helped 97 regional causes through the provision of over 2,000 pieces of security equipment. Burg-Wächter is helping regional community leaders and volunteers with security so that they can get on with being heroes for their local community.
To apply to the scheme and for details of the rules of entry head to:
Tax cut worth up to £1,000 for eligible businesses announced by the Chancellor at the Spring Statement takes effect today
Increase in Employment Allowance from £4,000 to £5,000 benefits around 495,000 businesses – 30% of all UK firms
Takes the total number of firms not paying the Health and Social Care Levy to 670,000
Nearly half a million UK businesses will benefit from a tax cut worth up to £1,000 from today (6 April 2022).
The Employment Allowance has risen from £4,000 to £5,000 – meaning smaller firms will be able to claim up to £5,000 off their employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) bills.
Announced by the Chancellor at last month’s Spring Statement to reduce employment costs, the change takes an extra 50,000 firms out of paying NICs and the Health and Social Care Levy. This increases the total number of businesses not paying NICs and the Levy to 670,000.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “This tax cut for half a million businesses will help them thrive and grow to help drive our economic recovery.
“It comes on top of a suite of wider tax cuts available to firms, including 50% business rates relief, a record fuel duty cut and the super-deduction, the largest two-year business tax cut in our history.”
This is the third time the government has increased the Employment Allowance since its introduction in 2014, demonstrating an enduring commitment to supporting smaller businesses. Firms will be able to employ four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying employer NICs at all.
94% of businesses benefitting from the £1,000 increase are small and micro businesses, and the sectors that will see the highest numbers of employers benefitting are the wholesale and retail sector (87,000); the professional, scientific and technical activities industry (63,000); and the construction sector (52,000).
Today’s Employment Allowance change is one of a number of measures on offer to spur business growth, including that:
Last week eligible high street businesses saw the start of a new 50% business rates relief worth almost £1.7 billion, subject to a £110,000 cash cap per business.
Businesses across the board are also benefitting from a freeze to the business rates multiplier, putting the brakes on bill increases and worth £4.6 billion over the next five years.
Businesses are already benefitting from our temporary twelve-month-long 5p cut to fuel duty.
Companies have one year left to make investments that benefit from the super-deduction, the largest two-year business tax cut in modern British history.
Our landmark Help to Grow programmes are supporting SMEs to adopt productivity enhancing software and to get mini-MBAs.
We will ensure that our tax regime for innovation is globally competitive and properly incentivises higher business investment in R&D, with further plans to be set out in the Autumn.
Michelle Ovens CBE, founder, Small Business Britain, said: “The Chancellor’s move to increase the employment allowance is welcome, and will certainty play a role in helping those businesses with employees deal with the huge cost-of-living challenges they are currently facing.
“In particular, it is good to see the immediacy of this rise in employment allowance, which will go towards helping businesses asap.”
Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: ““The increase in the Employment Allowance helps small firms do what they do best, creating and sustaining jobs.
“This was FSB’s ‘hero ask’ at the Spring Statement, and we have hugely valued the time taken by Treasury officials to work with us on the positive impact this will have not just on work opportunities, but also training and investment.
“The Chancellor has now raised the Allowance twice since his appointment, stepping up for small businesses.”
Lee Harris-Hamer, from White Horse cleaning services based in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, said: “As a growing company, we appreciate the opportunity to reduce our annual NI liability because this helps us to invest the savings in other areas like staff training and further growth.
“Staff are our key asset and we want to be able to continue recruiting and offering more employment opportunities locally. Government has supported us with the change and we are proud to be members of FSB who championed the increase.”
Jo Bevilacqua, owner of Serenity Loves hair and beauty salon, Peterborough: “This rise in the employment allowance offers welcome breathing space for my small business and others like us across the country.
“In an age where we are all facing increasing costs from all angles and every penny counts, this will help ease some pressure, allowing us to invest more in staff – whether it is increasing salaries or offering training.”
