Edinburgh drug dealer convicted

A man has been convicted for his involvement in drugs offences and serious and organised crime in Edinburgh.

Shaun McKinnon (35) pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday when he appeared alongside his co-accused Samantha McCafferty (35) who pled guilty at an earlier date.

It follows an intelligence-led operation targeting serious and organised crime and drug supply which involved months of investigation.

In July 2020, officers, acting under warrant, searched four addresses on Moredunvale Bank. A quantity of Heroin and Cocaine were seized from the properties, with a combined street value of £50,000.

Detective Inspector Bob Campbell said: “This case had a huge impact on the people of Moredun and the South of Edinburgh. These two ruled through fear and intimidation, thinking they were above the law.

Their arrests prove they are not untouchable and we welcome today’s conviction. “We are committed to disrupting the illegal and harmful supply of drugs in our communities. We will use every tool and tactic at our disposal to remove these illegal substances from our streets.

“We hope this sends a clear message to those involved in the supply of drugs that they can expect to be targeted by law enforcement. They certainly should not be making a profit off the misery and harm that drugs cause in our communities.

“If you have any information or concerns about drug misuse or wider criminality in your area, do not hesitate to contact us on 101 or report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where we will investigate thoroughly.”

Mitigating ‘vindictive Tory policies’ costs Edinburgh £57.3 million this year

Funds spent protecting Scots from Tories means less money available to fight cost of living crisis, says SNP

The SNP Scottish Government had to spend £57.3 million in Edinburgh to mitigate vindictive Tory UK Government policies in Scotland this financial year, meaning there is less money available to support hard-pressed Scots families through the deepening Tory cost of living crisis.

Across Scotland as a whole, the range of Scottish Government spending commitments to counter negligent Westminster policies is now an astronomical £594 million a year. And the figures do not include almost £3.5billion of social security benefits which, while devolved, are needed to support and supplement insufficient welfare benefits paid by the Tory UK Government.

The figures also do not include the £290m announcement by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes last week to give hard-pressed households £150 each.

SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald said: “To protect the people of Edinburgh, the SNP Government is having to commit an estimated £57.3 million – a substantial amount from its restricted budget – to mitigate vindictive and immoral Tory policies inflicted on our community.

“If these Tory policies – which bring misery to the country’s most vulnerable – did not exist, then it would free up Scottish Government cash to spend the equivalent of an extra £109 for every man, woman and child in Edinburgh to deal with the spiralling cost of living.

“Devolution was meant to provide Scotland with the opportunity to do things differently but, with Westminster holding the key economic levers like borrowing, the Scottish Government is severely constrained.

“That opportunity is even further restricted if it is continually having to commit eye-watering amounts simply to right the wrongs of the Tories’ underhand austerity agenda at Westminster which is targeted at ordinary people and families.

“It says something about their priorities that, while they cut funding to help ordinary people, they pursue a tax cut for banks that will benefit them by £4bn at the expense of public spending.

“Scotland’s opposition parties are constantly demanding the Scottish Government spends its limited budget on opposition priorities without ever identifying where the money is coming from. Well, this is many millions of pounds that could be diverted to these areas if it was not being used to protect Scots from the worst elements of Westminster control.

“And it’s not just the Tories to blame. Labour and the LibDems, through their support for Westminster control, perpetuate vindictive Tory governance on the people of Scotland. In 2014 those parties promised that Westminster would be better at tackling those problems for Scotland. The sad fact is that those promises of Westminster support were empty.

“Almost £600million is a vast amount. If the Tories at Westminster would only properly fund the areas in which the SNP Scottish Government must spend to mitigate and protect people, jobs and businesses, this cash could be redirected to make transformational changes in other areas of Scottish life.

“Sadly, the direction of travel of this Westminster Government means things will only get worse. It is why the people of Scotland will have the opportunity to choose a different path with a post-pandemic independence referendum once the crisis has passed.”

Scottish Government staff lacks diversity, report finds

A new report published by the Scottish Government shows that not enough is being done to recruit and retain ethnic minorities inGovernment.  

‘The Scottish Government’s ‘Race, Recruitment and Retention Action Plan: Equality Impact Assessment Results‘, highlights several disparities within government staffing such as:

• Falling short of the 5% of minority ethnic groups visible in the Scottish population 

• Highlighting an ethnicity pay gap 

• Revealing poorer appraisal markings for ethnic minorities compared to white colleagues

Commenting on the report, Lothian MSP Foysol Choudhury, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Culture, said: “These figures are very disappointing and shine a light on the inequalities that remain within employment practices, and in our society. It confirms that people of colour are treated less favourably, which has nothing to do with their skills or talent – it’s simply racist.

“We need to eradicate the culture of bullying, racism and discrimination and only then will we see a true representation of our population in the workplace. 

“Race has nothing to do with an employee’s talent. Every employee should be treated fairly based only on their abilities. Sometimes our personal biases and opinions of people, race or culture can deter our judgements, that’s why workplace managers need to be properly trained in both diversity and managing people well. 

“The results give a true reflection of diversity in the workplace and Holyrood is no exception. The number of BAME staff in Holyrood is very few and for them also to receive less favourable treatment is disappointing to say the least. 

“I strongly agree with the findings and recommendations the Scottish Government have laid out in its recruitment and retention plan. The government needs to be the leading force in promoting and accepting diversity in the workplace.  

“It should provide all staff with equal opportunities and ensure there is zero bullying and discrimination culture. The Scottish Government must take action now if they are to get anywhere near its 2025 ambition”.

scottish-government-race-recruitment-retention-action-plan-equality-impact-assessment-results-1Download

Healthy Tip: Getting Active

Regular physical activity is strongly associated with a reduced risk of chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as improving mental health. Even small increases in physical activity can positively impact on health. Heart Research UK have some tips to help you keep active. 

  • Avoid long periods of inactivity
    Set a timer to go off at specific times throughout the day to prompt you to do ten (or more) minutes of physical activity. Any activity is better than none. You can include a variety of light, moderate and vigorous activities. E.g. a brisk walk, sit-ups, weight-lifting, gardening or housework.
  • Reduce screen time for kids
    It is common for children and young people to spend too much time sitting in front of a screen. Why not talk to your children about the importance of staying active and agree on a set amount of screen time each day/week and schedule in some time for getting active.
  • Don’t be a couch potato
    Rather than spending your evenings sitting on the sofa without moving much, why not try a few gentle exercises, such as leg raises, while watching your favourite TV show. Try opening YouTube and searching for a quick 10- or 20-minute workout video.
  • Change your daily commute
    Now that many of us are heading back to the workplace, try not to jump straight for the car as the main choice of travel. If you do need to drive to work, then why not park a little further away once you arrive in order to get some valuable steps in.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/

Thorntons charity wills raise £46,000 for Cash for Kids

Leading Scottish law firm Thorntons has raised £46,000 for Cash for Kids thanks to its Charity Wills Campaign.

Taking place across its offices in Edinburgh, Fife, Dundee, Perth, Angus, and Glasgow, Thorntons’ Charity Wills Month supports local people and organisations within the communities in which it operates.

During the month-long campaign, the firm didn’t charge a fee for any Wills written, and instead asked clients to make an equivalent donation to Cash for Kids.

Morna Coutts – Wills, Trusts and Succession Planning Partner at Thorntons – said: “Our Charity Wills Campaign is now in its 25th year and it is great to see it continue to get support from the public as time goes on. It is fantastic to see the generosity of our clients. We are grateful to everyone who has supported this campaign.”

Donations from the Charity Wills Campaign all go to Cash for Kids in the Tay, Forth or Clyde area, whichever is closest to where the client lives, which means that children in their local area will benefit directly from the funding.

Richmond’s Hope, based in Niddrie, is a great local charity which has received help thanks to the funding from Cash for Kids. Here, they support kids aged between four and eight who have suffered bereavement and are struggling with this loss.

Thanks to Cash for Kids continued support, Richmond’s Hope are able to now fund memory boxes for children. This allows them to express their emotions in a creative way by decorating their boxes and putting items in them that will remind them of the loved ones they have lost.

Victoria Hendry, Radio Forth Cash for Kids Charity Manager said: “Yet again, we are blown away by the generosity of Thorntons and their clients. Each year their Wills Months campaign continues to support thousands of local children across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.

“2021 was a particularly difficult year for a lot of families, whether they were disadvantaged through poverty because of the pandemic, or children were facing barriers because of additional support needs.

“The funds raised from Thorntons’ Charity Wills Campaign has supported these families in more ways than you can ever imagine and for that I can’t say thank you enough.

“The ongoing support from Thorntons is so important to us here at Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids and we always look forward to working with the team. Here is to 2022 and having a further positive impact in our local community.”

Fort Kinnaird announces Thistle as new charity partner

Fort Kinnaird has announced Craigmillar-based Thistle as the latest charity partner to be supported by its on-site ‘Giving Box’.

Shoppers can visit the Giving Box, which is located outside Boots and Toni Macaroni, to use contactless payment to easily donate £3, £5 or £10 to the charity while at Fort Kinnaird.

Thistle provides support to local people who live with long-term health conditions, including long covid, or challenging life situations. Through one-to-one wellbeing coaching, group-based wellbeing courses and peer-led activities, Thistle supports people to live well and take back control of their lives.

The charity, which received over 450 new requests for support in 2021, also offers accessible physical activity support and wellbeing activities such as Tai Chi, inclusive cycling and walking groups.

Throughout 2021 Fort Kinnaird’s Giving Box raised funds for two other local charities, Niddrie-based Venchie Children & Young People’s Project, and Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids Christmas Mission.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Our relationship with the local community is extremely important to us, and teaming up with Thistle will mean we’re helping to improve the lives of some of those living closest to us.

“Our visitors are always very generous, and we’d like to say a huge thank you for their continued support. Their donations will be vital in ensuring the team at Thistle can continue with their brilliant work, helping those who need it most.”

Gail Begg, community and corporate partnerships lead at Thistle, said: “We’re so pleased to be Fort Kinnaird’s latest charity partner. Many of the people we support live and shop in the local area and it’s wonderful to be working together with a local business.

“As well as supporting people in-person at Thistle’s Centre of Wellbeing in Craigmillar, we’ve been providing remote support throughout the pandemic so that people who aren’t able to travel to us can still access support. The pandemic has been particularly challenging for people living with long term health conditions and disabilities, so our support has been – and continues to be – needed now more than ever.

“We rely heavily on funding and the money raised at Fort Kinnaird will help ensure we can continue to provide essential support and stop someone’s health crisis from becoming a life crisis.”

For more information about planning a trip to Fort Kinnaird, please visit:

www.fortkinnaird.com.

Edinburgh to ask for new powers to control short term lets

Councillors will be asked to approve a proposal to designate the City of Edinburgh Council area as a short term let (STL) control area at the Planning Committee next week (February 23).

The proposal follows a consultation with the public as well as industry bodies and if Committee agree it means the local authority will submit a request to the Scottish Government requesting that the new powers are implemented in the whole of the Edinburgh area.

If Government agrees with this approach, and the new legislation is implemented in the city, it would require residential property owners wholly letting a property which is not their principle home as an STL in the local authority area, to apply for a ‘change of use’ to a STL from Planning.

The majority of all respondents in the consultation were in favour of this approach (88%) supporting the principle of the designation of a STL control area and for the entire area to be included (85%).

Around a third of STLs in Scotland are in Edinburgh.  At the moment, in addition to planning applications made for STLs, to establish whether or not planning permission is required for properties where this is disputed, the Council’s enforcement team looks at each case individually, which is a very lengthy and time consuming process.

The introduction of powers to make a control area follows the Council calling for new legislation to tighten up the control of STLs to help manage high concentrations of secondary letting where it affects the availability of residential housing or the character of a neighbourhood.

Also, it will help to restrict or prevent STLs in places or types of buildings where they are not appropriate as well as making sure homes are used to best effect in their areas.

Generally renting out a room/s in your house or letting your property whilst on holiday would also still be allowed if Edinburgh became a STL control area.

The Scottish Parliament has approved legislation which will introduce a new licensing scheme, which the Council also called for, which will come into effect later this year. It will address the issues of safety, anti-social behaviour and noise. These issues have all had a detrimental effect on communities as the number of STLs has greatly increased across the city in recent years.

Councillor Neil Gardiner Planning Convener said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took part in our consultation. We worked hard calling for new legislation to help us have greater controls over STLs as we know they are an issue for many of our residents across the city. So it was great to see so many people from all different neighbourhoods taking part.

“This report highlights the growing pressures of the STL commercial market, which requires a cross-city approach to regulations. With high concentrations in central areas, there are commercial STLs in every council ward in this city.

“In some areas STLs have hollowed out communities, put more pressure on the housing market causing prices to rise, and created other issues such as anti-social behaviour and noise.”

Councillor Maureen Child Planning Vice-Convener said: “I’m delighted we’ve now got to a stage of this legislation potentially being implemented.

“If approved by committee and government, these new powers for Edinburgh will greatly complement the new licensing legislation just announced, which we also called for, as you’ll need evidence you have the right planning consent in place for your property as part of the criteria when obtaining a licence.”

Findowie Farmhouse Chilli becomes latest Scottish supplier to stock Scotmid shelves in Edinburgh

A Dunkeld-based deer farm is celebrating after winning a competition to have its Venison Chilli ready meal made available for customers at 30 Scotmid stores across Scotland from Wednesday, 16th February.

Family run Findowie Farmhouse was one of five Scottish businesses to win the Scotmid Scottish Favourites competition, which was launched during Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight in September last year. The competition was created by the convenience retailer to champion local producers and further demonstrate Scotmid’s commitment to Scottish sourcing.

This promotional listing, which will run for three weeks, will help the business to extend its reach and brand awareness throughout the country. The move reflects the retailer’s ongoing ambition to helping small businesses thrive and grow. 

John Buttar, Foodservice & Wholesale Manager at Findowie Farmhouse, said: “The promotional listing with Scotmid has supported us in so many ways, not least through the opportunity to sell our product to customers directly in store. 

“The Findowie Farmhouse brand was launched with the intention of sharing the family’s beloved venison recipes. We value Scotmid’s commitment to supporting independent retailers like us. We are proud to be showcasing top-quality Scottish venison in our Findowie Farmhouse products.”

Scotmid and Scotland Food & Drink received more than 50 entries from local businesses, which were each judged by a panel of experts.

Kirsty George, Head of Local Sourcing at Scotmid, said: “We are always looking for new ways to diversify and grow our Scottish product portfolio and we were absolutely thrilled with the high quality of entries that we have received for the Scottish Favourites competition.

“Scotland truly has some of the best food and drink in the world and the calibre of local producers is continuing to grow year on year. A massive congratulations to Findowie Farmhouse. We can’t wait to see the reaction from our customers with this delicious, locally produced product.”

Findowie Farmhouse is a family owned and operated venison farm located in Dunkeld, Perthshire, where they manufacture premium Scottish ready meals from their top quality farmed Scottish venison. The family is committed to sourcing their potatoes, vegetables and other accompanying ingredients wherever possible, from trusted local suppliers.

The full list of stores Findowie Farmhouse Venison Chilli will run in:

  • Broxburn
  • Laurencekirk
  • Uddingston
  • Portobello
  • Leven Street
  • Inverbervie
  • Easter Road
  • Coupar Angus
  • Drumnadrochit
  • South Queensferry
  • Armadale
  • West Calder
  • Stockbridge
  • Hunterfield
  • Balerno
  • Hamilton Place
  • St Margarets
  • Mayfield
  • Clarkston
  • Barnton – Alldays
  • Fauldhouse
  • Sighthill
  • Gorgie Road
  • Drumbrae
  • Prestonpans High Street
  • East Calder
  • Warrender Park
  • Blackburn
  • Crewe Road

Scottish donations support bombed Gaza bookshop reopening

More than 150,000 books donated by the UK (including 29,000 collected in Scotland) are now on the shelves of the newly rebuilt Samir Mansour Bookshop in Gaza City, with doors set to reopen today (17 February).

29,000 books were collected from the donation hub in Glasgow which, with the help of 100+ volunteers, co-ordinated donations from across Scotland.

The epic operation of co-ordinating UK collections, processing the books and then transporting them to Gaza City was fully managed by circular economy bookseller, AwesomeBooks, who also donated 25,000 books to the appeal.

Shumyla Haseeb who managed the Scottish effort for the Books For Gaza Project said: “In Scotland we had an overwhelming, rocketing response and an amazing team of people who knuckled down through the laborious task of organising the countrywide book haul.

“It has been an exciting and memorable journey, everyone’s generosity was immeasurable and we hope to show the people of Gaza that we are always with them.”

  • The Samir Mansour Bookshop was destroyed during the Gaza Conflict in May 2021
  • The new bookshop – which is three times larger – opens its doors today
  • Circular economy bookseller, AwesomeBooks donated 25,000 books to the appeal
  • More than 150,000 UK book donations are on the shelves in an epic effort coordinated by Oxfordshire-based, AwesomeBooks
  • Including 29,000 collected from the book donation hub in Glasgow which, with the help of 100+ volunteers, co-ordinated donations from across Scotland

More than 150,000 books donated by the UK are now on the shelves of the newly rebuilt Samir Mansour Bookshop, with doors set to reopen on Thursday 17 February.

The epic operation of co-ordinating collections, processing the books and then transporting them to Gaza City was fully managed by circular economy bookseller, AwesomeBooks.

Samir Mansour, Bookshop Founder, said: “I would like to thank all the people who stood by me and helped me get back on my feet. Today I am opening a better bookstore than before, thanks to their efforts.

“It was a huge shock to me when the library was destroyed, but today I feel so happy that the world stood by me and I am in a position to reopen the bookstore. It’s shown me that there’s something worth living this life for.

“I was initially afraid that the books would not arrive in time, but when the first batch arrived without any problems it gave me hope that everything would be fine.

“It was a very nice feeling when I saw the books in front of me. Today I thank everyone for their moral and material support. I salute the United Kingdom and all people around the world.“

After airstrikes destroyed the cultural hub during an 11-day conflict in May 2021, there was an outpouring of support with many offering to help the bookseller replace lost stock.

With UK businesses, charities and publishers pledging vast quantities of books, AwesomeBooks supported this unprecedented effort with an offer to organise the mammoth logistical task of the donation process.

AwesomeBooks, one of the UK’s biggest online new and used book retailers, has a unique circular business model of sustainable bookselling centred around reuse, which means that no book is ever thrown away.

The company collects books destined for landfill and repurposes high quality copies by reselling them or donating them, to improve access to books and promote literacy.

Any badly damaged books re-enter the circular economy as paper products which can be used to manufacture new books or packaging. By working more sustainably and supporting charities around the world, AwesomeBooks is committed to making an impact with every book.

Working with Mahvish Rukhsana, a human rights lawyer and one of the organisers of the appeal, over the past nine months AwesomeBooks has coordinated donation hubs set up across the UK – collecting books and bringing them back to their Wallingford warehouse to be sorted, catalogued and stored, before being shipped to Gaza City.

The final shipping containers have just arrived, and now more than 150,000 books – including 25,000 donated by AwesomeBooks – are safely on the shelves of the new bookshop in Gaza City, which is three times larger than the destroyed store and just 100m from the site of the bombed site, ready for its triumphant reopening on Thursday 17 February.

A person standing in a library Description automatically generated with low confidence

Click here to view a video of books arriving at the new Samir Mansour Bookshop

Sannah Maan, Head of Impact at AwesomeBooks said: “The destruction of Samir Mansour’s bookshop touched everyone around the world and in the UK we rallied together to show our support.

“Here at AwesomeBooks, improving literacy and access to books is central to how we operate as a business, in fact, it is the reason many of us work here. Upon hearing the news we knew we had to help. 

“When I contacted the fundraising team in May 2021, it became apparent that their biggest challenge was coordinating the collection of donations, storing, organising, cataloguing and preparing the stock for shipment and delivery into Gaza.

“We are thrilled to have supported the journey of over 150,000 books from the UK. Each and every individual who took part in this effort across the UK can be proud of their actions, they have made an impact with every book sent to Gaza.”

Mahvish Rukhsana, working at 3DC in London and organiser of the Samir Mansour Bookshop appeal, said: “The success of this project is a testament to the good in humanity. In the face of incredible adversity, thousands of people — the world over — came together in support and solidarity with the people of Gaza.

“Today, we are thrilled to celebrate the reopening of this beautiful new facility. Triple the size, rebuilt with so much love.”

Shumyla Haseeb who managed the Scottish effort for the Books For Gaza Project said: “In Scotland we had an overwhelming, rocketing response and an amazing team of people who knuckled down through the laborious task of organising the countrywide book haul.

“It has been an exciting and memorable journey, everyone’s generosity was immeasurable and we hope to show the people of Gaza that we are always with them.”

CEO and co-founder of AwesomeBooks, Taskeen Ahmed said: “At Awesome Books, we are driven by our mission to make an impact with every single book. Our circular model is centred around reuse to reduce waste, lessen the environmental impact of book production and to promote literacy.

“Since our launch in 2003 we have made book donations to charities across the world and upon hearing about the loss of the Samir Mansour Bookshop, we felt compelled to help.

“With a dedicated warehouse and book collection capabilities already in place, AwesomeBooks was perfectly positioned to manage the thousands of book donations from people and businesses from all over the UK, and I’m delighted to see the bookshop is now in a position to reopen.”

AwesomeBooks is committed to making a positive impact with every book sold and has donated over 1 million books to literacy projects around the world.