Girls from eleven Edinburgh and East Lothian schools are battling it out with rivals from across Scotland in a contest to prove they can be the next stars of the investment industry.
The students are among over 70 teams from 48 schools taking part in the Growing Future Assets Competition, designed to nurture a future generation of female investment experts.
The contest, which aims to introduce senior girls to the world of investment and its range of careers, sees the teenagers vying to spot the next big investment opportunity. And it has ignited fierce competition this year with entries up by 300%.
Those taking part include teams from: Balerno Community, Craigmount, Craigroyston Community, Holy Rood RC and Forrester High Schools plus independent schools George Heriots, George Watson’s College, Edinburgh and Loretto School in Musselburgh; Knox Academy, Haddington and North Berwick and Preston Lodge High Schools in East Lothian.
The soaring popularity of the contest is down to the enthusiasm of the teenagers, willingness of teachers to embrace extra-curricular activities and outstanding support from investment management professionals who are helping to mentor the schoolgirls.
Financial educators Future Asset are challenging a total of 320 girls, divided into teams of 13-18-year-olds to research, analyse and pitch a company they think will be a great long-term investment.
The youngsters are paired with a mentor from an investment company to provide advice, inspiration and career insights and have the chance to attend online masterclasses as they develop an understanding that good investing focuses on a company’s long-term prospects, profits and sustainability.
This year more than 80 investment mentors from 28 firms have stepped up to counsel the young women.
Ashley-Jane Kyle, CFA, Investment Analyst at Walter Scott & Partners Limited and Investment Mentor for the competition says:“Not only have I thoroughly enjoyed being an Investment Mentor as part of the competition, but I have also been so impressed with the students’ enthusiasm and effort put in to their investment reports and pitches.
“I think this is a great way to break the barrier that often puts girls off from considering investment management as a career as it allows them to experience in quite a real way what it’s like to research and invest in businesses. It also gives them an opportunity to develop valuable skills which they will be able to use throughout their careers.”
Experts from journalism and business are also advising the teenagers: Executive and Voice Coach Susan Room is helping to boost their skills and confidence with online masterclasses in Mindset, Body Language, Speech and Voice, while author, broadcaster and financial journalist Iona Bain, who launched the contest in September, is on hand to explain how they can invest their way to a better future.
Now in its third year, the competition features a senior contest for years S5 and S6 and a junior challenge for S3 and S4. The teams of three to six girls will present their case in a research report and three-minute elevator pitch by November 30. The top teams will then deliver an extended pitch to judges at the final in March next year.
At stake is: £1000 for the winning senior school and £200-worth of vouchers of the students’ choice for each team member; £800 for the best junior school and £150-worth of vouchers each. Senior and junior runners-up receive £500 and £100 of vouchers and £400 and £75 of vouchers, respectively.
Helen Bradley, Future Asset programme manager, says: “We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm shown by the schools, the teachers and all the investment experts who have come forward to mentor the teams.
“We weren’t sure what the response would be from schools then at the beginning of September, when the competition launched, we just watched in amazement at the huge influx of registrations. We put out a call for additional mentors and that was answered enthusiastically by experts already in the industry.
“We’re also hugely impressed by the commitment shown by teachers who have really responded to this extra-curricular opportunity for their students – especially when they have already faced such a difficult period and increase in their own workload over the last 18 months.”
Future Asset believes that being female should never be seen as a barrier to progressing in a chosen career.
Their goal is to enable girls in the senior phase of high school to learn how investment can change the world for the better, gain valuable, transferable skills and consider the benefits of possible future careers.
They organise conferences and workshops for girls across Scotland.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement to the House of Commons on COP26
Mr Speaker before I begin today’s statement I would like to say a few words about the abhorrent attack that took place yesterday morning outside the Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
On behalf of the whole House I want to pay tribute to the swift and professional response by the extraordinary men and women of the emergency services, who once again showed themselves to be the very best among us.
The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has today raised the nationwide threat level from substantial to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. The police are keeping both myself and the Home Secretary informed on developments and we will of course in turn keep the House updated on the investigation as it continues.
And now Mr Speaker with your permission I should like to make a statement on the United Nations Climate Change Conference better known as COP26 which took place in the magnificent city of Glasgow over the past two weeks.
It was the biggest political gathering of any kind ever held in the United Kingdom. 194 countries were represented.
We had around 120 heads of state or government. 38,000 accredited delegates. And there were countless tens of thousands more in the streets and parks and venues outside. It was a summit that many people predicted would fail.
A summit that I fear some quietly wanted to fail. Yet it was a summit that proved the doubters and the cynics wrong. Because COP26 did not just succeed in keeping 1.5 alive. It succeeded in doing something no UN climate conference has ever done before by uniting the world in calling time on coal. In 25 previous COPs, all the way back to Berlin in 1995, not one delivered a mandate to remove so much as a single lump of coal from one power station boiler.
For decades, tackling the single biggest cause of carbon emissions proved as challenging as eating the proverbial elephant. It was just so big that no one knew quite where to start. But in Glasgow, Mr Speaker, we took the first bite.
Because we have secured a global commitment to phasing down coal – and as John Kerry has pointed out, you can’t phase out coal without first phasing it down as we transition to other, cleaner energy sources – and we have, for the first time, a worldwide recognition that we’ll not get climate change under control as long as our power stations are consuming vast quantities of the sedimentary super-polluter that is coal.
That alone is a great achievement, but we haven’t just signalled the beginning of the end for coal. We’ve ticked our boxes on cars, cash and trees as well. The companies that build a quarter of the world’s automobiles have agreed to stop building carbon emission vehicles by 2035 – and cities from Sao Paulo to Seattle have pledged to ban them from their streets.
We’ve pioneered a whole new model, an intellectual breakthrough, that sees billions in climate finance, development bank investment and so forth being used to trigger trillions from the private sector to drive the big decarbonisation programmes in countries like South Africa.
And we’ve done something that absolutely none of the commentators saw coming by building a coalition of more than 130 countries to protect up to 90 per cent of our forests, those great natural soakers of carbon. Mr Speaker none of this was a happy accident or inevitability.
The fact that we were there at all, in the face of a global pandemic, is in itself the result of a vast and complex effort involving countless moving parts. Right until the very end there was a very real prospect that no agreement would be reached.
And what has been achieved has only come about thanks to month after month of concerted British diplomacy, the countless meetings, the innumerable phone calls. The banging of heads at UNGA, at the Petersberg Dialogue, at President Biden’s climate summit, the Security Council, the G7, the G20. And the setting of an example, several examples by the UK.
Because again and again the task of our negotiators was made easier by the fact that the UK wasn’t asking anyone to do anything we’re not doing ourselves. We’ve slashed our use of coal so much that our last two coal-fired power stations will go offline for good in 2024. We’ve more than doubled our climate finance, providing vital support for poor and vulnerable nations around the world.
We’ve made a legally binding commitment to reach net zero, the first of the major economies to do so. We’ve set a date at which hydrocarbon internal combustion engines will reach the end of the road. And we’ve shown the world that it’s possible to grow your economy while cutting carbon – creating markets for clean technology and delivering new green jobs that reduce emissions and increase prosperity.
Every one of those achievements was not just great news for our country and our planet but another arrow in the quiver of our fantastic team in Glasgow. A team led by COP president the Rt Hon Member for Reading West. From the moment he picked up the COP reins he has been absolutely tireless in his efforts to secure the change that we need. And while I’m pretty sure that what he really needs right now is a well-deserved break
I don’t think any of us here will be able to hold him back as he sets off pushing countries to go further still and making sure the promises made in Glasgow are delivered not diluted. But success has many parents and I want to say a huge thank you to the officials in our own COP unit, in Downing Street and across government in embassies around the world, and at the United Nations who pulled out all the stops to make the event work and shepherd through the agreements that have been reached.
I also want to thank everyone on the ground at the SEC in Glasgow – security, catering, transport, the relentlessly cheery volunteers, the police from across the country who kept us safe from harm, the public health authorities who kept us safe from Covid – and everyone in the Scottish Government.
And above all I want to say thank you to the people of Glasgow, who had to put up with so much disruption in their city and welcomed the world all the same. I say to the people of Glasgow – we couldn’t have done it without you.
Is there still more to do? Of course there is. I am not for one moment suggesting we can safely close the book on climate change.
In fact I can think of nothing more dangerous than patting ourselves on the back and telling ourselves that the job is done. Because this job will not be complete until the whole world has not only set off to reach net zero but arrived at the destination.
A goal that, even with the best of intentions from all actors, cannot be achieved overnight. While COP26 has filled me with optimism about our ability to get there I cannot now claim to be certain that we will, because we have seen countries that really should know better dragging their heels on their Paris commitments.
But if, and it is still an if, they make good on their pledges, then I believe Glasgow will be remembered as the place where we secured an historic agreement and the world began to turn the tide.
Before Paris we were on course for four degrees of warming. After Paris that number fell to a still catastrophically dangerous three. This afternoon, after Glasgow it stands close to two. Still too high, the numbers are still too hot, but closer than we have ever been to the relative safety of 1.5, and with an all-new roadmap that will lead us there.
Aristotle taught us that virtue comes not from reasoning and instruction but from habit and practice. And so the success of the Glasgow Climate Pact lies not just in the promises but in the move that the whole world has now made from setting abstract targets to adopting the nuts and bolts programme of work to meet those targets and to reduce CO2 emissions.
We are now talking about the how rather than the what and getting into a habit of cutting CO2 that is catching on not just with governments but with businesses and with billions of people around the world.
It is for that reason that I believe COP26 has been a success and 1.5 is still alive.
That is something in which every person in our United Kingdom can and should take pride, and I commend this statement to the House.
Funding of £7 million will improve GP surgeries, expanding the level of care to patients across Scotland.
Vacant high street units will be taken over by Integration Authorities to expand the primary care estate, with the funding also used to support GP practices, including digitising records to free up more space.
The Scottish Government has set aside £5 million from the Primary Care Fund in 2021/22 to make improvements to existing GP premises. An additional £2 million will obtain new sites to accommodate multi-disciplinary teams including those administering vaccines, mental health nurses and audiology specialists.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “GP surgeries provide a wide range of services, supporting both the physical and mental health of patients. So it’s vital they get the space they need to allow primary care multi-disciplinary teams to do their jobs.
“As we recover from the most challenging time in NHS history, our work is not only about providing access to services, but ensuring those services are high quality and inclusive for all of our communities. This funding will give GP practices the space they need to serve patients in the safest and most effective way.”
The £5 million from the Primary Care Fund will cover:
Premises Improvement Grants to GP contractors who own or lease from private landlords
digitisation of paper GP records to release space
improved ventilation
increased space in NHS-owned or leased premises to support multi-disciplinary teams
The Scottish Government will monitor how Health Boards spend the further £2 million to acquire vacant high street units to inform how the £10 billion available for capital investment in healthcare supports primary care.
Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have been interviewing people across the region to try to crack the puzzle of why some people recycle and others don’t.
The experts carried out 18 in-depth interviews with people living in Northern Ireland during Autumn 2019.
The findings suggest that some of the reasons that people aren’t recycling plastics are being so busy they don’t get round to recycling, they aren’t clear on what can be recycled, and they can’t see the impact that their recycling could have on the environment.
The study was part of a larger interdisciplinary grant ‘Advancing Creative Circular Economies for Plastics via Technological-Social Transitions (ACCEPT Transitions)’ led by Professor David Rooney from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s. The researchers are also involved in the ‘Clear on Plastics’ campaign, which is being run by the sustainability not-for-profit organisation WRAP.
Dr Emma Berry from the School of Psychology at Queen’s co-led the project alongside Professor Martin Dempster and Dr Debbie Roy. She explains: “In Northern Ireland, people recycle twice as much as they did 15 years ago and 10 per cent of this is plastic.
“For many people, recycling has become part of their everyday routine – we have the bins and collection service, so it’s much easier to do now. Most of us also know its ‘good’ for the environment, so we try to follow the guidelines on putting recyclable products in the right bins. However, while most people recycle, some households do not, so it’s important to understand why this might be.”
Following the research, the experts say there are three common barriers to recycling in Northern Ireland. Firstly, some people felt that with such busy lifestyles, family life, and competing priorities, recycling was often simply at the bottom of the daily agenda – it did not feature in their long list of important day-to-day tasks.
Secondly, people felt that with the enormous range of products and materials available in shops, it can also be tricky to know which products can be recycled and in which bin. Likewise, it is not always clear how to recycle some products if they are made up of multiple materials, such as a cardboard sleeve on a plastic yogurt pot, which need to be separated.
The final common barrier reported was that individuals feel that it’s often difficult to see the impact that small actions such as recycling at home or while out and about, can have on the environment, making small efforts feel pointless.
Dr Bronagh Millar from the Polymer Processing Centre at Queen’s was also involved in the project. She says: “Based on our findings, it’s understandable why many people find recycling baffling. The good news is that recycling does not have to be difficult and time consuming and small efforts do make a difference to our local environment and society.
“Taking small actions like recycling at home, not only helps reduce the amount of waste in local landfill and which gets washed up on beaches, but it is also helping our local economy because recycling supports the generation of local industries and jobs. Old and used packaging isn’t waste, it’s material that can be reformed and used to make more of the same packaging or something different.”
An interesting example of this is Cherry Pipes – a company that manufactures the land drainage pipes that are found in new housing developments, road construction, sports stadia and beyond all made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.
Recycling at home supports this business and the jobs created there and it will also continue to support economic growth as new businesses are formed and flourish in the sector.
Dr Millar adds: “Recycling at home is the best place to start and it’s where most waste comes from – in fact almost 90 per cent of all waste collected in 2019/2020 came from households!
“It’s easy to think that as one individual or family, your recycling won’t make a difference when you feel like loads of other people and companies are not recycling. But if every individual household just increased its recycling even a little bit, it would make a huge difference over time.”
Expert tips to make recycling easier at home:
Place a second bin or a ‘bag for life’ beside your general waste bin (this not only makes recycling easier, but it helps remind you/others in your household to recycle).
Use visual and automatic reminders to give you a nudge to recycle e.g., daily/weekly phone reminders and post-its/signs on or around your indoor bins.
Likewise, create visual reminders of what goes where (visit www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling to find out what you can recycle in your area, or check out your local authority website.
When you aren’t sure about whether certain packages can be recycled, look for the on-pack recycling label which is usually on the bottom or sides of packages and tells us what plastics most local authorities accept. As a rule of thumb, tins/cans, cardboard, and most hard plastics can be recycled.
Dress for the weather by wearing reflective or bright-coloured clothing so other road users can see you when it’s dark or visibility is poor
If you are walking home late at night, make sure someone knows where you’re going and when
Vehicles can take up to ten times longer to stop on slippery road surfaces so take extra care crossing the road
Stick to pedestrian crossings
If there are no crossings nearby, find a place with a clear view and wait for long gaps in the traffic before crossing the road
Don’t cross the road between parked vehicles, unless it can’t be avoided then take extra care (look out for vehicles that suddenly pull out or reverse)
Never cross the road behind a bus
If there is no pavement, keep to the right hand side of the road so you can see traffic coming towards you.
Advice for cyclists
Advice to consider if you are cycling during winter:
Make sure your bike can be seen by people on the road
Use a good set of front and rear lights (white at the front, red at the back)
Wear clothes that help you be seen on your bike, such as bright and light reflective items
Pay attention to road signs, markings and particularly red lights
Do not cycle on the pavements, they may be slippery and can also endanger pedestrians
Be mindful of the effects poor weather can have on other road users
Make sure you know about the dangers around you
Cars can take twice as long to stop in wet weather
Braking can be unpredictable in ice and snow.
Advice for drivers
Advice for drivers during winter:
Make sure your car is ready for winter
Check that your tyres, brakes, windscreens, wiper blades and windows are free from defects and clean
Drive to the road conditions. Road conditions can change without warning, stopping distances will be affected by the weather
Make sure your windows are clean and aren’t misted up
Make sure there is no snow and ice on your windows before you drive
When the roads are icy, drive at a slow speed in a high gear
Accelerate and brake very gently
Driving distracted (for example, using a Sat Nav) can cause additional stress. It is dangerous to yourself, passengers and other road users.
Wednesday 17 November, 9.30am to 1pm (online event)
We’re delighted to present 3 great keynote speakers at our 2021 Conference + AGM:
· Dona Milne (Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian): Public Health & Health Inequalities
· Daisy Narayanan (Senior Manager, City of Edinburgh Council): 20 minute neighbourhoods and living well locally
· Paul Wilson (Chief Executive, Volunteer Edinburgh): The impact of COVID-19 and the future of volunteering
There will also be a selection of breakout group discussions focused on the communities mental health funding; a new climate initiative for Edinburgh; the children, young people & families taskforce and a strategic refresh for EVOC.
Health and Social Care Secretary accepts independent advice to extend booster programme to people aged 40 and over, and offer a second dose to people aged 16 – 17.
Scotland will follow suit
The UK Government has accepted updated JCVI advice on COVID-19 vaccination programme. Scotland will also ‘follow the science’.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Our coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination roll-out has been a phenomenal success, saving countless lives, reducing pressure on the NHS and helping us stop the spread of the virus.
“All 4 parts of the UK intend to follow the JCVI’s advice.
“I have asked the NHS to prepare to offer those eligible a vaccine as soon as possible.
“We know immunity to COVID-19 begins to wane after 6 months and new data published today shows a third dose boosts protection against symptomatic infection to more than 90% – this highlights just how important it is that everyone eligible gets their top-up jabs as soon as possible.
“The JCVI will keep under review whether the booster programme should be extended to all people under the age of 40 and I look forward to receiving their advice in due course.
“This is a national mission – the vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones, and I urge everybody to get your jabs as soon as you can.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will address the Scottish Parliament tomorrow.
45 police forces launch Op Drive Insured on 15-21 November, in a national week of increased roads policing activity to seize uninsured vehicles and protect road users.
Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is injured by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver. Over 26,000 victims were supported by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) in 2020.
Drivers can check their vehicle appears insured on police systems for free at www.askmid.com
On 15-21 November 2021, all 45 UK police forces will execute Op Drive Insured in a national effort to reduce uninsured driving levels and protect road users.
The week-long campaign which has been developed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) and NPCC’s National Roads Policing Operations, Intelligence and Investigations (NRPOII), will see an increase in roads policing activity to detect and seize uninsured vehicles.
MIB which is a not-for-profit organisation that compensates victims of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers, supported over 26,000 injured victims in 2020 – equating to one injury every 20 minutes.
In addition to causing more collisions, MIB records show uninsured drivers often commit wider road crime ranging from ‘hit and runs’, using a stolen vehicle and drink driving.
Ben Fletcher, Chief Customer Officer at MIB, said: “Put simply, uninsured motorists are very dangerous. They cause a worryingly high level of collisions and are frequently involved in wider crime.
“By using MIB’s Motor Insurance Database police can easily see if a vehicle appears to have no insurance and will take swift action to remove the threat. Op Drive Insured serves as an important reminder that no one is above the law and illegal motorists will be caught.”
Jo Shiner, Chief Constable at Sussex Police and NPCC Lead for Roads Policing, said: “Police officers take action against the users of uninsured vehicles every day, this national week of action really highlights how we work with all of our partners to take these vehicles off the road and prosecute offenders.
“We know those who are unwilling to insure their vehicles present more risk to other road users than those who do insure their vehicles.
“We have sophisticated systems to help identify offenders and we will use all of our powers to take appropriate action against offenders and make our roads safer.”
Uninsured driving is a problem that exists across all corners of the UK, with the worst-affected areas found in Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester and Greater London.
MIB which is funded by insurers and ultimately their honest premium-paying customers, requires around £400 million each year to compensate victims and help them rebuild their lives.
Furthermore, using government figures on the average value of prevention, MIB estimates that collisions caused by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers could cost the economy nearly £2 billion a year in emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and property damage.
During the week of action, Police Officers will access MIB’s Motor Insurance Database (MID) – a central record of live UK motor insurance policies – to see if motorists’ licence plates show their vehicle as insured.
If the validity of insurance is disputed by the driver, MIB will liaise in real-time with the insurer in question to confirm if the vehicle has valid insurance.
Uninsured drivers will likely have their vehicle seized (and potentially crushed), receive a £300 fixed penalty notice and six licence points. Furthermore, uninsured motorists could face court and receive an unlimited fine and/or a driving ban. A criminal record can also affect job prospects.
So far this year, over 100,000 uninsured drivers have had their vehicle seized.
Driving insured? Be confident with MIB’s quick guide
Do ✓
Don’t
Do check that your vehicle is appearing as insured on the Motor Insurance Database (MID) for free at www.askMID.com
Don’t withhold key information when buying insurance to save money. This is fraud – the consequences are serious, and it will invalidate the insurance policy.
Do only use your vehicle for the agreed purposes of its insurance cover. If unsure what your policy covers, speak to your insurer.
Don’t buy car insurance on social media, or through an unfamiliar source. It’s probably a fake car insurance scam called Ghost Broking.
Do find out when your policy expires and if it auto-renews, so you can ensure it doesn’t run out without your knowledge.
Don’t use a personal E-scooter on public roads and spaces. Only local authority-operated trial E-scooters are covered for third party use.
Over 300,000 Living Wage workers are set for a pay boost
More than £1.6 billion in extra wageshas gone to low-paid workers since the start of the Living Wage movement 20 years ago
£613 million in extra wages has gone to low-paid workers since the start of lockdown, with a record number of employers signing up – over 3,000 since the pandemic began
Greater London Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority are today making announcements on their progress to becoming Living Wage City Regions
Despite these successes, 4.8 million employees (1 in 6 workers) are still paid below the Living Wage, with those from racialised groups1 more likely to be paid below the Living Wage than white workers (19.4% compared to 16.3%).
Over 300,000 people working for almost 9,000 real Living Wage Employers throughout the country are set for a vital pay boost as the new Living Wage rates rise to £9.90 across the UK (40p increase), and £11.05 in London (20p increase), supporting workers and families.
The Living Wage rates are the only rates independently calculated based on what people need to live on.
This year the movement for a real Living Wage celebrates its twentieth year, with new research from the Cardiff Business School showing Living Wage workers have benefitted from more than £1.6bn in extra wages during this period. One in 13 workers now work for an accredited Living Wage Employer.
The new Living Wage rates and the ‘National Living Wage’: know the difference
A full-time worker earning the new, real Living Wage would earn £1,930 a year more than a worker earning the current government minimum (NLW). For a worker today that’s the equivalent of 7 months of food bills and more than 5 months’ rent based on average household spending in the UK.
Even on next April’s higher NLW rate of £9.50, a full-time worker on the real Living Wage would earn £780 more.
In London, a full-time worker on the new real Living Wage rate would earn an additional £4,173 a year compared to a worker on the current NLW and £3,022 more than a worker on next year’s National Living Wage.
The increase in Living Wage rates this year has largely been driven by rising fuel and rent costs.
The Living Wage movement continues to grow
Major new Living Wage employers announced today include FTSE 100 construction firms Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes, Fujitsu, food delivery company Getir, and Capita. They join half of the FTSE 100 companies, household names like Aviva,Everton FC, Burberry and Lush as well as thousands of small businesses, who are choosing to pay the real Living Wage to ensure all staff earn a wage that meets the real cost of living. More than 3,000 employers have now accredited with the Living Wage Foundation since the start of the pandemic.
Metro Mayors in London and Greater Manchester have also today announced major new commitments to create Living Wage City Regions which could see thousands more pay rises.
Looking globally, the Living Wage campaign also today launches Living Wage for US, the first coordinated national effort set up to ensure that workers across the United States are paid a real Living Wage.
Low pay in the UK
The announcement of the new rates comes as new research by the Living Wage Foundation has demonstrated the scale of low pay during the pandemic, with 4.8 million jobs (17.1% of employee jobs) still paying less than the real Living Wage.
Northern Ireland had the highest proportion of jobs paying below the Living Wage (21.3% or 236,000) and the South East the lowest (12.8% or 533,000). [4]
Those from racialised groups were more likely to be low paid – with 19.4% of these workers earning below the LW compared to 16.3% of white workers.
Katherine Chapman, Living Wage Foundation Director, said:“With living costs rising so rapidly, today’s new Living Wage rates will provide hundreds of thousands of workers and their families with greater security and stability.
“For the past 20 years the Living Wage movement has shaped the debate on low pay, showing what is possible when responsible employers step up and provide a wage that delivers dignity.
“Despite this, there are still millions trapped in working poverty, struggling to keep their heads above water – and these are people working in jobs that kept society going during the pandemic like social care workers and cleaners.
“We know that the Living Wage is good for businesses as well as workers, and as we rebuild our economy post pandemic, the real Living Wage must be at its heart.”
The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, said:“This Living Wage Week, the Living Wage Foundation has announced the new rates that cover what we all need to earn to get by.
“Their movement will see over 9,000 businesses elect to give their 300,000 workers not only what they need to survive, but to thrive as well.
“The principle behind the campaign for better pay and secure working conditions ought to be a pillar of our new society, and one I hope will be adopted by even more forward-thinking businesses as we look ahead to 2022.”
Sarah Wadsworth, Fujitsu UK HR Director, said:“I am delighted that Fujitsu have signed as a Real Living Wage employer. This long-term commitment is not only the right thing to do for our employees but also ensures that our suppliers and partners are also planning to align to this for their employees.
“Fair pay for all employees continues to be relevant for our business as well as the benefits it brings to wider communities.”
Anne Billson-Ross, Taylor Wimpey Group HR Director, said: “This voluntary commitment is a fantastic example of the direct action we are taking to ensure we remain an employer of choice, committed to do the right thing by our employees, suppliers and subcontractors.”
Dean Finch, Group Chief Executive of Persimmon Homes, said: “I want all our employees to feel valued and fairly paid for the good work that they do. Paying the real Living Wage is an excellent way of demonstrating this. I am therefore delighted we have become a Living Wage Foundation accredited employer and joined what is an important campaign.”
Kim Coles, Finance Director at Lush, said:“At Lush we are committed to a fair wage at all levels of the business and fully support the UK Living Wage Foundation’s approach of a hard day’s work deserving a fair day’s pay.
“We have been paying the London Living Wage since 2011 and paying all UK staff at or above the “real” hourly Living Wage rate since April 2017. We continue to commit to the rate in tough times because that is when our people need it the most, and it’s the right thing to do.
“Lush staff are crucial to our success, and they work incredibly hard making and selling our products. Having an independently calculated real living wage rate means that we have a positive step towards staff being able to afford what they need to thrive, not just survive.
“It also means that the same fair trade commitment we make to our ingredient suppliers is made to our staff and that we can be confident their rates of pay are fair and increase in line with real living costs.”
Turancan Salur, General Manager at Getir, said: “At Getir we pride ourselves on being a great employer. As well as paying all our colleagues at least the real Living Wage, with the opportunity to earn more through bonuses, we provide pensions, sick pay, paid leave, insurance and all PPE and electric delivery vehicles.
“It is only right and fair that we do this as our workforce is the most important part of our business and we fully support the Living Wage Foundation for promoting such an important issue.”
Ryan, a Living Wage worker at COOK Food, said:“Before joining COOK I’d worked in a pub for two years. I was on minimum wage and I was working at least 50 hours a week to pay the rent. Even though I was working so hard, I started to get in debt. My relationships suffered, and it started to affect my health both mentally and physically.
“However, since coming to COOK, being paid the real Living Wage made all the difference. I could work only 40 hours a week and take home more than when I was working 50 or 60 hours at the pub.
“Gradually my mental health improved, and I also started to live more healthily. I lost 30kg because I actually had the time and money to make real food, eat properly and exercise. My relationships improved as I had time to spend with my friends and made new friends at COOK, too.”
Commenting on the Living Wage Foundation figures which show that one in six workers are earning under the real Living Wage, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Every worker should be able to afford a decent standard of living.
“But these new figures from the Living Wage Foundation show that low pay is endemic in modern Britain. Millions are in jobs that don’t pay the bills or put food on the table.
“After eleven years of Conservative government, real wages are only just getting back to their 2009 level. And the Budget revealed we face another half decade of wage stagnation.
“With Britain in the middle of a cost-of-living crunch, it’s time for the government to act.
“Ministers must start by increasing the minimum wage to £10 immediately, banning zero hours contracts and giving trade unions greater access to workplaces to negotiate improved pay and conditions.
Kayden (10) shows how changes in adoption have benefitted families
Adoption Week Scotland 2021 shines a light on The Current Face of Adoption
When ten-year-old Kayden was adopted, his new parents told him that his family was growing bigger, not smaller.
Kayden had been in the care of foster parents in Midlothian as his birth mother was unable to provide the care he needed. When Lee Robertshaw and Dale Briggs adopted him in 2016, they knew how important it was that his existing relationships were maintained, even though they live in Yorkshire.
So ever since the adoption, Lee and Dale have made sure that Kayden stays in touch with his foster family and his brother, who still lives with his gran in Scotland. The families exchange birthday and Christmas gifts, catch up on Facetime, and regularly spend holidays together – and the benefits to Kayden have been obvious.
“I think the most important thing has been that Kayden knows those people who he knew and loved in Scotland are still a part of his life,” Lee explained. “We tell him ‘your family got bigger, not smaller’, which has been really important to him.”
The family also stays in contact with Kayden’s mother, seeing her once a year with hopes that this might become more regular in the future.
Lee said: “It was important for us that Kayden saw his mum and his dads were not in conflict with each other, giving Kayden permission to secure his attachment to us. This has been very positive for Kayden, and just shows how important life story work is in giving children a window to understanding their past.”
Contact with birth families and previous carers such as this would have been rare, if not impossible just a few decades ago, but has become increasingly common in recent years as adoption services have recognised how important prior relationships are to adopted children. Our recent Adoption Barometer report found that 28% of children who did not have formal contact arrangements in place had contacted their birth family informally, which can lead to devastating impacts on their mental health and family stability.
That’s why the theme of this year’s Adoption Week Scotland is ‘The Current Face of Adoption’, as organisers Adoption UK Scotland and Adoption and Fostering Alliance (AFA) Scotland aim to challenge misconceptions about adoption and celebrate how things have improved for adoptive families.
With a host of events and webinars covering topics such as staying in contact with birth families and siblings, understanding early-years trauma, and current developments in therapeutic parenting, Adoption Week Scotland offers something for anyone involved in adoption, whether they’re adoptive parents, adopted people, or professionals working in family care.
Fiona Aitken, Adoption UK Scotland Director, said: “We want to highlight the current issues and areas of importance for today’s adoptive families. Areas covered this year include the value of therapeutic parenting and engaging with children and families in a trauma-informed way, the importance of adoption support and services such as our TESSA and FASD Hub, and a focus on the importance of maintaining relationships.
“It’s crucial to recognise that adoption comes with the need to consider the life story of children and individuals involved, including the wider family relationships that child may have. Recent legislation ensuring that brothers’ and sisters’ rights of contact are ensured should have a significant impact on the way we support adoptive families to keep their children’s sibling relationships in mind, and there is more to be done to explore the best way to manage contact arrangements with other birth family members. This year’s programme of events will include conversations on these important topics and more.”
Robin Duncan, AFA Scotland Director, said: “Adoption week is a great opportunity to highlight the way adoption now works and to challenge some of the misconceptions that hark back to practice from previous eras where adoption was often seen as demanding a clean break with the child’s past.
“There will be opportunities to hear about good examples of practice where children can maintain relationships with people who remain important to them. The week will also highlight the potential of therapeutic parenting and the need for trauma-informed practice as part of an approach that insists that support needs to be available to adoptive families to manage the predictable challenges they will face.”
Clare Haughey, Minister for Children and Young People, said: “Adoption Week Scotland is our chance to say ‘thank you’ to all those involved and to celebrate the difference adoption is making to thousands of young people across Scotland.
“The themes that are being looked at over the week are all very relevant and important and we are working hard in partnership with the care sector and care experienced young people to make further improvements in these areas in line with our commitment to The Promise.”
Adoption Week Scotland 2021 runs from 15-19 November. To find out what’s on, visit the full programme of events at:
Lee is 38, partner Dale Briggs is 37, their son Kayden is ten. They live in Yorkshire; Kayden was adopted from Midlothian in 2016:
In 2015, Dale and I were looking to start a family and decided adoption was the right way to go. We were matched with Kayden in 2016. He had been staying with a foster family in Midlothian; his mum was unable provide the care a child needs.
During the adoption process, we were introduced to Kayden’s foster family and developed a close relationship with them over the course of several meetings. We always saw a benefit in supporting Kayden’s existing relationships and nurturing positive ties with his past. So we’ve stayed in touch with them ever since, and now Kayden sees them in a grandparents’ role.
Since we adopted Kayden, we’ve been to visit his foster family regularly, as well as exchanging birthday and Christmas gifts and catching up on Facetime. We also visit Kayden’s brother, who still lives in Scotland with his gran, and whenever we can we book a week away in a cottage or caravan so everyone can get together to enjoy one another’s company.
Keeping in touch with his old life has been a massive benefit to Kayden. I think the most important thing has been that Kayden knows those people who he knew and loved in Scotland are still a part of his life. We tell him ‘your family got bigger, not smaller’, which has been really important to him.
Dale and I spent a lot of time on Kayden’s life story and he’s now starting to understand more about his early life – how nothing that happened was his fault, and how his dads are now his forever family. Of course, things haven’t always been easy. There was a time when Kayden went through a phase when he thought he’d been taken from his mum, but that became a way to open a new conversation and correct the narrative.
We’ve had amazing support from social workers since the day we began the adoption process. Kayden’s social worker in Midlothian did an amazing job preparing him for adoption.
He knew where he’d been and where he was going, all because of the life story work that had been done. And when we needed therapeutic support as we grew together as a family, we were able to reach out to our social worker for help.
It was also really encouraging that they dispelled the ‘old narrative’ of adoption – that Kayden would not be deprived of his past or feel like he had some huge secret that he would have to keep hidden.
We do keep contact with Kayden’s birth mum. We see her once a year, and hope this might become more regular in the future.
It was important for us that Kayden saw his mum and his dads were not in conflict with each other, giving Kayden permission to secure his attachment to us. This has been very positive for Kayden, and just shows how important life story work is in giving children a window to understanding their past.
