Churches in Scotland are being encouraged to submit their entries to Ecclesiastical Insurance’s ‘Good News’ competition before the deadline in September.
The specialist insurer is looking for churches to share their good news stories from the past 18 months, showcasing how they’ve supported their local communities during a challenging time. The winning church will scoop a total prize of £7,500.
St Luke the Evangelist Church in Glenrothes is one of the churches who have entered this year’s competition.
The Fife church shared their story of how they wanted to strengthen their links with the local community, so worked with the local school to provide 50 tablets for pupils to help them learn from home during the pandemic.
At the same time the church underwent a £450,000 refurbishment to provide local groups with a space to deliver their own activities, including Men’s Shed, YMCA and Scottish Association for Mental Healt (SAMH).
Entries should be submitted through Ecclesiastical’s website and written in the style of a news article with an attention-grabbing headline and no more than 250 words in length and with photographs or videos to go along with the article to help show the impact of their initiative.
Each entry is automatically entered into the regional competition where a panel of judges will select five regional winners who will each receive a £1,500 prize for their church.
The grand final of the competition will see one of the regional winners be crowned the national winner and receive an additional £6,000 – bringing their total winnings to £7,500.
Michael Angell from Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “Despite the challenges that the pandemic has brought with it, churches have remained a beacon of hope to the communities they are based in.
“They have shown resilience and a willingness to adapt, diversifying to offer local residents more than ever before – from food banks, to home deliveries and vaccination centres.
“That’s why this year’s theme for our church competition is ‘Good News’! We want to help shine a light on those unsung heroes in our communities and the new initiatives that churches have come up with to help those most in need – spreading the ‘Good News’ far and wide.”
Entries can be submitted through the online form at Ecclesiastical’s website:
A year-long partnership between the UK’s largest dog welfare charity Dogs Trust and leading homelessness charity Simon Community Scotland, has successfully increased accommodation and support options for dog owners experiencing homelessness in Scotland.
Through engagement with homelessness service providers in Scotland, a total of 30 have signed up since the launch of the project to develop dog-friendly policies and begin accepting referrals from dog-owners.
This includes three charities that have developed a charity wide pet-policy, and the project continues to support their services across the country to welcome pet owners. Launched in September 2020, the jointly funded role between the two charities was developed to ensure that fewer dog owners in Scotland have to make the heart-breaking choice between a safe place to sleep or staying with their dog.
The findings from Dogs Trust and Simon Community Scotland’s partnership highlighted that a lack of pet-friendly policies in homelessness accommodation services is a significant problem for those facing homelessness.
The charities’ joint dedicated, 1-year Pets and Housing Project has been working with homelessness organisations across Scotland to provide tailored support so they can remove barriers and open their doors to dog owners through the ‘Welcoming Dogs’ scheme operated by Dogs Trust.
One person who has benefitted from the work of the project is Damon, who became homeless when the only hostel space he was offered wouldn’t accept dogs. He feared he would need to give his dog up. Damon describes how Odan saved his life.
Damon said: “I needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning, I was losing grip on life and I didn’t want to live anymore. Odan has been an absolute godsend to me, and he has completely changed my outlook on life. Odan gives me the energy I needed to push forward with my life, he has given me something to fight for.
“It means everything to be with Odan. I wish I had the words to express how it feels. Dogs pick up from us how we are feeling, and they know if we’re not happy. The reason that Odan settled, is because I am settled here. It has made a big difference to us to be made to feel so welcomed.“
With support from Simon Community Scotland and Dogs Trust, Damon was able stay with Odan thanks to the local authority arranging pet-friendly emergency accommodation for them. Damon and Odan have since moved into their own tenancy together.
Cat Birt, Pets and Housing Engagement and Development Officer, who leads on the Pets and Housing Project, said: “I’m really proud of everything that has been achieved over the last year, despite the challenges we have faced as a result of the pandemic, and it has been great to see first-hand how our work has impacted people’s lives.
“For people facing homelessness, they are more likely to be isolated and detached from society and their pet can be the most loving and consistent relationship they have. We are a nation of dog lovers, and know how pets enrich our lives, so it is vitally important homelessness services recognise the importance of the human animal bond and make changes to their policies, so they provide a service inclusive of pet owners.
“Thanks to the commitments we have already had by organisations in Scotland to become more pet-friendly, we know our approach is working, but there is more to be done. Thankfully, there is an opportunity for us to roll this project out more widely across the UK and help even more dog owners in need.”
Hugh Hill, Director of Services and Development at Simon Community Scotland, said: ‘’At the heart of the project was recognising the incredibly positive bond between a dog and their human and the positive difference it made for people at their lowest ebb.
“The impact of Covid-19 has been challenging but what it did do was really highlight the importance of positive, meaningful and loving relationships in all our lives and for the people we support they often only experienced that connection with their dog. Every one of our services is dog-friendly and we will continue to share our approach and resources to any organisation looking to welcome our furry friends.’’
A comprehensive report covering the Pets and Housing Project between Dogs Trust and Simon Community Scotland, has been compiled which highlights the progress made over the last year along with findings and recommendations to help ensure that people and their pets can continue to stay together. The full report is available by clicking here.
Dogs Trust will be building on the amazing progress of this project with two new regional roles dedicated to increasing accommodation and support options for dog owners experiencing homelessness and is calling on more homelessness services across Great Britain to adopt a pet-friendly approach. Dogs Trust can support services through their Welcoming Dogs scheme, providing tailored advice and resources on accepting and managing dogs in a safe and responsible way, as well as through the Hope Project veterinary scheme which provides free veterinary treatment.
For more information about the Hope Project, or to enquire about accessing their support, you can reach the team on 020 7833 7611 or by email hopeproject@dogstrust.org.uk.
The Great British Food Festival is back this year and is visiting Dalkeith Country Park near Edinburgh for the first time on the 11th and 12th September. The event runs all weekend from 10am-5pm.
After missing 2020 because of the pandemic, the organisers say they can’t wait to be back doing events and are looking forward to bringing their food festival to the area for the first time.
Dan Maycock, one of the organising team said: “Tickets have been selling really well and we are really looking forward to a fantastic foodie weekend”.
Dan added that there is a lot for all the family: “we have lots of great food and drink, chef demos and talks but also forager walks, kids entertainment and great live music, and free parking with your festival ticket.”
The fantastic live music has a play list packed full of local bands and artists, so you can do some shopping, grab some food and then have a well-earned relax with a local beer listening to some great live entertainment all within the beautiful grounds at Dalkeith Country Park.
The events is the perfect recipe for a fun, foodie day out where the whole family ‘bubble’ can get together, visit www.greatbritishfoodfestival.com for more details and tickets (some time slots are now sold out, so book quick!).
Detectives in Edinburgh have released CCTV images of a man they believe may have information that could assist with their ongoing investigations into an assault on a woman.The incident occurred on Portobello High Street towards the junction of Sir Harry Lauder Road, Edinburgh, at around 00.45am on Sunday, 25 July, 2021.
The man officers believe may be able to assist them is described as being around 35 to 40 years old, 5ft 11ins, of average build and short hair. He spoke with a local accent and was wearing jeans and a navy top.
Detective Constable Neil Donaldson, said: “Fortunately this woman was not injured, but she was left extremely upset by what has happened and we are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the assault.
“In particular we would like to speak to the man pictured who was in the area at the time and may have further information to assist our enquiry. We would also ask anyone who was driving in the area and might have seen something that could help with our enquiries, or have dash-cam footage, to get in touch.
“If you can help please contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0241 of Sunday, 25 July, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
An Edinburgh dad has completed a 365-day photography challenge with a difference – a photo of a toy car placed somewhere in and around the city every day.
Ross Burns, 41, has taken a photo of one of his son’s many Hot Wheels cars every day for the past year in what began as an activity to beat the boredom of homeworking during lockdown.
Ross, who works at Edinburgh Napier University, has since featured more than 250 cars in a huge number of settings in and around Edinburgh.
From iconic backdrops such as Calton Hill, Edinburgh Castle and the Forth Bridge, to Saughton Skatepark, Leith Docks and Murrayfield Ice Rink, Ross is always on the lookout for the perfect picture.
“I have a five-year-old son called Daniel and he loves Hot Wheels. I used to love Matchbox cars when I was his age and I soon began to become obsessed with his growing collection. To make sure I took a walk every day, I started taking a car out and just taking some pictures on my phone.
“After a few weeks, I set myself the challenge of doing it for a full year and I’m delighted to have now completed it. It’s been great for my mental health during the various lockdowns, particularly the one early this year – getting out and taking a picture of a car gave me a purpose and a creative outlet each day.”
Posting a photo a day on Instagram under the handle Scot.Wheels, the images chart the four seasons and a city in and out of lockdown. Ross’ most popular image is of a Land Rover Defender 90 reflected on the Water of Leith.
“I’ve done a couple of pictures where the car is reflected in the water and people love them. The Land Rover in particular is popular as it is one of the most realistic looking cars.”
Due to the restrictions of lockdown, the vast majority of photos are of Edinburgh but Ross and his family did escape to Fife last month for a holiday in Lower Largo.
“We had beautiful weather and the beach made such a great background for the cars. A rugged blue Ford Bronco looked fantastic on the rocks by the sea.”
Now that he has achieved his target of a photograph every day for a year, and run up more than 20,000 “likes” in the process, Ross intends to carry on but take his foot off the accelerator.
“I’ll continue taking car pictures but not pressurise myself to do it every day. I’ll aim for quality over quantity and hopefully as we become able to travel more, I’ll explore some fantastic new settings with some wonderful new cars.”
Scottish Book Trust has announced ten schools who will receive fully-funded author residencies this school year to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing.
The residencies will also give professional writers the opportunity to build relationships with the school and work together on a creative project. Longstone Primary School will work with storytellers Macastory and Woodlands School will work with comic artist and writer Malcy Duff.
The Live Literature School Residencies Programme, now in its sixth year, is funded by the Walter Scott Giving Group and delivered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing.
Three ASN centres were also awarded fully-funded author residencies in the third year of the Additional Support Needs strand of the programme, funded by the Mohn Westlake Foundation.
Schools across the country were invited to apply to the programme which brings professional authors into the classroom to inspire and engage pupils.
Each school taking part in the programme will receive 12 fully-funded residency sessions and ASN schools will receive 15 fully-funded sessions, carried out by an author from Scottish Book Trust’s author directory. It includes over 600 professional writers, poets, playwrights, illustrators, performance poets and storytellers.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The Live Literature School Residencies Programme is incredibly important, as it allows authors to build relationships with a school over time, working together with pupils on a dedicated project.
“Many of these projects will work with the local community and will also build on the school’s COVID recovery plan, addressing issues such as pupil wellbeing; rebuilding reading and writing cultures and also lost transition time for P7/S1.
“We are grateful to our funders the Walter Scott Giving Group and the Mohn Westlake Foundation for making this programme available to all schools including ASN settings.”
The residencies will run across the 2021-22 school year and finish by May 2022. The Walter Scott Giving Group has funded the Live Literature School Residencies Programme for six years, and the Mohn Westlake Foundation has funded the ASN School Residencies Programme for three years. As well as an author residency, schools will receive a resources grant of £500.
Each school’s project will be showcased on Scottish Book Trust’s website, alongside suggested learning resources and helpful tips to make the most of the residency sessions.
Angela Pearston, Head Teacher at Longstone Primary School, said: “We are so excited about our forthcoming residency and hope that it will inspire and motivate our pupils to have confidence in their abilities as storytellers and writers.”
Macastory said: “We are delighted to be involved in the project and are excited to explore stories of the past from the Longstone area of Edinburgh with the children. We’ll see where that takes their imaginations! We can’t wait to see how the pupils will imagine their version of Longstone’s amazing history.”
Karen Byrne, Principal Teacher Support for Learning at Woodlands School, said: “Woodlands is excited to explore journeys of hope and resilience through word and sequenced visuals. We want to share and establish confidence in our personal and collective voice and continue this beyond the residency.”
Malcy Duff said: “I’m excited about offering comic book storytelling as a creative medium for learners to develop their own visual language and explore new narratives that challenge the old. I hope this work will increase participants’ confidence and expand the use of comic book storytelling as an important form of communication.”
With COP26 just around the corner, we are happy to announce our Youth Climate Summit, ‘Let’s Talk COP26’, taking place digitally on the 4th of September from 10.00 – 15.15 BST.
This event will host a diverse variety of speakers and workshop sessions grounded in 5 key themes up for discussion on COP26’s presidential programme: nature-based solutions, adaptation and resilience, finance, energy transition, and clean road transport.
These sessions will be led by youth activists, community groups, and industry leaders from organisations such as Friends of the Earth Scotland, the Black Environmental Network, and the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (to name just a few!).
By engaging specifically with the event of COP26 and its themes, ‘Let’s Talk COP26’ strives to unpack a political decision-making process that lacks transparency and marginalises those experiencing the climate emergency first and worst. This event will tackle the key issues being discussed at COP26 so that we can take informed and effective youth action moving forward.
This event is free and open to young people aged 18-35 in Scotland and beyond. Sign up now!
Cats Protection has welcomed ground-breaking new laws on animal welfare in Scotland but said more still needed to be done to help cats.
The charity says new licensing regulations which come into force today will help to stamp out rogue cat breeders who put profit before the welfare of kittens and cats.
Cats Protection’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland Alice Palombo said: “These new licensing laws have come at a time when we need them the most.
“Over the past 18 months of the pandemic, a combination of increased demand for kittens and restrictions on household visiting has created the perfect conditions for unscrupulous breeders to flourish.
“We’ve heard countless stories of how people have been duped into buying underage, poorly kittens which either haven’t survived or have needed costly veterinary care. It’s not just the kittens that suffer – behind closed doors there are many female cats forced to have litter after litter in poor welfare conditions.”
Under the new licensing laws, anyone breeding three or more litters of kittens in any 12-month period must be licensed, and female cats will be limited to having a maximum of two litters within a year.
Breeders will also be banned from breeding cats with extreme traits which can lead to health conditions, such as the Scottish Fold.
Erin Macqueen, 22, from Glasgow, had a devastating experience in March 2021 when the kitten she purchased for £250 turned out to be just five weeks old. The tiny kitten, named Frankie, died just a few weeks later from a condition believed to be related to its poor start in life.
Erin explained: “Frankie had been advertised as a male 12-week-old kitten. When I took Frankie to the vets, I was told she was actually a girl, and was in fact only five weeks old.
“Alarm bells had rung when the seller delivered her to me – she wasn’t even in a cat carrier, the seller just had her tucked under her coat. I could see straight away that Frankie was tiny, but by that point it’s just too heart-breaking to say no. I didn’t know what I’d be sending her back to.”
After becoming unwell, Frankie was diagnosed with untreatable Feline Infectious Peritonitis and had to be put to sleep, causing huge emotional distress to Erin and leaving her with a £750 vet bill.
She said: “It was the vet’s opinion that she developed this as a result of being bred in poor conditions, probably among many other cats and kittens.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that Frankie had probably been one of many kittens just bred and sold to make a quick profit. In her last days of life, she suffered greatly, and it was a very stressful and emotional time.”
With the new laws coming into force today, Cats Protection is now launching its Time is Meow campaign to ask the Scottish Government to go further to help protect cats.
The five-point action plan details what is needed to continue to ensure cats are better protected in Scotland, including the introduction of compulsory microchipping for pet cats, a ban on snares, encouraging landlords to allow renters to own cats, inclusion of animal welfare in the National Curriculum and further work to tackle unscrupulous cat breeding.
Alice added: “Scotland is leading the way in the UK when it comes to regulating cat breeding and animal rescues. As well as these new licensing laws, Scotland also has strict laws on air gun licensing which helps protect cats from the random attacks we see in Wales and England.
“This is all great news, but there is always more to be done and we want to see Scotland go further.
“Our Time is Meow cat welfare action plan includes issues which will benefit people as well as cats – in particular, encouraging landlords to allow their tenants to own a cat. At a time when we’re all spending more time at home, pet ownership is vitally important to our wellbeing and for helping tackle loneliness.”
