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World Ocean Day: Home swap site adds crab homes to listings!

Award-winning home swapping platform Love Home Swap is launching home swaps for hermit crabs to encourage their members to help keep beaches clean this summer.

Anyone that’s watched David Attenborough will know that hermit crabs are home swappers! Regularly exchanging their seashell homes with other crabs as they outgrow them, they appreciate the value of trying out a new home.

But sadly, due to human-created plastic waste on beaches, hundreds of thousands of hermit crabs are mistakenly – and fatally – swapping their shell condos for discarded plastic containers*.

To celebrate World Oceans Day today (8 June) global home swapping platform Love Home Swap has partnered with the ocean conservation charity Sea-Changers to create home swaps for hermit crabs!

With a focus on raising awareness and encouraging holidaymakers to keep beaches clean, they are listing crustacean cribs on their platform, and asking their members to support this vital cause.

So, while perusing the 18,000 human homes that are available for exchange, members of Love Home Swap may also encounter several hermit crab ‘houses’. Not only does each hermit crab’s profile highlight the importance of reducing pollution and the danger that littering has on the environment, but there is also the option to donate to Sea-Changers via a JustGiving donation page.

In addition, Love Home Swap is donating $2,000 to Sea-Changers to aid their vision of creating a world in which the seas and shores are healthy, and marine species are protected.

Célia Pronto, Managing Director of Love Home Swap says: “We are so excited at the prospect of being able to travel again, both domestically and in some cases internationally. However, when we finally get to the beach, it’s so important to remember to keep these environments clean and safe for the local wildlife including the home swapping hermit crab!

“We are so pleased to be able to support Sea-Changers with their ongoing cause to inspire people to contribute positively to sustaining the oceans, and we hope that our newest hermit crab members put a smile on people’s faces when they are searching for their next home-swapping adventure.”

Rachel Lopata, Co-Founder of Sea-Changers adds: “When Love Home Swap came to us with the idea of home swaps for hermit crabs to highlight the issue of ocean pollution, we just loved it!

“It’s a great way to raise awareness while raising money for the UK projects we’re supporting relating to tackling pollution and other marine conservation challenges.

“Love Home Swap’s generous donation is fantastic, and we hope lots of home swappers will join them in supporting our work.”

To make a donation to Sea-Changers please visit this JustGiving page – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/love-home-swap

To find out more visit – http://lovehomeswap.com/crabcribs

UK Government sets out marine commitments to mark World Ocean Day

Under UK leadership, 80 countries have now signed up to an international target to protect at least 30 per cent of the world’s ocean by 2030.

Today on World Ocean Day (8th June 2021), countries from all four corners of the world – from India to Guyana, South Korea to Austria have pledged to support the ‘30by30’ commitment which is being championed by the UK-led Global Ocean Alliance and the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, co-chaired by the UK, Costa Rica and France.

This next milestone follows a successful meeting of the G7 Climate and Environment ministers, during which all members agreed to champion the global ‘30×30’ target to conserve or protect at least 30 per cent of the world’s land and at least 30 per cent of the world’s ocean by 2030, as well as committing to ‘30×30’ domestically.

Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said: “The UK is a global leader in marine protection, and we are leading the way internationally to deliver healthy and sustainable seas.

“We must strike a balance in supporting sustainable industries while increasing protections for our seas to ensure a healthy, resilient and diverse marine ecosystem and we will work with others as we develop future protections.”

The UK has also launched plans to increase protections for England’s waters through a pilot scheme to designate marine sites in England as “Highly Protected Marine Areas”. The selected sites would see a ban on all activities that could have a damaging effect on wildlife or marine habitats.

This follows the independent Benyon Review, which recommended that Highly Protected Marine Areas would have an important role in helping the marine ecosystem recover.

The review was commissioned in 2019 to look at how these areas could be introduced and the Government has today published its response to the review. As well as helping drive marine recovery, the review also highlighted other potential benefits of the sites, including increased tourism.

The sites to be piloted could be in or outside of existing Marine Protected Areas where they would benefit from a substantially higher level of protection. They will be identified by Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee with input from stakeholders with a formal consultation set to launch next year.

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said: “I am delighted that the Government has committed to implement Highly Protected Marine Areas with a number of pilot sites. Natural England’s evidence based advice has been instrumental in determining the need for special protection for our most vulnerable marine wildlife.

“We look forward to working closely with Defra to identify pilot sites and use this great opportunity to explore how highly protected areas can mitigate the impact of human activities on the ocean, support its recovery to a more natural state, and enhance vital marine ecosystems.”

This comes as Defra and the Ocean Conservation Trust publish the results of the largest ever survey in England and Wales on public attitudes to our oceans. The survey finds that 85% of people consider marine protection personally important to them. Of those who had visited our coastlines last year, 80% said it was good for their physical health and 84% said it was good for their mental health.

The findings also show that when asked about the greatest threats to the marine environment, participants were most concerned about pollution, with overfishing, climate change and loss of marine habitats also ranking highly.

Professor Michel Kaiser, HPMA Review Panel member and Chief Scientist and Professor of Fisheries Conservation at the Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University said: “The implementation of a trial of HPMAs provides a landmark opportunity to understand how marine habitats and life will respond in the absence of damaging activities, setting our ambition for healthy oceans of the future.”

Joan Edwards, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, said: “This new type of marine protection will be the gold standard for rewilding parts of the sea. It’s a fantastic step-forward, one which The Wildlife Trusts and over 10,000 of our supporters have been waiting for – we’re absolutely delighted!

“The removal of all harmful activities – from fishing and trawling to construction – has never been attempted in UK waters before. This is an historic moment and we’re certain that HPMAs will help our seas become healthier and that degraded underwater habitats will be better able to recover.

“This special form of protection is vitally needed. Decades of overexploitation and pollution have left our precious seas damaged and the wealth of wildlife that once lived there is much diminished.

“Existing Marine Protected areas are limited in their ability to restore nature as they only go as far as conserving its current, sometimes damaged state. HPMAs will allow us to see what truly recovering seas look like. They will set a new bar against which other protected areas could be measured.”

The UK has also further advanced its role as a global leader in ocean protection by moving to full membership of the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA).

The Alliance brings together the financial sector, governments, non-profit organisations to pioneer innovative ways of driving investment into critical ecosystems like reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, wetlands and beaches that provide the nature-based-solutions to build resilience against climate change.

The UK has also become a co-leader of The International Partnership on Marine Protected Areas, Biodiversity and Climate Change which will work with other countries to ensure they have the information and tools they need to understand the important role that Marine Protected Areas play in helping to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change on the world’s oceans, and the biodiversity they protect.

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) has also today published its annual ‘Blue Belt’ assessment which reveals this year the UK Government’s Blue Belt Programme exceeded its target of protecting and enhancing over 4 million square kilometers of marine environment around five UK Overseas Territories.

The commitments made today represent another step forward for the UK’s efforts to step up action on climate change in the run up to the G7 Summit taking place in Cornwall this week and international climate conference COP26, to be hosted in Glasgow later this year.

Protection of shopworkers law to come into force on 24 August

Usdaw welcomes Scottish legislation and urges UK Government to follow suit

Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed yesterday’s announcement by the Scottish Government, confirming that a new law to protect shopworkers from violence, threats and abuse will come into force on 24 August 2021.

The ground-breaking legislation was supported by MSPs after Usdaw’s long-running campaign led to the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill, which was successfully steered through the Scottish Parliament by Daniel Johnson MSP (Labour, Edinburgh Southern).

Tracy Gilbert, Usdaw’s Scottish Regional Secretary, said: “We welcome today’s confirmation that ground-breaking legislation to protect shopworkers from violence, threats and abuse will come in to force on 24 August. We again thank Daniel Johnson MSP and all MSPs for listening to the pleas of our members and giving them the legislative support they so desperately need.

“Retail staff have been on the frontline throughout the coronavirus crisis, helping to keep our communities fed, despite the risks of contracting the virus. Our 2020 survey showed that 9 in 10 shopworkers had been abused last year. This new law firmly backs up Usdaw’s clear message that abuse is not part of the job.

“We are now looking to work with the Scottish Government, police and retailers to promote the new law. We want criminals to understand that assaulting and abusing shopworkers is unacceptable and will land them with a stiffer sentence. Our hope is that this new legislation will result in retail staff getting the respect they deserve.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “The Scottish Parliament is leading the way on protection of shopworkers. Today our petition for similar legislation in the UK Parliament is being debated in the House of Commons (see below).

“We urge MPs to support the aims of our petition and persuade the Government to back legislation to protect shopworkers. They have the perfect opportunity by accepting an amendment from Sarah Jones MP to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which we hope will be supported in the bill committee.

“Retail employers, leading retail bodies and the shopworkers’ trade union are jointly calling for legislation, so it is time for the Government and MPs to listen.

“We are now looking for MPs to support key workers across the retail sector and help turn around the UK Government’s opposition and follow Scotland’s lead.”

A survey of over 12,000 retail workers has found that only 1 in 5 shopworkers who reported incidents of abuse or violence were satisfied with the official response from the police or their employer.

Westminster’s Home Affairs Committee has published the findings of its survey, which asked retail and other shopworkers to share their experiences of incidents of violence and abuse. Two thirds of those who reported incidents suggested no help was given to them after receiving an initial response from their employer or the police.

The Committee asked retail workers about the frequency of incidents, how these were reported, what action was taken by the police or employers and what should be done to prevent abuse in future. The majority of respondents had both witnessed and experienced verbal or physical abuse at work.

The survey found that 87% of respondents had reported incidents to their employer but, in 45% of these cases, no further action was taken. Half of respondents reported incidents to the police, of which only 12% led to an arrest.

A third of respondents did not report incidents to their employer because they believed nothing would be done or it was ‘just part of the job’. Over a quarter did not report incidents because they believed the police would not do anything about it.

Respondents felt that better security at retail premises and more severe punishments for offenders would help prevent incidents in the future.

The public survey was held as part of the committee’s inquiry into ‘Violence and abuse towards retail workers’. The findings are published ahead of today’s Westminster Hall debate on an e-petition calling for more protection for retail workers.

The Committee’s Chair, Yvette Cooper MP, said: “During the Covid crisis, we’ve seen an appalling and unacceptable increase in reported attacks and abuse against shop workers.

“No one should feel unsafe at their place of work and there are no circumstances where such behaviour should be tolerated. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences with the Committee.

“The sheer number of responses we have received shows just how widespread this problem is. In far too many cases retail workers don’t report incidents as they feel nothing will be done or that they’re expected to deal with such appalling incidents as part of their job. That’s simply not the case and it’s clear that action is needed to change this.

“The Committee is currently assessing the wider evidence we’ve received – I hope the Government responds constructively to the serious issues we have identified.”

Hearts unveil MND Scotland as new shirt front partner

MND Scotland will be proudly worn on the front of Hearts’ home shirt for season 2021/22 as part of an innovative two-year sponsorship deal with Dell Technologies.

Following its groundbreaking partnership with Save the Children that saw the charity’s name being sported on the first team shirts over 6 seasons, the Club will now be promoting and supporting the work of MND Scotland in Season 21-22.

The Club and its supporters have undertaken several fundraising activities on behalf of the charity over the past year as a tribute to Club legend and former captain, Marius Zaliukas, who tragically lost his fight to the disease in 2020.

This landmark sponsorship deal will help to raise awareness of the work undertaken by MND charities throughout the UK and support those living with MND in Scotland. Funds raised will also enable pioneering research into MND, such as the projects taking place at the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research at University of Edinburgh.

Once again, the Club has sought out an innovative way of securing sponsorship funding whilst providing a platform for a cause that is dear to supporters’ hearts.

In a pioneering approach, Dell Technologies will work with Hearts over the next 2 years on a programme that will transform the Club’s digital estate in the long term. As part of this new partnership, Dell Technologies funded the front of the home shirt on behalf of MND Scotland. Hearts will, in turn, make a contribution to MND Scotland and MND Association for every home shirt sold in the season ahead.

Dell Technologies was a founding partner of the Heart of Midlothian Innovation Centre in 2019, providing equipment that has enabled over 700 young people to benefit from free Digital Education. The company’s commitment to diversity and equal opportunity was also echoed in the decision to become principal partner and shirt sleeve sponsor of Hearts Women in 2020.

Dell Technologies will also appear on the back of the men’s home shirt when the new season starts.

Commenting on the new partnership, CEO of Hearts, Andrew McKinlay said: “We are delighted to announce this amazing partnership with Dell Technologies and MND Scotland.

“Dell Technologies has been pivotal in supporting pioneering community initiatives run by the Club and our charity, Big Hearts. As a principal partner of Hearts Women, they also helped to fund the initiative to sport the name of Scotland Women in Technology on the women’s shirts. This announcement represents a significant deepening of the relationship between the company and Hearts.

“We have spent the last 4 years enhancing the physical infrastructure of the Club providing some of the most modern facilities in Scottish football. Our sponsorship deal with Dell Technologies will underpin a long-term transformation of the logical infrastructure, modernising our systems and enhancing the experience we provide for supporters.

“Ann Park, Hearts’ Director of Partnerships and Community, has been working over the past few months to develop what is one of the most innovative sponsorship deals in football. Ann was the driving force behind our six-year relationship with Save the Children and has once again delivered a partnership of which we can all be very proud.

“We dedicate this initiative to our former captain Marius Zaliukas and to Robert Wilson, whose work behind the scenes and on the board of the Club helped rescue Hearts from administration.”

Iain McWhirter, MND Scotland’s Interim Chief Executive, said: “We are very excited to be partnering with Heart of Midlothian FC this season. This fantastic opportunity will honour the memory of former captain Marius Žaliūkas who passed away last year after a brave struggle against motor neurone disease.

“Dell Technologies has supported our sister charity, MND Association of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, for 2 years, and we are thrilled to now be working with them to raise funds and awareness here in Scotland.

“We hope this boost will enable us to speak to even more people about our cause, and that the funds donated through sales will help us reach our ultimate goal of finding a cure. Until that day we will continue supporting families affected by MND in Scotland, so they do not have to go through the devastation alone.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing the new strips out on the pitch very soon and hope fans will join our movement to end MND.”

‘Depraved’ Dunsmore convicted

Specialist detectives in Edinburgh have acknowledged the conviction of Craig Dunsmore for a number of sexual offences, including rape. The 27-year-old has been found guilty following a trial at the High Court.

Dunsmore (above) was convicted of a raping a woman in Edinburgh in January 2019. He was also found guilty of online offences involving indecent communications and possessing indecent images of children.

Detective Inspector George Calder of the Edinburgh City Divisional Rape Investigation Unit said: “Craig Dunsmore is a dangerous individual whose actions were motivated purely to satisfy his own depraved sexual gratification.

“The bravery of the females involved in initially coming forward then subsequently throughout the police investigation and legal proceedings is to be commended and will now mean he faces the consequences of his behaviour.

“We are committed to bringing all perpetrators of sexual abuse to justice and I would urge anyone who wishes to report sexual crime, either direct to police or through a third sector agency, regardless of when it happened.”

Dunsmore will return to court for sentencing at a later date.

Testing unit opens at North Local Office as Covid cases rise

Two more mobile testing units are open for people without symptoms in parts of Edinburgh where #Covid19 cases are increasing:

North West Locality Office, 8 West Pilton Gardens: 10am-6pm until Sunday 13 June

and

@ South East Locality office, 40 Captain’s Road 10am-6pm until Thursday.

#stopthespread

Many patients with COVID-19 produce immune responses against their body’s own tissues or organs, study finds

A University of Birmingham-led study funded by the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium has found that many patients with COVID-19 produce immune responses against their body’s own tissues or organs.

COVID-19 has been associated with a variety of unexpected symptoms, both at the time of infection and for many months afterwards. It is not fully understand what causes these symptoms, but one of the possibilities is that COVID-19 is triggering an autoimmune process where the immune system is misdirected to attack itself.

The study, published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Immunology, investigated the frequency and types of common autoantibodies produced in 84 individuals who either had severe COVID-19 at the time of testing or in the recovery period following both severe COVID-19 and those with milder disease that did not need to attend hospital. These results were compared to a control group of 32 patients who were in intensive care for another reason other than COVID-19.

An autoantibody is an antibody (a type of protein) produced by the immune system that is directed against one or more of the individual’s own proteins and can cause autoimmune diseases.

Infection can, in some circumstances, lead to autoimmune disease. Early data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection can trigger long-term autoimmune complications and there are reports of SARS-CoV-2 infection being associated with a number of autoimmune disorders including Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the study found higher numbers of autoantibodies in the COVID-19 patients than the control group and that these antibodies lasted up to six months.

Non-COVID patients displayed a diverse pattern of autoantibodies; in contrast, the COVID-19 groups had a more restricted panel of autoantibodies including skin, skeletal muscle and cardiac antibodies.

The authors also find that those with more severe COVID-19 were more likely to have an autoantibody in their blood.

First author Professor Alex Richter, of the University of Birmingham, explained: “The antibodies we identified are similar to those that cause a number of skin, muscle and heart autoimmune diseases.

“We don’t yet know whether these autoantibodies are definitely causing symptoms in patients and whether this is a common phenomenon after lots of infections or just following COVID-19. These questions will be addressed in the next part of our study.”

Senior Author Professor David Wraith, of the University of Birmingham, adds: “In this detailed study of a range of different tissues, we showed for the first time that COVID-19 infection is linked to production of selective autoantibodies.

“More work is needed to define whether these antibodies contribute to the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection and hence could be targeted for treatment.”

Professor Paul Moss, Principal Investigator of the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium and Professor of Haematology at the University of Birmingham added: “This is an interesting study that reveals new insights into a potential autoimmune component to the effects of COVID-19.

“Research like this has been made possible by the huge collaborative efforts made by those that are a part of the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium. This study is another important step towards delivering real improvements in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 to patients.”

The study participants were separated into four cohorts:

Group one: 32 individuals sampled during their stay in intensive care for reasons other than COVID-19. 41% of individuals had autoantibodies. In this group, there were many different causes of their illness (over half was pneumonia) and autoantibodies were found against nearly all of the different autoantigens examined, indicating a more random distribution.

Group two: 25 individuals who were sampled during their stay in intensive care following a diagnosis of severe COVID-19. 60% had autoantibodies. Of those who tested positive for autoantibodies, 41% had epidermal (skin) antibodies, while 17% had skeletal antibodies.

Group three: 35 individuals who had been admitted to intensive care with COVID-19, survived and were sampled three to six months later during routine outpatient follow up. 77% of individuals had autoantibodies. Of those who tested positive for autoantibodies, 19% had epidermal (skin) antibodies, 19% had skeletal antibodies, 28% had cardiac muscle antibodies; and 31% had smooth muscle antibodies.

Group four: 24 healthcare workers sampled one to three months after mild to moderate COVID-19 that did not require hospitalisation. 54% of individuals had autoantibodies. In those who tested positive for autoantibodies, it was against only four autoantigens: 25% had epidermal (skin) antibodies; 17% had smooth muscle antibodies; 8% had anti-neutrophil cytoplasm (ANCA) antibodies that target a type of human white blood cells; and 4% had gastric parietal antibodies which are associated with autoimmune gastritis and anaemia.

University of Edinburgh offers green micro-grants

In the run up to COP26, The University of Edinburgh is running ‘The Green Micro-grants’, a grants scheme for community projects with the natural environment and social impact at their heart.

In November 2021, Glasgow will be hosting the 26^th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). This conference brings together countries from all over the world in order to address the climate crisis.

Following Patrick Geddes (a Scottish biologist, philanthropist, pioneering town planner and lecturer at the University of Edinburgh), we want to encourage people to ‘think global, act local’ by funding grassroots projects that, in their own way, take action against the climate crisis.

And each of us has a part to play. That’s why, in the run up to COP26, the University’s micro-grant scheme is going green!

We welcome applications for projects or activities that will involve and benefit people living and/or working in the Edinburgh City Region (The Region includes the City of Edinburgh, Fife, West Lothian, Midlothian, East Lothian and the Scottish Borders).
Applications are welcome from not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises.
The funding is available until Friday 19th August, but you can apply at an point up to that date, and all applications will be reviewed by a panel.

If you would like to apply for a larger grant, please apply to our Community Grants Scheme, open twice a year for awards of up to £5,000.

The green microgrants

Through its micro-grant scheme, the University will support community organisations and charities based in the Edinburgh region to do their bit to tackle climate change and the biodiversity crisis, and improve the sustainability of our local spaces and communities.

There is already lots of fantastic work happening across the city and wider region in relation to the climate crisis, and we hope that extra funding will enable some more great activities and projects to take place.

Groups can apply for up to £1000 through our micro-grant scheme for small scale community activities. The purpose of the scheme is to provide micro-grants to community groups, charities or businesses for projects which aim to:

Improve their local natural environment and
Have a positive social impact for local communities

What is meant by ‘supporting the local natural environment’?

This is where projects will improve environmental sustainability, increase local biodiversity and/or contribute to tackling the climate crisis at a local level. This might include seeking to reduce carbon emissions, reducing waste, teaching your community green behaviours, or other ways of improving your local natural environment.

What is meant by ‘positive social impact’?

This is the beneficial effect for local people and communities that you expect your project to create or contribute to. It could include improved wellbeing, access to better nutrition, improved educational opportunities, improved quality of life, greater sense of community, reduction in anxiety or improved financial circumstances. You should set out as clearly as possible how your project will involve and/or benefit local communities living in the Edinburgh City region (the City of Edinburgh and/or East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, Fife).

How to apply

The application process is simple and a member of the Edinburgh Local team will be on hand to support you if you have any questions, just contact local@ed.ac.uk.

You can apply for a green micro-grant at any time by filling in the application form below and sending it back to local@ed.ac.uk. Green micro-grant application form (83.83 KB Word)

Please read the Guidance notes below before completing your application form.

Green Micro-grants Guidance Notes 2020-21 (79.06 KB Word)

You do not need to complete this form just yet, but please ensure you have read our Terms and Conditions before submitting your application:

Community Grant Terms and Conditions (71.3 KB Word)

Accessibility

If you require the application form in another format, please email local@ed.ac.uk.

Lesley Kelly’s alternative Edinburgh pandemic series launched in braille

Edinburgh author Lesley Kelly’s pandemic crime thriller series has been launched in braille for blind and partially sighted readers.

The ‘Health of Strangers’ crime fiction series, set in an alternative Edinburgh struck by a deadly virus, was penned in 2016-2020 prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The four novels follow the investigations of the North Edinburgh Health Enforcement Team as they fight to contain a spreading virus, encountering mystery, murder and corruption along the way.

Partnering with the Scottish Braille Press, based in Edinburgh, to produce all the ‘Health of Strangers’ titles in braille, Lesley is delighted that the series will now be even more accessible for blind and partially sighted crime fiction fans who read braille.

Lesley, who is based in Edinburgh and whose first novel, A Fine House in Trinity, was longlisted for the William McIlvanney Prize, said: “I am thrilled that my books are being published in braille for blind and partially sighted readers.

“The series is based on my work experiences in emergency planning, and accurately predicted a number of pandemic issues, including vaccine passports, hoarding, and debates about civil liberties. It also deals with isolation, which may reflect some of the experiences of blind and partially sighted people during lockdown. 

“Reading has been a comfort to many people during Covid, and we’ve seen a huge interest in books with contagion themes, from Camus’s The Plague, to Scotland’s own Louise Welsh with her trilogy of virus novels.  I hope braille readers enjoy my contribution to pandemic literature.”  

The real-life Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted and compounded the challenges many blind and partially sighted people face in the community, with many experiencing additional challenges such as difficulties with being able to adhere to social distancing and increased social isolation.

Easy and reliable access to accessible formats, including more literature and information available in braille, audio and large print, is essential to ensure blind and partially sighted people have equal access to important information, as well as the joy of reading for pleasure.

The Scottish Braille Press, which is run by sight loss charity Sight Scotland, is a leading provider of accessible media for businesses and individuals and has been producing accessible formats for over 125 years.

Mark O’Donnell, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland, said: “We are so grateful to Lesley Kelly and Sandstone Press for allowing the Scottish Braille Press to transcribe and publish Lesley’s Health of Strangers series in braille, enabling us to give braille readers access to Lesley’s fantastic crime thriller series.

“It is extremely important for equality, inclusion and personal security that accessible formats, including braille, are easily and readily available to people who require them.”

The Health of Strangers series braille editions are available to buy online at Sightscotland.org.uk through Sight Scotland’s Braille Bookshop, or call 0131 662 4445 to order.

Live Music Now Scotland launches brand new website to make live performance as accessible as possible this summer

Live Music Now Scotland (LMNS) puts musicians centre stage with launch of new website
Heralding a return to live music and in person performance post pandemic the website features a roster of musicians available to book, alongside public performance listings
You can find the new LMNS website HERE

Live Music Now Scotland (LMNS) is putting musicians centre stage with a brand new website aimed at bringing live music back to venues across Scotland as we come out of lockdown.

Key to the redesign is a new and improved roster of the many and varied musicians that LMNS represents. Whether you’re looking for a jubilant jazz quintet, or a scintillating string ensemble, this comprehensive catalogue of artists includes the very best musical talent the country has to offer, and it is the only place to start your search.

Live Music Now Scotland is committed to giving access to music for all, including older people and vulnerable audiences, as well as children with additional support needs.

The musicians now listed on the LMNS website are specially trained and experienced in playing for these audiences and the LMNS team can support in planning such events, including in settings such as care homes and special schools.

The new website will also feature a performance page listing live and online events, including live public performances, that are beginning to take place across the country as things start to open up. Updated as and when new events are booked you can check upcoming performances and events here.

Instrumental in turning the ambition for the new LMNS website into a digital reality were the Scottish Tech Army and Mull based creative studio think.in.form. Set up in early 2020 to help bring creative, digital solutions to businesses and individuals across Scotland in the wake of the pandemic, the Scottish Tech Army supported LMNS in putting a website brief and tender together, which is when creative studio and consultancy think.in.form came on board.

Carol Main MBE, Director at Live Music Now Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be in a position to share our new website with everyone from audiences through to musicians, and we hope it enables everyone to get back to enjoying live music again, as soon as possible.

“We wanted our website to facilitate this return to live performance and music, which is why we have included have both an updated roster of the musicians we work with and a programme of upcoming performances.

“Whether you are looking to host a summer garden party for friends and family, or an event for care home residents in their own home, we encourage you to check it out and get in touch.”

LMNS Website: https://livemusicnow.scot/

LMNS Twitter: @LiveMusicNowSCO

LMNS Instagram: @LiveMusicNowScotland

LMNS Facebook: @livemusicnowscotland