As Scotland looks forward to hosting the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, Scottish colleges have come together to support a new and ground-breaking statement of commitment on the Climate Emergency.
The ‘Scottish Colleges’ Statement of Commitment on the Climate Emergency’, which has been produced by CDN’s college Climate Emergency Expert Group, in partnership with Colleges Scotland and Energy Skills Partnership (ESP), highlights how college staff and students are working together to achieve a more sustainable future for Scotland.
The statement of commitment establishes 10 key actions, which colleges have committed to delivering, with the aim of speeding up efforts to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
10 Key Actions
Support Scotland’s efforts to achieve net-zero climate emissions by 2045 or earlier if possible, with Scotland’s colleges aiming to achieve net-zero by 2040 or earlier.
Embed environmental sustainability in our institutional strategies and set measurable targets.Address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in our strategies.
Address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in our strategies.
Share best practice within and beyond the college/ university sector.
Deploy our expertise and experience to combat climate change.
Contribute to public debate on climate change and use the power of our example to encourage others.
Work with Scottish industry, employers, public sector bodies and others to improve working practices and find practical solutions to climate change and to make our planet safe for future generations.
Encourage, where appropriate, colleges to adopt the UK HE/ FE Climate Commission’s ‘Climate Action Roadmap for FE Colleges.’
Each college will publish action plans to address on-campus and supply chain emissions, setting out what steps they will take over a five-year horizon and beyond where possible, and what they aim to achieve to address the climate emergency.
Educate staff, students, employers and communities on the impact their daily lives and working practices have on the environment/ climate. While working with our partners, local employers and communities to ensure everyone is aware of their personal responsibility to our planet.
A team of over 20 dementia researchers will run the distance between dementia research labs across Scotland to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Dr Josie Fullerton at Glasgow University, Dr Fiona Mclean from Dundee University and Dr Mike Daniels at the UK Dementia Research in Edinburgh will lead the event in efforts to raise thousands for dementia research in the country.
The challenge comes during Dementia Action Week (17 – 23 May), a week dedicated to raising awareness of dementia and encouraging people to join efforts to bring about a future free from the fear, harm, and heartbreak of the condition.
Dementia is the UK’s leading cause of death and affects over 90,000 people in Scotland.
There are currently no treatments that can stop the diseases that cause dementia, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s. Research is the only way to change this for the growing number of people living with the condition.
The team is challenging fellow scientists in the Alzheimer’s Research UK Scotland Network Centre to cumulatively run, walk, or cycle the distance between the Universities leading dementia research efforts in Scotland.
The Alzheimer’s Research UK Scotland Network is one of 15 Network Centres across the UK which aim to unite the brightest minds in dementia research. The Scotland Network, which has over 200 members from five leading institutions in the country, works to fund new ideas, power collaboration and build capacity in dementia research.
The virtual route is 813 km, just over 500 miles and will start at the University of Dundee. The route takes the team up the coast to Aberdeen, across to the University of the Highlands and Islands in Inverness, before taking the scenic route down to Glasgow.
Stopping by at Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Strathclyde and the University of Glasgow via the University of Stirling, before heading across the central belt to Edinburgh to take in Napier, Heriot Watt, The University of Edinburgh and Queen Margaret University.
It will then go into Fife to St Andrews University, before the final stretch back to the University of Dundee to complete the challenge.
Dementia researcher, and organiser of the event Dr Mike Daniels, (above) said: “Alzheimer’s Research UK has supported scientists like me and dementia research in Scotland for many years.
“We know that this funding comes from dedicated members of the public who have decided to take action to tackle dementia by supporting our work. We wanted to set ourselves an ambitious fundraising challenge to give something back to them during these difficult times.
“Dementia researchers from all over Scotland have come together and we’re really looking forward to seeing how everyone gets on with their challenge and hearing their stories. I think it’s going to be tough but it’s totally doable and will raise money for such an important cause!
“Setting up this challenge is a fantastic way to help Alzheimer’s Research UK fund more research in Scotland and make breakthroughs possible. Please support us in our efforts to raise money for an incredible charity!”
The team will be tracking people’s progress and at the end of every day during the week the researchers will tally up the total distance covered by the team and calculate how far the group have travelled.
Stacy Rowan, Scotland Fundraising Officer for Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re so grateful to these researchers and their incredible efforts supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK.
“Scotland is a hotbed for dementia research and our scientists have continued to make pivotal strides in research throughout the pandemic, in spite of the restrictions they have faced. Alzheimer’s Research UK has funded over £8 million of research in Scotland, all of it targeted towards transforming lives and bringing an end to the fear, harm and heartbreak of dementia.
“Dementia Action Week is not just about raising awareness but about taking action, and I would urge anyone who wants to get involved in fundraising for dementia research to contact me at stacy.rowan@alzheimersresearchuk.org
“If anyone as a question about dementia, or the research going on in Scotland to help make breakthroughs possible contact our Dementia Research Infoline. Our team have already handled over 25,000 enquiries and are here to help you.
“Ring us on 0300 111 5111 or email us at infoline@alzheimersresearchuk.org.”
Are you a resident in Edinburgh? Would you like to take part in a project by telling us about your experience of the Covid-19 pandemic?
Researchers at the University are looking for participants to take part in their project Lothian Lockdown Diaries, which aims to find out how Covid-19 has impacted people living in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
A lack of clarity from travel insurers over how much protection their policies offer for Covid-related disruption could lead to consumers losing money as international travel reopens, Which? research has found.
New research from the consumer champion suggests that many travel insurance customers are being left with a false impression about the level of protection they would benefit from if the pandemic was to impact on their holiday plans.
Which? believes some of this is down to poor communication by some travel insurance providers and the use of often confusing, blanket terms such as ‘Covid Cover’ or ‘Enhanced Covid Cover’ on insurers’ websites.
The consumer champion’s survey of over 2,800 travel insurance customers, conducted between February and March 2021, found that three in 10 respondents (29%) had committed to bookings or arrangements for international trips this year – with around one in 10 (12%) saying that while they’d not booked or arranged travel, they did have specific plans.
Which? asked the survey respondents if they believed that their policies would cover them in the following six scenarios:
Cover for costs if – after booking my trip – the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel to my destination;
Cover in the event that a local or national lockdown prevents me from travelling;
Cover in the event I can’t travel because I have to self-isolate at home because of NHS Test and Trace;
Cover in the event I can’t go on my trip because I’m diagnosed/test positive with COVID-19;
Medical cover if I catch COVID-19 overseas; and
Cover if my airline or holiday company postpones my travel but will only offer a rebooking or credit and not a cash refund.
Half of survey respondents (50%) believed that they’d be covered should the government’s travel advice change after a trip was booked, and nearly half (47%) thought their policy would cover them in the event that local or national lockdowns prevented them from travelling. Almost half (46%) believed their policy would cover them if their airline or holiday company postponed their travel, but wouldn’t offer a cash refund.
However, when Which? analysed 73 travel insurance providers between October and November 2020, cover for those three such eventualities – particularly for when government travel advice changes – was very rare, with large discrepancies between what policies included. The consumer champion has been continuing actively to monitor Covid-related cover offered and believes little has changed to improve this situation in recent months.
Since March 2020, most insurers have considered the pandemic a ‘known event’, and excluded FCDO cancellation cover from new policies and for newly booked trips. However, Which?’s survey found that customers with policies bought after March 2020 were more likely to believe that they were covered for this type of disruption than ones that had bought policies before then.
For instance, two thirds (65%) of respondents that had bought travel insurance less than six months prior to participating in the survey believed that they would be covered if FCDO travel advice changed and advised against travel after they had booked their trip, whereas less than half (48%) of respondents that bought policies over a year ago did.
While some insurers give upfront information about how extensively they protect against Covid-related disruption on their webpages and in their FAQs, some providers only state key benefits that their ‘Enhanced Covid Cover’ provides, and are less clear about what is excluded.
Other providers describe their policies as covering a ‘range’ of Covid-related scenarios, and direct prospective customers to the FAQs for further detail.
Which? submitted evidence to the Department for Transport (DfT) ahead of today’s publication of the Covid Passenger Charter calling for travel insurance providers to be clear about Covid-cover terminology.
Which? believes providers should present what is included and excluded in their Covid policies clearly on their websites, and not bury exclusions in their FAQs. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) should be monitoring terminology used by travel insurers in their Covid-19 policies and marketing material to ensure they provide sufficient clarity.
The FCA should also issue guidance to providers on the use of blanket terms such as ‘Covid Cover’ and ‘Enhanced Covid Cover’, which often overlook what kind of cover is not included – without qualifying them clearly. Doing so would help consumers to make a much more informed choice when booking a trip abroad, and could save them money.
Which? is also urging the DfT to work closely with the Treasury and sector regulators including the FCA, Civil Aviation Authority and Competition and Markets Authority, as well as with industry, to ensure all travellers adequately understand their travel insurance cover and can access cover that protects them against FCDO advice related to the pandemic when international travel restarts.
Jenny Ross, Which? Money Editor, said: “The ongoing threat of Covid-related disruption means that getting the right travel insurance for your holiday is more important than ever.
“Without closer scrutiny from government and regulators of how clearly insurers present their policies, there is a very real chance that many travellers will be left out of pocket yet again this summer.”
Which? advice for consumers before booking travel insurance
– When looking online for travel insurance policies, consumers should be wary of the variation between the amount of information insurers give on their websites about their core levels of cover, especially when it comes to how covered you are in scenarios related to the pandemic.
– Terms such as ‘Covid cover’ or ‘Enhanced Covid cover’ mean different things for different insurers, so consumers should avoid making assumptions. Extra caution should be taken if information provided only lists the benefits of the policy, but does not describe what is not included.
– Some protections will only apply to customers that insured their trip before the pandemic was declared last year.
– The best way to find out about what a policy offers is to spend some time reading the policy document – in particular check the medical expenses, cancellation and the policy’s general conditions and exclusions. If there are protections that you want from your travel insurance, but you find the policy document confusing, contact the insurer directly to confirm before booking.
– A quicker way to check key areas of your policy’s cover is to consult the Insurance Product Information Document, which is designed to provide information on key areas of cover and exclusions, although it will not tell you everything about the policy – so be sure to check with the insurer if you have any concerns.
– Anyone who is booking a holiday should look for a flexible booking policy that covers them against countries changing from green to amber or red between booking and travel.
The Ivy on the Square has been transformed into a floral paradise, complete with a colourful two-seater love swing, to celebrate Edinburgh’s move to Tier 2 restrictions from today (Monday 17 May).
Embracing 2021 as the Summer of Love, guests will walk through a stunning floral ‘tunnel of love’ to reach the brasserie entrance where they can enjoy bespoke 1960s themed cocktails and new summer dishes, with dining until 10.30pm.
Cocktails include the Electric Kool-Aid (£9.75) which blends Absolut Elyx, Plymouth Gin, Havana Club 3 Year Old Rum, Italicus Bergamot Aperitivo and Blue Curacao with lemon juice and Fever-Tree Lemonade; and the refreshing San Francisco Spritz (£9.95) featuring Plymouth Gin, Lillet Rosé, pink grapefruit juice, Fever-Tree Soda Water and prosecco.
To view the full menu and make a reservation, visit TheIvyEdinburgh.com.
The Dominion Cinema, Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh-based touring cinema operator INDY Cinema Group and cinemas all over the country, Scotland’s local independent cinemas and operators are re-opening their doors and welcoming cinema goers from today, Monday 17 May 2021, and over the coming weeks and months.
The re-opening is being supported with an additional £1.98million Scottish Government support for 29* independent cinemas and one touring operator through Screen Scotland’s Independent Cinema Recovery and Resilience Fund.
Meanwhile, every precaution is being taken to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience including spaced seating, enhanced cleaning, fresh air ventilated screens, more opportunities to pre-book online and distanced queuing and foyer spacing.
There is a fantastic schedule of releases hitting the big screen over the coming weeks and months with audiences able to catch Oscar Winning films The Sound of Metal and Nomadland in all their glory on the big screen when they are released today, Monday 17 May, the Black Widow blockbuster and BAFTA-nominated Limbo(from Scottish-based filmmakers Director Ben Sharrock and producer Irune Gurtubai) landing in July and Edinburgh will also be coming to the big screen when it plays a starring role in Fast and Furious 9, also due for release in the summer.
Ken HayCEO of CMI(Edinburgh Filmhouse) said: “We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Filmhouse and Belmont Filmhouse when we reopen our doors on the 31st of May.
“Seven months of darkness are finally coming to an end and the magic of the communal cinema experience is coming back.”
Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development at Screen Scotlandsaid: “The COVID crisis has presented independent cinemas with one of the toughest challenges ever faced.
“As restrictions ease and hope grows, Screen Scotland would like to pay particular tribute to the passionate, dedicated staff who are working hard to ensure the safe return of the big-screen experience.
“Cinemas are magical, transportive places where we come together to experience stories that move us, thrill us and excite us. Cinema goers are eager to enjoy the big screen and support in the recovery of the cinemas they love, and Screen Scotland will continue to work tirelessly to support cinemas return and further growth.”
The latest survey results – commissioned by the Film Distributors Association – confirm that the UK public is more eager than ever to return to cinemas, with 59% citing the cinema as their most missed out-of-home entertainment activity, with 40% of audiences planning to return within the first few weeks after reopening and a further 36% within the first couple of months.
The research also confirmed that lockdown over the last year has reignited audiences’ passion for seeing films on the big screen, with those who have digitally rented or purchased films highlighted as the most likely to return to the cinema as soon as they reopen.
The encouraging findings also confirm two thirds of respondents favouring the spectacular big screen experience, immersive sound, special effects, that only cinema can offer.
With the wide-reaching safety measures in place to protect the health and safety of staff and audiences. 93% of cinemagoers who returned last year enjoyed an overwhelmingly positive experience, and 99% were satisfied with the health and safety measures at their local cinema.
Following 12 months of lockdowns and restrictions, the survey further endorsed how well-loved cinemagoing is. Past research has consistently proved that cinemas provide vital support for the health and well-being of our communities. Getting out of the house and watching a film on the big screen allows us to escape and immerse ourselves in another world, if only for a few hours.
Phil Clapp, Chief Executive at UK Cinema Associationsaid: “We are delighted that cinemas in Scotland and across much of the UK will from today be once again able to welcome audiences back. At this time more than ever, we know how much local communities value their local cinemas.
“Our own audience research, but also the many messages of support and encouragement received by our members, confirm that many people have missed the big screen more than anything during lockdown and every cinema venue in Scotland has been working hard in recent weeks to ensure that when allowed to re-open they will be able to offer the safest and most enjoyable experience possible.”
Follow the campaign on social media via #BackToTheCinema or #LoveCinema and visit:
Old friends from Craigroyston and the world of running will be deeply saddened by the death of Marjory Cook.
Marjory was a long-standing member, and former Welfare Officer, of Edinburgh AC and a hugely committed athletics official. Without people like Marjory our sport simply couldn’t operate.
She was also, in my younger days, while teaching at Craigroyston, the Head Cook there. She was indeed Mrs Cook the cook and she brought the same warm, encouraging, smiling approach to her work at Craigie as she did to athletics.
Her death has come as a great shock. I was with her (at a Zoom meeting) on Wednesday evening.She’ll be hugely missed by all who knew her.
Vaccine boost for the high street as consumer spending increases across the country – but many big cities continue to lag behind
Consumer spending highest in North and Midlands after restrictions eased last month
But shops, restaurants and pubs in London and other big cities continue to struggle
Government and newly elected metro mayors need a plan to bring visitors back to city centres
April’s lifting of lockdown restrictions provided a much-needed boost to many high streets as spending surged to pre-pandemic levels in more than half of Britain’s cities and large towns – but cities are continuing to struggle.
New data from Centre for Cities’ High Street Recovery Tracker suggests that spending in Britain’s large towns and smaller cities are recovering faster than in its largest urban centres. Northern England and the Midlands is also so far recovering faster than elsewhere – of the 35 places studied where spending has returned to pre-pandemic levels, 20 are in the North and Midlands.
So far, high street spending has recovered the most in Huddersfield, Basildon and Blackburn, while London, Aldershot, Oxford and Birmongham have seen the weakest recoveries in England so far.
Although spending in Scottish cities is the lowest in the UK in April, retail and hospitality opened on a later date than in England.
Cities where spending levels are highest
Rank
City
April 2021 spending (% of pre-lockdown)
Difference to week before reopening (percentage points)
Difference to summer 2020 reopening (percentage points)
1
Huddersfield
119%
48
19
2
Basildon
117%
65
32
3
Blackburn
117%
54
17
4
Birkenhead
117%
80
12
5
Mansfield
117%
77
29
Cities where spending levels are lowest
Rank
City
April 2021 spending (% of pre-lockdown levels)
Difference to week before reopening (percentage points)
Difference to summer 2020 reopening (percentage points)
54
Newcastle
72%
61
32
55
Birmingham
65%
56
28
56
Oxford
62%
45
29
57
Aldershot
56%
15
2
58
London
53%
34
26
59
Dundee
34%
-1
-4
60
Aberdeen
24%
-1
0
61
Glasgow
18%
2
-12
62
Edinburgh
12%
2
4
While high street spending in many larger cities remains below pre-lockdown levels, it is now significantly higher than it was this time last year – suggesting that consumer confidence is returning as more and more people are vaccinated and the pandemic ends.
Despite these positive signs, the Government and England’s newly elected metro mayors must set out plans to encourage people to return to the centres of our largest cities. Without the return of visitors, tourists and office workers thousands of jobs in shops, restaurants, pubs and other city centre services remain under threat.
Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive Andrew Carter said:“We can already see that the vaccination programme and lifting of lockdown is helping businesses get back on their feet. Many cities and towns, particularly those in Northern England and the Midlands, have seen a boom in consumer spending in the past month.
“It’s not all good news, the centres of our biggest cities such as London, Birmingham and Manchester remain quiet as people there continue to work from home. If this doesn’t change in the next few months I’d expect to see more people working in retail and hospitality in our biggest city centres lose their jobs. The Government must work with the newly-elected metro mayors to stop this happening.”
Thousands of women, men and children accomplished their mission to complete the Virtual MoonWalk London yesterday (Saturday 15th May)!
For the first time, the iconic MoonWalk, organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, took place during daylight, with walkers taking on challenges between 6 and 52 miles in their own areas.
Embracing an “Out of this World” space theme, they raised awareness and money for vital cancer causes, while walking through villages, towns and cities across the UK and beyond.
At The MoonWalks during normal times, women and men proudly wear decorated bras as they take on their Midnight challenges. For the Virtual MoonWalk, walkers carried on the tradition by decorating their bras and many wore them attached to their bumbags.
To mark the occasion, a special bra has been created by Boadicea Design in collaboration with UK Space Agency, the Association for Science and Discovery Centres and signed by astronaut Tim Peake. It is based on the Sokul Suit which is worn by astronauts going up to the International Space Station.
Tim Peake said:“There may be more in common between Walk the Walk and space than you might think. On the International Space Station, we have been researching cancer therapies such as microencapsulation – enabling targeted delivery for effective treatment and fewer side effects. Walk the Walk is a fantastic charity and I’m delighted to support them in their valuable work.”
Now that restrictions are slowly lifting and people are allowed to walk together in small groups, the Virtual MoonWalk was the first opportunity that many had to meet up and walk with friends.
Sara Mudhar from Nuneaton said:“The Divas walked The MoonWalk London in 2019 and had an amazing time. Two years later and we’re finally reunited and walking a MoonWalk again, although it’s not quite the same as being with thousands of other MoonWalkers walking through the night.
“It has been a brilliant day, walking round Rutland Water together, meeting other MoonWalkers and the support from the public has been amazing. How wonderful to do something normal and raising money and awareness for breast cancer at the same time”.
Lin Carey has been taking part in The MoonWalk for more than ten years with the Silsoe Calendar Girls team, walking this year’s event on the streets of Bedfordshire.She said: “Every year is different, it’s always tough but we support each other and, no matter what, we cross the line together.
“I’m a breast cancer survivor, 22 years now, which I find incredible, and I’m very grateful for my treatment and the funds that made it possible. I was lucky, not everyone is.
“We’ve lost friends and family along the way and some are still struggling which is why we keep on walking. We’re relieved to have the opportunity to take part in The MoonWalk again this year – albeit virtually – and turning heads with our decorated bras”!
Jenny Strathern completed her Virtual MoonWalk in Uganda. She said:“I’m thrilled to finish the Virtual MoonWalk London, a goal I set myself to support a cause close to my heart.
“Here in Uganda, I really felt as though I was uniting against cancer and united in spirit with everyone else pounding the streets or lanes across the UK and far further afield. After some heavy rain, the sun finally came out as I walked with some wonderfully supportive friends who tramped through the last muddy kilometres towards our goal, an old swimming pool in the north east corner of the sugar estate where we live.
“My message to Walk the Walk is to continue to do the wonderful work you do and be encouraged by the difference all our combined efforts can make. We are united against breast cancer despite the miles that separate us!”
Gordon McLagan from Livingston, West Lothian said:“I walked with my sons Christopher and Peter in memory of my sister Linda who we sadly lost to breast cancer in 2017.
“We were planning to do The MoonWalk London in 2020, but due to it being postponed and the recent relaxation of travel restrictions we were able to meet-up in Manchester. Despite the rain, what an enjoyable marathon we have had, it has been wonderful to spend time with the boys”.
Walk the Walk the Walk’s Ambassador, actress Harriet Thorpe took part in the Virtual MoonWalk London, with friends including TV and Radio presenter Gaby Roslin and actor Tom Read Wilson.
She said: “It was an absolute joy to be out walking through London with friends and family again, cheering on other MoonWalkers along the way with a virtual high-five, and even finding time for a sing-song, all to support the work of this wonderful charity.
“Who could ask for anything more?! A welcome taste of normality: and let’s hope we’re all back together in our thousands next year!”
Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said: “With so much continuing uncertainty, late last year, Walk the Walk decided to hold a Virtual MoonWalk. We had no idea if it would work, or if it would be successful, we just wanted to promise this special day, without risk of it being cancelled.
“So, today is a day for celebration, with women, men and children walking and fundraising all over the country and indeed the world. As we could not actually be with all our amazing MoonWalkers, the Walk the Walk Team spent today phoning as many walkers as possible, to support them, and to share their journey.
“We heard the most inspirational and heart-warming stories, MoonWalkers meeting fellow MoonWalkers, giving virtual high-fives and uniting with our very special Walk the Walk camaraderie……it has been truly wonderful!”
The Virtual MoonWalk London is on its way to reaching its £1 million target. The money will be granted to help support frontline cancer charities.
To register your interest for The MoonWalk London 2022, go to: www.walkthewalk.org
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
Vegetarian picnics
National Vegetarian Week: 10th to 16th May 2021
National Vegetarian Week runs from 10th to 16th May 2021, and what better time to try out a meat-free diet? A vegetarian diet can be a great way to add colour, texture and variety and it is also generally lower in saturated fat and higher in fibre, which is great news for your heart. We provide tips for getting you started with a healthy vegetarian picnic.
Meat alternatives
Meat is high in protein and finding alternatives can be challenging. There are many meat substitutes available in shops and supermarkets that can add variety to your picnic.
Some meat substitutes, such as vegetarian sausage rolls and Scotch eggs are high in fat and salt and should only be eaten in small quantities. Try swapping meat and fish for protein-rich vegetarian foods in your picnic, such as tofu, beans, pulses, unsalted nuts, seeds, eggs and reduced calorie yoghurts.
Include a variety of foods
If you do not eat a wide variety of vegetarian foods, you could miss out on essential nutrients, such as iron, calcium and vitamin B12. Try to include vegetarian foods from each of the food groups shown in the Eatwell Guide in your picnic.
Look online for healthy picnic recipes that include wholegrain foods, low-fat dairy products, unsalted nuts, seeds, beans and pulses and plenty of fruit and vegetables.
You can find recipes and information about hosting a picnic at Heart Research UK’s Big Scottish Picnic webpage: https://heartresearch.org.uk/bsp/
