Two Edinburgh-based charities will receive a share of almost £1.2 million funding from the ScottishPower Foundation, which supports incredible projects that make a positive impact on people and communities across the country.
This year’s Foundation-funded projects – which support art and culture, education and empowerment, citizenship and society, and biodiversity and climate change – were selected on the basis of the significant and lasting contributions they will make to society, while enhancing people’s quality of life.
Almost £9.2 million has been awarded to successful charities since the Foundation was established in 2013.
Drake Music Scotland will use the £50,000 it was awarded to help run its ‘Figurenotes: Everyone can play’ programme, which will help transform music education across Scotland and beyond.
The programme will embed a fully inclusive system in the curriculum that gives children access to an easier way to play music.
Active participation in music making has proven benefits for wellbeing and key learning outcomes such as improved communication skills.
Now in its second year, the Dynamic Earth Charitable Trust’s Planetarium will develop a programme of innovative science engagement for underserved groups thanks to the £76,000 it’s received.
New elements include a ScottishPower Foundation Community Pass, offering free visits and supported learning for disadvantaged people; teacher training; and new learning materials to accompany flagship shows on climate change and marine biodiversity for all visitors.
Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “Once again, we were overwhelmed by the extraordinary work being delivered in our communities – day in and day out – and we’re very proud to support this year’s charities.
“The ScottishPower Foundation is committed to supporting projects that make a hugely positive impact on people’s lives and that’s what these organisations do in abundance.
“From improving education to promoting environmental protection and enhancing lives, the charities we’re supporting this year are doing truly transformative work.
“We know that throughout these challenging times, people are relying on the support of charities more than ever before, and with the help of the ScottishPower Foundation, this year’s projects can go further and make a difference for more people.”
Thursa Sanderson OBE, Chief Executive, Drake Music Scotland, said:“We are delighted to be chosen to be one of Scottish Power Foundation’s successful charities in 2021.
“This support will help us create web-based software for the inclusive music system Figurenotes which will transform access to music education across Scotland. Figurenotes is a fun and simple tool which helps people of all abilities play simple tunes within minutes of picking up an instrument for the first time.”
John Simpson, CEO at Dynamic Earth, said: “We feel honoured to be chosen as a charity partner of the ScottishPower Foundation in 2021 amongst some amazing other charities and projects.
“This funding means that Dynamic Earth will be able to undertake a much more in-depth and valuable engagement programme for underserved groups.
“We will be proud to launch a brand new ScottishPower Foundation Planetarium Community Pass in 2021 – to offer free visits and supported science learning to disadvantaged families. This funding will help us to reach new people and inspire them with the wonder of our planet and the environmental challenges we face.”
The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 to make a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK.
It provides funding to help support the advancement of education, environmental protection, arts and culture and citizenship. It also supports charities who aim to provide relief from poverty, disability, or other disadvantages.
Gregor Miller, a Scottish Ambulance Service technician based in Glenrothes, has organised a charity run from Stirling Castle to Tynecastle to raise awareness of Motor Neuron Disease (MND) after losing his dad, Campbell, to the disease.
Gregor has a host of celebrities backing his event, including Scott Hastings, Grant Stott, Gary Naysmith, Kevin Kyle, and Michael Stewart, among a host of others. You can see the messages at Castle Crusade Run
So far, Gregor has raised £7,631.32 of his £10,000 target. Visit bit.ly/2PyoRyJ to help the cause, with money going towards My Name’5 Doddie foundation, MND Scotland and the Euan Macdonald Centre.
Gregor said: “The support I have received is incredible which can be seen on our Facebook page.
“I’m looking forward to running with the different celebrities at the various check points to pull me on as running alone is very lonely and the strength to keep you going mentally is enormous. I keep remembering why I’m doing the challenge and the lives that will be helped by the research funding raised.
“Please can I ask as many people to follow and share the Castle Crusade Run on all social media platforms and most of all donate to support The Doddie Weir Foundation, The Euan MacDonald Centre and MND Scotland.”
Joining the Crusade for the run are Ryan Stevenson (Hearts FC), Colin Cameron (Hearts & Scotland), Simon Ramsden (Motherwell), Tam McManus (Hibernian), Willie Conquer (Referee) and Scott Hastings (Watsonians & Scotland Rugby Union).
Highest ever numbers of registered voters and postal votes
With less than a week to go until the Scottish Parliament Election 2021, Edinburgh is gearing up to play its own part in the vote on 6 May.
Preparations are already well under way across the city’s 140 polling places and at the Royal Highland Centre, where the count will be held over two days (7 and 8 May).
Training is in progress for staff working on the day and the first postal votes are being processed.
More people than ever before are registered to vote in this election Edinburgh (401,321 people) and more than a quarter of these (102,138) have opted to vote by post – the largest number of postal votes of any Scottish local authority and the highest ever for the Capital.
And though registration for the electoral roll is now closed, citizens are still being urged to think carefully about their vote, to ensure they know when, where and how to vote on Thursday, 6 May and to return their postal vote in plenty of time.
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies and the Lothian Region, said: “We are entering the final days of preparation for the Scottish Parliament Election and anticipation is clearly beginning to build across the city.
“Running an election in the Capital is no mean feat, and it’s thanks to a great deal of organisation and the hard work of our Elections Team and hundreds of count and polling staff to adapt to the additional restrictions due to the pandemic that things go to plan.
“As we draw nearer to the day, I hope the public are making their own plans for voting, and ensuring they know when, where and how to have their say, remembering to put one cross on each paper on the day.
“On polling day there will be additional hygiene and distancing measures at polling places to keep voters and staff safe. These include a fresh pencil for each voter, protective screens for polling staff, one-way systems in some venues, additional ventilation and limits on the number of voters in polling places at any time.
“This year we’ve got the largest electorate we’ve ever had for an election in Edinburgh (401,321 registered to vote) and more than a quarter of these (102,138 people) have opted for a postal vote – the highest number of postal votes we’ve ever had and more than any other Scottish local authority. If you’re voting this way please make sure you post it in plenty of time – they must be received by 10pm on Thursday 6 May.“
As we count down the final few days until voting day on 6 May, we’re counting up some of the key facts about Edinburgh’s vote:
401,321: the number of people registered to vote in the Scottish Parliament Election 2021 in Edinburgh. Of these 102,138 of these are postal voters. This is the highest electorate and number of postal votes ever for an election in Edinburgh and there are more people registered to vote by post in Edinburgh than in any other Scottish Council area.
There are six constituencies in Edinburgh – Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern & Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western. The Lothian Region also includes the three constituencies Almond Valley, Linlithgow and Midlothian North & Musselburgh.
There are 33 individual candidates standing across Edinburgh’s constituencies. 18 parties and one independent are contesting the seven seats available for the Lothian Region, with a total of 94 candidates involved.
140 buildings will be used as polling places on Thursday, 5 May, housing 352 polling stations. Each station will have two ballot boxes – one for the lilac Constituency paper and one for the peach-coloured Region paper.
This year, the Council will employ over 900 polling staff to assist the public to cast their vote – with one presiding officer and at least one polling assistant in each polling station.
The count will take place over two days (Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May), counting three constituencies on each day. Friday: Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western. Saturday: Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith and Edinburgh Pentlands. The results of the regional list vote will be declared on Saturday 8 May.
Over the two-day count, there will be another 300 staff per day tallying votes.
Amongst the equipment used in Edinburgh this May will be:
140 POLLING PLACES
250,000 pencils*
632 bottles of hand gel
140 bottles of anti-bac spray
140 blue rolls
140 boxes of face masks
140 boxes of gloves
280 visors
COUNT VENUE – HIGHLAND HALL, ROYAL HIGHLAND CENTRE
250 bottles of hand gel
36 bottles of anti-bac spray
36 blue rolls
27 cleaning stations
320 clear rubbish bags
3,744 Glacier mints/fruits per day (served in individual cups for each staff member)
660 post-it pads
1068 rubber thimbles
ADDITIONAL FACTS
8526m² – the area of the count venue – Highland Hall at the Royal Highland Centre. This is bigger than the size of a professional football pitch.
At the UK Parliamentary Election in December 2019 turnout in the Capital was high, at an average of 73% across Edinburgh’s five constituencies
Turnout for last Scottish Parliament election in 2016 was approx. 60%
Edinburgh accounts for around 8.7% of Scotland’s electorate – second highest in Scotland after Glasgow.
Three different types of polling booths are used in Edinburgh – aluminium, wood and cardboard.
Polls open at 7am and close at 10pm on 6 May.
*voters are encouraged to bring their own pencil, or can keep the single-use pencils provided at the polling places
This May Day we are reminded of our past struggles for dignity and justice, and the huge challenges we face in defending our members throughout this pandemic.
We have seen all those who delivered vital services during this trying year and have fought to ensure their rights.
Collectively we must address the economic impact of the pandemic, ever growing inequality, structural racism, the rise of far right populism and the climate crisis.
Our fundamental values of internationalism and solidarity endure and we send you and all the workers you represent our warm may day wishes. We know that when we work together across borders we can achieve true and lasting change.
We appreciate and value our continued friendship and look forward to working together over the coming months to achieve equality, social justice, peace, decent work and an end to exploitation.
In solidarity
Frances O’Grady
TUC May Day video
May Day is a moment to remind ourselves that when workers come together across borders, no-one can keep us down.
Officers are appealing for information after a teenage girl was assaulted in Davidson’s Mains Park this morning.
Around 8am on Friday, 30 April, the 14-year-old was walking to school on a footpath through the park when she was assaulted by a male suspect. She was not injured and ran off, on the path through the wooded area, towards Barnton Park Avenue.
The male suspect is described as white, around 6ft tall, aged late 30s to early 40s. He is described as being clean shaven with short brown hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved black hooded top, a yellow high visibility vest and black combat style trousers.
Inspector Keith Forrester, of Corstorphine Police Station, said: ” Thankfully the victim was not injured, however understandably this was an upsetting incident for her.
“It happened near to a local school just before the start of the school day and so there may have been numerous people in the area at that time. I am therefore appealing to anyone who was in the Davidson’s Mains Park area this morning, and saw a man matching this description, to get in touch.
“If you were driving past the park at the time and have a dashcam, I would ask you to check back to see if you have captured footage of the suspect.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1081 of 30 April, 2021
Regulation of the construction industry is essential for a safer and more productive future, election hopefuls from Scotland’s main political parties told a special digital hustings hosted by the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum.
The importance of skills and training in the industry also won unanimous cross-party agreement from panellists during the exclusive event held online this week.
Support for reform of procurement practices and a review of VAT on domestic repairs were other positive talking points – supporting the Forum’s own manifesto suggestions for ways to improve the industry.
The hustings, held via webinar on Tuesday 27 April, featured five candidates currently facing election to the Scottish Parliament:
Carole Ford, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour
Laura Moodie, Scottish Greens
Alexander Stewart, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Kevin Stewart, SNP.
Answering questions from senior Forum representatives and members of a selected audience, all panellists agreed that regulation was essential for the future of the construction industry.
Kevin Stewart said: “It should be the aim of all of us to drive up standards and safety and build trust in people doing day to day work. Why is a security guard a regulated professional when a plumber is not?
“We need to have real debate about the regulatory issues, and a consensus about moving forward on regulation. The Grenfell Inquiry highlights the need to have occupations regulated to keep people safe and give public confidence in construction work.”
Ms Ford agreed, saying: “Professional regulation’s primary purpose is to protect the public, maintain high standards and protect qualifications and standards in the sector.
“The cowboys are doing no favours to those who are properly qualified, so we are totally committed to all measures which would support consumers and protect standards and professional qualifications, and totally in support of having a well-regulated, well respected construction industry which has the confidence of the public.”
Also in favour of regulation was Ms Lennon, who said: “It is important that qualified tradespeople are recognised for their experience and their competence, meaning the public will have confidence in who is coming into their homes or workplace.
“It makes sense to give people confidence in their work and that they will work safely and have pride in what they do, so we fully support measures to improve regulation and improve public safety.”
Training and apprenticeships ‘vitally important’
The importance of skills, training and apprenticeships in the sector was another topic on which all panellists were in full agreement.
Alexander Stewart said: “Economic growth is the cornerstone for this recovery, and construction plays a vital role in that. Skills and training apprenticeships are vitally important and we fundamentally believe that there should be more funding put into it.
“We want to bring people back and get more new people into the industry and ensure that women have more opportunity to become more involved. We also want economic growth, which will only come about through investment in training and support mechanisms.”
Ms Lennon concurred: “Jobs are at the top and at the heart of our manifesto and our vision for the next five years is a roadmap to recovery that focuses on skills – up-skilling, re-skilling and how we can support local government to take on apprentices and use a talented workforce in Scotland to retro-fit homes to tackle fuel poverty and create new jobs in construction and manufacturing.”
Procurement ‘a bugbear that needs resolved’
Questions on procurement reform had been raised by several Forum members ahead of the husting – and again, all five panellists were firm in their convictions that change is needed.
Ms Moodie said: “We believe public procurement could be a real growth boost for small, local businesses that are socially and environmentally responsible and we are committed to reforming procurement requirements that could fulfil that.
“We want to make sure Scottish businesses capture more of the supply chain opportunities, especially from the rise in the growing renewable industry and I believe there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of accessibility and use of online procurement tools.
“We would also like to see more support for small businesses so they can compete on a level playing field with bigger companies in terms of bidding for the work.”
Ms Lennon added: “Procurement is quite simply a bugbear that needs resolved and there are huge opportunities around local engagement and low carbon innovation. SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy and we will reorientate procurement to make sure it works for businesses in Scotland.”
Ms Moodie said it was a “burden on businesses” when they were trying to expand and develop, while Ms Lennon said any changes would unlock plenty of opportunities.
Ms Ford agreed, adding: “The current VAT system is regressive and holding back demand for vital energy efficiency improvements and retrofits.”
Kevin Stewart was also in agreement, adding that VAT was not a devolved matter but that he wanted it reduced or abolished for refurbishment repairs and regeneration projects.
Panellists also responded to one audience member’s point that a recent survey revealed that 52 per cent of homes are not wind and watertight, with £3.8bn spent annually on their repair and maintenance.
Ms Ford replied that in the west of Scotland the factoring issue in tenements needs looked at as well as that of owners’ responsibilities, saying: “The Edinburgh solution has its own problems, but owners and the responsibilities of multi-occupancy properties needs reviewed.”
Kevin Stewart spoke of “educating people” about the importance of properties being wind and watertight and the need to be ambitious in helping more, while namesake Alexander added: “Homes need to be fit for purpose and there is a need to invest in the sector.”
Praise for ‘collective expertise’
Finally, there was one more thing all the panellists agreed upon – the excellent work of the CICV Forum.
The unique collective was formed in early March 2020 in response to the urgent COVID-19 threat and now comprises 29 leading construction trade and professional associations.
Alexander Stewart said: “It’s so important that the Forum is at the table as you have boots on the ground and work closely together to get the plans put into place. All the ideas in the CICV Forum manifesto are very good and we would support you in achieving them.”
Ms Ford agreed, saying: “The level of detail in CICV Forum documents is only possible because of your collective expertise. Working together has generated documentation that is a lot better than if carried out by one organisation.”
Kevin Stewart added: “The Forum has been at forefront of promoting working safely and long may it stay at the table with government. In particular I would like to pay tribute to the construction character Campbell who has been used to promote messaging through your clever use of social media.”
Forum actions include lobbying the Scottish Government to influence policy and push for positive action, as well as providing expert advice on important sector issues including commercial, employment, planning, skills, and health and safety.
Hustings ‘a resounding success’
The hustings format was the brainchild of Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, a key member of the Forum.
He said: “From the feedback we have received from the sector, it was clear that the hustings event was a resounding success and generated a wealth of constructive and thought-provoking answers from our panellists.
“It proved also that construction is very much at the heart of Scotland’s recovery, and that all parties are committed to rebuilding together and investing in a safer and fully skilled industry that will benefit the whole nation.”
Bank of Scotland’s Business Barometer for April 2021 shows:
Scottish business confidence rose 11 points to 9% in April, the first net-positive reading since February 2020
But firms are still expecting to reduce staffing levels over the coming months
Overall UK business confidence at highest level since September 2018 as lockdown restrictions lift in England and firms in Scotland and Wales begin to reopen
Business confidence in Scotland rose 11 points during April to 9%, the first positive reading since February 2020, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking.
Companies in Scotland reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up 10 points at 5%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up 11 points to 13%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 9%.
The Business Barometer questions 1,200 businesses monthly and provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.
When it comes to jobs, a net balance of 9% of firms expect to reduce staff levels in the next year, down from 20% last month.
Overall UK business confidence surged 14 points in April to 29%, the highest reading since September 2018. The result follows the reopening of outdoor hospitality venues and non-essential retail and personal services providers in England and comes ahead of further restrictions easing in Wales and Scotland. Firms’ confidence in their own business prospects rose by 14 points to 26% and their optimism in the economy increased by 15 points to 32%.
Most UK regions and nations reported a month-on-month increase in confidence during April, with firms in the South West (up 22 points to 30%), London (up 20 points to 32%), the East Midlands (up 20 points to 40%) and Yorkshire and the Humber (up 20 points to 32%) reporting the largest surges.
No nation or region reported a fall in confidence, and nowhere had a net-negative confidence reading for the first time since July 2019.
Fraser Sime, regional director for Scotland at Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking, said:“With hospitality and retail reopening this month, firms are feeling more optimistic as they begin to welcome people back to shop, eat and enjoy what Scotland has to offer.
“While some businesses are still planning to reduce staffing levels this year, it’s encouraging to see the number of companies planning job cuts has decreased month-on-month, a trend we hope to see continue. As lockdown restrictions ease over the coming weeks, we will continue to stand by Scottish businesses as they look to their recovery.”
Confidence increased in all sectors, with manufacturing and retail confidence levels at three-year highs. Manufacturing stood out as the most positive sector (40%), likely reflecting strong global demand and notwithstanding ongoing supply chain issues. Retail confidence jumped to 39%, while construction confidence also increased to 28%. Services confidence rose to 25%, which was also the highest it has been since 2018.
Paul Gordon, Managing Director for SME and Mid Corporates, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said:“It’s very encouraging to report a continued improvement in sentiment for the UK’s regions and nations, particularly the Northern English regions that are leading the upward trend.
“In the sectors, the story is broadly positive – especially manufacturing and retail, which stood out and reported confidence levels at three-year highs. The retail sector, specifically, experienced some much-needed relief this month with the easing of lockdown restrictions.
“We hope that pent-up consumer demand will drive growth as the economy reopens further.”
Hann-Ju Ho, Senior Economist, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said:“A third consecutive monthly rise in business confidence alongside the highest level of confidence for two-and-a-half years tells us a positive story about the UK’s continued economic recovery and leaves us optimistic about the road ahead.
“While uncertainties remain regarding the evolution of the pandemic, this month’s improvement in sentiment reflects a further easing of COVID-19 restrictions, while progress in vaccine deployment is raising hopes that the negative impact of the health crisis will continue to fall in the months ahead as the economy reopens.”
Disadvantaged young people across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk have received a financial boost with the launch of a new partnership between Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids and Charles River Laboratories.
The pharma company has presented the charity with a donation of £10,000 and pledged to raise more vital funds in the future. The donation will go directly towards the next grant round of funding, supporting community groups and families – many of whom are facing a financial emergency in the pandemic.
As part of the partnership, colleagues at Charles River Laboratories have signed up to take part in the Virtual Kiltwalk as well as Cash for Kids’ own Virtual Tour de Forth event. They’ll also provide a team of volunteers for the next Mission Christmas campaign in December.
Edinburgh-based Director at Charles River Laboratories, Morag Myers, said:“After such a challenging year for fundraising, we are hopeful that this initial donation of £10,000 will go a long way to help families in our local community and have a positive impact on the lives of children and young people.
“At Charles River, our purpose is clear, and our passion is strong: together, we create healthier lives. One of our key values is Care and one of the ways that we demonstrate this is by supporting the communities where we work and live. By Supporting Cash For Kids we are looking forward to doing just that.”
Charity Manager at Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids, Victoria Hendry, added:“2020 was a hugely challenging year for our charity, with events and numerous fundraisers cancelled, but it was thanks to the efforts of our individual and corporate supporters that we were able to re-open grant funding towards the end of the year.
“We’ve already supported more than 7,000 children in 2021, with over £110,000 in financial support so far.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Scottish team at Charles River Laboratories for their generous donation and commitment to go even further for us in the future. The pandemic has proved to us that every single penny we raise can make a difference. Their donation will change lives for the better and help Cash for Kids reach and help even more young people right across the region.”
The Disasters Emergency Committee has extended its Coronavirus Appeal to include India as an additional country that will receive urgent life-saving humanitarian assistance to help the most vulnerable communities as they face an overwhelming coronavirus surge.
DEC member charities, together with their local teams and partners, are playing a critical role in supporting the country’s health services, assisting efforts to slow the spread of the virus, and providing further help to the most vulnerable households.
DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said: “We have all seen the devastating images from India showing hospitals overrun and oxygen supplies falling short of demand, with thousands of people unable to receive potentially life-saving treatment. Several cities have imposed lockdowns and curfews, which will have a knock-on effect for people’s livelihoods, with the poorest and most marginalised communities hit hardest.
“DEC member charities have a long history of working with these communities and are supporting overwhelmed health services by providing medical supplies, treatment facilities and logistics assistance. With the generous support of the UK public, we can do even more to help the most vulnerable communities as they face a life-or-death situation.”
The countries in which DEC charities are responding to Covid-19 through donations to the DEC Coronavirus Appeal will be expanded to include India. The appeal, which was launched in July 2020, has been helping the poorest communities in a number of countries including Yemen, Syria and South Sudan tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
DEC charities will be supporting India’s health system by:
providing PPE, disinfection kits, medical supplies and ambulances
setting up isolation facilities, including provision of beds and latrines
setting up temporary Covid hospitals and Covid care centres
providing logistical support to quarantine or isolation centres
providing ventilators and oxygen concentrators to the Indian government
running helplines to tackle misinformation by providing up-to-date information on the availability of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and Covid vaccines.
They will also scale up preventive measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 amongst the most vulnerable communities including:
setting up handwashing stations and distributing soap, sanitiser and masks
distributing hygiene kits (consisting of washable masks, sanitiser, gloves, face shields, soap)
supporting vaccination drives and public health messaging on the importance of good hygiene
disinfecting public places
training community health volunteers in how to, for example, promote quarantine centres and screen people for Covid symptoms.
DEC charities will also provide additional support to the poorest and most vulnerable households by:
ensuring families get enough food to prevent malnutrition, particularly amongst children, by distributing food and care packs to people in isolation; providing cash, vouchers and dry rations; providing livelihoods training and cash for work
providing mental health support as well as community counselling services
delivering community outreach to older people e.g. transportation for Covid testing or treatment, and assistance with vaccination costs
supporting Ministries of Education to ensure safe school operations as well as support to children, families and teachers to continue education if schools are closed
strengthening water and sanitation systems.
To make a donation to the DEC Coronavirus Appeal visit www.dec.org.uk, call the 24-hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, or send a cheque to DEC Coronavirus Appeal, PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA.
To donate £10 text SUPPORT to 70150. Texts cost £10 and the whole £10 goes to the DEC CORONAVIRUS APPEAL. You must be 16 or over and please ask the bill payer’s permission. For full terms and conditions and more information go to www.dec.org.uk.
Donations will help provide the following: £30 could provide six families with enough soap for a month; £50 could provide essential hygiene kits to two families; £100 could provide PPE for one frontline health worker for four months.
Stay up to date with developments on Twitter: www.twitter.com/decappeal or on Facebook via www.facebook.com/DisastersEmergencyCommittee
Some passengers arriving in the UK are having to extend their quarantine or pay for additional Covid tests as private labs are failing to deliver results on time, Which? has found, raising concerns about the capacity of the UK’s travel testing system weeks before international travel is set to re-open.
Currently, anyone arriving in the UK (unless exempt) must quarantine for a mandatory 10 days and take a PCR test on day two and day eight of their quarantine. These tests typically cost between £160 and £200, but can cost over £500. Travellers must receive negative results for both tests to leave quarantine after day 10.
However, social media and review sites have been flooded with complaints about test result delays, with a Facebook group for people suffering problems with the system amassing around 1,500 members, and Which? has also heard from travellers who did not receive their test results within 10 days.
Without test results, travellers face having to pay hundreds of pounds for additional tests or stay in quarantine for longer than they need to, potentially causing problems for those who cannot work from home.
The consumer champion also understands that at present, only four private test providers out of more than 500 on the government’s list of providers have been accredited – Nationwide Pathology, Source Bioscience, Oncologica and Eurofins Forensic Services. Of those four, only Nationwide Pathology and Oncologica offer day two and day eight test kits, raising concerns about oversight of the test providers.
With mass travel set to resume next month, Which? is concerned that the travel test system – which is already struggling to handle demand when international travel is restricted – is at risk of being overwhelmed, and potentially collapsing when restrictions are lifted.
Erkal Taskin, who returned from Turkey after visiting his ill father in early April, told Which? that he didn’t receive his day two test kit from Anglia, a government-listed test provider, until he had been in the UK for a week.
Only after he contacted Anglia through Twitter and Which? responded to his tweets did it promise him a refund. It finally gave him his day two result 15 days after he had arrived in the country, and he still has not received his day eight result.
Anglia apologised for the problems, and described the case as “an extreme outlier even in terms of the small number of cases where our client has had some processing or fulfilment issues.”
Erkal added: “I wasn’t sure when I could leave my house and there was no one to ask. I ended up waiting for so long before I could go back to work, which was a huge problem.”
Another person complained on Trustpilot about a different provider, claiming that after they didn’t receive results for their day two test, they paid for a ‘Day Five Test to Release Kit’ – which would have allowed them to end their quarantine early on receipt of a negative result – but said “now on day nine, [we] still have no results, so [it was a] waste of £110 plus £175.”
While some providers have blamed delays with Royal Mail deliveries, Royal Mail told Which? there have been no reported delays in its network related to use of the company’s priority post boxes for managing travellers’ test results.
Oncologica, one of the largest laboratories that has partnered with many government-listed test providers, apologised on its website for delays and said there has been an “unprecedented increase in Covid testing enquiries and kit orders received since government travel rules were introduced”.
Nationwide Pathology also apologised on its site for “large scale disruption to the delivery of both kits and samples”.
Despite travellers failing to receive their Covid test results on time, many have not been offered refunds. Both Oncologia and Nationwide Pathology said they did not guarantee test results within 10 days, with the latter claiming guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care means that it doesn’t have to provide refunds “where there’s no issue with the testing service”.
Under the proposed traffic light system, arrivals from ‘green’ countries must take day two tests, and those from ‘amber’ and ‘red’ countries must take day two and day eight tests, which will mean hundreds of thousands more people rely on the testing system.
Which? is urging the government to urgently address the problems currently affecting the PCR testing market with regard to availability of information, accreditation, pricing and accessibility of tests, as well as the poor quality of service by some providers. It must also ensure there are effective consumer protections in place for travellers in the event of any problems with testing, ahead of reopening travel after 17 May.
Rory Boland, Which? Travel Editor, said: “The UK’s travel testing system can’t cope with demand, even when relatively small numbers of people are travelling. It’s clear the system could buckle under the pressure when mass international travel restarts and hundreds of thousands more people are reliant on it.
“Travellers shouldn’t have to shop around for something as crucial as a test provider – they simply need a service that is accessible, reliable, and delivered on time. It is critical that the Government addresses issues with testing ahead of restarting international travel, and ensure that travellers are not left to the mercy of poor quality providers or unreliable services when trying to do the right thing in following government requirements to travel safely.”
Oncologicatold Which? it can process up to 40,000 Covid-19 tests a day and that it hadn’t yet reached capacity. A spokesperson said: “Postal service quality is outside our control; however, we make customers aware of the possibility of shipment delays arising from postal deliveries.
“This can relate to sample returns indicating they have been returned “delivered” in the Royal Mail tracked postal system, whereas in fact samples may not yet have been delivered to Oncologica and only have arrived at a Royal Mail depot, which can take up to 24 hours to deliver onto us. In the vast majority of cases, our customers experience no delays and our kits and results are supplied in a timely manner.”
It said that it couldn’t comment on claims by third party test providers that they’d received its results late.
Nationwide Pathology said: “We recognise the significant frustrations that UK International Arrivals are currently facing and we all are working extremely hard to make the process as user friendly as possible.
“We also recognise the significant costs involved for families which is why we have consistently, since the start of this process in March 2021, been one of the least expensive providers on the DHSC list.
“Nationwide Pathology is committed to providing the best service possible. We have performed over 80,000 Day 2 and Day 8 covid tests since the end of March 2021. The vast majority of our clients have no issue and are very happy with the service they receive. Our complaints KPI is 0.29%.
“Unfortunately, even though we use Royal Mail, who are a gold standard logistics provider, they have experienced some delays in getting samples to us. We understand how important results are to customers, but we are simply unable to test a sample that we do not have.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “There are no reported delays in our network related to people using Royal Mail’s priority post boxes to manage their test results. In fact we continue to receive praise for the high quality of the service we provide to the nation. Every day we service hundreds of thousands of test kits on behalf of the NHS both speedily and efficiently.
“For overseas travellers, the management of test kits, samples and results is carried out through several private companies. In some instances, some of these companies may use a Royal Mail tracked returns service to deliver test results.
“In such cases, we deliver mail items in line with the service specification agreed with the sending companies. Every item of mail is important to us. We are committed to delivering the highest levels of service for all our customers.
“We have lots of capacity in our network to continue to deliver these mail items to a high level of service even if there is an increase in demand.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “We are carefully monitoring issues raised by the public, raising every complaint with private test providers. We also monitor all providers’ performance, including their delivery and test turnaround times.
“We will take rapid action against any company that is providing an inadequate service. In the first instance, they will receive a warning and are given five days to demonstrate they have addressed concerns, and if not, they are removed from the gov.uk list.”
A spokesperson for Anglia DNA Services said: “We unreservedly apologise for any receipt, delivery, and/or processing issues in this case, one of a very small minority of such issues over the last weeks in which we have successfully fulfilled over 10,000 ‘2 and 8’ day tests for our customers.
“The individual you reference is being fully refunded as is our policy, with our apologies again.”
