Greater Glasgow launches drop-in COVID vaccination centres for people aged 40 and over

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has announced the latest stage in its fight against COVID-19.

The First Minister announced yesterday that Glasgow is to remain in level three lockdown for a further week.
 
Six months into the vaccination programme, and with nearly one million people having received their first dose, NHSGGC is opening drop-in vaccination centres for people aged 40 years and over.
 
If you are 40 or over and have not yet had your first dose of vaccine, or have waited more than 10 weeks for your second dose of Astra Zeneca – in other words, if you had your first dose in March – you can come along to one of the centres listed below from today (Saturday 29th May) and get vaccinated.
 
People will be seen on a first come first served basis, and there will be a set capacity each day. Future dates will be made available if required and we will use our social media channels to keep you regularly updated about potentially busy periods at each of the centres.
 
For more information, go to our website at NHSGGC: Drop-In Vaccinations 

Drop-in centre locations and times:

Saturday 29th May: 

  • Mobile vaccination unit, New Victoria Ambulatory Care Hospital, Minor Injuries Unit car park, 11am-6.30pm

Sunday 30th:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm

Monday 31st:

  • Glasgow Club Easterhouse, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Club Donald Dewar, 9am-6pm
  • Hub Community Centre Clydebank, 9am-3pm

Tuesday 1st June:

  • Mobile vaccination unit, Govan Housing Association Car Park, 35 McKechnie Street, Govan, Glasgow, G51 3AQ, 11am-6.30pm
  • Lagoon Leisure Centre, Paisley, 9am-6pm

Wednesday 2nd:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Lagoon Leisure Centre, Paisley, 9am-6pm
  • Allander Leisure Centre, Bearsden, 9am-6pm
  • Mobile Vaccination Unit, Shields Health and care Centre Shields Centre, 80 McCulloch Street, Pollockshields, G41 1NX, 11am-6:30pm

Thursday 3rd:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Alexandria Community Centre, 9am-3pm
  • Barmulloch Community Centre, Glasgow, 9am-6pm

Friday 4th:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Barrhead Foundry, 9am-3pm
  • Carmichael Hall, Eastwood, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Club Castlemilk, 9am-3pm
  • Port Glasgow, 9am-3pm

Saturday 5th:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Carmichael Hall, Eastwood, 9am-6pm
  • Renfrew Leisure Centre, 9am-3pm
  • Johnstone Town Hall, 9am-3pm

Sunday 6th:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Kirkintilloch Leisure Centre, 9am-3pm
  • Greenock Town Hall, 9am-6pm
  • Concorde Centre, Dumbarton, 9am-3pm

Glasgow will move to Level 2 from next weekend as long as key indicators remain stable or fall, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday.

In line with the recommendation of the National Incident Management Team (NIMT), the First Minister said there are signs that the situation is stabilising in the postcodes at the heart of the initial outbreak and across the city generally, and that, if that trend continues, the city can move to Level 2 from 00:01 on Saturday 5 June.

The First Minister said yesterday: “Case levels in Glasgow are uncomfortably high but there are signs of progress. So the view of the National Incident Management Team is that it would be premature to move Glasgow out of Level 3 this week while the situation remains so fragile. However, if incidence continues to stabilise, and assuming levels of hospitalisation remain reasonably stable, they will support a move to Level 2 from the end of next week.

“Of course, it is necessary that we do see progress continue. We will be watching the critical statistics carefully every day. If the massive public health efforts continue to have an impact; if our collective efforts continue to drive the virus back; then from next Saturday – 5 June – the plan would be for the city to move to Level 2.

“But, I need to be very clear. We need to see the positive signs to continue to make that a reality. To give as much advance notice as possible, I intend to confirm any decision to Parliament no later than Wednesday of next week.

“So, my message to the people of Glasgow is, don’t lose heart. I live in the city, so I know how hard this is. But please, continue to help with all of the public health efforts that are in place. If we continue to do that, we will move out of Level 3 quickly.

“In particular, please come forward for the vaccine – not just the first, but both doses. And that applies to young people too. This virus can and does make people ill – being young is not a cast iron protection against it. Far from it – a high proportion of the, albeit relatively low, number of hospital cases now are amongst younger age groups.”

Bouncy Castle Safety Warning

1.7 million adults in Scotland planning on hosting a garden party this summer

1.7  million adults in Scotland will be hosting a garden party during the summer, according to a new YouGov poll and 7 per cent intend to hire a bouncy castle for their event – meaning as many as 120,000  inflatables will be in use in private gardens, yet new research has also revealed that one in three (32 per cent) of bouncy castle operators are not up-to-date with inflatable inspections after the lockdown.

The research, released by the Register of Play Inspectors International (RPII) – an international body for training inflatable inspectors and operators – and national inflatable inspection scheme PIPA – also reveals that 31 per cent of adults in Scotland don’t know what to ask regarding the safety of the bouncy castle at the point of booking one.

Yet despite this, almost one in 10 (9 per cent) of adults have witnessed an accident or injury on a bouncy castle, many of which could be prevented.

The RPII and PIPA have joined forces to launch a new campaign called #BounceSafe, supported by singer and mum-of-two Suzanne Shaw, which aims to get parents and those booking inflatables to take the appropriate safety steps to help ensure safe usage during this summer surge, and reduce the number of accidents and injuries.

Suzanne Shaw, singer and mum said: “After the year we have all had, it’s not a surprise to see millions of people will be hosting garden parties and what better way to entertain the kids than with a bouncy castle.

“I’m supporting the #BounceSafe campaign to send an important message to parents and those hiring the inflatables at-home to please make sure they ask the right questions when they hire and follow the safety advice on the day to help reduce the number of accidents. We all have a role to play in keeping the kids bouncing safe and it’s so important to supervise the inflatable at all times.”

The campaign is calling for people who hire bouncy castles for at-home use to do three things:

  • Ask the 3 key questions of the operator at the point when they hire – Do you have a PIPA tag and number, are you insured and have you done the RPII operator training during the last 3 years?
  • Supervise the bouncy castle at all times once the operator leaves a private at-home event.
  • Follow simple safety advice during the event and brief users about the rules before they go on.

When it comes to supervision, 82 per cent of all adults in Scotland do not know that if they have hired the bouncy castle, they are fully and legally responsible for the safety of the children on it when the operator leaves the event whilst one in five (20 per cent) have witnessed bouncy castles being completely unsupervised while children are on it.

The inflatables industry has been hit hard during the COVID pandemic. The RPII’s research reveals that 56 per cent of operators have suffered financially with 70 per cent having to temporarily close the business, 24 per cent furlough staff and 50 per cent adapt their business model over the last 12 months.  The research also reveals the support from the public for the industry as one in seven (15 per cent) want to support their local inflatables business after the lockdown.

Matthew Sweed, Technical Director of Inflatables at the RPII, said: “We are launching our #BounceSafe campaign today to help keep children all over the UK bouncing safely this summer and reduce the number of accidents and injuries.

“By following some simple safety advice, everyone can play an important part in the safe hiring and safe usage of inflatables. As part of the campaign we are also urging all inflatable operators to ensure their castles are up to date with their annual inspection and that operators have also participated in our operator training programme during the last 3 years.”

And when attending a garden party with a bouncy castle, 25 per cent said there were too many children on the bouncy castle at any one time and a quarter (24 per cent) said they saw children climbing on the bouncy castle walls which is the most common cause of accidents.

Sweed continued: “It’s really important that those hiring the inflatable supervise the users at all times after the operator leaves. We know it’s something not all parents are aware of, but it has a huge impact on accident rates.“

As part of the #BounceSafe campaign, the RPII is launching a new digital training programme for all bouncy castle operators which they can complete online and a new website for hirers to access simple safety information – www.bouncesafe.org.uk.

Islander: the Paintings of Donald Smith exhibition opens tomorrow

This summer the City Art Centre and Ann Lanntair, Stornoway present, Eileanach: Na dealbhan aig Dòmhnall Mac a’ Ghobhainn / Islander: The Paintings of Donald Smith. Running from 29 May to 26 September

This landmark display, part of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2021, is the first major retrospective of the work of Scottish artist Donald Smith (1926-2014).

Born in rural Lewis in 1926, Donald John Smith was, as Gray’s School of Art Principal Ian Fleming wrote in 1958 – ‘the outstanding student of his year … unquestionably a man of great ability as an artist’.  

His painting acknowledged movements in Europe and America but remained resolutely local in its subject matter. From his studio on the west side of Lewis where he worked from 1974 to his death in 2014, his intense, lyrical images of island fishermen and women celebrate their indomitable human spirit. 

In 2011, five of Donald Smith’s ambitious paintings of Stornoway harbour were exhibited at the City Art Centre in ‘Window to the West’, an examination of the relationship between the visual arts and Gaelic language and culture.

In the accompanying catalogue, Professor Murdo Macdonald suggested that a full evaluation of Donald Smith’s prolific and focused work was overdue.

This exhibition, a partnership project between the City Art Centre and An Lanntair Gallery in Stornoway, is part of that process.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: I’m delighted that the City Art Centre is able to showcase this fantastic exhibition of the rarely seen works of Donald Smith.

“Islander” will allow visitors to discover the man behind the works celebrating the power of the human spirit.”

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Edinburgh’s Vice Convener of Culture and Communities said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to showcase a Scottish artist whose work will be new to many people. It’s been fantastic to welcome our visitors back to the centre and this is another great exhibition for them to explore.

Curator David Patterson said: “The City Art Centre has made a deliberate attempt in recent years to showcase Scottish artists who have largely been overlooked in the story of Scottish art.

“We are therefore delighted to be partnering with An Lanntair in Stornoway to shine the spotlight on another unheralded painter. Donald Smith may not be well known by many, but hopefully this exhibition will go some way to rectify this and draw attention to a unique talent.”

Donald Smith was uniquely placed to connect the Gaelic world of the West with the English-speaking mainstream. He left the island to study at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, continuing to live and work in Aberdeenshire until his return to the island in 1974.

While working as a portrait painter and teacher, Smith developed a structured, contemporary approach to painting. Being one of a number of post-war Scottish artists responding to swift social and cultural change, he saw himself as an outward looking Gael, with one foot in the culture of mainland Scotland, and one in the Hebrides. As a teacher he was dedicated and inspiring. 

“…it was Donald Smith who guided our first steps and when, decades later I saw his paintings, I was delighted that they more than measured up to the man and the impression he had made on my younger self.” Arthur Watson PPRSA

Based in a crofting community on the West Side of Lewis from 1974 to his death in 2014, alongside extensive local commitments including teaching, crofting, grazings committee and community council, a steady flow of portraits, large oil panels and works on paper emerged from his studio. Island fishermen and women were transformed into iconic images of working people. Working from many hundreds of drawings and photographs, balancing the competing demands of three-dimensional space and painted surface, these are intensely lyrical paintings, celebrating the indomitability of the human spirit.

The writer and educationalist R F Mackenzie, visiting Bragar in the late 1980s found “….an artist struggling to present how he sees the earthly sojourn of fishermen, big hands deftly mending nets, a grey hard life, and the primary colours of their boats and the magnificent variety of their tackle and trim, the expression on their faces like those of the Rodel tombs and the ancient Chessmen.”

The work of Donald Smith has been exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy, the Society of Scottish Artists, Aberdeen Artists, and many other locations. In 2019 An Lanntair staged a major display of his work to great local acclaim, although sadly a wider tour had to be curtailed due to the pandemic.

He is represented in public collections including the Nuffield Foundation, the BBC, and Art for Hospitals, with many works held in private collections. This exhibition celebrates the work of Donald Smith and attempts to address the evaluation that Professor Macdonald sought.

The exhibition is accompanied by a varied programme of public events and activities, including tours, lectures and creative workshops. All events must be booked in advance. To book please visit www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk

In keeping with Government advice in order to protect and maintain the safety of our visitors and staff, the City Art Centre has introduced a range of new safety measures and procedures throughout the venue, including a one way system, installation of screens at reception, hand sanitiser stations, extra barriers and signage and staff will of course be wearing coverings while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome.

Visitors are asked to wear face coverings and to pre-book free tickets for allocated time slots in advance via edinburghmuseums.org.uk

Islander: the Paintings of Donald Smith opens on Saturday 29th May 2020, and runs until Sunday 26th September. Admission is free, pre-booking essential.

Visitors to the gallery can also enjoy the free mini display Joan Eardley (1921-1963). The works included are: Girl in a Striped Cardigan, Tenement, Old Woman Sewing and July Fields. It is part of the nationwide programme of events marking the centenary of the birth of Joan Eardley. 

Edinburgh sees biggest taxi surge in UK since lockdown eased

Ride-hailing app, FREE NOW, has reached a post-Covid record level of bookings since indoor hospitality reopened on Monday 17th May.

With its data showing an 38% increase in demand week-on-week in the UK, the company is now recruiting 10,000 more drivers as national restrictions ease further and social mobility grows to meet the growing demand that is set to sky-rocket once the UK fully reopens.  

Since England moved from stage 2 to 3 in the lockdown roadmap last week, taxi journey numbers on the FREE NOW app are approaching pre-pandemic levels, with daily volumes fluctuating around 90% of values from early March 2020, before the first lockdown.

Demonstrating a level of increased confidence amongst Brits, there has been a 150% increase in rides compared to the earlier stage of the lockdown in April. On May 17th, bookings during ‘Beer O’Clock’ – between 5 and 6pm – skyrocketed 107% week-on-week, as people could go to an indoor restaurant or a pub after work for the first time since early November.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular day for travelling last week was Friday largely thanks to a huge growth in the evening as people were hitting the pubs and restaurants. Friday and Saturday night between 11pm – Midnight became the busiest ride-hailing time slot of the week for the first time this year.

On a regional level, in London, it seems that the West End is alive again, with Tottenham Court Road experiencing a whopping 188% rise in rides week-on-week, and Leicester Square 184%, the two largest increases in requests in the capital. 

Among other cities, Edinburgh registered the highest overall weekly growth (108%) with Leith Walk (up by 400%) and Royal Mile (up by 330%) being among the hottest spots.

In Reading, bookings to and from Reading Uni tripled, similarly to Hove Lawns in Brighton and Hove. 

Mariusz Zabrocki, General Manager at FREE NOW, comments: “It’s great to see the UK come alive again as the restrictions continue to ease, following what has been an extremely tough year for all, including the travel and transport industry.

“With many people having lost their jobs during the pandemic, we’re pleased to be recruiting such a large number of drivers across the UK; it’s essential that we can keep up with the growing demand so people can move freely with ease.

“Unlike some of our ride-hailing competitors, we focus on putting driver wellbeing first, and we look forward to welcoming more drivers to the FREE NOW family.” 

Wave of Thanks

Your chance to thank an inspirational educator or school on Edinburgh’s billboards

People across Edinburgh are being asked to send in messages to thank schools and members of the education community that have supported them during the pandemic. These messages will then be placed on billboards across the city, to show appreciation and raise awareness of everything educators have done to help others. 

Through repeated lockdowns and with remote teaching and social distancing, the teaching community of Edinburgh have gone the extra mile to support their pupils. Whether it’s a teacher who helped a pupil struggling at home, a lunchtime supervisor who kept everyone safe at meal times or a teaching assistant that is an unsung hero – it is hoped the messages will highlight individuals and schools that have made a difference. 

People are invited to send in their messages in any format to show their appreciation, be this a drawing, written message, poem or video.

They can be submitted to appear on the billboards using this nomination form https://www.twinkl.co.uk/giveaways/thank-you-bundles before 6th June, by sending to waveofthanks@twinkl.co.uk or by simply posting on social media using the hashtag #WaveOfThanksEdinburgh by Wednesday 23rd June.

The digital billboards will be live from Thursday 10th to Thursday 24th June, located at the Edinburgh Arch and local supermarkets. 

Any schools nominated using the form before 6th June will also be in with the chance of receiving one of 500 wellbeing bundles. These will be packed full of goodies including tea and biscuits (staples of staff rooms around the world), thank you postcards and notepads and pens.

The billboard messages are part of a campaign organised by the educational resource publisher Twinkl, with the charity Mind and school supplier YPO, after they recognised the huge lengths educators have gone to for others throughout the past year. The campaign includes a range of other activities and surprises that celebrate educators for their dedication and give people an opportunity to thank someone close to their heart. 

As part of this, the public sector buying organisation YPO, which supplies materials and contract support to schools across the UK, is sending 100 surprise ‘Thank you’ gifts to teachers and school staff. They will also be running a competition to give communities a chance to name 40 new delivery fleet vehicles after inspirational teachers. 

Leon Smith, Chief Customer Officer at Twinkl, said: “The wellbeing bundles and billboards are a way of showing school staff how valued and appreciated they are. We’d love them to see a heartfelt message of thanks on a billboard on their way to work, giving them a boost after such a challenging year.

“Despite the difficulties they have faced, educators have gone above and beyond to offer the very best teaching, care and support during the pandemic. It’s so important to show them how thankful people are for their ongoing support and commitment to their pupils.”

To find out more, please visit: www.twinkl.co.uk/wave-of-thanks 

ESTATE moves to Pennywell

Jimmy Cauty’s new installation, ESTATE, has been transported to Muirhouse for a month long residency from the end of May and throughout June 2021.

ESTATE is a dystopian model village experience featuring four abandoned concrete tower blocks at 1:24 scale (approx 2 metres high) housed in a 40-foot shipping container.

The tower blocks each serve a different function in the ESTATE and contain amusing scenes of mass social, economic and environmental devastation.

Produced by L-13 Light Industrial Workshop, ESTATE is hosted in Edinburgh by new producing collective, the Society of Spectacles.

This follows the 2016 residency of Cauty’s previous work, The Aftermath Dislocation Principle, at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh.

ESTATE Edinburgh moves out of the city centre to form part of L-13’s UK-wide MdZ ESTATE Tour, which has already been seen in Hull and Stoke-on-Trent.

ESTATE will be presented in the car park off Pennywell Road, next to North Edinburgh Arts.

ESTATE is viewed either individually or in social bubbles in pre-booked 10-minute slots scheduled every 15-minutes. Viewers then walk through a 40-foot shipping container to explore the tower blocks.

WARNING: The experience includes smoke, strobe lighting, wind, loud noise, tiny TV broadcasts, and is suitable for adults and children ages 5+.

ESTATE has been designed so it can be toured and viewed in compliance with Covid-19 hygiene and social distancing measures, and is wheelchair accessible.

As lockdown eases for the time being and the full long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic begin to dawn, ESTATE is a glimpse into an uncertain future that looks increasingly familiar.

Advance bookings for free entry to view ESTATE are essential.

10-minute viewing slots available to book on Thursdays to Saturdays, May 28th-June 26th (Thursday & Friday 10am – 4pm, Saturday 10am – 1pm).

ESTATE will be presented off-site in the nearby car park, near North Edinburgh Arts. To learn more and book your free place, click here.

Police week of action targets ‘County Lines’ drug dealers

Police Scotland officers across the country took part in a UK-wide week of activity targeting County Lines drugs dealers – who exploit the most vulnerable people in our communities, including children and young adults.

County Lines refers to criminals from larger cities who expand their operations into smaller towns. They endeavour to exploit young and vulnerable people to sell drugs, carry cash and weapons – bringing violence, coercion and abuse. They may also take over a vulnerable person’s house, or cuckooing.

Police Scotland’s Assistant Chief Constable Pat Campbell, said: “County Lines gangs are not welcome in Scotland. They groom and exploit the most vulnerable people in our communities including children and young people. People are intimidated, coerced, threatened and force into storing or selling drugs.”

During the national intensification week between Monday 17 and Sunday 23 May 2021 – co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) – proactive action by officers in Scotland saw engagement with 29 vulnerable people and 64 addresses, believed to be used for the purposes of cuckooing, were visited.

20 people were arrested and controlled drugs – heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of £40,000 – were seized.

Over £20,000 in cash was recovered. Offensive weapons, including a Taser, two machetes and two large knives, a number of mobile phones, a laptop and almost £500 of counterfeit cash, were also seized.

County Lines gangs are known to use the postal system to transport drugs, and during the week of activity a number of post offices in Police Scotland’s Highlands and Islands Division were visited by the Dog Unit.

A package containing high-purity cocaine, with a street value of more than £25,000, was intercepted and a subsequent search of a property in Simpson Place in Dingwall saw cannabis worth around £40,000 being recovered. A 32-year-old man was arrested and enquiries are ongoing.

Assistant Chief Constable Campbell added: “Our officers remain absolutely committed to working with our partners to reduce the exploitation of vulnerable people and safeguard individuals who may be at risk, and pursue offenders.

“Together we will provide support to those targeted by unscrupulous criminals, to reduce ongoing risk and enable recovery; and we will continue to make Scotland a hostile environment to those who seek to engage in criminal activity. The positive results during the day of action are an example of this work which will continue in support of the Serious and Organised Crime Strategy and the Drug Harm Reduction Strategy.

“As ever, I would urge anyone with concerns to report them to Police Scotland or alternatively to Crime stoppers anonymously.”

Cramond’s Jonathan visits his showhome bedroom creation

A GIFTED Cramond Primary pupil who won a design competition to create a showhome bedroom has finally had the opportunity to see his creation come to life.

After impressing the judges earlier this year, Jonathan Anderson, 11, visited the new Cammo Meadows development by CALA Homes (East), with his parents, ahead of the showhomes launching on 29 May.

Jonathan’s designs centred on a jungle theme, creating a striking digital moodboard to a detailed brief and floorplan, while budgeting for all of the items included.

Leading interior designer, Eileen Kesson of Envision had presented the project to the 51-strong two P7 classes – and selected Jonathan’s entry for its originality and attention to detail.

Eileen was subsequently able to source individual items, such as a fun wall tropical mural, specially printed for the home, green furniture, jungle toys and LED lights throughout.

Jonathan said: “I really enjoyed picking out the things to put in the bedroom and I decided to have a desk because I could draw and do my homework on it.

“It’s rainforest themed, with green, yellow and blue, because I love animals and the outdoors. I wish this was my bedroom!”

Eileen said: “Jonathan’s, and a lot of the entries, were absolutely fantastic but with Jonathan’s design what stood out to me was the colour – it’s so vibrant and exciting and he followed his theme through so completely.

“We asked the children if they could design a room for Sam, a ten-year-old boy, and we gave them a floorplan, a budget and they could take on that blank canvas and make it theirs.

“I love the detail of Jonathan’s room, in particular the bespoke rainforest mural. He asked for the curtains to be yellow because it’s sunny and positive, and he wanted the rug to be blue to simulate a pool in a forest so the detail was fantastic.

“With a showhome you’re looking for themes or threads that will run through the whole house so it’s important you carry them from room to room – and this room was so comprehensive it was quite easy for us to make it happen.”

Alison Cunningham, Marketing Manager at CALA Homes (East), said: “Having Jonathan and his family come to visit the showhome in person was the perfect way to round off what’s been a brilliant project with Cramond Primary.

“Jonathan’s designs really impressed the whole CALA East team too, we’ve been looking forward to the showhomes being ready so Eileen could pull everything together, and to finally see it in person is fantastic.”

His designs feature in The Mallaig, one of the two new showhomes CALA launching at Cammo Meadows on Saturday, which is situated near to Cramond Primary School.

Cammo Meadows is a development of detached homes, terraced homes and apartments next to the Cammo Estate nature reserve.

The development is minutes from Cramond Primary School and is also surrounded by a multitude of green outdoor spaces, a wildflower meadow, with a new woodland to be created as part of the development.

Built in 1975, Cramond Primary School is a non-denominational school that serves Cramond and the surrounding areas of northwest Edinburgh. The school has more than 400 pupils and is part of the Royal High School cluster.

For more information on Cammo Meadows, please visit:

https://www.cala.co.uk/homes-for-sale/scotland/edinburgh/cammo-meadows/

Scotland set for first new vet school in 150 years

  • Scotland’s Rural College looks to create Scotland’s first new school of veterinary medicine since 19th Century 
  • New vet school would widen access and address existing shortage areas in veterinary practice 
  • Report finds vet school could add £26m GVA to Scottish economy by 2030 

Scotland could be home to a new school of veterinary medicine for the first time in more than 150 years. 

The plans were announced today (Friday 28 May) by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), which will offer courses in veterinary medicine ranging from Higher National Diploma to postgraduate degree level.  

Based in Aberdeen but with a footprint across rural Scotland, it will be the first vet school based outside of Edinburgh or Glasgow.  

SRUC, which has more animal and veterinary scientists than almost any other institution in Europe, has a national network of veterinary hubs and consulting offices, providing a solid basis for a distributed model of learning.   

Already the biggest provider of veterinary nursing, livestock husbandry and animal care training in Scotland, SRUC will offer a core veterinary programme to address existing shortages in veterinary provision, in areas such as rural veterinary practice, food production, food safety and animal and public health.  

The school will aim to widen participation using work-based teaching to align student recruitment and employability in  shortage areas, which are essential to support Scotland’s highly prized rural and food sectors.  

A working group will be established to progress the plans for the school. The group will be chaired by Professor Sir Pete Downes, former Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee.  

Sir Pete will be joined by Sheila Voas, Chief Veterinary Officer for Scotland, former NFUS President Nigel Miller, SRUC Board member Jane Craigie, and Dr Kate Richards, who is a non-executive director on the SAC Commercial Board and currently the junior vice president of the RCVS, in line to become President in July. 

Professor Caroline Argo, currently Dean of SRUC’s North Faculty, will lead the project for SRUC. Other members will be announced in due course. 

A report from BiGGAR Economics has found that the vet school could add £26 million GVA and 242 jobs to Scotland by 2030.

 

Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said: “We are an ambitious institution with a bold vision for the future. This is a ground-breaking model to expand access to educational opportunities and broaden the range of potential students who would not ordinarily be able to attend a vet school. It will also help solve existing skills shortages across Scotland.

“We see a key role of the new vet school in sustaining primary agriculture and hence food and drink productivity, with the welfare of both livestock and companion animals at its heart. The school will produce champions for best-in-class animal welfare in support of these industries, which will help improve productivity, effectiveness, and sustainability.” 

“Building on the excellent new facilities we have already announced for Aberdeen and Inverness, there is a lot of work still to be done, but we are ready to seize the opportunity.” 

Linda Prescott-Clements, Director of Education at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), said: “The RCVS looks forward to working with the team at SRUC as it moves towards meeting our accreditation standards, so that its future graduates can join the UK veterinary profession.”