Rachel’s degree project gets international exposure

Sustainable living app showcased at Global Grad Show

Edinburgh Napier product design graduate Rachel Naysmith has won international recognition for a project which rewards good environmental deeds and helps combat climate anxiety.

M.O.S.S. – My Own Sustainable Self – has been selected for the Global Grad Show, an initiative by the Art Dubai Group which showcases 100 potentially world-changing ideas.

The newly-opened exhibition, normally in Dubai but being held online this year, attracted 1,600 applications from 270 universities in 60 countries.

Rachel’s work, and that of three Glasgow-based students, features alongside ideas like a diabetes monitoring earring, a London Underground air pollution solution, an alternative to Styrofoam made of food waste, a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome prevention device and a skin patch that monitors nutrition data.

Rachel, 23, of Insch, Aberdeenshire, developed M.O.S.S. as her major project on her way to a first class B Des (Hons) Edinburgh Napier degree and the 2020 Class Medal, and she was encouraged to enter the Global Grad Show after her work was spotted on Instagram.

The project appears at the interactive online show under the category, “Coping in a complex world: Supporting mental health in challenging online and offline environments”.

M.O.S.S. recognises that people doing their best to follow environmentally-friendly lifestyles can easily become disheartened and feel their personal initiatives count for little when set against the catastrophes which play out on the news.

However, the app-based project keeps motivation levels high by providing targets and allowing users to keep tabs on their own sustainable efforts, and it rewards the achievement of goals with a M.O.S.S. panel housing a mini ecosystem which can be attached to the outside of any building.

“A one metre squared area of moss produces the same amount of oxygen as 78 trees,” said Rachel. “You are not only provided with a visual representation of your efforts but you also help purify the air, reducing air pollution one M.O.S.S. panel at a time.”

She added: “I am very proud of the project and also proud to be one of the first four graduates from Scotland to be represented on this international platform.”

Global Grad Show was launched in 2015 as an exhibition of impact-driven designs from 10 universities, but has grown quickly.

Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, director of Global Grad Show, said: “The diversity of the community of young talented researchers we bring together at Global Grad Show has many facets: they span across six continents, institutions from Ivy League to regional colleges and disciplines from bioengineering through to architecture.

“They do have however, a reassuring common denominator: they investigate problems, social and environmental, that matter for everyone.

“Today we present 100 projects that are, in essence, alternatives and remedies put forward by our global community of graduates whose ambition is to create a future-ready world.”

Rising COVID infection levels highlight concerns over school safety

The EIS has highlighted that the growing number of pupils and teachers infected with COVID-19 is creating increased concern over the effectiveness of COVID mitigations in schools and the safety of pupils, staff and the wider community.

Figures published on a regular basis by the Scottish Government have highlighted week-on-week increases in both the number of pupils and teachers infected with COVID-19 and, also, the number of pupils and teachers absent from school due to being required to self-isolate.

The latest updated figures, published on the Scottish Government website on Friday, indicate that 29,486 pupils were absent from school on 10th November for COVID-related reasons – an increase of 28% on the previous week’s figure of 23,034. For teachers, the figure of 1,559 teachers absent for COVID-related reasons represents an 18% increase on the previous week’s figure of 1,326.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “Our members are increasingly concerned by the week-on-week increase in the number of pupils and staff being infected with COVID-19.

“This, coupled with the increase in the numbers self-isolating, is having a significant impact on education provision and is raising anxiety levels over the effectiveness of safety mitigations in our schools.

“The weekly figures reveal an increasingly bleak picture and are leading to calls from members for a new approach to ensuring the safety of everyone within the school community.

With the Deputy First Minister indicating that some parts of Scotland may soon move to Level 4 restrictions, this will inevitably further heighten concerns over school safety and will prompt consideration of industrial action by our members, if schools are forced to remain fully open when staff feel it is unsafe to do so.”

Mr Flanagan added, “The EIS has repeatedly said that schools remaining fully operational cannot come at the expense of teacher and pupil wellbeing. Blended and remote learning models are increasingly being adopted in other countries to stem increases in COVID infection;  It is time for the Scottish Government to rethink its stance, in light of the rising infection levels, particularly if some areas do move into level 4 in the near future.”

Last week, the EIS issued a survey to its teacher members across Scotland, seeking their views on the effectiveness of COVID safety measures in schools. The survey will close next week and will inform the next steps to be taken by the EIS to protect teachers and pupils from the potential risk of COVID-19 infection.

They EIS survey is seeking members’ views on issues such as: perceptions of current COVID mitigations in their workplaces; attitudes to the Scottish Government’s Strategic Framework and its default position on schools remaining open at all levels; and member willingness or otherwise to support industrial action in response to a refusal to implement a move to blended or remote learning at Level 4, where staff support either contingency.

The survey also includes sections to gauge the specific COVID-related concerns of teachers in vulnerable groups and teachers without permanent contracts.

Covid-19 vaccine: Charity urges priority for parents of children with life limiting conditions

A leading charity is urging the Scottish Government to include parents of children with complex disabilities and life limiting conditions to be amongst the first to receive the promising COVID-19 vaccine.

The plea comes from Kindred, an advocacy organisation supporting parents of children with complex needs, which has warned of the impact on these children if their parents contract the virus and are unable to provide care.

The charity has released a report today (16th November) highlighting the “devastating” impact of the pandemic lockdown on families of children with exceptional health needs.

Kindred is calling for public acknowledgement of the extraordinary efforts of these parents, many of whom had started shielding weeks before lockdown, and has asked for a letter from the Scottish Government to families.  Such a letter would enable parents to feel that their efforts had not gone unnoticed and, in some way, help them come to terms with the trauma experienced over this period.

The charity conducted a survey of parents from 17 local authorities to better understand the ramifications of the lockdown months on these vulnerable families in August 2020 as schools prepared to reopen.1

The results show that:

  • 93 percent of these families experienced an impact on their ability to meet their children’s medical and care needs due to the pandemic; 63 percent said that the impact of the pandemic on their ability to provide care was ‘big’ or ‘severe’.
  • Two out of every three parents who took part in the survey said sleep deprivation was one of the main factors that impacted their ability to care for their children.  It was the norm for these parents to get an average of five hours of broken sleep per night.  Kindred has called for an urgent need to investigate the provision of overnight respite care across Scotland.
  • Over a third of parents received no respite care before the pandemic and this dropped to 60 per cent after the start of the pandemic.  This highlights the importance of schools in supporting parents and giving them a break from caring.  Almost all the children attended special school with access to therapy, and the expertise of Additional Support for Learning staff.  There is no doubt that schools are preventing crisis and family breakdown where a child has high care needs.  

The charity has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Jeane Freeman MSP, and to Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney MSP, urging that these parents be given priority when distributing the recently announced vaccine. 

The report provides evidence that parents were left caring entirely alone in the home environment.  There was an even greater impact on single parents.  Despite the high level of need of all the children, some parents did not even get a phone call from professionals during the pandemic.  These parents fear falling sick and being unable to look after their vulnerable children.

This is the case for Alex Davey from East Lothian and her six-year-old son, Benjamin, who has complex medical needs including tube-feeding, epilepsy and overnight ventilation.

Alex received a letter instructing her that Benjamin met the criteria for shielding in March.  For his safety all respite and at-home care services received were brought to a halt, leaving Alex and her husband to be the only people providing care for Benjamin and his two sisters. Since March, Benjamin has been hospitalised six times, often involving full-time ventilation in critical care.

Alex’s main concern is that she and her husband will themselves contract Covid-19, rendering them incapable of meeting Benjamin’s complex care needs, potentially for a long period of time.

Early access to the vaccine is therefore imperative according to Kindred to ensure that families like Alex’s can be sure that they can continue to care for their child.

Further recommendations to the Scottish Government:

  • The report shows a disparity between the experience of those families who received the support and advice from health professionals, particularly on shielding, compared to those who didn’t.  On this evidence, Scottish Government is being urged to ensure that professionals contact parents and charities should be funded to provide peer support.
  • Siblings play a vital role in the care and support of a disabled brother or sister and Kindred is urging that Self-Directed Support is available for adult siblings to be paid as carers within the home in the event of another lockdown. (see case study of Dr Gael Gordon in Notes to Editors and image attached)
  • The needs of families for respite should be taken into consideration with regards to special schools, with consideration given to keeping them open in the event of a second lockdown and providing the resources to do this.

Sophie Pilgrim, Director of Kindred, commented: “Our report provides evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on families of children with complex needs and life limiting conditions. 

“Anyone reading this report will be moved by their plight.  Many families started shielding before schools closed with the loss of all care and support.  Some of these children require two to one support in school and other care settings, and yet parents had to cope from March to August, many with no help at all.

“As the vaccine becomes available, we must prioritise parents who are providing medical care for their children and cannot afford to get sick themselves.

“Many parents received no respite care before the pandemic, and those that did lost their care with lockdown.  Serious sleep deprivation puts parents at risk of depression, accidents and long-term conditions.  One of the parents told us ‘I feel like I am drunk’.  We found that many parents have to cope on five hours of broken sleep a night, well below the NHS recommendation of a minimum seven hours a night.

“We need to recognise the long-term exhaustion of these families.  Special schools are all the more important and need to be supported to carry on their excellent work and to keep their doors open. 

“Parents put their children first.  And we must work together and ensure they are amongst the first to get the vaccine.“

Usdaw launches Respect for Shopworkers Week

Scottish shopworkers speak out about violence, threats and abuse

Retail trade union Usdaw has today launched Respect for Shopworkers Week to raise public awareness of violence, threats and abuse against retail staff. Scottish shopworkers speak out about their own experiences.

Interim results from Usdaw’s ‘Freedom from Fear’ survey of over 2,000 retail staff shows that so far this year:

  • 76% say abuse has been worse than normal during the Covid-19 pandemic,
  • 85% of shopworkers have experienced verbal abuse,
  • 57% were threatened by a customer,
  • 9% were assaulted.

The annual respect for shopworkers week runs from 16-22 November 2020. During the week, Usdaw will be raising awareness of the year-round Freedom from Fear Campaign and promoting the parliamentary petition calling on the Government to legislate to protect shopworkers.

The petition currently has over 70,000 signatures and can be signed at: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/328621

Voices from the frontline: These are some of the comments Scottish shopworkers shared when responding to Usdaw’s survey:

  • Shouting, being dismissed, being spoken down to. Treated like scum.
  • We deal with everything threatened to be stabbed after work, family threatened, grabbed by the neck and pushed against the wall.
  • Pandemic has brought out the worst behaviour in many people. Verbal abuse for limiting items during lockdown, making people queue and most for mask wearing.
  • Varies from comments such as stupid bitch, jobsworth, being told to f*** off or shut up.
  • Always about alcohol.  The refusal to sell to an intoxicated person or when asking for age identification.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies from Scottish shopworkers who deserve far more respect than they receive.

“Abuse should never be a part of the job and we are appalled that three-quarters of retail staff say abuse has been worse during this appalling national pandemic. At a time when we should all be working together to get through this crisis, it is a disgrace that staff working to keep food on the shelves and the shop safe for customers are being abused.

“Action to protect shop workers is needed and that is why we have launched a petition, which now has nearly 70,000 signatures. We were deeply disappointed by the Government’s response to the petition, offering little more than sympathy, so we continue to campaign for the 100,000 signatures needed to trigger a parliamentary debate.

“This is a hugely important issue for our members and their local communities. Shopworkers are saying loud and clear that enough is enough, abuse should never be just a part of the job. Retail staff have a crucial role in our communities and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law.”

Pandemic signals breaching of planetary ‘tipping point’ by global economy, says EU adviser

A new study by a top advisor to an EU-backed scientific research programme concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic is a symptom of global industrial civilisation’s breach of key planetary boundaries, which are critical to maintaining a safe operating space for human survival on the planet.

‘The COVID-19 crisis is an urgent early warning signal for how industrial civilization is rapidly eroding the very conditions of its own existence.‘

The global economy, the study warns, has now entered a volatile new phase of chronic instability which can only be resolved through a transition to a ‘lifeboat economy’.

This must involve debt-free financing for the renewable energy transition, nationalisation and winding down of fossil fuel industries, as well as ecological restoration for clean manufacturing and agriculture.

But most of all, we have to roll back the dangerous trajectory of deforestation through a radically different approach to commodities like palm oil to transition to sustainable production.

That requires a new global pact on deforestation premised on ensuring that major commodities from beef to soy are produced within planetary boundaries based on consistent global standards.

The new report ‘Deforestation and the Risk of Collapse: Reframing COVID-19 as a Planetary Boundary Effect’, is published in the journal System Change by the Schumacher Institute for Sustainable Systems, an independent think tank in the UK which has led the European Commission’s Converge research programme.

Report author Dr Nafeez Ahmed, Research Fellow at the Schumacher Institute, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a pandemic. When looked at in the context of a wide-range of scientific data about the escalating human footprint on the planet, the pandemic represents the passing of a major civilizational tipping-point into a dangerous new era of converging ecological emergencies.

“The COVID-19 crisis is an urgent early warning signal for how industrial civilization is rapidly eroding the very conditions of its own existence.”

Dr Nafeez Ahmed sits on the Board of Stakeholders of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020-funded MEDEAS research programme, ‘Guiding European Policy toward a low-carbon economy.’

A world-renowned systems theorist and environment journalist, Dr Ahmed is Executive Director of the System Shift Lab, a transdisciplinary network of natural and social scientists working on strategies for system change, and is a Commissioner for Cambridge University Press’ Sustainability Commission on Scaling Sustainable Behaviour Change.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed structural fragilities and interdependencies across global systems, the new report says. But at the heart of these fragilities is the increasing dependence of industrial consumption on processes that are accelerating deforestation. That requires both enforcing sustainable practices by producers in the South while curtailing demand in the North.

The probability of a global pandemic was dramatically increased by relentless and unregulated industrial expansion, which has destabilized ecosystems critical for planetary life-support. The same processes are driving other ecological crises which threaten to permanently undermine the health of the global economy.

The report concludes that without a transition to a ‘lifeboat economy’ where markets are “recalibrated” to protect public health and natural systems, humanity faces a heightening risk of cascading breakdowns across interconnected social, economic and political systems.

Dr Ahmed said: “Policymakers need to pay attention to the fact that the public health crisis is a symptom of a deeper crisis: a civilization degrading the very conditions of its own existence.

“There is now a clear body of scientific data suggesting that industrial civilization has crossed a major tipping point by simultaneously driving interlinked crises across climate change; our fossil fuel dependent energy system; industrial agriculture; the rate of species extinction; and deforestation.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is an early symptom of these increasing dangers we face. The synchronicity between all these crises threatens to overwhelm our institutional capacity to respond. Unless we draw back our economies to operate within planetary boundaries, we will face a future of deepening economic crisis and social upheaval.”

The new report was launched on Thursday at an exclusive online event hosted by The Schumacher Institute where Dr Ahmed explained his findings.

The report’s Executive Summary & Policy Recommendations can be downloaded here, and the full report is available here.

Sibling relationships headline Adoption Week Scotland 2020

Adoption Week (16-20 November) celebrates adoption in Scotland and this year asks prospective adopters whether they could adopt a sibling group?

More than 1,300 children placed for adoption since April 2018 across the UK have been separated from birth siblings, it was reported earlier this year*.

Children requiring care away from their birth families are more likely to have existing sibling relationships and they also tend to come from larger sibling groups. Sibling groups of three, or more, are at greater risk of being separated, to achieve permanence through adoption. In fact, in Scotland at this moment in time there is not one adopter approved to adopt three, or more children.

Fiona Aitken, Adoption UK’s Scotland Director, said: “Sibling relationships are amongst our longest lasting relationships and contribute greatly to our sense of identity. 

“Positive sibling relationships can provide a source of resilience for children facing adversity and provide continuity at a time of change and uncertainty. They can also be a source of support into adulthood. Placing siblings together has been associated with increased wellbeing and stable, enduring placements.”

“If you are a prospective adopter, please do consider whether you could adopt a sibling group. Be open to being approved for more than one child to enable a younger sibling(s) to join your family.

“Adoptive families can also help to maintain sibling relationships between their child/ren and their brothers and sisters wherever they are. This can be in person, through visual media, cards, letters, pictures or photographs.

Mrs Aitken continued: “The ideal scenario is for children to experience normal family life. Can they meet up with siblings at the park, at the beach, at each other’s homes? Can they have sleepovers? Can this be arranged between families? You can start by discussing this with your social worker.”

A siblings’ webinar (17th, 7pm-830pm), on how to maintain relationships between brothers and sisters, will be chaired by Kate Richardson, Manager of Scotland’s Adoption Register.

Adoption Week Scotland will also shine a light on both therapeutic parenting and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is a range of physical, emotional and developmental deficits or delays that may affect a person when they were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.

Highlights of the week include Training from Dr Karen Treisman on Therapeutic Parenting (16th, 19:30-21:30); an FASD Webinar (18th, 6.30pm-7.30pm) for prospective adopters; and Insights into FASD (17th, 1pm-3.30pm), a training session for professionals working with families affected by FASD.

There will also be a live Q&A event with Children’s Minister Maree Todd, (18th, 11am-1pm), tackling the ‘wicked issues’ in adoption; a welcome and information event (15th, 7pm-830pm) suitable for anyone considering adoption; as well as a legal Q&A with Rhona Pollock, AFA Scotland’s legal advisor (19th, 7pm-8pm).

Robin Duncan, Director of AFA Scotland, said: “In the midst of everything else that has been happening in 2020, Adoption Week is a great reminder that some children continue to need care and protection, and to acknowledge the crucial opportunities that adoption can offer.

“People who have been adopted often speak passionately about the importance of being able to keep relationships with people who are important to them, and we hope that this year’s focus on siblings will help ensure brothers and sisters can live together and keep these links wherever possible.”

Children’s Minister Maree Todd added: “Those of us with brothers and sisters know the importance of those relationships. For children who have experienced change in their lives, maintaining those bonds can be invaluable and, along with Adoption UK Scotland, I encourage prospective adopters to consider sibling groups.”

Adoption Week Scotland 2020 is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by AFA Scotland and Adoption UK Scotland. It is an opportunity to celebrate and promote the best of adoption with awareness-raising, information sessions and social events.

Further details about all of the events during Adoption Week Scotland 2020 can be found here.

All the ways to shop with Morrisons during the pandemic

– Same-day delivery services available via Amazon and Deliveroo – 

– Dedicated Telesales line and Doorstep Delivery Service available for those who are self-isolating, the elderly and vulnerable customers –

– Morrisons stores are operating with normal opening hours in line with Government restrictions – 

To continue serving customers during the pandemic, Morrisons has introduced a number of different ways to purchase food in addition to their usual online delivery service.

Morrisons stores remain open as usual (typically Mon–Sat 7am-10pm, Sun 10am-4pm) and are following Government advice where relevant, however, for those that don’t want to shop in store, there are plenty of other options including a Doorstep Delivery service for self-isolating, elderly and vulnerable shoppers, same-day deliveries with Amazon and Deliveroo for quick and convenient shopping.

In addition, there is a selection of Food Boxes available online, which will be delivered next day if ordered before 3pm, as well as click & collect and regular online delivery service with slots available on morrisons.com.

Doorstep Delivery Service

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Vulnerable, elderly and self-isolating customers including students can order their shopping on the Doorstep Delivery service via a telesales line by calling 0345 611 6111. They can choose from a range of groceries and their order will be delivered the next day by a Morrisons store colleague and paid for, on their doorstep, via a mobile chip and pin device.

Via Amazon

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Customers can access Morrisons shopping either through Morrisons on Amazon (an Amazon.co.uk service) and the Morrisons Store on Amazon Prime Now (accessible via the Prime Now site and app) provides Prime members with a way of getting free-of-charge same-day grocery delivery.

Orders are placed on Amazon, before being picked in store by Morrisons employees and packed in a dedicated area. From there, the shopping is collected by Amazon Flex Delivery Partners and delivered to the customer within a two-hour delivery window on the same day.

Via Deliveroo

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Morrisons has partnered with Deliveroo at more than 130 stores across the UK – covering one in four households (6.8 million). Customers can order from over 200 essential household items, including meat, plant-based substitutes, fruit, vegetables and household essentials, for on-demand delivery in as little as 30 minutes.

All deliveries are contact-free to ensure safety, with Deliveroo riders leaving the deliveries at customers’ doors to collect, minimising person-to-person contact.

Food Boxes

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In March, Morrisons launched a nationwide food box service and has since expanded the range to over 25 choices including cupboard essentials, vegan essentials, gluten-free essentials, meat and fish options, wine boxes and party boxes. All prices listed on Morrisons food boxes website https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/ include next day (if ordered before 3pm) or nominated day delivery. You can even save with a subscription on selected boxes.

Click & Collect

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Morrisons has expanded its Click & Collect service to 280 locations nationwide. Customers can simply complete a Morrisons.com order online and then collect from store, contact-free, at a time that suits them best.

For more information visit www.morrisons.com.

Local author generously donates book royalties to charity

A generous Edinburgh author has committed to donating royalties from her latest book to a leading education and social care charity.

Debbie Irving, who was born and raised in Edinburgh, has published her book, ‘My Brother is Different’, the royalties of which will be donated to LOVE learning.

This book is aimed at children with brothers and sisters who have autism, as a tool for them to better understand and explain why their siblings and other children might behave differently to them.

The picture book tells the story of how a brother and sister discover that their little brother’s autism can be difficult for them at school, but with some help from their mother, they realise that he is special in a good way too.

Written with experts on children’s mental health, ‘My Brother is Different’ is a way to help young children cope with autism and the effects it can have on their family and friends.

It has been estimated that more than 50,000 people in Scotland have an autism spectrum disorder. 1

Debbie, who is currently the Head of HR for an engineering company based in Fife, worked at Edinburgh City Libraries for nearly 18 years. She was inspired to write her book after a personal experience that took place two years ago when she went passed a school’s playground.

Debbie witnessed a young boy with autism experiencing a breakdown and was surprised by the looks of confusion in the faces of the other children, who did not understand what was happening to their friend.

Debbie who is a trustee of LOVE Learning has partnered with the charity to illustrate and print the book and has decided to donate all royalties in full to help with fundraising. The charity, which acquired Edinburgh’s much-loved LOVE Gorgie Farm, works to provide alternative education and social care for children with mental health problems and learning difficulties.

Debbie Irving and LOVE Learning intend to continue releasing several books for children, from short stories to novels, on themes concerning mental health, additional learning needs and the changes children go through as they grow up.

Debbie Irving, local author of ‘My Brother is Different’ commented: “I am thrilled to see a project like this book take off and I truly hope that ‘My Brother is Different’ serves as a tool to help many children understand more about autism and about what their sibling and friends with this condition go through.

“LOVE learning has been incredibly supportive during the whole process and I decided to donate all royalties to this charity so that the book can contribute to their mission of helping give children the best possible start in life.”

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE learning added: “We are so grateful that Debbie decided to so generously donate the royalties of her book to LOVE learning and look forward to keeping supporting her in her future work.

“Too often we see children with autism facing exclusion in many social and educational settings. We believe that ’My Brother is Different’ is a great educational tool for children to better understand autism and help harness love and compassion amongst siblings and friends.”

‘My Brother is Different’ can currently be purchased online as hard copy on LOVE Learning website and as an e-book on Amazon. 

Britain’s most dangerous roads

Motorists have been warned about some of the most dangerous roads in the UK and urged to take caution when driving them, particularly in winter weather.

Motoring experts from LeaseCar.uk have revealed roads in Northumberland, Cheshire and the Scottish Highlands could cause the most danger to drivers and passengers alike.

Lindisfarne Causeway, which links the famous island of Lindisfarne to Northern England may look safe, but the quick rising tide catches many a motorist off guard.

Roads such as the A39 in Somerset can also cause problems, especially when it reaches the 25% incline found at Porlock Hill.

A spokesperson for LeaseCar.uk said: “It’s easy to think that once you’ve passed your test or conquered a particularly long drive that you can cope with anything the roads throw at you.  

“However, some routes are significantly more dangerous than others.

“By ensuring you take time with your journey and pay even more attention to the road and other traffic, you can stay safe and navigate these risky roads.”

These is LeaseCar.uk’s list of most dangerous British roads:

1. Bealach-na-ba, Scottish Highlands

This is the third highest road in Scotland, reaching heights of 2,000 feet in some places. Learner drivers, large vehicles and caravans are advised to leave the road after the first mile. This leaves more experienced drivers to tackle the regular gradients of 20% that this road offers.

2. Lindisfarne Causeway, Northumberland

This road is open only twice a day, as the rising tide covers the causeway from mainland England to Lindisfarne at high tide. This perilous route can be picturesque and simple when the tide is out. However, the two-mile journey catches many drivers out due to the speed that the tide comes in. It’s not uncommon to see vehicles swept away and passengers stranded in huts situated on the side of the road in the middle of the sea.

3. Cat and Fiddle Road, Cheshire

This 7.5-mile route between Buxton and Macclesfield is lined with traditional dry-stone walls. Popular with tourists and lorries alike, the route has sheer drops at the side of the road and severe bends throughout. Although picturesque, it is important for drivers to keep their eyes firmly on the road.

4. Porlock Hill, Somerset

Known locally as the Atlantic Highway, the A39 near the village of Porlock is the one of the steepest A roads in England. When the road reaches Porlock Hill there is a gradient of 25%, climbing approximately 400m in less than two miles. The twists and turns of this road will keep you guessing, but the stunning scenery will keep passengers entertained.

5. Ffordd Pen Llech, North Wales

The steepest road in Britain, found in the Snowdonia National Park. Vehicles have been banned from driving parts of this road, which reaches inclines of 37.45%, meaning you may need to travel by foot on some parts of this brutal route.

6. Skyfall Road, Scottish Highlands

Famous for being featured in the James Bond film aptly named Skyfall, this road starts at the A82. Common characteristics of this dangerous road include tight hairpin bends wide enough for just one vehicle. Black ice can also be extremely common on this route, meaning care and caution must be taken.

£300k for research project on ex-Service personnel living in Scotland

Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) has awarded £300,000 to the University of Edinburgh, in partnership with Edinburgh Napier, to conduct new research into the experiences of ex-Service personnel living in Scotland.

Dr Gerri Matthews-Smith, from Napier’s Business School, will be the research lead on the study.

The project, entitled You’re in Your Own Time Now, will address the current lack of up-to-date and in-depth data on ex-Service personnel in Scotland.

It will map the distribution of Service leavers across Scotland and seek to understand their aspirations, concerns and support needs when leaving the Armed Forces. It will examine a range of outcomes for Service leavers including education, housing, employment, health, and finances. 

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The project team will also undertake qualitative research with organisations that provide support to Service leavers in Scotland, as well as research with Service leavers themselves.

The findings of this study will be disseminated widely to both the UK and Scottish Governments, as well as the third sector, to help inform them about the changing landscape of Service leavers’ needs in Scotland and the resources required to support them.

The project is expected to start in mid-November 2020 and will be conducted over two years.

Dr Gerri Matthews-Smith, University lead for Military Research, Edinburgh Napier University, said: “I look forward to accurately representing the voices and perceptions of military personnel here in Scotland. This is a practice-based study with a real Scottish focus that will have a positive impact on the military community.

“At Edinburgh Napier University, we have a proud history of supporting the military, including through high-level research projects focusing on military families, and on developing a better understanding of PTSD in service personnel and its potential treatments. This latest study will deepen our knowledge and further strengthen those armed forces links.”

Ray Lock, Chief Executive, Forces in Mind Trust, said: “FiMT’s goal is to enable successful and sustainable transition for ex-Service personnel and their families across the UK.

“To be able to do this we must first acknowledge and understand the differences in each of the devolved nations, including in the organisation and delivery of support, and how these can impact upon the experiences of Service leavers as they transition out of the Armed Forces.

“The report will complement our studies in Northern Ireland, and we continue to work with the Welsh Government to understand their evidential needs.

“This exciting project will provide policy makers, service providers and local authorities with the evidence they need to be able to make informed decisions and implement effective interventions to support the ex-Service personnel who choose to settle in Scotland.”

Doug Mackay, Project Director, University of Edinburgh, said: “I am very grateful to Forces in Mind Trust for their generous support and delighted to be working on this project in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, which already does so much to support the wider military community.

“The University of Edinburgh’s Data Driven Innovation initiative is focused on improving many aspects of society by harnessing the power of big data. This project is all about ensuring that servicemen and women, and their families – many of whom have made considerable sacrifices and are now returning to civilian communities – are included, and given the help they need as they make that transition.”