The NEN – North Edinburgh News – Page 3428 – The community media resource for north Edinburgh

A Bra-lliant night for breast cancer awareness

Weather Forecaster Kirsty McCabe, Ab Fab star Harriet Thorpe and girl group The Tootsie Rollers were just three big names showing their support for breast cancer charity Walk the Walk on Tuesday. The event, which marked the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as well as celebrating the grant-making charity’s 20th birthday, took place at the Good Housekeeping Institute in Soho.

Around 70 special guests were treated to an exclusive exhibition of bras signed by a host of celebrities, which have been created by world-renowned designers. The collection included a Lorraine Kelly bra by Barbour, a Joey D belt design, a Little Mix bra by Jane Bowler, and an Alan Carr bra by Julien Macdonald. An Ab Fab bra signed by Harriet Thorpe and Jennifer Saunders, created by Victoria Grant added an extra touch of sparkle, and a BAFTA bra by Sandy Powell gave the event some red carpet glamour. A Zandra Rhodes design, an intriguing Nina Saunders sculpture, and a special Good Housekeeping bra completed the collection.

Talking about her bra, TV Presenter Lorraine Kelly said: “It’s good to see the world of fashion helping to raise awareness for breast cancer, so I am thrilled that Barbour have designed this fabulous bra with me in mind for Walk the Walk. The amount raised over the years is incredible and has made a real difference to those affected by breast cancer.”

Nina Barough, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk added: “As part of our 20 year celebrations, hosted by Good Housekeeping, Walk the Walk held an exhibition of designer bras. It was a fantastic opportunity, to not only raise awareness by displaying some of our wonderful creations, but to also talk about our hopes for the future. Over the past 20 years Walk the Walk has been able to make a significant contribution into the research and knowledge that we now have of primary cancers. Going forward our aim is to do the same to further research into secondary cancers, giving all cancer patients the same hope and opportunities.”

The bra is the trademark of Walk the Walk, and thanks to the thousands of Walkers wearing decorated bras as they take part in the charity’s MoonWalk Scotland, and other events, more than £113 million has been raised in total, with £19 million raised for breast cancer causes in Scotland alone.

Walk the Walk has made £30 million in grants to Breast Cancer Now for research, and in Scotland has made a number of grants to help people living with cancer, including to Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres in Glasgow and Airdrie, while Walk the Walk is also the principle funder of Maggie’s Forth Valley, which is due to open in Larbert later this year.

Additionally, Walk the Walk has its own special project, providing funding to hospitals across Scotland to purchase Scalp Cooling systems, special machines which help many people undergoing chemotherapy to retain their hair

The MoonWalk Scotland takes place on Saturday 10th June 2017. Sign up at walkthewalk.org

Six arrests and one jailed in motorbike clampdown

Six men have been charged as part of a police crackdown on motorbike theft and anti-social behaviour in North Edinburgh. Four bikes were recovered during police operations on Wednesday and Thursday. Continue reading Six arrests and one jailed in motorbike clampdown

Edinburgh foodbanks to receive donation boost for Seafood Week

Trussell Trust, the UK anti-poverty charity which runs a network of over 420 foodbanks, has partnered with Seafish, the UK industry authority on seafood, to call for donations of tinned seafood to local foodbanks as part of Seafood Week 2016 (7 -14 October). Continue reading Edinburgh foodbanks to receive donation boost for Seafood Week

Gran says: ‘Well done, Scott – but mind your phone bill!’

The 92 year-old resident of a Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association development in Edinburgh has spoken of her delight at her grandson winning a Paralympic silver medal when he visited her at her home.

Edinburgh born Scott Quin won silver in the S14 100m Breaststroke and visited his grandma, May Patton, at her flat in Juniper Green on Monday. May has lived in Hanover’s St Margaret’s Court for almost 36 years, having previously worked as a sheltered housing manager at the development, retiring in 1991.

Scott was given only a three per cent chance of survival when he was born with Crouzon syndrome and underwent major reconstructive surgery as a baby to break almost every bone in his face; as a result he has learning difficulties and tunnel vision.

May said that watching the nail-bitingly close race from her living room in Edinburgh, in which Scott missed out on gold by just three-hundredths of a second, was “superb” and that she “erupted with joy” when he took silver.

After the race, Scott called his Grandma from Rio to tell her of his win and May joked to “mind your time for the phone bill!”

May has been with Scott every step of the way since he started swimming at the age of seven and has attended as many of his swim meets as possible over the years, seeing him win silver in the SB14 100m Breaststroke at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow last year. She still goes every Wednesday with her daughter, Scott’s mother Eileen, to collect him from his strength and conditioning training at Heriot Watt University.

May said: “I know all the hard work that he has put in and the countless 4am starts for his morning training sessions. Seeing him beam with happiness and standing on the podium in Rio is something I will never forget!”

Scott trains up to nine times a week at the Commonwealth pool. He said his time at the Rio Paralympics was an “incredible experience”, adding that he and his fellow team GB athletes would alternate wearing their blue GB tracksuit one day and their white the next.

Tammy Easton, Development Manager at St Margaret’s Court, said: “We are all so immensely proud of Scott. All of the development was egging him on and we can’t quite believe we’ve had a Paralympian visit us here!”

New priorities for policing as locals call for action on joyriding

Police Scotland to strengthen community focus – and North Edinburgh calls for action on joyriders

Scotland needs an increasingly resilient, flexible, responsive and locally-focused police service to help keep communities safe. This is the message at the heart of the new Strategic Police Priorities set by the Scottish Government, which also recognise the need to tackle new and developing threats to the public, including cybercrime.

Localism, inclusion, prevention, responsiveness, collaborative working, accountability and adaptability are the seven themes that will inform policing priorities in Scotland in the years to come, launched earlier this week.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson launched the priorities in West Lothian with Chief Constable Phil Gormley, Chair of the Scottish Police Authority Andrew Flanagan and COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Councillor Harry McGuigan.

Mr Matheson said: “With recorded crime in Scotland at a 42 year low, I am confident that policing in Scotland is on the right track. We have a world class police system in Scotland, supported by a hugely dedicated and professional workforce who work each and every day to secure the safety and wellbeing of people and communities across the country.

“I believe that the new Strategic Police Priorities, developed following extensive consultation with people from across Scotland and key partners, will be key to shaping the future of policing in this country and will ensure Police Scotland remain a progressive and forward-looking service.”

Andrew Flanagan, Chair of the Scottish Police Authority, said: “In line with the new Strategic Police Priorities published today, the SPA have initiated work which will deliver a clear long-term vision and strategy for policing now and over the next 10 years. It will have a strong focus on the quality of service that Scotland needs from its policing, how we develop new capabilities, and deliver improved benefits for our communities.

“Through that we are committed to ensuring that the police have a workforce which has the skills and capability to meet the changing demands they face, within a shared direction and purpose for the single service that unites police professional and citizen alike.”

Chief Constable Phil Gormley added: “We welcome the publication of these strategic priorities for policing as we move forward with the transformation of the service in Scotland. Policing in Scotland, which is built on a really solid foundation and traditions that are the envy of many, needs to be locally relevant and have the confidence of our communities.

“We also need to ensure that the protection communities require to tackle emerging threats and risks is available where and when required. The majority of what officers and staff deal with on a daily basis, around the clock, every day of the year relates to calls for service – people calling us at a time of crisis and need and we need to make sure we respond by having the strategic priorities set out today at the heart of what we do and how we do it.”

Cllr McGuigan said: “The priorities set out by the Scottish Government are to be welcomed by all and COSLA is particularly pleased to see the clear emphasis on localism. It also gives us great encouragement to know that Police Scotland’s work will incorporate prevention, collaborative working and accountability.

“The police do not simply respond to crime, they are also there to help prevent crime and keep our communities safe along with other partners at a local level. The Strategic Police Priorities reflect that message and set a solid foundation for Police Scotland to continue their good work within our communities.”

On the day the prominent politicians and police officiers were launching their new priorities, school pupils on lunch break were watching a teenage joyrider playing cat and mouse with police in and around Muirhouse Shopping Centre. And if crime’s at a 42 year low, it certainly doesn’t feel like it to some local residents who fear letting their children out to play in case they are struck by dangerously driven motorbikes.

There’s little doubt about the most pressing crime issue in North Edinburgh just now: youths recklessly riding motor bikes. Local politicians and Police Scotland will meet community representatives next Wednesday to discuss the issue, which is causing increasing anger and concern across the area.

Stolen motorbikes being driven recklessly has been a longstanding problem in North Edinburgh and has spiked again over recent weeks. Back in June 14- year old Brad Williamson died when a motorbike he was riding collided with a car in Silverknowes, last month a stolen car driven by youths plunged into a garden on Graothill Road North in Drylaw and there have been numerous near-misses over recent weeks in West Pilton and Pennywell. In a new twist, there have been reports of pedestrians being assaulted by passing motorcyclists.

Five arrests were made yesterday but arrests alone, however welcome, will not make the problem go away.

It’s a real concern and there’s universal agreeement that something must be done to address the joyriding issue before someone else is killed or seriously injured. The problem is: just what?

UCG: Scotland says NO

The Scottish Government will not support underground coal gasification (UCG) developments in Scotland following the publication of an independent report that highlights serious environmental concerns. The announcement comes on the same day the Westminster government gave the green light to fracking at Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site at Little Plumpton in Lancashire.

UCG should not be confused with hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, or coal-bed methane both of which are Unconventional Oil and Gas (UOG) technologies. Today’s announcement has no bearing on the policy on either of these technologies, which remain covered by the Scottish Government’s moratorium on UOG technologies.

The Scottish Government put in place a moratorium on UCG in October last year so that evidence on the practice could be gathered and considered.

Professor Campbell Gemmell of University of Glasgow was tasked to undertake an independent examination of UCG. Having received his report, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse today [Thursday, October 6] updated Parliament on the Scottish Government’s response to the findings.

The report finds that it would appear logical “to progress toward a ban” of UCG, based on a variety of reasons, including:

• the UCG industry having a history of incidents of pollution and losses of containment and;
• UCG presenting a serious issue to face in reducing Scotland’s carbon/greenhouse gas emissions without an operational storage method, such as carbon capture.

Mr Wheelhouse said: “Having considered the report in detail, it is the Scottish Government’s view that UCG poses numerous and serious environmental risks and, on that basis, the Scottish Government cannot support this technology. Accordingly, UCG will have no place in Scotland’s energy mix at this time.

“In Professor Gemmell’s report he recommends it would be wise to consider an approach to UCG based upon a precautionary presumption against the technology, and that it would appear logical to progress toward a ban.

“I cannot predict what kind of clean energy technologies may be available in the decades to come, but what is certain is that this this resource will still be there. As a result of today’s announcement, our Energy Strategy for Scotland will set out an energy mix for the future that does not include UCG. The position I have announced on UCG is a clear validation of the evidence-based approach this government is taking and I thank Professor Gemmell for his work in preparing the report.”

Mr Wheelhouse has written to the UK Government, requesting that it issues no further UCG licences in Scotland and that existing licences are revoked. The Scottish Government will continue to use planning powers available to it to ensure UCG applications do not receive planning or environmental permission.

Professor Campbell Gemmell, Professor of Environment Research, Policy, Regulation and Governance at the University of Glasgow, said: “I have consulted widely, including with industry, communities, regulators, academic specialists and NGOs, and studied the available evidence on the technologies and impacts involved in Underground Coal Gasification, including the variety of international experience. It is extremely difficult to conceive of UCG progressing into use at this time. Despite there being few longer-term operations at scale to consider, and no directly comparable operations in siting, regulatory and policy terms, there is both a history of incidents of pollution and losses of containment.

“In my view, the Scottish Government has responded appropriately to the available evidence on this technology.

“Should industry wish to progress this technology at scale here or overseas at some future date, several key factors would need to be addressed, including managing the potential impact of the greenhouse gases produced. The onus would also clearly be with the industry to demonstrate and provide evidence that it can operate to the high environmental standards that the government and public should expect.”

North and Leith MSP Ben Macpherson has welcomed the announcement. He said: “Based on the evidence presented, it is absolutely right that the Scottish Government has blocked Underground Coal Gasification from taking place in Scotland.

“There are very few examples of UCG operating commercially, and where the technology has been used there has been serious environmental impacts including soil contamination and exposure to toxins. Mistakes in Australia were so bad that a number of prosecutions have been brought.

“This expert report also states that, if UCG was operated at scale, the resulting carbon and greenhouse gas emissions would make meeting our climate change targets much more difficult if not impossible.

“Carbon emissions would be particularly problematic without accompanying storage technology to mitigate its affects – while the Tories might be happy to bang the drum for UCG they should remember the utter betrayal of the UK Government who u-turned on their plans to invest in Carbon Capture in Scotland.”

Mischievous Martha flies in to Forthview!

Catherine Wheels Theatre Company presented its award-winning production of Martha at Forthview Primary School yesterday as part of the Theatre in Schools Scotland tour. Martha is a very mischievous goose puppet – and the Forthview children loved her! Continue reading Mischievous Martha flies in to Forthview!

Spend, spend, spend!

LOTHIAN RESIDENTS SPEND THE MOST ON NIGHTS OUT

New research compares the spending habits of Scotland’s key regions
Those living in Lothian spend the most money on going out
Lothian residents also spend the most money on themselves and their partners

People living in Edinburgh and the Lothian region spend the most money on going out, according to new research from the Bank of Scotland. Residents in Lothian topped the poll, spending an average £116 per month on nights out, according to Bank of Scotland’s How Scotland Lives report – £19 more than the national average spend.

Coming in second place, those living in Glasgow and Fife were both found to spend an average £104 per month on going out. While those in the Highlands & Islands came last, spending just £75 per month.

West Scotland and South Scotland also scored low on the report, with residents spending a mere £89 and £82 on going out.

The research also pinpointed Lothian as the region which spends the most amount of money on themselves and their partners, with residents forking out an average £98 per month – £14 more than the national average.

Central Scotland came second, spending £95 on themselves, and their partners. While South Scotland are the most frugal when it comes to splashing out on themselves and their partners, spending just £74.

As well as highlighting Lothian’s sociable side, the research report has also provided a comparison of what Scotland’s key regions spend more on, compared to other regions.

Residents in Aberdeen come out on top for rent, mortgage and car payments, while those living in Dundee spend the most amount of money on shopping for children.

Those living in Glasgow were found to spend the most on insurance premiums, while Highlands & Islands residents were revealed as spending the most amount of money on debt payment – and adult care costs.

A full snapshot of Scotland’s key regional spending habits:

Region	What it spends more on compared to any other Scottish region*	Mean expenditure (per month)	Comparison to the national average spend (£)
Glasgow	Insurance premiums	£115	£8 more
Lothians	Going out	£116	£19 more
Lothians	Shopping for themselves/a partner	£98	£14 more
Highlands & Islands	Paying off debts	£276	£50 more
Highlands & Islands	Adult care costs	£205	£66 more
Dundee & surrounds	Shopping for children	£102	£14 more
Aberdeen & surrounds	Mortgage and rent payments	£527	£104 more
Aberdeen & surrounds	Car payments	£182	£36 more

Scotland’s debt doubts

In addition to providing a snapshot of Scotland’s regional spending habits, the How Scotland Lives research report has highlighted the debt faced by many across the country.

In particular, 46% of Scots are carrying over at least some form of debt from the previous month.

More than half of debtors indicated they were concerned with their current financial position. This is particularly the case among 35-45 year olds, with 30% believing they will always be in debt.

Rachel Bright, Head of Customer Services at Bank of Scotland said: “While other regions spend more on necessity costs such as insurance premiums and debts, Lothian comes out on top for just wanting to have a good time.

“The research also paints a picture of the level of consumer debt in Scotland. It’s concerning that almost half of Scots aren’t paying off their debts from previous months and we would always encourage people to look at other areas to see if they can make savings that will allow them to pay off more debt.”

£eith Decides – again!

From this weekend, people in the wider Leith area will be asked to decide how more than £44,000 of City of Edinburgh Council funding should be spent on projects that benefit their local community – and for the first time voters will be able to cast their vote online from Saturday 8 October until Saturday 22 October 2016. Continue reading £eith Decides – again!

Fifty actions for a fairer Scotland

£29 million programme for innovative poverty measures part of Fairer Scotland Action Plan

Fifty ‘bold and ambitious’ actions to achieve a fairer Scotland for everyone have been outlined in a landmark plan published yesterday by Communities Secretary Angela Constance. Continue reading Fifty actions for a fairer Scotland