Our inaugural festival in May was amazing & the community of North Edinburgh came out in your droves!
Now we want to make the festival better! We need your help to shape the festival for next year, 2023.
Come to our Public Meeting:
Where:
Grassmarket Community Project
86 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh EH1 2QA.
When:
Thursday 17th November 19:30 – 21:00
What:
Greenpeace Edinburgh will be hosting a town hall event at the Grassmarket Community Project focused on the cost of living and climate crises. As part of the event, we will be showing a screening of Greenpeace’s latest documentary, “The Cost Of Living”.
This short documentary tells the story of volunteers in food banks and community centres across Rother Valley in Yorkshire. Feeling neglected and left behind by the government and facing enormous energy bills, more and more people rely on their community to help put food on their table and provide a warm refuge.
Food banks, social cafes and community centres are being stretched to the limit as winter looms large. As the women of Rother Valley try to keep their communities afloat, the government’s inaction stands in stark contrast.
Both the cost of living and climate crises can be solved by investing in renewable energy, properly insulating homes and providing people with the skills and training needed to deliver this green energy revolution.
The screening of the approx. 10 minute documentary will be followed by a panel discussion, featuring representatives from organisations including Living Rent, Just Stop Oil, Fuel Poverty Action and Leith Community Crops in Pots.
Get in touch:
greenpeace-edinburgh@live.co.uk
https://linktr.ee/greenpeace.edinburgh
Event Details:
A new report has found shocking evidence that women in Scotland are suffering increasing hardship, destitution, and food insecurity due to lack of support during the cost-of-living crisis.
In research conducted in partnership, the Poverty Alliance and the Scottish Women’s Budget Group (SWBG) found that women are experiencing increasing financial hardship and are at risk of falling into further debt as a consequence of the cost-of-living crisis. Women in low-paid work reported often missing out on social security support or cost-of-living payments, or free school meals, because they earn just above income thresholds.
The research was funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and included women from diverse backgrounds across Scotland. Women told researchers they are worried whether they will be able to afford their energy bills in winter and parents and carers are struggling to afford food and essential items like baby wipes, incontinence pads, and toilet roll.
The report contains 15 recommendations on how to better support women through this crisis and beyond. Key priorities include:
Download the report from here.
SWBG co-ordinator Sara Cowan said: “The costs crisis is affecting the vast majority of us, but this powerful research highlights again the unjust way that poverty especially affects women in our society.
“Women are more likely to be poor, have lower levels of savings and wealth, and are less able to find suitable work or increase their hours if they’re in work often due to caring responsibilities that fall disproportionately on women.
“The women in this research talked about the impossible decisions they had to make to prioritise feeding their children, and whether or not to turn the heating on. Or not being able to buy things like baby wipes, incontinence pads, or toilet roll.
“The Scottish and UK Governments can help by increasing and extending the emergency support available to people, and working to put justice and compassion at the heart of social security and our public services.”
Vivienne Jackson, Programme Manager at abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said: “This important research shines a light on the real experiences of women in Scotland. It’s not right that people are struggling to afford to feed their families, or having to live in freezing cold houses because they can’t afford to put their heating on.
“We hope this research will add to the growing body of evidence that households need much more help from government during this crisis, and that we need to make financial fairness an urgent government priority.”
Fiona McHardy, Research and Information Manager at the Poverty Alliance, said: “This research shows that women are at risk of being pushed into destitution. The financial support that has been made available so far by both UK and Scottish Governments to help with the cost-of-living crisis is clearly not sufficient for many of the women in our study.
“It is vital that the UK Government increases the value of social security benefits in line with inflation. Any cut to UK benefits will led to unacceptable hardship for more women.
“In Scotland, we must find ways to expand eligibility for people who are in employment, are in need, but miss out on support. Too many women in Scotland are in urgent need of support – Scottish Ministers must leave no stone unturned in finding resources to support them during this crisis.”
Women’s Realities (case studies)
The diary entries and interviews document women’s increasing desperation and despair as costs kept rising and incomes stayed where they are.
Stella
Stella, a Black lone-parent mother living with her children. Due to illness and subsequently losing employment, she had to apply for Universal Credit two years ago.
Even before the cost-of-living crisis, she noted how Universal Credit was an ‘insufficient means of livelihood even under normal circumstances as a single parent’. Now, due to increased utility bills, Stella supplements income with credit cards, which are accruing debt, and asking to ‘borrow money from family and…friends for financial help’. Stella was concerned about her energy bills, so now she only uses the washing machine once a week for her family.
Stella’s children were conscious of rising costs: ‘even as a child [her son] realises how much food bills have increased, and it impacts him greatly’. On top of the impact this is having for her child, she shared that she is having to consider ‘significant changes in [their household’s] diet’.
Stella was becoming increasingly socially isolated because of the high cost and unreliability of public transport. Consequently, she is unable to ‘attend church every Sunday. This impacts me spiritually and deprives me of much needed interaction and social isolation’.
Her September entries were mainly focused on how price rises were impacting every aspect of her family’s life. Food was costing over £20 more each shop, and when thinking about the future, she noted: ‘it will be too much and [she] will not be able to afford it’.
Stella wrote: “This cost-of-living crisis have brought untold pain and suffering on women especially single parents and children because of the way it impacts our lives on a daily basis. Not being able to afford the essentials of life can be very stressful and robs women of their dignity and self-worth.”
Sue
Sue is a white lone parent mother who has long-term health issues. She works part-time and recently stopped accessing Employment and Support Allowance by taking on a second low-income job.
To manage increased costs of living on her low income, Sue made a list of ideas including getting another part-time job, asking for more hours in her current employment, asking for a mortgage holiday, skipping meals and selling jewellery and things in the house. She wrote: “Sad one this for me, sold jewellery, mine and my gran’s wedding rings…but it is to help in a crisis that our household is facing and needs action fast so it had to be done”.
Idia
Idia, a lone mother, reflected on the challenges of being able to afford food and going hungry in almost all her diary entries. On the small amount she receives as an asylum seeker for her family, she wondered how she is expected to be able to buy food with costs rising week by week. She shared the damaging impacts on her mental health. She also shared: “the most frustrating part of the week for me was not being able to afford to get my kids snacks”.
“I spoke to my friend who told me she has been starving and only eats at night,” Idia said. “I have started doing that though it didn’t go well with me the first day, but I will get used to it.”
Sarah
Sarah is a parent and works full-time in a role providing advice and support to people in the community. In October, she was concerned about managing her existing debts and rising energy costs, particularly as she lives in an old house with poor insulation. She is no longer able to afford to go out places and see family or friends. Her interview highlighted the challenges for people in low-paid work during the crisis. She is not entitled to benefits or support with the cost of living.
Sarah said: “And I was thinking, ‘How can I… how can I keep my daughter, how can I keep warm? What if I have to go to work and then come home and freeze my ass off every night. And I was, I honestly got to the point where I was thinking, ‘What’s the point of living?’ You were going into shops, the prices were going up so much, and it was like, ‘Well I work so God damn hard, I get no help. I’m helping people get help, do you know what I mean? But yet I can’t access any help myself?’.”
Scotland’s bathing water quality continues to improve with 38 out of 87 (44%) rated as ‘excellent’ for 2023. This is the highest number ever and highlights sustained improvements in bathing water quality, achieved through partnership projects.
Overall bathing water quality has seen ongoing improvements since 2015, when tighter standards first came into force. For next season, 85 sites will meet or exceed the sufficient classification.
Since 2015, 15 bathing waters have improved their classification from ‘poor’ to ‘sufficient’ or better. This is testament to the on-going partnership working taking place to drive forward water quality in Scotland. Whilst next year two bathing waters will have a ‘poor’ classification, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) intends to drive the same improvements that have successfully been achieved at other sites.
Scotland’s results(*):
| 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | 2017/18 | 2016/17 | 2015/16 | |
| Excellent | 38 (44%) | 32 (38%) | Results carried over | 29 (34% | 28 (32%) | 25 (29%) | 26 (31%) | 17 (20%) |
| Good | 35 (40%) | 35 (41%) | 31 (36%) | 35 (41%) | 34 (40%) | 36 (43%) | 38 (45%) | |
| Sufficient | 12 (14%) | 17 (20%) | 20 (24%) | 13 (15%) | 16 (19%) | 11 (13%) | 12 (14%) | |
| Poor | 2 (2%) | 1 (1%) | 5 (6%) | 10 (12%) | 11 (13%) | 11 (13%) | 17 (20%) | |
| Total | 87 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 84 |
Sources of pollution at Scotland’s bathing waters are often complex and interlinked, requiring action from a range of organisations and people. Progress is being made through working with partners and communities to coordinate activities and identify actions to address water quality challenges, particularly around diffuse pollution, sewage and urban sources.
One of Scotland’s most popular visitor areas, Ayr (South Beach), will maintain its ‘good’ status, achieved in 2021/22, following targeted improvement actions to reduce pollution. The status of the water quality is the result of several years of partnership working between SEPA, Ayrshire livestock farmers and Scottish Water, supported by South Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Government. These improvements were significant and there is good confidence that a similar classification should be maintained in future years.
Dhoon Bay has achieved ‘sufficient’ status for 2023. Rated ‘poor’ for the last four years, the improved water quality is a result of targeted action. This involved partnership working between the local community and tourism businesses, Scottish Water, and the local authority and focused on improvements to the treatment of private sewage as well as reducing run-off from agricultural land.
The Scottish Government provided funding to address inputs from private sewage treatment systems. This work is ongoing.
Other long-term projects
At Sandyhills, in Dumfries and Galloway, SEPA worked with farmers and NFU Scotland to tackle issues related to diffuse pollution, leading to sustained improvements to water quality. Having previously been rated ‘poor’, Sandyhills has achieved two successive ‘good’ classifications and will be rated ‘good’ again in 2023.
Heads of Ayr in Ayrshire has achieved an ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ classification in the last two seasons, following ‘poor’ classifications in previous years. It will maintain its ‘good’ again in 2023. It has seen investment in sewage treatment, surface water drainage and farms complying with requirements. This has resulted in significant water quality improvement.
The Nairn Central and Nairn East bathing waters will be rated ‘good’ for 2023. These sites have had consistent ratings since passing in 2018. Having been a priority project, progress was made through working with partners and communities to coordinate activities and identify actions to address water quality challenges, particularly around diffuse pollution, sewage and urban sources.
Luss Bay will be ‘sufficient’ for the 2023 bathing season and improvements in the water quality in what is a very popular area for visitors will be taken forward by SEPA with partner organisations including Argyll & Bute Council, the Luss Estate, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, Scottish Water, local businesses and residents.
Scotland had two newly designated Bathing Waters in 2022.
Barassie in Ayrshire achieved a ‘sufficient’ classification, while Lower Largo, in Fife, will be rated as ‘poor’ for the 2023 bathing season. A Scottish Water project at Lower Largo has been assessing potential sources of pollution into local burns, including testing for misconnections in nearby properties. SEPA will continue to monitor and report water quality and determine how best to drive water quality improvements over the next few years.
Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) will be rated as ‘poor’ for 2023, following ‘sufficient’ classifications in 2019 and 2021. SEPA is carrying out investigations and further monitoring is planned. SEPA will work with partners to identify and resolve issues.
Ruth Stidson, SEPA’s Principal Scientist for Bathing Waters, said: “Seeing the long-term bathing water quality improvements reflected in this year’s results demonstrates that the sustained hard work by public bodies, private businesses and communities has made a real improvement across Scotland.
“More of our bathing waters will be rated ‘excellent’ than ever before and, overall, 98% are meeting strict environmental standards. We have the largest number of designated bathing waters on record which is good news for the increasing popularity of wild swimming and the communities, businesses and visitors who enjoy our coastlines.
“This has demonstrated the success of driving improvements in water quality through targeted regulation and partnership working. SEPA will continue to work to protect and improve water quality across Scotland with a range of stakeholders, including local authorities, public bodies, farmers and local communities and businesses. We will use our expertise to provide advice and guidance, recommend actions and – when it is appropriate to do so – take robust enforcement action.”
Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Scotland’s bathing waters are not only important to our environment, they provide spaces for recreation and contribute to good health and well-being. That’s why it’s so great to see more bathing waters across the country rated excellent than ever before.
“The number of bathing waters in Scotland has increased since last year and now stands at 87, with 98% achieving the bathing water quality standards.
“By investing in improving bathing waters across Scotland, we have made sure many more people – tourists and locals alike – can continue to enjoy them, which is good for our communities and our local economies.”
Simon Parsons, Director of Strategic Customer Service Planning, Scottish Water, said:“Scottish Water is committed to continuing to support the protection and improvement of Scotland’s rivers, coastal waters and beaches.
“Last December, we published our improving urban waters route map announcing plans to invest up to half a billion pounds more in Scotland’s waste water network to deliver further improvements and ensure that Scotland’s rivers, beaches and urban waters are free from sewage related debris.
“Our customers can play a huge part in preventing debris in rivers and on beaches. Our national campaign ‘Nature Calls’ urges customers not to flush wet wipes (and other items) down the toilet and we are calling for a complete ban on the sale of wet wipes containing plastic.”
Working with farmers to improve Scotland’s rivers
SEPA has been working alongside NFU Scotland over a number of years to help farmers and rural land managers across Scotland reduce diffuse pollution.
This has been an issue affecting both Ayrshire and Rockcliffe bathing water catchments. In the Ayr (South Beach) bathing water catchment there are only a handful of farms SEPA is still working with to achieve compliance.
All others are fully compliant, with many adopting new practices and spending significant sums of money to improve slurry storage, fence off water courses and install alternative water supplies for livestock.
Around £50 million has been spent on improvements in Ayrshire’s Bathing waters, through self-funding and grants from Scottish Government, and in many cases, farmers have gone even further than is legally required to help protect Scotland’s water environment from farming activities.
In 2022, SEPA issued a farmer with a £600 fixed monetary penalty for a failure to comply with or contravene a General Binding rule. The farmer, who had previously been compliant, failed to prevent significant erosion or poaching of land within 5m of the Corraford Burn, which is within the Dhoon catchment.
Bathing water quality monitoring and prediction
Scotland has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but also experiences some of the wettest weather in Europe. Heavy rain can have an impact on water quality at bathing waters due to pollutants being washed into rivers from sewage treatment systems, roads and pavements.
Scotland’s official bathing water season runs between 1 June and 15 September. Throughout the season, SEPA’s specialist teams sample the designated waters providing regular water quality information which is published on the SEPA website. Pre-season sampling is carried out during May.
Monitoring water quality in this way means SEPA can provide information on water quality for bathing and develop a strategy for any water quality improvements needed.
Electronic messaging signs, at selected bathing waters across Scotland, provide real-time predictions of water quality during the season.
| Highland and Islands - 8 excellent, 7 good, 1 sufficient, 0 poor | |
| Achmelvich | Excellent |
| Dores | Sufficient |
| Dornoch | Excellent |
| Dunnet | Excellent |
| Ettrick Bay | Good |
| Findhorn | Excellent |
| Gairloch Beach | Excellent |
| Ganavan | Excellent |
| Loch Morlich | Excellent |
| Lossiemouth (East) | Good |
| Machrihanish | Good |
| Nairn (Central) | Good |
| Nairn (East) | Good |
| Rosemarkie | Good |
| Sand Beach | Excellent |
| Thurso | Good |
| Lothian, mid Scotland and Fife - 10 excellent, 3 good, 2 sufficient, 2 poor | |
| Aberdour (Silversands) | Excellent |
| Aberdour Harbour (Black Sands) | Good |
| Anstruther (Billow Ness) | Excellent |
| Burntisland | Good |
| Crail (Roome Bay) | Excellent |
| Elie (Harbour) and Earlsferry | Excellent |
| Elie (Ruby Bay) | Excellent |
| Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) | Poor |
| Kinghorn (Pettycur) | Excellent |
| Kingsbarns | Excellent |
| Kirkcaldy (Seafield) | Excellent |
| Leven | Sufficient |
| Lower Largo | Poor |
| Portobello (Central) | Good |
| Portobello (West) | Sufficient |
| St Andrews (East Sands) | Excellent |
| St Andrews (West Sands) | Excellent |
| North East Scotland – 11 excellent, 6 good, 0 sufficient, 0 poor | |
| Aberdeen | Excellent |
| Arbroath (West Links) | Good |
| Balmedie | Excellent |
| Broughty Ferry | Excellent |
| Carnoustie | Good |
| Collieston | Good |
| Cruden Bay | Good |
| Cullen Bay | Excellent |
| Fraserburgh (Philorth) | Excellent |
| Fraserburgh (Tiger Hill) | Excellent |
| Inverboyndie | Excellent |
| Lunan Bay | Excellent |
| Monifieth | Good |
| Montrose | Excellent |
| Peterhead (Lido) | Excellent |
| Rosehearty | Excellent |
| Stonehaven | Good |
| Solway – 1 excellent, 5 good, 1 sufficient, 0 poor | |
| Brighouse Bay | Good |
| Carrick | Good |
| Dhoon Bay | Sufficient |
| Mossyard | Excellent |
| Rockcliffe | Good |
| Sandyhills | Good |
| Southerness | Good |
| South East Scotland - 7 excellent, 5 good, 3 sufficient, 0 poor | |
| Broad Sands | Good |
| Coldingham | Excellent |
| Dunbar (Belhaven) | Good |
| Dunbar (East) | Good |
| Yellow Craig | Sufficient |
| Eyemouth | Sufficient |
| Gullane | Excellent |
| Longniddry | Good |
| North Berwick (Milsey Bay) | Sufficient |
| North Berwick (West) | Excellent |
| Pease Bay | Excellent |
| Seacliff | Excellent |
| Seton Sands | Good |
| Thorntonloch | Excellent |
| Whitesands | Excellent |
| West Scotland – 1 excellent, 9 good, 5 sufficient, 0 poor | |
| Ayr (South Beach) | Good |
| Barassie Bay | Sufficient |
| Culzean | Good |
| Girvan | Sufficient |
| Heads of Ayr | Good |
| Irvine | Sufficient |
| Largs (Pencil Beach) | Good |
| Lunderston Bay | Good |
| Luss Bay | Sufficient |
| Maidens | Sufficient |
| Millport Bay | Good |
| Prestwick | Excellent |
| Saltcoats/Ardrossan | Good |
| Seamill | Good |
| Troon (South Beach) | Good |
Circle has launched their ‘Sponsor the Difference’ campaign to help families cope with the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and stay warm, fed, clothed and safe this winter.
Circle is a Scottish charity working at the heart of disadvantaged communities across central Scotland. These communities are impacted by persistent poverty, social injustice, and health inequalities, problems that have only been worsened as a result of the crisis.
Families will be experiencing difficulties and hardship as the costs of energy, food, fuel, and the basic essentials of day-to-day living continue to increase. Circle have already seen an increase in accessing additional support for heating and food and this is only going to worsen over the winter months.
“It’s been a real pressure with rising prices. I reckon my food bill has gone up by a third. I’d like to batch cook and freeze things but that increases my electricity bill. It’s tight providing food for the family, I try to buy sensibly, using all the yellow labels but the prices mean there’s no scope for any unexpected bills like when the washing machine broke. I worry about the winter and how we’ll cope.”- Parent
The families Circle support desperately need material aid – food, clothing, and money for energy bills. They also need whole family support, that will give them the guidance, skills, and resources to cope with the emotional and psychological effects of the cost-of-living crisis.
Therefore, the charity has launched their winter campaign – Sponsor the Difference – to ask for donations to help children and families in desperate need cope with the cost-of-living crisis.
Families supported by Circle’s work were heavily involved in the creation of the campaign by providing examples of how they’ve been affected by the crisis and participating in case studies to share their experiences to raise awareness of the challenges they face and reminding others that they aren’t alone.
This is part of Circle’s participation strategy, to give children and families they work with the confidence and opportunity to have their voices heard and be listened to.
All donations will go towards purchasing energy cards, food vouchers and warm winter clothes for families to help them make it through one of the harshest winters they have ever faced.
The charity highlighted the issues facing many of their families across Challenge Poverty Week and are using the Winter Campaign to continue to spread awareness of the detrimental impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on families across Scotland.
Circle CEO, Mark Kennedy said “While Challenge Poverty Week did help to highlight the effects that poverty has on too many families across Scotland, we remain very conscious of the need to keep helping the families that do not have the means to afford the basic necessities of life.
“At Circle, we will remain focused on helping families to eat, keep warm, and ensure that children have what they need to attend school through one of the harshest winters they have ever faced.”
A £10 donation could cover the rise in gas and electricity bills for a family for one week, and they have many more examples of how a little from you could go a long way for a family.
Sponsor the Difference now by visiting:
Fourteen emergency response workers and two members of the public have been presented with a Brave@Heart Award by the First Minister last night.
The award recognises acts of bravery and heroism across Scotland with nominations made by the emergency services and winners selected by an independent validation panel.
This year winners include staff from HM Coast Guard, Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland for acts as wide ranging as dealing with violent attackers, life-saving actions in challenging search and rescue conditions and assisting during an explosion and building collapse.
Two members of the public have also been recognised for their quick thinking including six-year-old Benji who phoned an ambulance for his mum during an emergency and Scott MacQuarrie who helped get members of the public to safety after driving their car onto tram tracks before making contact with an oncoming tram driver to prevent a collision and avoid a more serious incident.
PC Josh McCorry was also presented with two St Andrew’s Awards for exceptional acts of bravery on behalf of himself and his colleague PC Glenn Coletta – both men were left severely injured after being attacked by a man with a meat cleaver but managed to prevent him from injuring anyone else.
Speaking after the award ceremony at Bute House, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Presenting these awards is an honour for me and I’m extremely happy to able to recognise those who put their lives at risk to save others in person once again.
“Each and every one of the recipients here tonight went above and beyond the call of duty, showing astounding courage and quick thinking to prevent incidents in extraordinary circumstances. They are inspiring and an example to the whole of Scotland.”
Phil Jones, Chair of the Brave@Heart 2022 validation panel, said: “The Brave@Heart award winners represent the very best of Scotland. Their heroic acts have protected others who have often been in desperate and perilous situations.
“These winners also remind us that thousands of people in Scotland are working to protect others every day. It’s so important that their contributions are celebrated because they set an example to us all.”
This week, the Royal Opera House is delighted to be bringing world class art to audiences across the globe – offering the very best of The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera in cinemas and on demand.
On Thursday 17 November, Katie Mitchell’s gripping new production of Handel’s Theodora (4*) will be available to watch on Royal Opera House Stream.
Sung in the original English libretto and conducted by Baroque specialist Harry Bicket, the opera is a tour de force for soloists and chorus alike, with ensembles, duets and arias of profound depth and beauty.
The opera’s stellar cast includes soprano Julia Bullock as Theodora, making her Main Stage debut; Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato; Opus Klassik award-winning countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński; tenor Ed Lyon; baritone Gyula Orendt; and Jette Parker Young Artist Thando Mjandana.
The performance is released alongside a rich array of behind-the-scenes content, including a masterclass with Joyce DiDonato and an Insight event about the production.
The night before, on Wednesday 16 November, The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration will be broadcast live on opening night to over 850 cinemas in 31 countries around the world.
The evening will offer an unmissable opportunity to see a stunning roster of Royal Ballet Principal dancers, the highest rank in the Company, together on stage. The gala celebrates the breadth and diversity of the Company’s repertory with a mix of classic and contemporary gems.
It includes The Royal Ballet’s first performance of For Four by Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon; world premieres by Pam Tanowitz, Royal Ballet Emerging Choreographer Joseph Toonga and First Soloist Valentino Zucchetti; and a performance of Diamonds, from George Balanchine’s Jewels. Encore screenings will run from Sunday 20 November 2022.
These two productions add to further free content on BBC channels. Oliver Mears’ new production of Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia – conducted by Corinna Niemeyer and sung by a cast drawn from the Jette Parker Artists Programme and the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme – will be broadcast on Saturday 26 November 2022 on BBC Radio 3.
Additional Royal Opera House productions continue to be available on BBC iPlayer.
Subscribe to Royal Opera House Stream today at roh.org.uk/stream.
Find your local cinema here: roh.org.uk/cinema.
Dear Editor
Support charity ribbon appeal and fight meningitis
Charity Meningitis Now has launched its 2022 Ribbon Appeal, which gives everyone an opportunity to remember loved ones this Christmas. We’d like to invite your readers to dedicate their own ribbon.
Each year the charity helps people to honour those they have lost with a ribbon inscribed with their family member or friend’s name. These are placed on our Tree of Remembrance at our Christmas Concert in Gloucester Cathedral. A permanent tribute is also made in our Book of Remembrance.
To dedicate a ribbon visit our website at www.MeningitisNow.org/ribbon before 25 November. Ribbons can be placed by anyone left bereaved, regardless of the circumstances or cause of their loss, and all donations received in exchange for a ribbon will help Meningitis Now save lives and rebuild futures, through research, awareness and support.
It’s only through the generosity of individuals that we’re able to offer our lifesaving and life-changing services, and your support really does make a difference
I hope your readers will be able to help us again this year as we continue the fight against meningitis and look to beat this devastating disease within a generation.
If anyone would like to know more about our fight against meningitis and our Ribbon Appeal, or get tickets for our Christmas Concert on Friday 2 December, please visit our website at www.MeningitisNow.org.
Yours faithfully
Leah Wynn
Fundraising Manager, Meningitis Now, Fern House, Bath Road, Stroud,
Gloucestershire GL5 3TJ.
Christmas Fair Saturday 26th November
Come along and meet your friends!
Tables for hire, see above for details
New analysis has revealed that Glasgow City has the shortest life expectancy for both men and women aged 40.
The research, by care experts Guardian Carers, analysed ONS data to reveal the life expectancy from the age of 40 for each local authority in the UK.
A 40-year-old resident of Glasgow City has the lowest remaining life expectancy compared to any other UK area. For women living in this area, the average life expectancy from the age of 40 is 39.3 years more – this is nearly ten years less than their female counterparts in Kensington and Chelsea. Male residents have an average 34.8 years more from the ages of 40.
West Dunbartonshire comes in second for women who, on average have 39.8 years left to live after the age of 40, and Blackpool places second for men at 36 years.
Ranking as the areas with the third lowest life expectancy after the ages of 40 are Inverclyde, with an average of 40.1 years expected for women, and West Dunbartonshire for men, with a predicted 36.04 years. The top three areas with the lowest life expectancy for women are situated in Scotland.
Blackpool comes in fourth for women who, according to the ONS data, have on average, 40.2 years left to live after the age of 40. Dundee City has the fourth lowest life expectancy for men with 36.2 years.
Women aged 40 in North Lanarkshire have, on average, 40.4 years left to live. Inverclyde male residents have 36.5 years, making these the areas with the fifth lowest life expectancy in the UK for women and men.
Knowsley comes in sixth as women living in this area are expected to have 40.6 years left to live. Manchester provides a further 36.7 years for men.
In seventh place, Dundee City’s female residents have an average 40.7 years of life expectancy after the age of 40, while men living in North Lanarkshire have 36.8 years.
Women in Manchester are expected to live for 40.8 more years after the age of 40, and 37.01 years for men living in Kingston upon Hull, making these the areas with the eighth highest life expectancy.
In ninth place, 40-year-old women living in Liverpool are estimated to have 40.8 years to live on average, while the figure is 37.2 years for men living in this area.
Ranking as the areas with the tenth highest life expectancy after the age of 40 is East Ayrshire for women with an average of 41 years left to live, and East Ayrshire for men, who have 37.3 years.
A 40-year-old woman living in Kensington and Chelsea has the highest remaining life expectancy compared to any other UK area. For women living in this borough, the average life expectancy from the age of 40 is 48.6 years more. Male residents in Westminster have an average of 45.5 years more from the ages of 40, the highest amount for men in the UK.
A spokesperson for Guardian Carers commented on the findings: “Women living in Kensington and Chelsea have an extra expected 9.3 years left to live compared to those in Glasgow.
“The disparities seen between areas of the UK in this analysis could highlight major problems in social, economic or health-related factors. It also shines a light on the finding that women across the UK are expected to live longer than men.
“The age of 40 marks the typical midway through an average lifetime, and it is fascinating to see how many years people can expect to live further, in each location.”
| The UK Areas With The Lowest Life Expectancy For Women At The Age Of 40 | |
| Local Authority | LE |
| Glasgow City | 39.33 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 39.83 |
| Inverclyde | 40.12 |
| Blackpool | 40.2 |
| North Lanarkshire | 40.39 |
| Knowsley | 40.66 |
| Dundee City | 40.74 |
| Manchester | 40.77 |
| Liverpool | 40.8 |
| East Ayrshire | 40.97 |
| The UK Areas With the Lowest Life Expectancy For Men At The Age Of 40 | |
| Local Authority | LE |
| Glasgow City | 34.76 |
| Blackpool | 35.96 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 36.04 |
| Dundee City | 36.17 |
| Inverclyde | 36.47 |
| Manchester | 36.73 |
| North Lanarkshire | 36.8 |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of | 37.01 |
| Liverpool | 37.22 |
| East Ayrshire | 37.33 |
Source: Office of National Statistics
The study was conducted by Guardian Carers, which is an introductory service placing carers, companions and housekeepers all over the UK and beyond; who provide a wide range of premium care services on a live-in, live-out, full-time or part-time basis.
