SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE: ‘LIVES ARE BEING PUT AT RISK‘
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has received more than 200 malicious hoax calls so far this year.37 of these were in the NHS Lothian area.
Between January and August, a total of 219 malicious calls were received compared to 191 over the entire 2022.
In 2021, there were 220 for the entire year and since 2017, there have been 2620 hoax calls.
This year’s malicious calls resulted in 236 vehicles being allocated, with crews spending 130 hours at these calls – an average of 33 minutes for each call.
In one of the calls, a person claimed they had been stabbed, only for the crew to arrive and find no sign of any patient.
Earlier this year, a woman was also fined £210 for making hoax calls to SAS, after calling ambulances when she did not require them.
Michael Dickson, SAS Chief Executive, said: “Anyone who calls 999 without a genuine need is putting lives at risk by diverting crews that could be needed to respond to a life-threatening incident.
“We work with the police to report malicious, or nuisance callers and encourage the public to help us. Hoax calls are no joke.”
The Greater Glasgow and Clyde area experienced the highest number of hoax calls (87), responsible for almost 40% of calls and 40 hours lost that are needed to respond to the public in need.
The Lothian region had the second highest number of calls at 37 and 24 hours wasted, while Lanarkshire had 22, wasting 13 hours.
Health Board*
Total number of calls
Total resource service time (minutes)
Avg. resource service time
Ayrshire & Arran
18
594:03
33:00
Borders
4
87:48
21:57
Dumfries and Galloway
3
137:23
45:48
Fife
6
179:33
29:56
Forth Valley
6
242:00
40:20
Grampian
14
390:12
27:52
Greater Glasgow and Clyde
87
2431:53
27:57
Highland
15
449:16
29:57
Lanarkshire
22
817:53
37:11
Lothian
37
1457:10
39:23
Tayside
20
864:52
43:15
Western Isles
1
11:52
11:52
*Health boards with no data have not been included.
The board of trustee is delighted to invite you to the Granton:Hub AGM 2023 in Madelvic house on the 27th of September from 18:30 – 20:30.
Granton:Hub AGM will be chaired by Shaeron Averbuch, who will give an overview of Granton:Hub activities over the past period [August 2022 to July 2023]. The Hub treasurer, Romain Viguier, will present the accounts and the Hub members will proceed with election and re-election of officers.
Following the AGM, we will present a selection of projects, to highlight the diversity of activities being developed at Granton:Hub and inspire new ones. You will hear from the Closing the Gap project, from Art in Granton programme, and from the adventurous Iron Age Log-boat crossing of the Firth of Forth.
You will have opportunities to network, meet other members and users of the Hub’s facilities and tell us what you would like to see happening in Granton:Hub.
A new residency for musical theatre writers, composers, and lyricists from the UK, India and the United States
Presented by Cove Park and Dundee Rep Theatre in partnership with Capital Theatres, Citizens Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre, National Centre for the Performing Arts – Mumbai, National Theatre of Scotland, Octopus Theatricals – New York City, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, and Traverse Theatre.
Associate partners include A Play, A Pie and a Pint, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Playwrights’ Studio Scotland and Tron Theatre.
With their rich and varied expertise, the partners will work with Cove Park and Dundee Rep and play a valuable role in this project. Providing mentoring, support and feedback as required during the residency, they will help enrich the writers’ experience. All partners are committed to developing the musical theatre landscape, both in Scotland and further afield.
The residency has been devised by Andrew Panton, Artistic Director of Dundee Rep Theatre, and will include facilitated sessions with Dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare (formerly Director of New Work Development at The Public Theater), Music Supervisor Nigel Lilley (Next to Normal at Donmar Warehouse, Caroline, or Change on Broadway), Donna Lynn Hilton, Artistic Director of Goodspeed Musicals and David Greig, Artistic Director of Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh.
The programme also includes networking opportunities and workshop sessions, in-person and digital, with industry professionals including writers, composers, producers, directors, and other theatre practitioners – such as Tony® Award-winning director John Doyle, Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning producer Mara Isaacs, Tony® Award-winning producer Rashad V. Chambers, and more.
Applications to take part in this residency are being accepted from UK-based teams of up to three collaborators who have a musical theatre idea in need of development and would benefit from the residency experience to take it to the next stage in its creation.
To apply, individuals or teams must be based in the UK – Cove Park and Dundee Rep are particularly interested in receiving applications from teams based in Scotland. The participating artists from India and the United States will be selected separately through nominations via international partners.
Projects providing practical help to support people tackle the growing risks posed by online crime will share a £500,000 fund aimed at ensuring a digitally secure and resilient Scotland.
Organisations including Scottish Union Learning and Community Enterprise, will use the money to provide workshops aimed at tackling scams and internet safety, deliver training to upskill under-represented groups into careers within cyber security and provide digital advice in different languages.
The projects will be targeted at specific groups, including disabled people and those with specific learning needs, minority ethnic groups, people living in areas of social deprivation or in rural or remote communities and those for whom English is not their first language.
Since 2019- 20 cyber crimes (crimes committed using the internet) have risen with an estimated 14,890 cyber-crimes recorded by Police Scotland in in 2022-23 almost twice the level in 2019-20 (7,710). This £500,000 fund is part of £1.16 million invested by the Scottish Government in 2023-24 to improve preparedness to withstand, defend against, manage, and recover quickly from cyber incidents.
Justice and Home Affairs Secretary Angela Constance said: “Cybercrime such as fraud and data theft can have a devastating impact on people, communities and businesses.
“The Scottish Government is committed to building cyber resilience within all our communities and this funding will enable many more people across the country keep themselves safe and secure when going online by supporting them to gain practical knowledge and skills to recognise and avoid cyber-attacks.
“We will also continue to work closely with Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure Scotland’s public sector is resilient to cyber threats.“
Views are being sought on whether to continue the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) legislation beyond the current term which ends next April, and the level at which it should be set.
A Scottish Government report on the operation and effect of MUP in its first five years, an Interim Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and a report on public attitudes to the policy have also been published.
These papers assess the success of the measure so far and look at the future impact on health and industry sectors if it is continued and the potential effects of different minimum price levels.
This builds on Ministerial engagement with business and health stakeholders which has taken place throughout the summer.
Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham said: The recent rise in alcohol-specific deaths highlights the need for more to be done to tackle alcohol-related harm.
“Our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policy is one of the measures we know can make a difference. Recent research estimated it has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions each year – and also contributed to reducing health inequalities. It is one of a range of measures we have in place across prevention and treatment services to reduce alcohol harm.
“We believe the proposals set out in this consultation strike a reasonable balance between public health benefits and any effects on the alcoholic drinks market and subsequent impact on consumers, but we want to hear from all sides and urge everyone to take the time to respond.”
This week will see maths-related activities taking place across the country in the annual Maths Week Scotland programme. The theme of this year’s programme, which is coordinated by National Museums Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government, is Maths in Motion.
Maths Week Scotland: 25 September to 1 October 2023
mathsweek.scot
@mathsweekscot
Maths Week Scotland combines in-person events from Orkney to the Scottish Borders – in a mix of schools programming and public activities in museums, libraries and galleries – with a range of online events, resources and workshops.
The Maths in Motion theme has a huge variety of applications, as the programme shows, with diverse topics ranging from the maths of money to ceilidh dancing, and from nautical navigation to maths in football.
The Scottish Mathematical Council have created a series of football-themed films for of football-themed films for Maths Week Scotland, in conjunction with the Scottish Football Association and featuring the Hearts Women’s team, the Scottish Football Museum and Rugby Park, the home of Kilmarnock Football Club.
The films cover topics as diverse as predicting the outcome of penalty kicks, travel logistics, how to calculate how many people can get through the turnstiles in time for kick-off and the mathematics of the curve on a free kick.
The National Museum of Scotland will host a pop-up exhibition from the Open University entitled Maths in Motion: Pendulums and Patterns, maths-themed Magic Carpet sessions for pre-schoolers, object handling in the Grand Gallery and a maths-themed trail inspired by Dolly the Sheep.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government is proud to support Maths Week Scotland’s delivery of yet another amazing range of activities to promote the important merits of maths in everyday life.
“We are determined to do everything we can to inspire the next generation of people to engage with maths and the events and workshops on offer will play an important role in doing exactly that.”
Maths Week Scotland coordinator Ailsa Brien said: “We’re delighted to launch Maths Week Scotland in its seventh consecutive year.
“Maths in Motion is a theme which invites a wide range of interpretations and so we’re thrilled to see such a creative and diverse programme of activities and events, which I’m sure will inspire and engage a wide range of audiences.”
Maths Week Scotland is supporting a host of classroom activities for schools across the country, encouraging innovation and participation.
Activity packs are available to download from the Maths Week Scotland website, with ideas of how to celebrate and enjoy the week for everyone from early years to secondary school pupils.
Meanwhile, the daily Maths Week Scotland challenges will return, with accompanying BBC Bitesize learning videos setting out how to tackle them.
Support has also been provided to Scottish museums and galleries to integrate more maths into their programming during the week-long event.
Maths Week Scotland and National Museums Scotland will support maths activities taking place in: The Museum on the Mound, Auchindrain Township Museum, The Scottish Maritime Museum, The Burrell Collection, Sumerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, Surgeons’ Hall Museum, The Scottish Fisheries Museum, National Galleries of Scotland and The Great Tapestry of Scotland.
Over 20 libraries are also taking part in Maths Week Scotland, with activities including Maths-themed Bookbug sessions, crafts and LEGO.
Maths Week Scotland has a supporting year-round programme for schools, families, adults and community groups.
This is part of an ongoing drive to transform Scotland into a maths-positive nation through raising the profile of maths and encouraging enthusiasm for maths across the country.
National Museums Scotland is working with a wide range of organisations and collaborators to support and deliver Maths Week Scotland activity across Scotland. For a full list of contributors and to view the whole programme, visit:
POLICE are appealing for information following a robbery at a post office in Edinburgh which took place yesterday (Sunday, 24 September).
Around 7.20am a man entered Milton Road West Post Office, threatened a male member of staff and demanded he hand over money.
The suspect then left the premises with a two-figure sum of cash before making off in the direction of Duddingston Park and heading north towards the crossroads of Duddingston Road.
The member of staff was not injured during the incident.
The suspect is described as a white male, late teens to early 20’s, 5’7” to 5’8” and of slim to medium build.
He was wearing a two-tone black and grey hooded zipper top, light blue Nike Joggers with a white motif on the left thigh, black and white Nike trainers, and was carrying a cross-body black ‘man bag’.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait from Edinburgh Division CID said: “The member of staff has been left badly shaken by this incident and it is vital that we trace the person involved.
“We are appealing for anyone who may have seen the suspect in the surrounding area before or after the robbery this morning to please get in touch.
“We would also urge any motorists with dash-cams who were nearby to check their footage in case they have captured anything which could be of significance to our enquiries.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 0788 of Sunday, 24 September, 2023. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
+++ UPDATE +++
A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a robbery in Edinburgh. The incident happened around 7.20am on Sunday, 24 September, 2023, at a Post Office on Milton Road.
The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, 26 September, 2023.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said: “We would like to thank the public for their assistance with our enquiries.
“There has been increased police patrols in the area to provide reassurance to the local community.”
Forty-five treasured institutions across the United Kingdom given funding to safeguard future
Pubs, museums and sports clubs across the United Kingdom have been given vital funding from Government to secure their future for generations to come.
Forty-five treasured spaces in our villages, towns and cities will receive more than £12.3m in funding so they can be run by the community, for the community.
Thanks to the latest funding from the government’s Community Ownership Fund, these institutions will be owned and run by hardworking community groups.
£1 million will rebuild a historic Yorkshire railway bridge in urgent need of repair, which carries the railway line over Bridgehouse Beck between Keighley and Oxenhope.
The funding will protect a tourist rail line which is used by more than 250,000 passengers a year, and will improve transport infrastructure in the region so that the local economy can continue to thrive.
The original bridge was built in 1867, and the railway line has featured in dozens of films and TV shows over the years including The Railway Children in 1970.
David Pearson, Co-ordinator for External Finance & Resources at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society, said: We’re overjoyed to have received this funding, which will be going towards the complete rebuilding of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s bridge 27 in the middle of the railway at Haworth and in the middle of Haworth village.
“It means that the long term survival of train services on the railway is ensured and means everything to our railway, our villages and our people.”
An educational aerospace discovery centre in Kinross will be created with £300,000 from the fund, offering interactive learning opportunities and exhibitions which will inspire future generations to pursue STEM careers.
And the Vale of Aeron pub in Ystrad Aeron, Wales, (above) which was known as a favourite haunt of the legendary poet Dylan Thomas, has been given £300,000 for renovations to keep it open and make it accessible to the whole community.
Jacob Young, Minister for Levelling Up, said: “Our priority is to support communities and deliver opportunities right across the country, which is why we’re investing £12.3m to secure the future of cherished community institutions.
“These places – from pubs to historic railway lines – are the golden thread which run through our social fabric, and keeping them going is vital for supporting communities.”
Other projects which have received funding include:
Lordsfield Swimming Club in Hampshire, a volunteer-run facility which will be sustained for the future with an £835,400 grant so it can provide low-cost swimming to local schools and the wider community.
£1.2 million to secure the future of four pubs, including the Vale of Aeron, so they can continue to pull pints for locals.
Knutsford Market Hall in Cheshire received £560,000 to ensure it continues to host and support a number of small businesses.
Sterts Theatre in Cornwall will be restored with £300,000 so that it can resume its community and professional performances.
The Margate School in Kent will be able to undertake essential repairs with £400,000 that will secure a long-term future for the not-for-profit art school.
Dartford Gym and Youth Club will undergo essential refurbishment with £244,920 to restore it as a space for local schools, clubs and community organisations to engage in sport and social activities.
The Community Ownership Fund has now given £49.3 million for 195 projects across the UK. This includes almost £8 million for thirty-three pubs so that local people can still go to their beloved local, and £14.6 million for sixty six community centres so they can continue to play an important role in people’s lives.
The latest round of allocations includes £770,057 for three projects in Wales, £992,825 for four projects in Scotland and more than £1m for four projects in Northern Ireland.
Changes which came into effect for this round of bids also meant that all projects could bid for up to £1 million in funding, not just sports clubs, and the amount organisations needed to match fund decreased to only 20%, to allow more places to benefit.
The George pub in Kent previously benefited from a £250,000 grant from the fund, which allowed it to reopen in May 2023. The pub shut during the Covid-19 pandemic and the owners decided to sell up and retire, but locals were able to get the doors open again because of the funding and are now planning for the future.
Local resident Alex Withington said: “We’re going to have a café that opens during the day too. When we did a survey, a lot of people said they wanted somewhere during day to use as well.
“We’re also looking to have a petanque area and a community library in the pub. We’re just so happy to have helped restore The George to the heart of Bethersden for our community.”
A new aerospace discovery centre is one of four Scottish projects set to receive thousands in government funding following a successful bidding round.
Almost £1m will be granted to the four projects – including £300,000 for the aerospace centre – to help level up local opportunities for generations to come.
Through interactive learning and exhibitions, the new centre will inspire young people to pursue aerospace-related jobs in science, tech, engineering and maths. It will be based at the Aero Space Scientific Education Trust’s Station House in Kinross, which was officially opened by Princess Anne in 1985.
Other new projects awarded in Scotland include:
£256,793 to create a Community Net-Zero hub in Glasgow, boosting low-carbon learning and training in the city and urban nature-based wellbeing activities for residents.
£253,032 to bring an existing shop building in Stirling into community ownership, creating a commercially sustainable village shop which supports the diversity of its community and visitors.
£183,000 for Aberdeenshire to redevelop Laurencekirk Community Centre into a larger community hub. This will help host more local events and advisory services, lunch and chat clubs for elderly and lonely people and clubs for school holidays, youths, mums and toddlers.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said: “It’s great news that a further four Scottish projects are sharing almost £1 million (£992,825) from the UK Government Community Ownership Fund.
“Through the fund we are now supporting 28 community groups across Scotland to breathe new life into the places where they live, work and play to the tune of almost £6.2 million (£6,161,420).
“In total we are directly investing more than £2.4 billion in hundreds of projects across Scotland as we help grow our economy and level up the country.”
The Community Ownership Fund helps towns and cities across the UK to create and restore treasured institutions like museums, pubs and sports clubs, so that they can be run by the community, for the community.
The fund has now given £6.2 million for 28 projects in Scotland – part of 195 projects now being supported across the UK.
Changes which came into effect for this round of bids also meant that all projects could bid for up to £1 million in funding, not just sports clubs, and the amount organisations needed to match fund decreased to 20%.
This also marks the first time that applicants applying to support projects such as the Community Net-Zero hub, have been able to benefit from support with the development of their application and business case through the Community Ownership Fund development support provider, led by Locality.
The Community Ownership Fund is currently open again for bids and will close on 11 October 2023 and groups are being urged to apply for up to £2m in funding for the very first time.
Following news fuel prices are expected to rise once again, motorists have been told to avoid common costly mistakes when heading to the pumps.
Motor insurance comparison experts at Quotezone.co.uk have revealed eight errors which could be contributing to over consumption of fuel and have costly consequences for drivers.
Credit: Pexels
This comes after it was revealed around 150,000 Brits put the wrong fuel in their car every year.*
Misfuelling is one of the most expensive mistakes motorists make. Pumping petrol fuel into a diesel engined car can lead to engine failure, leaving motorists to pick up the repair costs.
Rule 97 of the Highway Code states before drivers set off, they should ensure they have ‘sufficient fuel or charge for your journey, especially if it includes motorway driving’.**
Careless or dangerous driving caused by low fuel will see motorists face fines of up to £100 and three points on their license.
Greg Wilson, CEO and price comparison expert at Quotezone.co.uk, said: “It can be frustrating to feel like you are spending more and more on fuel each time you fill up. With the inconsistency in pricing and news about fuel prices reaching news highs, we wanted to share our fuel saving suggestions to help drivers save as much as possible.
“Small mistakes at the petrol pump can lead to serious costs. Misfuelling is expensive, and more common than you think. However, even simple things like making sure the car is in good working order with tyres topped up and excess weight removed, can help reduce the amount of fuel it consumes.”
Quotezone.co.uk compiled some of the biggest mistakes drivers make when filling up:
1.Misfuelling
Misfuelling and pumping your diesel car with petrol fuel can be a very costly mistake. Although there may not be any noticeable changes to your car initially, as the petrol makes its way to the fuel system you will have serious consequences. Depending on how far thepetrol has circulated through the fuel system and engine, the cost of repairs can vary from a simple drain and flush to some very expensive component replacements.
2.Check your tyres
Low tyre pressure will cause your tyres to drag on the ground and consume more fuel than fully pumped-up tyres.
3.Letting your fuel run on empty
Letting your car run on low fuel isn’t a crime, but any careless or dangerous driving caused by the lack of fuel could see you punished by law. You could face a £100 fine and three points on your licence if you are forced to stop in the road and cause an obstruction to other motorists.
4.Overfilling your tank
While overfilling the tank can be tempting and seem like a way to save additional trips back to the pump, you will actually end up paying more for your fuel. Filling the tank beyond maximum capacity can cause the fuel to overflow and waste money. Overflowing fuel can also fall to the ground which causes a potential fire hazard and you will still be charged for the waste.
5.Filling up during peak hours
Petrol station prices can vary throughout the day, with costs at their highest during peak hours around midday and 5pm. In order to find the lowest prices, head to a petrol station early in the morning or later in the evening.
From Ancient Rome to Astronomy, and Fashion to Crime Fiction, there is something to tantalise the taste buds of anyone wishing to learn something new with Interest Groups Online.
The u3a movement is for those no longer in full-time work who have time to spare, a desire to learn and would like to make new social connections.
Interest Groups Online is the online learning service of the organisation and from 2nd to 6th of October, there will be a series of free sessions open to non-members to try out the wealth of fascinating groups available.
Stephen, from Edinburgh, is in several groups, including Slow French. He says: “Interest Groups Online is excellent for languages, whether you’re learning, improving, or keeping your existing skills alive.
“C’est parfait pour mour, (it’s perfect for me) and my late in life ambition to be bilingual.”
Stephen is one of five members who talk about their positive experience of Interest Groups Online in this short film.
Members can join as a complementary service to their local in-person u3a membership or as a standalone membership. From October, Interest Groups Online membership is just £6 for 6 months and members will have access to over 75 different groups across a wide range of topics.
