The NEAT Connections project has organised two in-person Stakeholder meetings tomorrow (Friday 29 April).
The first one from 1 to 2pm and the second one from 3 to 4pm.
These meetings will be held in the Old Kirk and Muirhouse Parish Church, 42 Pennywell Gardens, Edinburgh EH4 4PE.
That evening, we will also hold an online meeting from 19:30 to 20:30. You find the link to the Microsoft Teams meeting below.
The aim of these meetings is to inform community stakeholders about the NEAT Connections project and the upcoming engagement activities.
We hope that this information will support you to mobilise your members and the local community to join the engagement activities over the coming weeks to improve walking and cycling infrastructure and green spaces on and around Pennywell Road.
The agenda:
1. Background and aims of the NEAT Connections project
(Barry Clarke, Senior Project Manager – Active Travel, the City of Edinburgh Council)
A special film which captures experiences of staff across NHS Lothian is being launched today (28 April 2022) to show the public and future generations what it was like to work during the pandemic.
Premiering online, the film reveals how NHS Lothian staff mounted an extraordinary response to the unprecedented challenge of Covid-19.
The health board was the first to receive and care for a COVID-19 patient in Scotland. It then went on to set up one of the first drive-through testing facilities and played a significant role in ground-breaking research, testing and vaccination.
The one-hour documentary is told through a series of interviews, videos and photographs of staff, providing reflections of working during the pandemic over the last two years.
Calum Campbell, Chief Executive of NHS Lothian said: “While this film cannot do justice to the work of every team or service, it offers a flavour of the outstanding commitment of all our staff. We are extremely proud of how they responded to the pandemic and how hard our teams continue to work.
“We recognise the journey is far from over. COVID is still with us, pressures on staffing are severe and the effects of the pandemic will be felt for a long time to come. But we have learned a great deal and will put that to good use as we plan for the future.
“We want to thank all our staff for their continued exceptional service and our patients and the wider public of Edinburgh and the Lothians for the support they show our staff.”
The film is part of NHS Lothian’s wider commemorative plans, which are supported by its official charity partner, the Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation.
Also featuring in the film is a special commemorative song written and performed by Scottish singer and songwriter, Marina Rolink, especially to thank all NHS Lothian staff.
Commenting on her involvement in the film, Staff Nurse Viv Conway, who was a student nurse during the first wave of COVID in 2020, said: “It’s still raw, and it’s still relevant in how we practice on our ward. It’s impacted our ward and it’s impacted the culture that we work in, the need to focus on our colleagues and our team.
“I think the film really brings back a lot of emotions as a true representation of what it was like on the front line and the sacrifices that we made and how we came together at a very difficult time.”
The film will premiere on NHS Lothian’s YouTube channel at 6pm tonight and will remain available for people to watch in the future.
The UK’s leading meningitis charity is calling for those who have suffered from viral meningitis to be ‘Vocal about Viral’ to help dispel myths and misconceptions that this form of the disease is not dangerous and always ‘mild’.
Meningitis Now’s annual Viral Meningitis Awareness Week, between 1 and 7 May, seeks to raise awareness to inform the public, health professionals and employers about the true impact of the disease and the long-term problems it can bring.
Although rarely life-threatening viral meningitis, which is more common than bacterial meningitis, can make people very unwell and for some the after-effects can be life-changing.
Expert opinion suggests up to 6,000 people each year across the UK suffer from viral meningitis, an infection that causes inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and the spinal cord. The majority of cases happen during the warmer months.
Symptoms of viral meningitis can include a severe headache, a dislike of bright lights, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting and confusion. The disease can affect anyone of any age.
Meningitis Now is urging anyone concerned about viral meningitis to seek medical help.
After-effects can include exhaustion, headaches, memory loss, depression, anxiety and hearing difficulties. Many sufferers need to take long periods off education or work, and struggle with the day-to-day tasks that most people take for granted.
Viral meningitis cannot be treated with antibiotics. Rehydration, painkillers and plenty of rest are the best remedy. Most people will make a full recovery. However, for some recovery can be slow and the after-effects long lasting.
These after-effects can be debilitating and just as likely to affect people’s day-to-day activities as those from bacterial meningitis, turning their emotional and economic lives upside down and affecting their ability to learn, play and work.
Bev Corbett, the charity’s Director of Information and Support, said: “It’s vital that everybody understands that viral meningitis can be serious and that those who experience it are not afraid to speak out about it and seek the support they need.
“For our Viral Meningitis Week we’re calling on everyone to Be #VocalAboutViral – and help raise awareness by talking about the disease.”
Meningitis Now has a range of free services to support individuals and their families after viral meningitis, including its Rebuilding Futures Fund, which provides financial and practical support for people of all ages affected by meningitis.
The charity also has free information and fact sheets about viral meningitis. Read more about the symptoms and after-effects and download the guides from the website www.MeningitisNow.org
If you have been affected by viral meningitis, contact the Meningitis Now Helpline on 0808 80 10 388 or email helpline@meningitisnow.org. Do not suffer from viral meningitis alone.
Read viral meningitis stories and share yours on the Meningitis Now website.
· Miniature vertical farms called ‘Cubes of Perpetual Light’ become music installations carrying 12 specially commissioned works by 15 Scottish & international artists including Craig Armstrong, Arooj Aftab & Maeve Gilchrist, and Jason Singh
· The music cube installations are set to tour to locations across Scotland, including the V&A Dundee, Edinburgh Book Festival, the Kelburn Garden Party & Inverness Botanic Gardens
· Cubes will also tour to other locations around Scotland on specially adapted bikes, taking Dandelion’s cubes into the heart of communities across the country
· ‘Free for All’ events encouraging everyone to ‘Sow, Grow and Share’ will see 75,000 free vegetable plugs given away to members of the public
· A short film marks the beginning of Dandelion and follows the story of musician and crofter Pàdruig Morrison to the island of Heisgeir, considering sustainable growing into the future
Dandelion gets underway today [28 April 2022], a major creative programme demonstrating the power of collective action through an ambitious ‘grow your own’ initiative that aims to reach hundreds of thousands of people throughout Scotland and further afield.
Following the arc of the growing season, from now until September 2022, Dandelion brings together science, technology, art and music to inspire people to ‘Sow, Grow and Share’ – not just food, but music, ideas and knowledge. Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government, Dandelion is Scotland’s contribution to UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.
Dandelion aims to make growing your own food as easy and accessible as possible to people of all ages and from all backgrounds, with events and activities taking place all over Scotland in an entirely free programme, from the remotest islands to the centres of cities.
In addition to Dandelion’s previously announced Unexpected Gardens – specially-created edible gardens in 13 locations from North Uist, to Leven and Stranraer – and two three-day Dandelion Festivals in Glasgow and Inverness, more details about the programme of events are revealed today.
The programme culminates in September with a cultural reimagining of Harvest for the 21st century, featuring hundreds of celebrations across Scotland.
To mark the start of its programme, with planting and growing getting underway at Unexpected Gardens across the country, Dandelion has released a specially commissioned short film, telling the family story of one of its founding members and reimagining future ways of growing across Scotland.
75 years ago, the grandparents of crofter and musician Pàdruig Morrison established an experiment in off-grid rural living on Heisgeir in the Outer Hebrides, growing their own food and living sustainably off the land.
The short film charts Pàdruig’s return to the island in 2022 as Dandelion explores high-tech growing in specially created grow cubes alongside traditional growing methods, which will see the cubes travel to different communities all over the country.
The film also features a new score specially composed by Pàdruig for Dandelion.
Cubes of Perpetual Light – where technological innovation meets art
At the centre of Dandelion is a meeting of art and science through the creation of hundreds of unique miniature vertical farms, called the ‘Cubes of Perpetual Light’.
The 1m x 1m cubes are designed to foster accelerated growing and have been developed to grow hundreds of seedlings under LED light, combining design craft, traditional horticultural expertise and technological innovation, manufactured by Liberty Produce.
The Cubes will travel the length of Scotland, demonstrating accelerated growing in unexpected places. From schools to market squares, to Unexpected Gardens – they will bring the inspiration to ‘Sow, Grow and Share’ to the community, inspiring conversations about how we can grow food sustainably now and in the future.
As well as growing thousands of plants, specially designed ‘show cubes’ will come together to create striking musical installations featuring programmable light and quadraphonic sound. Each cube will integrate with multiple speaker systems, showcasing specially commissioned music from a collection of Scottish and international artists.
The music has been created for this particular environment around themes of sustainability, to encourage listeners to think more deeply about how, where and why plants grow.
Commissions include new music from artists including Craig Armstrong, Ravi Bandhu, Arooj Aftab & Maeve Gilchrist, Jason Singh, Claire M. Singer, Manu Delago, Auntie Flo, Amiina & Kathleen MacInnes, Pàdruig Morrison, Trio de Kali, Maya Youssef and Fergus McCreadie.
Each new music piece is commissioned by Dandelion with additional support for international work from British Council Scotland.
These ‘show cubes’ will come together to create special installations hosted by venues and festivals throughout Scotland, including V&A Dundee, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Kelburn Garden Party and Inverness Botanic Gardens.
In another tour, four musical growing cubes carried on four cargo bikes will also travel around Scotland in August, with a preview at Falkirk’s Kelpies on May 14 as part of the Falkirk Science Festival.
Visiting locations from Glasgow to Edinburgh, Greenock, Hawick, Forres, Stranraer, Inverness, Wick, the bikes will introduce audiences to accelerated growing and bring the Dandelion programme to town centres, school playgrounds and green spaces cross the country.
Each site will be visited by the bikes for one day, with a two-day tour being staged at Inverness and Wick.
Music Director for Dandelion, Donald Shaw said: “Just as plants can grow from tiny seeds, great music can grow from small ideas that we nourish till they bloom into full art forms.
“The cubes can demonstrate accelerated growing in a wide range of settings, both the expected and unexpected. Placed in a particular environment they create a micro-world within a world, allowing musicians and listeners to imagine a sonic landscape that surrounds us, providing a space for contemplation and for us to imagine a future where we sow, grow and share differently.”
Inspiring the nation to Sow, Grow and Share
Dandelion is also giving away hundreds of thousands of plant plugs at Free for All events in towns and cities across Scotland, inspiring people all over the country to ‘Sow, Grow and Share’.
Members of the public are invited to pick up their plants and can also enjoy a performance of harvest songs from across the world by a five metre ‘Flower Singer’ accompanied by other performers representing sun, wind and water. A team of growing specialists from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) will be distributing the plants and are on hand to give advice and tips to those new to growing.
Kicking off on May 28 in Greenock, Free for All events will be delivered in communities for people who are new to growing.
The Free for Alls will visit Govan, Stranraer, Dundee, Leven, Falkirk, Edinburgh, Hawick and Argyll and Bute throughout May, June and July, encouraging everyone to get growing across the summer months.
In addition, the Dandelion Festival in Glasgow will host a Free for All on Sunday June 19. Taking place over three days, from Friday June 17, the first Dandelion Festival will take root at the heart of Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park, with the second festival taking place in Inverness at the Northern Meeting Park, from Friday September 2 until Sunday September 4.
Across the weekend, the venues will be transformed with live music, interactive walkabout theatre, science and creative activities for all the family as part of a unique festival that dares to reimagine our relationship with food and the planet.
At both festivals, a spectacular Pavilion installation will form a ‘living’ stage-set, made from’ 60 Cubes of Perpetual Light’ brought together.
Artists including Rura, This is the Kit, Admiral Fallow, Newton Faulkner, Hen Hoose, Niteworks, Darlingside and Les Amazones d’Afrique are among the line-up for the free event Glasgow in June, with Inverness line-up due to be announced in June.
Running alongside the public programme, Dandelion engages the next generation of growers, with over 89,000 children and young people taking part in the Dandelion Schools Growing Initiative, which also started today.
The schools programme sees over 100 specially adapted grow cubes distributed to secondary schools, working in partnership with feeder primary schools, with 464 schools taking part across the country.
Pupils will become citizen scientists in the largest community-led growing experiment ever undertaken in Scotland, comparing future farming techniques with traditional growing, later sharing the food they have produced, alongside art, live music, and stories, at hundreds of playground Harvest events.
The Schools Growing Initiative is delivered in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, a charity providing education initiatives for young people and educators which focus on environmental issues.
All Dandelion events are free to attend and non-ticketed. For full details of all events and activities including the Unexpected Gardens and Dandelion Festivals, visit dandelion.scot.
Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “The principles at the heart of the Dandelion projects and celebrations – of sharing ideas, knowledge and bringing together expertise for the common good – are more important than ever.
“The Dandelion events will seek to show the power of collective action, and its themes align with many of the ambitions of the Scottish Government.
“I would encourage everyone to check out the programme for activity near them, from enjoying one of the Unexpected Gardens, attending a festival, or having the chance to grow some of the hundreds of thousands of seeds and plant plugs being distributed at Free for All events in towns and cities across Scotland.”
Dandelion Futures Director, Fiona Dalgetty said: “Dandelion provides an extraordinary opportunity for people of all ages to come together to grow food and to celebrate all the ways in which our food is also connected to culture, music and song.
“The schools programme places the arts alongside science, technology, engineering, and maths to create an exciting cross-curricular STEAM project for pupils, teachers and the wider community to enjoy.”
Paul Bush OBE, Visit Scotland Director of Events said: “Dandelion is an incredibly diverse and exciting addition to Scotland’s events landscape this summer, fusing ideas and imagination from right across the creative spectrum.
“It’s wonderful to see artists, scientists, and technologists coming together to create a unique events programme that will inspire audiences and visitors right across Scotland to think positively about how we can all play our part in shaping a sustainable future.”
Martin Green, Chief Creative Officer for UNBOXED, said:“Dandelion is a brilliant coming together of artists, designers, technologists and scientists to make something special and important about what we eat, how it grows and what we can do ourselves, wherever we live.
“Through the cubes, the music and the opportunities to participate, Dandelion is sowing the seeds for all of us to think about and put into action how we create a sustainable future. I can’t wait to experience Dandelion alongside four other brilliant UNBOXED projects taking place in Scotland this year.’
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that “geopolitics is back” and argued for a “reboot” in the free world’s approach to tackling global aggressors in the wake of the Ukraine crisis:
My Lord Mayor, Your Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen.
According to some, this was destined to be the era of authoritarianism.
Three years ago Vladimir Putin said Western liberalism was dead.
Last year President Xi argued that the west is declining.
In April 2022 things look very different.
Recent months have shown the deep resilience of the human spirit and of free societies
Faced with appalling barbarism and war crimes, which we’d hoped had been consigned to history, the free world has united behind Ukraine in its brave fight for freedom and self-determination.
Those who think they can win through oppression, coercion or invasion are being proved wrong by this new stand on global security – one that not only seeks to deter, but also ensures that aggressors fail.
We cannot be complacent – the fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance.
But let’s be clear – if Putin succeeds there will be untold further misery across Europe and terrible consequences across the globe.
We would never feel safe again.
So we must be prepared for the long haul. We’ve got to double down on our support for Ukraine. And we must also follow through on the unity shown in the crisis. We must reboot, recast and remodel our approach.
My vision is a world where free nations are assertive and in the ascendant.
Where freedom and democracy are strengthened through a network of economic and security partnerships.
Where aggressors are contained and forced to take a better path.
This is the long term prize: a new era of peace, security of prosperity.
Let’s be honest. The architecture that was designed to guarantee peace and prosperity has failed Ukraine.
The economic and security structures that were developed after the Second World War and the Cold War have been bent out of shape so far, they have enabled rather than contained aggression.
Russia is able to block any effective action at the UN Security Council. Putin sees his veto as a green light to barbarism.
He’s walked away from the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. He’s violated multiple measures on arms control.
The G20 can’t function as an effective economic body while Russia remains at the table.
The Soviet Union used to regularly use their UN veto, but, for all the many evils they inflicted, even they behaved with some kind of rationality on the world stage.
They were able to stick to deals when they saw risks to strategic stability, as they did with the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
They would de-escalate when they were confronted and called out, as with the Cuban Missile Crisis 60 years ago.
And they had their eye on their global reputation.
None of these factors apply to Putin.
We are dealing with a desperate rogue operator with no interest in international norms.
This is at a time when the world economy had never been more open to Russia.
During the Cold War western allies fuelled each other’s prosperity, and we restricted flows of trade, investment and technology to the USSR.
In the 1990s these constraints were removed but it didn’t lead to the expected gains in economic openness and democracy.
We took progress for granted instead of applying the necessary carrots and sticks.
And leaders like Putin spurned the opportunity to change because they feared losing control. Instead they took the money from oil and gas and used it to consolidate power and gain leverage abroad.
Wandel durch handel – the assumption that economic integration drives political change – didn’t work.
We now need a new approach, one that melds hard security and economic security, one that builds stronger global alliances and where free nations are more assertive and self-confident, one that recognises geopolitics is back.
Britain has always stood up to bullies.
We have always been risk takers.
So we are prepared be bold, using our strength in security and diplomacy, our economic heft, and our will and agility to lead the way.
We are already stepping up in Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine is our war – it is everyone’s war because Ukraine’s victory is a strategic imperative for all of us.
Heavy weapons, tanks, aeroplanes – digging deep into our inventories, ramping up production. We need to do all of this.
Our sanctions have already seen Russia facing its first external debt default for a century. We need to go further.
There must be nowhere for Putin to fund this appalling war. That means cutting off oil and gas imports once and for all.
At the same time, we need to deliver support to the Ukrainian people. It means helping refugees, it means delivery of food, medicine, and other essentials, and it means keeping the economy afloat.
It also means holding the Putin regime to account for the appalling crimes that have been committed.
And, when the guns finally fall silent in Ukraine, it means making sure Kyiv has the resources it needs to maintain security, deter further attacks, and rebuild.
That’s why we are working on our joint commission with Poland to ensure Ukraine is equipped with NATO-standard weapons.
And it’s why we are determined to work with the US, with the EU and other allies on a new Marshall Plan for the country.
Ukraine deserves nothing less than a landmark international effort to rebuild their towns and cities, regenerate their industries, and secure their freedom for the long term.
We are doubling down.
We will keep going further and faster to push Russia out of the whole of Ukraine.
And this has to be a catalyst for wider change.
We must also apply this tough stance to the threats that are emerging beyond Ukraine.
Our new approach is based on three areas: military strength, economic security and deeper global alliances.
Firstly, we need to strengthen our collective defence.
In the words of President Zelenskyy: “Freedom must be better armed than tyranny.”
Ahead of the NATO summit in Madrid, we need to lift our sights.
We have long argued that NATO needs to be flexible, agile and integrated.
The Eastern Flank must be strengthened, and we must support crucial states like Poland. That’s why we are increasing our troop presence and we’re deepening our defence cooperation.
We also have to learn the lessons of Ukraine.
The UK sent weapons and trained Ukrainian troops long before the war started.
But the world should have done more to deter the invasion. We will never make that same mistake again.
Some argue we shouldn’t provide heavy weapons for fear of provoking something worse.
But my view, is that Inaction would be the greatest provocation. This is a time for courage not for caution.
And we must ensure that, alongside Ukraine, the Western Balkans and countries like Moldova and Georgia have the resilience and the capabilities to maintain their sovereignty and freedom.
NATO’s open door policy is sacrosanct.
If Finland and Sweden choose to join in response to Russia’s aggression, we must integrate them as soon as possible.
And we reject the false choice between stronger traditional defence and modern capabilities. We need to defend ourselves against attacks in space and cyberspace as well as by land, air and sea.
We also reject the false choice between Euro-Atlantic security and Indo-Pacific security. In the modern world we need both.
We need a global NATO.
By that I don’t mean extending the membership to those from other regions.
I mean that NATO must have a global outlook, ready to tackle global threats.
We need to pre-empt threats in the Indo-Pacific, working with our allies like Japan and Australia to ensure the Pacific is protected.
And we must ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves.
All of this will require resources.
We are correcting a generation of underinvestment.
That’s why the Prime Minister has announced the biggest investment in our Armed Forces since the Cold War. We recognised Russia as the most acute threat in our Integrated Review, adopting the same vigilance as NATO’s Eastern Allies.
Others are now also stepping up as well. But we all need to go further.
Spending 2% on defence must be a floor, not a ceiling.
There is no substitute for hard military power, backed by intelligence and diplomacy.
Secondly, we need to recognise the growing role that the economy plays in security.
In the UK we are now using all of our economic levers – trade, sanctions, investment and development policy – in a much more assertive way.
We recognise that growth from cheap gas and money syphoned from kleptocracies is growth built on sand. It’s not the same as real, sustained growth from higher productivity and greater innovation.
Free trade and free markets are the most powerful engine of human progress. We will always champion economic freedom.
But free trade must be fair – and that means playing by the rules.
For too long many have been naïve about the geopolitical power of economics. Aggressors treat it as a tool of foreign policy – using patronage, investment and debt as a means to exert control and coerce.
They are ruthless in their approach. Our response won’t mirror their malign tactics, but we will match them in our resolve.
It’s time to wise up.
Access to the global economy must depend on playing by the rules.
There can be no more free passes.
We are showing this with the Russia-Ukraine conflict – Russia’s pass has been rescinded.
We are hitting them with every element of economic policy.
We have raised tariffs on Russian goods. We’ve cut them off from WTO terms. We’ve banned their ships from our ports, we’ve banned their planes from our airports.
We have sanctioned more individuals and organisations than any other nation, hitting Russia’s banks, oligarchs, defence companies, Central Bank reserves, and oil and gas supplies.
We’re cutting off the funding for Putin’s war effort.
We are also cutting investment ties with Russia – banning all new outward investment and ending the investor visa.
At the same time, we are removing all import tariffs for Ukraine, and we’re supporting the Ukrainian economy with loan guarantees, fiscal support and investment.
We are showing that economic access is no longer a given. It has to be earned.
Countries must play by the rules.
And that includes China.
Beijing has not condemned Russian aggression or its war crimes. Russian exports to China rose by almost a third in the first quarter of this year.
They have sought to coerce Lithuania. They are commenting on who should or shouldn’t be a member of NATO. And they are rapidly building a military capable of projecting power deep into areas of European strategic interest.
But China is not impervious.
By talking about the rise of China as inevitable we are doing China’s work for it.
In fact, their rise isn’t inevitable. They will not continue to rise if they don’t play by the rules.
China needs trade with the G7. We represent half of the global economy. And we have choices.
We have shown with Russia the kind of choices we’re prepared to make when international rules are violated.
And we’ve shown that we’re prepared to prioritise security and respect for sovereignty over short-term economic gain. Not least because we know that the cost of not acting is higher.
The fact is that most of the world does respect sovereignty. It is only a few pariahs and outliers that don’t.
So we are working more closely with allies and friends – old and new.
And the same assertive approach that can constrain our rivals, can be a powerful driver of prosperity and security.
That’s why we’re building new trade links, including working on Free Trade Agreements with countries like India and Indonesia and joining the CPTPP.
We’re sharing our expertise in science and tech, signing new partnerships around the world. And we’re providing a better offer on development, with investment to low-income countries that comes without malign strings attached.
By being tough and united, by working together and expanding trade, we can deprive aggressors of their leverage and we can reduce strategic dependence.
We can help each other to weather the storm of soaring food and energy prices. At the World Bank last week we secured $170 billion to help low income countries deal with these challenges.
And we are getting ahead in other possible areas of strategic dependence.
Whether it is minerals or rare earth metals, we are joining forces to prevent future problems before they emerge.
This is how we will strengthen our shared economic security.
That brings onto the final point, which is that our prosperity and security must be built on a network of strong partnerships.
This is what I have described as the Network of Liberty.
The fundamental principle is that no matter the challenges, we should not turn inward and pursue autarky.
We should reach out and embrace new partnerships, what the Dutch and others have called “open autonomy.”
In a world where malign actors are trying to undermine multilateral institutions, we know that bilateral and plurilateral groups will play a greater role.
Partnerships like NATO, the G7 and the Commonwealth are vital.
We should keep strengthening our NATO alliance with bonds around the world, like the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, the 5 Eyes, and the AUKUS partnership we have with the US and Australia.
And we want to keep growing our ties with countries like Japan, India and Indonesia.
We also should build on the strong core that we have in the G7.
During the UK’s Presidency last year I was pleased to bring friends like Australia, Korea, India, South Africa and ASEAN to the table.
The G7 should act as an economic NATO, collectively defending our prosperity.
If the economy of a partner is being targeted by an aggressive regime we should act to support them. All for one and one for all.
And to the 141 countries, from all continents, who voted to condemn Russia’s actions in the UN.
I hear your voice.
I share your outrage at Russia’s illegal war.
I share your fundamental belief in sovereignty, in fair play and the rule of law.
So let’s work together. Let’s forge deeper bonds. Let’s be better traders, investors, and partners than the aggressors.
The UK is prepared to do things differently, to think differently, and to work differently with you to get things done.
There is huge strength in collective action.
And let me be clear, this also applies to alliances that the UK is not part of.
We support the Indo-Pacific quad.
We support an outward-looking EU and we’re working closely together on Ukraine.
We support ASEAN, the African Union, and the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
We reject the old ideas of hierarchical systems, exclusive groups and spheres of influence.
We want to see a network of partnerships stretching around the world, standing up for sovereignty and self-determination, and building shared prosperity.
The UK will be an active and agile part of this network.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Geopolitics is back.
After the Cold War we all thought that peace, stability and prosperity would spread inexorably around the globe.
We thought that we’d learned the lessons of history and that the march of progress would continue unchallenged.
We were wrong. But this is no counsel of despair.
In the face of rising aggression we do have the power to act, and we need to act now.
We must be assertive. Aggressors are looking at what has happened in Ukraine. We need to make sure that they get the right message.
Together we have tremendous strength. Let’s use it to forge a better, more secure world and a stronger global economy.
This will take the energies of all the people in this room and beyond. It will be hard. But we have to step up and take responsibility.
The aggressors are prepared to be bold – we must be bolder.
That is how we will ensure that Ukraine’s sovereignty is restored.
That is how we will ensure that aggression and coercion fail.
That is how, across the globe, we will win this new era for peace, security and prosperity.
In a gesture of solidarity with the victims of the war in Ukraine, Edinburgh International Festival is partnering with the Scottish Government to welcome the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra for a historic free concert at the Usher Hall on Saturday 6 August 2022 at 2pm.
Marking the orchestra’s only performance in Scotland, this concert is part of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra’s European and USA tour in artistic defence of its country.
Edinburgh is twinned with the city of Kyiv, and this special collaboration between the International Festival and the Scottish Government is in support of the city’s Ukrainian community and those directly affected by the war.
The special concert will see invitations extended to the Ukrainian community in Scotland and organisations leading efforts in the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees, as well as those supporting people impacted by the conflict.
Assembled by New York’s Metropolitan Opera and the Polish National Opera, the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra includes recent refugees, Ukrainian members of European orchestras and leading Ukrainian musicians and performers.
The Ukraine Ministry of Culture is granting a special exemption to military-age, male members of orchestras inside the country to participate, allowing them to put down weapons and take up their instruments in a demonstration of the power of art over adversity.
Under the leadership of Canadian-Ukrainian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, the orchestra’s repertoire includes Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov’s Seventh Symphony; Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Ukrainian virtuoso Anna Fedorova; and leading Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska performing an aria from Verdi’s Aida.
Seventy-five years after Rudolf Bing, himself a refugee, co-founded the Edinburgh International Festival, the 2022 programme reflects the organisation’s rich history of promoting unity and healing through cultural collaboration.
The 2022 International Festival also features Refuge, a season of contemporary theatre, dance, visual art, film and conversation created to explore themes of refugeehood, migration, identity and inclusion.
Free tickets for the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra’s concert at the Usher Hall will be available to book online from late June 2022, with further information to follow.
Fergus Linehan, Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival said, “The staff and board of the Festival are honoured to be given the opportunity to welcome our colleagues from Ukraine and offer them our support and solidarity at this time.”
Neil Gray, Minister for Culture and Refugees from Ukraine said: “The Scottish Government is delighted to provide the support to enable the Ukraine Freedom Orchestra of more than 70 displaced Ukrainian professional musicians to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival in August.
“The Edinburgh International Festival was first created to bring together Europeans suffering in the shadow of war, and as the festival celebrates its 75th anniversary it has never been more appropriate to underline its founding principles of peace, collaboration and solidarity.
“Scotland has responded to the present crisis by offering a warm welcome to those Ukrainians fleeing the brutal invasion of their country – and we offer the same warm welcome to these wonderful musicians. I am sure this historic free concert will be one of the highlights of this year’s cultural celebrations in Edinburgh.”
Oleksandr Tkachenko, Ukrainian Minister of Culture said: “Today, culture is showing a completely new side. It can also be the ‘soft power’ that helps heal wounds.
“Ukrainian culture is original and deserves to be at the centre of attention abroad. We thank our international colleagues for producing the tour.”
The Highest Risk List – formerly known as the Shielding List – will be formally ended on 31 May, as a result of the success of the vaccination programme and the introduction of new treatments for COVID-19.
The decision has been taken following a careful review of growing clinical evidence by a team of specialist clinicians.
It shows that, for the vast majority of those on the list, the risk of hospitalisation or death from COVID-19 has been significantly reduced and is no greater than that of the general public.
For some time now, the clinical advice has been for those on the Highest Risk List to follow the same guidance as everyone else in Scotland unless specifically advised otherwise by their own GP or clinician.
The list is not being used to identify people who are eligible for vaccine prioritisation or new treatments, and the NHS will continue to be able to contact those people when needed.
Support remains in place for those who are immunosuppressed and who may still have some reduced immunity. This group are likely to need general protection from a range of infections in addition to Covid-19.
Wellbeing support is also available for those on the List, and the Scottish Government has allocated an additional £120,000 to the British Red Cross to fund their Connecting With You service to help people reconnect with activities and friends, to rebuild their confidence in going out and to help them regain a better quality of life.
The Distance Aware Scheme is in place to provide free badges and lanyards to people who wish to show others they would welcome additional space and extra care while out in public.
The Chief Medical Officer will shortly write to everyone on the list to advise them of the change, and sign-post them to ongoing support.
The Highest Risk List is ending.
The success of vaccines and new treatments mean most people on the List are no longer at higher risk from #coronavirus
Those eligible for priority vaccinations or treatments will still be contacted.
Dr John Harden, Deputy National Clinical Director, said: “At the beginning of the pandemic we introduced shielding to protect the most vulnerable from a virus we knew little about. Clearly shielding did not come without impact, particularly for those who were socially isolated or feeling particularly anxious due to being labelled at ‘highest risk’.
“In March 2020, we used the information we had at that point to identify those with certain health conditions who we reasonably thought would be at higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19.
“Thankfully, we know a lot more about the virus now. Combined with our successful vaccination programme and the availability of new treatments, means the clinical evidence clearly shows that the vast majority of people who have been on the Highest Risk List no longer need to consider themselves at any significantly higher risk.
“Support is still in place for the small number of immunosuppressed people who are unable to mount a full immune response due to their condition or ongoing treatment. We will publish separate advice for this group and have put in place an identification process to be able to rapidly generate an accurate and current list of individuals to provide additional advice to, should it be needed in future.”
Public Health Scotland reports from January 2021 and March 2022 both highlighted the negative impact of shielding on those asked to do so.
The Distance Aware scheme was launched by Wales’ health and care think tank The Bevan Commission in August 2020. The Scottish Government invested £55,500 in developing the scheme for a Scottish audience, including procuring and distributing badges, lanyards and promoting the scheme.
The Scottish Government is asking organisations, businesses and employers to promote this to their staff, customers and members. A toolkit is available to provide further support and information.
The Musselburgh race card is packed with possibilities for spectators as the track prepares to host a top-class trio of summer races this year.
Join in the excitement with Edinburgh Gin Raceday (21 May), celebrate The Queen’s magnificent Platinum Jubilee weekend (4-5 June) or get glammed up to the nines for Scotland’s most prestigious five-starLadies Day (5 August).
The exhilarating Sensational 7, Summer programme begins with the return of The Edinburgh Gin Raceday featuring The Edinburgh Cup.
In addition to high-quality racing, there will be plenty of opportunities to party and enjoy some great food and drink: catch live music from local bands on the courtyard stage; sip botanical-inspired cocktails from the Edinburgh Gin Tipple Trailer and savour dishes from some of Scotland’s finest street food vendors.
Musselburgh Racecourse has a proud Royal heritage, opened by Princess Anne and visited by The Queen, and its Platinum Jubilee Weekend in June will honour the monarch’s 70 years on the throne in a way that pays tribute to her enthusiasm for the sport.
Offering a fabulous weekend of celebrations for everyone, from racing enthusiasts to families, groups of friends and couples, it begins on Saturday, June 4 with the £50,000 Inch’s Cider Scottish Sprint Cup Raceday. Then the Skybet Sunday Series Raceday, featuring the Queen of Scots Fillies Stakes and the Jubilee Family Fair, follows on 5th June.
As well as racing, spectators will be able to enjoy live music, indulge in delicious fresh street food and enjoy a range of local beers and ciders. The Funkwagen DJ will also be there to get the party started.
With a real family feel and party atmosphere, the event is suited to all ages and visitors are encouraged to bring along a picnic and join in the street-party extravaganza. The day is also packed with family activities including a free funfair and face-painting, plus prizes for the best dressed Prince and Princess.
The course’s Queen Stand is also hosting the Big Jubilee Lunch, catered for by Royal Warrant holders Heritage Portfolio, followed by Afternoon Tea inspired by items served at The Queen’s Garden Parties.
Glad rags will be the order of the day later in the summer when the course welcomes the glamour of Stobo Castle Ladies Day on August 5. Part of the Sensational 7 series, it has traditionally been held on a Saturday but will now take place on Friday.
An annual sell-out, for more than a decade, it has been Scotland’s premier five-star Ladies Day and one of the country’s biggest fashion extravaganzas. Showcasing all the top racing action alongside dazzling fashion parades, there is an after-race party with celebrity DJs, A-lister celebrities, some fantastic food and drink, live entertainment and amazing fashion prizes.
Packages include a day at the beautifully decorated Picnic Pavilion marquee. Located alongside the running rail, it is in prime position for viewing the action and has its own dedicated bar, betting facilities and private washrooms.
Elegance is obligatory and the most marvellous afternoon mandatory!
Book tickets for the Edinburgh Gin Raceday before midnight on May 20 and save £5 per person
JOIN THE FLAVOUR HUNTERS THIS MAY: The world’s most entertaining whisky club have created literal memory boxes in collaboration with a memory psychologist, chef and ‘thrill engineer’ to capture key moments in life that impact the way we experience flavour
EDITORIAL USE ONLY
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Memory Boxes. Picture date: Sunday April 24, 2022. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: David Parry/PA Wire
To celebrate the SMWS Flavour Hunters festival throughout the whisky month of May, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) have created a sensory experience like no other. Based on the science of memory recall and creation, SMWS have designed the world’s first literal memory boxes.
Partnering with professional psychologist Dr Ansgar Endress, Scottish chef Bruce Clyne-Watson and rollercoaster designer & ‘thrill engineer’ Brendan Walker, the boxes will be available exclusively at 2022 London Whisky Weekender and in SMWS Members’ Rooms across the UK.
Utilising tasting notes from the six small batch festival bottlings specially released by the SMWS throughout May, the six distinct boxes use touch, taste, smell, sight and sound to transport people back to happy moments or places in their life, such as ‘Nan’s House of Tea’ which includes Haggis spiced lamb breast with caramelised red wine pineapple, malt loaf and toasted oats.
Renowned Scottish chef Bruce Clyne-Watson expertly crafted the memory-evoking canapes to feature alongside each box: ‘Camping Out’ embraces those warm Autumn nights huddling around the fire with rabbit liver rillette dressed in a marmalade chutney, candied walnut, and nasturtium leaves.
Paired with a peaty whisky, ‘Watching the Harbour Boats’ is matched with smoky langoustine sprayed with sea water and a smoke gun, served on pebbles alongside a deep-fried Mars Bar with Irn bru & tobacco essence, conjuring fond memories of the seashore.
The SMWS sensory experiences engage with the episodic memory, the part of the memory that takes in a whole experience and commits it to long-term memory, creating a pathway to a positive time. Experiencing these alongside the whiskies also gives our brains the power and tools to create new, happy memories over a dram.
Bruce Clyne-Watson said: “It’s a real joy to be working with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society on such an unconventional and exciting project. The Society itself is an endless discovery of flavour, making it so much fun to create these canapes, which match perfectly with the SMWS bottlings.
“Memory really does affect the way we experience flavour. Sampling the produce for this campaign genuinely evoked memories of my childhood, like going to my Nan’s house for tea as a wee lad; reminiscing over those warming, joyous memories. I can’t wait to see this campaign come to life in May and witness each guest’s whisky eureka moment.”
Helen Stewart, SMWS Head of Membership, said: “At the Society we believe flavour is more than what’s in your glass. May is whisky month and is the perfect time to show the world what the Society is all about.
“This May we want people to join the Society in our hunt for flavour. Whisky lovers can become part of the world’s most entertaining whisky club and get involved in the Flavour Hunters festival wherever they are, through our website, Members’ Rooms and at the fabulous whisky festivals taking place across the UK.”
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society membership is about more than just whisky, come along to one of our UK Members’ Rooms to begin a discovery of flavour with the Society now: https://smws.com/
Scottish kitchens are having to wait an average of five months to recruit and onboard chefs with the right skill set, according to research from fine-dining water S.Pellegrino.
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy, a global initiative which is currently searching for the best chefs under 30 as part of its Young Chef Competition, surveyed over 100 chef employers to reveal some of the biggest challenges facing the hospitality industry today and identify what support the sector needs.
Challenges facing gastronomy industry
Even though the research found that across the UK, 55% of chef employers believe there is a wealth of gastronomy talent, two thirds (67%) said that the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has put young people off from starting a career in the industry. A vast majority (77%) went so far as to say that more effort needs to go into attracting young talent.
The research also highlighted the need for greater support for those wanting a career as a chef; 78% said there needs to be more mentoring to help young chefs thrive, and over half (56%) said there weren’t enough networks for chefs to share practice around the world.
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is campaigning to improve perceptions of the sector and nurture the talent of tomorrow through a global network where some of the world’s leading chefs can share ideas, best practice and inspiration.
S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2022-23
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition is now open for entrants, and chefs under 30 years of age have the chance to register for the competitionuntil 31st May 2022, sharing the Signature Dish that expresses their unique creativity and vision. Applications will be assessed by ALMA, the International School of Italian Culinary Arts, which will draw up the shortlist of competitors ahead of the Regional Finals.
Selected participants for the UK competition will join the Regional Finals event that will take place on 11th and 12th October.
They will show their talent and compete in front of a prestigious jury made up of renowned members of the chef community, including:
· Jason Atherton: Jason launched his flagship London restaurant, Pollen Street Social in April 2011, which was awarded a coveted Michelin star within six months of opening. Since then, his global restaurant group, ‘The Social Company’, has won multiple awards and accolades for its contribution to the UK restaurant scene. Jason now operates seven acclaimed London restaurants, two of which hold Michelin stars, and a further 7 international outposts in New York, The Philippines, Mykonos and St Moritz
· Francesco Mazzei: Francesco Mazzei spent the early part of his career working in major cities such as Rome and London before going on to open restaurants in the likes of Edinburgh, Milan, and Bangkok. In 2008, Francesco went on to open his first restaurant in London, L’Anima, with a menu inspired by traditional cooking from Calabria, Puglia, Sicily, and Sardinia. He has also been Chef Patron at Sartoria in Mayfair since 2015 as well as Radici, a neighbourhood trattoria in Islington, and Fiume, a riverside restaurant in Battersea.
· Lisa Goodwin Allen: Lisa Goodwin-Allen is a British chef best known for being executive chef of the Michelin starred Northcote restaurant. She also won BBC’s cooking show Great British Menu.
· Claude Bosi: Known for combining highly skilled classical techniques with the world’s best produce, Claude Bosi is one of the best chefs in the UK today. After rising to the top at his restaurant Hibiscus, he now mans the kitchen at the two Michelin-starred Bibendum in London.
· Sally Abe: After cutting her teeth at the likes of Brett Graham’s The Ledbury and Phil Howard’s Elystan Street, Sally Abé rose to fame at The Harwood Arms. She’s now at the helm of The Pem inside the Conrad London St James hotel, along with three accompanying establishments.
· Skye Gyngell: Skye Gyngell works closely with biodynamic farm Fern Verrow to bring the UK’s best produce to London. Skye has an emphasis on simple, zero-waste cookery.
· Sat Bains: Best known for being the chef proprietor of the two-Michelin star Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms in Nottingham, England. He won the Roux Scholarship in 1999, and worked in France, before returning to the UK and opening his own restaurant. Bains was also one of the winners on the BBC show Great British Menu in 2007.
The research found that 76% believe that top fine dining chefs are the biggest inspiration for young chefs, which is why S.Pellegrino works with leading chefs every year to be part of this initiative.
Commenting on being part of the UK jury, Jason Atheron said:“It’s a pleasure to be part of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef judging panel.
“Now more than ever we need to inspire and nurture the next generation of chefs and this competition helps to do just that. There is so much talent within our industry and to be able to spot and highlight these extraordinary individuals is an honour.”
Sat Bains added:“It’s so important to put the future of our industry first – and the best way to do this is by shining a spotlight on young chefs.
“Therefore, I am honoured and privileged to be involved – and I look forward to meeting the finalists in October.”
Skye Gyngell commented:“When I was starting out in my career, I always looked to other chefs for inspiration – so being able to work with, future talent is something that’s incredibly important to me.
“S.Pellegrino’s Young Chef Academy is all about celebrating and nurturing young talent, something we must do for our industry to continue to thrive.”
The current edition, opening the Regional Finals to a higher number of competitors (175 young chefs representing at least 50 different Countries/Regions), will offer even more opportunities for young talent to embark on a culinary journey that will bring visibility, prestige and the chance to compete for the global S. Pellegrino Young Chef Award at a Grand Finale in Milan in 2023.
As with the 2019/21 edition, the 2022/23 competition will also feature three additional awards alongside the main prize: the S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility voted for by the Sustainable Restaurant Association which runs the Food Made Good program, the Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy voted for by the competition mentors, and the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award voted for by Fine Dining Lovers readers.
To start the application and discover more about the initiative please visit:
