The introduction of the Dog Theft Bill is a significant step forward for dog welfare, but Cats Protection is deeply concerned that cats have been overlooked in this important legislation, leaving thousands of Scottish pet owners without the same legal protections.
Alice Palombo, Advocacy Officer for Cats Protection, said: “For too long, the theft of beloved pets has been treated no differently than the theft of any other personal property.
“This Bill is a huge development in recognising dogs as sentient beings with strong emotional bonds to their owners, ensuring that this is considered when sentencing. Scotland is a nation of animal-lovers, and it is disappointing that the same logic has not been applied to cats and other pets.”
The new Dog Theft (Scotland) Bill acknowledges that the theft of a dog causes loss to both the owner and the dog itself. Furthermore, the penalties for stealing assistance dogs will be more severe, reflecting the vital services they provide to their owners. But the charity asks – what about cats?
Alice continues: “The theft of a cat is no different than the theft of a dog, it causes the same emotional impact for owners and distress for their stolen pet. Despite this, under this Bill, cat owners will not receive the same protections as dog owners.
“While we acknowledge that Maurice Golden MSP, who has proposed this Bill, hopes that it will act as a catalyst for wider reform and future legislation, cat owners should not have to wait years for the same legal protections that dog owners will immediately benefit from.
“The promise of a government review in years to come offers little comfort to the thousands of families who have already suffered the heartbreak of a stolen cat.
“We urge the Scottish Government to take immediate action, not wait for a review of the Act in five years’ time, but by introducing specific protections for cats and indeed other pets in this legislation. All pet owners deserve equal recognition under the law which we believe is essential for improving animal welfare in Scotland.”
New research from SCVO outlines the state of the sector’s finances
Charities across Scotland have continued to draw on their reserves “unsustainably” despite funding from government staying relatively stable, new research shows.
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has published its latest research, State of the Sector 2024, which shows the challenges which organisations across Scotland continue to face.
The paper, which contains key figures and trends from the Scottish voluntary sector, shows funding from government has stayed relatively stable, while income from the public has to a large extent recovered after being hit hard by Covid.
Unfortunately, for many voluntary organisations inflation and expenditure rises have matched and outpaced these hard-won gains.
While most organisations were able to stay in the black, the margins are wafer-thin and there has been a steady rise in the numbers of organisations ending the year with a deficit. In 2023, 45% of charities spent more than they managed to generate.
These narrow margins and rising deficits have seen charities continue to draw on their reserves unsustainably while they try to identify new sources of funding or have to consider reducing services – link to Reserves doc and Tracker.
SCVO also published a review of Scottish voluntary organisations’ financial reserves, which found the value of the funds looked after by the sector fell by £1billion between 2021 and 2023.
The average value of funds held by large charities fell by £5million, from £17m in 2021 to £12m in 2023.
Half of medium and large charities now have less than six months expenditure in reserves and nearly 1 in 3 large charities has less than three months of expenditure in reserves.
Ilse Mackinnon, SCVO Research Officer, said: “It’s been sobering looking at charities’ accounts this year and seeing just how tight finances are for many. People have been telling us via the Tracker and anecdotally that things are tough, but it’s another thing seeing the figures in black and white.
“It’s great that many income streams have recovered but we also saw essentials like energy bills, rents and staff costs shoot up, sometimes to double what they were the previous year.
“We can see the impact of that on reserves, with many charities struggling to meet costs and keep enough cash back for emergencies.”
‘Widespread’ and ‘culturally embedded’ ageism requires stronger legal protections against age discrimination and a new cross-Government strategy to address the challenges and opportunities posed by the UK’s ageing population, a new report by Westminster’s Women and Equalities Committee has warned.
It recommended the UK Government assess the experience in Wales, which has a well-established Commissioner for Older People and a comprehensive network of local authority Older People’s Champions helping to deliver a national strategy, with a view to replicating a similar framework in England.
Existing age discrimination law and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) are ‘failing older people’ as their protections are inadequate and rarely enforced, WEC’s report on the rights of older people found, as it called on the Government to commission and fund a wholesale review by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
MPs found clear evidence that ageist stereotyping, including portrayals of older people as frail, helpless or incompetent, or conversely as wealth-hoarding “boomers”, is highly prevalent across the UK media and is a significant contributory factor to the normalisation of ageist attitudes.
Ageism, the report concluded, causes harm both to older individuals, including when self-limiting stereotypes are internalised, and at societal level, pitting generations against each other and breeding unnecessary and unhelpful division.
Despite the continuing rise in older age groups across the UK – with 11 million people in England and Wales aged 65 or older and over half a million people aged over 90 – the UK’s equalities framework omits a focus on demographic change and ageing, WEC found.
It called on the Cabinet Office to establish a unit of data and policy analysts within the Office of Equality and Opportunity (OEO) to build an evidence base on the key cross-departmental challenges, including intersectional issues, facing older people now and in the coming decades.
The report called on the Government to commission and fund the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to review the effectiveness of protections against age discrimination, including consideration of the impacts of allowing objective justification of direct age discrimination; the adequacy of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and the case for more specific positive duties in England; the case for a strengthened “reasonable steps” duty on employers to prevent age discrimination; and options to better reflect in the Equality Act the intersectional nature of age discrimination, including but not limited to commencement of section 14 on dual characteristics.
On digital exclusion from essential services, it warned some older people are at high risk, including in aspects of healthcare, local authority services, benefits and banking, adding it is a ‘considerable failure of government’ that the UK’s digital inclusion strategy has not been updated in over a decade.
WEC urged the Government to prioritise the development of a new digital inclusion strategy that includes a detailed focus on the needs of older people, including a plan for locally delivered digital skills provision and promotion of best practice in maintaining offline alternatives to digital for as long as needs remain.
It also called on the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the broadcast media regulator Ofcom and the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) to take steps to strengthen their respective regulatory codes to better protect individuals and society from the harms of pervasive ageism.
Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Labour MP Sarah Owen, said:“The Committee’s report shows clearly that age discrimination is widespread in the UK and often minimised compared to other forms of discrimination. A comprehensive review of age discrimination law is a necessary step in tackling the UK’s pervasively ageist culture.
“The UK’s growing and increasingly diverse ageing population presents significant cross-departmental challenges and opportunities, so the lack of a Government strategy on how to respond to these issues is concerning.
“The UK Government should look to the experience in Wales, which has a dedicated Commissioner for Older People and a national strategy, and consider how to give older people a much stronger voice in policy making in England.
“Technology has become the default for many public services, meaning a refreshed Digital Inclusion Strategy is more important than ever. It is a considerable failure of government that the Digital Inclusion Strategy has not been updated, nor progress tracked, for a decade.
“Ultimately much more must be done to tackle ageist attitudes and discrimination across society, including in access to healthcare, local services, banking and transport.”
An exhibition charting the history of Leith St. Andrew’s Parish Church, and the community around it, opens to the public this Friday.
The church building, on the corner of Easter Road and Lochend Road, has been earmarked for sale by the Church of Scotland and has now closed as a place of worship, with its last service held on 29th December 2024.
The exhibition “The Heart of a Community” marks this moment of transition and has been organised by Leith St. Andrew’s Trust, the charity behind efforts to purchase the Leith St. Andrew’s Church building on behalf of the community and give it a new life as an activity centre and events space.
The artefacts and stories collected in the exhibition are the culmination of four months of work by local historian, Dr. Julian Grant, who undertook archival research and interviews with former congregation members and others with strong connections to the church.
The project was backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, whose support has also allowed Leith St. Andrew’s to carry out early-stage feasibility studies on how to ensure a sustainable future for the building.
The Heart of a Community will be on display in the church’s main sanctuary hall, launching 21st February, and then opening over the weekends of 22nd/23rd February and 1st/2nd March.
There will also be a special panel discussion event on Wednesday 26th February hosted by Leith St. Andrew’s Trust volunteer Julia König, and featuring local history expert Fraser Parkinson, award-winning writer Jemma Neville, project lead Julian Grant and Leith St. Andrew’s Trust Chair, Nina Ballantyne.
Nina Ballantyne, Chair of Leith St. Andrew’s Trust, said: “Leith St. Andrew’s Trust is so excited to share the findings from this project with the public, celebrating the people and stories of Leith St. Andrew’s at such a pivotal moment.
“The Heart of a Community” is an opportunity to learn more about the church’s history, its role in the community to date and its future potential.
“We hope that people seeing the memories and connections made here will be inspired to support our campaign for a community buyout of the building, and help make many more memories and connections in future.”
Pension Age Disability Payment can give people extra money if they have:
a disability or long-term health condition that means they need help looking after themselves or supervision to stay safe
reached State Pension age
It is also available to people of State Pension age with a terminal illness.
Administered by Social Security Scotland, it’s replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland.
People don’t need to do anything if they already get Attendance Allowance as their awards will gradually transfer to Pension Age Disability Payment, starting early 2025.
People can apply for Pension Age Disability Payment now if they live in Aberdeen City, Argyll & Bute, Highland, Orkney and Shetland.
The payment will be available across all of Scotland by 22 April next year.
Retailers will need to report suspicious and bulk purchases of knives on their platforms to police, with tougher sentences for selling knives to under 18s.
Stricter rules for online retailers selling knives will be introduced by the government, along with tougher penalties for failing to enforce them, as we pursue every avenue to protect young people from knife crime.
Following tragedies where the unlicensed sale of these weapons online has led to young people being killed, retailers will be required to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives on their platforms to police to prevent illegal resales happening across social media accounts.
Underlining our commitment to stop these weapons from reaching young people, we will increase the sentence for selling weapons to under 18s from 6 months to up to 2 years prison time, which could apply to an individual who has processed the sale or a CEO of the company.
This increased penalty will also apply to the sale or supply of prohibited offensive weapons such as recently banned zombie-style knives, following police evidence outlined by Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, where he identified a discrepancy in current legislation which means there is more leniency for illegally selling weapons than possessing one.
And in recognition of the broad array of knives – legal or banned – that are involved in knife attacks, a new offence of possessing an offensive weapon with intent for violence will be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill which will come with a prison sentence of up to 4 years in prison. This means that no matter if the weapon in possession is legal or not, if there is intent to cause violence, it is a crime.
The government will also explore through a consultation later this year whether a registration scheme should be put in place for all online retailers selling knives so that only responsible sellers are able to sell knives. This follows the government’s recent announcement that we will significantly strengthen ID checks on the sale and delivery of knives to keep our streets safe as part of the Plan for Change.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said: “It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result.
“Not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years which is why we made it an urgent priority in our manifesto and the measures today will be underpinned by investment for a new dedicated police unit to go after those who are breaking the law and putting children and teenagers lives at risk.
“We are honouring our commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law in memory of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022. I am so grateful to the Kanda family for their endless perseverance in ensuring governments take the right actions to protect young people from further tragedy.
“This government has set an ambitious mission for the country to halve knife crime over the next decade and we will pursue every possible avenue to save young lives.”
Last autumn, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Clayman to conduct an end-to-end review into the sale of knives online. The review, being published today, exposed lethal loopholes in the sale of knives online which are allowing dangerous weapons to end up in the wrong hands.
The review highlighted the lack of minimum standards for age verification and delivery checks. That is why the government has announced that a stringent two-step system will be mandated for all retailers selling knives online.
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Knife Crime, Commander Stephen Clayman said: “A key focus in our fight to tackle knife crime and improve the safety of our communities is limiting the accessibility of knives wherever possible, restricting their availability and the routes to purchase.
“All too often in policing, we are dealing with the horrific consequences of knife crime and seeing how it devastates individuals and families.
“The evidence in the end-to-end review clearly demonstrates just how easy it is for anyone to purchase a knife online, often avoiding any age verification at all, or where it is in place, exploiting vulnerabilities, especially with delivery.
“We welcome the government’s commitment in working with policing and partners to tackle knife crime and these new measures will significantly enhance our response to this.”
Today’s new measures will collectively be known as ‘Ronan’s Law’ in honour of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022 in a case of mistaken identity near his home in Wolverhampton aged 16.
Ronan’s killers, who were also teenagers, illegally bought lethal weapons online and collected them from the Post Office on the day of the attack, with no age or identity verification taking place. It was later revealed that one of Ronan’s teenage killers had bought more than 20 knives online, including by using his mother’s ID.
Today’s measures to close lethal loopholes in the online sale of knives deliver on a manifesto commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law and are the result of tireless campaigning by Ronan’s mother Pooja and sister Nikita to restrict young people’s access to weapons online and to protect other families from the same heartbreak.
Mother of Ronan and campaigner, Pooja Kanda said: “In 2022, I lost my son, Ronan, to knife crime and mistaken identity. In 2023, we sat in the courtroom where we were shown a Ninja sword and 25+ bladed articles. Looking at them, I knew my son didn’t stand a chance.
“Without proper ID checks, the online sale of these bladed articles played a crucial role in this tragedy. How was this allowed? A 16-year-old managed to get these weapons online and sold these weapons to other people.
“I knew we could not go on like this, and our fight for what was right had begun. Proper ID checks by sellers, as well as postal and delivery services, played a crucial role.
“We welcome the government’s plans to tackle the online sale of these weapons. Retailers, social media, and sellers need to take on more responsibilities. We welcome the proposal of a registration scheme, where the government will continue to implement stricter measures on the online sale of bladed articles. We have so much work to tackle knife crime; this is a much-needed beginning.
“This part of Ronan’s law will provide much-needed barriers against knife crime. I wish this was done years ago, and my son would be with me today.”
Patrick Green, CEO of Ben Kinsella Trust said: “I am pleased to see that the government is listening to frontline organisations and is tightening the legislation needed to eliminate the supply of dangerous and intimidating weapons.
“These new laws, particularly the focus on reporting suspicious purchases and stronger age verification, will compel retailers to take responsibility for their actions. It has been our stated position that a licencing system for retailers is only way to ensure that specialised knives are only sold to those with legitimate and lawful need.
“A licensing system will ensure that only reputable retailers who comply with the law and prioritise public safety will be able to sell knives.”
In the spring, the Home Office intends to launch a consultation into a registration scheme for retailers in order to sell knives online.
The government has an ambitious mission to halve knife crime over the next decade and tackling the online space is a core part of that plan. We have already announced that we will introduce significant fines in the region of £10,000 for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife crime content from their platforms and a mandatory two-step verification system for all retailers selling knives online.
This will require customers to submit photo ID at the point of sale and again at the point of delivery. In addition, delivery companies will only be able to deliver a bladed article to the same person who purchased it.
Since coming into government, ministers have acted with urgency to ban zombie-style knives and machetes, accelerate a ban on ninja swords and address the online market in order to keep weapons off the streets and out of the wrong hands.
The government is also steadfast in its commitment to making prevention a central part of its knife crime action plan through the new Young Futures Programme, which will identify young people at risk of being drawn into violent crime and provide the interventions necessary to steer them in the right direction.
Graham Wynn, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers take their responsibilities seriously and are fully committed to playing their part in making sure knives don’t make their way into the wrong hands.
“We look forward to considering the full details of the new proposal and welcome the commitment from the Home Office to meet retailers on this vital issue to ensure the safe sale of knives.”
Leith hub offers warm, safe space on the high street for the whole community
Utilita’s high street Energy Hubs strive to provide ‘Safe Spaces’ for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond – welcoming people to host events, meetings, and more in a supportive environment.
No matter whether you are a Utilita customer or not, the Leith Energy Hub team is always happy to give free energy saving advice, something Hub Supervisor Natasha Baillie says is very important given the current cost-of-living crisis – and they’re also able to offer energy-saving products at competitive prices.
As an energy supplier that was created with the mission to offer consumers better service and a fairer deal, people have always been at the heart of Utilita – and its high street hubs provide an inclusive environment for staff, customers and the wider community.
The energy supplier’s renewed pledge to Pride365 ensures that everyone feels welcome and valued at Utilita, not just for a day, a week or month, but all year round.
The Utilita Pride365 Pledge
365 days of the year, Utilita Energy is committed to:
Standing proudly with the LGBTQ+ community
We’ll be vocal and visible in our support for LGBTQ+ inclusion every single day – both within our company and out in the world.
Creating ‘Safe Spaces’ for everyone
Our Energy Hubs will provide ‘Safe Spaces’ for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond – welcoming people to host events, meetings, and more in a supportive environment.
Giving back to our community
Whenever we run awareness day activities, we’ll donate to local LGBTQ+ charities chosen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group. This supports not only our communities but also any staff who may need these vital resources.
Utilita Founder and CEO, Bill Bullen, commented: “At Utilita, inclusivity isn’t just a goal; it’s who we are. Our core values align seamlessly with the Pride365 pledge as we work every day to create a workplace – and a world – that is fair, sustainable, and a little bit smarter.
“We’re not afraid to challenge the norm or stand up for what’s right. For us, that means building a supportive environment for everyone – from our customers to our team and the communities we serve – and our hubs offer something rare in the energy world – a friendly, face-to-face service.
“Our core values – fairness, smart, and sustainability – are at the heart of everything we do. They drive us to create an honest, inclusive, and nurturing culture for our customers and staff alike.”
Making inclusivity know no bounds
Leith Energy Hub Supervisor, Natasha Baillie, added: “Having a presence on the high street lets the public know that the Utilita team are here for everyone and all you need to do is pop down for anything you may need help with, customer or not.
“We aim to make it super simple to manage your energy – no phone lines or online dashboards, just a friendly face to speak to in a warm, safe space and with a cuppa if you’d like one! Whether you’re looking for account support, help to manage your spend or energy-saving advice, Utilita’s Energy Experts are on hand to help.”
Utilita’s partnership with Pride365 is an integral part of its commitment to make inclusivity know no bounds.
Natasha concluded: “We’re committed to continually evaluating and taking positive steps towards improving inclusion both within and outside our business, and we recognise the impact this will have on ensuring a happy and successful team and community.
“Together, we’re proud to create a brighter and fairer future for everyone – every day of the year.”
Utilita Energy Hubs are high street locations where customers can top up their accounts, check their balances, and get energy-saving advice – based not just in Edinburgh but also Gosport, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Luton, Derby, West Bromwich, Sheffield, Leicester, Blackburn, Huddersfield and Hartlepool.
The Utilita Leith Energy Hub is open from Monday to Saturday at 41 Newkirkgate, Edinburgh, EH6 6AA. See more on Utilita Energy Hubs at https://utilita.co.uk/energy-hub.
Additional £25 million to establish a Grangemouth Just Transition Fund
First Minister John Swinney has announced an additional £25 million to establish a fund to help secure the future of Grangemouth.
During a statement to Parliament he also called on the UK Government to address the immediacy and urgency of the situation facing Grangemouth by at least matching the Scottish Government’s investment.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1891907870150590846
The First Minister said: “The aim of this fund is to expedite any of the potential solutions that will be set out in the Project Willow report, as well as other proposals that will give Grangemouth a secure and sustainable future.
“We have made the strategic decision to support this key activity through an additional draw down of ScotWind revenue totalling £25 million, to add to the £7.8 million in our budget for 2025-26. Altogether, the Scottish Government – with a finite budget – has committed or already invested £87 million in Grangemouth.
“We need the UK Government to do at least the same and deliver a fair amount to avoid significant economic disruption in central Scotland, and to protect and promote Scotland’s – and Grangemouth’s – future interests.”
The First Minister confirmed to Parliament that an amendment will be lodged to the Scottish Government’s 2025-26 Budget Bill to allocate an additional £25 million to establish a Grangemouth Just Transition Fund.
Funds will be available immediately in the new financial year to support businesses and stakeholders to bring forward investible propositions over the next 12 months, and if necessary, beyond.
He added: “We believe that refining at Grangemouth should continue, that this closure is premature and that it is detrimental to Scotland’s transition to net zero.
“We recognise the significance of the fact that we are now facing a programme of redundancies at Grangemouth and the impact this will have on the lives of those employed at the site. Every person, every family and every business impacted by the closing of the Grangemouth refinery, matters. Our immediate focus, rightly, is on providing those who are losing their jobs with targeted skills support.
“Everyone working at Grangemouth’s refinery is a valued employee with skills that are key to Scotland’s net zero future. We want them to stay in Scotland and continue to make their lives here. We will do all we can to ensure they have a future in the Scottish economy as we make the transition to net zero.
“That is why we are also working to secure Grangemouth’s role in that future and create an investible industrial strategy for the site.”
The First Minister also called on the UK Government to continue to work together with the Scottish Government to drive forward the next phase of Project Willow; to expedite a decision on Acorn and the Scottish Cluster of carbon capture projects; and to make urgent progress on allocating funding for the second round of hydrogen production projects.
Families across Scotland have this week commenced a 12-month mould and damp intervention programme before a full UK rollout this spring.
Delivered by Indoor Air Aware, the campaign democratising access to healthy indoor environments, and funded by Energy Action Scotland, the year-long pilot project will assist fuel poor households in preventing and safely remediating areas affected by mould and damp at home.
The project aims to address the critical issue of condensation, damp and mould in homes, specifically targeting fuel poor households with preschool-aged children in Scotland.
This innovative pilot will focus on a selection of households living in social rented, private rented and owned housing, providing them with proactive solutions to prevent mould and damp from affecting their living conditions. The initiative enables Indoor Air Aware to act on its mission to improve indoor air quality and the health and wellbeing of families.
The project pilot will involve home visits to assess the efficiency of the fabric and physics of buildings, ventilation and heating systems, and the provision of tailored guidance on household activities like drying clothes and showering – two of the main causes of moisture resulting in mould growth.
As part of the pilot, each household has been equipped with two smart air monitoring devices, coupled with a user-friendly app.
A team of expert advisors at Indoor Air Aware will remotely monitor each environment and provide guidance where improvements can be made. The energy consumed to heat each property will also be tracked.
To track progress, each participating household will regularly complete surveys to record the physical condition of their home in relation to condensation, dampness and mould and share their experiences after putting new measures and behaviour change in place.
The health of all residents will also be tracked during the pilot to identify how the improved environment impacts each resident’s level of health.
The project will run for 12 months, culminating in a final report that will outline the findings and effectiveness of the initiative and interventions.
Lisa Malyon, Founder of Indoor Air Aware, comments on the pilot launch:“The steep, sustained rise in energy costs has led to underheated homes which has exacerbated the UK’s mould epidemic.
“Living with mould can have a detrimental and often irreversible impact on people’s health – especially children whose lungs are still developing. The chemistry and physics behind why mould grows in our homes is complex, so this pilot is designed to educate households on the causes, and how to prevent mould and damp.
“We are incredibly grateful to Energy Action Scotland for funding this pilot project, which has the potential to be life-changing for those who take part.”
Frazer Scott, CEO of Energy Action Scotland comments on the grant fund:“Cold, occupied homes are a breeding ground for mould, so we really welcome the opportunity to learn more through this work with Lisa and Indoor Air Aware.
“If we equip households with the knowledge of heat, air and ventilation, we can all combat the causes of mould growth and protect ourselves and improve our health. We look forward to sharing the outcome of the pilot.”
Indoor Air Aware is home to ‘Mums Versus Mould’ a fast-growing Facebook community of 1,500 families hoping to prevent mould and damp, or safely clean and remediate their homes after the damage is already done.
Lisa shares her top 10 tips to help avoid mould and damp at home:
Do everything in your power to strike the right balance of heat, ventilation, and insulation. Mould needs moisture to start growing, so we must do what we can to avoid moisture landing on porous surfaces.
Always use the ventilation made available to you. Each day, we each create around 8 glasses of water through washing, cleaning, cooking, sweating, and breathing. Ventilation such as extractor fans and trickle vents on windows should be used to reduce the moisture in the air. Opening a window 5cm will result in less than 5% heat loss. It will feel warmer inside as the window will release moisture from the air.
Cooker hood ventilation is more effective if you cook using the back rings, instead of the front rings. Always make sure to clean cooker hood filters around once a month, or every fortnight if you use it every day.
Each day, do the daily detox. This is sometimes known as ‘back to front’ or ‘shock ventilation’ whereby you open each window of the house very wide, and all internal doors. This allows the outside air – which is generally 3.5 times cleaner than indoor air – to sweep all the moisture, stale gases, chemicals and particles out of the property, leaving behind dryer, cleaner air that is quicker and cheaper to heat.
Establish dry rooms and wet rooms, and don’t mix the two. Never do anything ‘wet’ such as drying clothes, using a steam iron, or having a heated aquarium in dry rooms (living rooms / bedrooms etc). These activities should be done in the bathroom or kitchen, with good ventilation.
Do your maths. Many households are opting to air dry their laundry using a dehumidifier instead of a tumble dryer. My own experiments have proved it’s normally more economical to use a tumble dryer – but make sure it’s well vented and used in a room with an open window.
Do not attempt to clean large areas of mould. Any space larger than the size of a tea-towel should be professionally cleaned and remediated if necessary.
Never use bleach-based products, and don’t try to mask the problem with stain blockers. Bleach feeds mould growth, and can break down silicons, leaving gaps around the bath to create much large water damage issues.
Do not get duped by ‘mould sprays’ as these contain sodium hypochlorite which is bleach.
Pure white vinegar on a microfibre cloth is the best way to remove mould, followed by another wipe down with water and a few drops of liquid soap or washing up liquid in a bowl of water. Wring the cloth out well as excess water will exacerbate the issue. Leave to air dry / use a heater / dehumidifier. Always wear protective gloves, clothing, and a face mask to reduce the impact of spreading the issue and health side effects.
It might be feeling like the depths of winter today, but Spring is on the horizon!
Join us and Friends of Pilrig Park this weekend to plant woodland bulbs like native bluebells, snowdrops, winter aconite and wood anemone as part of improvements in Pilrig Park.
Saturday 22nd February
Pilrig Park
10am to 12 pm – join us when you can
No experience or equipment necessary.
Gloves and tools will be provided.
Dress for the weather and wear clothes you won’t mind getting a bit dirty.
Saturday 22nd February
10am to 12 pm – join us when you can