PDSA is appealing for support so that we can continue to help keep people and pets together this Christmas.
Our charity provides free and low cost vet care for owners who are struggling to afford the treatment costs for their sick and injured pets. The cost of living crisis is hitting hard meaning many people are struggling – nearly a quarter (23%) of the owners we help have used a food bank for them or their family over the last 12 months. With basic essentials such as food unaffordable for so many, our vital, life-saving services are needed now more than ever.
In December 2022 our dedicated teams treated more than 53,000 pets, and performed over 2,300 operations. In fact, we treat 10 pets every minute! But in the last 12 months there has been an estimated 1.6% increase in people receiving benefits, meaning many more people are now eligible for our charitable veterinary services. This equates to an additional 83,000 people who may turn to us, desperate for help in their time of need.
Our pets give us so much unconditional love and companionship, but without our help thousands of people could suffer a devastating loss because they can’t afford vital treatment for their pet. We don’t receive any government funding, relying entirely on generous public support to keep our 48 Pet Hospitals open.
Aldi has extended its reservation window to pick up surplus food bags via Too Good To Go. The move will mean customers in Edinburgh and the Lothians can secure a bag up to 24 hours ahead of the collection time via the app.
The ‘Surprise Bags’ contain a range of grocery products that are approaching their sell-by or use-by dates at a reduced price, costing just £3.30 each to purchase for at least £10 worth of food.
Customers can search for a nearby Aldi store in the Too Good To Go app, before selecting a bag to pick up in-store within a specific time frame, with reservation windows now available from 10pm the day before.
Since partnering with the world’s largest surplus food platform last year, Aldi has sold more than 300,000 Surprise Bags and has been rated the favourite provider of Too Good To Go bags by over one million customers.
Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said:“By extending the time our customers can reserve a surplus food bag via Too Good To Go, we are hoping even more people can benefit from the initiative.
“Not only has this partnership helped in our goal to cut down on food waste, but Too Good To Go also offers a simple and accessible way for customers to save even more money when shopping at Aldi. It has been amazing to see how many have benefited already since our partnership began.”
In addition to its Too Good To Go partnership, Aldi’s UK stores donate surplus food to local causes all year round.
Since 2019, the supermarket has donated more than 40 million meals via its successful partnership with Neighbourly.
In 2023, 629 charities were established across Scotland, an increase of 25 compared to the previous 12 months. Of these, 116 were registered in The Lothians*, signifying a growing trend for people keen to make a meaningful difference in their communities as well as society at large.
The research was conducted by Ansvar, an expert insurer for the charity and not-for-profit sectors, using data available from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. It reveals a shift in the philanthropic landscape, indicating that more people are actively seeking ways to contribute positively.
This is prompting Ansvar to extend its support and guidance to those aspiring to establish charities and community organisations.
Martyn Fletcher, Deputy Managing Director at Ansvar, said: “The increase of charitable registrations is definitely something to be celebrated.
“We understand that navigating the complexities of setting up and running a charity successfully can be complicated. It requires careful consideration and planning to ensure long-term success and sustainability.
“We are keen to empower those who want to establish their own charitable organisation in 2024 with the knowledge and resources needed to ensure the longevity and impact of their charitable endeavours.”
With the rise in charitable registrations, Ansvar is providing essential advice and guidance on the often-overlooked aspects of establishing and running a charitable organisation:
Identify the cause and purpose:
Clearly define the mission and objectives of the charity and what positive impact it hopes to achieve. Find out if any charities are already providing the same services, as working together can be more effective than setting up a new charity and competing for resources.
Legal structure:
Choose an appropriate legal structure for the organisation, such as a named fund or trust, social enterprise, or Scottish charitable incorporated organisation (SCIO). Each entity type has distinct legal and regulatory obligations, and being registered as a charity may pose limitations on pursuing the desired activities. It is therefore vital to understand the differences and restrictions.
Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment:
The assessment should include considerations for insufficient funding, governance, compliance, fraud and cybersecurity, and legal and regulatory risks.
Create a business plan:
Develop a detailed business plan outlining goals, activities, target beneficiaries, and anticipated outcomes. Include a budget that covers startup costs, operational expenses, and potential funding sources.
Registration:
Register your charity with the appropriate regulatory body, such as the Scottish Charity Regulator, and ensure understanding and compliance with legal requirements for registration.
Insurance considerations:
Assess the insurance needs of the charity, considering the size and nature of the operations, particularly in relation to staffing, volunteers and fundraising activities. Explore insurance options and work with a provider that understands the nuances of the sector.
Financial management:
Explore potential funding sources, such as grants, donations, and fundraising activities.
Martyn Fletcher added: “Many people embarking on the journey of setting up a charity or community organisation may not be aware of the intricacies involved.
“By carefully addressing each of these steps and risks, aspiring charity founders can lay a solid foundation for their organisations and increase the likelihood of making a positive and sustainable impact in their communities.”
* Data as per charities registered by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator between 1st January 2023 and 30th November 2023.
Scotland’s leading independent all-boys boarding school, Merchiston Castle School, has raised £1,500 and a whopping 492kg of food donations for the Edinburgh Food Project, a local charity that provides emergency good provision and support for people in need.
Following the charity’s ‘most wanted’ list, the schoolboys encouraged their families and friends to donate and drop off at Merchiston’s annual Christmas Fair, and the community responded generously! From tinned soup to cereal, cleaning products to festive treats, families contributed almost half a tonne of much-needed items to go directly to vulnerable people in Edinburgh this winter.
A further £1,500 cash donation was raised through a remarkable charity raffle held on the day, stallholder fees and a sizeable contribution from the Sixth Form’s Christmas market sales, which saw students from the Entrepreneurship BTEC sell Merchiston branded mugs, candles, and ornaments aplenty!
Edinburgh Food Project is seeing an increased demand for foodbanks this year, with over 2,000 food parcels expected to be delivered in December alone – a 70% rise compared with the same month in 2022.
The donation raised by Merchiston Castle School will go some way in helping to meet this demand and support the seven food banks run by the organisation.
Jonathan Anderson, Headteacher of Merchiston Castle School, said:“We are immensely grateful to our kind-spirited community who donated much-needed items to our charity initiative this year. It has been heart-warming to see the local community come together to support families in need and spread some true Christmas cheer.
“The boys have been incredible in supporting the fundraising activity, hosting the raffle where all donations went directly to the Edinburgh Food Project. We are very proud to see them giving back to the community and thinking of others less fortunate at this time of year”.
The holidays may be about to start but our Christmas programme will ensure that there are activities available during the festive season, beginning with Fridays FooTea Christmas dinners!
Check the information and remember there’s food etc available each day!
Seasonal staff should check their pay to make sure they are being paid correctly
Festive workers who may be missing out on the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage are being urged to check their pay.
Seasonal staff and students on short-term contracts over the Christmas period, including those working in shops, hotels, Christmas markets, garden centres, restaurants and warehouses, are legally entitled to the same minimum rates as other workers.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding all workers to check their hourly rate of pay – in particular, looking out for any unpaid working time, such as time spent opening and closing a shop, training, picking up extra shifts and working longer hours. Deductions, for things like uniforms or tools, can also reduce pay rates.
In the 2022 to 2023 tax year, HMRC identified wage arrears of £13.7 million due to more than 108,000 underpaid UK workers.
Marc Gill, HMRC’s Director Individuals and Small Business Compliance, said: “We want to make sure that all workers, including seasonal staff and students, are being paid what they are due this festive period, which is why we are reminding everyone to check their pay.
“People should check their hourly rate and look out for any deductions or unpaid working time. It could take them below the minimum wage.
“HMRC looks into every minimum wage complaint, so if you think you are being short-changed you should get in touch. Don’t lose out – report it.”
The National Minimum Wage hourly rates are currently:
£10.42 – Age 23 and over (National Living Wage)
£10.18 – Age 21 to 22
£7.49 – Age 18 to 20
£5.28 – Age under 18
£5.28 – Apprentice
Anyone not being paid what they are entitled to, or people concerned that someone they know may not be getting paid correctly, can report it online at GOV.UK. It is an easy process that takes around 10 minutes and reports can be made after the employment has ended.
To speak with someone, raise a concern or get further information, people can also phone the Acas Pay and Work Rights helpline on 0300 123 1100 for confidential, free advice (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm). In Northern Ireland contact the Labour Relations Agency.
Employers can access support at any time to ensure they are paying their workers correctly:
view the online employers’ guide on calculating the minimum wage
Budget provides continued investment in social care
The Independent Living Fund, which supports disabled people, is to reopen to new applicants after receiving £9 million investment as part of the 2024-25 Scottish Budget.
The funding forms part of the £19.5 billion budget for NHS recovery, health and social care and will support around 1,000 new applicants.
The initiative was closed to new applicants by the UK Government in 2010, with payments to the 3,000 existing recipients taken over by the Scottish Government in 2015. Scottish Ministers committed to reopening the fund in September as part of the Programme for Government.
The health and social care budget also includes £13.2 billion for frontline NHS Boards – a real terms uplift, with additional investment of more than half a billion pounds. Funding for social care next year will be over £1 billion higher than in 2021-22. The health increase is more than the total block grant consequentials announced in the autumn statement which means that resource funding for health and social care has more than doubled since 2006-07.
On his visit to Independent Living Fund Scotland in Livingston yesterday, Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care Michael Matheson said: “I’m pleased that we will be able to help more disabled people in Scotland to lead full and independent lives as part of our continued support for social care services.
“We are investing in the development of the National Care Service so that everyone has access to consistently high-quality social care, whenever they need it. This will help to remove barriers, tackle inequalities and allow people choice – as well as easing the pressure on Scotland’s NHS and continuing the integration of community health and social care support.
“This also builds on our other commitments in this sector including an £840 million increase in funding for social care over the life of the Parliament and an additional £230 million to support a pay uplift for social care workers to a minimum of £12 an hour.
“The Budget provides funding of more than £19.5 billion – protecting health and social care delivery in the face of unprecedented fiscal pressure. However, despite this investment, hard choices along with greater efficiencies and savings will need to be made. This is because the Scotland’s healthcare system is under extreme pressure from the ongoing impacts of Covid, Brexit, inflation and UK Government spending decisions.”
Executive Officer of the Independent Living Fund Scotland Peter Scott OBE said: “Following yesterday’s budget announcement of an additional £9m investment into ILF Scotland in the coming year, we welcome the opportunity to expand the work of our organisation and assist up to 1,000 more disabled people.
“Whilst we feel privileged to have the opportunity to re-open the Fund to new applicants, we do not underestimate the level of responsibility that accompanies it.
“We are very grateful to the disabled people, their organisations and other key stakeholders for lending their expertise and supporting us with the co-production of the re-opening of the Fund, work which is already well under way.”
POLICE are appealing for the public’s help as part of our efforts to trace a woman reported missing from Edinburgh.Fiona Aitken, 55, was last seen in the Drylaw area around 10.20am yesterday (Wednesday, 20 December).
Fiona is described as white, 5ft 6ins tall, of medium build with short blonde hair. She has a distinct polar bear tattoo on her arm.
When last seen she was wearing blue jeans, a light coloured zip top and dark blue shoes.
It is believed she is driving her vehicle, a blue Volkswagen T-Roc registration SO21HLF.
Sergeant Michael Thomson said: “Concerns are growing for Fiona’s welfare and we are appealing for anyone who has seen Fiona, her vehicle or who has any information on her whereabouts to contact us.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference number 2175 of 20 December.
The Scottish Government will not appeal the judgment in the judicial review challenging the UK Government’s use of a Section 35 order to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
The UK Government’s intervention and subsequent judicial ruling means the Bill cannot proceed to Royal Assent and be enacted.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Gender Recognition Reform Bill was passed by a majority of the Scottish Parliament and we will not be withdrawing it. However, the UK Government’s unprecedented use of Section 35 means the Bill cannot proceed to Royal Assent.
“If the current UK Government is willing to work together and indicate the changes they would find acceptable we will happily sit down with them. However, it seems that my counterparts at Westminster will not do this, and it remains to be seen what a future government will do.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to supporting and empowering LGBTQI+ people in Scotland. We will continue to work across government towards a society that is equal and fair, and where everyone can live as they are.
“Devolution is fundamentally flawed if the UK Government is able to override the democratic wishes of the Scottish Parliament. We will be ready to challenge its use on future Scottish legislation, and to protect the democratic will of this parliament.”
The UK Government will seek expenses from the Scottish Government for the Section 35 legal battle over the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, Alister Jack has confirmed.
Scottish Trans told supporters: “We are bitterly disappointed about this, as we know many of you will be. The current process to update the sex recorded on our birth certificates is intrusive and difficult.
“Last year’s Bill was not perfect, but it was a huge step forward towards a much fairer and simpler process – so that in those rare but important moments in life where you need your birth certificate you can hand over ID that shows who you truly are.
“So many of us worked really hard to help people understand why the law needed to change – and it’s important to remember that we succeeded, with a large majority of our MSPs voting in favour of the changes last year.
“We’re pleased that the Scottish Government intends to keep the Bill on the Scottish Parliament’s books, meaning that even though it can’t currently gain royal assent and become law, it could at a later date if the Section 35 order was lifted. While it’s clear that there is no path forward with the current UK Government to removing the block on the Bill, we hope that we won’t have to wait too long until a time where the political situation changes.
“When it does, we will be strongly urging the Scottish and UK Governments to get round the table so that the Bill can move forward, and so Scotland can join the growing number of places around the world with progressive, fair and modern laws that respect trans people’s human rights.
“We were pleased to hear the Scottish Government restate their support for trans equality, and to other commitments they have made to improve our lives.
“There’s a lot more to do to make Scotland (and the wider world) a place in which trans people can live happy and healthy lives beyond gender recognition reform, and we will be working as hard as we can to contribute to those positive changes.
“This is a setback and a disappointment – but once we’ve had a minute to catch our breath and rest over the holidays, we will get right back to work.
“We know that some of you will have been holding off on applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate using the current system, in the hope that you could use the fairer and simpler process that, if the UK Government had made a different choice, might even have just about been in place by now.
“Given the uncertainty around when things might change, if you want to apply for a GRC we think that the best thing to do would be to use the existing application process. We are always happy to help you make sense of how to apply – so please be in touch if you need us.
“We know that others might be unable to apply using the current process, because of all of the barriers it contains. We’re thinking of you today. If you’re upset, frustrated, disappointed – we are too. Please reach out and talk to the people around you if you need to.
‘potential to be a positive force for the tourism sector’
The majority of members on the Holyrood Committee considering the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill have supported the general principles behind the legislation, which would allow Scottish local authorities to introduce an overnight accommodation levy, following extensive consultation.
Publishing its Stage 1 Report today, the Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee said that a majority of members of the Committee support the general principles of the Bill and a majority of members again found that it was “unlikely that the introduction of a levy in certain local authority areas, assuming a relatively modest rate, would have a deterrent effect on visitor numbers and therefore on the visitor economy in Scotland.”
Conservative MSPsMiles Briggs and Pam Gosal did not support several of the report’s conclusions or the general principles behind the Bill.
A majority of members however agreed with evidence from stakeholders which suggested the introduction of a levy has “the potential to bring significant benefits to visitors, the tourism sector and local residents” whilst recognising that not all of Scotland’s local authorities are expected to introduce a levy and therefore benefit directly from the Bill.
Supporting the Bill’s provision to give local authorities the ability to choose whether to introduce a levy and how to apply it locally, a majority of members of the Committee welcome “the degree of flexibility” provided and believe that this will allow councils to “design and implement it in a way that suits local circumstances.”
The Committee also recognised business concerns around the timing of the legislation, following the impact of COVID-19 on Scotland’s tourism sector and the increased costs of doing business, as well as recent changes to short-term lets licensing.
The Report also said the Committee was “mindful of the concerns of accommodation providers that the introduction of a levy could result in an additional administrative burden” and welcomed the Bill’s requirements to implement localised monitoring and reporting to ensure transparency and accountability.
Considering if any levy should be a flat or percentage rate, the Committee considered this was “perhaps the most difficult aspect of the Bill in terms of determining what the right approach should be” and invited the Scottish Government to undertake further work on this area of the Bill to find a suitable solution.
The majority of members of the Committee agreed that “meaningful consultation with the tourism and accommodation sector to create a genuine sense of partnership working” would “help alleviate the concerns of many in the sector” and show that a levy should bring “long-term benefits” by improving the experience of visitors to areas where a levy is applied.
The earliest date a visitor levy could be applied by local authorities is 2026, which a majority of members of the Committee considered would provide enough time for any “outstanding issues to be resolved through engagement and consultation” with businesses and other key stakeholders.
However, the Committee also invited the Scottish Government to respond to suggestions from some councils that they should be able to introduce a levy sooner than 2026.
Commenting, Committee Convener, Ariane Burgess MSP said:“In supporting the Visitor Levy Bill at Stage 1, a majority of the members of the Committee recognise its potential to positively impact Scotland’s tourism sector.
“After thorough consultation and consideration, most members of the Committee have supported the core principles of the legislation, emphasising that a well-designed levy, at a modest rate, shouldn’t discourage visitors and should bring benefits for the tourism sector.
“A majority of the members of the Committee welcomed and support the flexibility provided by the Bill, which will enable local authorities to customise the levy’s implementation meaning that local levies are designed to suit local circumstances.
“Understanding concerns from businesses and being mindful of possible administrative burdens, a majority of members of the Committee believe that industry worries can be resolved through constructive engagement and consultation at the local level, ahead of any levy being introduced in 2026.
“For the majority of the members of the Committee the Visitor Levy Bill has the potential to be a positive force for the tourism sector, and thank the individuals, organisations and other stakeholders who provided evidence to inform this report.”
