Leith Job Fair is coming to the Drill Hall! 
We’re delighted to be welcoming Joined Up for Jobs (part of Capital City Partnership) to the Drill Hall for the Leith Job Fair.
It’s an employability event for clients to come along and meet directly with employers and partners based in Edinburgh for support in looking for jobs, CV writing, job interview preparation.
Thursday 20th July
10am – 1pm, free entry
Find out more on our website. 
When it comes to maintaining the garden, this month is all about keeping on top of your blooms, nurturing your plants, and providing your garden with that extra bit of TLC that it needs to prevent damage or dryness.
Expert gardener Fiona Jenkins at MyJobQuote.co.uk has a list of top tips on what you need to do in your garden during the month of July. Take a look at the list below:
Get The Watering Just Right
With July being typically the hottest month, watering is key. Your plants will be very thirsty at this time and may be prone to drying out. With this in mind, you want to make sure you maintain your beautiful blooms by regularly watering your container plants. Add a balanced liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks, as this will help to encourage continual flowering and strong, healthy growth. Remove all dead flowers as soon as you notice them to encourage new growth.
You also need to remember to water your shrubs, trees, and perennials. Water the base of the plant and avoid watering the leaves, as the leaves won’t absorb water. Wet leaves can encourage fungal diseases, which is why you must always aim to water the base of the plants.
Aim to water your plants first thing in the morning, as this is when the sun rises, and the plants will begin using the water.
Thin Out Your Fruit Trees
In the month of July, you may find that your fruit trees can abundantly over-produce due to the optimal conditions. Large levels of heavy fruits on branches can result in a final crop of much smaller fruits due to the high demand for the tree’s resources and the limited sunlight that is blocked by the large fruit.
This month, you want to focus on thinning out your crops by removing all of the damaged or excess fruits. This will enable the tree to develop a much more even and more appealing crop of fruits.
Show Your Lawn Some Love
During the summer months, everything in the garden grows very quickly. This means you’ll need to make some extra effort to mow the lawn. Aim to mow your lawn once a week to keep it in good shape. It’s also important to keep on top of watering your lawn regularly to prevent it from drying out and turning brown. If the ground becomes dry, gently spike it before watering to allow the moisture to penetrate easily.
Reduce the cutting height of your lawn during hot weather, as this can also help to prevent the lawn from drying out. Keeping your grass blades slightly higher can help the grass thrive and can prevent it from becoming damaged by the additional summer wear.
Take Cuttings From Perennials
When it comes to perennials, it’s important to take cuttings to encourage new growth. Place supports around your tall perennials to prevent any damage from wind, rain, or other typical British weather phenomena.
If you have any tender perennials in your garden, such as Fuchsias, you can use the cuttings for propagating. These perennials are best propagated from cuttings. Cuttings should be taken from the new growth for the season. You can either pot the plants now or keep hold of your cuttings until next spring. If you pot the plants now, they will have enough time to develop a sufficient root system so that they can survive through the winter months.
Get a Head Start on Sowing
If you want to be one step ahead with your gardening routine, consider beginning some of your sowing now. Biennials such as wallflowers, forget-me-nots, and foxgloves can be sown now and ready for planting in autumn. This will provide you with a stunning display next spring.
Sow your plants into large seed trays or, alternatively, a dedicated seed bed. After that, when the seedlings are large enough to handle, you can separate them.
You can also sow late summer and winter crops now, such as carrots, cabbages, and leeks. In addition, you can continue to sow radishes, lettuce, and beetroot at this time.
Check Plant Supports
During this month, you should spend some time inspecting your climbing plants to ensure they are able to handle strong winds and torrential rain. If you think your plants need new or additional support, now is the time to take care of that.
The typical British weather can put a considerable amount of pressure on your garden. It’s much easier to deal with this now than to wait until late summer.
Now is also a time for checking for weeds in flowerbeds, as weeds can affect your plants. It’s much easier to deal with weeds now while the weather is good.
Have you ever considered improving the security of your vehicle? 
Sometimes simply locking it is not enough.
The list below provides a range of options which will make stealing your vehicle more difficult, especially if several are combined together!
• Check vehicle doors are locked before walking away.
• Do not store keys near windows or doors.
• Keep your key device in a ‘Faraday pouch’ which prevents it receiving or transmitting radio signals.
• If you buy a second-hand keyless car, get the key reprogrammed.
• Make sure the key and any spares are stored securely and safely.
• Consider having an On-Board Diagnostic port (OBD) lock professionally fitted/ask at a main dealership.
• Use a steering wheel lock.
• Fit a pedal box, which encases the driving pedals in a high visibility secure box.
Please report any suspicious behaviour or incidents to Police on 101 or 999.
Vets are advising anyone planning to travel abroad this summer with their pets or assistance dogs to book an appointment with their vet practice well in advance to allow plenty of time to complete all the required health checks and paperwork.
With school summer holidays here, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) is calling on owners to first carefully consider if it would be in their pets’ best interests to travel overseas with them.
For anyone choosing to holiday abroad with their pet, BVA has issued a handy checklist to remind owners about the checks their animal will need before travel. This includes trips from Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the European Union, as post-Brexit rules mean owners now have to get the more complex and time-consuming Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from a vet trained to issue them no more than ten days before travel.
British Veterinary Association Senior Vice President Justine Shotton said: “The countdown to summer break has begun. While we should all consider whether a holiday abroad is appropriate for our pets’ welfare or their carbon pawprint, if you are making plans that include travelling with your pet or assistance dog, now is the time to contact your local vet for information on pet travel requirements.
“Book an appointment as soon as possible to make sure your pet has all the necessary paperwork and is fully protected against diseases they may encounter in their travels.
“We’d like to remind owners that the post-Brexit requirements for travel to the EU are a significant change from the previous and much simpler ‘pet passport’ system, so they will take longer to complete and cost more. A pet travel consult at the vets can now take around an hour and even longer where there are multiple animals.
“Vet practices are already under a huge workload pressure. To help make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible for yourself, your pet and your vet, we would urge you to contact your vet as early as you can ahead of travel to make sure there’s a vet available for this certification work and enough time to complete the required health checks and paperwork.”
Prior to Brexit, as many as 250,000 cats and dogs from the UK were taken to the EU on holiday every year.
BVA has prepared a seven-point checklist for to help pet owners:
More information for travellers from Great Britain is available on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad/travelling-to-an-eu-country-or-northern-ireland
Schools in Scotland are being warned to take precautions amid fears of a rise in crime over the summer holidays.
As many schools across the country prepare to close their doors for the summer holidays, specialist insurer Ecclesiastical says schools will be an attractive target for criminals over the coming months.
Ecclesiastical is encouraging residents in Scotland who live near local schools to be vigilant this summer and report any unusual or suspicious activity they notice on school grounds.
Ecclesiastical reports schools have been targeted over the summer months including vandalism, arson, break-ins, smashed windows, theft of lead from roofs and stolen laptops.
Amid high inflation, soaring prices and more facing economic hardship, there are worries there will be a large spike in criminal activity.
Faith Kitchen, customer segment director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “Schools are far more vulnerable during the summer holidays when school buildings are closed and largely unoccupied, tempting opportunists.
“With high inflation and the cost of living crisis, it is more important than ever that schools take steps to protect their premises from offenders. There are a number of measures schools can take to better secure school property and assets, which would ideally be a combination of both physical and electronic protection.
“Fencing around the perimeter can often offer a good first line of defence against unwanted visitors, while CCTV can act as a visual deterrent for those not wanting to be caught on camera.
“Vigilance from the local community can be a huge help. We urge those who live near schools to be vigilant this summer and report any unusual or suspicious activity they notice on school grounds.”
How to protect schools in Scotland this summer
Ecclesiastical Insurance offers a range of risk management support and guidance to help schools manage the risks they face.
For more information, visit the Hub for Education.
Police have had reports of sheds/garages being broken into across Edinburgh. Please remain vigilant and review the security of your property.
Key points for shed/garage security are:
• Use a good quality closed shackled padlock
• Fit coach bolts or anti tamper screws on shed hinges
• Install a stand-alone shed alarm
• Secure bikes within sheds/garages to a ground anchor or immovable object
• Review the lighting and fencing around your property
• Consider a garage defender
Please see attached documents for further advice.
If you see anyone acting suspiciously near to your property or vehicle please contact the police immediately with as detailed a description as possible of any person or vehicle involved. Please call 999 if an emergency and urgent police assistance is required or 101 to report the matter to the police.
Happening this Wednesday evening, 7pm at Stockbridge Parish Church!
Find out how you can make your tenement flat or house more energy efficient, find funding to support you, and save money on your bills.
Register here: http://bit.ly/StockbridgeEvent
Local authorities dealt with 225,430 rodent infestations in 2022, equivalent to 618 per day, according to new research from Direct Line Home Insurance1. There has been a significant rise in residential rodent infestations in the last two years, increasing 12 per cent from 201,871 infestations (552 per day) in 2020.
The research found that each local authority spent an average of £101,044 dealing with residential rodent infestations. In total, local authorities could be spending an estimated £36 million tackling rodent infestations each year2. Almost one in five (19 per cent) local authorities provide pest control services to residents for free. For those households that don’t qualify for discounts, councils typically charged £80 for pest control related services.
Rodents can cause significant structural damage to homes by gnawing under floorboards, within stud walls and drywall linings, or by making holes in loft insulation which can cause condensation and rot in the joists.
If mice and rats chew through plastic pipes it can also lead to damp, or flooding whilst chewing through electrical cables could cause significant fire risks. Some rodents also carry diseases such as Salmonella and Listeria, which can easily spread to humans, normally through rodent urine, droppings, or by coming into contact with food preparation areas.
Table one: Local Authorities dealing with the most infestations
| Rank | Local Authorities | 2021 | 2022 | y/o/y change |
| 1 | City & County of Swansea | 15,516 | 16,767 | 8 per cent |
| 2 | Southwark Council | 8,761 | 16,664 | 90 per cent |
| 3 | Birmingham City Council | 14,464 | 12,736 | -12 per cent |
| 4 | Liverpool City Council | 12,032 | 10,373 | -14 per cent |
| 5 | City of Glasgow | 7,894 | 10,323 | 31 per cent |
| 6 | Sunderland City Council | 3,232 | 5,968 | 85 per cent |
| 7 | Wigan Metropolitan Borough | 5,382 | 4,715 | -12 per cent |
| 8 | North Lanarkshire Council | 3,469 | 4,462 | 29 per cent |
| 9 | London Borough of Lambeth | 3,246 | 3,645 | 12 per cent |
| 10 | Nottingham City Council | 4,115 | 3,573 | -13 per cent |
Source: Direct Line Home Insurance 2023
The City & County of Swansea dealt with the most residential rodent infestations in 2022, a total of 16,767. Southwark Council and Birmingham were the second and third busiest councils last year, dealing with 16,665 and 12,736 infestations respectively.
Eastbourne Council saw the highest increase in rodent infestations in 2022 with 598, up from 208 in 2021 (a significant 188 per cent increase). London Borough Councils dealt with 40,768 infestations in 2022 – 18 per cent of the total for the UK.
One estimate suggests there are now 150 million rats in the UK3. Some ‘super rats’ are now resistant to traditional pest control methods and can grow to be as big as a cat.
Dan Simson, Head of Direct Line Home Insurance, said: “Mice and rats pose a real risk to the home and people’s health. They take advantage of issues like broken pipes, slipped roof tiles or holes in skirting to gain access to a property, often causing serious damage to the structural integrity of a building or belongings.
“We recommend that anyone with an infestation contacts either their local authority or an extermination service to have it taken care of professionally.”
Ian Andrew, Chief Executive at the British Pest Control Association, commented: “Rodents are a serious public health pest and they have rapid breeding cycles, which means infestations require swift action as they can escalate quickly.
“Unfortunately, being unable to afford pest control increases the likelihood of people either ignoring infestations or attempting DIY pest control methods, which can make the issue worse and endanger other people or non-target species.
“A pest professional such as a BPCA member will have the technical knowledge and experience required to deal with an infestation quickly and safely, as well as having access to products not available to the public.
“Pest management is vital for maintaining the safety, health and wellbeing of people, so it would be great to see something in the UK like the proactive approach New York City are taking, with the appointment of a ‘rat tsar’.”
To help homeowners prevent pest invasions, Direct Line Home Insurance has provided the following five tips:
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has reminded borrowers they can get help from their lenders if they are struggling to keep up with payments, as it found the number of people struggling to meet bills and credit repayments has risen by 3.1m since May 2022 (10.9m, compared to 7.8m in May 2022).
The number of adults who missed bills or loan payments in at least three of the last six months has also gone up by 1.4 million, from 4.2 million to 5.6 million over the same period.
The FCA has repeatedly reminded firms of the importance of supporting their customers and working with them to solve problems with payment, including by writing to industry bosses to make sure they are aware of the regulator’s expectations.
Where firms haven’t supported their customers properly, the FCA has told them to make changes. It reminded 3,500 lenders of how they should be supporting borrowers in financial difficulty and told 32 lenders to make changes to the way they treat customers. This work has led to £29 million in compensation being secured for over 80,000 customers.
As part of its Financial Lives survey, the FCA found that the cost of living is having an impact on people’s mental wellbeing. Around half of UK adults, or 28.4 million people, in January 2023 felt more anxious or stressed due to the rising cost of living than six months earlier.
Sheldon Mills, Executive Director of Consumers and Competition said: ‘Our research highlights the real impact the rising cost of living is having on people’s ability to keep up with their bills, although we are pleased to see that people have been accessing help and advice.
‘If you’re concerned about your finances, you do not need to worry alone. We’ve told lenders that they should provide support tailored to your needs. And, if you find yourself in debt or want to know more about how to manage your finances, free expert advice is available.
‘We will continue to act quickly to make sure financial firms help their customers who are facing financial difficulty or are worried they might be soon.’
The support needed to deal with the rising cost of living goes beyond what is provided by the financial services sector. As a result, the FCA continues to work with other regulators and debt organisations to drive better coordination and help make sure customers are treated fairly and supported if they get into financial difficulty.
The FCA will also be introducing the Consumer Duty in the summer. The Duty will be the driving force behind its consumer protection work, as it will require firms to act to deliver good outcomes for consumers and make sure that they are properly supported while using a financial product or service.
ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO COPE WITH DEBT?
Local advice is available at Granton Information Centre. Telephone 0131 551 2459, 0131 552 0458 or email appointments@gic.org.uk
We’re help to help!
Louise Thomas, car insurance expert at Confused.com, comments: “It’s common to see potholes this time of year, as cold weather and rainfall cause damage to roads. Potholes can be dangerous for road users, which is why it’s so important to report them if spotted.
“Our latest research reveals that almost 1 in 4 (23%) drivers have had their cars damaged because of a pothole. And the damage has costed £174, on average, for drivers to fix or repair.
“With rising motoring costs a continuous challenge in the current climate, potholes can be a costly annoyance. But drivers can make a claim, which could help to reduce how much they’re paying out themselves.
“To make a claim, drivers should:
1. Check for damage and gather evidence with clear photos or videos
2. Report the pothole to the local council
3. Ask a mechanic to confirm the damage and get a quote for the repair
4. Submit the claim to your insurer
“Our tips on how to make a pothole claim can help drivers through the claims process, so that they could potentially receive compensation for the damage caused.”
