Tag: competition

Fife church hopes for ‘Good News’ as voting opens for £6,000 prize

St Luke the Evangelist Church in St Andrews flies the flag for Scotland

  • Voting is now open to select the national winner in Ecclesiastical’s Good News church competition
  • Five regional winners received £1,500 each after submitting their Good News stories
  • A final overall winner will be selected following a public vote with the winner receiving £6,000 for their church

Voting has opened to decide the national winner of Ecclesiastical Insurance’s ‘Good News’ competition and give one church £6,000.

Good News launched last year to shine a light on the vital work Anglican Churches do by sharing their good news stories and showcasing all the ways that people in their local area have pulled together to make a difference.

Almost 200 entries were submitted from across the UK, covering stories about home delivery services for people self-isolating, community cafés and virtual events.

Five regional winners were chosen in November, receiving £1,500 towards their work. They now stand a chance of winning the grand prize of £6,000 – bringing their total winnings to £7,500.

Picture by Clint Randall www.pixelprphotography.co.uk

Scotland’s Regional Winner was St Luke the Evangelist, St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane Diocese

The public now has the chance to vote for their favourite before a panel of Ecclesiastical Insurance and church representatives select an overall winner.

Helen Richards, church operations director at Ecclesiastical, said: “Despite the challenges that the pandemic has brought with it, churches have remained a beacon of hope to the communities they are based in.

“The response to the competition was fantastic and we received lots of incredible entries showing how churches pulled together with their local communities during what has been an incredibly difficult time for so many of us.

“The five regional winners really stood out to the judges and we’re now urging the public to show their support for their local church to be crowned as national winner.”

Picture by Clint Randall www.pixelprphotography.co.uk

Voting for the national winner opened on Wednesday 5 January and closes on Monday 28 February.

To vote for your favourite church, simply go to:

www.ecclesiastical.com/churchcomp and cast your vote.

Flora pupils play Climate Savers Top Trumps inspired by COP26

26 children’s designs feature on an exclusive deck of Climate Savers Top Trumps following a UK-wide competition ran by Royal Bank of Scotland.  

  • Over 2,000 pupils and teachers from primary schools across the UK entered the competition through its NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank brands.
  • The Climate Savers Top Trumps were on display to delegates and world leaders throughout COP26 in Glasgow.
  • COP Principal Partner NatWest also awarded nearly £30,000 to three schools to fund new green projects.

Pupils at an Edinburgh primary school got their first glimpse of the COP26-inspired climate savers Top Trumps which they helped design.

The Royal Bank of Scotland tasked Scottish primary school pupils with designing an exclusive set of the iconic playing cards promoting sustainable behaviours.

Across the UK through its NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank brands, the competition received over 2,000 entries. The 26 winning designs, showing the everyday actions young people can take to combat climate change, were featured in an exclusive Top Trumps deck for COP26.

The Climate Savers Top Trumps were on display to delegates and world leaders throughout COP26 in Glasgow between 31 October and 12 November, for which the bank was a principal partner.

One of the winners was Flora Stevenson Primary School pupil Honor, age 11, for her card design which suggested recycling old clothes. Honor was joined by the rest of her classmates at the Edinburgh primary school to play the iconic children’s game.

COP26 President Alok Sharma said: “The interest and engagement that NatWest’s climate competition for schools has generated shows how important this issue is to schoolchildren across the country.

“It has been a fun programme which has allowed everyone – pupils and teachers – to get involved and it will be exciting to see them bringing their ideas to life.

“Everyone can play their part by going one step greener and MoneySense Climate Savers Top Trumps is a great way to also make it a fun and creative process.”

Over 2000 entries to the competition were received in less than a month. The bank’s Chief Financial Officer Katie Murray was one of the competition’s judges, alongside TV presenter Ade Adepitan.

NatWest Group Chief Financial Officer Katie Murray, said: “COP26 is a once in a lifetime event and a great opportunity to get children to join the discussion on climate.

“This competition shows just how much young people want to get involved and make a difference – and what innovative ideas they have for doing that.

“We received an overwhelming number of entries and the quality of ideas and solutions impressed all the judges. It was hard to decide who should win. It was also brilliant to see the geographical diversity of the entries. 

“Importantly, the competition has shown that, with the right mindset, the journey to a greener future can be fun and inspiring and I’d like to thank all those who took part.”

The competition also gave teachers the chance to win up to £15,000 to fund new green projects for their school. Bolton’s Thomasson Memorial School saw off competition from over 2,000 entrants to take home the top prize of £15,000 in the teachers’ competition.

Our Lady of the Missions Primary School in Glasgow and Brookfield Primary School in London have also been awarded £7,000 and £4,000 respectively.

Charlotte Siggers, the winning teacher at Thomasson Memorial School – a school for deaf children aged four to 16 – received widespread praise for her project, which will see the creation of an area within the school’s grounds where pupils will be given the opportunity to grow their own produce and be responsible for the upkeep of the land.

The campaign builds on the bank’s MoneySense programme, which, for more than two decades, has been teaching financial skills to young people. It follows the 2020 launch of the bank’s Island Saver game – a video game built for games consoles and mobiles themed around cleaning up a magical island, collecting litter and building money skills. The bank is principal partner of the climate summit.

To see the full list of winners visit www.mymoneysense.com

November date for Andrew Fairlie Scholarship culinary competition

The Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland has announced that the second annual Andrew Fairlie Scholarship will take place on Tuesday 16th November.  

The finals will see five talented chefs compete for the chance to become Andrew Fairlie scholars and take part in once-in-a-lifetime culinary experiences. 

Perth College UHI will host the skills test and judging portion of the day, with the winners’ announcement being made at Gleneagles. A teenage Andrew, encouraged by mentor Keith Podmore, enrolled in a City & Guilds course at Perth College UHI before following Podmore to London members club, Boodles, and eventually winning the first ever Roux Scholarship. 

The scholarship recognises two outstanding individuals each year – one male and one female – who are forging ahead with their culinary career and working in Scotland.  

The aspiring chefs in the running for the ‘ultimate scholarship’ in the industry include Josh Wilkinson, 26, who is currently working as Senior Chef de Partie at the Isle of Eriska Hotel.  

Chef de Partie at The Torridon Amy Stephenson, 22, has likewise made the final, as has Spud Henderson, 32, Chef de Partie at Craig Millar @ 16 West End. 

There are also two returning finalists from 2019’s competition – Ryan McCutcheon, 29, now Chef Patron at Achray House Hotel, and Peter Meechan, 24, Chef de Partie at The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant.  

Spearheaded by HIT Scotland and supported by the First Minister, Scottish Government and Gleneagles, the scholarship was first launched in February 2019 in recognition of Andrew Fairlie’s significant and lasting contribution to the hospitality industry.  

In 2019, the scholarships were awarded to Emma-Rose Milligan from Kilmarnock and Joseph Harte from South Queensferry (top). 

David Cochrane, CEO at HIT Scotland, said: “After announcing the finalists last year, we are very much looking forward to seeing them in action next month.  

“This is a unique opportunity for these chefs working in Scotland to take on the mantle of Andrew’s legacy and experience some fantastic industry opportunities that will help develop their careers. Best of luck to all the finalists!” 

Stephen McLaughlin, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie Head Chef and lead judge, said: “We have had to wait a while for this year’s Andrew Fairlie Scholarship to come around and now that it is almost upon us, we are as excited and as privileged as ever to play our part in preserving and extending Chef Andrew’s legacy through nurturing and mentoring this year’s very talented finalists. 

“The finalists can expect a tough challenge to be laid out in front of them on Finals Day, but at the same time the day itself will be fun, educational and inspiring. We are delighted to be partnering the day with Perth College and are over the moon to add the college to the list of Andrew Fairlie Scholarship collaborators.” 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “After what has been an incredibly difficult year for our hospitality sector, it is heartening to see new and inspiring culinary talent emerging through this fantastic scholarship in honour of Andrew Fairlie.

“Throughout his life and career, Andrew did so much excellent work to inspire the next generation of ambitious, talented chefs in Scotland and this scholarship will contribute to his legacy. 

“It is great to see so many young, up-and-coming chefs aiming to benefit from the scholarship. They will all undoubtedly make their mark and contribute to a strong and sustainable recovery for Scotland’s hospitality sector.” 

Conor O’Leary, Managing Director at Gleneagles, commented: “We are enormously proud to support the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship, which provides an important platform for emerging talent and strengthens Scotland’s reputation as a centre for culinary excellence.   

“We very much look forward to hosting the finalists here at Gleneagles in November and are delighted to have the opportunity to continue working with HIT Scotland to ensure the culture that Andrew established is promoted and nurtured in the next generation of chefs.” 

Ype van der Schaaf, Sector Manager of Hospitality and Food Studies at Perth College UHI said: “On behalf of the team in Hospitality and Food Studies, we welcome the opportunity to host the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship final within our kitchens and facilities.

“We are ready to support HIT Scotland with the event and welcome the opportunity to involve our students to support the event and the finalists, giving them invaluable experience.” 

The chosen winners will gain industry-wide recognition as Andrew Fairlie Scholars and experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as a practical stage in an international kitchen and at Michelin star restaurants Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles and Core by Clare Smyth. 

Students fly the Edinburgh College flag at WorldSkills UK competition

Four Edinburgh College students have qualified for national WorldSkills UK finals having triumphed in a series of qualifying heats in their respective fields of study.

Damian Tchorzewski and Liam Ward have qualified for the Automotive Technology final, while Ben Nicolson and Corrie Kettrick have qualified for the Stonemasonry final.

Automotive Technology

Damian, who recently studied Electric/Hybrid Vehicle System Repair and Replacement, and Liam, who studies Light Vehicle Repair and Maintenance Principles, reached the finals following a qualifying process.

Stage one saw the duo sit a test that consisted of 30 questions in 30 minutes. The highest scorers from regions across the UK then progressed to stage two where they were tasked with completing five challenges on a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) program, under timed conditions.

Damian and Liam were among the six best performers in this qualifier and will compete in the national final taking place at Cardiff and Vale College on Friday 19th November.

Stonemasonry

This year’s Stonemasonry qualifiers – SkillBuild – did not take place due to COVID-19, however Ben and Corrie will have the chance to experience competition as they have been selected to participate in the national final.

The duo, who study at the College’s Forthside Construction facility, will travel to the National Construction College in Norfolk on 16-18 November where they will complete a set of stone-cutting challenges in competition with two Stonemasons students from Bath College.

Scott Warden, Head of the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment at Edinburgh College, said: “Congratulations to Damian, Liam, Ben and Corrie on qualifying for their WorldSkills finals – it is an outstanding achievement.

“WorldSkills UK, and skills competitions in general, are a fantastic way for our students and apprentices to network with peers from across the country, to test their skills in a new and challenging environment, and to boost their confidence.

“We’re delighted that four of our students will experience that this year and have the opportunity to be named among the best in the UK in their field. We wish them the best of luck.”

Local High Schools to take part in nationwide Hydrogen challenge

Secondary school pupils will compete against thousands from across Scotland to build the best green-hydrogen powered Lego vehicle to highlight the role the fuel could play in tackling climate change.

More than 700 pupils from across the city will have just two hours to design, build and race a green hydrogen-fuelled vehicle of their own design as part of the nationwide Scottish Schools Hydrogen Challenge.

And over the next two weeks, competitors will be challenged to design vehicles that can travel the furthest on the zero-emission fuel, for a spot in the regional final at the Assembly Rooms on October 8th.

The three best teams from the regionals will then take part in a grand final in Glasgow during the COP26 climate conference in November where they will be pitted against pupils from Fort William, Wick, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth and Stirling and Glasgow.

Councillor Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Engaging and empowering young people on climate change is vital as Edinburgh transitions towards net zero by 2030.

“Green hydrogen has the potential to prevent millions of tonnes from being released into the atmosphere. This competition is an excellent opportunity to engage young people ion innovating for a net zero future whilst also creating a learning environment which will drive higher levels of creativity and improve peer collaboration.”

Councillor Adam McVey, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, added: “We know that climate change is a subject which is really important to young people across our city.

“This national challenge not only provides young people with opportunities to apply learning from STEM subjects to this competition but will help to highlight the role that new technologies such as green-hydrogen play in helping to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change.

“It will also provide the finalists with a unique and memorable experience of competing at COP26 during the global conference and show we can be inspired by the solutions to climate change.”

Pupils from James Gillespie’s High School, Broughton High School, The Royal High School, Leith Academy, Liberton High School, St Augustine’s High School, Portobello High School and Drummond High School will all take part in the national challenge which is run in partnership with  Arcola Energy, ITM Power and ScottishPower.

Final call for Church Competiton

TO ENTER:

Think of your good news story that needs to be heard and fill in the competition form.

If you can’t use the online form; you can download a form and send it via email together with your photo to: churchcompetition@ecclesiastical.com.

Video submissions will not be possible by post. Once you submit your entry, your church will automatically be entered into the regional competition where each winner will receive a prize of £1,500.

The grand final of the competition will see one of the regional winners be crowned the national winner and receive an additional £6,000. That is two chances to win! 

All entries must be submitted by the closing date 17 September 2021. 

LATE CALL: Ecclesiastical Church competition deadline looms

HOW TO ENTER

Think of your good news story that needs to be heard and fill in the competition form.

If you can’t use the online form; you can download a form and send it via email together with your photo to: churchcompetition@ecclesiastical.com. Video submissions will not be possible by post. 

Once you submit your entry, your church will automatically be entered into the regional competition where each winner will receive a prize of £1,500.

The grand final of the competition will see one of the regional winners be crowned the national winner and receive an additional £6,000. That is two chances to win! 

All entries must be submitted by the closing date 17 September 2021. 

Good News churches competition: Deadline looms

HOW TO ENTER

Think of your good news story that needs to be heard and fill in the competition form.

If you can’t use the online form; you can download a form and send it via email together with your photo to: churchcompetition@ecclesiastical.com.

Video submissions will not be possible by post. 

Once you submit your entry, your church will automatically be entered into the regional competition where each winner will receive a prize of £1,500.

The grand final of the competition will see one of the regional winners be crowned the national winner and receive an additional £6,000. That is two chances to win! 

All entries must be submitted by the closing date 17 September 2021. 

Students set for the Scottish Schools’ Hydrogen Challenge

  • Over 7,000 second year students from across Scotland will compete to build the best green hydrogen powered Lego vehicle over the next eight weeks
  • Pupils have the opportunity to test drive the low carbon fuel and hear more on the importance of green hydrogen in achieving Net Zero targets
  • Winners from each city will compete in the Grand Final in Glasgow during COP26

Students across Scotland are taking part in a unique challenge in the run up to COP26 – designing, building and racing a green hydrogen-fuelled vehicle of their own design.

The Scottish School’s Hydrogen Challenge will see groups of three students collaborate to build the most efficient hydrogen-powered vehicle in under two hours. Vehicles that travel the furthest on the zero emission fuel will take part in a Grand Final in Glasgow during COP26.

Over 7,000 second year pupils from Scotland are expected to take part as the challenge visits Fort William, Wick, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow in the run up to the climate change summit.

Regional finals are taking place in each of Scotland’s cities with the top three teams from each being entered into the Grand Final with a chance to win a Lego Robot Inventor amongst other prizes.

Today, 3rd September, marks the first of the regional finals. Schools from across the Highlands have been competing for a place to race at COP26 over the past two weeks with the final contenders racing their hydrogen powered vehicles in Inverness at Millburn Academy today.

The challenge is being delivered by partners Arcola Energy, ITM Power and ScottishPower, a partnership formed to help educate people on the importance of green hydrogen in tackling the ongoing climate emergency.

Barry Carruthers, Hydrogen Director at ScottishPower, said: “Scotland is about to host one of the most important climate summits ever, COP26, and we want to help bring some of the energy and excitement around COP26 to schools across Scotland with our partners Arcola Energy and ITM Power.

“We’re currently working to deliver a number of green hydrogen projects in Scotland – including the  largest green hydrogen facility in the country, but we know that we still have work to do to help educate people about this critical, zero emission fuel and the role it plays in achieving Scotland’s overall Net Zero goals.

“This green hydrogen Challenge will help engage Scottish students in how green hydrogen can help decarbonise our daily lives by providing a clean fuel alternative to heavy industries and transport and supporting hundreds of green jobs.”

During the workshops, competitors will find out more about the decarbonisation of transport and the important role it is playing in reaching Scotland’s climate change targets.

The Challenge also offers a chance for members of the community to learn about green hydrogen, its applications and its expected growth over the next decade during evening and weekend workshops.

Experts will be on hand to answer any questions about the technology and offer a chance for people to try their hand at building a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power, said: “It is vitally important we work with young people as they grow up during the rapid shift to a net-zero economy. We are thrilled to be working with partners Arcola and ScottishPower, who are as passionate as we are about inspiring and upskilling a future generation of scientists and engineers.

“These hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are being built by the generation who will inherit the hydrogen technology that we at ITM Power are creating today. We hope to learn as much from them as they do from us.” 

Green hydrogen is made when a renewable electricity source, like an onshore wind farm, is used to generate the electricity to power an electrolyser which splits water into its two elements; hydrogen and oxygen.

The zero emissions fuel offers a long term, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, and can be used to decarbonise sectors that cannot be powered by electricity alone, including large transport vehicles like trucks, trains or buses and heavy industry or high temperature industrial processes.

Dr Ben Todd, CEO of Arcola Energy said: “Arcola Energy has delivered hands-on hydrogen education programmes to more than 100,000 students over the past 12 years, as part of our goal to deliver practical solutions to decarbonise transport, many examples of which will be on Scottish roads in the coming years.

“Based on real engineering principles, our workshops are delivered by our in-house team working with members of local universities and colleges who will be on hand to help teach students about green hydrogen and its applications – as well as offer a few hints and tips as they work to build their vehicles.”

The Challenge is being supported by the Scottish Cities Alliance and the Hydrogen Accelerator who have played a key role in the coordination of the Challenge and helping to educate people on the role of hydrogen in decarbonisation.

Cllr John Alexander, Chair, Scottish Cities Alliance, Leader Dundee City Council, said: “With COP26 just around the corner there has never been a better time to engage our future leaders, engineers, economists and so much more about how important zero carbon fuel is.

“In the lead up to COP26 the Scottish cities are proud to collectively support this important programme to inspire the next generation of renewable energy engineers who can capitalise on the high skilled jobs we aim to create from our collective investment to position Scotland as one of Europe’s leading early adopters of hydrogen technology.

“Innovation is happening here and now across the Scottish cities in deploying these technologies at scale to play our part in meeting Scotland’s ambitious net zero target by 2045 and putting the technology in the hands of young people is vital to ensuring that Scotland’s workforce of the future is best placed to reap the economic rewards as part of our just transition.”

Professor John Irvine, Chair of the Hydrogen Accelerator at the University of St Andrews, said: “On behalf of the Hydrogen Accelerator and the University of St Andrews, I am delighted that we are supporting this exciting Hydrogen Challenge programme, inspiring our young people to take up future careers within sectors such as Hydrogen as it offers such a diverse range of fulfilling career opportunities. 

“The Hydrogen Accelerator also looks forward to continuing to support the ambitions of the Seven Cities and city regions in achieving their decarbonisation targets. 

“With the abundance of renewable energy and water here in Scotland we have the right ingredients to produce green hydrogen enabling not only the decarbonisation of the transport sector but the opportunity to create innovative solutions, supply chain growth whilst providing citizens with clean, green transport.”