Novavax COVID-19 vaccine shows 89.3% efficacy in UK trial

First to Demonstrate Clinical Efficacy Against COVID-19 and Both UK and South Africa Variants

  • Strong efficacy in Phase 3 UK trial with over 50% of cases attributable to the now-predominant UK variant and the remainder attributable to COVID-19 virus
  • Clinical efficacy demonstrated in Phase 2b South Africa trial with over 90% of sequenced cases attributable to prevalent South Africa escape variant

Novavax, Inc. , a biotechnology company developing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, yesterday announced that NVX-CoV2373, its protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, met the primary endpoint, with a vaccine efficacy of 89.3%, in its Phase 3 clinical trial conducted in the UK.

The study assessed efficacy during a period with high transmission and with a new UK variant strain of the virus emerging and circulating widely.

It was conducted in partnership with the UK Government’s Vaccines Taskforce. 

Novavax also announced successful results of its Phase 2b study conducted in South Africa.

Stanley C. Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax, said: “With today’s results from our UK Phase 3 and South Africa Phase 2b clinical trials, we have now reported data on our COVID-19 vaccine from Phase 1, 2 and 3 trials involving over 20,000 participants.

“In addition, our PREVENT-19 US and and Mexico clinical trial has randomized over 16,000 participants toward our enrollment goal of 30,000. NVX-CoV2373 is the first vaccine to demonstrate not only high clinical efficacy against COVID-19 but also significant clinical efficacy against both the rapidly emerging UK and South Africa variants.”

“NVX-CoV2373 has the potential to play an important role in solving this global public health crisis. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners, collaborators, investigators and regulators around the world to make the vaccine available as quickly as possible.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “Good news that the @Novavax vaccine has proved effective in UK trials. Thank you to all the volunteers who made these results possible.

“Our medicines regulator will now assess the vaccine, which will be made in Teesside. If approved, we have 60m doses on order.”

The UK has so far approved three coronavirus vaccines for emergency use – one from Oxford University and AstraZeneca, another by Pfizer and BioNTech, and a third from Moderna.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The results from the UK trial of Novavax’s vaccine look extremely promising, and I welcome the news that the company is planning to submit its data to the regulators.

“The UK moved quickly to procure 60 million doses from Novavax and I’m pleased to confirm the bulk of the vaccine will be manufactured on Teesside and delivered during this year, if approved for use.

“From the scientists and researchers to the thousands of UK trial volunteers, I am enormously grateful to everyone who is playing their part in this truly national effort to defeat this virus once and for all.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: This is positive news and, if approved by the medicines regulator, the Novavax vaccine will be a significant boost to our vaccination programme and another weapon in our arsenal to beat this awful virus.

“I’m proud the UK is at the forefront of another medical breakthrough and I want to thank the brilliant scientists and researchers, as well as the tens of thousands of selfless volunteers who took park in clinical trials.

“The NHS stands ready to roll this vaccine out as quickly as possible to those most at risk if it is authorised.”

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Having taken part in Novavax’s vaccine trial myself, I am particularly thrilled to see such positive results. I want to thank the thousands of trial volunteers, without whom these results would not have been possible.

“It will now be for the regulator to do its crucial work in assessing the efficacy and safety of this vaccine, but if approved it will be a further boost to our vaccination programme.”

Novavax’s candidate differs from those currently being used in the UK, combining an engineered protein from the virus that causes COVID-19 with a plant-based ingredient to help generate a stronger immune response.

Having a diverse portfolio of vaccines increases the chances of ensuring there is a vaccine available for everyone across the UK.

The data published yesterday come from more than 15,000 people who were recruited through the National Institute of Health Research vaccine registry, which was launched in July 2020 to support the UK’s efforts to deliver vaccines for COVID-19. Nearly 4,000 people in the study were over the age of 65.

Through the Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 367 million doses of 7 of the most promising vaccines so far. To date, the UK government has invested over £230 million into manufacturing a successful vaccine.

The UK was the first country in the world to procure, authorise and then deploy both the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

Production of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine started last autumn where the bulk of the vaccine for the UK is being made in Oxfordshire and Staffordshire, with filling into vials taking place in North Wales.

In total, more than 7.4 million people across the UK have now had a least one dose of the vaccine.

Call for Scottish budget to address mental health pandemic for children and young people

A coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers has called on the Scottish Government to deliver a “budget for mental health” this afternoon.

The call from campaign group, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), comes in advance of today’s Scottish Budget and Children’s Mental Health Week (1st-7th February). It comes amid growing concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted by the pandemic. 

The SCSC has urged greatly increased investment in services for children and young people to tackle a current mental health pandemic and called for a national crusade to address this.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on young people’s mental health and wellbeing, with the recent Prince’s Trust long-running annual survey of young people’s happiness and confidence returned the worst findings in its 12-year history. It found that more than a quarter (26 per cent) say that they feel unable to cope with life since the start of the pandemic.

In addition, half of the young people interviewed said that their mental health has worsened, with more than half (56 per cent) said they always or often felt anxious. 1

Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels, representing one of the greatest health challenges of our time, and there is a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access services. With a new lockdown and a return to home schooling, even some children who would not have accessed children’s mental health services normally will need support this year.

However, just over 50p in every £100 of the NHS budget is being spent on specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). A frighteningly low figure despite the fact that mental health services are literally creaking at the seams due to greatly increasing demand. 

Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom) – however, it should be noted that these figures are some years out of date and it is widely believed that numbers have increased and will increase further given the impacts of COVID-19.

Recent statistics however point to the fact that only one health board in Scotland is treating children and young people within an 18-week waiting time and more than 1,000 have been waiting over a year to be treated.

The SCSC has also called for greatly increased investment in services and for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention. This includes on-demand counselling services in GP surgeries and greater community support generally, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS. 

A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “Our children are remarkably resilient, but the statistics on the mental health of our young people does create a compelling case for a national crusade to address what is a mental health pandemic representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

“We are urging the Scottish Government to make the forthcoming budget a budget for mental health for our children and young people. Unless the government takes urgent action to improve access to services, this young generation will be destined for a future of mental ill health, with a resultant societal impact. 

“There must be significantly increased investment in and greater collaboration between the public, private and third sectors to deliver adequate mental health support. We must also use this as an opportunity to radically transform our mental health services, both for now and for the future, refocusing on prevention and early intervention.

“This mental health crisis is one we can address, but it will require a similar energy, drive and commitment to that which was demonstrated for COVID-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent this generation of young people giving up on their futures – and themselves.”

Support for students in hardship

Students experiencing hardship as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) will be supported by £20 million of Scottish Government funding. A further £10 million has also been allocated to universities and colleges for income lost in providing rent rebates.

To complement the additional £30 million, the Scottish Funding Council is also repurposing £5 million of student support funding towards discretionary funding for FE students in the college sector.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The impact of the pandemic on students has been significant. Not only has there been disruption to their education, we know that many students face financial difficulties with accommodation, associated costs or challenges in getting jobs. This additional £20 million will help to alleviate the financial pressure and stress facing many of our students.

“We are also supporting institutions, many of which have lost revenue by giving students rent refunds or rebates, with an additional £10 million.

“This announcement builds on the £37 million package of support the Scottish Government has already provided to support students during the pandemic.”

Matt Crilly, President of NUS Scotland, said: “NUS Scotland welcomes this crucial support from the Scottish Government at a time when students are struggling. We know many of the traditional sources of student income have been decimated during the pandemic, so it is a relief to know there will be additional funding for those experiencing hardship.

“This support is essential in helping Scotland uphold its commitment to fair access to education. While Scotland has made important advances in recent years towards widening access to further and higher education, the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities and threatens to erode this progress. This funding helps ensure we are not only supporting students from all backgrounds into education, but also helping them stay in education.”

Shona Struthers, chief executive officer of Colleges Scotland, said: “We welcome any additional funding to support college students across Scotland at this incredibly difficult time.

“Many of our students are learning from home and with additional financial hardship caused by the pandemic – we are sure that the much-needed additional funds from Scottish Government will prove beneficial to students during this lockdown period. Colleges Scotland will work on behalf of the sector to highlight ongoing challenges.”

Details on how this £20 million assistance for students will be distributed will be confirmed shortly.

More information on the support available for students is available online.

“I am Sorry …” – Coronavirus death toll passes 100,000

Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus: 26th January 2021

I am sorry to have to tell you that today the number of deaths recorded from Covid in the UK has surpassed 100,000, and it is hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic.

The years of life lost, the family gatherings not attended and, for so many relatives, the missed chance even to say goodbye.

I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one: fathers and mothers; brothers and sisters; sons and daughters and the many grandparents who have been taken.

And, to all those who grieve, we make this pledge: that when we have come through this crisis, we will come together as a nation to remember everyone we lost, and to honour the selfless heroism of all those on the front line who gave their lives to save others.

We will remember the courage of countless working people – not just our amazing NHS and care workers, but shop workers, transport staff, pharmacists, teachers, police, armed forces emergency services and many others – who kept our country going during our biggest crisis since the Second World War.

We will commemorate the small acts of kindness, the spirit of volunteering and the daily sacrifice of millions who placed their lives on hold time and again as we fought each new wave of the virus, buying time for our brilliant scientists to come to our aid.

In that moment of commemoration, we will celebrate the genius and perseverance of those who discovered the vaccines and the immense national effort – never seen before in our history – which is now underway to distribute them, one that has now seen us immunise over 6.8 million people across the United Kingdom.

And when those vaccines have finally freed us from this virus and put us on a path to recovery, we will make sure that we learn the lessons and reflect and prepare.

And, until that time, the best and most important thing we can all do to honour the memory of those who have died is to work together with ever greater resolve to defeat this disease.

And that is what we will do.

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, said: “This is a national tragedy and a terrible reminder of all that we have lost as a country.

“We must never become numb to these numbers or treat them as just statistics. Every death is a loved one, a friend, a neighbour, a partner or a colleague. It is an empty chair at the dinner table.

“To all those that are mourning, we must promise to learn the lessons of what went wrong and build a more resilient country. That day will come and we will get there together.

“But for now we must remember those that we have lost and be vigilant in the national effort to stay at home, protect our NHS and vaccinate Britain.”

Gie’s a hand … on Burns Night

Here’s a hand, my trusty fiere and gie’s a hand o’ thine …

What would Rabbie Burns have made of our digital age? He would probably have loved it. He was a philosopher and a rebel and as a man of humble origins living during the Enlightenment, he would surely have dived right in.

So as we celebrate the birth of our national poet let’s celebrate our digital age as well. We’d like to ask you to “gie’s a hand” in our digital appeal.

DIGITAL RESOURCES APPEAL

Home learning can be an issue for those who do not have access to technology, especially during the unprecedented times we are all living through.

Can you help make significant change in your community?

If you have a laptop, mobile, tablet or any other device that could help us in our mission to help people, we would love to hear from you!

Many local schools are struggling to support families with home learning and children within our community are the future and our hope. They are our next generation of essential workers: doctors, teachers, politicians, engineers, and retail workers.

Victoria Primary School would be grateful for at least ten additional devices to help tackle these issues and to make sure those in disadvantaged situations are not punished long-term for a situation that is not their fault.

We will arrange safe collection of devices and have them cleaned and refurbished if necessary. After which, the school will distribute accordingly.

As you will understand, due to the current situation, we need to act as soon as possible.

If you can assist, we wholeheartedly appreciate any help you can provide at this time.

So “gies’ a hand”, and as you celebrate Rabbie Burns’ birthday, remember to play and watch our online Heart of Newhaven choir sing Auld Lang Syne.

https://youtu.be/yO6XITf5-kk
DIGITAL RESOURCES APPEAL

JVT: Hardship, but also hope

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam highlights the importance of continuing to follow the guidance, even after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination

Next Saturday will mark the first anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and next Sunday will be one year on from the first case of COVID-19 detected in the UK. It has been a terrible year as the virus has spread across the world causing misery, hardship, death and severely disrupting all of our lives.

The silver lining has been the incredible work of scientists and healthcare professionals across the world. If you had told me 12 months ago, that the UK would have discovered, in dexamethasone, the first treatment proven to reduce COVID-19 deaths, and vaccinated over 5 million people by this point, I would have been astonished. But that is the place in which we find ourselves. Hardship, but also hope.

Many people have played an important role in getting vaccines in arms, including the teams of researchers behind the development of the vaccines, the volunteers who took part in clinical trials, the Vaccines Taskforce who ensured we had supply of vaccine and the NHS staff and volunteers who are now working hard to administer them to people quickly and safely.

Their work has been incredible and we should rightly celebrate this.

Vaccines do offer the way out of the pandemic and a return to life as we knew it – having a pint before watching your local football team, multigenerational family gatherings and big weddings. These really will return! But to make that happen as quickly as possible we need to bring the number of cases down as soon as we can whilst we vaccinate our most vulnerable. To do that there are some important scientific points I want to highlight:

No vaccine has ever been 100% effective so no-one will have 100% protection from the virus. The way to reduce everyone’s risk is to break the chains of transmission and really push down the number of cases.

Vaccines work by tricking your body into thinking it has to fight the virus. It trains you for this fight by making antibodies and stimulating T-cells; then you are ready if you do come across the real thing. However, like any training, getting up to ‘match fitness’ takes time. Your body’s response, the immune response, is only fully trained up around 2 or 3 weeks after you have each of your 2 jabs. If you are older it’s better to allow at least 3 weeks. You can still get COVID in this time.

Even better and longer lasting protection then comes from the second dose so it is really important that everyone gets the second jab.

Really importantly we do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission of the virus. So even after you have had both doses of the vaccine you may still give COVID to someone else and the chains of transmission will then continue. If you change your behaviour you could still be spreading the virus, keeping the number of cases high and putting others at risk who also need their vaccine but are further down the queue.

We still have a very high number of hospitalisations and deaths. A quarter of hospital admissions for COVID-19 are in people under the age of 55. Despite the speed of the rollout, these are people who will not have the vaccine for a while yet.

Some people are questioning the UK policy of trying to give as many at-risk people as possible the first dose of vaccine in the shortest possible time, inevitably extending the interval before the second dose is given.

But what none of these (who ask reasonable questions) will tell me is: who on the at-risk list should suffer slower access to their first dose so that someone else who’s already had one dose (and therefore most of the protection) can get a second? Everyone on the JCVI priority list is at risk from this nasty virus, and vaccines just can’t be produced at an unlimited rate.

It has been a very difficult year for us all and everyone, including me, is desperate to return to seeing the people we love. The vaccine has brought considerable hope and we are in the final furlough of the pandemic but for now, vaccinated or not, we still have to follow the guidance for a bit longer.

Three quarters of Scots say finding a job mentally challenging

  • Impact of restrictions and lockdowns has fuelled decreased motivation, confidence and morale among jobseekers
  • Average jobseeker in Scotland rejected from 15 different roles during pandemic
  • The nationwide survey was commissioned to launch BT Stand Out Skills, providing jobseekers of all ages with free tools and resources to help them build confidence and stand out in their job search: BT.com/StandOutSkills

With all parts of the UK starting 2021 in lockdown, a new study has revealed that an overwhelming majority of jobseekers have been negatively affected by their search for work over the past year, with more than three quarters (76%) surveyed in Scotland attributing a downturn in their mental wellbeing to their job search.

The research, commissioned by BT to launch Stand Out Skills, also showed that the average jobseeker in Scotland has unsuccessfully applied for 15 different roles over the past 12 months.

When asked how rejections and the job search had affected them specifically, 42 per cent of jobseekers in Scotland responded that they had experienced decreased motivation, while 41% highlighted lower self-esteem and morale and a further 43% a reduction in self-confidence. 

BT’s research also highlighted how this lack of confidence persists throughout the various stages of the job search. Just 25 per cent of those surveyed in Scotland are confident that their CV and covering letter will stand out when compared to fellow candidates, while even fewer (24%) believe in their ability to impress and leave a lasting impression in an interview.

This has led to jobseekers hiding details of their job search from their closest friends and family, with 39 per cent keeping job applications secret in case they are rejected and a further 46% being concerned about what family or friends will think of the rejection.

Added to the difficulties jobseekers already face, the research also went on to show that nearly half (41%) of those surveyed in Scotland admitted to struggling to find resources which could help them in their job search, including how to improve their CV and job interview technique.

As part of BT Skills for Tomorrow, which aims to help 10 million people in the UK make the most of life in the digital world, BT has launched Stand Out Skills. This initiative provides jobseekers of all ages with free and unmissable tips, resources and advice to support them in building their confidence and help them stand out in the job search.

BT has teamed up with experts and celebrities including Scottish comedian Iain Stirling, TV presenter Anita Rani and Drag Queen Divina De Campo to release free resources and advice across different stages of the job search – from where to start and showing your best self to standing out when applying and in interviews.

Hannah Cornick, Head of Digital Impact and Sustainability at BT, said: “The global pandemic has had far-reaching consequences for the job market, and it’s only natural that jobseekers’ confidence will have been affected.

“BT remains more committed than ever to its Skills for Tomorrow programme, and to ensuring that people have the skills they need to flourish in an increasingly digital world. This is why we have launched Stand Out Skills, to help those looking for work build their confidence by providing them with the necessary tools and resources they need to get ahead of the competition and stand out in their job search.”

BT Skills for Tomorrow is designed to help everyone – from school children and teachers, parents and families, businesses and jobseekers, to those lacking basic digital skills. Working in partnership with a range of the UK’s leading digital skills, enterprise and community organisations, BT has created and collated some of the best advice, information and support, in one easy to navigate place.

Comedian and Love Island narrator, Iain Stirling (pictured top) said: “As a stand-up comedian, I know it’s important to grab people’s attention right from the start, and the samegoes for your job application.

“Having an employer sit up and take note of your CV, cover letter and LinkedIn profile is the first step towards getting ahead of your competition. Words have the power to leave a lasting impact on an audience, so it’s important that you choose the right ones.

“That’s why I’m delighted to be involved in the BT Stand Out Skills campaign, to help people nail those job applications and present themselves in the best way on LinkedIn so that they can land their dream job.”

More on BT Skills for Tomorrow and Stand Out Skills can be found here: 

BT.com/StandOutSkills

Covid-19 makes improving Scotland’s economy almost four times harder

 Dundee faces the biggest challenge in Scotland

  • Glasgow also faces a big challenge.
  • Better adult education, transport investment and improvements to Scotland’s urban centres needed.

Covid-19’s economic damage makes the task of improving Scotland’s economy and spreading prosperity almost four times harder according to Centre for Cities’ annual study of the UK’s major urban areas – Cities Outlook 2021.

30,900 people in Scotland’s largest cities now need to find secure, well-paid jobs to rebuild and improve the economy – compared to 8,600 last March.

 In Scotland, Dundee faces he biggest challenge, followed closely by Glasgow.

Scottish cities facing the biggest economic challenges post-Covid
RankCityPercentage point reduction in unemployment to rebuild and improve the economy
1Dundee4.1
2Glasgow4.1
3Aberdeen3.4
4Edinburgh3.0
Source: ONS, Claimant count 2020, population estimates 2019.

In addition to hitting some Scottish cities and the rest of the UK as a whole badly, Covid-19 has also hit many previously prosperous places such as Edinburgh, Aberdeen and London disproportionately hard.

The Government must act fast to prevent a levelling down of these places that the whole UK depends on to create jobs and fund public services.

The UK and Scottish Governments should announce how they will use their respective powers to deal with Covid-19’s short-term damage to cities and large towns. The plans should include:

  • Making permanent the £20 rise in Universal Credit.
  • Supporting jobless people to find new good jobs.
  • Consider the merits of a renewed Eat Out to Help Out scheme for hospitality and non-online retailers once it is safe.

Acting to prevent further economic damage by Covid-19 is not the same as levelling up. Once the health crisis ends, the Scottish Government will need to spend additional money on further measures to level up, including:

  • Further education to train jobless people for good roles in emerging industries.
  • Making city centres better places for high-skilled businesses to locate.
  • Improvements to transport infrastructure in city-regions.

Centre for Cities Chief Executive Andrew Carter said:  “Covid-19 has made the task of improving Scotland’s economy and spreading prosperity around its cities and towns much harder.

“Rebuilding and strengthening the economy of Scotland and its cities will not be cheap and will require more than short-term handouts. Government support and investment for new businesses in emerging industries will be essential, as will spending on further education to train people to do the good-quality jobs created.”

New national project provides exercise equipment and ongoing contact for older people at home

As we return to stricter lockdown regulations or to shielding, charity Sporting Memories rolls out its latest national resource: the Sporting Memories #KITbag. Delivered to people’s homes, the KITbag pack includes exercise equipment, a DVD, reminiscence resources and personalised record books. However, the KITbag is about so much more than what arrives in the post.

Since the start of the pandemic, Sporting Memories – the charity which in ‘normal’ times brings together older people across Scotland at over 130 Clubs for companionship and physical exercise – has reacted quickly. They have developed ways of keeping in touch and a wide range of physical, online and radio resources. 

Through their #TalkAboutSport campaign, they encourage everyone to use the power of sporting memories to tackle loneliness and depression, and spark positive memories for people living with dementia. The campaign has attracted practical support from many well-known personalities from the world of sport.

Their latest national project is the Sporting Memories KITbag, which in Scotland has received funding from the ScottishPower Foundation,  the National Lottery Community Fund, the CORRA Foundation and Spirit of 2012.

Delivered to people’s homes, the KITbag pack contains inclusive equipment for helping with being active, a DVD with magazine programmes, an exercise guide, Sporting Memories sports articles and quizzes, and a personal record book.  

Donna Mackey, Sporting Memories Partnership Manager, is one of the team behind the KITbag. “Recipients receive either regular keep-in-touch (KIT) phone calls or participate in weekly online or telephone Sporting Memories Clubs where we offer motivation and general conversation.

“Our Club members tell us how Sporting Memories Clubs bring them enjoyment and something that often becomes the highlight of their week. We spark conversations and fond memories. That is exactly what we will also be doing with those who receive our KITbag when we keep in touch each week.” 

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “The ScottishPower Foundation is passionate about supporting projects that help bring people together to create deep and lasting connections.

“During these challenging times, this has never been so important and it’s brilliant to see the way the Sporting Memories Foundation is adapting to provide vital support despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic. The KITbag helps tackle loneliness and isolation so we’re proud that our funding has been able to support such an amazing project that brings joy for so many people.”

Chris Wilkins, Sporting Memories Co-Founder, says: “As a team and working with partners, Sporting Memories Club members, our volunteers and carers, we have been working on our own, longer-term solutions, just like the health sector has been working on COVID treatments and vaccines. 

“We are delighted to have received ScottishPower Foundation and National Lottery Community funding, along with funding from the CORRA Foundation and Spirit of 2012, meaning that this service has been made possible and we will be able to support even more people to be active at home.

“We have been conscious throughout the pandemic that many of our Club members either could not engage with online activities or their conditions meant that these were not suitable. At the same time, so many of our members were not getting out of their homes, some through those early and now current months of shielding, and others through fear and inactivity. For some, reduced mobility has really taken hold.” 

The charity accepts that the Sporting Memories KITbag is no panacea – but it is a project that brings long-term and ongoing benefits, both physical and in terms of companionship.

For organisations who would like to find out more about the #KITBag services and how to become involved, there is further information on the Sporting Memories website, at thesmf.co.uk 

ONLINE LINK TO: www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com/kitbag