Tag: Edinburgh Napier University

Getting tourism ready for recovery

A call has gone out to those with skills, expertise and experience, who are currently ‘furloughed’ or on a reduced working pattern, to help address the challenges facing Scotland’s tourism sector. 

In 2017, the sector provided employment for eight out of every 100 Scottish workers, but thousands of tourism business owners are naturally feeling anxious about the future in the wake of coronavirus.

The call to arms – ‘Getting ready for recovery’ – has been championed by around 120 alumni of the Destination Leaders Programme (DLP), a joint initiative for tourism industry professionals delivered for the past seven years by Edinburgh Napier University and Scottish Enterprise.

DLP alumni to mentor furloughed tourism workers along the road to recovery

The aim of the furlough initiative is to help small tourism businesses recover by providing targeted support and mentoring that can enable them to take forward identified actions, outputs and outcomes during this period of enforced reflection.

Professor Jane Ali-Knight (above) of Edinburgh Napier University’s Business School, explained: “It is intended that involvement will fall under the acceptable category of professional training for ‘furloughed’ professionals, and will help maintain and extend their professional skills, expertise, experience and network.”

This will mean projects taken up will be focused on objectives that underpin The Scottish Tourism Strategy to 2030, as well as wider destination leadership, development, management, industry resilience and recovery, and destination promotion.

Aileen Lamb from Scottish Enterprise said: “The objective is to support recovery and potential restructure of the Scottish tourism industry. We want to use this opportunity to encourage innovative thinking across a range of themes.

“Most importantly we want to encourage the supportive and adaptable nature of tourism professionals to shine. The initiative will include a weekly online session called DLP Assemble giving businesses a collaborative place to gather regular updates on initiatives and government funding as we look towards the point when restrictions can be lifted.”

Ali-Knight says: “We will guide participants on themes and tasks arising through the DLP Assemble initiative, to help form project groups with a good mix of experience and expertise, and to match groups with mentors and professional support.”

Kenneth Wardrop, a fellow DLP founder, says: “We want to act quickly, working with existing groups such as ETAG [Edinburgh Tourism Action Group] and STERG [Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group] in order to start applying practical thinking and solutions in response to the evolving and devastating impacts on Scotland’s tourism industry.”

Edinburgh Napier University is also running a free online course through FutureLearn to help small tourism businesses understand the power of data they hold or can access in helping them market themselves more effectively at this critical time.

‘Understanding Data in Tourism’ is open now for people to register for the next starting point, on 16 May, by visiting: 

futurelearn.com https://www.futurelearn.com/partners/edinburgh-napier-university

Napier University answers Health Secretary’s call for help

Edinburgh Napier is using its resources to boost the national drive to increase testing for COVID-19 by sending equipment from its School of Applied Sciences to support health authorities on both sides of the border.

The move follows a request for help from the Health Secretary.  Matt Hancock wrote to Principal Andrea Nolan on April 10 about the critical need for lab equipment to support the national effort to defeat coronavirus, and listed a number of priority items.

Professor Gary Hutchison, Dean of Applied Sciences, secured permission to return to the Sighthill campus with his family during the national lockdown to identify materials on the Government help list which have now been collected by a team from the army as a temporary loan.

The equipment loaned by the University includes four thermo cycler machines, used as part of the molecular biology process to determine if a patient test is positive or negative for the virus.

Following collection by the army, they will be sent to test centres across the UK to support the drive to increase testing.

In a separate development, Professor Hutchison has been in dialogue with NHS Scotland procurement and NHS National Services Scotland to make them aware of what equipment the University has.

As a first step, Personal Protective Equipment including body suits, masks, gloves and aprons is now being gathered for collection to support staff involved with the COVID-19 testing programme and other frontline activities.

Professor Hutchison said: “Assembling the correct equipment to meet testing needs in this time of national emergency is a huge logistical challenge.

“As Dean I am proud that our School is doing what it can to support the national scientific effort, our local scientists and frontline health professionals as best we can in this time of need.”

Staff at the University’s Merchiston campus have also been supporting health workers, by making scores of face masks on a laser cutter, and a training ventilator has been transferred from the University to the intensive care unit at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Clothing brand takes the honours at enterprise awards

A FORMER student who launched a clothing brand with products made from recycled tents was the big winner at the third Bright Red Sparks awards.

Media companies and initiatives set up to tackle child poverty and drive student enterprise were also among the winners at the event, which showcases innovative products and services developed by start-ups, spinouts, fledging companies and entrepreneurs.

The popular awards, an initiative of Edinburgh Napier’s Bright Red Triangle enterprise hub, were this year held online as a Facebook live event on Tuesday evening.

Students, staff and alumni from across the University community competed for more than £10,000 in prizes, and alumnus James Marshall’s 10T clothing brand emerged as a double category winner.

James, whose venture sees tents abandoned at music festivals turned into hats, bumbags and jackets, won a surprise extra award too; the Moonshot Award, chosen from all finalists by law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn to benefit from £3,700 of legal support and advice.

To cap a great night, James was also announced as Edinburgh Napier’s entrant into the Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards.

The awards saw 19 shortlisted enterprises across six categories assessed for everything from the viability of their ideas and clarity of planning to thoroughness of research and potential for growth.  

The Bright Red Sparks Awards 2020 winners are: 

 Bright Ideas (£2000 prize + in-kind support)

10T clothing brand (James Marshall).

Products are made from recycled or upcycled materials. The first collection is a jacket, bum bag, bucket hat and duffle bag made from recycled tents collected from music festivals.

James said: “’I am over the moon to win the Bright Ideas, Business for Good and Moonshot Awards, and to be Edinburgh Napier’s entrant into the Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards. I am still in shock but absolutely buzzing to see where it can take me.”

Business for Good (£2000 prize)

10T clothing brand (James Marshall)

Going for Growth (£2000 prize + in-kind support)

High Tide film and video production (Alex Porter-Smith, Eathan Currie). Edinburgh Napier alumni who specialise in creating high end online film and video content for a range of clients.

Alex said: “The cash award will enable us to support our activities over the next few months while continuing to grow our business, but we’re particularly excited about the in-kind support from Shepherd and Wedderburn and Morton Ward – their advice will be invaluable when planning the next stages.”

Active Citizens (£1000 prize)

pRESPECT reducing child poverty (Viana Maya, Karsten Huttenhain). Current students aiming to empower under-represented and diverse individuals to access meaningful and sustainable employment using drama techniques, technology and research.

They said: “We are grinning from ear to ear. This has added a wee skip to our stride as we strive to give our amazing, talented prospects just that tiny boost into meaningful work.”

Enterprising Educators (£2000 prize)

Design for Professional Practice career development (Ruth Cochrane) Fourth year Product and Interior Design module used as a platform to develop the University’s enterprise strategy by embedding undergraduate development opportunities.

Ruth said: “I’m delighted to win this Bright Red Sparks Enterprising Educator award in recognition of the support we offer our amazing students to become entrepreneurs.  We hope to use the prize fund to expand our work in creating inclusive pathways, encouraging and enabling our graduates to start businesses and create employment in an uncertain future.” 

Freelancer of the Year (£1000 prize + in-kind support)

Bright Edge Media video storytelling (John Matheson) Current television student using his skills to create content which supports charities in telling their stories.

John said: “This is a huge encouragement. The experience of Graphic Designer Pro in utilising video communication will be really helpful to me as I take Bright Edge Media forward.”

Nick Fannin, Head of Enterprise at Edinburgh Napier, said: “These are strange and uncertain times and so it was important for us to celebrate the Bright Red Sparks Awards and all the enterprising students, staff and alumni at the University.

“These awards and the cash and in-kind support that goes with them is going to be so important to our winners in the current challenging environment.

“It’s also great to be able to recognise the hard work of all the applicants and to remind everyone that life goes on and that businesses can adapt and still grow.

“Of course we couldn’t have done it without the amazing support from our generous supporters and sponsors, Shepherd and Wedderburn, Morton Ward, Graphic Designer Pro, Santander Universities and the Moffat Charitable Trust.”

John Morrison, Senior Associate at Shepherd and Wedderburn, said: “The quality of entries in the Bridge Red Sparks competition was, again, extremely impressive and all of the finalists deserve to be commended on the fantastic businesses they are each creating.  

“We wish all of the finalists every success and look forward to supporting the Going for Growth and Moonshot Award winners, High Tide Media and 10T, to scale their respective businesses.”

Ewan Morton, Managing Director, Morton Ward, said: “Congratulations to James from 10T and to all of this year’s finalists in what is one of the premier entrepreneurship competitions in Scotland’s Higher Education sector.

“It’s fantastic to see young entrepreneurs rising to the challenges of the modern world with businesses that embrace environmental sustainability and the circular economy. Morton Ward are delighted to be associated with the competition and we are looking forward to working with James as part of his prize.”

Dominic Bargeton, Director, Graphic Designer Pro, said: “We were delighted to be asked to support the Bright Red Triangle, Bright Red Sparks competition.

“It’s such a good opportunity for driven and creative students to showcase their talents. We are looking forward to working more with Bright Red Triangle and their pool of talented entrepreneurs in the future.”

University produces face masks for frontline health workers

Edinburgh Napier is rushing out scores of specially-designed visors to protect health workers on the Covid-19 frontline.

Workshop technician Colin Malcolm began churning out the face shields using a laser cutter at the Merchiston campus just hours after hearing about nurses trying to make their own from cotton before going on shift.

The masks – strips of polypropylene sheet plastic fastened to a clear acetate visor– are now being delivered to nurses and care workers who run the risk of infection every time they turn up for work.

The quick turnaround production line was set up on Monday after Ruth Cochrane, Enterprise Lead for the School of Arts and Creative Industries, heard from a relative who works as a community nurse in Ayrshire that she had been trying to make her own surgical mask from fabric.

Ruth also saw a social media post about design technology staff at Edinburgh Academy manufacturing face shields to donate to the NHS, and began discussions with Colin about how the University could modify the school’s design to produce a protective mask on our own workshop equipment.

Two large sheets of plastic, a laser cutter and a rivet gun were enough to inspire Colin’s own version of the design

After getting the go-ahead from University managers to be on the premises during the lockdown period, Colin made 20 of the protective masks during an initial session on Monday and hopes to have produced more than 100 by the weekend.

Ruth said: “The design is rudimentary and the masks are reasonably disposable but they will work as a stop-gap measure until official supply lines get going and I don’t think there will be a shortage of people to deliver them to.

“I have given a batch to a community nursing team, and the efforts of Edinburgh Academy have led to requests from nurses, care homes and hospices.

“We are in a situation where nurses are trying to make surgical masks in their own home, so we can certainly use our skills to create a better solution. Even if it only made one nurse safer at work for one day then it would have been worth having a go.”

Colin said: “At a time of national crisis many people are going the extra mile to make life a little bit more comfortable for others, so we are pleased to be able to use our skills and resources to bring a measure of protection to those who are working so hard in healthcare settings.”

Bright Red Sparks shortlist announced

The shortlist has been unveiled for the third Bright Red Sparks awards, which showcase innovative products and services developed by start-ups, spinouts, fledging companies and entrepreneurs.

The popular awards, an initiative of Edinburgh Napier’s Bright Red Triangle enterprise hub, will this year move online as a Facebook live event on the evening of Tuesday April 14.  

Trailblazing students, staff and alumni from across the University community will compete for more than £10,000 in prizes, with food, clothing, cleaning and media businesses among a wide range of projects hoping to impress the judges. 

The 19 shortlisted enterprises across six categories will be assessed for everything from the viability of their ideas and clarity of planning to thoroughness of research and potential for growth.  

Nick Fannin, Head of Bright Red Triangle, said: “The Bright Red Sparks Awards are a salute to all the enterprising students, staff and alumni from Edinburgh Napier University. We are in awe of the creativity, determination and energy of all of our University community to solve problems, to capture opportunities and to build businesses with purpose. 

 “Due to the current lockdown we have taken the decision to cancel the awards ceremony but we wanted to announce the shortlist in line with our original timeline as ultimately we want to be able to award the prize money at a time when businesses and self-employed people really need it. 

“It’s great to be able to reward hard work and we couldn’t have done it without the amazing support from our generous supporters and sponsors, Shepherd and Wedderburn, Morton Ward, Graphic Designer Pro, Santander Universities and the Moffat Charitable Trust.

“The package of support that our sponsors have offered will help our winners at a time when they really need it. We expect great things from all of those shortlisted, so watch out for their names in the future.” 

The 2020 shortlist was drawn up after scrutiny of the entrants’ online application forms, business models and video pitches. 

John Morrison, Senior Associate at law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn, said: “This year’s shortlist only highlights the continued quality of Bright Red Sparks entries, a showcase of the drive and innovative thinking that we need, now more than ever, to build successful businesses for the future.  Congratulations to the finalists for reaching this stage, and we wish you all the very best of luck.”  

Ewan Morton, Managing Director at creative agency Morton Ward, said: “‘It is inspiring to see such bold, brave and brilliant ideas coming from the Bright Red Sparks finalists.

“Not only do these entrepreneurial ideas represent sound business thinking but they also offer hope for the future by embracing digital technologies, the circular economy and environmental sustainability.” 

Bright Red Sparks Awards 2020 shortlist 

Bright Ideas (£2000 prize + in-kind support) 

CupClean cleaning product (Ross McFarland), 10T clothing brand (James Marshall), FoxBox tableware hire service (Linda Freimane)  

Going for Growth (£2000 prize + in-kind support) 

MaRobert’s food and sauces (Maggie Mazoleka), High Tide film and video production (Alex Porter-Smith, Eathan Currie), Monstrous Regiment Publishing indie press (Lauren Nickoemus, Ellen Desmond)  

Business for Good (£2000 prize) 

10T clothing brand (James Marshall), Fine Piece homeware from recycled materials (Kirsty McKain & Rebecca Subido), EQUIPLY supply chain equality (Wai Fong Lam)

Active Citizens (£1000 prize) 

Bloody Big Project period poverty awareness (Hannah Stevens, Brogan Henderson, Sam Calder), Towns of Today personalised guides (Rory Cotter, Morgan Tamplin), pRESPECT reducing child poverty (Viana Maya, Karsten Huttenhain)  

Enterprising Educators (£2000 prize) 

Enterprise Partnership Initiative student entrepreneurship (Dr King Omeihe), Entrepreneurial Leadership Programme developing entrepreneurial thinking (Dr Christopher Cramphorn, Dr Rosemary Alford), Built Environment Exchange sustainable construction (Prof Robert Hairstans, Dr Mila Duncheva, Andrew Livingstone, Carola Calcagno, Wojciech Plowas), Design for Professional Practice career development (Ruth Cochrane)  

Freelancer of the Year (£1000 prize + in-kind support) 

Loïc Bauméa web development, Bright Edge Media video storytelling (John Matheson), Charles Seed Media photographer and videographer  

The awards will be shown as a Facebook Live event at 7pm on Tuesday 14 April via the Facebook page @ BrightRTriangle here  

Edinburgh Napier University commended

The UK’s independent higher education quality body has commended Edinburgh Napier University for a range of good practice, including its ‘strategic approach to widening participation and direct entry’ and its ‘support for developing students’ skills in employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship’.  

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) appointed a team of five independent experts to review the University in October and December last year.

In particular, the team commended the University in seven areas:

  • Its strategic approach to widening participation
  • Its support for developing students’ skills in employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship;
  • Its approach to monitoring postgraduate student academic progress
  • The systematic enhancement of leadership in learning, teaching and research;
  • Its clear partnership working between academic and professional services staff;
  • The effective development available for academic and support services staff; and
  • The developing institutional approach to the use of data.

Professor Alyson Tobin, Vice Principal of Learning and Teaching, Edinburgh Napier University, said: “I am delighted that Edinburgh Napier University has been commended for our approach to widening access and for the support we give to our students to develop their employability skills.

“The report also highlights the opportunities our students have to engage in entrepreneurial and professional development opportunities to enable them to be successful in their future careers.”

QAA’s report also makes a number of recommendations, asking Edinburgh Napier University to:

  • Ensure there are clear student representative structures in place at all levels and make sure there are effective arrangements in place for the recruitment, training and support for student representatives;
  • Continue to develop mechanisms to enhance student engagement and respond to the student voice;
  • Continue to develop support mechanisms for online learners, graduate apprentices, transnational education students and other groups studying off campus;
  • Consider introducing a structured and longitudinal institution-wide induction for postgraduate research students;
  • Ensure that all postgraduates who teach complete the mandatory course prior to commencing teaching;
  • Progress implementation of revisions to the institution-led review process;
  • Make external examiners’ reports accessible to all students; and
  • Review the English language entry criteria and the proficiency of students on all transnational education programmes.

Edinburgh Napier University’s full QAA review outcome, with further details on all the above, can be found on the QAA Scotland website here.

Cycling Friendly Campus Award for Edinburgh Napier

University praised for commitment to encouraging cycling to and from campus 

Edinburgh Napier University’s commitment to getting more staff and students cycling to campus has been recognised with a top award from Scotland’s national cycling organisation.

The University’s Merchiston campus has received a Cycling Friendly Campus Award from Cycling Scotland in recognition of the support Edinburgh Napier offers to its cycling community.

Presented during the University’s Sustainable Travel Fair at Merchiston this week, the award – which is delivered with funding from Transport Scotland – sees Merchiston join Edinburgh Napier’s Sighthill campus in being accredited. The University also holds a gold Health Working Lives Accreditation.

The University’s Merchiston campus provides 100 bicycle storage spaces, with 14% of staff based at the campus using their bikes to get to and from work – 4% more than the 2020 vision of 10% set by Cycling Action Plan for Scotland.

Merchiston campus shows the highest number of staff and students travelling on foot and by bicycle out of the University’s three main campuses.

Overall, 66.8% of Edinburgh Napier staff and students either cycle, walk or take public transport when travelling to the University – something that Edinburgh Napier is committed to improving even further in the months ahead.

Kerry Dewar, Director of People and Services at Edinburgh Napier, said: “We are delighted to receive this award and would like to thank all of our staff and students who have shown a commitment towards sustainable travel.

“We hope to build on this by continuing to support our cycle to work agenda and aim to have even more people cycle to work in the future.”

Jamie Pearson, Environmental Sustainability Manager, said: “The support we receive from organisations such as Cycling Scotland is absolutely fantastic. Their resources and funding help the University to identify and develop better facilities on campus for current prospective cyclists.

“We will use the recommendations highlighted within the assessment to work with our community and plan our next steps. Thank you to everyone at the University that has contributed towards gaining this award.”

Cycling Scotland’s Valentin Jeanjean, who delivered the award, said: “With two-thirds of Edinburgh Napier students and staff travelling by bike, on foot or by using public transport, the University has worked hard to support its community to make sustainable transport choices.

“Having installed cycle storage, ran promotional events over the last four years and developed successful partnerships with external organisations such as Sustrans and Bike for Refugees, to name just a few, we’re very pleased to recognise the University with this well-deserved Cycling Friendly Campus Award.”

The award for Merchiston campus was received as Edinburgh Napier launched its 2020 Travel Survey at its Sustainable Travel Fair.

Guests from Sustrans, Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams, Police Scotland and Just Eat Cycles (Edinburgh’s Cycle Hire Scheme), joined staff and students with travel information and advice across all three campuses, with free bike advice and sustainable smoothies also available to attendees.

The Edinburgh Napier Travel Survey looks at travel behaviour by asking how people get to University and to meetings. It gives the participants a chance to comment on their journeys and what factors influence their travel choices.

The University will use its results to determine how best it can support and encourage more sustainable travel. The insight gained also helps it feed into public infrastructure consultations alongside calculating its carbon impact as a University.

The last survey was conducted in 2017 and had over 2000 responses. More information on Edinburgh Napier’s 2020 Travel Survey can be found here.

The Cycling Friendly Campus Award is run by Cycling Scotland with funding from Transport Scotland and recognises exemplar projects from Scotland’s college and university campuses where cycling is a real and accessible part of campus life.

Campuses can register to become a Cycling Friendly Campus at www.cycling.scot

ARMED short-listed for care award

ARMED, developed by HAS Technology, has been shortlisted as part of the Tomorrow’s Care Awards, an accolade that champions life-changing care technology that benefits both staff members and end-users. 

Proudly developed in Scotland, by a local team, ARMED was developed in collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University and Scotland’s Digital and Health Institute (DHI).

Set to commend and recognise the revolutionary work of the teams behind the products, the awards identify the most noteworthy care solutions in the industry for 2020. 

Tomorrow’s Care has shortlisted ARMED (Advanced Risk Modelling for Early Detection) as one of their finalists due to the innovative approach the technology has had in assisting people to live more independently and to reduce falls and associated hospital admissions. 

ARMED uses wearable technology to measure data associated with frailty and risk of falling, enabling those managing care to intervene at earlier stages, preventing more significant health risks. It also promotes self-management by making people more aware of a variety of indicators. 

A number of Scottish Councils have been instrumental with initially testing the technology and it was recently piloted with Scotland’s Loreburn Housing Association. The project saw successful results in just six months, with zero falls reported with the case study group. 

Brian Brown, Director of ARMED at HAS Technology Group, commented: “We are always striving to improve the lives of those receiving care and support and are thrilled our ARMED technology is being recognised across the UK, and not only in Scotland.  

“This nomination is testament to the hard work of each and every one of our team and we are thrilled to see digital transformation being embraced by the sector with an increased priority to improving lives, increasing independence and preventing health issues before they arise.”

With a proven success rate, as well as being in the 1% of companies chosen to be a Microsoft partner, ARMED has quickly expanded, demonstrating how AI and deep learning can revolutionise preventative care.

People are asked and encouraged to vote for the social care technology provider by visiting the Tomorrow’s Care website and clicking ‘Tomorrow’s Care Awards’.

Voters will then have the opportunity to read more about the finalists before clicking the link through to the voting page where they can submit their choice.  Voting closes on Friday 13th March. 

To vote for ARMED in the Tomorrow’s Care Awards, visit: https://www.tomorrowscare.co.uk/awards 

ARMED has also been recently announced as a finalist in the Digital Health and Care Awards and Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards.

To find out more about ARMED technology, visit https://www.armedprevention.co.uk/

Hollywood thriller will launch capital debate on ‘forever chemicals’

Edinburgh Napier Dean to lead panel discussion

EXPERTS will debate controversial ‘forever chemicals’ and the threat they pose to human health and the environment following a special preview screening of a powerful new Hollywood blockbuster.

Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway, is to be shown at The Cameo in Edinburgh’s Home Street on Tuesday February 25, three days ahead of its official UK opening.

The screening will be followed by a 45-minute panel discussion, hosted by Professor Gary Hutchison, Dean of the School of Applied Sciences at Edinburgh Napier University.

He will be joined by academics, environmental activists and business representatives for a discussion of the issues raised by the thought-provoking film, based on a notorious toxic chemical scandal in the USA.

In Dark Waters, directed by Todd Haynes, Ruffalo plays lawyer Rob Bilott, who became involved in a lengthy crusade against the DuPont chemical company over the pollution of West Virginia’s water supply with PFAS or per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances used to make Teflon.

In 2017, DuPont and spinoff Chemours agreed to pay $671million to settle thousands of lawsuits. They included claims linked to thyroid disease, and kidney or testicular cancer.

Critics have hailed the new film as “a dense, angry drama” and “A David vs Goliath legal thriller for our times”.

Joining Professor Hutchison at the panel discussion and Q & A session, which follows a 6pm screening in Cameo 3, will be Professor Julie Fitzpatrick, Scientific Director of the Moredun Research Institute, and Dr Fiona Stainsby a senior lecturer in microbiology at Edinburgh Napier.

Environmental charity Fidra, who are leading on a petition asking UK supermarkets to stop packing products in PFAS, and the Arcadis consultancy will be represented by Dr Kerry Dinsmore and Ian Ross respectively.

PFAS are synthetic chemicals which don’t occur naturally and are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down in the environment.

Professor Hutchison said: “I am very much looking forward to seeing Dark Waters and feel sure that the screening will provoke a lively discussion afterwards.

“PFAS chemicals are found in food, food packaging and other everyday products, and the panel will provide expert input into the ongoing debate surrounding how they should be regulated and the need to protect human health and the environment.”

Register for Tuesday night’s event here

The event is jointly hosted by the University, Think-Film Impact Production , who believe the presence of forever chemicals in air, water, food and food packaging should be a pressing concern for Scottish audiences, and eOne.

Mikey cuts through at RTS Scotland Student Television Awards

A budding wildlife camera operator has had his film about urban foxes in Edinburgh recognised with a top industry award.

Edinburgh Napier TV graduate Mikey Sneddon recently won the Editing Award at the Royal Television Society (RTS) Scotland Student Television Awards held at the Everyman Cinema in Glasgow.

The prestigious event – an annual recognition of the finest student television production in Scotland – saw the 21-year-old praised for his film ‘My Urban Fox Film’, which documents his struggle of finding and filming urban foxes in Edinburgh.

The RTS Scotland award win is the latest accolade to be presented to graduate Mikey after he won the Clement’s Family Prize for Best Final Film when he graduated from Edinburgh Napier with a first class honours degree in 2019.

On winning the prize, Mikey – who is from Gorebridge in Midlothian – feels the recognition well greatly help him as he continues the transition from university into freelance life.

He said: “It was an absolutely fantastic feeling to win the award as it really vindicated all my hard work in my final year at Edinburgh Napier.

“To win in the editing category was such a shock. I worked tirelessly for this film as wildlife is something I am truly passionate about so to have that hard work recognised in this way is incredible.

“As a freelance camera operator, the award win has given me some extra credibility and it has definitely encouraged more interactions with production companies and professionals in the natural history sector.”

Mikey currently works as a freelance filmmaker at Edinburgh creative agency Daysix. While at Edinburgh Napier, he undertook a placement with RSPB Scotland which involved him directing, shooting and editing films to highlight the charity’s work. His work from this placement also featured on ‘Springwatch’ – the first time his work had been broadcast on national television.

Mikey added: “Working with Daysix has been a fantastic experience so far as it has allowed me to work with industry professionals and a variety of clients to make a lot of diverse work.

“Alongside this, I’m still ticking away at my goal as a wildlife camera operator. At the end of April and start of May this year, I am heading to the Isle of Mull to film otters and I am going to be continuing to make films and further my relationship with RSPB Scotland. I’m looking forward to a busy – and hopefully fruitful – year of filming and editing.”

You can view Mikey’s film ‘My Urban Fox Film’ here.