Just capital! Free wi-fi in Edinburgh this Easter

Connected Capital: Enjoy free wi-fi this Easter

Edinburgh residents and visitors are to benefit from free wi-fi in 70 public buildings across the city as part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Connected Capital Programme.

Attractions such as the majority of Edinburgh Leisure centres and the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo and Dynamic Earth, will be live in time for Easter and the rest will come on line in the coming weeks and months.

Those travelling on Edinburgh’s trams and Lothian Buses are already benefitting from free wi-fi as the project is rolled out across the city.

Edinburgh is one of 22 cities across the UK benefiting from the Government’s SuperConnected Cities £150m Programme, which is being delivered through Broadband Delivery UK.

Councillor Frank Ross, Economy Convener, said: “This is great news as the new service will mean that everyone will be able to get free access to the latest information on their favourite apps and websites while out and about and when going to the gym, taking in some art or when taking their children to one of Edinburgh’s many museums. It is also great timing as some of the attractions gearing up for Easter crowds already have public wi-fi installed.

“This project is central to the Council’s plans for growing the city economy, and encouraging residents and visitors to stay longer and increase their spend.”

Edinburgh Leisure, ICT Manager Stuart Fairbairn, said: “Edinburgh Leisure is delighted to offer free wi-fi in 13 of its venues thanks to this funding from the UK Government via our partners at The City of Edinburgh Council. It will allow us to provide our busy customers with a great opportunity to stay connected while working out or relaxing in these venues, giving them yet another reason to stay healthy and active with Edinburgh Leisure.”

Hugh Wallace, Head of Digital Media, National Museum of Scotland, said: “We’re already seeing a healthy level of uptake, and people connecting to the service are then linking to museum-based material on our website (what’s on information, downloadable apps, e-newsletter sign-up). When we fully promote the service we will encourage the sharing of content, engagement with the museum’s collections, and offer further downloadable options – something we hope will provide a real step change for our visitors.”

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “I’m delighted Edinburgh took up the challenge to become one of the UK’s Superconnected Cities as part of the Government programme. It’s vital that our cities have the digital infrastructure like superfast broadband and wifi in place to deal with the demands of the digital age. Our investment in Edinburgh has delivered a welcome boost to the local economy, and is all part of our long term economic plan.”

Buildings that currently have free wi-fi include:

Edinburgh Zoo
National Museum of Scotland
Dynamic Earth
All Edinburgh Leisure centres with the exception of Warrender Swim Centre and the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (EICA)

Buildings which will go live at some point in the next few months:

Queen’s Hall
Nelson Monument
People’s Story Museum
The Lyceum
Festival Theatre
King’s Theatre
City Art Centre
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Scottish Poetry Library
Out of Blue Drill Hall
Museum of Edinburgh
Museum of Childhood
The Writers’ Museum
Museum Collections Centre
Lauriston Castle
Old City Observatory and the Dome
Trinity Apse
The Church Hill Theatre
Usher Hall
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Traverse Theatre
Warrender Swim Centre and the EICA (EICA)

Free wi-fi is also being installed in a number of the Council’s community centres, care homes and young people’s accommodation.

Safer Internet Day: friendship in a digital age

Young people take the lead in nationwide Safer Internet Day campaign

Young people across the UK are joining together to create a kinder online community today,Safer Internet Day 2015, as a new study into Friendship in a Digital Age reveals that 30% of young people have been on the receiving end of mean online behaviour in the past year.

The research comes as official organisers of the day, the UK Safer Internet Centre, launch #Up2Us, a new film made by over 150 schoolchildren about their online experiences – both good and bad – with the aim of inspiring young people across the UK to do something kind online this Safer Internet Day. The film will be premiered at events across the UK today, attended by government Ministers and young people.

Celebrities, including young stars such as Britain’s Got Talent finalists Bars and Melody, and Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle, have backed the campaign. Beth and other celebrities feature on Safer Internet Day TV, which is hosted by CBBC Friday Download presenters Molly and Harvey, and will be available online today from 11am and 2pm, with a social media takeover by Bars and Melody at 8pm.

They join hundreds supporting the #SID2015 social media campaign to ‘share a smile online’, which is set to reach over 1.5 million in a mass tweet at 8am today, along with over 800 organisations that have pledged their support for Safer Internet Day 2015. High profile partners including the BBC, CEOP, Disney, the FA, Facebook, Google, Lloyds Banking Group, Microsoft, NSPCC, Twitter and the UK Government, as well as hundreds of schools and other organisations, are all coming together to deliver a range of inspiring activities across the UK.

Friendship in a digital age

According to the online study of more than a thousand 11-16-year-olds conducted by ResearchBods, more than three quarters (78%) believe that young people have the power to create a kinder online community. The majority (88%) of the young people questioned say they always try to be kind in their online interactions.

The study reveals the huge role that technology plays in supporting young people’s friendships, with over half (55%) saying they interact online with their closest friends several times an hour and 63% saying they are closer to their friends because of the internet. Reassuringly the internet is a positive place for the majority of young people surveyed. When questioned about their time spent on social networks and messaging apps, the majority of 11-16s (63%) felt that people were kind to them on the internet most of the time.

However, some young people face negative experiences online. Almost a third (30%) of young people said that someone had been mean to them in the last year, with 1 in 20 (5%) saying that people were mean to them most of the time on the internet.

Many of these young people are taking positive steps to tackle these negative experiences, with three-quarters (75%) of young people who experienced mean behaviour saying they have blocked someone in the last year, while 68% said they have supported someone else who was being targeted online. More positively, 64% of young people said they felt able to cope with anything negative that might happen online and 81% said they know what to do if someone is abusive towards them online.

An additional survey of UK adults by ComRes demonstrates that this isn’t just an issue for children. 45% of adults who use social networking and messaging apps said they occasionally see people on their social networks and messaging apps posting unkind, negative or upsetting content. People sharing gossip and rumours has occurred for three quarters (72%) of adults using social networking and messaging apps, while around three in five (59%) have experienced people posting things that attack a certain group (e.g. racist, sexist or homophobic comments).

That’s why everyone is being encouraged to play their part in creating a better internet.

Will Gardner, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, said: “It’s heartening to hear that the majority of young people are finding the internet a positive place on the whole, but there’s more to be done to make sure that’s the experience for everyone. We’re encouraging everyone to take action today – whether that’s sharing a smiley face or making a promise about your online behaviour. It really is up to us to make the internet a better place.”

For more information on the activities taking place to celebrate Safer Internet Day, visit the UK Safer Internet Centre website.

Report: Friendship_in_a_Digital_Age

Citizens celebrate Getting Online

‘It’s made a huge difference to my life’ – 94 year old William Amcotts

Edinburgh’s newest web surfers celebrated their computing achievements at a special event in the City Chambers on Monday when learners, volunteers and staff who contributed to the Council’s Get Online initiative toasted its success.

Among the participants was 94-year old William Amcotts, who attended sessions at Blackhall Library and is living proof that it’s never too late to learn something new!

Over the last five months more than 140 people have benefited from the scheme, run in libraries and community venues, which helps develop digital skills for those who aren’t confident using the internet. Organisers are now looking at ways to expand the project across the city.

The service also assists members of the public to use a wide range of online services offered by the Council, including council tax payments and car permit renewals.

The Council recently launched a new responsive website, which was co-designed by residents, ensuring people’s experience is adapted to their needs. By moving services online, it aims to open up more ways to access support, allowing people to carry out transactions from the comfort of their homes.

Culture and Sport Convener, Councillor Richard Lewis, said: “This is a great example of volunteer working in our libraries and is clearly having a positive effect on those involved. We are proud to offer a range of digital services to library users, building on recent investment which put wi-fi access into every library in the city. Get Online will help introduce these to a whole new group of people.”

Councillor Alasdair Rankin, Finance and Resources Convener, added: “As part of our plans to make the Council more efficient we aim to offer more services online. Not only will this deliver financial savings but will save customers time and money by providing access to a range of transactions at their fingertips.

“That’s why initiatives like Get Online are so important, as they open up this potential to even more people.”

Led by co-ordinator Kenny Sharkey (above), along with a team of dedicated volunteers, Get Online involves a series of planned and drop-in sessions where participants are introduced to the internet using different devices, including tablets and smartphones.

Amongst the volunteers were S4 pupils from Castlebrae High School, who assisted the East Neighbourhood Get Online group throughout November, advising on everything from Skype to email.

On Monday, Councillors Lewis and Rankin congratulated participants and volunteers of all ages.

William Amcotts, 94, who attended Get Online sessions in Blackhall Library, said: “It’s an excellent service, very valuable. I was given a laptop but didn’t know how to use it. Now I’m able to send emails and listen to music – it’s made a huge difference to my life.”

Valerie Crombie has been learning about the internet at Morningside Library. She said: “I’ve been looking at email and sending photo attachments. I’ve been using the Council’s library service to borrow books too. It’s great to be able to do all of these things without going out the door.”

Get Online launched in February 2014 and has delivered sessions in Central, Newington, Blackhall, Morningside, Stockbridge and Leith Libraries, East Neighbourhood Local Office and Craigmillar Library and Moira Park Sheltered Housing in Portobello. The Get Online team are ready to extend the service to more libraries, social housing associations and other local venues.

Customers are now able to access Council services 24/7 on all devices including Smart TVs, tablets, mobile phones and smartphones, with more than 30 different types of digital transactions available, including reporting missed bins or problems with street lights. By carrying out transactions online, members of the public will be able to avoid queuing in offices or waiting on the phone, saving time and money.

Find out more about the Council’s online services on the website.

Forget the internet – you need friends

A leading support charity is calling on couples in Edinburgh to get in touch with their local service if they need help, after a new study found that the internet is one of the biggest causes of relationship problems.

Published by Relationships Scotland, The Way We Are Now 2014 lifts the lid on our relationships and sex lives. The study is one of the largest of its kind.

The report asked more than 5000 people across the UK how they feel about their sex life and relationships.

It reveals some concerning statistics around how close we feel to others, with one in five or 18% rarely or never feeling loved in their relationship and one in ten saying they didn’t have a close friend.

The charity said that in as many as 50 to 70% of cases in couple counselling in Scotland the internet had an impact on the relationship yet in the study very few people reported the internet as causing a problem in their relationship

Only 1% of respondents said they’d cheated with someone online but not in person.

This clashes with the findings from the survey of counsellors, with many of them reporting the use of social media and online pornography as an issue that comes up in the counselling room in over half of cases.

Anne Chilton, Head of Counselling said, “There is a disconnect here between what people see and assume their partner is doing and what they are actually doing. Seeing your partner on line night after night you maybe assume they are just browsing. Its only when you look at what they are actually looking at do you find that there is problem. Maybe they are chatting to someone else, or looking at porn. Either way, this is the point couples come to us for help. What maybe started as a solution to loneliness in a relationship now becomes the problem.”

“What often happens now is that instead of talking to their partner when they are unhappy in the relationship or dissatisfied with their sex life, people get drawn into looking for a solution online.”

One in four people are dissatisfied with their sex life (24%) and a quarter also reported having an affair (25%).

The Way We Are Now 2014 included an additional survey carried out by Relate of 250 Relate and Relationships Scotland counsellors, who listed three factors for a happy sex life: improving communication, making time to be together and learning how to talk about sex with your partner.

The study finds a clear link between relationships and high levels of wellbeing but simply being in a relationship doesn’t guarantee that people will feel good about themselves: it’s the quality of the relationship that has an impact on wellbeing and happiness.

Relationships Scotland said it is worrying that one in ten people don’t have a single close friend and one in five rarely or never felt loved in the two weeks before the survey.

Anne said, “It’s very sad the number of people who don’t have a close friend. Research suggests it is linked to the rise of the internet. While someone could have hundreds of friends on Facebook they might feel these are superficial rather than friendships of real substance. Online you only use one channel of communication and it’s hard to connect with people. When you are face to face you can feel, hear, see and really interact so it’s much better for building friendships and deeper levels of intimacy.”

The report finds a strong connection between our relationships and our personal wellbeing. In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, relationships still act as ‘shock absorbers’ when times are hard.

Relationships Scotland says the research shows that couples and families can get the help they need to invest time and effort into building stronger relationships.

Stuart Valentine, Chief Executive of Relationships Scotland, said: “This new study examines the quality of our relationships, showing a clear link between our personal relationships and our wellbeing. Whilst there is much to celebrate, the results around how close we feel to others are very concerning. There is a significant minority of people who never or rarely feel loved or who have no close friends.”

“We know that strong relationships are vital for both individuals and society as a whole, so investing in them is crucial. Through our network of services around Scotland we provide support, advice and counselling to couples, families and individuals as well as mediation. The help is there and we hope that anyone who feels they need a helping hand will get in touch with us.”

For advice or further information go to

www.relationships-scotland.org.uk

or telephone 0845 119 2020

Police warn of ‘bank’ phone call scam

Police are warning members of the public to be alert to phone calls from criminals who claim to be working for banks. The fraudsters frighten victims into believing their bank accounts have been hacked – and then persuade them to transfer their savings into new ‘safe’ accounts.

The fraud works like this:

A phone call is received from a male pretending to be from their bank’s Fraud Department. He informs the victim that there has been suspicious activity on their bank account and asks them to call the helpline telephone number on the back of their bank card in order to verify his position at the bank.

The alarmed victim does this – but unbeknown to him/her, the caller keeps the telephone line open (there will be no dial tone). The phone call is then ‘answered’ by a female and she was then ‘transfers’ the victim over to another male who claims to work in the bank’s Fraud Department.

He advises the victim that that their finances are at risk of fraud and they must transfer their money into ‘safe accounts’ immediately; he then manipulates the unsuspecting victim into transferring their savings into these new ‘safe accounts’.

A call of this nature is upsetting, and that’s what the fraudsters rely on – they stress the urgency of the need to act NOW to protect your funds and they don’t give victims the time to think.

If you have even the slightest of concerns or are suspicious in any way, hang up and use a mobile phone to call your bank – always call back from a different phone.