The winner of Aldi’s Supermarket Sweep in Livingston has raised an amazing £698.36 for a local foodbank while picking up the same value in Aldi favourites for herself.
After a year hiatus, Aldi’s hugely popular Supermarket Sweep returned to Scotland and lucky shopper Lindsay Smith, who was chosen as the winner of an in-store competition, took part in the five-minute trolley dash for charity on Sunday 6th June.
As well as taking home a trolley full of goodies, Lindsay successfully found the three Scottish products on her shopping list so Aldi doubled the total value of her haul and donated the lump sum to her nominated charity, Polbeth Community Hub.
Aldi Supermarket Sweep winner, Lindsay Smith, said: “Aldi Supermarket Sweep was an amazing experience that I will never ever forget, all the staff were brilliant and I’d like to thank them all. I am particularly delighted with the amount they kindly donated to my nominated food bank, I feel so happy and proud to be able to give something back to such a great cause.
“Polbeth Community Hub is at the heart of our village and they pulled out all the stops during the pandemic, delivering food parcels to all those isolating or shielding, and continuing services like counselling and advice sessions online wherever they could.”
Jane Cooper, Community Development Worker from Polbeth Community Hub, said: “We are extremely grateful to both Lindsay and Aldi for the kind nomination and wonderful donation that will be put to great use helping the community during times of need.
“We appreciate the support of our local Aldi and the kindness shown in what has being a very trying year for all.”
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said:“The Aldi Supermarket Sweep is a firm favourite across the country and we are so pleased to be able to bring it back after a year hiatus.
“Congratulations to Lindsay who managed to raise an incredible £698.36 for Polbeth Community Hub and take home a trolley full of Aldi goodies for herself.”
The Supermarket Sweep was run in line with current COVID-19 guidelines and all safety precautions, including social distancing, were adhered to.
‘Exciting proposals’ have been put submitted to West Lothian Council for the delivery of an ambitious £275 million residential-led mixed-use development and relocation of existing farm space to new state of the art facilities.
“Drumshoreland Garden Community”, situated at the current Clapperton poultry farm complex, located east of Livingston, will comprise a vibrant sustainable development of 108 hectares.
This will include open market and affordable housing, employment, educational and other community facilities, delivering hundreds of jobs both in construction and in the completed development. Located within a substantial new parkland setting this includes 19.9 hectares of ancient woodland being given over to public access.
Two applications for planning permission in principle (PPiP) have been submitted to West Lothian Council, aiming to establish the principle of development on the site. A PPiP application has been submitted covering the wider site and the other PPiP will cover an area of land located within the wider site.
The Clapperton site, owned by Amber REI (Agriculture) Ltd, part of Amber REI (Holdings) Ltd, is a key component of the Scottish poultry supply chain but currently comprises ageing poultry sheds and surplus land.
The value realised from the Drumshoreland development could underpin a more than £150 million package of investment back into the Scottish food and agriculture sector, through the company’s poultry supply chain operations.
Current facilities at the Clapperton site will be relocated elsewhere in West Lothian, delivering state-of-the-art operations.
Around 1,800 homes, including 25 per cent affordable homes (c. 450) are proposed as part of Drumshoreland Garden Community and will be brought forward by Elan Homes (Scotland) Ltd, a sister company of Amber REI.
The low carbon community will also serve to address a significant historic housing land supply problem in West Lothian.
Original housing numbers have reduced to accommodate the need for more mixed-use elements which were raised during initial consultation with key local groups.
A wide range of house types, sizes and tenures will be provided, including affordable housing, with the aim of providing a genuine range and choice, establishing a mixed, diverse community from the outset.
Positive initial discussions have already been held with a registered social landlord, Almond Housing Association, with respect to the early planning and ultimate delivery of affordable housing, as well as with Veterans Housing Scotland for some veteran housing on the site.
The development will also seek to embrace the philosophy of “a 20-minute neighbourhood” as promoted by the Scottish Government, where people can meet most of their essential needs within a 20-minute walk. It also means having easy access to greenspace and a local environment that encourages active travel to promote health and wellbeing.
A combination of the Drumshoreland development and other investment across Scotland in the agriculture, food and tourism sectors could see the potential for £425 million (£275 million for Drumshoreland and £150 million across the rest of Scotland) being invested, supporting 5,750 jobs and delivering new state of the art low carbon facilities.
The initial plan is to improve, replace and expand elements of the Scottish poultry supply chain, strengthening this vital and significant rural employer.
This would include:
Investment in new processing facilities at Coupar Angus
Upgrading of feed mill and provision of new hotel at Edinburgh Airport.
A new animal feed mill located in the Central Belt.
New sustainable farming space across West Lothian.
These new state-of-the-art low carbon facilities will create jobs both directly and indirectly through the supply chain. The delivery of these improved facilities will also serve to assist in improving standards in the sector while making a major contribution to the Scottish Government’s target of a net-zero society in terms of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
Commenting on the proposals, a spokesperson from Amber REI (Agriculture) said: “We are delighted to be submitting these planning applications to West Lothian Council which follows significant pre-application consultations with the local community and other stakeholders. This could deliver significant investment not only in West Lothian but across Scotland as a whole.
“As an exemplar low carbon community Drumshoreland will not only deliver much-needed housing, including affordable housing, but employment, education and community facilities in a unique parkland setting.
“It would also deliver significant post-COVID investment amounting to more than £150 million into the poultry processing supply chain across Scotland, creating jobs, both directly and indirectly, as well as delivering a low carbon future for the agriculture sector.”
Planning and development consultancy Turley is providing planning, strategic communications, economics, heritage & townscape and sustainability services for the scheme. Masterplanning and placemaking services are being led by OPEN (Optimised Environments) including integrated architecture and landscape disciplines.
Deal means the UK has now secured early access to over 400 million total doses of vaccines for 2021 and 2022
100 million doses of Valneva vaccine have now been secured
UK Government boosts Scotland vaccine production powerhouse at Valneva’s site in West Lothian, supporting 100 highly-skilled jobs
The UK Government has today signed a deal for a further 40 million doses of Valneva’s promising vaccine candidate.The latest deal will bolster long-term vaccine production in Scotland and brings the total UK vaccine portfolio to 407 million doses over the next two years.
The decision to purchase 40 million extra doses is based on the UK’s strategy to take a wide approach, using different technologies and viral targets to ensure the UK has the best chance of securing access to successful vaccines as quickly as possible. It will also give the UK future flexibility should we need to revaccinate any of the population.
The UK Government has invested a multi-million sum in Valneva’s manufacturing facility in West Lothian, which began manufacturing vaccine doses last week and is already raising Scotland’s profile in the international fight against Covid-19.
The site is already supporting 100 new highly-skilled local jobs for scientists and technicians.
Valneva’s coronavirus vaccine candidate is currently in phase I/II trials and will still need to meet the necessary safety and effectiveness standards and receive regulatory approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) before it is rolled out at the end of the year.
However, if it is approved, manufacturing at risk now will mean that the UK can roll the vaccine out across the country quicker.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: This latest deal is yet another weapon in our national arsenal against this terrible disease, and will ensure we have sufficient supplies to protect the British public in 2021 and beyond.
“Backed with major investment from the UK Government, Valneva’s site in Scotland will be a vaccine production powerhouse, working flat out to ensure we can quickly deploy jabs across the UK if their candidate is approved, while supporting top quality, local jobs.
Thanks to our incredible UK Vaccine Taskforce, we have now secured a bumper portfolio of over 400 million vaccines, putting our country in an exceptionally strong position to defeat this virus once and for all.”
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “This deal provides a further boost to the UK’s already-strong vaccine portfolio, and I am enormously proud of all the work which has gone in to securing a vaccine for the UK as soon as possible.
“If approved, Valneva’s vaccine will not only help tackle Covid-19 here in the UK, but aid our mission to ensure there is a fair supply of vaccines across the globe.
“No one is safe till the whole world is safe.”
The Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “This deal is an endorsement of the UK Government’s strategy of investing in vaccine development and in the skills of the Scottish life sciences sector.
“I pay tribute to the team in Valneva’s new Livingston manufacturing plant. If the vaccine is authorised by the health regulator, their expertise will play an important role in making the world safer from this virus.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: The UK has developed and invested in some of the world’s most promising vaccines – supporting global efforts to fight this virus.
“The Valneva vaccine showcases the best of Scottish expertise right at the heart of our UK vaccine endeavour, demonstrating the strength of our union and what the UK can achieve when it works together. If the vaccine is authorised by the health regulator, it will be rolled out across the four nations as quickly as possible.”
Interim Chair of the UK government’s Vaccines Taskforce Clive Dix said: “Valneva’s manufacturing site in Scotland is already up and running, ready to supply their promising vaccine as soon as it has proven to be safe, and effective and is approved by the MHRA.
“To best ensure we have enough successful candidates to ensure maximum coverage of the UK population, the Vaccines Taskforce has invested in seven of the most promising vaccines. The further 40 million doses secured through today’s deal significantly bolsters our portfolio and gives us future flexibility should we need to revaccinate any of the UK population.
“I want to thank everyone involved in the development of this vaccine for the hard work that has helped us reach this point and also to pay tribute to those UK citizens who have volunteered to take part in the important clinical trials of this vaccine.”
If it is approved, 60 million doses could start to be delivered to the UK by the second half of 2021, with the remaining 40 million being delivered in 2022.
Valneva’s Livingston site will have the capacity to produce up to 250 million doses annually for shipment across the UK and around the world.
The UK Government is committed to supporting equitable access to vaccines worldwide. The UK is the largest donor to the COVAX facility, the global mechanism to help developing countries access a coronavirus vaccine, and has committed £548 million in UK aid to help distribute 1.3 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to 92 developing countries this year.
To date, the UK government has invested over £300 million into manufacturing a successful vaccine.
Valneva begins large-scale vaccine manufacturing at its Livingston site in West Lothian
up to 60 million jabs due to be manufactured by the end of 2021 if the vaccine is approved
UK government investment will support 100 new jobs at the site, a doubling of the workforce
This follows a multi-million-pound joint investment in the facility by the UK government last year as part of an agreement in principle to secure early access to Valneva’s vaccine by the end of 2021. 60 million doses have already been secured for the UK, with an option to acquire a further 130 million if the vaccine is proven to be safe, effective and suitable.
This investment will now support 100 new highly-skilled jobs for scientists and technicians at the Livingston facility – doubling the workforce, putting Scotland at the forefront of the UK’s fight against COVID-19, and boosting the UK’s resilience in dealing with current and future pandemics by establishing a permanent vaccine manufacturing base.
Valneva’s coronavirus vaccine candidate is currently in phase I/II trials and will still need to meet the necessary safety and effectiveness standards and receive regulatory approval before it is rolled out at the end of the year. However, if it is approved, manufacturing at risk now will mean that the UK can roll the vaccine out across the country quicker.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Thanks to the UK Vaccine Taskforce, we have ordered up to 60 million jabs of Valneva’s promising vaccine if it proves to be safe, effective and suitable in its clinical trials this year.
“By starting manufacturing, we will have a running start at rolling these out as quickly as possible to protect the British public if it receives regulatory approval.
“This facility in Scotland, backed by millions from the Government, will help us beat coronavirus and boost our resilience against future pandemics.”
The new facility establishes a permanent UK capability to manufacture inactivated viral vaccines – one of the most proven, widely used types which is also used for flu, polio and rabies jabs.
If the vaccine proves successful and receives regulatory approval following a rigorous assessment of available data, the Livingston facility will have the capacity to produce up to 250 million doses annually for shipment across the UK and around the world.
Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack said: “It’s incredibly exciting that a potential new COVID-19 vaccine will be manufactured right here in Scotland, at the Valneva plant in Livingston.
This big step forward is a testament to the talent and hard work of all the Valneva staff who have worked so far to get to this stage.
The UK government has invested millions into developing the Valneva vaccine, which is also supporting hundreds of highly skilled jobs in Scotland.
Chief Executive Officer of Valneva Thomas Lingelbach said: “We are extremely pleased to have achieved these 2 important milestones in such a short period of time. Our team in Scotland have done an amazing job to get manufacturing started so quickly.
“I would like to thank the UK Vaccines Taskforce and National Institute for Health Research who have played vital roles in the rapid recruitment and enrolment of the volunteers for the clinical study. We believe that our vaccine, assuming successful development, can make a major contribution in the UK and beyond.”
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We’ve already secured 60 million doses of the Valneva vaccine which, if approved, will be another vital tool in our fight against this virus.> The start of manufacturing in West Lothian today puts Scottish expertise right at the heart of the UK vaccine programme.
“Set to deliver millions more jabs across all four nations, this is yet another fantastic example of the strength of our Union, as we work together as one United Kingdom to tackle the virus.”
Interim Chair of the UK government’s Vaccines Taskforce Clive Dix said: “I am thrilled that manufacturing has begun in Livingston as a result of the excellent work being done by Valneva in conjunction with the Vaccines Taskforce.
“If approved this new vaccine will be a crucial part of our efforts to tackle coronavirus – not just in the UK but around the world.”
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“This is excellent news that Valneva has started large-scale manufacturing of the Covid-19 vaccine, which the majority of us could be receiving.
“The Livingston site has the capacity to create hundreds of millions of vaccines that can be exported across the globe to help other countries in their fight to suppress Covid-19.
“UK government investment, doubling the workforce at the site, shows how Scotland is better prepared to overcome Covid-19 as part of the United Kingdom.”
Through the Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 367 million doses of seven 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 7.1 million people across the UK have now had a least one dose of the vaccine.
Police Scotland is appealing for information after two motorbikes were stolen from Houston Industrial Estate in Livingston.
The bikes were stolen during break-ins to business units in Muir Place between 6pm and 6.30pm on Wednesday, 30 December, 2020.
Detective Constable Sam Plastow of Livingston CID said : “Two KTM 450 SX-F motorbikes were stolen worth a five figure sum. One motorbike is orange and grey with the lettering ‘LAURIS’ on the front and side. The second motorbike is orange with ‘METAL MULISHA’ and ‘ROCKSTAR ENERGY’ stickers on the front and side.
“It is believed that a white van may have been used to carry one of the motorbikes away from the business units and the other being pushed away.
“Enquiries into this incident are currently ongoing. However, if anyone was in the area around the time of this incident and saw anything that may assist this investigation we are keen for them to get in contact as soon as possible.
“I would also urge anyone who has seen motorbikes matching the description or has noticed them being advertised for sale, or has any information about the location of the bikes to make us aware.
“Police Scotland can be contacted on 101 quoting incident 2772 of Wednesday, 30 December 2020, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Valneva begins first UK clinical trials for its promising COVID-19 vaccine, being developed in Livingston, West Lothian
the UK government has pre-ordered 60 million vaccine doses
follows a multi-million-pound UK government investment in Valneva’s manufacturing facilities, boosting its capacity to supply up to 250 million vaccine doses
Valneva has started UK clinical trials for its promising COVID-19 vaccine, currently being developed in Livingston, West Lothian.
Speciality vaccine company Valneva’s candidate will initially be tested on 150 UK volunteers at four National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) testing sites in Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and Southampton. These early phase 1 and 2 trials will show whether the vaccine produces a safe and effective immune response against COVID-19.
Should this early trial prove successful, larger clinical trials will be planned for April 2021 with over 4,000 UK volunteers testing 2 doses of the vaccine in 2 groups: those aged between 18-65 years and over 65s.
The UK government has already pre-ordered Valneva’s vaccine candidate and should studies prove it to be safe and effective, 60 million doses could be made available to the UK by the end of 2021.
This latest milestone follows a multi-million-pound up-front investment announced in August by the UK government and Valneva to expand its Livingston facility. This supports over 100 highly skilled jobs for technicians and scientists at the West Lothian site, while advancing Scotland’s vaccine manufacturing capacity.
Through this investment, if Valneva’s vaccine candidate proves successful, this permanent facility will potentially have the capacity to supply up to 250 million vaccine doses to the UK and internationally.
Valneva’s vaccine is the fifth to enter clinical trials in the UK, alongside Oxford/AstraZeneca, Imperial College London, Novavax and Janssen, whose studies are currently ongoing.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma, said: As we take the monumental steps in rolling out the first COVID-19 vaccine, we must remember that we need to have a range of vaccines available to protect the British public now and long into the future.
“Today we have more welcome news that life-saving clinical trials will begin across the country to test the safety and effectiveness of Valneva’s vaccine, which is being clinically developed right here in the UK.
“Having visited Valneva’s state-of-the art facility in the Summer, I have seen first-hand the incredible work our scientists and researchers are doing to develop this vaccine.
“Thanks to significant investment from the UK government, we are doing all we can to ensure our country has the capabilities in place to produce hundreds of millions of doses of this vaccine for the UK, and for those around the world.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “Today marks an important milestone not only in the UK’s fight against coronavirus but for the hundreds of staff at the Valneva facility in Livingston who have worked tirelessly over the last few months to develop this vaccine. This is a great example of the work of Scotland’s world-class life sciences sector.
“The UK government is doing everything it can to support all parts of the country throughout the pandemic including ordering and paying for vaccines for the whole of the UK. We are investing in Valvena’s manufacturing facility in Livingston, supporting hundreds of highly skilled jobs.
“With a number of other vaccines in development, this gives us all hope for the months ahead.”
The UK was the first country in the world to both procure and authorise the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, ordering 40 million doses – enough for around a third of the population. The UK was also the first country in the West to start a mass COVID-19 vaccination programme, which began on 8 December.
In total, the UK government has developed a portfolio of 7 different vaccine candidates and secured access to 357 million doses to date, putting the UK in the best position for a vaccine and increasing chances of finding vaccines that work for different people.
Chief Executive Officer of Valneva Thomas Lingelbach said: “Our teams have been working extremely hard to develop our differentiated vaccine candidate and I would like to thank them, as well as the UK government, for their dedication and support.
“While conducting our first clinical trials, we are already ramping-up our manufacturing capacities and commencing production at full-scale so that we can make the vaccine widely available across the world assuming the vaccine is safe and effective.
Interim Chair of the government’s Vaccines Taskforce Clive Dix: “Huge progress has been made in developing a successful COVID-19 vaccine. While this is very positive, we must remember there is no one size fits all approach, and we need to continue developing different types of vaccine so we can vaccinate the UK population.
“We believe that Valneva’s vaccine is promising and has the potential to tackle coronavirus now and into the future, which is why we have pre-ordered 60 million doses and are investing to help them expand their UK manufacturing facility. This will not only support them in manufacturing hundreds of millions of vaccines for the whole world but boost the UK’s resilience against possible future heath crises.
Chief Investigator for the Valneva study Professor Adam Finn said: “We are really pleased to be initiating this first-in-man phase 1 study in Bristol and continuing it in several other centres across the country in the New Year.
“This is a more traditional vaccine design than those that have been in the news recently, consisting of the whole SARS CoV2 virus that has been chemically inactivated. This kind of viral vaccine has been in widespread use for 60 years.
“Our team will be working hard through the Christmas holiday period to get the first participants enrolled and vaccinated. We are pleased to be adding further to the research already done via the NIHR in Bristol over recent months to test COVID-19 vaccines and we are really grateful to the many members of our community who continue to come forward and volunteer to take part in this important work.”
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs said:“This is excellent news that Valneva, based in Livingston, are moving forward with clinical trials.
“The management of Covid-19 will take time and the Valneva Covid-19 vaccine will be part of the long term plan for beating the virus.
“I wish Valneva all the best with their clinical trials, so that a larger trial can be carried out early next year.”
Some of the volunteers taking part in Valneva’s clinical trials came through from the NHS Vaccines Registry, allowing the UK public to support the national effort to speed up vaccine research. Over 364,000 people have already signed up to the Registry, with more needed.
Additional information about volunteering for clinical studies can be found by visiting the NHS site to join the NHS Vaccine Research Registry.
The Registry was launched by the UK government in partnership with the NIHR, NHS Digital, the Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland Executive in July. It aims to help create a database of people who consent to be contacted by the NHS to take part in clinical studies, to help speed up the development of a safe and effective vaccine.
Through the government’s Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 357 million doses of 7 of the most promising vaccine candidates, including:
BioNTech/Pfizer – Phase III – 40 million doses secured
Oxford/Astra Zeneca – Phase III – 100 million doses secured
Moderna – Phase III – 7 million doses secured
Novavax – Phase III – 60 million doses secured
Janssen – Phase III – 30 million doses secured
GSK/Sanofi – Phase I / II – 60 million doses secured
Valneva – Phase I / II – 60 million doses secured, with an option to acquire a further 130 million if the vaccine is proven to be safe, effective and suitable.
A Livingston school which provides specialist education for young people with severe and complex medical needs has received a second financial boost in a matter of weeks.
The school, which provides innovative support and education for children from three to eighteen years old, discovered last month that it’s set to move to a new multi-million-pound campus, after it was selected to be part of the Scottish Government’s new School Investment Programme.
Now, local charity Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids has agreed to match-fund £1831, which local parents and teachers had raised as part of Cash for Kids Superhero Day. Continue reading Double celebration for Beatlie School
Paediatric inpatient services in St John’s Hospital will resume on Monday (March 18).
NHS Lothian will reinstate the service from Monday to Friday morning each week to provide 24-hour services to children in West Lothian. Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs MSP gave the announcement a guarded welcome but says the reopening must be sustainable.
