Tag: social media

News from Heart of Newhaven

MAY NEWSLETTER

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who contributed to our recent Crowdfunder campaign.

This is to be put towards the costs of sprucing up the building once we get the keys. Lots of volunteers are of course already hard at work getting ready for the big day, making inventories and moving furniture, all essential logistical work.

Soon, it really will be “all hands on deck” as we start with the paintbrushes and the trowels and we’ll be calling on even more help on the ground then.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t already given, the Crowdfunder is still open for donations.

Did you know however that you can gift to our charity at any time you like, or even on a regular basis?

All you have to do is go to our website and follow the links.

You can donate online directly to our bank or you can send a cheque if you prefer.

All the details are on the website here 

Now that the weather is improving, remember our big Picnic in the Park, to be held in Victoria Park on Sunday 19th June, between 12.30 and 3.30pm. 

Inspired by the Eden Project’s Big Lunch, this is being held in collaboration with the Friends of Victoria Park and the Victoria Park Allotment Holders. Bring a picnic and enjoy meeting your neighbours. Take part in the fun races and games or take advantage of the plants and books swap tables. There will even be an (optional) fancy dress competition for children and pets – with prizes!

New initiatives

Thanks to successful applications to the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund 2022, The Arnold Clark Community Fund and the People’s Postcode Trust, we have successfully achieved funding to help connect and bring people together. This is the aim of the following two new projects.

Reminiscence training

We know that sharing stories and memories is valuable in preserving not just family history but social history and brings people of different generations together through understanding and sharing. It’s also enjoyable and rewarding.

If you’re interested in reminiscence and recording people’s stories and memories, then we have funding for training in reminiscence work which will be led by the Living Memory Association. 

Do get in touch with: judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk or christine.mcderment@heartofnewhaven.co.uk  if you would like to take part.

Pots of kindness

The second project is an expansion of our earlier Pots of Kindness. That project was so well received that we are going to run another.

This time, as well as primary school children, we are inviting young people of 16+ to get involved.

We will supply the seeds, pots and compost. All you do is plant the seeds and write a short letter to an elderly recipient. We’ll deliver the planted pots with their accompanying letters to the elderly or isolated within the community.

It’s a wonderful way to bring the generations together.

Get in touch with judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk if you know a young person who would like to get involved.

Annual General Meeting

Finally, we are due to hold our next AGM shortly, probably towards the end of June. If you’ve not become a member, consider doing so now, before the meeting, so that you have the right to vote.

There are two types of membership depending on where you live and you can find out all about it on the website page.

JOIN US.

Remember to check the website and our social media regularly for updates and blogs.

Student journalists go live on radio for 24 hours in aid of Ukraine

Radio ENRG is delighted to present the return of its annual 24-hour Charity Broadcast Extravaganza, with funds raised going to support those affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Student journalists at Edinburgh Napier University will be on air from 12pm on Wednesday 4th May right through until noon on Thursday.

A range of dynamic and exciting shows will keep listeners entertained right through the night, with dedicated slots for musical lovers, indie fans and dance ravers.

There will also be special quizzes, live phone-ins and fierce debate, all produced by current journalism students.

Radio ENRG’s sister websites will also contribute to the broadcast, with political discussion from ENRG Debrief and all sporting needs catered for by the team at the award-winning ENRG Sport.

This will be the first time since 2019 that Radio ENRG has been able to hold its annual charity broadcast, due to the pandemic.

Students raised £625 for Endo Warriors West, a charity supporting women with endometriosis, in the most recent edition of the 24-hour charity broadcast. 

This year’s event has been organised by ENRG Editor Seán McGill and Radio ENRG Station Managers Jessica Matthewson and Arran Proctor.

All four year groups will be represented on the event, with some fourth year students using it as a way to bow out of their radio shows ahead of their graduation.

Editor of ENRG, Seán McGill, said: “The decision to send this year’s money to Ukraine was an easy one. By the time the 24-hour broadcast is live, we’ll have passed 70 days since Russia’s invasion began, and more and more people are suffering every day because of it.

“Being on the radio is great fun, but if we, as a group of students, can also do some good while being on air, we see that as a real privilege.”

Co-Station Manager, Jessica Matthewson, said: “Due to the pandemic, we have been unable to conduct our annual charity broadcast for the last two years.

“We’re all so excited to be back in the studio this year, especially due to the fact that we are raising money for such a worthy cause.”

Co-Station Manager, Arran Proctor, said: “Radio ENRG is an amazing source of gaining skills in broadcast journalism. Doing this charity broadcast means that student journalists are advancing their talents for good!”

A social media team will be working hard throughout the night, taking song requests and posting updates at @RadioENRG.

Radio ENRG’s Charity Broadcast Extravaganza will be live from 12pm-12pm tomorrow (Wednesday 4th May into Thursday 5th May) on the Radio ENRG website radioenrg.net.

JustGiving link:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/radioenrgnapier

From North Berwick to Bangkok: Campervan converter goes global with one million YouTube hits

CAMPERVAN converters in East Lothian have racked up more than one million YouTube views on its informative and tutorial videos from enthusiasts around the world.

Since uploading its first video to the platform in 2017, VW accredited Jerba Campervans has accumulated a cult-like following, with more than 5,000 subscribers to the channel, from as far afield as Mexico and Thailand.

With more than 56,000 hours of watch time – equating to 6.5 years – the content ranges from product reviews, workshop videos, campervan tours and tips and tricks, sparking an interest from Jerba owners and keen campervanners alike.

All content is curated by the 14 strong team, who all share part ownership of the employee-owned firm and all take their turns on camera.

In addition to the firm’s popularity on YouTube, a Jerba Owners’ group has garnered more than 740 dedicated members who share images of their Jerba campervans alongside tips and product recommendations.

Domhnall Dods is an active member of the Jerba Owners’ group and a regular viewer of the YouTube channel.

He said: “The YouTube channel and community group are a fantastic point of reference for all who want more information about Jerba vans or to get hints and tips from other owners about living with a camper van.

“The Jerba Owners’ group was started by the Jerba community and it’s a friendly and helpful space for people to ask questions and share information. It’s particularly good as all the advice is tailored to Jerba vans rather than generic campervans.”

Domhnall, 55, bought his first Jerba Campervan in 2012, before selling it on in order to purchase a second van which he uses for regular trips with his wife and 15-year-old son.

He added: “I’m already on my third VW camper and third Jerba campervan, and it is my pride and joy. As a family, we take regular trips to meet up with friends across the UK and Ireland and we travel to France every year.

“When deciding what features we wanted for our second van, the YouTube channel came in really handy. We were thinking about getting a diesel hob, which we hadn’t had before so it was great to be able to refer to the videos to see how it worked ahead of buying.”

“The personal rapport Jerba has with its customers has, in my experience, always been second to none, and the YouTube channel, with its informative and helpful videos is an extension of that service.”

Jerba Campervans founded in 2005, specialise in converting Volkswagen Transporter T6.1 Models and is officially recognised by Volkswagen as a converter of the model. In 2015, Jerba Campervans gained a patent for their unique pop-up roof, which they add to all of their Volkswagen conversions.

The conversion company continues to keep their customers and staff at the heart of their business.

To find out more about Jerba Campervans, visit www.jerbacampervans.co.uk and its YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JerbaCampervansvideo/videos

Deepfakes: What you should know

What parents need to know about Deepfakes

Edinburgh Police Scotland and The City of Edinburgh Council’s Christmas wish is to #KeepXmasSafe for young people whilst online & keep parents & carers more informed.

@Edinburgh_CC

@natonlinesafety

Almost half a million explicitly antisemitic tweets per year

The Woolf Institute estimate there to be nearly two antisemitic tweets for every Jewish person in the UK

Analysis of data by the Woolf Institute, a global leader on interfaith relations, is presented in a new report by the Antisemitism Policy Trust and the Community Security Trust, which marks the end of an 18-month research programme to study the extent and nature of antisemitism online.

The report presents an estimate of the level of antisemitism on Twitter in the UK and based on research methods used, Woolf Institute analysis concludes there are between 100 and 1,350 explicitly antisemitic tweets every day in the UK. 

The findings estimate that there are up to 495,000 explicitly antisemitic tweets per year made viewable for UK users (tweets in English by and available to UK users). Given the size of the UK’s Jewish population at around 290,000 people, the report calculates there to be nearly two antisemitic tweets annually for every Jewish person in the UK. 

The Antisemitism Policy Trust, supported by the Community Security Trust, commissioned the Woolf Institute to explore anti-Jewish hatred on Google, Instagram and Twitter, and this publication represents the third and final instalment of that project.

The two previous reports found that Google’s public facing Safesearch facility has no impact on the amount of antisemitic content that is returned when people search for jokes about Jews.

Antisemitism is also extensive on Instagram, associated with a “chaotic” trolling phenomenon on the platform, and demonstrates strong links to conspiracy theories and anti-Israel attitudes. 

Danny Stone MBE, Chief Executive, Antisemitism Policy Trust, says: “Policies to deal with online abuse aren’t worth the paper they’re written on if companies cannot effectively enforce them.

“This new report makes it crystal clear that Twitter’s systems for discovering and acting against anti-Jewish racism still aren’t good enough. As the Government considers new internet safety laws, I hope this report will weigh heavily on Minister’s minds.”

Dr. Dave Rich, Director of Policy, Community Security Trust, says: “It has long been known that social media is the engine of modern antisemitism, and it increasingly features in the antisemitic incidents that are reported to CST.

“This new research not only demonstrates how widespread this is, but also shows exactly how the social media companies are failing to control the problem of anti-Jewish hatred on their platforms.”

Commenting on the overall findings, Dr Julian Hargreaves, Director of Research at the Woolf Institute, who has led the project, said: “Taken together, this series identifies and underlines that antisemitism persists on major social media platforms, and that either the tools for addressing it are not fit-for-purpose, or the public policies professed by the world’s leading social media giants are at best, poorly enforced and at worst, are completely ineffectual.

“Our reports identify that the systems – be they Safesearch, algorithms, or automated moderation are not doing their job. If antisemitism online and within our societies is to be effectively tackled and reduced, we will need platforms, in this instance acting as agents of harm, to better understand and to act upon what the evidence is clearly telling them.”

Using social media data analysis tools, the team were able to identify biographical and geographical characteristics of Twitter users posting tweets which matched the antisemitism research terms. 

The top 10 geographical locations were London, Manchester, Redcar, Liverpool, Glasgow, Brighton, north-west Leicestershire, Oxford, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.

APT-Twitter-Report-2021-Draft-3Download

The full report on Twitter is available at https://antisemitism.org.uk/research-reports/

The Google and Instagram reports are available at: https://antisemitism.org.uk/research-reports/

For more information on the Woolf Institute visit: https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk

For information about the Antisemitism Policy Trust visit: https://antisemitism.org.uk

For information about the Community Security Trust visit https://cst.org.uk

Child abuse image crimes in Scotland pass 3,000 in five years

Calls for stronger Online Safety Bill

  • Child abuse image offences recorded by Police Scotland up 13% last year and reach over 3,100 in just five years
  • ‘Social media being used as a conveyor belt to produce child abuse images on an industrial scale’
  • NSPCC sets out five-point plan to strengthen Online Safety Bill so it decisively disrupts the production and spread of child abuse material on social media

More than 3,000 child abuse image crimes were recorded by Police Scotland over the last five years, the NSPCC has revealed today.

Data obtained from Police Scotland shows the number of offences relating to possessing, taking, making, and distributing child abuse material peaked at 660 last year (2020/21) – up 13% from 2019/20.

The NSPCC previously warned the pandemic had created a ‘perfect storm’ for grooming and abuse online.

The charity said social media is being used by groomers as a conveyor belt to produce and share child abuse images on an industrial scale. It added that the issue of young people being groomed into sharing images of their own abuse has become pervasive.

The NSPCC is urging the UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries to seize the opportunity to strengthen the Online Safety Bill, so it results in decisive action that disrupts the production and spread of child abuse material on social media.  

The child protection charity said that behind every offence could be multiple victims and images, and children will continue to be at risk of an unprecedented scale of abuse unless the draft legislation is significantly strengthened.

Ahead of a report by Parliamentarians who scrutinised the draft Online Safety Bill expected next week, the NSPCC, which has been at the forefront of campaigning for social media regulation, set out a five-point plan to strengthen the legislation so it effectively prevents online abuse.

The charity’s online safety experts said the Bill currently fails to address how offenders organise across social media, doesn’t effectively tackle abuse in private messaging and fails to hold top managers liable for harm or give children a voice to balance the power of industry.

The NSPCC is critical of the industry response to child abuse material. A Facebook whistle-blower recently revealed Meta apply a return-on-investment principle to combatting child abuse material and don’t know the true scale of the problem as the company “doesn’t track it”.

And research by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has raised concerns about whether some platforms have consistent and effective processes to takedown child abuse images, with some companies pushing back on removing abuse images of children as young as ten.

NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless, said: “The staggering amount of child sexual abuse image offences is being fuelled by the ease with which offenders are able to groom children across social media to produce and share images on an industrial scale.

“The UK Government recognises the problem and has created a landmark opportunity with the Online Safety Bill. We admire Nadine Dorries’ declared intent that child protection is her number one objective.

“But our assessment is that the legislation needs strengthening in clear and specific ways if it is to fundamentally address the complex nature of online abuse and prevent children from coming to avoidable harm.” 

The NSPCC’s five-point plan lays out where the Online Safety Bill must be strengthened to:

  1. Disrupt well-established grooming pathways: The Bill fails to tackle convincingly the ways groomers commit abuse across platforms to produce new child abuse images. Offenders exploit the design features of social media sites to contact multiple children before moving them to risky livestreaming or encrypted sites. The Bill needs to be strengthened to require platforms to explicitly risk assess for cross platform harms.
  2. Tackle how offenders use social media to organise abuse: The Bill fails to address how abusers use social media as a shop window to advertise their sexual interest in children, make contact with other offenders and post digital breadcrumbs as a guide for them to find child abuse content. Recent whistle-blower testimony found Facebook groups were being used to facilitate child abuse and signpost to illegal material hosted on other sites.
  3. Put a duty on every social media platform to have a named manager responsible for children’s safety: To focus minds on child abuse every platform should be required to appoint a named person liable for preventing child abuse, with the ultimate threat of criminal sanctions for product decisions that put children in harm’s way.
  4. Give the regulator more effective powers to combat abuse in private messaging: Private messaging is the frontline of child abuse but the regulator needs clearer powers to take action against companies that don’t have a plan to tackle it. Companies should have to risk assess end-to-end encryption plans before they go ahead so the regulator is not left in the dark about abuse taking place in private messaging.
  5. Give children a funded voice to fight for their interests: Under current proposals for regulation children who have been abused will get less statutory protections than bus passengers or Post Office users. There needs to be provision for a statutory body to represent the interests of children, funded by an industry levy, in the Bill.

The NSPCC is mobilising supporters to sign an open letter to Nadine Dorries asking the UK Culture Secretary to make sure children are at the heart of the Online Safety Bill.

The NSPCC’s full analysis of the draft Online Safety Bill is set out in their ‘Duty to Protect’ report.

Edinburgh ‘Market Scene’ magazine launches this week

Coming up this Autumn with a splash of local Edinburgh market colour! – a new magazine Market Scene is being launched this week by publisher Tania Pramschufer, director of LocalMotive Markets as a platform for the thriving market scene in and around Edinburgh.

The first edition of the magazine, coming out this week, will showcase the individuality and history of the markets in and around Edinburgh – from the farmers’ markets from Balerno and Portobello markets and everywhere in between.

Market Scene includes producer spotlights – this month meeting Michele and Gabriela from Tipico; Edinburgh Farmers’ market 21st birthday celebrations; local market heritage and a trip up north; as well as a free map with times, dates and locations making it easier for shoppers to buy handmade gifts and artisan products in a lively local market atmosphere.

Features also look at famous bagpiper Lou Marshall and her piping travels, as well as her favourite markets and a catch up with celebrity chef Tony Singh MBE to find out more about his newly opened food enterprise Radge Chaat and a visit to Exclusively Highlands and their amazing markets in woods and castle locations.

Tania Pramschufer, director of LocalMotive Markets said: “With all the troubles of shop retail over the last year, the thriving market scene continues to grow and helps support producers, artists and artisans – so we decided to launch Market Scene to make it easier for visitors and local shoppers find where and when to buy great handcrafted gifts, local artisanal food and drink on their doorstep.

“We have built a strong market following from the artists, producers and local people involved. The markets are a real community tonic for all of us – when people were not able to mix widely – they could buy some lovely things and converse with the producers directly, and anecdotally we know that has made a distinct difference to people coping with isolation and mental health issues and is something we need to consider more – going forward.

“Throughout this year, we are supporting local independent businesses at our markets, and we are very hopeful that our international producers will be able to return in due course and add their wonderful gifts and produce – they are much missed having been attending our Castle Street & Ocean Terminal Christmas Markets for over twelve years, but local producers continue to benefit and develop their businesses at our markets, as well at the many markets across Edinburgh.”

Roddy Smith, Chief Executive, Essential Edinburgh said: “Essential Edinburgh is, as always, supportive of markets and events that drive footfall and create interest in our city centre. 

“LocalMotive Markets have delivered, both of these, successfully, on Castle Street over a number of years and are now part of the fabric of the city centre offering.  We look forward to continuing our partnership in the years to come”

Producer, Sarah Allen, Slaped Toasties: “The magazine is great, it’s a huge platform to help promote a small business out to a wider public audience.

“Most people are trying to actively support small independent businesses and this magazine is a great way to do this.”

Artisan producer, Jonny Amos, Gecko Gifts: “A magazine like this is long overdue and it is an all-inclusive spotlight on all traders and operators. A positive addition to Edinburgh’s publications.”

The next magazine will be a Christmas edition coming out in November.

Check out Facebook: Market Scene and @marketsceneedinburgh to find out what our team are up to next.

Facebook dominates App Market during lockdown

  • With 850 million downloads last year, TikTok is the world’s most popular app
  • However, four Facebook-owned social platforms appear among the top six, with a combined figure of more than two billion downloads
  • This accounts for almost half of the Top 10’s global download figures

A new study shows that while TikTok has been revealed as the world’s most popular and downloaded mobile app, social media giant Facebook dominates the market with four of its platforms.

Research conducted by app development company Bacancy Technology outlines that social video-sharing platform TikTok was downloaded a total of 850 million times last year, receiving 250 million more downloads than the second most popular app on the list, WhatsApp.

However, having acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, Facebook takes up four spots in the Top 10 most popular apps of 2020, with a combined total of more than two billion downloads. This figure accounts for 46% of the total download figures within the top 10 list.

Following last year’s increase in remote working, conference call platform Zoom – which ranks fifth on the global list – received 477 million downloads last year, coupled with an increase in revenue of 317% over figures from 2019.

Top 10 Global Apps of 2020

AppDownloads 2020
TikTok850 million
WhatsApp600 million
Facebook540 million
Instagram503 million
Zoom477 million
Messenger404 million
Snapchat281 million
Telegram256 million
Google Meet254 million
Netflix223 million

Assessing a number of the most popular social platforms, the United States – which has the third largest population count in the world – ranks as the country with the highest active user counts for Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat.

India, with the second highest population in the world, has the largest amount of users of both WhatsApp and Facebook.

Country with highest users counts for Apps (raw user figures)

AppCountry with highest user count# of users, in millions% of population
TikTokUnited States65.919%
WhatsappIndia39027%
FacebookIndia32022%
InstagramUnited States14042%
SnapchatUnited States10832%

However, analysing an app’s number of users as a percentage of each country’s population reveals that TikTok has the highest penetration in the Netherlands with 22% of its population using TikTok. This is followed by the US (19%) and Norway (18%).

Seven in 10 Spanish citizens are actively using Whatsapp, while three quarters of the population of the Philippines have active profiles on Facebook – a figure that trumps both America (57%) and the UK (55%).

Half of the Turkish population are active on their Instagram accounts – representing the country with the highest usage, and the same can be said of Snapchat’s popularity in Saudi Arabia, with 50% of the population holding active user accounts.

Naturally, these figures do not factor in fake accounts or users that may have more than one social media account, though they show an interesting indication of each app’s global popularity.

Country with highest users counts for Apps (as a percentage of population)

AppCountry with highest user count# of users, in millionsPopulation% of population
TikTokNetherlands3.817,178,41922%
US65.9333,230,77019%
Norway15,469,88718.20%
WhatsappSpain3346,775,58470%
Italy3560,359,65758.00%
Germany4884,091,60457%
FacebookPhilippines83111,249,11674%
Thailand5170,000,66272%
Mexico93130,486,51271%
InstagramTurkey4485,379,96151%
Brazil95214,289,41744%
US140333,230,77042%
SnapchatSaudi Arabia19.635,433,66255%
France24.565,439,40737%
United States108333,230,77032%

TikTok triumphs once again as the world’s highest-grossing app, with reported revenue of 540 million USD last year. Despite lockdown restrictions limiting face-to-face contact, online dating platform Tinder lands in second place with 513 million USD, and streaming video giant YouTube rounds off the top three, snatching up 478 million USD.

Highest grossing app of 2020 (Global)

AppRevenue, millions USD
TikTok540
Tinder513
YouTube478
Disney314
Tencent Video300
Piccoma289
Line Manga249
iQIYI240
Netflix209

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for Bacancy Technology said: “Lockdown restrictions and the ‘stay at home’ mantra of 2020 caused many of us to turn to the internet and various apps for entertainment and to indulge in some level of human interaction.

“TikTok’s seemingly endless library of entertainment has clearly captured the attention of millions of people, while the staple social media apps continue to be an integral part of our daily lives.”

This research was conducted by app development company Bacancy Technology, an exclusive hub of top software developers, UI/UX designers, QA experts and more, offering development services aimed at the creation of high-end, enviable applications.