Criminals befriend victims online using fake identities, persuade them to perform sexual acts in front of a webcam, often by using attractive women/men to entice the victim to participate.
The webcam videos are recorded, then used by threatening to share them with the victims’ friends & family, unless the victim pays money.
The best way to protect potential victims is to encourage them to be careful about whom you befriend online just as you would offline, especially when considering sharing intimate images.
For further help and support, visit Police Scotland website:-
Vital equipment on it’s way to fight Covid-19 crisis in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia
A grant of more than £270,000 from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund will fund the supply of 300 items of vital equipment to treat Covid-19 patients in Africa.
The funding will allow Kids Operating Room, a Scottish-based global health charity, to distribute 100 oxygen concentrators each to Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia.
Covid-19 cases in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia are rising quickly, with the health system in Zambia especially under severe stress.
One of the biggest impacts of the rise in Covid-19 cases is a shortage of oxygen, and oxygen concentrators are easy to use, are suitable for patients of all ages, and can be used throughout the health service.
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Covid situation in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia has become very serious, very quickly, and we know that the pressure on health services are putting great stress on their infrastructure, especially in relation to the delivery of oxygen to patients.
“This funding for oxygen concentrators will go some way to help ease the current stress on the health services in our three African partner countries, and we are delighted to work with Kids Operating Room to make sure this vital equipment is put to use as soon as possible.
“Scotland remains fully committed to playing our part in tackling shared global challenges, and we are committed to increase the International Development Fund (IDF) by 50% to £15 million.
“As the global pandemic continues, we firmly believe this is not the time to turn our back on the poorest and those in dire need – instead, this is precisely the moment when we should be living up to our core values.”
David Cunningham, the chief executive officer of Kids Operating Room, said: “Our model is to listen to doctors, then give them what they need – right now, the message is coming back loud and clear that what they need is access to more oxygen to fight Covid-19.
“Oxygen concentrators are key pieces of equipment that are needed to meet the region’s critical oxygen shortage. They are suitable for all ages and durable for years to come post-Covid, making them incredibly essential to support the health services in the long-term.”
Kids Operating Room is a Scottish global health charity with bases in Edinburgh, Dundee and Nairobi. It works directly with local surgeons and their teams across Africa and South America to transform hospital spaces into dedicated operating rooms for children’s surgery.
Oxygen concentrators provide a sustainable and cost-effective source of medical oxygen – they draw air from the environment and then concentrate that room oxygen to therapeutic levels for delivery to patients.
The charity will coordinate the distribution of the oxygen equipment. They will arrange for delivery to doctors in Lusaka, Lilongwe and Kigali, and have the equipment distributed to the most in-demand hospitals.
– Sales of Morrisons ‘For Farmers’ dairy and egg ranges help British farmers invest in sustainability and animal husbandry –
– Scheme has led to increased woodland and insect habitats, more grazing and free roaming time, and new cow comfort initiatives –
Morrisons customers have raised £20 million to support farms and the countryside by choosing to pay a little more for products in Morrisons For Farmers range.
The funds have been ploughed back into a range of farm schemes to improve biodiversity and further improve animal welfare, in a period when British farmers have faced financial uncertainty due to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
In October 2015, Morrisons was the first British retailer to launch a dairy product where part of the purchase price went directly back to farmers. Milk For Farmers was the original product – at 10p-a-litre more than Morrisons own label standard milk – with the full difference passed on to its dairy farmers.
The range now includes Cheese For Farmers, Cream For Farmers and Eggs For Farmers which similarly give customers the opportunity to pay a little more to support farmers directly.
Funds from the For Farmers range have helped the farmed and natural environment. Morrisons For Farmers ‘Chuckle Eggs’, costing an extra 1p per egg more, has enabled farmers to invest money in planting woodland and creating insect-friendly wildflower habitats for their free-range chickens to roam around in. To date 169 acres have been planted. This month a similar insect habitat scheme is being rolled out across all Morrisons milk farms.
Money from the Milk for Farmers range has enabled more investment in animal husbandry from the 140 dairy farmers aligned to Morrisons. Farmers directly selling into the Morrisons Milk For Farmers range grazed their cows for an average of 224 days last year – over a hundred more days than are required.
Dairy farmers have also put the additional money towards new rotating brushes, mattresses and scratch pads for cows, along with foot baths to reduce lameness.
Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture at Morrisons,said: “Our farmers continue to face some uncertainty due to the impact of Brexit and the pandemic. So we are pleased to have passed on £20 million from our For Farmers range to help fund initiatives which may otherwise have suffered from under-investment.
“It’s great to see many customers want to pay more to support British farmers – and want to buy dairy products from cows that have been let out to graze and eggs from free range hens who can roam in enriched woodland and grassland areas.”
Morrisons is British farming’s biggest supermarket customer and buys directly from over 3,000 farmers and growers. Morrisons is 100% British for its fresh meat, milk and eggs and always buys British produce first when in season and when available.
Morrisons has already embarked on a programme to be completely supplied by net zero carbon British farms[1] by 2030, five years ahead of the market.
Over the next nine years, Morrisons will work with its 3,000 farmers and growers to produce affordable ‘net zero’ carbon meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables. As part of the programme, Morrisons will also work with universities, farming and countryside organisations and carbon experts.
For more information on the Morrisons For Farmers range, please visit:
Christmas spirit arrives early this yearfor Social Bite
Leading contract caterer Elior UK has teamed up with client Scottish Rugby for a Christmas campaign that will donate one hot meal for every party booking received for its renowned Glitterfest events.
In total around 3,000 meals will be donated to the vulnerable in the local community during the month of December.
The meals will be provided through Social Bite – the Edinburgh-based organisation that distributes food and hot drinks throughout the year to people experiencing homelessness and food poverty.
Founded in 2012 as a sandwich shop operating as a social business, and supported by well-known names such as Prince Harry, George Clooney and Leonardo di Caprio, Social Bite is on a mission to end homelessness through pioneering employment, food and housing initiatives.
Since the start of 2021 they have provided over 180,000 food packs and essential items to people in need; and exist to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.
Craig Stewart, Regional Managing Director, Elior, says:“After the disappointment of having to cancel our popular annual Glitterfest Parties last year due to Covid, we are delighted that this year’s festive offer will not only give revellers a wonderful night to remember, but at the same time we will be distributing around 3000 free, hot meals to people in the local community for whom this time of year can be particularly difficult.
“Keeping people at the heart of everything we do is of the upmost importance to us and with our strong ties to the community, we are determined to support in any way that we can!”
“It is through the generosity of organisations like Elior and Scottish Rugby that we are able to make it that little bit brighter for so many vulnerable people who would otherwise go without.”
Not forgetting the inspiring work of the NHS and key workers, Elior has also pledged 50 free places for them at Glitterfest Party Nights at BT Murrayfield.
From Saturday 27 November until Sunday 19 December the Glitterfest Party Nights will, as ever, be hosted by local radio presenter Boogie – aka Andy Bouglas – who will entertain throughout the evening from pre-dinner drinks through to the three-course festive meal, games, prize giveaways and dancing.
Elior will once again be providing the mouth-watering array of food on 31 December when Murrayfield hosts a spectacular Hogmanay party that promises to see in 2022 with a bang.
Standard tickets start from just £39pp with VIP tickets costing an extra £15pp. For further details and to book tickets, visit www.glitterfest.co.uk.
The charity Coram Voice will celebrate the awards ceremony of Voices 2021, its national creative writing competition for children in care and young care leavers, virtually again this year due to ongoing pandemic restrictions.
The ceremony will be streamed on the Coram Voice YouTube channel from 5pm tomorrow (14 July) and will be co-hosted by award-winning Scottish actor and former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi, a long-standing supporter of the competition, and Voices 2019 winner Sophia Hall.
It will also feature members of the competition judging panel announcing this year’s winners, including the children’s authors Abi Elphinstone and Cynthia Murphy, novelist Kirsty Capes and the poet Joelle Taylor.
Peter Capaldi said: “It is an honour to host the Voices awards ceremony again this year. The competition is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the creativity and talent of care-experienced young people and builds greater understanding around their lives and experiences.”
Sophia Hall said: “I am delighted to be co-hosting this year’s award ceremony with Peter. I’m a proud care experienced person, but that wasn’t always the case. I used to hide the fact I was in care, and never really spoke about it when I was a teenager.
“Today, after being encouraged by organisations such as Coram, my peers, and the wider community, I embrace my experience as an important and integral part of my identity. The Voices competition means a lot to me because it’s all about encouraging young people in care to use their voices, and encouraging non-care experienced people to listen”.
This year marks the sixth anniversary of the Voices competition, which is sponsored by UK management consultancy Cadence Innova.
The competition received over 250 entries on the theme of ‘What Makes Life Good’ submitted from across the country. Just 24 of these have been shortlisted over four age categories: primary (age 4-10), lower secondary (age 11-14), upper secondary (age 15-17) and care leavers (age 18-25).
Brigid Robinson, Managing Director of Coram Voice, said: “The uncertainty and disruption of the pandemic has made the past year incredibly challenging for many children and young people in and leaving the care system.
“But reading the competition entries, we have been so inspired by the stories and poems that show how children and young people are using their strength and creativity to deal with these difficult experiences. Their motivation and resilience is an inspiration to all.
“I want to congratulate all the young people who entered this year’s competition. This is your night, and we are delighted to be able to host the awards online so that we can all celebrate together and share the talents of every young person who took part.”
Gary Ashby, Founding Partner at Cadence Innova, the Headline Sponsor of Voices 2021, said: “It is our third year sponsoring the Voices competition and we are delighted to be working with Coram once again. The Voices Awards champion children’s creativity and development and we are immensely proud to be a part of this inspiring contest. We hope that the artistic exploration of this year’s topic – What makes life good – will not only help the participants explore their creative sides, but also grow their confidence for the future.”
To find out more about the Voices 2021 competition and how you can tune in on 14 July, please visit coramvoice.org.uk/voices.
Game-changing ski instructor platform Maison Sport is among only a handful of travel businesses to secure finance from the UK Government’s Future Fund.
The trio behind the innovative tech start-up, which connects skiers and snowboarders with some of Europe’s best instructors, set out to apply for the funding support in May 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when the scheme launched.
With the travel sector hit hard by the impacts of Covid-19, Maison Sport felt the effects of closures at countless resorts across Europe and ski holidays cancelled for many. The funding has given the tech start-up a much-needed financial boost, allowing the platform to continue to support independent instructors across Europe.
The Future Fund – developed by government and delivered by the British Business Bank – was established to support the UK’s innovative businesses affected by Covid-19. It was created for businesses unable to access other government business support programmes, due to being pre-revenue or pre-profit and typically reliant on equity investment.
With a third-party investor willing to support the growth and ambitions of Maison Sport, the trio of founders were able to apply for the convertible loan which saw the government match their investor funds.
It is the latest success in Maison Sport’s fundraising drive to ensure the business survives and thrives through the pandemic.
Over the past six months, the business has secured further funds from their existing advisory board members Kevin Byrne, Founder of Checkatrade.com and serial entrepreneur Lorenz Bogaert, as well as new investor, Gareth Williams, Co-Founder of Skyscanner. This will enable Maison Sport’s expansion into new markets globally and will help to grow their impressive international portfolio of instructors and customers.
Started by three former ski champions – brothers Nick and Olly Robinson and Aaron Tipping – Maison Sport has more than doubled the number of instructors in its marketplace throughout the pandemic. It is currently represented in more than 350 resorts, with over 1,200 qualified instructors across France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria.
The aim now is to expand into four new markets this year – Scotland, Norway, Sweden and Japan – with plans to move into Asia and South America next year.
Founder and CEO Nick Robinson says: “We’ve worked so hard to remain positive and ambitious over this past year or so. The Future Fund initiative has really given us a boost to move on to the next level.
“As the only platform dedicated to independent instructors, we’re really optimistic about the way Maison Sport is evolving and we’re looking forward to spreading our vision globally.”
Future Fund, delivered by the British Business Bank, has allowed companies to apply for a convertible loan with private investors at least matching the government investment.
EE has announced that it is offering a new long-term package of benefits for NHS workers in Scotland – alongside NHS staff in all parts of the UK – as part of its continued support and thanks to NHS staff.
More than 300,000 NHS workers across the UK are already receiving unlimited data2. From this summer, EE will offer customers that have used up their monthly allowance access to mobile data at no extra cost at a speed fast enough* for instant messaging, web browsing and streaming music and video.
NHS workers new to EE or upgrading will also benefit from 20% off their monthly price plan with the option to extend this for to up four friends or family members.
NHS workers will also be offered priority mobile phone repairs, so if their phone breaks, EE will fast-track it to be fixed. Customers can do this by popping into an EE store, or a courier will be sent to collect their handset whether that’s at home or at work. Customers can also borrow a replacement phone from one of EE’s stores while the repair is taking place3.
The new EE NHS offer is open for new registrations online from July 7th2021, to all EE pay monthly customers who have a valid NHS email address or NHS photo ID. It is also available to NHS workers who have already signed-up to the existing unlimited data offer, and they will be enrolled onto the new offer automatically.
Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division, said:“We’re expanding our NHS offer to continue to support the people who work so selflessly to help us all.
“One in five of the over 1.6 million NHS workers in the UK are currently benefitting from our existing NHS offer, and we want to carry on doing our bit to connect those who need it most.”
For more information on the NHS Heros offer, please visit ee.co.uk
Eligible families can apply for a grant of at least £120 to help with the cost of school uniforms.
The Scottish Government and local authority leaders have reached an agreement to increase the national school clothing grant to a minimum of £120 per eligible primary school pupil and £150 per eligible secondary school pupil. This will be supported by £11.8 million of additional funding to local authorities.
The announcement marks another commitment for the first 100 days of this Government.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School uniforms can place a significant financial burden on families, some of whom are already facing additional hardship as a result of the pandemic.
“This school clothing grant will help to relieve some of that pressure for around 145,000 families and it will help to ensure that all children can go to school feeling comfortable, confident and ready to learn.”
COSLA Children and Young People’s spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “Councils and schools are working to tackle the costs of the school day, ensuring that all children are able to fully participate in their education.
“Working with the Scottish Government, we are pleased that the national minimum school clothing grant has been increased and that families can get extra support as we continue on the road to recovery from the pandemic.”
Eligible families can apply for the school clothing grant through their local council.
A national service dedicated to supporting young people with very complex social, emotional and behavioural needs has received £280,000 of Scottish Government funding.
The Interventions for Vulnerable Youth (IVY) project provides psychological and social work support to 12 to 18-year-olds who present a serious risk of harm to themselves or others.
The service, hosted by child and youth care charity Kibble, has supported more than 270 children and young people since it was established in 2013.
Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “It is vital that children and young people with such complex needs get the support they need.
“I am pleased that we have committed to funding IVY in 2021-22 so the service can continue to provide expert help.”
Kibble and IVY clinical director Dan Johnson said: “The pandemic has made it harder for services to reach those children and young people who need it most.
“With funding from the Scottish Government, IVY can continue to help young people and families access the right kind of support at the right time.”
