IFB, one of Scotland’s leading managed service and data network providers, is strengthening its senior management team with two key appointments as it plans for growth throughout the UK and beyond.

George Gordon, equipped with over 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, has been appointed as Chief Operations Officer at IFB with a key focus on shaping IFB’s operations function in line with the business’ substantial growth strategy.

With a background working mainly in the offshore accommodation IS sector, George was responsible for managing clients’ offices and vessels in many parts of the world and is looking forward to a new challenge at IFB.

Picture Left-to-right:  George Gordon, COO, Graeme Gordon, CEO and Andrew Gordon, Finance Manager

George says: “I am delighted to be joining IFB at this time as it strives for further growth. Seeking a new challenge focusing more on innovation and technology, IFB is a great fit with its drive and enthusiasm to expand.”

Also joining the senior management team at IFB is Andrew Gordon. Taking on the role of Finance Manager, Andrew will lead the financial team whilst providing the support required to take the business to the next level.

With 24 years’ experience working in industry and 4 years as a business owner, Andrew has held senior financial management roles in the UK and overseas, including 15 years in the oil & gas connectivity business.

Andrew adds: “I’m thrilled to be joining IFB which has a long and established reputation in the network and communications field. With a great team in place, it’s an exciting time to be joining as the company looks to continue its development.”

IFB continues to support its clients to get on and stay on through exceptional customer experience, along with competitive, innovative connectivity, networking and managed services solutions, delivered via our own infrastructure or that of our key partners.

Graeme Gordon, IFB’s CEO says: “As a business, IFB is committed to delivering the best possible customer experience across all we do.  As we start our new financial year, our focus on building the best people to do this is taking further shape. Having George and Andrew join our senior management team is the next in a series of key steps in our plans which are all about our customers and their needs and how best to support and deliver these. With George and Andrew’s combined experience and expertise, they’ll play a key part, along with the rest of the team, in continuing to deliver and accelerate our ambitious growth plans.”

When attending networking events over the last while and meeting people, mingling, telling them what 8th Row does, which is specialising in search engine optimisation and pay per click, I am often presented with a visible shift in the person and rebuked with something along the lines of “Oh SEO, it’s a bit of a dark art that isn’t it.” This is never said as a question. It has happened so many times that it’s strange now. I assume these people do not know each other, or they’re all in on the gag. For my sake, I’m going to air on the side of common misconception rather than conspiracy!

A “dark art”; it couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ll be the first to admit that the practice of SEO has had its ups and downs over the last few years. Google has the monopoly on search and they have changed the goal posts many times. But SEO is still one of the top digital marketing practices for return on investment.

So, in this post I’m going to attempt to dispel some SEO ‘dark art’ myths.

It has nothing to do with Harry Potter

Where they are getting the “dark art” from I have no idea. OK I jest. But c’mon, dark art? Hardly! We have more tools than ever where we can track campaigns and how they impact a business. It’s no more a dark art than medicine is to the average person, or any topic of knowledge or skill you are unfamiliar with.

More people take it seriously than you might think

The state of SEO is looking up. In a report by Zazzle Media 88% of marketers believed SEO was an important element of their marketing plans. 77% said SEO has increased their number of leads, and half said that SEO has decreased their cost of customer acquisition. SEO can increase leads, and lower cost of acquisition. From ‘SEO dark art’ to ‘SEO take my money’, right, right?

It’s TRACKABLE

In your face printed advertising. As briefly mentioned SEO is inherently trackable. With a little wisdom and the right tools, you can track results from SEO with a great degree of accuracy. Naturally, you need to know what you’re looking for when connecting the dots.

SEO is not spammy emails

Those spammy emails promising page 1 results for $100 or less? Yeah, that’s not SEO. Yet so many people have been stung here and it gives the rest of us a bad rep. Not to mention it devalues the value of the work!

It takes a while

There’s no question that SEO is an investment in time and effort. In fact, many businesses who have tried SEO have a bad experience of it because the approach was too light, and the effort halted too early. There is no magic bullet approach for search engine optimisation and it’s relative too; what works for someone else may not work for you. It takes time and diligence to consistently improve and maintain your presence in search engines.

Don’t worry, I don’t hold it against you if you thought any of these things were true. SEO is a bit of an art as well as a science. Targeting strategies and execution methods vary greatly. But dark art, it is not.

Who the hell am I

I’m Darren and coincidentally I’m a SEO professional. I’ve been involved in digital for over eight years now. I run 8th Row, a digital agency focusing on SEO, PPC, Content Generation and Web Design/Development projects.

Please feel free to contact me at darren@8throw.com if you have any SEO or website related questions.

The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University will work together to train 100,000 people in data skills and help 1,000 organisations through data

The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University have launched a major initiative that includes plans to improve digital skills across south east Scotland. The new venture is set to transform Edinburgh and its surrounding area into the data capital of Europe.

The £661m Data-Driven Innovation initiative is a key part of the recently-announced Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. It aims to train 100,000 people in data skills over the next decade, from computer science specialists to traditional jobs that will increasingly use data.

It is estimated that Scotland needs around 13,000 extra workers each year with data skills as the workplace is transformed. The Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy, published in 2017, included plans to tackle this digital skills gap while growing the Scottish economy.

Together, the two universities will increase the provision of data science teaching for their students, and support schools and colleges across the region to provide digital skills teaching and training. The region’s supercomputing capabilities will also be strengthened with investment in a data analysis facility, which will help 1,000 organisations use data to innovate within their sectors.

Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, said:

“This exciting project – backed by £270m of UK Government investment – will ensure that the UK leads the world in technologies of the future and benefits from the economic growth opportunities this brings.

 “By giving 100,000 people, and 1,000 companies, the skills and capability they need to drive innovation through big data and artificial intelligence, this partnership working will help maximise the potential of these sectors – a key goal of the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.”

The Scottish Government’s Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson said:

“The £300m Scottish Government investment in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal will help deliver inclusive economic growth across the region. The Data-Driven Innovation programme will be key to this, providing a significant step-change in our productivity.

“We are working to ensure Scotland is an internationally recognised vibrant, inclusive, open and outward-looking digital nation. I welcome the contribution that Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt Universities are making to ensure the new opportunities and benefits created by City Region Deal investment are spread across the region, providing individuals with the digital skills and aptitudes necessary to succeed while helping industry source the talent they need to grow and flourish.”

Professor Charlie Jeffery, Senior Vice Principal, University of Edinburgh, said:

“The University’s strengths in data science have been driving innovation in the public and private sectors, for the past decade and more, through our research and the skills our graduates bring into the regional economy. The City Region Deal will now give us the capacity to do much more across a wider range of sectors, including healthcare, robotics and fintech. But perhaps the most important part of the Deal is our commitment to ensure people in the region can build the skills to flourish in the data-driven economy.

“So we are working not just in our universities, but also with schools, colleges and businesses so people have the opportunities to develop data skills across their life-course. This could include young people about to enter the workforce, women returning after career breaks, or people looking to reskill in mid-career. We know that data-driven innovation will bring economic growth – we want that growth to be inclusive and open to all.”

Professor Richard A Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said:

“By working in partnership we can ensure our city community can prosper and achieve its obvious potential as the leading international research hub for digital innovation. Our frontier research and educational skills in digital technology and its application in artificial intelligence and robotics are already shaping and driving the future and taking Scottish innovation to the world.”

Jarmo Eskelinen has been appointed to lead the Data-Driven Innovation initiative. He comes to Edinburgh from his previous role as Chief Innovation and Technology Officer of the London-based Future Cities Catapult initiative. Welcoming his new role, Jarmo Eskelinen said:

“Data is the new soil, and collaboration the seeds. The Data-Driven Innovation initiative is unique in its ambition and scale. It’s been designed to reach out to the whole City Region, so we can develop and test new services to meet the needs of our citizens. 

“I am extremely honoured to join the programme team and have the chance to collaborate with and learn from the world-leading experts of the two Universities. I look forward to helping a diverse range of organisations benefit from the fast-developing field of data-driven innovation.”

The £1.3bn Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal was announced by the Prime Minister and First Minister at the University of Edinburgh on 7 August. It aims to drive growth for everyone across the area and includes investment in transport, housing, culture and skills and employability.

The Forth 1 breakfast team is celebrating after their single ‘Break Your Heart’ charted at number two on the Official Scottish Singles Chart.

The Boogie In The Morning team, including Boogie, Arlene and producer Marty, set themselves the challenge of creating a chart topping hit earlier this year and were joined by Arlene’s son, Robbie Hutchison, a music production student at Edinburgh’s Napier University, to create BAMR (Boogie, Arlene, Marty and Robbie).

The band recorded a re-make of ‘Kayleigh’ by Marillion with 2016 X Factor judges’ house contestant and local artist, Caitlyn Vanbeck selected to perform the vocals on the track.

The band were pipped to the number one spot by Promises by Calvin Harris and Sam Smith but Boogie is proud of their achievement.

He said: “What started as a passing remark to our brilliant listeners has turned into an amazing experience and I am over the moon that we have not only made the charts but that we are at number two.

“Never did I think that a song we created would actually make the Scottish charts outselling amazing artists such as Rita Ora and Lady Gaga.

“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has played their part, from the listeners who suggested songs to each and every person who has downloaded the track and made this dream a reality.”

The single ‘Break Your Heart’ is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and YouTube:

 

iTunes/Apple Music – https://apple.co/2OlrqBF

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2N52QAt

Spotify – https://spoti.fi/2NKMq5x

YouTube Music – http://bit.ly/2IlxDrX

 

Boogie In The Morning runs every weekday morning from 6am to 10am on Forth 1 across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.

 

Keep up with all the latest competitions, gossip, music and news on Forth 1 online, via our app, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat:

Theresa May’s ‘precious Union’ has little in the way of meaningful support from her own supporters or self-professed Unionists in other parties. Moreover, according to new research from the Universities of Edinburgh and Cardiff, attitudes to the Union are marked principally by rivalry and mutual-indifference. The Future of England Study, the largest and longest-running study of English constitutional attitudes available, found that self-professed Unionists, most notably Leave-voting Conservatives, were largely unconcerned about the risks to the Union posed by Brexit, were reluctant to prioritise the needs of the Union over their own constituent part, and were largely ignorant of other territories’ politics.

Key findings include:

1. Clear majorities of English Conservatives would support Scottish independence (79%) or the collapse of the NI Peace Process (75%) as the price of Brexit.
2. 87% of (overwhelmingly Unionist) Leave voters in Northern Ireland see the collapse of the peace process as an acceptable price for Brexit and 86% say that of a Yes vote in IndyRef2
3. Nearly half (49%) of English Conservative voters do not think Scottish MPs should sit in the UK Cabinet and, in worse news for David Mundell as the SNP gathers in Glasgow, 24% of Scottish Conservative voters agree with them
4. Voters typically expect higher levels of policy alignment with Europe post-Brexit (roaming charges, food hygiene standards, etc.) than within the UK (tuition fees, prescription charges, free social care, etc.)
5. In none of the UK’s nations is a majority of taxpayers happy to see their taxes spent in other parts when those parts are mentioned by name
The research, some of which was presented at a Conservative Party Conference fringe event, is drawn from the annual Future of England Survey, now in its sixth year. The survey has consistently found a correlation between Euroscepticism in England and ‘devo-anxiety’, a sense that England was being neglected or left behind by benefits awarded to the devolved territories. This year the team, led by Profs Ailsa Henderson (Edin) and Richard Wyn Jones (Cardiff), conducted parallel surveys in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and found similar attitudes, especially among Leave voters, to the European and UK unions.

Prof Henderson said:

“The data suggest that, in the pursuit of Brexit, Leave supporters across the UK would be relaxed about a fundamental transformation of the Union but this attitude is not confined exclusively to Leave voters. There is also evidence that Brexit is dislodging long-held red lines about the Union. If even Unionists in Northern Ireland care less about the territorial integrity of the UK than pursuing Brexit, then it really raises questions about the type of union we’re in, and indeed what Unionism means.

“At the same time, voters, including Leave voters, want ongoing policy conformity between the EU and the UK on everything apart from immigration. To any outsider it must look as the Conservative and Unionist government is prepared to rip up the UK constitution because its supporters wish to stop migration from the EU. Some might consider that a curious interpretation of Unionism.”

Prof Wyn Jones said:

“Strident protestations of faith in the future of the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from Theresa May and her leading ministers cannot hide the fact that that the Union is under huge stress as result of Brexit. Ironically, that threat is posed at least as much by those who would regard themselves as Unionists as it is by those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who actively wish the Union’s demise.

“An overwhelming majority of Conservative voters in England would prefer to see Scotland become independent and a breakdown of the peace process in Northern Ireland rather than compromise on their support for Brexit. But it’s not just Brexit. Half of English Conservative supporters want to stop Scottish MPs from sitting in the British cabinet altogether.
“The bonds that have tied the Union together have frayed to such an extent that, frankly, it’s hard to imagine that the proposed festival of ‘national renewal’ is going to do anything more than emphasise the extent to which we continue to drift apart.”

Senior staff from multi award-winning bid and tender specialist AM Bid will share their expertise and successes this week at Europe’s premier conference for bid management professionals.

In his ‘Diary of a Bid Doctor’ presentation at the APMP UK Annual Conference in London, David Gray, Bid Development Director with AM Bid, will reveal some valuable secrets from his 13 years working across a broad range of sectors, totalling more than £1bn worth of winning bids. The session will include ‘pain points and surgery’, an open forum covering the challenges and solutions of bids and tenders.

David Gray

AM Bid Manager Writer Peter Sharpe, who has a decade of experience in bidding and procurement, will speak about how technology now allows bidding and procurement teams to work remotely yet still pull together successful bids. AM Bid, which last week announced a record 57% hike in sales, has a success rate of 80%.

Peter Sharpe

The APMP UK Annual Conference, organised by the UK chapter of the Association of Bid & Proposal Management Professionals, takes place on October 9 and October 10 at London’s Hilton Heathrow Airport.

The speaker appearances come as Edinburgh-based AM Bid announced a new appointment in response to its rapid business growth. Andrew Loughlin, new Head of Bids, has joined the company from Babcock International Group.

Andrew Loughlin

AM Bid Founder and Managing Director Andrew Morrison said:
“With such rapid growth and a sterling track record in winning bids, it makes sense that we share some of our bid and procurement secrets at this year’s APMP Annual Conference. I’m delighted to see our team grow with the appointment of Andrew Loughlin, a highly experienced bid professional who will help us drive our business forward. Having Andrew on board will allow myself and David Gray to focus on scaling the business whilst ensuring that our high quality bid output continues to deliver 80% win rates for our clients.”

AM Bid achieved £729,000 in sales in the year to 30th September 2018, a 57% increase on 2017. Net profits are likely to remain stable. Since its launch in 2014, AM Bid has grown both in size and reputation to be an emerging force U.K.-wide in a sector seeing rapid growth. Now with nine permanent members of staff and 15 associates across the U.K. and Republic of Ireland, AM Bid provides bid writing, strategy and training services across more than 20 different sectors.

Clients include construction industry giant Jewson, Spotless Commercial Cleaning and Orbit, a PR and communications agency. Its non-executive Chairman is David Sole OBE, former Grand Slam winning rugby union captain and now an executive business coach.
For more information go to www.ambid.co.uk

For more information on the APMP UK Annual Conference visit www.apmpuk.co.uk/conference

A LEADING legal firm has underlined its ambitions to grow the business in East Lothian with the appointment of one of the region’s most respected solicitors.

Multi-award-winning Gilson Gray has appointed Cheryl Edgar, who brings more than 20 years’ experience of the local property market to its North Berwick team.

L-R Gail Walshe, Cheryl Edgar, Dorothy Kellas

She joins as Senior Associate from local firm Garden Stirling Burnet (GSB) with many years’ experience in conveyancing law, and prior to this spent 18 years with Anderson Strathern.

Her expertise means Gilson Gray can offer a full suite of legal services from within its local office, saving the journey into Edinburgh that many in the county faced when using legal services.

Cheryl said: “I’m thrilled to be joining such a dynamic and forward-thinking team which is dedicated to providing a high quality service in East Lothian.

“I was really attracted by the strong focus on clients and look forward to using my experience to help the team’s continued growth and development.

“East Lothian is such a great area to live in and being part of a friendly, locally-based team means we can offer a real insight to clients, something which I can’t wait to be a part of.”

The firm took over the North Berwick office of law firm Lindsays in May this year, with the existing team transferring over to Gilson Gray.

Cheryl’s appointment follows hot on the heels of the appointment of local property expert David McPhail as consultant. David has over 30 years’ experience in all areas of the East Lothian property market.

Dorothy Kellas is a Partner at the firm and heads up the North Berwick office.

She said: “It’s really exciting to be welcoming Cheryl into our team.

“She’s well-known in the area for her talent and in-depth knowledge of the local property market as well as for her ability to put clients at ease and deliver a personal service.

“Our open doors policy means that people are welcome to pop into our office at any time and having someone of Cheryl’s calibre in the team only strengthens the advice we can offer.”

Gilson Gray was set up in 2014 as the largest full service law firm launch in Scottish legal history, opening in Glasgow and Edinburgh simultaneously with a portfolio of talent poached from leading firms from across the UK.

Its rapid rise to become one of the country’s most respected law firms has been underpinned by being different to the norm and harnessing the talents of its highly skilled staff.

 

AN AMBITIOUS young duo at Edinburgh’s largest independent hotel are making a name for themselves in the capital’s bustling chef scene.

Ten Hill Place, run by the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons, Surgeons Quarter, has advanced its operations with the promotions of their two expert chefs, Alan Dickson and Jamie Reid.

L-R: Jamie Reid Alan Dickson.

At a time when the organisation’s development is showing no signs of slowing down, Alan, 29, has undertaken the role of Executive Chef, while Jamie, 23, has taken up the position of a Head Chef.

Together, the Edinburgh-born pair are cooking up a storm, whether it’s catering for everyday clients at their 150-guest restaurant, Drinks & Dining, or for special events and 500-person conferences organised by Surgeons Quarter.

Alan said: “It’s a great time to be a part of Ten Hill Place, especially following the recent expansion of the hotel and restaurant. The team is growing and we’re busier than ever which definitely keeps the adrenaline levels high.

“The role that I’m now undertaking has never previously existed at Ten Hill Place, so it really shows how far we’ve come. We’re moving towards accommodating and catering to even larger volumes of people across a whole range of events which is hugely exciting.”

Alan, who was crowned Hotel Chef of the Year at last year’s Scottish Hotel Awards, started his adventure with cooking at the age of 19. He was working as a part-time waiter at the time when he decided to test his skills on the other side of the kitchen door – and he hasn’t looked back since.

The new position will see Alan taking a step back from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen to oversee the logistics of running the establishment.

The skilled chef was in charge of redesigning the new purpose-built kitchen from scratch, which is now six times larger than the previous facility. It includes all electric, top of the range appliances which are extremely energy efficient, such as induction hobs that can boil 20 litres of water in just 90 seconds.

Alan added: “I’m looking forward to all of the new challenges, but I would still love to be standing by the stove all day. I am taking a step back from daily cooking, but you’ll still see me in the kitchen – my office overlooks it and is right next door.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help build the necessary infrastructure to support the expansion of the hotel and I’m intrigued as to where we’ll be in five years’ time.

“We’re very unique compared to other hotels in that we have a lot of creative freedom in the kitchen and the space to put fresh ideas forward on a regular basis.

“With visitors of all nationalities and backgrounds coming over to the various events and conferences organised through Surgeons Quarter, the team constantly gets to learn about, and perfect their skills in, world-wide cuisines.

“We’re big on using fresh, seasonal ingredients so creating different menus for these events is always an interesting process and a good challenge for the imagination.”

Jamie’s determination and passion for his work has seen him progress quickly in the company, having joined the team at Ten Hill Place three years ago.

Jamie said: “At Ten Hill Place we have a young, driven team and all of us work incredibly well together. It’s really important to have that support structure, especially during times like the Edinburgh Fringe throughout which we had some of our record-breaking nights.

“It’s a tremendous place to work. The variety of work and freedom in creativity really enables you to advance your skills. We go from creating menus for quiet lunches at the hotel to fine dining at banquets and international conferences – no day is the same.

“For the next event we’ve gone a bit more theatrical with our menu, and we’ll be shaping our canapes into different surgical elements, it’s quite exciting.

“Day to day life at the kitchen is also eventful. We have a big glass window which runs the whole length of the wall and we always get curious people stopping by and peeking inside to see what we’re doing.

“Alan and I also have a very strong friendship and trust each other completely. It makes running the kitchen a pleasure, as we know we can really rely on each other.”

Jamie discovered his passion for cooking when he was only 14 years old, while sitting in a Hospitality class at Forrester High School.

He said: “It was one class that I’d always excelled in and loved so I carried on doing whatever I could to pursue this passion. I found a job at a restaurant when I was 14, and left school at 15 to train in Professional Cookery full time.”

Following record occupancy numbers, Ten Hill Place’s recent expansion saw it increase from 77 rooms to 129.

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director with Surgeons Quarter, said: “Alan’s and Jamie’s promotions are a very important step towards further advancing Surgeons Quarter’s operations.

“With the team growing and led by ambitious, young, creative people, we’re making sure that Ten Hill Place is delivering its full potential.

“Our team here are creating quality fresh food and drink offerings, assisting our charitable aims or boosting tourism and hospitality jobs in Edinburgh.”

Alan and Jamie are now seeking a talented sous chef to join the expanding team on site.   Interested parties should contract our HR Manager on recruitment@surgeonsquarter.com.

Surgeons Quarter operates Ten Hill Place Hotel, Drinks & Dining, as well as all conferences and weddings in the college’s Old Town buildings. Its profits are given back to the College to advance surgical standards worldwide.

 

Next week councillors are set to appoint a contractor to deliver a new state-of-art Meadowbank Sports Centre for Edinburgh. It has been designed to meet the current and future needs of the local community and the people of Edinburgh and beyond.

When opened in 2020, the facility will be managed by Edinburgh Leisure.

This follows the £45m project receiving planning permission in June as well as confirmation of a multi-million pound pledge from the national agency for sport.

sportscotland has approved an in-principle investment of £5m towards the new venue, a significant contribution towards the city’s project to create a new community sports facility on part of the original site.

In a report to the Finance and Resources Committee on Thursday, 11 October, Graham Construction Ltd is recommended as the preferred bidder to demolish the existing building and construct the new one. They will use the designs agreed by the Development Management Sub Committee in June.

As part of the contract, Graham Construction Ltd would launch a ‘Benefit in Kind’ fund of £40,000 to support local projects through time, materials and expertise, alongside a work apprenticeship programme and the creation of local jobs.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “This is set to be another significant milestone for the project bringing us another step closer to delivering this new state-of-the-art venue for the city. Taking forward the approved designs also means Meadowbank will retain its status as one of the city’s flagship sports venues.

“I’m really pleased to see that the new dedicated indoor athletics area is larger than before and will allow a number of different athletics disciplines to train at the same time. It will also be available for use whenever the centre is open as opposed to the previous space which doubled as a concourse for the stadium.

“The £5m funding from sportscotland is welcome news as when open Meadowbank will be one of the best facilities for community and club sport in the country. The new venue will support accessible participation in sport and physical activity for all ages and abilities for generations to come.”

In addition to the new and improved indoor facilities, Meadowbank’s well used outdoor running track will be resurfaced and two new all-weather pitches for football will be available all year round. This is in addition to a dedicated purpose-built space for throw athletics such as discus and javelin. For those using the outdoor space, changing facilities will be provided.

As well as the improved indoor athletics area, there will be two games halls for a range of sports, designed to match the size of the halls in the previous facility. There will be a gym with triple the number of exercise stations, three larger fitness studios and a purpose-built gymnastics area more suitable for the gymnasts needs. The martial-arts and boxing spaces will also be improved, being warmer and lighter. Finally, the new facility will also have two squash courts and a café.

Chief Executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, said: “Over the years Meadowbank has been played a central role in the development of Scottish sport and this new facility will ensure it continues to do so for generations to come.

“It will be a fitting home for athletes of all abilities and an outstanding sports facility available for the local community.

“We look forward to continuing to work with our partners, including the City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Leisure, to progress the plans for the new Meadowbank, which will be an integral part of Scotland’s world-class sporting system.”

June Peebles, CEO at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We welcome the appointment of Graham Construction Ltd as the contractors; this is one step closer to the creation of a new Meadowbank for the people of Edinburgh and beyond. Everyone at Edinburgh Leisure is excited at the prospect of a new Meadowbank, as are our customers, the most often asked question is “when will the new centre open”? I look forward to that moment when the doors open to customers old and new, when people of all ages and abilities can once again enjoy moving at Meadowbank.”

In June, the Development Management Sub Committee also approved the principle of the redevelopment of land surrounding the Sports Centre for mixed uses including residential, student accommodation, hotel and commercial uses, together with car parking, landscaping, drainage and ancillary works.


Further extensive consultation is currently taking place on this, before more detailed plans are brought back to planning next year.

Royal Mail and Vue Cinema Group have become the first businesses to be nominated and recognised by members of the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group (SAITG) for their outstanding efforts in the battle against the trade of fake goods.

The private ceremony on Thursday 4 October at Fountain Park Cineworld in Edinburgh saw members of SAITG, HMRC, Police Scotland and representatives from Vue and Cineworld come together to celebrate Royal Mail and Vue Cinema Group receiving their awards from Scotland’s Justice Secretary, Humza Yousaf MSP.

Royal Mail has been instrumental in assisting HMRC identify the trade of millions of illicit cigarettes in Scotland, allowing effective interventions by HMRC.

Vue Cinema trained staff in identifying suspicious circumstances and customers, and assisted with the high-profile conviction of a man caught filming T2 Trainspotting at Glasgow Fort Vue Cinema earlier this year.

Speaking at the event, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf MSP, said: “The trade in illicit and counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime. It has a detrimental impact on legitimate businesses and can pose a serious risk to the health and safety of everyone who thinks they are getting a bargain.

“I very much welcome the contribution that the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group makes to the implementation of Scotland’s serious organised crime strategy and congratulate both recipients on today’s awards.

“Working collaboratively with partner agencies, the private sector and with the public assisting, the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce is determined to disrupt this illegal trade and reduce the harm it causes.”

Chaired by one of Mr Yousaf’s predecessors as Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, the SAITG brings together experts from both public and private sectors with the aim of reducing the scale, impact and cost of illegal trade across Scotland.

Mr MacAskill believes that for authorities to succeed in reducing the harmful counterfeit trade, there must be even greater cooperation with businesses and the general public.He said: “Illicit trade and counterfeit goods harm our economy and our society.

Tackling them is about protecting the quality associated with Scotland and the tax paying jobs that go with it.

“It’s all about our business, not just law enforcement, which is why these actions matter.

“Those being rightly praised for outstanding work today have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Their actions were innovative and resourceful and are understandably commended for that.

“They’ve protected valuable jobs and businesses that pay their taxes and insurance. Our communities are better and safer places as a result.

As counterfeit goods tend to be substandard they can pose a risk to the public. This is particularly true in respect of counterfeit electrical equipment, toys, cigarettes/tobacco, and alcohol products.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) working with OECD found that up to 4% of UK imports in 2013 were counterfeit, which implies that up to £500million worth of counterfeit goods were imported into the Scottish economy in 2013.

Operation SALANG was a multiagency operation coordinated by Police Scotland to disrupt and deter those involved in illicit trade and saw over £31million counterfeit products seized in Scotland between 2013 and 2016.

Roddy Fullarton, Investigation Manager from Royal Mail said: “We are delighted to be receiving this award along with our partners, who we work closely with. Royal Mail takes the security of the mail and the postal service very seriously indeed and we will do everything in our power to protect it.”

Simon York, Director, HMRC Fraud Investigation Service, said: “The trade in illicit cigarettes damages funding for essential public services and undermines legitimate traders.

“In Scotland, Royal Mail has been instrumental in helping HMRC tackle the importation of illegal tobacco.

“This liaison has led to a greater awareness amongst postal depot managers and staff on how we can work together to tackle this menace.”

Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE, President of Film Distributors’ Association, said: “The cinema offers a uniquely immersive, digital entertainment experience.

“The creative industries as a whole are worth 5% of the UK’s economy, while the film industry plays an essential role in shaping how we are seen around the world.

“All piracy does is line the pockets of criminals, often serious, organised criminals, who invest nothing at all in the production and distribution of the films concerned – they just diminish their value by ripping them off.

“So vigilance in screenings is extremely important, and on behalf of Film Distributors’ Association I’m delighted to congratulate and thank today’s award recipients.”

The SAITG was formed by SBRC, which works towards building a safe, strong and resilient country in which to live, work, visit and do business.

For more information on the SBRC and its range of services, visit www.sbrcentre.co.uk.

The SBRC is a non-profit organisation which exists to support and help protect Scottish businesses. With a unique connection to Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and a strong relationship with Scottish Government, SBRC provide the very best advice to keep businesses of all sizes free from risk.