Scottish brand The Tartan Blanket Co. is teaming up with non-profit Social Good Connect to launch their inaugural volunteering event, the Share Warmth-a-thon, this October.
Both TBCo. and Social Good Connect are encouraging people to donate an hour or more of their time in a bid to collect 1,000 hours of volunteering, with sign-ups opening on Monday 4th October.
Each volunteer can donate as much or as little time as they want, and are free to choose whether they volunteer virtually or in person.
Caroline McKenna, Founder and CEO at Social Good Connect said: “Our aim is to generate 1,000 pledged hours of giving throughout October. It’s the chance for people to reconnect with their sense of purpose and make a positive difference to someone’s life”.
Those taking part in the Share Warmth-a-thon will pledge their time to a charity of their choice or be paired with one based on their skill set, lending their skills or passion to a good cause.
“One of our goals with the Share Warmth-a-thon is to redefine what it means to be a volunteer,” Caroline continued. “In addition to the all-important traditional type of opportunity, we want to show that volunteering can be really flexible, and more creative, approachable and easy than people tend to imagine.
“We’re looking for people to donate a warm slice of time – it can be as simple as an hour online, sharing skills you already possess, or as creative as helping charities brainstorm fundraising events! A small amount of time can make such a huge difference, but we also encourage people to donate as many hours as they can.”
Emma Macdonald, Co-founder and CEO of The Tartan Blanket Co. said: “We are excited to be launching the share-warmth-a-thon this October as we head into our big gifting season. We want to help people give back too and share the Christmas spirit with others, helping to have a positive impact in their community.
“We’re all about sharing warmth in every sense of the word. While The Tartan Blanket Co. is busy weaving the snuggliest blankets, Social Good Connect is sharing the feeling of warmth through social impact. We’ve joined together so you can join in too, working together towards a warmer, kinder, more sustainable future”.
Wool-enteers can participate in the TBCo. x Social Good Connect Share Warmth-a-thon movement by signing up here: https://socialgoodconnect.org/share-warmth-a-thon/
Running your very own restaurant, coffee shop or bar might be a dream, but you are up against huge competition, and it can be tough out there. For survival and success, you may want to consider the following:
- Find your niche: small independents can compete with the big chains – but you need to find your USP. How are you different?
- Location is key: aim for areas of high footfall with few competing businesses nearby
- Build the right team: you need to find great staff who can deliver outstanding customer service – you can’t do it on your own
- Pick your suppliers carefully: your customers will only turn into regulars if you’re offering quality food and drink
- And finally, don’t forget your bottom line: you also need keep an eye on regular outgoings such as your energy bills
Energy is a key expense for small catering businesses which makes it a crucial area for these businesses to save money and take control of their finances. Smart meters could give businesses additional visibility over energy use and costs to make it easier to identify where changes and savings can be made.
In addition, sustainability is a key focus for many businesses across Great Britain – the smart meter rollout is predicted to reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 34.4m tonnes – so by getting smart meters installed in your business you’re helping achieve this, making your business that bit more sustainable.
Your smart meter works as hard as you do
Running an independent coffee shop, bar or restaurant is a round-the-clock job and supplying your energy readings is often not a top priority. Smart meters send your gas and electricity readings directly to your energy supplier, saving you time to focus on other jobs.
Firms with 10 employees or less could be eligible and installations can be arranged at a convenient time to ensure minimal interruption to your business and your clients.
To find out more please click here.
Contact your energy supplier or broker today and see if you are eligible.
Queensberry Properties, the sister company of Cruden Homes, won the award for Apartment of the Year at the Scottish Home Awards for their beautiful riverside Bonnington Mill apartment development, adjacent to the Water of Leith in Edinburgh.
This year’s awards was held at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel in Glasgow with around 350 people from across the housebuilding industry in attendance, and broadcast live online. The awards were judged by a panel of experts drawn from across the sector, bringing together industry experience and market knowledge.
The Bonnington Mill development captured the judges attention for focus on sustainability coupled with quality, innovative homes in a highly sought after part of the Capital, just 1.5 miles north of Edinburgh city centre. High demand for these apartments have resulted in all plots selling out 9 months ahead of schedule.
Hazel Davies, Sales and Marketing Director of Queensberry Properties, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to take home the Apartment of the Year award. It is great to receive the recognition by industry experts and our peers for our approach in supporting the regeneration of communities at Bonnington Mill, which transformed a brownfield site into highly sought-after contemporary homes. This award is a reflection of our team’s dedication and expertise in delivering truly bespoke new homes.”
Multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has strengthened its climate change offering with the appointment of two Scottish-based lawyer to senior positions.
Michael Watson has been named as the firm’s new Head of Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainability (CCMS) team, while former Ofgem General Counsel, Euan McVicar, rejoins the firm as Senior Climate Adviser.
Launched in 2020, the CCMS team comprises of more than 50 professionals globally and supports clients in their bids to address the effects of climate change, facilitating the development of the firm’s services and advisory products. It also coordinates internal climate and sustainability initiatives to reduce the firm’s own environmental impact.
Edinburgh-based Michael, previously Pinsent Masons’ Head of Global Finance and Projects, has a wealth of experience advising on green energy and infrastructure financings and investments. He is a longstanding champion of the firm’s sustainability & impact efforts, actively developing its increased focus on impact investment.
Euan, who will also be based in Edinburgh, is highly experienced in advising on areas related to climate change, formerly serving as General Counsel and Chair of the Investment Committee at the Green Investment Bank, and latterly, General Counsel and Executive Committee member at Ofgem.
Michael Watson said: “Our response to climate change and sustainability will be one of the defining and accelerating features of our professional and personal lives globally.
“There is great responsibility before us, but collectively we have the opportunity to make a difference. It’s imperative that our clients are able to access the support they need to implement their strategies, and by harnessing the multidisciplinary expertise we have globally within Pinsent Masons, enabling all of our professionals in their engagement with our clients and stakeholders and our wider network we are well positioned to deliver that.
“Euan is a fantastic addition to our team. His wealth of experience will be extremely valuable, both to our own business and to our clients, in helping to shift the dial on our climate and sustainability efforts.”
Euan McVicar, Senior Climate Adviser, added: “Businesses are alert to the fact that having a climate & sustainability strategy is no longer optional, it’s integral to their license to operate, and indeed can also be a license to innovate.
“They have a renewed focus and are seeking to achieve more than compliance – they want to embrace the opportunities for progress and thrive in the changing environment they’re operating in.
“Part of what attracted me to the Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainability team at Pinsent Masons is that it doesn’t work in isolation, it develops and guides the wider business to ensure that the issue remains front of mind in everything we do. That’s an attractive proposition, and so I’m excited to be returning to the firm after eight years to help Pinsent Masons and its clients achieve real change.”
Earlier this year, Pinsent Masons unveiled targets to cut absolute carbon emissions by a minimum of 50% by 2030, and to source 100% renewable electricity across its global estate by 2030.
Michael succeeds Paul Rice, who recently retired from the partnership. He will report directly to the firm’s Senior Partner, Richard Foley.
With six weeks to go until COP26, two leading Scottish trade associations have issued a stark message to world leaders gathering in Glasgow, urging them to tackle the climate crisis now “before it is too late”.
SELECT and SNIPEF are among the members of engineering alliance Actuate UK who say the construction industry is committed to helping in the fight against global catastrophe – but leaders must have “the courage and vision” to make it happen.
And the body, which represents eight of the UK’s major engineering services trade bodies, has repeated a call from its recent manifesto for the widespread rollout of renewables technology to reduce the carbon impact of buildings across the globe.
Leaders will meet for the UN Climate Change Conference – also known as COP26 – from October 31 to November 12, to discuss how to hit climate change targets, including securing net zero by mid-century and keeping global warming to below 1.5 degrees.
Fiona Hodgson, CEO of plumbing and heating SNIPEF, a key Actuate UK member, issued a call for immediate action, saying it was vital for leaders to commit to action now. She said:
“There is no doubt that the construction industry has the skills and innovation at its fingertips – we just need those in power to have the courage to make the green revolution a reality and agree to roll out such innovation on a mass scale.
“Without the vision to look ahead and recognise that we need these solutions now, nothing will change and we will plunge our planet even further into crisis, endangering our environment and populations for generations to come.”
Alan Wilson, Managing Director of electrotechnical trade association SELECT, said any potential action should follow the net zero pledges contained in the Actuate UK manifesto, which was published earlier this year. He said:
“We have already called for efficient heating and cooling in buildings, improved indoor air quality and a fast vehicle charging infrastructure – all things that are within reach and can bring about change if we are bold enough to make them happen.
“Actuate UK itself is committed to making a difference, with our members pledging to see net zero targets achieved in existing buildings through retrofit activities, and to assist with the uptake of low-carbon technologies across government, industry and operators.
“In addition, we are committed to demonstrating how carbon emissions from the materials, construction and the use of a building over its entire life, including its demolition and disposal, will comprehensively affect standards, quality, education and training. Such examples can, and should, be followed by others around the globe so we can make a difference together.”
Julia Evans, CEO of BSRIA, a member of Actuate UK leading on its Net Zero policy area, said:
“To achieve the demanding net zero reductions they aspire to, it is vital for leaders at this upcoming summit to understand what it takes to turn their vision into a practical reality.
“Together, we must tackle the climate crisis before it is too late – and that means cooperating and collaborating like never before to find real and practical solutions to reducing the carbon impact of buildings across the world.
“Climate change is no respecter of boundaries and will affect us all if we don’t act now, and those who work across the built environment are ready to play a massive part if they are given the right tools to do so.”
Chris Yates, CEO of the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations, another leading Actuate UK member, said it was also vital for the industry to make its views known to bring about change. He added:
“Climate change isn’t something that’s going to happen in ten or 20 years’ time – it’s real, it’s happening now and we don’t have a second to spare if we are to stop it getting worse.
“All of us who work in the engineering services have a duty to make our voice heard and repeat the message that the technology and techniques that can make a difference to tomorrow are already here and need to be rolled out today.
“Without these voices being heard, and our leaders making real change at COP26, we will just continue to sleepwalk into disaster and leave a legacy that no one will be able to repair.”
Formed in February 2021, Actuate UK bridges the gap between products, installation and end use. It demands decision makers to listen to the professionals whose skills turn vision into a practical reality for everyone.
University aims to strengthen ties with commercial partners
An academic with a strong interest in information processing in complex systems, artificial intelligence and data science will lead two key Schools at Edinburgh Napier into the post-pandemic era.
Professor Peter Andras has joined the University’s Senior Leadership Team as Dean of the Schools of Computing, and Engineering & the Built Environment.
Earlier this year, it was agreed by the University’s Academic Board that there were clear synergies and benefits in developing a more collaborative relationship between the two Merchiston-based Schools. Michael Greenhalgh took on the role of Interim Dean of both.
Mr Greenhalgh has now joined the University on a permanent basis as the new Director of Strategy & Planning, and will lead on the annual planning processes.
Professor Andras takes the reins at the Schools of Computing and Engineering & the Built Environment, and will continue the work of developing stronger ties across the two Schools.
The University also aims to strengthen its collaborations with industrial partners, particularly in the context of cyber security, timber and sustainable and smart construction and transport policy, and will continue its strong engagement with professional societies relevant to its educational and research portfolios.
Professor Andras comes to Edinburgh from Keele University, where he headed up the School of Computing and Mathematics, and has a wealth of experience in leadership, education portfolio development and governance roles. He is an active researcher with significant results in the areas of artificial neural networks, invertebrate neuroscience and modelling of evolution of social institutions.
Prior to starting at Keele seven years ago, he had various academic roles over a 14-year period at Newcastle University, and earlier held teaching posts at universities in the Netherlands and Romania.
He is a member of a number of scientific societies, encompassing computer science, biology, artificial intelligence and neuroscience, and has been involved in setting up three start-up companies and a series of collaborations with industry.
A keen stamp collector, he also has a strong interest in politics, having served as a city councillor in Newcastle and campaigned for investment in renewable energy sources.
Professor Andras said: “The Schools of Computing, and Engineering and the Built Environment, have an excellent reputation in cyber security, timber research and sustainable construction, social informatics, transport policy research, evolutionary optimisation and renewable energy.
“We have increasingly popular programmes and very active and wide-ranging engagement with industry. These provide a fantastic foundation to grow our research strength, educational portfolio and industry engagement in areas aligned with the Industry 4.0 revolution.”
Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal & Vice Chancellor at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “We are delighted to welcome Peter to the Senior Leadership Team at Edinburgh Napier as we look forward with excitement to the new academic year and beyond. He brings a wealth of academic experience to what is a key role, and I know he is very much looking forward to building relationships with our staff, students and external stakeholders.”
An outdoor learning hub, which will present outstanding opportunities for the local community, teachers and people across Scotland to come together in natural environments, is to be built at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
The new Outdoor Learning Hub will support sustainable access to the natural world for the University’s staff and students, local community and Scotland’s teaching professionals.
Taking the form of an all-weather outdoor space, the Hub will be located within the attractive leafy grounds of the University’s campus in Musselburgh, East Lothian and designed in an environmentally sensitive way by landscape architects Wardell Armstrong.
The Outdoor Learning Hub will be a space to connect people to each other and different natural habitats. It will also be a place to support teachers and leaders in the evolving area of outdoor learning, with various courses leading to professional qualifications. The facility will also encompass a digital element allowing learners from all over the country to connect with University academics and groups, to support learning in different outdoor environments.
Patrick Boxall, Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education at Queen Margaret University, is leading the project. He explained: “During the challenges of the pandemic, many people have re-connected with local outdoor places and have seen benefits for their mental and physical health, as well as appreciating the beauty and wonder of the natural world. Being outdoors gives us a multitude of rich and diverse experiences and learning opportunities, and we have been keen to embrace this in the University’s teaching programmes.
“As a society, we need to connect with our environment and commit to educating children, adult learners and leaders about the importance of nature and our place within it. The natural world is central to our lives as human beings and has immeasurable positive impact on our health, well-being and the sustainability of our planet. As educators we need to see the outdoors as a place to nurture our wellbeing, for creative learning across the curriculum, community connection and leadership development.
That’s why we are embedding outdoor learning in our teacher education courses at both undergraduate level on our BA (Hons) Education Studies (Primary), and at postgraduate level on our PGDE Secondary (Home Economics).”
Patrick confirmed: “We are now extending this commitment to outdoor learning by creating the Outdoor Learning Hub on campus. We are preparing different outdoor learning spaces and are excited about the opportunities that these and the Hub will be able to offer our own students, staff, the local community, and educators across Scotland. We are also ambitious in our use of digital platforms to extend the Hub’s learning opportunities to educators, community groups and professional partners in Scotland and beyond. The Hub will become a place to connect people and communities, to enhance our well-being, and a space for creative learning, research and professional development.”
The project is being delivered through collaboration with Architecture & Design Scotland, Scotland’s design champion. Danny Hunter, Principal Architect at A&DS commented: “We are delighted to be supporting QMU with the creation of the Outdoor Learning Hub. The project will create a centre for local and national engagement in outdoor learning practice, leadership, and professional development. It will equip current and future teachers, community educators and volunteer leaders with the knowledge and skillset to confidently use outdoor spaces and places to enhance the learner journey of young people across Scotland.”
The University is keen to maximise use of the new Hub and has plans for other academic specialisms, such as drama and performing arts, to benefit from the space and facilities.
Dr Olivia Sagan, Head of Division of Psychology, Sociology & Education at Queen Margaret University, said: “We are very excited to be working with our partners to create this important facility which we hope will be a valuable resource to the communities of the Lothians, and indeed Scotland. We owe it to our emerging generations to equip them with the knowledge they need to understand, enjoy and protect the natural world. But to do that, we need to equip the teaching profession with the skills to support young people in meaningful interactions with nature. We hope our new Outdoor Learning Hub will help facilitate more people of all ages in deriving the benefits associated with outdoor pursuits, and that they develop a love of nature and an understanding of its vital role in our wellbeing.”
The Landscape Architecture team at Wardell Armstrong will be working closely with the charity Learning Through Landscapes (LTL), on the design of the Outdoor Learning Hub. LTL is the national school grounds charity which champions outdoor learning and play for children.
Natalie Murray from Wardell Armstrong said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with QMU on such a forward thinking and aspirational project. As the benefits of outdoor learning rightly become increasingly recognised as an important part of the school curriculum, it’s fantastic to see this translating across to support young teachers in helping bring this knowledge and experience with them on their journey. Our team aspiration is for the Hub to not only offer a great teaching and learning space, but for it also to become a platform for collaboration, campus experience and a place for the students to experience the benefits of being close to nature.”
The project planning is already well underway, with a stakeholder consultation planned for September. The design and development will progress quickly over the coming year.
A vacant industrial unit in Granton Waterfront is to be transformed into a vibrant creative and community hub by arts charity Edinburgh Palette, adding to the City of Edinburgh Council’s sustainable and dynamic £1.3bn vision for the area.
The Council has approved a lease of the premises on West Shore Road to the charity, which supports the arts by bringing vacant buildings back to life, so they can provide affordable studio space. The Council’s also supporting the project by providing a year’s free rent.
The project will provide affordable shop space for local retail and hospitality businesses, animating the pedestrian promenade. It will also support the creative industries, the third sector, freelancers and micro-businesses, providing sought after high-quality studio space. When developed the building’s grounds will greatly enhance the public realm and greenspace in the area and will support active travel to and through the site. Other activities planned are play-based recreation and cultural events and the project will also provide improved access to the Waterfront.
The project comes on the back of the recently announced lease to leading arts charity Wasps who are moving into the fully refurbished Granton Station and a project with Edinburgh College to light up the gasholder in the area.
Depute leader, Cammy Day, said:
We announced our ambitious £1.3bn plan to sustainably regenerate this area last year and it’s fantastic to see real progress is being made on the ground. Our plan is for Granton Waterfront to provide quality new sustainable development and a place where people can work, play, learn, enjoy culture and live in high-quality homes. The site on West Shore Road will become a draw for the local community as well as visitors to the area, providing jobs and a boost to the local economy as well as supporting so many groups like social enterprises, sports clubs, health and wellbeing services and other community organisations.
We’ve worked with Edinburgh Palette across the city for a number of years and they’ll make a great addition to the area alongside Wasps. I look forward to supporting them in their new enterprise and seeing all their hard work come to life.
Development Manager at Edinburgh Palette, Andrew Chainey, said:
Edinburgh Palette is delighted and extremely grateful for the phenomenal support received from everyone at the City of Edinburgh Council. Our operational team and long-term contractors can’t wait to deliver on our new home at West Granton Shore.
We’ve been overwhelmed by interest in the project at 20 West Shore Road from all corners of the community including the creative and craftmaking world. The possibilities are as breathtaking as the views of the Forth from West Granton Shore.
The site located on West Shore Road will form part of a growing creative, cultural and arts cluster in Granton Waterfront. This includes the National Museums Collection Centre; National Galleries of Scotland’s Granton Art Centre (along with The Art Works, NGS’ planned new facility); Edinburgh College’s Granton campus (including its art and design faculty and the Performing Arts Studio Scotland); as well as the new 600 sqm Granton Station enterprise hub.
In the 2018-2019 financial year more new homes were built in Scotland than at any time since the crash of 2008. Covid put the brakes on activity levels and although work has restarted, shortages of materials and skilled labour are hampering the speed at which houses are being built.
It will take time to recover to the pre-Pandemic level of more than 21,000 annual completions, but amongst the supply-chain problems, worker shortages, impact of self-isolating employees and all the other issues that are slowing down recovery in the construction sector, there has to be a commitment from everyone involved that whatever gets built on this side of the Covid-divide is as close to net carbon zero as it can possibly be.
Today is Scottish Housing Day when all of us, from contractors to occupiers, are being challenged to do what we can to reduce CO2 emissions. At Cruden we are taking the issue seriously and last month we signed a three-year green energy supply contract with ScottishPower that will ensure that all electricity supplied to Cruden and to our housing sites is generated solely by wind farms. We are also working with Scottish Power to develop more green energy solutions including ground and air source heat pumps, as well as the infrastructure that will enable electric vehicle charging as standard across many of our developments.
Meanwhile at Drymen, near Loch Lomond, we are building 15 affordable homes to Passivhaus standards. These homes, for Hanover Scotland, will use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than conventional buildings, helping to tackle fuel poverty and future-proofing occupants from unexpected weather patterns. By installing exceptional levels of insulation and orientating the houses to achieve maximum solar gain, the need for top-up heating will be reduced to an absolute minimum.
But building to this standard costs more than when using conventional methods and materials and so if we truly are to get serious about tackling climate change through construction then everyone, from the local authorities and housing associations that commission new developments, right down to home buyers in search of a new property, are all going to have to be willing to pay more for homes that sit lightly on the environment.
At the moment many of the new technologies that could reduce emissions are costly but they will reduce in price as they become more widely used, as we have already witnessed. When they were first introduced photovoltaic solar panels were prohibitively expensive, but they are now a standard feature on many builds and five years ago we installed them on the roof of our office building in Cambuslang as a way of further reducing our own carbon footprint.
Other ways of bringing down our CO2 profile involve good planning and forethought, such as the use of local suppliers for our developments and our efforts to reduce the amount of waste produced on site. And although we may have to wait a few years to see them, electric fork-lifts and diggers are the next logical step in reducing both emissions and noise pollution.
We need new homes, which is why the housebuilding industry is working at full stretch to regain the ground lost during the last 18 months, but in the rush to build we must keep in mind the fact that climate change has the potential to be a greater crisis than the Pandemic and that everything we do to reduce our carbon footprint while constructing green and energy-efficient homes, is contributing to a better future for the planet.
We are delighted to announce the general availability of The Questioning Strengths Method (QSM). The QSM is a complete framework for better questioning in the workplace. It has been developed for businesses and organisations, over the past year, in an exciting partnership between Dr Lani Watson (University of Edinburgh/Oxford) and Ian Robson (Success Methods).
What Is The Questioning Strengths Method?
The QSM comprises the validated Questioning Strengths Assessment (QSA) and a suite of innovative services designed to help individuals and organisations make the most of every questioning opportunity and transform the results they get from better questions.
Why Should You Be Excited By Better Questioning?
We can all get better results from the questions that we ask. Yet we rarely focus effort on understanding our approach to questioning or developing our questioning strengths. Small changes to the way we ask questions can make a big difference.
Better questioning leads to improved performance. It might be the perfectly pitched question that finally persuades a new customer or client to come on board, the provocative question that turns the tide on groupthink, leading to creative problem-solving and innovation, or the direct, concise question that establishes the facts quickly and efficiently to reach a fast, effective solution. It all starts with understanding how each individual uses their unique questioning strengths.
Harnessing The Power Of Better Questioning.
The QSA sits at the heart of the Questioning Strengths Method, providing individuals with a comprehensive insight into their unique questioning strengths profile. This allows everyone we work with to better understand their personal approach to questioning as well as areas where development would bring benefit.
Building on the assessment, the QSM framework comprises a suite of innovative services across four areas:
The Academy: Learn all about the nine questioning strengths and the theory behind the QSM.
The Gym: Develop your individual questioning strengths for use in the workplace.
The Theatre: Practice and refine your questioning strengths with a range of engaging activities.
The Workshop: Apply your new skills and knowledge using a set of proven questioning techniques.
We can work with you in multiple ways to support everyone in your team or organisation to ask great questions and get practical, meaningful results. We offer online and in-person training and coaching, as well as bespoke, data-driven programmes, based on research-led insights and techniques.
Every organisation is unique. At The QSM we build a recognition of that into all that we do. Each of our services is personalised, by default, to your circumstances and needs and you’ll work with us to define the specific outcomes you want to achieve. Our aim is not simply to change the way that individuals use questions but to work together to transform the way questions are used across teams and organisations. We believe that small changes in questioning can lead to greater employee satisfaction, increased diversity and inclusivity, better team dynamics, stronger professional and customer relationships, and measurably improved business performance.
It all starts with better questioning.
Getting In Touch
Lani and Ian can be reached at theqsm@successmethods.uk.
For more information on The Questioning Strengths Method please visit us at https://theqsm.com
