Native Edinburgh and Native Glasgow are delighted to offer 15% off BAR for Edinburgh Chamber customers when they book via the Native website.

Native Aparthotels are a totally new way to stay. We combine the freedom and authenticity of a local apartment with the comfort and convenience of a boutique hotel. We collaborate with incredible brands, designers and artists to create original spaces – places with soul, curating the best of the area and connecting you with local originals to give you an unforgettable stay.

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll find us. Native Edinburgh’s enviable location on Queen Street means you’re walking distance from world-famous sights like Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street Gardens, as well as both Haymarket and Waverley Stations. If you’re looking for a city centre hotel in Edinburgh then our aparthotel offers everything you need and more!

Found in an Edwardian building, formerly home to the Anchor Line Shipping Company’s headquarters, this hotel in Glasgow city centre draws on the opulence of a 1920s ocean liner. Throughout the 64 apartments you’ll see the original 1906 features kept intact with terrazzo flooring, timber wall-panelling, stunning fireplaces and the original safes. With two on-site restaurants it’s the perfect base to explore Glasgow

With Native, everything is unique and everyone is welcome.

Stay Native / Stay Original

www.nativeplaces.com

Offer is Subject to Availability and Discount Cannot be Applied to Existing Bookings. To receive your discount code, please email marketing@edinburghchamber.co.uk

 

As businesses continue to reopen, you may be wondering how to support your team’s transition to ‘normal’ working life. The current pandemic and lockdown have resulted in significant risks to people’s physical and mental health.

We have had to deal with all sorts of issues from increased anxiety, social isolation, and relationship conflicts to childcare issues, financial worries, illness, and bereavement. It is likely that most people will need a period of adjustment when faced with returning to ‘normal’ working life, and many may struggle to adapt to the significant changes that will need to be implemented to keep everyone safe.

First Psychology have a toolkit for supporting staff returning to work after Lockdown: Considering factors such as stress, anxiety, and communication, the toolkit aims to help and gear-up employers to best support members of staff returning to work. The toolkit can be found and downloaded for free by following the link here.

We also have a webinar covering the topic of supporting staff returning to work, suited to employers and managers to help them support their staff through this transitional period. This includes topics such as:

• How to create an atmosphere that encourages open communication and allows employees to come forward with concerns.
• How to recognise signs of anxiety, negative effects of social isolation, and trauma resulting from bereavements.
• Some tips for managers and team leaders to help them look after themselves.

We understand that some organisations may also have a need to offer training to support groups of staff on some of the stresses and anxieties arising from current circumstances, and their impact on work and life. We are able to offer a range of training and support programs in this area and we would be happy to provide more information on these upon request.

If you have any questions or queries regarding our service or resources, please contact us on 0845-872-1780 or by email at info@firstpsychology-assistance.co.uk. Our team are available during normal working hours and we would be delighted to help you

From Monday the 9th August it has been confirmed that all of Scotland will move beyond level 0, resulting in the lifting of most remaining legal restrictions. This will include the removal of requirements for social distancing in most settings, meaning more capacity in pubs and restaurants and larger crowds at sporting events and concerts. All venues will be legally allowed to open.

Some legal restrictions will remain however, including the requirement for face coverings, which must be worn in all the same indoor settings as is the case now. Test and Protect will also continue, and indoor hospitality venues will still be required to collect customer data. Home working is still advised where possible, and employers are encouraged to continue using a hybrid model of working. Permission for large events (more than 5,000 outdoors and more than 2,000 people indoors) will still be required for a limited time, and clear guidance around measures such as hand washing and ventilation will be issued. There will also be guidance released around physical distancing, but this won’t be required by law.

There will also be changes to the rules around self-isolation, with those experiencing symptoms or having received a positive Covid test result still needing to self-isolate. However, from 9th August, we will be moving to a model of test and release for those who have been double vaccinated, and with a more targeted approach to isolation for close contacts amongst young people, in order to minimise disruption to schools. Self-isolation support will continue. The Government will retain the powers to put in place local and travel restrictions if necessary, and are considering the use of Covid ‘passports’ for high risk venues such as nightclubs.

You can read the full announcement here.

Responding to the statement delivered by the First Minister to the Scottish Parliament this afternoon on COVID-19 restrictions, Scottish Chambers of Commerce Chief Executive, Dr Liz Cameron said:

“The First Minister’s statement today will be largely welcomed by Scotland’s business community as we move towards the most significant lifting of restrictions on our economy since they were first imposed 17 months ago.

“The removal of physical distancing requirements and changes to self-isolation rules will have a major positive impact on all businesses. This will enable us to increase capacity, whilst removing the massive pressures on staff being forced to self-isolate due to close contact guidance which has left many businesses unable to fully operate if at all. These are both sensible, appropriate, and welcomed changes.

“Many businesses however believed that moving beyond the levels system would result in the removal of all restrictions, however some uncertainty remains as to mandating the continued use of face coverings in certain settings.

“Whilst ongoing restrictions will be subject to review, businesses need greater clarity now and will want to see clear end dates forthcoming to instil consumer confidence. Moving towards greater individual and business choice is vital and any measures remaining in place to mitigate and manage risk must be proportionate and appropriate.

“It’s vital that the vaccine and testing regime rollout continues at pace and that Scotland continues to make progress toward the complete lifting of all legal restrictions as soon as possible to enable businesses and the economy to start recovering.”

On the re-opening of offices, Liz Cameron said:

“Giving Scotland’s businesses the green-light for the phased return to offices is the news many have been waiting for and will lay a firm foundation towards securing economic recovery for our hard-hit town and city centre businesses, many of which rely on office employee footfall for custom.

“Many businesses, even before the pandemic, were in discussions with employees over moves towards potential hybrid models of working and increased flexibility generally. Business models have already changed due to the pandemic and will continue to evolve further as restrictions lift and this will ultimately come down the needs of business and employees.”

With physical graduation ceremonies being cancelled for the second year in a row, Edinburgh Napier University has launched our ‘city takeover’ to celebrate the success of hundreds of students who missed out on their traditional graduation ceremonies.

The names of the University’s recent graduates will cover billboards, bus stops, a classic Edinburgh taxi and even a tram in tribute to those who were unable to receive their degree at the Usher Hall because of the pandemic.

This summer’s graduation ceremonies and last year’s summer and autumn ceremonies were all cancelled due to Covid-19 related restrictions, disappointing students who had put in years of hard work only to be denied their traditional day of celebration.

However, the University was determined to find alternative ways to salute the achievements of the graduates of 2020 and 2021, who had overcome the most challenging study conditions in living memory to reach their goals.

The city takeover, from July to late August, will see the names of graduates from all six academic Schools displayed across 18 billboards and 100 bus stops, accompanied by messages underlining the University’s pride in them and offering congratulations on their success.

Strategically placed around the capital, graduates can find their name via the ‘Find My Billboard’ feature on the University website by using their student number to pinpoint the site displaying their name. Locations will be linked to academic disciplines: School of Health & Social Care names will be near hospitals, School of Arts & Creative Industries names near arts venues and School of Computing names near tech industry sites.

Stock Take

£5k of funding for SMEs available through Innovation Voucher with Edinburgh Napier University

What are we aiming to do?

We are a small team of three academics at Edinburgh Napier University with expertise in logistics and supply chain management. We wish to discuss, in close collaboration with you, any problems your business is facing, and to find out whether these challenges are supply chain related and if so, if they can be addressed by redesigning that chain. Before any more specific work towards problem solving can be undertaken, it is important to get a good understanding and to gain visibility of your supply chain, as far as you can go from materials sourcing to the distribution of your product. Supply chain mapping is a tool that can be used to gain visibility of all supply chain activities, and can identify not only their location, but can also show how much stock is kept in the system, at which points, how this is affecting lead times and ultimately can result in a much better understanding of the costs (inventory, warehousing, transportation and distribution) that should constantly be kept under control by any business. By undertaking this small scoping study, we wish to understand the extent to which your organisation will benefit from it.

 

How are we going to do it?

• Find out how familiar you are with your supply chain – the upstream and downstream flows of goods, information and cash from and into your organisation
• Understand how you organise your logistics operations – in-house resources or outsourced to third party logistics providers
• Meet with the person responsible for supply chain and/or operations/logistics management in your company
• Familiarise ourselves with your main products and operations, your inward and outward operations – whether you export or import, material sourcing, distribution, ports of entry/exit
• Learn about any previous attempts to redesign your supply chain – e.g. whether you have ever undertaken any change of suppliers, customers or logistics providers and the outcomes from it
• Estimate the share of supply chain costs (materials sourcing, warehousing, transport, distribution) in your total production costs
• Understand your perception of the problems affecting your business and whether they can be attributed to inefficient supplies or distribution
• Understand whether anything has changed for you after Brexit, the implications for your business and recommend how your supply chain can respond to current challenges

 

What are the benefits for you of taking part in this project?

• The costs of your participation are fully covered by the Innovation Voucher scheme, so you won’t need to pay anything
• Detection of problem areas within your supply chain and getting an understanding if supply chain mapping can be employed as a tool for solving the challenges your business is facing
• We can also discuss with you how the initial experience that will be gained through this small study can be developed into more in-depth knowledge, possibly through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project. Within such a project we can undertake:
  • a more thorough mapping of your supply chain
  • assess potential redesign options for that chain
  • address the risks and difficulties of post-Brexit overseas sourcing
  • improve your sustainability supply chain performance through exploring the opportunities offered by the local economy
  • reducing the carbon footprint of supply chains, without adversely affecting service levels or profit margins.
• Under the KTP scheme SMEs can potentially get 66% of the project costs funded by the Government. The project could run from 18 months to 3 years and will be delivered by an Associate specifically appointed to work on the project with support and expertise from our academic team at Napier University.

 

Requirements:

The main requirement for your origination is some time to give us insight into your supply chain.  Depending on the type of innovative voucher applied for, as researcher, we can get funding for approximately 10 to 15 day’s work on scoping out your chain.

 

To find out more please contact:

Matthew Burdge
Business Development & Relationship Manager
Research and Innovation Office
Edinburgh Napier University
T: 0131 455 4430 M: 07890049551| E: m.burdge@napier.ac.uk

The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) has received £20m from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to be virtually based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus. It will be a world-leading, high-impact research and innovation centre, acting as the national focal point and international gateway for UK industrial decarbonisation.

IDRIC will work closely with the UK’s major industrial clusters to address the challenges of industrial decarbonisation alongside a diverse range of over 140 partners as part of a drive to create the world’s first net-zero emissions industrial cluster by 2040 and four low-carbon clusters by 2030.

It will integrate best use of challenge-led research, transformative innovation, knowledge sharing and nurturing talent.

IDRIC will be headed by award-winning academic and the UKRI’s Industrial Decarbonisation Champion Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer who will drive industrial decarbonisation as part of the UK’s journey to net-zero.

Commenting on the funding for the new centre, she said: “I am delighted to lead IDRIC, the UK research and innovation hub for industrial decarbonisation that will set the foundations for the new industrial clusters of tomorrow. The 2020s will be key for the UK to set the pathway to meet its carbon targets and IDRIC will play a key role to accelerate the decarbonisation of industrial clusters. Working with the research and innovation community, we will demonstrate our international competitiveness to realise the opportunities offered by economies of scale in decarbonising industrial clusters and driving new business models.”

IDRIC is part of the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge, delivered through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) by UKRI, and part of the commitments set out in the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green revolution. IDRIC will accelerate the transformation of industrial clusters into world leading low-carbon manufacturing hubs which will attract major inward investment, support job creation and underpin the UK’s decarbonisation ambitions.

This challenge aims to accelerate the cost-effective decarbonisation of industry by developing and deploying low-carbon technologies. It aims to enable the deployment of infrastructure at scale by the mid-2020s. It also aims to boost industry sector jobs, reduce carbon emissions and contribute significantly to the UK Government’s carbon target to reach net zero by 2050.

To kick start the process, six projects across the UK received £8 million in government funding to develop cluster plans to cut carbon emissions from major industrial areas. £171m were allocated in March to nine green technology projects to undertake engineering and design studies for the rollout of decarbonisation infrastructure, such as carbon capture, usage and storage and hydrogen.

In March 2021, the UK Government also announced a new Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy which sets out the government’s vision for building a competitive, greener future for the manufacturing and construction sector. As part of the government’s path to net zero by 2050, the measures will create and support 80,000 UK jobs over the next 30 years whilst cutting emissions by two-thirds in just 15 years.

Prof Maroto-Valer said: “We are very excited to work with the cluster plans and deployment projects to stimulate cross learning and strengthen and accelerate the impact of activities across the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge. We will co-develop a whole systems approach that integrates engineering, environmental and technical solutions alongside perspectives on economic, behavioural and policy. Together we will deliver long-lasting growth and societal benefits for a green economic recovery.”

Dr Bryony Livesey, Challenge Director for the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge, said: “The introduction of the IDRIC concept shows the commitment to not only fund largescale decarbonisation efforts, but to make sure we continually learn from and adapt to their early results and challenges. By enabling the Centre to build evidence on a range of areas from direct costs and emissions to skilled jobs and wider net zero policy, we believe we are creating a more adaptive and responsible path for the UK’s big industry to take to remain at the forefront of a global low-carbon future.”

For further information visit – https://idric.org/

Approach aligns profitable growth with positive societal impact and will accelerate new market opportunities
Integrates with overall company strategy and will be a differentiator in attracting and retaining top talent
Reinforces Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) alignment across the business

Jacobs (NYSE:J) ups the ante by unveiling its global sustainable business approach, PlanBeyond^SM 2.0 — delivering beyond the company’s purpose to create a more connected, sustainable world. The enhanced plan is Jacobs’ companywide foundation for what sustainability means to its clients and the planet — propelling the integration of sustainability throughout operations and client solutions in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Recognizing that all 17 of the SDGs are interconnected, and that no progress can be achieved in isolation of any one goal, Jacobs identified six core SDGs through stakeholder engagement and a robust materiality assessment. These SDGs have been translated into actionable sustainable business objectives:

1. Advance the health and wellbeing of society
2. Deliver solutions for the global water and sanitation crisis
3. Foster a culture of technology and innovation important to the advancement of society
4. Create a fair and inclusive future for all
5. Develop efficient and resilient solutions that deliver net environmental and societal gain
6. Accelerate solutions that address the climate emergency

These objectives sit at the heart of the company strategy and define Jacobs’ responsibilities for how the organization and its stakeholders can play a part in creating sustainable communities globally.

“As a purpose-led company, we recognize that our biggest opportunity to positively address climate change and societal inequalities comes from the solutions we provide our clients — from the world’s largest infrastructure projects to mission-critical outcomes and sustainable design,” said Jacobs Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou. “We consider it not only good business, but our obligation to channel our expansive capabilities in resilient infrastructure, regenerative design, clean water, green energy and social value toward benefitting people and the planet, while continuing to outperform and drive superior stakeholder value.”

Sustainability at Jacobs means pursuing long-term business resilience and success while positively contributing toward the economy, society and the environment. Employees consistently expect Jacobs to lead by example when it comes to sustainability, and with the launch of PlanBeyond 2.0, it will be even more deeply integrated into Jacobs’ global workforce and culture. Building on the company’s recent efforts around social justice and its Climate Action Plan, PlanBeyond 2.0 continues Jacobs’ commitment to embed sustainability across all solutions — with accelerated investment in ESG growth sectors including energy transition, sectoral decarbonization, environmental stewardship, health and social value.

Additionally, Jacobs is educating and empowering employees across all disciplines with training courses and project tools that embed sustainability plans and targets, as well as climate risk and resilience practices, so that all client solutions across its global markets can be designed to contribute toward a sustainable and resilient future.

At Jacobs, we’re challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world’s most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding business and market opportunities related to sustainable solutions, the attraction and retention of talent, the ability to achieve the goals and objectives of PlanBeyond 2.0 and the timeline and costs of achieving such goals and objectives and the future impact of the company’s sustainable solutions on the environment and various stakeholders, among others. We base these forward-looking statements on management’s current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company’s business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 2, 2020, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 – Business; Item 1A – Risk Factors; Item 3 – Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 2, 2021, and in particular the discussions contained under Part I, Item 2 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Part II, Item 1 – Legal Proceedings; and Part II, Item 1A – Risk Factors, as well as the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law.

Speaker: Hazel Robertson, certified life and mindset coach and co-founder of Everyday Impact (and Explorer-in-Residence for the Royal Scottish Geographical Society)

Registration: www.everyday-impact.com/createmoretime

Cost: Free

Spaces: limited

Location: Online

Details:

Learn the seven simple, practical steps to unbusy yourself and create more time in your day!

Do any of the following resonate with you?

• You’re busy and ambitious
• You’re a procrastinating perfectionist
• You’re overworked and overwhelmed
• You’re always rushing from one thing to the next
• Your to-do list never ends and only seems to get longer
• You’re spreading yourself too thinly and you feel mediocre at everything
• You feel stuck and unsatisfied
• Days seem to blend into each other
• You’re always putting off your dreams as there never seems to be enough time

If so, this training is for you!

I get it, this used to be me, too.

Now I have the life I’d always dreamed of. I run my own business with Luke, my husband, helping clients I love. I go on woodland walks with our dog Maple. I spend time fully present with friends and family without having to-do lists running through my head.

I have spaciousness in my days. Time to think and plan and reflect. I’m unhurried, yet everything gets done.

The tools I’ve learned have enabled me to plan and execute remote expeditions from Alaska to the Arctic and launch two businesses, all while working in a fast-paced consultancy.

They’ve completely transformed my own life and I can’t wait to share them with you!

This training will cover:

• How to stop procrastination and perfectionism
• How to plan your day and week so you can feel at ease and in control
• How to prioritise so you know you’re working on the right things
• How to focus so you can get even more done in less time
• How to make decisions you feel great about

This training will give you:

– More time. Imagine what you could spend that extra time on?

– More ease. In life and business. To create the life you want.

– More energy. To pursue those dreams you’ve been putting off.

What will that create for you? Maybe it’s starting that business, writing that book, more time with friends and family, making more impact in the world?

Time is the most valuable resource we have.

How do you spend yours?

Spaces are limited. Reserve yours now.