From the 19th of July all parts of Scotland will move to level 0, but with certain modifications that will apply across the country:

  • Up to 8 people from up to 4 households can meet indoors in private homes
  • Up to 10 people from 4 households can meet indoors in public places (pubs, restaurants, etc.)
  • Up to 15 people from 15 households can meet outdoors in public spaces – there will be no requirement to distance within these groups, but unlike previously announced, there will need to be 1metre distancing between groups under level 0 restrictions
  • In hospitality settings there will no longer be a requirement for customers to pre-book 2 hour slots, but customers will still be required to provide contact details and wear face coverings when not seated. Hospitality will need to close at midnight
  • Up to 200 people will be able to attend weddings and funerals
  • Limits will still be in place on the size of events
  • The physical distancing requirement in public places will become 1 metre indoors in all settings between different household groups.
  • They had previously indicated a gradual return to office from level 0, but this will now be postponed until we move beyond level 0

It is still expected that we will move beyond Level 0 on the 9th August, and from this date the Government are considering removing the blanket requirement for close contacts to self-isolate, provided they are fully vaccinated and have a negative PCR test – guidance on this will follow shortly.

It is likely that from the 9th August, the requirement to wear face coverings will remain mandatory, along with good hygiene and ventilation.

From the 19th of July, self-isolation will no longer be required for people arriving from countries on the Amber list providing they are fully vaccinated through a UK vaccination programme, and take a PCR test on the 2nd day after arrival.

Following the confirmation by the First Minister that all of Scotland will move to Level 0 from the 19th of July, Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:

“The confirmation that Scotland will move to Level 0 on 19th July marks another encouraging milestone towards the full re-opening of Scotland’s economy and business’s ability to recover.

“The fact remains though that the modified framework deviates away from what businesses had been preparing for and moving the goalposts at this late stage will cause uncertainty, negatively impacting on business confidence and recovery.

“The postponing of the phased return of offices will be a bitter blow for employees and employers alike, many of which had been getting ready to welcome employees back into offices from next week. This will also sound alarm bells for those town and city centre businesses, reliant on office worker footfall and custom, who now need to wait another month until those workers start to return.

“Scotland’s hospitality sector, one of the hardest hit by restrictions, will be concerned that anticipated restrictions were not lifted, including little reprieve for the night-time economy, with challenging restrictions on trading remaining.”

On changes to rules for self-isolation and quarantine, Liz Cameron said:

“A greater four-nations alignment on international travel restrictions and self-isolation is positive, however, until all restrictions are lifted many businesses operating in Scotland’s travel and tourism sector simply won’t be able to open.

“The international travel industry is vital to Scotland’s wider tourism and hospitality sectors, and it’s essential that financial support for these businesses is not only continued but enhanced to allow them to fully recover when restrictions do finally lift.”

On moving beyond Level 0, Liz Cameron said:

“Our view is clear that we should continue on the path set out towards the lifting of all restrictions on the 9th of August as planned.

“The role of the Scottish and UK Government must evolve to enable businesses and communities to operate with autonomy, according to personal circumstances, business preferences and sectoral requirements.”

You fan read the First Minister’s statement in full here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-first-ministers-statement-13-july-2021/

If you have any questions or comments, please contact our policy team at policy@edinburghchamber.co.uk

Children and young people are being encouraged to take part in an inspiring new poster competition, launched by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) to capture their visions of eco- friendly travel through fun artwork.

The competition focuses on the importance of sustainable travel, with winning entries brightening up stations and concourses ahead of and during UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) later this year.

Ahead of COP26 in November, LNER, which serves 53 stations across the East Coast Main Line, is encouraging children aged seven to 17 years of age to think about what sustainable travel and the environment means to them.

As the world’s eyes are set to be on the UK, LNER is keen to welcome delegates in style, demonstrating the importance that taking action against climate change has for children and young people across the country.

The poster competition has two age categories and criteria:

  • Ages seven to 11 for posters with a theme of ‘the eco-friendly train’
  • Ages 12 to 17 with a focus on ‘connecting low carbon rail with your environment or community and public transport’.

The winning entries – two from each age group – will receive a printed version of their unique design; a photograph opportunity alongside an Azuma; £50 prize; a family pass to use on LNER services; and a LNER goodie bag containing limited edition LNER merchandise. Five runners up in each category will also receive a LNER goodie bag.

Warrick Dent, Director of Safety and Operations at LNER, said: “Rail is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of travelling to COP26, and we know climate change and sustainability will undoubtedly be at the forefront of the minds of everyone taking part.

“This new poster competition seeks to exercise the creative minds of children and young people across the country and populate our stations with colourful and engaging imagery to provide a different view of the green credentials of rail and the importance of taking action against climate change.”

The competition is open to residents of the UK only, and entries are encouraged from children living in communities on the East Coast Main Line. The deadline for entries is noon on 15 September 2021 with winners contacted no later than 30 September 2021.

Moment are delighted to announce we have partnered with OceanBlue Consulting to create a new training offering; Effective Communication Training. This is a great opportunity to help you to achieve clarity, confidence, consistency and creativity in your business.

The training covers a variety of important areas:

> Communications Strategy/Brand Personality

> Creativity Workshops

> Writing Skills

> Presentation Skills

> Media Training

> Group Media Training

> Social Skills

> Issues Management

If you are interested in our training, get in touch to discuss your marketing communications training requirements in more detail.

Email training@moment-hq.com, or visit our website www.moment-hq.com for more.

After the success of last year’s 7 Hills, St Columba’s Hospice Care is delighted to announce the return of the challenge for 2021. We hope you and your team will join us!

Team RBS in high spirits during last years challenge

The goal is to climb the 7 Hills in Edinburgh or, new for this year, take on the the 7 Hills we’ve chosen in East Lothian. In fact, if you are feeling up to it, why not do both?! We hope your team’s able to take part this summer, to enjoy a new adventure and help us fundraise.

By taking part you will enjoy panoramic views, spectacular scenery, city vistas and stunning coastlines as well as offering a great team building experience and general camaraderie.

The 7 Hills of Edinburgh are:

  1. Castle Rock
  2. Calton Hill
  3. Arthurs Seat
  4. Blackford Hill
  5. Braids Hill
  6. Craiglockhart Hill
  7. Corstorphine Hill

The 7 Hills in East Lothian are:

  1. North Berwick Law
  2. Traprain Law
  3. Lammermuir Law
  4. Meikle Says Law
  5. Carberry Hill
  6. Byres Hill
  7. Winton Hill

 

The Challenge can be completed in three ways;

Your team have from Friday 20th August until Friday 27th August to head to the hills in either Edinburgh, East Lothian or both if you are up for an extra challenge. Your team have the choice to:

  1. Complete 7 hills in a day
  2. Complete 7 hills over 7 days – perhaps you could bag a hill a day!
  3. Complete 7 hills over a weekend

Please email me via asouthey@stcolumbashospice.org.uk by the 13th of August to register for free for the 7 Hills Challenge. I’ll be able to guide you through a few simple steps to get you started.

The first step will be to gather your team together and set up your JustGiving page – https://www.justgiving.com/start-fundraising.

Fitness app Strava can also be set to run alongside your JustGiving page, and you can update your route with pictures, times and more.

Setting your fundraising target:

Our events are a fantastic way to fundraise for St Columba’s Hospice Care, your teams support could not be more gratefully received. There is no minimum fundraising sponsorship but a suggested target of £150 per person is a great place to start.

Prizes will be awarded for:

– Fastest time over one day for 7 Hills

– The team who raise the most money overall

– Best photo – have fun with this: team shot, summit shot, views, wearing fancy dress (please adhere to social distancing guidelines when taking photos with your team)

All entrants will receive St Columba’s Hospice Care T-shirts and water bottles. Finishers will receive certificates of completion.

Please share photos on your progress with your colleagues, friends and family via social media and don’t forget to wear your Hospice t-shirts. Remember to use #SummitforStColumbas for all of your posts. I can’t wait to see how you get on!

Your fundraising and support of St Columba’s Hospice Care is incredibly valuable to the patients and families and our local community in Edinburgh and East Lothian.

Please remember to adhere to all current COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions. Up-to-date information can be found here.

I look forward to hearing from you soon and helping you get started.

Thank You

Amanda

Corporate Development Manager

St Columba’s Hospice Care

Investment includes record-breaking contribution from Archangels’ syndicate members

The Edinburgh-based business investment group, Archangels, has led investment of £12.4m in innovative Scottish tech and life sciences companies in the first half of 2021 (H1 2020: £9.5m)

Archangels’ H1 2021 deals data, released today (14th July 2021), reveals that Archangels itself invested £7.3m during the first six months of 2021, with co-investment of £3.1m from Scottish Enterprise and £2.0m from a range of other co-investors. Archangels’ investment of £7.3m is a record for any six month period.

During the period, Archangels invested in one new business and provided follow on growth capital to seven existing portfolio companies. These included:

  • A first time investment in Scottish bio-tech company, BioCaptiva, the University of Edinburgh spin-out that has developed a novel next generation “liquid biopsy” technology device that could revolutionise the early diagnosis and monitoring of difficult-to-detect cancers.
  • A follow-on investment round in Edinburgh-based Administrate, the industry-leading platform that equips organisations around the world to plan, organise, deliver and scale training to match their business objectives. This investment round will be used to accelerate and capitalise on the strong growth which the team at Administrate had already been experiencing.
  • A further round of investment in Optoscribe, the world-leading supplier of 3D glass-based integrated photonics products, whose innovative and proprietary laser direct-write technology produces optical components at a wafer level, primarily for optical communications applications such as optical transceivers in the rapidly growing data centre market, or precision fibre alignment structures and interconnects for high density fibre-optic connections. Optroscribe’s market has seen significant growth in the last 12 months and its products are uniquely placed to support the rapid growth in the telecoms data centres market.

 

David Ovens, Joint Managing Director, Archangels (Picture credit: Peter Devlin)

David Ovens, Joint Managing Director at Archangels, said:

“While the pandemic has had an inevitable impact on areas of the economy such as retail and hospitality, Scotland has a world-renowned tech and life sciences community that supports many thousands of high quality jobs and is making an increasingly important contribution to the economy.

“At Archangels, we are committed to providing the growth capital and access to networks that support our portfolio companies, based here in Scotland, as they scale up to become truly international success stories.”

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) will be making us wonder this summer as it launches its third annual events programme, Curious.

Designed to make us think about life, death, our planet and our daily lives, the carefully curated series of events will offer the chance to engage with some of the RSE’s Fellows, who are world-leading experts.

Following the success of Curious in 2020, this year’s programme will take place from the 9th to 27th August. All events will be hosted online and will cover four topics; our planet, health and wellbeing, innovation and invention, and Covid-19.

Events will include panel discussions, talks, premieres, walking tours and “Tea and Talk” events inspired by the coffee house discussions of the Scottish Enlightenment, where people would gather to debate issues of the day.  Curious minds can learn more about topics daily, from green aviation and forensic history to medieval manuscripts and our relationship with death.

Highlights of this year’s programme include:

  • Britain’s most decorated woman Olympian of all time, Dame Katherine Grainger, in conversation about the impact of culture and sport on our mental health
  • A panel event with renowned Scottish artist Victoria Crowe FRSE, who will discuss her exhibition of 12 paintings, Another Time, Another Place. She will be in conversation with Shetlandic poet Christine de Luca, who has responded to the exhibition with poetry, resulting in a book capturing the collaboration published by the Scottish Gallery.
  • The world premiere of Thirteen Fragments, a powerful piece of digital artwork featuring spoken word and movement exploring women’s experiences and their resilience in Scotland. The piece has been created by award-winning writer/performer Hannah Lavery, the result of a collaboration between the National Theatre for Scotland and the RSE as part of its Post-Covid Futures Commission.

Dr Rebekah Widdowfield, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Edinburgh said: “Our mission is to make knowledge useful, and with Curious, we are doing exactly that. We are bringing together some of Scotland’s leading thinkers and practitioners to share their incredible knowledge and insights about the most critical and exciting issues of the day. If you are curious about the world around you, join us this summer for a thought-provoking programme of events.”

Events will take place every day during the three-week run. You can view the full line-up and book your place here https://www.rse-curious.com/

Her Majesty The Queen and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal have visited the University’s newly-named Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.

The tour coincided with the announcement of the Edinburgh Earth Initiative (EEI), a project that will boost global leadership on the adaption to and mitigation of climate change.

The Queen and The Princess Royal – who is also the University’s Chancellor – joined students and staff as the University showcased its renewed commitment to lead on climate action, both locally and globally.

The Queen and The Princess Royal heard about the University’s expertise in a range of climate-focussed areas, such as green business and investment, planetary health, oceans, sustainable food systems and earth observation.

Her Majesty The Queen and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal have visited the University’s newly-named Edinburgh Climate Change Institute. The tour coincided with the announcement of the Edinburgh Earth Initiative (EEI), a project that will boost global leadership on the adaption to and mitigation of climate change. Read more: https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2021/royal-visit-recognises-pioneering-climate-change-i

Climate expertise

EEI will be a focal point for the University’s world-leading teaching and research on climate, and will have an emphasis on supporting global partnerships to deliver climate solutions.

It will also offer scholarship opportunities for students from communities most at risk from climate change, to better investigate ways to combat its effects.

The initiative will focus on four key climate change challenges that draw on the University’s expertise: the future of energy; sustainable lands and seas; health in a warmer world; and socially just transitions.

The formation of EEI builds upon the University’s long-established strength in climate change research, innovation, and education, typified by the work of the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI).

Decade of excellence

Previously known as the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, ECCI has been renamed as the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute in recognition of its renewed vision to help secure a resilient, just and climate neutral future for all.

The visit was an opportunity to showcase ECCI’s work in the last 10 years as an inclusive hub for climate researchers, policy makers, businesses, students and educators, and the wider University’s contribution in the fight against climate change.

Staff and students shared with The Queen and The Princess Royal how the University is informing policy on a green recovery from Covid-19, how Edinburgh experts are coordinating lead authors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and how they are working with the UK and other governments, and a host of public and private sector partner organisations, to develop plans for COP26.

Renewed commitment

As part of the tour The Queen met representatives from the Children’s Parliament who explained their recent contribution to Scotland’s Climate Assembly, which ECCI supported.

The children presented The Queen with trees that will be planted as part of 10 hectares of new native woodland, dedicated by ECCI’s Executive Director, Professor Dave Reay, for The Queen’s Green Canopy – a UK-wide initiative to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

The visit concluded with The Queen unveiling a plaque at ECCI to mark ‘the University’s renewed commitment to lead climate action both locally and globally’.

“We are delighted to welcome The Queen and The Princess Royal, the University’s Chancellor, to hear about the University’s long and proud record of research and teaching on the nature and impacts of climate change. We have a clear commitment to help make the world a better place through contributing to delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With COP26 a few months away, the fantastic work of ECCI and the new Edinburgh Earth Initiative are galvanising forces in applying our expertise to do our part in the fight against climate change.”

Professor Peter MathiesonPrincipal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh

“We were delighted to welcome The Queen and The Princess Royal to the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute. The visit marks a moment for us to reflect on the tremendous research, policy support and teaching delivered with passion and commitment by those in ECCI to reduce the impacts of climate change and deliver solutions for a better future for all.”

Dr Kate CrowleyCo-Director of ECCI

A leading law firm has expanded its Inverness offering with the appointment of a new Partner.

Magnus Mackay has joined Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP, where he will specialise in private client work including wills, estate planning, inheritance tax, trusts and powers of attorney.

Magnus joins from Stronach’s, where he has been since 2008, after joining as a trainee.  A full STEP member, Magnus’ appointment will make WJM the only law firm in the Highlands to boast two solicitors with this qualification, often regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for handling trusts and estates.

Magnus said: “I’m thoroughly looking forward to this new role.  WJM has a fantastic reputation in the Highlands, and this is a great opportunity to expand the Inverness office’s Private Client team, which is very highly regarded.

“I grew up on the Black Isle and studied at the University of Aberdeen, so I’ve always been interested in firms with bases in the North of Scotland.  I am hugely impressed by WJM’s commitment to establishing a really strong presence in the Highlands, and the way in which the firm’s Inverness office has grown and expanded in recent years shows their dedication to building a robust team and client base in this part of the country

“It will be great to be part of such an experienced team which also benefits from the firm’s wide network of offices and experts across Scotland.”

Magnus will work with the Private Client team to advise individuals and families on their legal affairs.

Rod MacLean, Private Client Partner at WJM’s Inverness office, said: “Magnus is going to be a fantastic addition to the team.  Private Client has remained a particularly strong element of our business over the last year and Magnus has a lot of skills which are in short supply in the local market.

“With Magnus on board, it’s safe to say there is no other firm in the Highlands that can match the size, experience and consistently high quality of our Private Client team.

“Our clients often tell us how much they value our local knowledge of the Highlands, so it’s great that Magnus can bring even more of that to the table, along with his extensive legal experience.”

For more information on WJM and its services go to www.wjm.co.uk.

Apex Hotels are set to give away five dream big days to NHS heroes as part of a continuing partnership with Operation Recuperation.

Operation Recuperation has been working with 20 of the hardest-hit hospital trusts throughout the pandemic and has gifted almost 1,000 stays and experiences to NHS staff.

Alongside the charitable organisation, the Scottish hotel group is giving away a total of five weddings or civil ceremonies to deserving couples across the UK.

Hotels participating include Apex Waterloo Place Hotel and Apex Grassmarket Hotel in Edinburgh, Apex City of Bath Hotel, Apex City of London Hotel and Apex City Quay Hotel in Dundee.

The lucky couples will be treated to all the essentials to make their wedding day special, thanks to the hotels and their networks of key suppliers – with celebrations for up to 50 people being laid on.

Each property will provide one winning couple with a three-course wedding breakfast, drinks package, evening buffet, top table flowers, ceremony room hire and upgraded wedding night accommodation – as well as a traditional piper at the Edinburgh hotels.

Trusted suppliers will also contribute to each of the celebrations, with flowers, cake, DJ, hairdresser and make-up, covering almost every element of the dream big day.

The lucky couple will be selected from over 4,000 vetted front-line NHS workers who were invited to apply to Operation Recuperation over the course of the pandemic, many of whom have had to postpone or cancel their wedding plans as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

Apex Hotels kicked off its partnership with Operation Recuperation earlier in the year, gifting 10 overnight stays at its hotels across the UK to nominated NHS workers as a well-deserved break.

Kim Wilkinson, Group Director of Sales for Apex Hotels, said: “We’re thrilled to be working again with Operation Recuperation – this time to turn deserving NHS workers’ dream big days into reality.

“Across five of our UK properties, we’ll be providing wedding packages worth a total of £30,000. Thanks to the unbelievable generosity of our trusted network of suppliers, we’ll be able to add lots of little touches to ensure a special day for each of our lucky couples.

“Our NHS heroes across the UK have worked exceptionally hard over the course of the past year and, like many others, have had major milestone moments like weddings either postponed or totally cancelled as a result. We want to do our bit to say ‘thank you’ for all they do by helping in any way we can – and luckily, we’re pretty good at weddings.”

Rachel Sherwood, founder of Operation Recuperation, said: “When the team at Apex asked if we’d like to help them give away wedding packages to NHS workers who’d had their big days postponed, the answer was a resounding YES!

“We’ve had a lot of superb donations to Operation Recuperation since March 2020 and it’s been a joy to give them away to almost 1,000 staff from the UK’s hardest hit hospitals.

“They’ve all made a difference but this one is extra special as it’ll be creating a lifelong memory for the NHS ‘winners’ and their loved ones. It’s a brilliant idea from a company who have been a joy to partner with and I can’t wait to help them make it a reality.”

Apex Hotels are also inviting other local suppliers who wish to help out with the wedding celebrations to contact Kirstie.logan@apexhotels.co.uk with details on what they do, how they can help and where they are based.

Couples invited to nominate themselves via Operation Recuperation will have until 24th July to apply.

We are looking for a Senior Finance Officer to join the team.

This role involves recording the daily financial transactions for the Chamber, maintaining the sales and purchase ledgers, credit control, monthly payments and month end reconciliations, so good book keeping skills are essential. Ideally we would like to recruit someone who can take the monthly accounts to trial balance stage. We use Xero as our accounting package, so previous experience of using that software would be an advantage but not critical.

This role supports all the various departments within the Chamber so being reactive to their requests is crucial. A good working knowledge of IT and integration of software systems including previous experience of CRM systems would be an advantage too.

A salary of £25,000 pro rata.

Part-time hours: 20-25 per week

Application deadline: 05/07/2021

Currently working remotely.