NewzIntel.com

Category: Great Britain

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor encourages residents to Join Recycle Week 2024

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Mayor encourages residents to Join Recycle Week 2024

    14 October 2024

    As Recycle Week kicks off from October 14-20, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr is encouraging residents to “Step It Up” by not only recycling more but also making the most of Council resources that can help make a difference.

    The Council has organised a range of exciting events to encourage sustainable practices across the community. This Saturday, residents are invited to the Halloween Costume Swap at the Guildhall, where they can bring along pre-loved costumes to swap for new outfits, making it easier to celebrate Halloween sustainably. On Thursday, the Guildhall will also host a Climate Conference, bringing together local experts, environmental advocates, and community members to discuss solutions for climate change and inspire greater action in our District.

    In addition, the Council will be engaging with schools throughout the week, delivering workshops and interactive sessions to teach students about the importance of recycling, e-waste repair and reduction, and other sustainability practices. Through these events, Derry City and Strabane District Council aims to support residents of all ages in taking meaningful steps toward a greener, more sustainable community.

    Mayor Seenoi Barr said: “Recycle Week is a great opportunity for all of us to reconsider our recycling habits. By using the Derry Strabane Recycling App, residents can get details on what materials can be recycled, where local recycling points are located, and notifications for bin collection schedules.

    “It is worth noting that electronic waste, or e-waste, is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world, and Derry City and Strabane District Council is dedicated to tackling this issue locally. Residents are encouraged to dispose of old electronics, batteries, and appliances at local recycling centres or laptop donation points. By recycling e-waste, valuable materials like metals and plastics can be recovered and reused, reducing the need for new resources.

    “If items are fixable, our monthly Repair Cafés are a fantastic way for residents to extend the life of their belongings and reduce unnecessary waste. I encourage everyone to come along, bring items for repair, and learn more about the benefits of fixing rather than discarding. Together, let’s ‘Step It Up’ and make repair, reuse, and recycling part of our everyday habits.”

    Together, we can make a real impact on reducing waste in our District.”

    For more information about Recycle Week please visit the Council’s website or download the Derry Strabane Recycling app today.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council issues call out to creative art workshop facilitators

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Council issues call out to creative art workshop facilitators

    14 October 2024

    Derry City and Strabane District Council has put a call out to artists and facilitators within the Council area to submit applications to provide Spring Arts Development Workshops across several arts, crafts and creative disciplines at the Alley Theatre and Strabane Library.

    Among the workshops the Council is seeking facilitators for are – Spring / Easter / Summer Wreath Making Workshops; Learn to Sew – Beginners Classes; Sewing for Outdoor Dressing; Candle Making; Soap Making; Make your own Teddy Bear – Kids; Introduction to Leather – Make your Own Belt; Silver Jewellery – Make your own Stacking Rings; Ornaments for Graves Workshops; Interior Design – How to Create a Mood Board; Cup-Cake Decorating for Kids; Woodturning for Adults; Toy Making – Felt Animals; Embroidery – Embroidered Book Bag; Art Lounge – 14 – 17yrs; Open Environment for Creative Exploration and Guitar Lessons for Beginners – Kids & Adults Sessions.

    The Council is also seeking applications for suitably qualified persons to deliver Kids Themed Workshops over the St Patrick’s Day & Easter periods and Drop-In Arts & Crafts Children’s Workshops (themed arts & crafts); Storytelling and Face-painting.

    Applicants are being advised that while most of the programmes will be one-off events there may be occasions when Council hosts four weekly workshops. Applicants when submitting their applications are asked to indicate their availability and in addition to providing material costs, give hourly rates and details around age suitability of their workshop.

    To submit an expression of interest please email your proposal with images, costs and age suitability to Council’s arts development officer Andrea Campbell at [email protected]  no later than 12 noon Wednesday 23rd October 2024.

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: OPSS issues cosmetics reminder on banned chemical

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Public asked to dispose of any cosmetics containing Lilial.

    The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has asked the public to dispose of any cosmetics containing the banned ingredient Lilial.

    This follows a reminder issued by OPSS to the UK cosmetics industry that any product containing Lilial must already have been removed from sale.

    Butylphenyl methylpropional, otherwise known by its trade name ‘Lilial’, was used as a floral fragrance in a wide variety of cosmetics such as perfumes, shower gels and deodorants. However, because its use has been associated with harm to the reproductive system, it has been illegal to sell any product containing the chemical in Great Britain since December 2022.

    Now, OPSS has issued a further reminder to companies selling cosmetics in the UK they must check their stock to ensure no product contains Lilial. They must immediately stop selling these products and consider recalling any sold after the ban came into place.

    OPSS is also asking the public to check cosmetics in their home following reports that banned cosmetic products may still be available in the UK. Check labels and dispose of any that contain Lilial / butylphenyl methylpropional. If you’ve purchased these since 2022, report them to Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland or your local district council in Northern Ireland. They can advise on any action or redress that may be available.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New social housing

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    DOZENS of tenants are now making themselves at home in a new housing development bought by Dundee City Council from a private developer.

    Residents in Kirkton Road and Downfield Place have been moving in over recent weeks since finishing touches were completed to their homes earlier this year. More than 20 new homes, built by H&H Properties on the site of the former St Columba’s Primary School, were purchased by the council in a deal late last year. Among those who have recently been handed their keys is 44 year-old Vicky Reid and her three children.

    Speaking from her two-storey three-bedroom semi-detached home she said: “I am loving it! The house is just fab.”

    Vicky, who also has two other grown-up children who live nearby, was told to quit her private rented house more than a year ago and has spent the past 12 months wondering how she was going to keep a roof over her family’s heads.

    The Kirkton native added: “We spoke to the homeless prevention team at the council who were really good and helped us fill in all the relevant forms and guided us through the whole way.

    “We kept driving past these houses when they were getting built and looking at them and thinking how great it would be to have one of these, but we were all prepared to have to go into temporary accommodation, when we got offered this!
    “It was bit like magic and we couldn’t believe it.”

    The family are now settling into their new home after a process, which although stressful and difficult at times, Vicky says has been “amazing”.

    Mark Flynn, convener of Dundee City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee said: “The demand for good-quality rented accommodation in the city remains high, so it is vital that we do everything in our power to take action to address it.

    “This type of agreement, which we are already replicating elsewhere in the city, is an innovative way of continuing to face the demand and a clear demonstration that we are working towards meeting our commitment to making more affordable new-build housing available for rent in Dundee.”

    Lynne Short, the committee’s deputy convener added: “When you see Vicky and her family in this house, and experience for yourself the hugely positive effect that having a secure tenancy in a warm, easy to heat house has on people’s lives, it brings home how we are meeting the needs of our communities and delivering better outcomes for everyone.”

    The 21 houses in Kirkton, a mixture of two-storey, three-bedroom, detached and two-storey, three-bedroom, semi-detached homes are being allocated to their new tenants in phases.

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Global honour for pioneering Leeds sports kit recycling partnership

    Source: City of Leeds

    Leeds Equipment and Kit Exchange Partnership triumphs at Sport Positive Awards 2024

    A groundbreaking Leeds City Council-led partnership tackling inequality through sport has been honoured by winning a prestigious international award.

    The Leeds Equipment and Kit Exchange Partnership (LEKEP), created by Leeds City Council’s Active Leeds service, sees recycled or unwanted sports kit distributed to deprived communities in the city.

    A first such partnership of its kind, the innovative project addresses inequality through supporting active lifestyles and also helps to tackle the climate crisis through recycling and significantly reducing waste, aiding the city’s environmental and net zero aims.

    The work of the partnership was recognised on a global level last week by winning the ‘Purpose-led Partnership’ category at the prestigious Sport Positive Awards 2024 in London, seeing off international competition from major projects around the world to win the prize.

    The Leeds Equipment and Kit Exchange Partnership (LEKEP) is made up of: Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Sport Foundation, Zero Waste Leeds, Action For Sport, Run for all, Leeds United Foundation, The Recovery Runners, Leeds Dock Run Club, Leeds City College, LS-TEN Skate Park, Pendle Sports, British Cycling and Yorkshire Cricket Foundation.

    Working together to maximise all available assets, the partnership responds to the needs of diverse communities in Leeds to provide appropriate sports attire and remove the stigma associated with recycled kit.

    The partnership in Leeds was initially inspired by the BBC’s ‘Kit out the Nation’ campaign which ran in 2021, and has developed in the years since with more than 20,000 items of kit recycled or reused by community groups in the city.

    As well as encouraging healthy active lifestyles, the project also helps to reduce landfill through a more environmentally-sustainable approach, supporting local organisations in creating their own kit donation schemes, reducing waste, and creating a community-driven circular economy promoting inclusive growth.

    Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture Councillor Salma Arif said:

    “This is a tremendous honour for the Leeds Equipment and Kit Exchange Partnership (LEKEP) to be recognised on an international level in this way, and we thank everyone involved who should be very proud.

    “We are committed to tackling inequalities, removing barriers and addressing the climate crisis and this project shows what can be achieved through working together to make a difference. We look forward to the partnership continuing to go from strength to strength and would encourage anyone interested in getting involved to come and talk to us.”

    Chief executive of Yorkshire Sport Foundation Nigel Harrison said:

    “We’re proud to share this award with our incredible partners across the city. This project shows the strength in working together to address inequalities, stop waste, and remove a barrier to people playing sport or being physically active.

    “The right kit and equipment comes at a cost, and this partnership is ensuring that more people in Leeds aren’t prevented from starting something new or continuing something they love because they can’t afford a pair of trainers or a piece of sports equipment.

    “One of the best things about this recognition is that it will raise even more awareness of the initiative. With the continued commitment of the organisations involved and the support of the people of Leeds, the kit exchange partnership can make a positive impact on even more lives.”

    Co-founder and director of Action for Sport Clive Michallat said:

    “Action for Sport has thoroughly enjoyed being part of such a great scheme and partnership. To work alongside a lot of organisations who bring their life experiences and skillsets to the table can be powerful, and in this case most certainly is. We look forward to being part of the team that can develop and grow the Leeds Equipment and Kit Exchange Partnership.”

    Co-director of Zero Waste Leeds Gill Coupland said:

    “We’re absolutely delighted to be part of this partnership. The award is a recognition of the incredible things that can be achieved when there is a determination to work together over the long term and to pool funding to deliver really impactful results. Leeds is a generous city in so many ways.”

    The next public meeting of the partnership takes place in Leeds at CATCH in Harehills on Thursday 14 November at 6pm, which will include a presentation by Sport England Environmental Sustainability Strategic Lead Denise Ludlam. Tickets are free to attend via Leeds Equipment and Kit Exchange meeting Tickets, Thu 14 Nov 2024 at 18:00 | Eventbrite.

    The Sport Positive Awards celebrates people and projects using the power of sport to tackle major issues including the climate and biodiversity crises, and environmental/climate justice.

    For more information on the Sport Positive Awards visit Sport Positive Awards 2024 – Leading the charge on using the power of sport to tackle some of the biggest issues of our time – the climate and biodiversity crises and environmental/climate justice. (sportpositivesummit.com).

     

    ENDS 

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

     

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Update on industrial action affecting Perth and Kinross schools from October 21

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    We are currently assessing how this will impact our schools and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings and are not able to complete this yet due to school closures for the October holidays.

    Our priority is always the safety of our children and young people. This means we will close schools and ELC settings where we do not think there will be enough staff to ensure the safety of pupils. This may also mean that we have to close Intensive Support Provisions (ISPs) in some schools even if the school itself is not closed.

    It is likely many primary schools and ELC settings will have to close and we would ask parents/carers to plan for alternative arrangements for the two weeks of industrial action in case their school cannot open. If this is the case then before and after school care (Kids Clubs and Wraparound Care) will also be closed. It may be possible to partially or fully open some primary schools/ELC settings but the position could change on a day-to-day bases once industrial action is underway.

    Whilst we cannot yet confirm at this stage, we are aiming to open all secondary schools.

    Fairview School has currently been assessed as needing to be closed on the Monday (October 21) and possibly other days next week once more information is available.

    Parents should make alternative arrangements.

    Remote learning will be provided when schools are closed to pupils as teachers are not taking part in the industrial action.

    We thank parents, carers and pupils for their understanding.

    We appreciate the impact the industrial action will have on families and so are sharing details of the current situation to help plan for the first two weeks of term.

    Please be aware the situation may change as we get closer to the start of term and we will continue to post updates on our social media channels and website when they are available.

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NHS Devon has a moral obligation to address Plymouth health funding issue

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Councillor Tudor Evans has demanded that NHS Devon review the way in which health funding is allocated to Plymouth, to urgently address health inequality across the city.

    People in Plymouth live two years less than people in Devon, a situation that has been exacerbated following more than a decade of NHS underfunding.

    Men in Plymouth live 2.3 years less than in Devon and woman live 2.5 years less. Locally, levels of under 75 mortality, due to causes that are considered entirely preventable, are 16 per cent higher than the rest of England, and 52 per cent higher than Devon.

    Currently funding is allocated across the county by Devon ICB. The ICB is a body that aims to join up health and care services and make sure that everyone has the same access to services and gets the same outcomes from treatment. They oversee how money is spent and make sure health services work well and are of high quality.

    The Devon ICB use a model called ‘Fair Shares Funding’. The Leader of Plymouth City Council is urging the ICB to review this process as it is not currently fair. It does not take enough account of deprivation and inequality in health outcomes in Plymouth when compared to other parts of Devon.  

    For the past few years, the Council has been lobbying the ICB to relook at the funding and reassess the position of the city. However, so far discussions have not resulted in a viable solution. Councillor Evans is therefore now insisting on a proper board level review.

    Councillor Evans, said: “We know that finances are tight. But, the priority has to be making sure that the money available is distributed to the right places, where there is the most need. We know of areas in Devon where the need is less, yet funding is available to them – is the ICB favouring those who know how to use the system and leaving behind those who don’t or won’t?

    “There are people of Plymouth who cannot get a GP appointment, who cannot get an NHS dentist, who are missing out on treatment and are being put at unnecessary risk due to the lack of patient care and prevention services.

    “We know there are demands across the region – but we are Devon’s biggest city and our services are stretched beyond belief with no relief in sight.

    “ICBs have the autonomy to determine their own spending based on local need and the power to ‘over allocate’ funding to address poor health outcomes. Outcomes that in Plymouth are driven by deprivation and deep-seated health inequality which will have been worsened by more than a decade of underfunding. So far, the ICB have not been able to suggest any way forward that would result in a change in Plymouth. It is morally right that this review takes place and is given the serious consideration that it needs.”

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chancellor announces new plans to secure UK investment

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Chancellor closes the International Investment Summit promising the government is bringing investment and jobs back to Britain.

    In a speech to some of the world’s biggest businesses and investors, Rachel Reeves revealed that restoring fiscal stability will be at the centre of her first Budget on 30 October. She made the case that it is the only way to ensure government and business can invest with confidence. 

    The Chancellor went on to set out how two new bodies will drive long-term investment in Britain as the government works hand in hand with business to create new high skilled jobs right across the UK, helping make people better off. 

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, MP said: 

    When we said we would end instability, make growth our national mission and enter a true partnership with business we meant it.  

    The decisions which lie ahead of us will not always be easy. But by taking the right choices to grow our economy and drive investment we will create good jobs and new opportunities across every part of the country. That is the Britain we are building. 

    The first announcement from the Chancellor was that from today the UK Infrastructure Bank will operate as the National Wealth Fund (NWF), with its headquarters in Leeds. 

    The National Wealth Fund will catalyse tens of billions of pounds of private investment into in the UK’s clean energy and growth industries, including green hydrogen, carbon capture and gigafactories.

    Building on UKIB’s leadership and expertise, the NWF will go further, able to make investments that maximise the mobilisation of private investment. This will include the ability to trial new blended finance solutions with government departments that take on additional risk to facilitate higher impact in individual deals and performance guarantees. 

    The National Wealth Fund will have a total of £27.8 billion and will work with key industry partners, including mayors, to support delivery of their investment plans. 

    The Government will also bring forward legislation to give the NWF a broader mandate than just infrastructure, ensuring it is a permanent part of government’s investment offer. 

    John Flint, CEO, at the National Wealth Fund said: 

    It is a huge privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the National Wealth Fund. Building on the strong foundations we have laid as UKIB, we will hit the ground running, using sector insight and investment expertise that the market knows and trusts to unlock billions of pounds of private finance for projects across the UK.

    With additional capital to deploy against a bigger mandate, we stand ready to help the market invest with confidence, in support of the Government’s growth ambitions.

    Alongside this the Chancellor, together with Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, announced a new British Growth Partnership as part of the British Business Bank (BBB). 

    The BBB already supports the UK’s fastest growing, most innovative companies deploying £3.5bn to support over 23,000 businesses last year. 

    The British Growth Partnership will allow it to do more by creating a new way for the British Business Bank and institutional investors to invest in innovative companies together.

    Leveraging the British Business Bank’s market expertise, these long-term investments will be made independently of government on a fully commercial basis. In the coming months, the British Business Bank will seek to raise hundreds of millions of pounds of investment for this fund, with the aim of making investments by the end of 2025.

    Additionally, the government will implement a set of reforms to the British Business Bank’s financial framework that will increase its impact and increase its ability to respond flexibly to the market, including by putting the British Business Bank’s £7.9bn set of commercial programmes on a permanent footing.

    Louis Taylor, CEO, British Business Bank said:

    Today’s announcement is a strong endorsement of the British Business Bank’s 10-year track record, market access and capabilities. By establishing the British Growth Partnership, the Bank will encourage more UK pension fund investment into the UK’s fastest growing, most innovative companies. 

    In addition, reforms to the Bank’s financial framework, putting our £7.9bn commercial programmes on a permanent footing, means we can flexibly re-invest our investment returns over the long term to increase growth and prosperity across the UK.

    Today’s measures follow the Government announcing more than £24 billion of private investment for pioneering energy projects and thousands of jobs in the green industries secured ahead of International Investment Summit.

    This adds to the announcement last week that up to 500 UK manufacturing jobs are set to be supported as bus operator Go Ahead confirms a major £500 million investment to decarbonise its fleet. This includes creating a new dedicated manufacturing line and partnership with Northern Ireland-based UK bus manufacturer Wrightbus.    

    And it also builds on the Government confirming funding to launch the UK’s first carbon capture sites in Teesside and Merseyside. Two new carbon capture and CCUS enabled hydrogen projects will create 4,000 new jobs, in a boost for the economy and British industry, helping remove over 8.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year – the equivalent of taking around 4 million cars off the road.    

    Further quotes:

    Dame Julia Hoggett, CEO, London Stock Exchange Plc said:

    It is critically important for the growth of the UK economy that home grown companies are able to access the investment they need to grow, scale and stay in the UK. 

    Access to meaningful UK capital at the scaling phase has been a long-recognised challenge and so we are delighted that British Growth Partnership is being established to help address this problem. This will also facilitate more investment by UK pension schemes into scaling UK companies, providing greater returns for their savers and giving UK investors a greater stake in the UK economy.

    Sir Nicholas Lyons, Group Chair, Phoenix said:

    The UK needs scale and skills to convert our brilliant science and technology start-ups and university spinouts into the successful and sustainable companies of tomorrow.  British Growth Partnership will complement the private sector DC pension industry’s undertakings under the Mansion House Compact to expedite this, directing investment to deliver the best returns for our pension savers.

    Professor Sir John Bell, President, Ellison Institute of Technology said:

    Making sure the best innovative British companies can access the capital they need to scale and stay in the UK is critical for the future of the economy. The Chancellor’s announcement today of the new British Growth Partnership, in addition to confirming £7.9bn of permanent capital for the British Business Bank, are both very welcome and significant steps forward in solving this problem

    Sir Jonathan Symonds CBE, Non-Executive Chair, GSK said:

    This is a welcome step; encouraging institutional investment into the UK’s high-growth-potential companies can provide a real boost to the economy and generate better returns for individuals’ pension investments

    Brent Hoberman, Chairman and Co-Founder, Founders Forum Group, Founders Factory, firstminute capital said:

    It’s great to see the new government taking concrete steps to amplify the Mansion House reforms.   This new British Growth Partnership should help UK startups access further scale up capital to create more world leaders.

    Saul Klein, Co-founder, Phoenix Court and Member of the Council for Science and Technology said:

    The UK has more than 750 venture backed companies generating more than $25m in revenue – this is more than France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands combined. These companies have created over 200,000 new jobs and continue to grow but the UK still has $35bn less scale up capital to support these companies than the United States’ Bay Area alone.

    The government’s continued support for the British Business Bank and its focus on addressing this scale up opportunity will be very much welcomed by these 750 companies as well as the cohorts coming behind them.

    Peter Harrison, Group Chief Executive, Schroders plc said:

    These are further helpful initiatives in creating an environment where risk capital can flow into strategically important industries. Every step is welcome in supporting future economic growth.

    Edward Braham, Chairman, M&G said:

    We welcome the creation of the British Growth Partnership which should unlock much needed investment into the UK’s high growth innovative businesses.

    The combination of private and public sector partnerships, underpinned by long term patient capital, is essential to create the conditions for sustainable growth. 

    As a leading international investor, M&G has a proud history of supporting the progress of businesses and communities across the UK, investing in new innovative companies and private assets such as housing, hospitals and transport.

    Steve Bates OBE, CEO of the BioIndustry Association, said:

    Our world-leading, innovative life sciences and biotech sector is a unique competitive advantage for economic growth. The sector attracts expert global investors but a lack of investment from UK-based institutional investors means the economic and social returns are too often lost overseas.

    The British Growth Partnership will help turbo-charge innovative businesses with fresh UK-based capital, enabling them to scale in the UK and deliver more returns to the British economy, and to ordinary people saving for their retirement. This is a win-win-win for UK life science businesses, for UK pension savers and for the forward-thinking financial services sector.

    Kate Bingham, Managing Partner, SV Health and Former Chair UK Vaccine Taskforce welcomed the announcements saying:

    The UK has the potential to be a global leader and hub for healthcare breakthroughs with its strong entrepreneurial and academic base, together with our expertise and innovation in data science and artificial intelligence.

    Making the British Business Bank independent of government as well as launching the British Growth Partnership enables the Bank to catalyse institutional investment, including from pension funds, into brilliant UK companies that are supercharging the development of revolutionary medical treatments including smarter medicines for cancer, Alzheimer’s and blindness.

    Dom Hallas, Executive Director, Startup Coalition said:

    Tech startups and scaleups need a stable and improving funding environment to compete globally. The British Business Bank’s role in helping create that landscape is critical and today’s announcement will help the UK continue to build VC-backed tech companies across the country that are ready to compete with the very best.

    Michael Moore, Chief Executive, BVCA said:

    It is extremely welcome that the Government and the British Business Bank have brought this hugely significant programme forwards so quickly.

    The prize is to get significant new capital into the growth equity and venture capital funds that are creating new industries and backing innovative businesses that will be the backbone of the British economy of tomorrow. The British Business Bank has a vital role catalysing institutional investment into fast growing British businesses and this announcement will boost that work substantially.

    Just 3% of the pensions investment into UK led growth equity and venture capital funds is from UK pension funds. Alongside the Government’s pensions review this major new vehicle can be the start of a major shift that sees UK pensions savers get the improved retirement income that can come from backing funds which deliver active ownership and long-term investment in business.

    Kerry Baldwin, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, IQ Capital said:

    The launch of the British Growth Partnership and the confirmation of a permanent capital allocation for the British Business Bank are two crucial steps forward in solving the lack of access to domestic capital for the UK’s most promising growth companies.

    I very much welcome the Chancellor’s announcement today, she has been hugely engaged with the venture capital and technology sector, and champions the incredible societal impact that our sector enables through investments into innovative technologies across the UK.

    The British Business Bank has been at the heart of powering the next generation of UK venture and growth funds and the launch of the new fund is welcome as part of the pension reforms.  This fund will enable access to world-leading science and innovative investments which increase productivity by transforming legacy industries through the adoption of novel technologies and also by providing growth capital to the next generation of globally leading frontier technologies which are solving pressing critical global issues from climate change to energy transition.

    Dr Andrew Williamson, Managing Partner, Cambridge Innovation Capital, and member of BVCA Council said:

    Since its formation in 2018, British Patient Capital has played a central role in the growth of the UK’s knowledge-intensive innovation ecosystem.  It has built a world leading team and investment platform with a strong track record of investing in UK deeptech and life sciences companies and the venture capital funds that support these companies. 

    The British Growth Partnership will make the Bank’s extensive expertise available to a broader range of institutional investors, providing attractive returns for those investors and increasing the capital available for leading UK start-up and scale-up businesses.

    Duncan Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Gritstone said:

    We at Northern Gritstone believe that skilled partnerships that channel patient investment into long-term growth and innovation are more important than ever for the UK. 

    By establishing the British Growth Partnership, the British Business Bank is creating a pathway for pension funds and institutional investors to support the future today. Through investment we can create and scale the world class businesses of tomorrow in the UK which is the platform for growth for our economy over the decades to come.

    Irene Graham OBE, CEO, ScaleUp Institute said:

    The ScaleUp Institute has long evidenced the important role of development banks and Sovereign Wealth Funds to global scaleup economies.  The Government’s  placement of the British Business Bank commercial initiatives into permanency, with greater  flexibility, alongside the creation of the great British Growth Partnership are very much welcome and represent significant milestones for the UK economy. 

    Alongside a National Wealth Fund these entities and commitments should further address structural, regional and sectoral disparities and ensure our innovative scaling businesses across the country are better connected, at all stages of growth, to the vital patient capital and institutional funds to enable their global scale and continue to foster our international competitiveness.

    Lisa Quest, Managing Partner UK and Ireland, Oliver Wyman:

    Today’s announcement is a significant milestone for the UK economy. The National Wealth Fund will increase investment across key sectors and accelerate the UK’s clean energy transition. I look forward to the many contributions this initiative will unlock for years to come.

    Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, Chair of the Taskforce and CEO of the Green Finance Institute said:

    The NWF creates an opportunity for simplification and scale. The challenge now is to ensure it delivers private capital at the pace we need, through innovative risk-sharing transactions in new technologies.

    On top of today’s announcements, the government expects both successful bidders of the Long-Term Investment for Technology and Science (LIFTS) competition, Schroders and ICG, to begin making investments via their new funds in late 2024. Supported by pensions capital from Phoenix Group, the aim is to generate over a billion pounds of investment into UK science and technology companies.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Record-breaking International Investment Summit secures £63 billion and nearly 38,000 jobs for the UK

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Nearly 38,000 UK jobs are set to be created across the UK after a total of £63 billion of investment was announced around today’s International Investment Summit.

    • Total of £63 billion of private investment committed around International Investment Summit, more than doubling amount secured at 2023 Global Investment Summit
    • New investments today include £6.3 billion in UK data centres as well as world class UK university Imperial College London
    • Innovative investment projects announced over the last month across infrastructure, renewables and life sciences will create close to 38,000 new jobs across the UK

    Nearly 38,000 UK jobs are set to be created across the UK after a total of £63 billion of investment was announced around today’s International Investment Summit, turbocharging growth and innovation across the country. 

    The record-breaking total figure more than doubles the £29.5 billion committed at last year’s Global Investment Summit and spans partnerships across the infrastructure and tech sectors, including over a billion pounds in new investments announced today by DP World, Associated British Ports (ABP) and Imperial College London. 

    Through serious, stable governance, the UK is attracting tens of billions of pounds of new investment which is crucial to the government’s driving mission of delivering economic growth. Today’s historic figure demonstrates that businesses have confidence in Britain as a place to invest. 

    The investments follow immediate action taken by the new government to reform planning, focus on AI and data centre expansion, and set a clear commitment to net zero by almost doubling the funding for renewable energy projects. 

    Four major tech firms based in the US have today announced £6.3 billion in UK data centres which is critical to enhancing the UK’s AI capacity – in turn fuelling Britain’s economic growth and spurring on AI development. Data centres store the vast amount of information and data needed to power AI, and store the information generated by AI to keep the systems running. 

    ABP, the UK’s largest port operator, has committed over £200 million to a joint investment with ferry company Stena Line in a new freight ferry terminal at the Port of Immingham, significantly boosting the capacity and resilience of UK trade with Europe. It is expected to create around 700 jobs during construction and around 200 permanent jobs once operational. 

    Leading UK university Imperial College London is also today announcing a £150 million investment to secure a new R&D campus to add to its rapidly expanding deep tech ecosystem in West London. The new campus will expand scale-up capacity in the WestTech Corridor, supporting the UK’s innovation sector and driving investment, economic growth and job creation. 

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    Global investors should be in no doubt that under this new government Britain is truly the best place to do business. The record-breaking investment total secured at today’s Summit marks a major vote of confidence in the UK and our stability dividend across industry and innovation.

    We’re determined to deliver economic growth in every part of the UK and these investments, together with our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, will give global businesses the certainty they need as we lead the charge for the innovation and jobs of the future.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    After the investments secured as part of this summit, my optimism for Britain burns brighter than ever. It’s a sign of the confidence in the British economy. And it matters because it will support the growth of businesses big and small across the U.K. Helping them create new jobs and making people better off.

    CEO of ABP Henrik L. Pedersen said:

    We are delighted that the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Immingham Eastern Ro-Ro Terminal (IERRT) has been granted in a timely way by the Secretary of State to allow us to move forward with investment. The IERRT project is a key component of our strategy to strengthen the UK’s supply chains and improve trade connectivity, whilst also bringing substantial economic benefits including the creation of hundreds of jobs during construction and ongoing operations. IERRT forms part of the intended £5.5bn pipeline of UK investment we have in front of us over the next 10 years and we look forward to working closely with the Government to deliver the right conditions to realise this investment.

    President of Imperial College London Hugh Brady said:

    Imperial College London is investing in its ambitious vision for a new globally competitive deep tech innovation ecosystem in West London. The Imperial WestTech Corridor will act as a powerful engine for investment, inclusive economic growth, and job creation at a local, regional, and national level supported by the Government’s emerging Industrial Strategy.

    Please see below for a list of all the investments announced in the run-up to and during today’s International Investment Summit:

    • Iberdrola doubling their investment in the UK, through Scottish Power, from £12 billion to £24 billion over the next 4 years. This includes £4 billion for the East Anglia 2 wind farm off the Suffolk coast which was unlocked by this Government’s expanded allocation at the most recent wind auction round. Iberdrola Executive Chairman Ignacio Galan CBE confirmed on Friday that the UK has become their largest Investment destination. 

    • Blackstone confirmed a £10 billion investment in Blyth, Northumberland to create one of the largest artificial data centres in Europe, creating 4,000 jobs, including 1,200 roles dedicated to the construction of the site. 

    • Amazon Web Services announced an £8 billion investment last month which is estimated to support around 14,000 jobs per year at local businesses, including those across the company’s data centre supply chain such as construction, facility, maintenance, engineering and telecommunications. 

    • CCUS investors (including Eni, BP and Equinor) reached a commercial agreement with the government that will unlock £8 billion of private investment to launch carbon capture clusters in the heartlands of the North West and North East of England, directly creating 4,000 jobs and supporting 50,000 jobs in the long-term. 

    • Orsted and Greenvolt confirming that the Government’s recent expanded offshore wind auction means their projects will unlock £8 billion (Orsted) and £2.5 billion (Greenvolt) of investment respectively in their planned offshore wind farms. Orsted says its commitment will see thousands of jobs for local people, while Greenvolt says it will create up to 2800 construction jobs.  

    • CyrusOne, a leading global data centre developer headquartered in the United States, announced plans to expand their investment into the UK to £2.5 billion over the coming years. Subject to planning permission, the two data centres should be operational by Q4 2028, projected to create over 1,000 jobs both directly and within its immediate design and construction value chain.   

    • Octopus Energy have committed to a £2 billion investment in renewable energy generation, including four new solar farms in Bristol, Essex, East Riding of Yorkshire and Wiltshire that will power up to 80,000 homes as well as breaking ground on a new 12 MW battery in Cheshire which Octopus say will store enough power for nearly 10,000 homes every day. 

    • SeAH Wind has made an additional £225 million investment into wind technology manufacturing in Teesside, thanks to new backing from UK Export Finance, and expects to create 750 direct jobs by 2027. This brings their total investment into the site at Teesworks up to £900 million and will help them make their ongoing factory build – one of the biggest facilities of its kind worldwide – even bigger. 

    • CloudHQ is developing its new state-of-the-art £1.9 billion data centre campus in Didcot. The hyper-scale data centre is currently in development and will help meet the UK’s growing demand for AI and machine learning. It will create 1,500 jobs during construction, and 100 permanent jobs once fully operational.  

    • Macquarie supporting investment of £1.3 billion into new green infrastructure including its Island Green Power solar farm in Stow, as a result of planning consents having been granted by the Government, and its Roadchef portfolio company installing electric car ultra-fast charging points across its sites along the UK motorway network. 

    • ServiceNow also confirmed its commitment to the UK market, with plans to invest £1.15 billion into its UK business over the next five years. The investment will not only support the future development of AI in the UK, expanding its data centres with Nvidia GPUs for local processing data, but also support new office space as the company significantly grows into employee base beyond its current headcount of 1,000 employees.  

    • Manchester Airports Group is investing more than £1.1 billion in London Stansted Airport to expand its existing terminal by around a third, help secure new air routes to key business and leisure destinations, boost local supply chains and create 5,000 jobs. This includes around £600 million to extend the terminal and £500 million to deliver a suite of improvements to the existing terminal building and wider airport estate. 

    • Eren Holdings confirmed a £1 billion investment in the redevelopment of Shotton Mill in Deeside, North Wales which is set to become the UK’s largest recycled paper manufacturing campus. This is expected to safeguard 147 jobs and create a further 220 when the site is fully commissioned. 

    • Network Rail and London & Continental Railways are creating a new property company which will attract additional private and public sector investment with the potential to deliver brownfield regeneration schemes across the rail estate with a value exceeding £1 billion. 

    • CoreWeave is building on its £1 billion investment announced in May and the opening of its European headquarters in London by investing a further £750 million-plus in the UK to support the demand for critical AI infrastructure. The investment in the UK is CoreWeave’s second largest investment in a country following the USA.  

    • DP World are investing up to £1 billion in their London Gateway container port operation. This new investment will fund two additional berths and a second rail terminal. Once built, the berths will add vital transport capacity and increase the resilience of UK supply chains, enabling businesses to access domestic and international markets and supporting the Government’s growth and decarbonisation missions. 

    • Holtec, a major US advanced nuclear engineering company, has confirmed a significant investment of £325 million in a new factory in South Yorkshire which will supply materials for civil and defence nuclear industries. They say this will create up to 490 direct and 280 indirect jobs annually during the construction phase and 1,200 direct engineering jobs created over 20 years. 

    • BW Group proceeding with a £500 million investment, which includes new battery energy storage projects in Hampshire and Birmingham. 

    • Eli Lilly and Company is collaborating with government through a memorandum of understanding which will see the pharmaceutical giant intending to commit £279 million to tackle significant health challenges – including obesity. Lilly also plans to launch the first ‘Lilly Gateway Labs’ innovation accelerator in Europe to support early-stage life sciences businesses to develop transformative medicines and technologies. 

    • Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s largest port operator, has announced a £200+ million investment in a new freight ferry terminal at the Port of Immingham, boosting the capacity and resilience of UK trade with Europe. This is expected to create around 700 jobs during construction and 200 permanent jobs once operational. 

    • Imperial College London investing £150 million to build The WestTech Corridor – a new innovation ecosystem in West London which will act as a powerful engine for investment, inclusive economic growth, and job creation at a local, regional, and national level. 

    • Haleon has received planning permission to develop a new £130 million Global Oral Health Innovation Centre in Weybridge, Surrey. This state-of-the-art facility will primarily support Haleon’s global oral health business by developing new products that advance consumers’ better everyday health. 

    Background 

    • The International Investment Summit is being sponsored by Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, M&G plc, Octopus Energy, and TSL.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland attends International Investment Summit

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn MP today met with a number of leading businesses at the International Investment Summit in the Guildhall in London, together with the First Minister Michelle O’Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Kieran Donoghue of Invest NI.  

    Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn MP, First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Invest NI CEO Kieran Donoghue.

    Speaking ahead of the Chancellor’s speech, Mr Benn said: 

    Today’s International Investment Summit has been a great opportunity for the First Minister, deputy First Minister and I to promote Northern Ireland as an exciting and dynamic place for foreign direct investment.

    This government and the Northern Ireland Executive know that to grow Northern Ireland’s economy, we need more high quality, long-term investment, and today’s event has brought together the world’s leading companies and investors to help support that.

    Stability is the foundation for growth, and that is exactly why this government is working closely and collaboratively with the Executive to unlock more investment and improve the opportunities for everyone across Northern Ireland.

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election candidates announced

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    The candidates standing in the forthcoming Colinton/Fairmilehead Council by-election have been confirmed.

    Twelve candidates have been nominated to stand in the by-election, which is due to take place on 14 November.

    The candidates standing for election are –

    • Bonnie Prince Bob, Independent
    • Mev Brown, Independent
    • Mairianna Clyde, Scottish National Party (SNP)
    • Neil Cuthbert, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
    • Sheila Gilmore, Scottish Labour Party
    • David Ian Henry, Independent
    • Tam Laird, Scottish Libertarian Party
    • Grant Lidster, Reform UK
    • Richard Crewe Lucas, Scottish Family Party
    • Daniel Aleksanteri Milligan, Scottish Greens
    • Louise Spence, Scottish Liberal Democrats
    • Marc Wilkinson, Independent

    Returning Officer for Edinburgh Paul Lawrence, said:

    With nominations now closed and a month remaining, residents of the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward can start considering who they will vote for in the upcoming by-election. It’s important to make sure you’re registered to vote by 29 October in order to participate.

    Councillors play a vital role in our democratic system, making key decisions that impact our city. I encourage as many residents as possible to take part in this by-election.

    The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, where voters rank candidates in order of preference by assigning numbers rather than just marking a single cross. You can choose to vote for as many or as few candidates as you wish.

    Poll cards will be delivered to registered voters in the area from tomorrow (Tuesday 15 October) including further information on when and where to vote.

    If you live in the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward you must register to vote by 29 October and anyone wishing to vote by post can sign up for a new postal vote up until 30 October. 

    You can also apply for someone to vote on your behalf via proxy voting, with the deadline for new proxy vote applications on 6 November (for registered voters). 

    Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm and will be at:

    • Charwood
    • Fairmilehead Parish Church Hall
    • St. Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church Hall
    • Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre
    • Pentland Community Centre

    The electronic election count will take place on Friday 15 November starting at 9:30am. 

    The by-election follows the resignation of Councillor and former Transport and Environment Convener Scott Arthur, following his election as the MP for Edinburgh South West on 4 July 2024.

    Find out more about the Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election on the Council website.

    Published: October 14th 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Frieze 2024: it’s an industry art fair you’re not supposed to like – but here’s why you might

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Lang, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Fine Art , University of Lincoln

    The average art lover isn’t supposed to like art fairs because they’re so corporate. When you pay £9 for a sandwich and your wifi is sponsored by a big bank, you can understand the reservations. They’re also too big and crowded. Even the VIPs are left queuing to get in.

    But the fair provides opportunities to see work from galleries from all over the world in London and there is plenty of good art on display. As Frieze describes itself “[it] is one of the world’s most influential contemporary art fairs, focusing only on contemporary art and living artists”. It is primarily for those in the art world, those who create, critique and those who collect, and a lot of money changes hands as the world’s galleries show the best they have. But it has also become a cultural day out.

    Apart from loads of great painting and the occasional noncommercial showpiece, Frieze goes out of its way to balance the corporate with more thoughtful displays. There’s a chance to see big-name artists, international galleries and work by new artists. The “Artist-to-Artist” section returned this year, containing work by emerging talents (selected by established artists). With so much on show, Frieze can be daunting. You can easily spend a whole day at the fair, but with so much on display there is truly something for everybody.

    At this year’s Frieze, international highlights included Proyectos Ultravioleta from Guatemala city, who showed miniature paintings by Rosa Elena Curruchich hung alongside larger works emblazoned with the text “me venden” (they’re selling me) by Edgar Calels. Calels also brought the smell of a forest into the booth by covering the floor with pine needles.

    Jhaveri Contemporary (Mumbai, India) presented work by the Bangladeshi duo Kamruzzaman Shadhin and Gidree Bawlee. The piece Kaal (Pala) consists of seven delightful jute figures – among the most enchanting figurative sculptures I have seen recently. Joydeb Roaja’s pen drawings of people, tanks, and people with tanks on their heads are as enigmatic and disturbing as they are engaging.

    Non-commercial art appeared in Jenkins Van Zyl’s Sweat Exchange at Edel Assanti (London). This video installation housed in what Van Zyl has called a sauna-cum-“sweat extraction brewery”, which features two doppelgangers, who alternate between self-care and abuse. Imagine the Pink Panther crossed with Jar Jar Binks as a drag queen and you’re nearly there.

    Then there was Patrick Goddard’s silver cast bees on the floor of Seventeen Gallery, and Lawrence Lek (winner of the Frieze artist award) who has produced Guanyin: Confessions of a Former Carebot – an interactive videogame installation about an AI created to service self-driving cars.

    Most of the works were are those hung on walls. Gallery booths have a small storage area in which they are able to keep paintings and prints, (but less able to store sculptural works). Collectors also favour paintings, prints and photographs to adorn their walls (or similarly put into storage) over artists’ films or video installations.

    What’s to complain about though when there is so much good painting on display?

    Highlights included Tom Anholt and Ryan Mosley at Josh Lilley Gallery (London); Carl Freedman Gallery (Margate), which showed great paintings by Ben Senior, Laura Footes and Vanessa Raw (as well as Lindsey Mendick’s ceramic sculptures) and Tanya Leighton Gallery (Berlin and LA), which had plenty of good painting on show, including works by Matthew Krishanu. Ingleby (Edinburgh) showed Andrew Cranston and Hayley Barker and Arcadia Missa (London) showed Lewis Hammond’s Schmetterling, an eerie blue interior with an unsettling blue-eyed figure, and Jesse Darling, whose Come on England (up the) takes a novel approach to wall-based work by leaning crowd-control barriers in the corner of the gallery booth.

    Counter Editions (Margate) presented a Tracey Emin solo show. You’re not supposed to like Emin, since she outed herself as a Tory sympathiser. Opposite is a Billy Childish solo show at Lehmann Maupin (London, Seoul, New York), where the artist paints live while wearing a beret next to a dirty stepladder for reaching the tops of the large canvases. You’re not supposed to like Billy Childish either because he is a Stuckist (stuck in the age of Van Gogh and Edvard Munch – his only two art heroes). Funnily enough, Charles Thomson, co-founder of Stuckism, derived the name from an insult by Emin, who told Childish, her ex-lover, that his art was “stuck, stuck, stuck”. Don’t tell anybody, but the Emin and Childish works were quite good.

    With an annual curated section, more solo shows and over 270 Galleries from more than 40 countries, if you love art in all its forms (and can afford it) you should experience Frieze London at least once. If you didn’t go this year, you really should spend a day there next. Despite what people say… you’re bound to find something you like.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Martin Lang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Frieze 2024: it’s an industry art fair you’re not supposed to like – but here’s why you might – https://theconversation.com/frieze-2024-its-an-industry-art-fair-youre-not-supposed-to-like-but-heres-why-you-might-241293

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First Minister John Swinney’s comments on the passing of Alex Salmond

    Source: Scottish National Party

    Commenting on news that the former First Minister and SNP Leader Alex Salmond has died, First Minister John Swinney said:

    “I am deeply shocked and saddened at the untimely death of the former First Minister Alex Salmond, and I extend my deepest condolences to Alex’s wife Moira and to his family.

    “Over many years, Alex made an enormous contribution to political life – not just within Scotland, but across the UK and beyond.

    “Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country that he loved and for her Independence. He took the Scottish National Party from the fringes of Scottish politics into Government and led Scotland so close to becoming an Independent country.

    “There will be much more opportunity to reflect in the coming days, but today all of our thoughts are with Alex’s family and his many friends right across the political spectrum.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: October Interim Community Council Election results

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    ISSUED ON BEHALF OF RETURNING OFFICER

    Following last month’s announcement of Interim Community Council elections, The Highland Council is today able to confirm the candidates that have been elected to serve the Ardgay and District Community Council

    Full details of the result can be found on The Highland Council’s website – http://www.highland.gov.uk/ccelections

    The next round of Interim Community Council elections is scheduled to commence in January 2025 with the publication of the Notice of Election.

    14 Oct 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Two decades after decriminalisation, NZ’s sex workers still need protection from discrimination

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynzi Armstrong, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    It has been two decades since New Zealand decriminalised sex work. And while sex workers have workplace rights, they still worry about the risks of discrimination in everyday life.

    In my recent research, local sex workers explained the benefits of decriminalisation – and what still needs to change. Their experiences highlight that while much has changed for the better, stigma remains an issue. Further change is needed to better protect sex workers from it.

    New Zealand’s experience is relevant right now, as a number of governments elsewhere are reviewing their laws around sex work.

    Scotland, for example, is considering a proposal that would criminalise the purchase of sex – known as the Nordic model due to its initial adoption in some Nordic countries.

    Supporters argue this will help sex workers and extend gender equality. But evidence suggests the Nordic model actually harms sex workers: it impedes safety strategies, increases the risk of violence, limits access to justice, and enables discrimination.

    What is decriminalisation?

    The other options are decriminalisation and legalisation. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they are different. Legalisation of sex work (in Germany and the Netherlands, for example) means legalising an act that was previously against the law.

    For sex workers, this means restrictive government regulation and control, which may include mandatory registration with authorities, compulsory sexual health checks, and permission to work in specific areas only.

    Decriminalisation, on the other hand, means repealing laws that make an act or behaviour a crime, but not necessarily introducing restrictive regulations specific to the sex industry.

    That said, decriminalisation does not mean there is no regulation. Instead, regulations are comparable to other businesses. The focus is not on regulating sex workers, but providing them with rights.

    Under New Zealand’s Prostitution Reform Act (2003) it is an offence to induce or compel a person to do sex work. Sex workers have the right to refuse to see clients for any reason at any time. If a sex worker wishes to stop doing sex work, they can access unemployment benefits immediately (rather than having the normal stand down period ).

    Impacts of decriminalisation in New Zealand

    Research three years after the law came into force found a majority of participants felt they had more rights and were more able to refuse to see clients than before. Several participants felt police attitudes towards them had improved.

    Subsequent research found relationships between street-based sex workers and police had improved. Decriminalisation supported the safety strategies of these sex workers better.

    There have also been several high-profile cases where sex workers have exercised their legal rights. Brothel-based sex workers won sexual harassment cases against business owners, and convictions of rape against two clients who covertly removed condoms during their bookings.

    Among the 26 sex workers we interviewed in New Zealand, participants described feeling fortunate to work in the decriminalised context. They also felt working conditions for sex workers were better than in other countries.

    One participant said:

    I also feel that we shouldn’t have to say “oh we’re so lucky” but we are compared to other people in other countries.

    Another felt decriminalisation gave sex workers a “protective layer”.

    This meant, as one participant put it, “we have rights, full stop”.

    Participants appreciated sex work being defined as work and the rights that accompany this. Decriminalisation was considered both ideal and normalised. As another explained,

    it’s been decriminalised for a long time now, like it’s part of our reality.

    Room for improvement?

    While participants felt grateful to work in the decriminalised context, this doesn’t mean there weren’t issues.

    Decriminalisation in New Zealand doesn’t include legal protection from discrimination. Sex workers have little recourse if they are treated unfairly because of their job.

    The sex workers we spoke with believed the social stigma of sex work was gradually fading, and instances of discrimination described by participants were rare. But they still feared the consequences of discrimination (such as being denied accommodation or premises to work from if their work became known to a landlord).

    They supported further legal protection from discrimination. For one participant this meant,

    I could tell people my job without […] any fear of backlash, and that would be fantastic.

    Participants also wanted the protections of decriminalisation extended to temporary migrants. People who hold temporary visas face deportation if they are found to be working in the sex industry, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

    Falling behind

    After two decades of decriminalisation, New Zealand risks falling behind as more jurisdictions (such as Victoria and Queensland in Australia) adopt decriminalised frameworks that build in protection from discrimination.

    Such protections mean it is no longer legal to deny a person accommodation or a job based on their sex work experience, or deny them a bank loan or mortgage.

    To keep up, New Zealand needs to follow suit. The next step is therefore to strengthen and expand the rights sex workers have.

    Perhaps then, in another 20 years, the country will still be seen as one that put the human rights of sex workers first and showed the rest of the world what equality really looks like.

    Lynzi Armstrong received funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund (2019-2024)

    – ref. Two decades after decriminalisation, NZ’s sex workers still need protection from discrimination – https://theconversation.com/two-decades-after-decriminalisation-nzs-sex-workers-still-need-protection-from-discrimination-240787

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Lessons for the next pandemic: where did Australia go right and wrong in responding to COVID?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia

    Igor Corovic/Shutterstock

    With COVID still classified as an ongoing pandemic, it’s difficult to contemplate the next one. But we need to be prepared. We’ve seen several pandemics in recent decades and it’s fair to expect we’ll see more.

    For the final part in a series of articles on the next pandemic, we’ve asked a range of experts what Australia got right and wrong it its response to COVID. Here they share their thoughts on the country’s COVID response – and what we can learn for the next pandemic.

    Quarantine

    The federal government mandated 14 days of quarantine for all international arrivals between March 2020 and November 2021. During that period, 452,550 people passed through the system.

    The states and Northern Territory were given just 48 hours to set up their quarantine systems. The states chose hotel quarantine, while the Northern Territory repurposed an old miner’s camp, Howard Springs, which had individual cabins with outdoor verandas. The ACT had very few international arrivals, while Tasmania only had hotel quarantine for domestic travellers.

    During the first 15 months of the program, at least 22 breaches occurred in five states (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia). An inquiry into Victoria’s hotel quarantine found the lack of warning and planning to set up the complex system resulted in breaches that caused Victoria’s second COVID wave of 2020, leading to almost 800 deaths. A breach at Sydney airport led to the introduction of the Delta variant into Australia.

    In the next pandemic, mistakes from COVID need to be avoided. They included failure to protect hotel residents and staff from airborne transmission through ventilation and mask usage. Protocols need to be consistent across the country, such as the type of security staff used, N95 masks for staff and testing frequency.

    These protocols need to be included in a national pandemic preparedness plan, which is frequently reviewed and tested through simulations. This did not occur with the pre-COVID preparedness plan.

    Dedicated quarantine centres like Howard Springs already exist in Victoria and Queensland. Ideally, they should be constructed in every jurisdiction.

    Michael Toole

    Treatments

    Scientists had to move quickly after COVID was discovered to find effective treatments.

    Many COVID treatments involved repurposing existing drugs designed for other viruses. For example, the HIV drug ritonavir is a key element of the antiviral Paxlovid, while remdesivir was originally developed to treat hepatitis C.

    At the outset of the pandemic, there was a lot of uncertainty about COVID treatment among Australian health professionals. To keep up with the rapidly developing science, the National Clinical Evidence Taskforce was established in March 2020. We were involved in its COVID response with more than 250 clinicians, consumers and researchers.

    Unusually for evidence-based guidelines, which are often updated only every five years or so, the taskforce’s guidelines were designed to be “living” – updated as new research became available. In April 2020 we released the first guidelines for care of people with COVID, and over the next three years these were updated more than 100 times.

    While health-care professionals always had access to up-to-date guidance on COVID treatments, this same information was not as accessible for the public. This may partly explain why many people turned to unproven treatments. The taskforce’s benefits could have been increased with funding to help the community understand COVID treatments.

    COVID drugs faced other obstacles too. For example, changes to the virus itself meant some treatments became less effective as new variants emerged. Meanwhile, provision of antiviral treatments has not been equitable across the country.

    COVID drugs have had important, though not game-changing, impacts. Ultimately, effective vaccines played a much greater role in shifting the course of the pandemic. But we might not be so fortunate next time.

    In any future pandemic it will be crucial to have a clear pathway for rapid, reliable methods to develop and evaluate new treatments, disseminate that research to clinicians, policymakers and the public, and ensure all Australians can access the treatments they need.

    Steven McGloughlin and Tari Turner, Monash University

    Vaccine rollout

    COVID vaccines were developed in record time, but rolling them out quickly and seamlessly proved to be a challenge. In Australia, there were several missteps along the way.

    First, there was poor preparation and execution. Detailed planning was not finalised until after the rollout had begun.

    Then the federal government had overly ambitious targets. For example, the goal of vaccinating four million people by the end of March 2021 fell drastically short, with less than one-fifth of that number actually vaccinated by that time.

    There were also supply issues, with the European Union blocking some deliveries to Australia.

    Unfortunately, the government was heavily reliant on the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was found, in rare cases, to lead to blood clots in younger people.

    Despite all this, Australia ultimately achieved high vaccination rates. By the end of December 2021, more than 94% of the population aged 16 and over had received at least one dose.

    This was a significant public health achievement and saved thousands of lives.

    But over the past couple of years, Australia’s initially strong vaccine uptake has been waning.

    The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommends booster doses for vulnerable groups annually or twice annually. However, only 30% of people aged 75 and over (for whom a booster is recommended every six months) have had a booster dose in the past six months.

    There are several lessons to be learned from the COVID vaccine rollout for any future pandemic, though it’s not entirely clear whether they are being heeded.

    For example, several manufacturers have developed updated COVID vaccines based on the JN.1 subvariant. But reports indicate the government will only be purchasing the Pfizer JN.1 booster. This doesn’t seem like the best approach to shore up vaccine supply.

    Adrian Esterman, University of South Australia

    Mode of transmission

    Nearly five years since SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) first emerged, we now know airborne transmission plays a far greater role than we originally thought.

    In contrast, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 being transmitted via surfaces is likely to be low, and perhaps effectively non-existent in many situations.

    Early in the pandemic, the role contaminated surfaces and inanimate objects played in COVID transmission was overestimated. The main reason we got this wrong, at least initially, was that in the absence of any direct experience with SARS-CoV-2, we extrapolated what we believed to be true for other respiratory viruses. This was understandable, but it proved to be inadequate for predicting how SARS-CoV-2 would behave.

    One of the main consequences of overestimating the role of surface transmission was that it resulted in a lot of unnecessary anxiety and the adoption of what can only be viewed in retrospect as over-the-top cleaning practices. Remember the teams of people who walked the streets wiping down traffic light poles? How about the concern over reusable coffee cups?

    Considerable resources that could have been better invested elsewhere were directed towards disinfecting surfaces. This also potentially distracted our focus from other preventive measures that were likely to have been more effective, such as wearing masks.

    We now understand COVID spreads predominantly through the air.
    Kate Trifo/Pexels

    The focus on surface transmission was amplified by a number of studies published early in the pandemic that documented the survival of SARS-CoV-2 for long periods on surfaces. However, these were conducted in the lab with little similarity to real-world conditions. In particular, the amounts of virus placed on surfaces were greater than what people would likely encounter outside the lab. This inflated viral survival times and therefore the perception of risk.

    The emphasis on surface transmission early in the pandemic ultimately proved to be a miscalculation. It highlights the challenges in understanding how a new virus spreads.

    Hassan Vally, Deakin University

    National unity

    Initially, Commonwealth, state and territory leaders were relatively united in their response to the COVID pandemic. The establishment of the National Cabinet in March 2020 indicated a commitment to consensus-based public health policy. Meanwhile, different jurisdictions came together to deliver a range of measures aimed at supporting businesses and workers affected by COVID restrictions.

    But as the pandemic continued, tensions gave way to deeper ideological fractures between jurisdictions and individuals. The issues of vaccine mandates, border closures and lockdowns all created fragmentation between governments, and among experts.

    The blame game began between and within jurisdictions. For example, the politicisation of quarantine regulations on cruise ships revealed disunity. School closures, on which the Commonwealth and state and territory governments took different positions, also generated controversy.

    These and other instances of polarisation undermined the intent of the newly established National Cabinet.

    The COVID pandemic showed us that disunity across the country threatens the collective work needed for an effective response in the face of emergencies.

    The COVID response inquiry, due to release its results soon, will hopefully help us work toward national uniform legislation that may benefit Australia in the event of any future pandemics.

    This doesn’t necessarily mean identical legislation across the country – this won’t always be appropriate. But a cohesive, long-term approach is crucial to ensure the best outcomes for the Australian federation in its entirety.

    Guzyal Hill and Kim M Caudwell, Charles Darwin University

    This article is part of a series on the next pandemic.

    Adrian Esterman receives funding from the NHMRC, MRFF and ARC.

    Michael Toole receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

    Steven McGloughlin works with the Australian Living Evidence Collaboration and is a consultant for the World Health Organisation Health Emergencies Program.

    Tari Turner receives funding from MRFF; NHMRC; the Victorian, WA and Commonwealth governments; and philanthropy.

    Guzyal Hill, Hassan Vally, and Kim M Caudwell do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Lessons for the next pandemic: where did Australia go right and wrong in responding to COVID? – https://theconversation.com/lessons-for-the-next-pandemic-where-did-australia-go-right-and-wrong-in-responding-to-covid-239819

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Giving First Nations names to our bird species is a lot more complex – and contentious – than you might think

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Garnett, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University

    Shuterstock

    First Peoples’ names for animals and plants undeniably enrich Australian culture. But to date, few names taken from a language of Australia’s First Peoples have been widely applied to birds.

    About 2,000 Australian bird species and subspecies occur in Australia and its territories. However, just 35 of these have common names taken directly from First Peoples’ languages. These names are variations of just a handful of First Peoples words: galah, gang-gang, budgerigar, currawong, brolga, kookaburra, chowchilla, Kalkadoon and mukarrthippi.

    By contrast, many more bird names promote colonial power, by memorialising (mostly male) foreign explorers, naturalists, administrators or royalty – some of whom never even visited Australia.

    There is growing interest in the use of First Peoples’ words, as a global movement to decolonise the common names of species gathers pace. But as we and our colleagues explain in a paper published today, the practice is far more complex, and sometimes contentious, than it might appear.

    Budgerigar is one of eight First Peoples words used for Australian bird names.
    Shutterstock

    A bird by many names

    In Aoteoroa/New Zealand, many birds are known by their Māori names. Kiwis have never been known by any other name, and nor have kākāpō or kākā.

    It seems natural to assume using Indigenous names for our flora would help recognise First Peoples’ rights and knowledge, and their important role in Australian bird conservation.

    But we should proceed with both caution and respect.

    More than 250 First Peoples languages exist in Australia. This is unlike New Zealand where there is one Māori language (though many dialects).

    Most Australian birds occur on Country of more than one First Peoples’ group, and each group is likely to have at least one name for each species.

    The galah is a good example. For the first 100 years after Europeans arrived, naturalists most commonly used the name rose-breasted cockatoo.

    Gradually, however, the name used by the Yuwaarlaraay of north-western New South Wales – gilaa – took hold. In 1926, the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, now BirdLife Australia, adopted a variant of this, galah, as the official Australian name for the species.

    Since then, galahs have become deeply embedded into the national psyche. When Home and Away character Alf Stewart calls someone a “flamin’ galah” most Australians knows he is being uncomplimentary.

    Similarly, there could be no mistaking which species a survey respondent was referring to when they stated their favourite bird was a “glar”.

    But in the Kimberley region, the Gooniyandi peoples call galahs girlinygirliny. In the NSW Riverina, the Wemba-Wemba name is wilek-wilek.

    Galahs are known by myriad names.
    Shutterstock

    Likewise, the white-throated grasswren is known by the name yirlinkirrkkirr or yirrindjirrin in the Kunwinjku dialect. It’s also known as djirnidjirnirrinjken in the Kune dialect, from the Bininj Kunwok language group. The Jawoyn name for the same species is nyirrnyirr.

    The situation is even more complicated for birds shared with other countries.

    These multiple words for a species mean governments and other organisations could be seen as favouring one group over another if they recognise a particular First Peoples’ name.

    So sometimes it’s best to keep the English name, even though First Peoples’ names exist. This was the case with the endangered golden-shouldered parrot, known by Queensland’s Olkola people as alwal.

    The bird is highly significant in the Olkola creation story. However, a team working on the species’ recovery, chaired by an Olkola representative, decided to stick with the English name because neighbouring language groups refer to the bird by other names.

    Sadly, the parrots themselves no longer occur on the Country of some First Peoples, and only the name of the bird remains.

    Golden-shouldered parrots no longer occur on the Country of some First Peoples.
    Shutetrstock

    Protecting the secret and sacred

    The words First Peoples use to describe species may have special cultural significance.

    First Peoples’ names for birds, and other species, are often built around the birds’ relationships with people, kin and with Country. For example, the name may describe:

    • a connection between a person and a species
    • a group of people’s relationship with each other which is related to a shared ancestor
    • relationships between people and a sacred site or Dreaming track.

    Sometimes the names have sacred or secret meanings – and these can change with the place or with the speaker.

    For these reasons, First Peoples may not want names from their language to be publicly available or used in official documents without their consent.

    Permission is key

    There are cases where English names should and can be replaced by a First Peoples’ name.

    For example, in 2020 the bird now known as the mukarrthippi grasswren was recognised as a separate subspecies and needed its own common name. Australia’s rarest bird, it is known from just a few sand dunes on Country of the Ngiyampaa people in western New South Wales.

    Ngiyampaa elders together settled on the name mukarrthippi. It is a combination of Ngiyampaa words – mukarr or spinifex (the spiny grass in which the grasswrens live) and thippi which means little bird.

    Across Australia, 14 other bird subspecies have only ever been known from Country of a single First Peoples group. This means conversations with elders could be had about ascribing a First Peoples’ name to these birds.

    In other cases, language users from multiple First Peoples groups could decide together on a name.

    Where First Peoples offer alternative names for animal and plant species, governments should embrace the change. But no new First Peoples’ names should be adopted for species without explicit permission of the speakers of the language.

    Stephen Garnett receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is affiliated with BirdLife Australia where he is a board member.

    Sophie is a proud Alywarr woman currently working at CSIRO

    – ref. Giving First Nations names to our bird species is a lot more complex – and contentious – than you might think – https://theconversation.com/giving-first-nations-names-to-our-bird-species-is-a-lot-more-complex-and-contentious-than-you-might-think-238432

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Intermex to Release Third Quarter 2024 Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International Money Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMXI), also known as Intermex, will release its Third Quarter 2024 earnings before the start of trading on Friday, November 8, 2024. The Intermex management team will be hosting a conference call on the same day at 9:00 am ET.

    Interested parties are invited to join the conference and gain firsthand knowledge about Intermex’s financial performance and operational achievements through the following channels:

    • A live broadcast of the conference call may be accessed via the Investor Relations section of Intermex’s website at https://investors.intermexonline.com/.
    • To participate in the live conference call via telephone, please register HERE. Upon registering, a dial-in number and unique PIN will be provided to join the conference call.
    • Following the conference call, an archived webcast of the call will be available for one year on Intermex’s website at https://investors.intermexonline.com/.

    About International Money Express, Inc.        
    Founded in 1994, Intermex applies proprietary technology enabling consumers to send money from the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany to more than 60 countries. The Company provides the digital movement of money through a network of agent retailers in the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany; Company-operated stores; our mobile app; and the Company’s websites. Transactions are fulfilled and paid through thousands of retail and bank locations around the world. Intermex is headquartered in Miami, Florida, with international offices in Puebla, Mexico, Guatemala City, Guatemala, London, England, and Madrid, Spain. For more information about Intermex, please visit http://www.intermexonline.com.

    Investor Relations:
    Alex Sadowski
    Investor Relations Coordinator
    Tel: 305-671-8000
    IR@intermexusa.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Ruby launches into action to build final Metro West tunnel under Sydney Harbour

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Ruby launches into action to build final Metro West tunnel under Sydney Harbour

    Published: 15 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Transport

    Tunnel boring machine (TBM) Ruby has begun its journey to carve out the final section of tunnel for the city-shaping Sydney Metro West project.

    Launching from The Bays, TBM Ruby will join TBM Jessie in constructing 2.3-kilometre twin railway tunnels that will take metro deep below the harbour, this time creating another key connection into the heart of the city for people living in Sydney’s west.

    TBM Ruby is named after women’s rights activist and Australia’s first radio astronomer Ruby Payne-Scott and is the sixth and final TBM to get to work on building the 24-kilometre Metro West tunnels.

    The 1,100-tonne machine will operate around the clock, seven days a week. It will slowly inch its way alongside the iconic Anzac Bridge, through the Pyrmont Station site, and under Darling Harbour, before arriving at its final destination at Hunter Street in the Sydney CBD.

    TBM Jessie is hard at work on the parallel tunnel and has excavated 615 metres and installed 2,238 concrete segments to line the new tunnel walls since commencing its tunnelling journey in June.

    A total of 460,000 tonnes of material will be excavated and 16,536 segments will be installed by the two TBMs to construct the tunnels between The Bays and Hunter Street.

    These tunnels will form the second under-harbour railway crossing for Sydney, with the first built between the city’s north and Barangaroo for the metro M1 line, which has recorded 82 million journeys since opening on 19 August.

    TBMs Ruby and Jessie are heading towards Pyrmont Crossover and Station caverns, where they will traverse the station cavern before being relaunched towards Hunter Street Station.

    TBMs Ruby and Jessie are mixed shield (slurry) machines, specifically designed for the Metro West project to excavate in the highly pressurised conditions that are anticipated under Sydney Harbour.

    Parts of both TBMs came from the TBMs used to construct the Sydney Metro City & Southwest tunnels.

    The TBMs are expected to arrive at Hunter Street in mid-late 2025.

    Sydney Metro tunnelling partners John Holland CPB Contractors Ghella Joint Venture are excavating the under-harbour tunnels and two new station caverns at Pyrmont and Hunter Street as part of the Sydney Metro West – Eastern Tunnelling Package.

    Major tunnelling is progressing across the alignment, with two TBMs completing the 11-kilometre tunnels from The Bays to Sydney Olympic Park, and a further two TBMs in the ground to build the nine-kilometre tunnels between Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead.

    Sydney Metro West will double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD. It will make it easier and faster to travel around western Sydney, link new communities to rail services and support employment growth and housing supply.   

    For more information about the project, visit sydneymetro.info/west/project-overview.

    Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:

    “Our sixth and final Tunnel Boring Machine is now on her way as we build the game-changing Metro West project. 

    “TBM Ruby will dig a highly complex section of tunnel, carving its way beside the Anzac Bridge, below two sections of the harbour and finishing in the centre of the Sydney CBD.

    “Over the next 20 years, 420,000 people are expected to move into the corridor surrounding this these future Metro stations. This new line will keep our growing city moving.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Vibrancy Reforms to reboot nightlife, live music and entertainment community by community

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Published: 15 October 2024

    Released by: The Premier, Minister for Gaming and Racing, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy

    Building communities where culture thrives after dark as much as during the day is at the heart of the second tranche of the Minns Labor Government’s Vibrancy Reforms set to be introduced to Parliament today.

    The vibrancy package complements the NSW Government’s plan to build more homes and a better state to live in by ensuring local venues, events and community life flourishes.

    The Vibrancy Reforms are cutting red tape that has tipped the balance against live music and community life and in favour of neighbour complaints designed to turn the dial down on culture and entertainment.

    The second tranche of reforms are:

    • Tearing up baffling restrictions on licensed venues that include “no entertainment” clauses or dictate what genre of music or even how many musicians can play
    • Requiring property buyers to be notified that they are moving into an existing entertainment zone to protect the intent of Special Entertainment Precincts and reduce the friction between venues and their neighbours
    • Ending the antiquated rule that prevents people living within five kilometres of a registered club from signing in without first becoming a member
    • Binning the restriction on outdoor dining approvals that prevented patrons from standing while drinking outside a licenced premises
    • Amending the Major Events Act to make it easier to support foundational events like Sydney Festival and Vivid Sydney
    • Empowering the Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy to refer live music and performance venues with legitimate disputes to mediation.

    At the heart of the second tranche of reforms is the expansion of Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs) which empower and support councils to balance competing needs in their communities.

    A key part of the precinct model will be an acknowledgment by residential and business property buyers in official documents that they are moving into an established entertainment zone.

    The proposed changes to the SEP framework build on the success of the Enmore Road SEP and will ensure residents and other property purchasers are notified on their planning certificates if they buy a property in an entertainment precinct. This is called an “eyes wide open” clause in paperwork that should reduce the friction between venues and their neighbours.

    The reform package to Parliament will enable key cultural sites on state-owned land, including Walsh Bay and the reactivated White Bay Power station to become entertainment hotspots.

    A $1 million grant program to kickstart more SEPs will help councils establish precincts, including support to engage staff or expert consultants to undertake strategic planning, sound standards, acoustic frameworks, consultation, communications and engagement.

    The program is expected to open for applications later this year and will be accompanied by an online assistance portal available from November.

    The first round of Vibrancy Reforms delivered improvements that:

    • Permanently relaxed rules for outdoor dining to allowing venues to make the most of their outdoor space
    • Ended single noise complaints from shutting down pubs and other licensed venues
    • Made it easier to activate streets for festivals and events (Open Streets program) and a regulatory model that allows streamlined approvals for repeat events (Permit, Plug, Play)
    • Expanded Special Entertainment Precincts that empower local councils to change the rules around noise and opening hours in a designated area to support live entertainment and nightlife
    • Increased incentives for live music and live performance, with two hours extended trading and an 80% reduction in liquor licence fees for licensed venues offering live music and performance
    • Created easier pathways for extended trading hours for major events like the Olympics and World Cups.

    New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said:

    “Building more homes is the top priority for the NSW Government, but we are also determined to build vibrant communities around these homes.

    “From binning restrictions on outdoor dining to encouraging more local entertainment zones, our reforms back in live music and will help get Sydney’s night life going again.”

    Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said:

    “A guiding principle of the Vibrancy Reforms is building communities in which after work hours and weekends are not simply a time to retreat behind a closed front door at home, but a time that brings people together.

    “It is about cutting the red tape that has strangled nightlife over time and made local live music and performance at venues in many cases the exception rather than the rule.

    “We are rebuilding Sydney and regional centres across the state neighbourhood by neighbourhood and giving councils the tools to use the special entertainment precinct model.

    “People moving into an established entertainment zone will now do so with their eyes wide open through property search documents and we expect this will reduce conflict between neighbours and venues over time.”

    Minister for Liquor and Gaming David Harris said:

    “Changes in liquor act and licensing – including extended trading, specifically in performance venues encouraging and stimulating live music and live performance culture.

    “We will continue to work alongside industry, businesses, councils and communities across NSW to support the growth of SEPs, to bring even more vibrancy to precincts throughout the state.

    “Safety is also a key focus for these reforms, and we will continue to work with the relevant agencies to ensure a safe and vibrant nightlife across NSW.”

    24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said: 

    “NSW has some the best venues and after dark offerings in the country, but there is still more that can be done to help precincts reach their full entertainment, economic and creative potential.  

    “These reforms will seek to remove some of the barriers for councils, venues and businesses across the state to provide even more great offerings for people across NSW.”

    Enmore SEP representative and Little Lagos Owner-Chef Ade Adeniyi said:

    “The Enmore Road SEP has provided us with more opportunities to trade later, host more events and host more live music with support from the local council and the NSW Government.

    “We have created a space where people can visit and enjoy art and music in a comfortable environment with great food offerings as well.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council tenants encouraged to have their say on rent

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    Council tenants are being encouraged to take part in a consultation to have their say on proposed rent increases. 

    The 2024 Rent Consultation proposes to increase rent by up to 10% for 2025/26, which will be reviewed again in 2025 with a potentially longer-term policy in future years.

    Councillor Miranda Radley, Convener of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee, said: “We are aware of the difficulties faced by our tenants and understand the impacts that any increase in rent may have.

    “It is important that all our tenants take part in this consultation and share their views on the impact that these changes may have on them.”

    Tenants will be asked to share their views on three proposals: 

    • Changes to the rent structure that will increase the rent for properties that have two bedrooms or more; 

    • Increasing the rent of new build homes by 15% from 1 April 2025, and; 

    • Increasing rent by up to 10%. 

    The consultation will also ask about the impact extending the life of kitchens from 20 to 25 years and bathrooms from 30 to 35 years will have.

    Rent is held in an account known as the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which is reserved for repairs and upgrades. 

    Four drop-in sessions will be held where assistance in completing the consultation will be available.

    The consultation will be open until 3 November 2024. For more information and to take part, visit our website.   

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Date confirmed for path improvement works at Culloden Moor

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The public are being advised by The Highland Council of path improvement works alongside the C1028 and B9006 at Culloden Moor between Treetops Stables and Brookfield.

    This will provide a surfaced path network from Balloch and Viewhill to Brookfield and Sunnyside providing an improved connected provision for walking, wheeling and cycling.

    Path preparation works will commence Monday 21 October and are expected to take six days until Saturday 26 October.  Following this, on Monday 28 October surfacing works to lay the new bituminous surface course is anticipated to take 4 days, with the work completed on Thursday 31 October.

    In the interests of safety, the path and woodland car park will be closed to public access on these dates when works are being carried out. This is necessary due to the use of plant and machinery on and along the path lengths.

    A temporary 30 mph speed limit will be in place on the C1028 and B9006 over the lengths of the works.  Temporary traffic lights will be in operation on the roadside section at Brookfield between Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 October for preparation works and from Wednesday 30 to Thursday 31 October for surfacing works.

    Advance signs will be erected on the path and car park giving prior notice to the public about the forthcoming works.

    Path lengths will be opened up to public use when it is safe to do so.

    The Highland Council apologises for any inconvenience.

    14 Oct 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tribute to former Councillor Janet Home MBE 

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council pays tribute to former Highland Councillor Janet Home MBE who sadly passed away on Saturday 5 October.

    Convener of The Highland Council Cllr Bill Lobban said: “It is with great sadness that we learn of Janet’s passing.

    “I extend my deepest condolences to her family and friends from fellow Members and staff of The Highland Council. Her time as a Councillor is remembered with great fondness. She had a strong sense of community which was very much reflected in her commitment to improving the lives of others, especially young people.”

    Janet served as a member of Inverness District Council from 1980 to 1996 and sat on The Highland Council from 1995 to 2007, representing the Drakies, Culcabock and Inshes areas of Inverness.  

    During her time as a Highland Councillor she played an active role, serving on numerous committees including Planning, Corporate Services, Education, Culture and Sport and Resources. In 2001 she took on the role of  Convener of the Northern Joint Police Board, and in 2003 Chaired the Licensing Board.

    Janet was deeply involved in youth work for many years, including chairing Youth Highland (formerly the Highland Association of Youth Clubs). She played a major part in the construction of Culcabock and Drakies Hall and was a member of the hall committee for many years, as well as serving on her local community council.
     

    14 Oct 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The Highland Council is ready for winter

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council’s winter service starts today (Monday 14 October) and the Council is ready to treat – according to its policy – the 785km of roads for which it has responsibility.

    Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “I’m pleased to report that we have all the supplies and resources in place to provide a winter service according to the Council’s policy.  Council roads and pavements are gritted as specified within the council’s agreed winter service policy.

    “Service levels throughout the local Areas will remain, essentially, unchanged from last year.  When required, and when weather conditions allow, operations, Monday to Sunday, start at 6am and continue until 9pm, on a priority basis. There is no overnight service. On days classed as public holidays a restricted service is provided which starts at 7am.

    He added: “When it comes to winter gritting, we are grateful for the great support we received last year from most members of the public who showed great awareness and understanding of taking extra precautions when travelling in bad weather and checking before setting out on journeys. I would also like to recognise the work of our staff who work hard, often in extreme weather conditions, to keep routes open.

    “We will continue to do what it can within our resources and policy however, I would encourage communities to come forward and apply for winter resilience assistance from the Council that will provide them with salt in grit bins or heaps and other equipment to take action in their local areas that are important to them.”

    Community groups, volunteer groups and individuals who require further information or are wanting to access the Winter Resilience Programme can contact their Area Roads Office by email. Information is on the Council’s website –  The winter fleet mobilisation programme is complete and includes vehicle servicing and calibration of salt spreading equipment.  The fleet includes over a hundred gritters, footpath tractors and over 200 staff providing winter services.

    The council can confirm it has adequate salt stocks for the region of 40,000 tonnes for the start of the main winter season and that there are no concerns about future provision of deliveries from the council’s supplier.

    Cllr Gowans added a warning. He said: “Salting will not prevent roads from icing up in extreme conditions. This is particularly relevant on low traffic roads where there are insufficient vehicle movements to aid the interaction between the salt and the ice crystals, so we urge drivers to be extra careful driving in these conditions.”

    •  Drivers should take account of prevailing weather and road conditions.
    • Winter weather conditions within the Highlands can be very localised.
    • Black ice can be a particular danger. You cannot see it and it can still be there even after treatment.
    • Dawn frosts can also catch drivers unaware. At first light a clear sky will allow heat to radiate quickly from the road surface causing icy patches to form on wet or damp roads.

    Staff involved in winter services provision at area level are trained in using the Council’s weather forecasting service. The forecasts are used each year to assist local decision-making on daily and longer-term winter services actions.

    Area Winter Service Plans are set by Area Committees within Council strategy and budget allocated by the Economy and Infrastructure Committee.  The current Winter Service maps for each area will shortly be available from the Council’s website.

    Trunk roads in Highland are the responsibility of Transport Scotland and their operators Bear Scotland and AMEY.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Still time to vote in BID Fort William

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Ballot papers were issued on Thursday 3 October 2024 to all businesses who were eligible and who would become levy payers and members of the Fort William Business Improvement District (BID). 

    Any businesses who think they are eligible to vote but may not have received their ballot papers, or any electors requiring a replacement ballot must contact The Highland Council’s Election Office on 01349 886657 or email: election@highland.gov.uk. 

    The ballot is being conducted entirely by post. For the BID to be successful there must be a minimum of 25% turnout by the number of businesses and by combined rateable value. Of those that vote, over 50% by number and 50% by combined rateable value must vote in favour of the BID. 

    A Business Improvement District is a partnership between a local authority and the local business community to develop projects and services that will benefit the trading environment within the boundary of a clearly defined commercial area, where businesses have voted to invest collectively in local improvements which will benefit the local economy. 

    BIDs have a maximum current duration of 5 years and are either dissolved at the end of their term or go back to a vote to be renewed by a further ballot of all eligible businesses. 

    All ballot papers must be returned in the pre-paid envelope provided to the CIVICA Election Services by no later than 5pm on Thursday 21 November 2024. Ballot papers will be counted on Friday 22 November 2024 and the result announced thereafter. 

    For further information on the BID, please contact BID Fort William, MacLean House, Belford Road, Fort William, PH33 6BT; http://www.bidfortwilliam.co.uk; Email: mark@bidfortwilliam.co.uk or phone: 07804 484650. 

    For further information on the ballot visit http://www.highland.gov.uk/bidfortwilliam 

    14 Oct 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Champions enhance ABC Borough’s Age Friendly status

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough’s reputation as an area where older people can live full, active, valued and healthy lives, has been further enhanced with the appointment of new Age Friendly Champions.

    Lord Mayor, Cllr Sarah Duffy and Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Kyle Savage have been joined by Chair of the Environment Committee, Alderman Margaret Tinsley and Deputy Chair of the Environment Committee, Cllr Kate Evans as Age Friendly Champions for the ABC Borough.

    Last year, the Borough became an official member of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities and the addition of two more Age Friendly Champions is a further reflection of the commitment from ABC Council in listening to the needs of the ageing population and providing effective advice, support and practical help.

    The four Age Friendly Champions have come together to highlight support to those pensioners who may be impacted by the forthcoming changes to the Winter Fuel Payments.

    At its monthly meeting in September, ABC Borough Council agreed to write to the Prime Minister urging the Government to reverse the changes to Winter Fuel Payments. The Council motion is also seeking assurance that, at the very least, the Pension Credit minimum income guarantee will be increased, ensuring that more low-income pensioner households become eligible for pension credit.

    Together, the Age Friendly Champions are calling on pensioners and also their family and carers, to check for Pension Credit status, which may allow them to receive the payment. Pension Credit checks can be made through the Age NI charity which has an online benefits calculator. Alternatively there is the Department for Communities’ ‘Make the Call’ service, which also lets people know what benefits they are entitled to.

    You can visit the Age NI website here – https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/benefits-calculator/ or contact the Department for Communities’ Make the Call service on tel: 0800 232 1271

    A number of information events focusing on benefits and support are being held as part of Positive Ageing Month in the ABC Borough – for more information visit http://www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/PAM

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Aberdeen locals urged to recycle their electricals

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    19 recycling bins installed across city neighbourhoods and local school electrical recycling educational tour planned.

    Aberdeen City Council today unveils its plans for a new local small electrical recycling project. Launched on International E-Waste Day (14th October), the project aims to raise awareness of the importance of recycling electricals and encourage residents across the city to get behind its drive to recycle their electricals. 19 striking, large, bright pink collection bins have been installed across Aberdeen neighbourhoods, providing locals with easily accessible options at community sports clubs and libraries, to safely dispose of unwanted electrical items.  

    This is one of over 40 UK projects funded by Material Focus, the not for profit leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, who have provided £32,000 to support this project. Aberdeen City Council are joining other projects around the country in making it easier for 10 million UK residents to recycle their electricals. The 19 large bins can be filled with small electricals, including mobile phones, tablets, household appliances, cables, and children’s electrical toys, anything smaller than the size of a standard microwave. Three additional bins will be toured around schools to help educate young people on recycling.

    Residents will be made aware of how and where they can recycle their electricals through information on leaflets and on eye-catching posters featuring HypnoCat. Keep an eye out for HypnoCat, the Recycle Your Electricals mesmerising pink, fluffy mascot, who is on a mission to hypnotise local residents into recycling their electricals.

    The aim of the nationwide Electricals Recycling Fund is to significantly reduce e-waste and its environmental impact by making it easier for consumers to recycle their electricals. The projects that have been funded by Material Focus include a variety of recycling methods, from kerbside collections to more drop-off points in schools, community centres, and bring banks. Overall there will be over 400 new collection points plus kerbside collections for 5.5 million UK residents.

    Recycle Your Electricals research has shown that 80% of consumers believe recycling is a good thing, and many of us already recycle things like paper and plastic. Research has also shown that most of us have unwanted electricals we want to get rid of. On average there are at least 30 electricals hidden away in drawers in UK homes, a total of 880 million items across the Uk  – with a simple repair many could be donated or sold to people who could put them to good use. And yet 39% of people bin electricals, rather than recycle or reuse them leading to over 100,000 tonnes of electricals thrown away every year. The aim of these projects is to overcome these issues by making it easier to repair, donate or recycle electricals.

    Aberdeen City Council Co-leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “When items can’t be repaired, donated, or reused it’s important to recycle them. The addition of these bins will help our citizens to easily recycle electricals.  

    “Following the fire at our Altens recycling centre, we know the damage electrical items can cause when not recycled safely. We’re pleased to have a new solution in place to reduce the amount of these items ending up in citizen’s bins.”  

    Net Zero, Environment and Transport vice-convenor, Councillor Miranda Radley added: “Unwanted electricals are one of the fastest growing types of waste in the world. When these items are incorrectly disposed of, we lose materials like aluminium and copper that can be used to make new devices.

    “We would like to extend our thanks to Material Focus for their support in delivering this project.”

    “We are pleased to support Aberdeen City Council’s project that addresses the pressing issue of e-waste.” said Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus. “By investing in improved collection and drop-off services and exploring new recycling methods, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future by making it easier for 10 million more people to recycle their electricals.”

    In celebration of International E-Waste Day (14th Oct) Recycle Your Electricals is launching The Great Cable Challenge, calling on all UK households to take part and collectively recycle one million cables, helping to reduce e-waste. Local residents can get involved in International E-waste Day locally by participating in Aberdeen’s electrical recycling project.

    To find your nearest recycling point search recycle your electricals.
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Commemorative bench unveiled for former lollipop lady

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    A commemorative bench for June McCombie, a former lollipop lady at Walker Road School, was unveiled at the official opening of Greyhope Community Garden, in the Torry area of Aberdeen, on Friday 11 October 2024.

    June helped pupils to safely cross the street for nearly three decades and was loved within the school community at Walker Road. In 2016 she received a community star award for her services as a lollipop lady and for all she did for the Torry community. June sadly passed away in 2021.

    Councillor Martin Greig, Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “The commemorative bench is a fitting tribute to June, who was a wonderful example of the great community spirit and friendship that Torry is renowned for.

    “The community garden offers everyone in the local area a place to come to relax and enjoy the benefits of quiet contemplation in the heart of the community.”

    The new bench, which replaced ‘June’s Bench’ at the former Walker Road School, was installed in the community garden at the entrance of Greyhope School and Community Hub, Tullos Circle.

    The pupils of Walker Road School moved to their new £28millon Greyhope School and Community Hub on 1 November 2023.

    To mark the unveiling of the commemorative bench and the official opening of the community garden a ribbon was cut by members of June’s family and Primary 7 pupils.

    The community event saw a performance by Torry Dancers, poetry readings by Primary 6 and Primary 7 pupils, and singing from Primary 5 pupils.

    Ross Watson, head teacher, Greyhope School and former head at Walker Road School, said: “We are pleased that the new commemorative bench for June is now available to our school community and the residents of Torry. As we approach the anniversary of the opening of Greyhope School and Community Hub, this was the ideal time for this special event and to open our community garden for the first time.”

    Paula McCombie, June McCombie’s daughter, said:  “When our mum passed three years ago, it made my brother and I very proud to see how well thought of she was by pupils and parents from Walker Road School, both past and present, as well as staff and the local community and their buying the bench in her memory.

    “Mum loved her job, and particularly the kids. It never ceased to amaze me how she remembered all their names, even years later if she saw them out and about. I’m sure she would have loved the idea of having a bench dedicated to her, watching over the kids at school. 

    “We are so pleased that the bench has been placed in the community garden of Greyhope School, in succession to Walker Road School, in her name and want to thank everyone involved for making this happen.”

    Colin Milne, Framework Director, Morrison Construction – North East, said: “Morrison were delighted to supply and install this new bench in commemoration for the excellent work that June did for the local area.”

    The garden will be a space for visitors and community members to relax and enjoy the surroundings at the new school and hub.

    Greyhope School and Community Hub was delivered by the Council’s development partner Hub North Scotland with Morrison Construction – North East as main contractor and architects Halliday Fraser Munro.

    Morrison’s Construction paid for the bench as part of community engagement funding linked to its delivery of the school and community hub.

    Photo: Anne Armstrong (L), June McCombie’s sister; and June’s daughter Paula McCombie (R) sit on the commemorative bench dedicated to former lollipop lady June McCombie, located in the newly opened Greyhope Community Garden. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kids Invent Stuff and Taskmaster Education competition

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Intellectual Property Office partners with Kids Invent Stuff and Taskmaster Education to launch nationwide competition for young innovators.

    • the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is supporting Taskmaster Education and Kids Invent Stuff to launch a new invention competition for UK children aged 4 to 11 nationwide
    • the competition aims to encourage innovation and creativity, develop problem-solving skills, and promote understanding of idea ownership among young people
    • the challenge is to create an invention to help Little Alex Horne be the best Taskmaster’s Assistant. The winning entry will be built by Kids Invent Stuff and tested by Little Alex Horne at the Taskmaster House
    • the winning invention will be revealed during British Science Week in March 2025

    The Intellectual Property Office has joined forces with Taskmaster Education and Kids Invent Stuff to launch an exciting invention competition for children aged 4 to 11 nationwide.

    The competition challenges young minds to create an invention to help Little Alex Horne become the best Taskmaster’s Assistant ever. Children will create inventions to improve Alex’s performance as Greg Davies’ assistant on the BAFTA-winning TV show Taskmaster. The winning invention will be brought to life by Kids Invent Stuff and tested by Little Alex Horne at the Taskmaster House.

    The IPO is helping bring the competition to all corners of the UK. The competition aims to encourage creativity, develop problem-solving skills, and nurture an understanding of the ownership of ideas among the UK’s budding young inventors and creators.

    The IPO’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Adam Williams said:

    The IPO is delighted to be working with supporters of young innovation to inspire the next generation of UK inventors. It’s great to see a competition for young people that looks to celebrate and develop innovation skills, and I can’t wait to see the ingenious and no doubt pretty wacky and wonderful ideas it will bring.

    Young people are fantastic creators and innovators, and this nationwide competition combines entertainment, education, and innovation brilliantly. This exciting venture will encourage them to develop their skills and understanding from an early age, impressing on them the importance of IP in protecting their ideas in a challenging and fun way.

    Ruth Amos, Inventor & Director at Kids Invent Stuff said:

    We are thrilled to be working with Taskmaster Education and the IPO on this very exciting challenge. At Kids Invent Stuff, we believe that every child is an inventor, so to be able to bring to life an idea in the Taskmaster House is a dream come true. We can’t wait to see the entries and build the winning invention.

    Dr Ali Struthers, Co-Founder of Taskmaster Education said:

    We’re so excited to be partnering with the brilliant YouTube channel, Kids Invent Stuff, and the IPO in this exciting venture. Our noble quest is to make Little Alex Horne the best Taskmaster’s Assistant he can possibly be. We can’t wait to see what the kids come up with (the wackier, the better, we think) and then watch as Ruth and Shawn bring it to life. We’re sure Alex is going to have lots of fun giving the invention a whirl at the Taskmaster House.

    Little Alex Horne said:

    It’s brilliant that Taskmaster Education have teamed up with Kids Invent Stuff and the IPO to give children the chance to bring their invention ideas to life. Kids Invent Stuff and Taskmaster Education have similar goals, to make learning really fun and exciting, so we’d encourage entrants to think big and be creative. I can’t wait to road test the winning entry at the Taskmaster House (as long as I don’t get injured in the process…).

    Entries can be drawings, pictures, or videos showcasing the children’s most imaginative ideas. The competition welcomes entries from both individuals and from groups.

    The winner will see their invention brought to life by Ruth Amos and Shawn Brown, the engineering experts behind the Kids Invent Stuff YouTube channel. With an audience reaching around 70,000 subscribers, the channel is known for turning children’s creative ideas into real inventions.

    The deadline for entries is Friday, 13 December 2024. The winning invention will be revealed during British Science Week in March 2025.

    For more information and competition resources, visit Cracking Ideas.

    Notes to editors:

    • Taskmaster Education adapts the format of Channel 4’s Taskmaster to create fun and educational experiences for children and young people. In the show, the Taskmaster and his assistant Little Alex Horne challenge comedians with creative tasks. Taskmaster Education uses similar activities to develop important skills in children. These skills include problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking. Taskmaster Education provides a flexible and engaging way to inspire learning in classrooms and beyond
    • schools can set up their own Taskmaster Club for pupils. This allows children to try more tasks while developing important life skills. These skills include teamwork, creativity, and reasoning. The Club series that includes the Kids Invent Stuff task is called ‘Bathtub’. To find out more, visit the Taskmaster Education website
    • Kids Invent Stuff is an innovative YouTube channel that brings young people’s inventions to life. Founded by engineers Ruth and Shawn, Kids Invent Stuff offers children aged 4 to 11 the opportunity to see their creative ideas transformed into reality. To find out more visit the Kids Invent Stuff website
    • the IPO has curated a YouTube playlist showcasing the incredible inventions from past IPO and Kids Invent Stuff competitions

    The competition is open to UK residents aged 4 to 11. Competition terms and conditions apply

    How to Enter:

    1. Visit Cracking Ideas to access the competition resources.
    2. Download the competition worksheet from the competition webpage.
    3. Design your invention and give it a catchy, creative name.
    4. Describe how it works and its amazing features.
    5. Write your name and age on the worksheet
    6. Provide an adult’s full name, email address, and town/city location.
    7. Submit your entry by either:

    • emailing to hello@kidsinventstuff.co.uk

    • uploading at kidsinventstuff.com/submit-your-invention

    • posting to: FAO Ruth Amos, Kids Invent Stuff, Alison Business Centre, 39-40 Alison Crescent, Sheffield, England, S2 1AS

    Updates to this page

    Published 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW launches life saving mobile ECMO service for children

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Published: 15 October 2024

    Released by: Minister for Health

    Paediatric patients across NSW will now have better access to advanced technology which provides live saving critical care and life support, thanks to the Kids ECMO Referral Service (KERS).

    Hosted by Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN), the statewide service enables Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) to be provided on the road using specially designed mobile equipment and highly specialised retrieval teams.

    ECMO provides temporary life support for critically ill patients who have reversible acute respiratory or cardiac failure that are not responding to conventional treatments.

    The therapy uses a mechanical pump to take blood from the patient, remove the carbon dioxide and add oxygen to the blood before recirculating it through the body. By doing the work of the heart and lungs, ECMO allows the heart and lungs to rest and recover while the patient’s condition is treated.

    It can be used to help manage conditions including severe infection or sepsis caused by bacteria, influenza or enterovirus as well as other severe forms of neonatal and paediatric heart and lung disease.

    Mobile ECMO for neonatal and paediatric patients was established in NSW in December 2022, with the advanced intensive care therapy previously only able to be provided for children in two paediatric specialist hospitals: The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) and Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (SCH).

    The KERS team provides highly specialised advice to local hospitals and can be deployed within an hour, once mobile ECMO is determined to be the best option for treatment. KERS is led by a dedicated paediatric ECMO intensive care specialist, and comprises a cardiothoracic surgeon, scrub nurse and perfusionist who work with the team from the Newborn and paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS).

    Two-year-old Jack was the first patient to be placed on mobile ECMO using the KERS service. Jack was born with severe meconium aspiration at his local hospital in Canberra, meaning his lungs weren’t working properly. Within 24 hours, the KERS team attended Canberra Hospital, placed Jack on mobile ECMO and transferred him with the support of the NETS team to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

    The intervention saved Jack’s life and thankfully, he made a full recovery. Jack is now back home in Canberra, with no need for follow up care.

    Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health Ryan Park:

    “KERS enhances equity of access to vital healthcare for children when they are at their most vulnerable and makes it possible to deliver lifesaving critical care across NSW.”

    “This service demonstrates the potential to change outcomes for children through collaboration not just across our paediatric services, but right across the health system.”

    “I am proud to offer this life-saving service here in New South Wales and to once again showcase the skill and ability of our healthcare teams.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for East Hills Kylie Wilkinson:

    “It’s really important that the Kids ECMO Referral Service is a statewide initiative, offering life-saving care to critically ill babies and children regardless of where they live.

    “The ability to offer this highly specialised and highly advanced level of medical care is a testament to the skill and expertise of teams across our two children’s hospitals and the retrieval teams at Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service.”

    Quotes attributable to Kids ECMO Referral Service Medical Director Dr Marino Festa:

    “KERS is a lifesaving service for children who are failing conventional intensive care and builds on the capacity of our two children’s hospitals to enable us to provide ECMO remotely.”

    “What we have been able to do is offer a referral service to local hospitals where they can get highly specialised advice and guidance on the most critically ill patients to determine if they will benefit from ECMO. If the answer is yes, we can deploy a team within an hour and get that child the urgent care they need while on the road, instead of waiting until they get to a paediatric hospital in Sydney.”

    “This service has been made possible through the collaboration of expert clinicians and existing health services within the state. It has the potential to truly transform the care available to children and families and positively impact outcomes, particularly in the regional and remote parts of our state.”

    MIL OSI News –