June 2023

13 June - Loneliness Awareness Week runs from 12 to 18 June 2023

We can all feel lonely at times. Loneliness and feeling isolated can have a major effect on our health and wellbeing - both physically and mentally. 

Making even one connection matters and that's why we're promoting Loneliness Awareness Week from 12 to 18 June. There are things you can do to help yourself or someone you know who is feeling lonely, whether it's someone you support through work or a friend or family member.

Our flyer and short film and the Your Support Your Way Glasgow website show some of the signs to look out for, some things you can do to help and sources of support.

The Socially Connected Glasgow Strategy shows how we can all work together to reduce social isolation and loneliness.

7 June - 'Phishing Exercise' to take place this month

As you will be aware the term phishing generally refers to email correspondence from a cyber attacker which attempts to trick users into doing 'the wrong thing' - such as clicking a bad URL link that will download malware to your device or direct you to a malicious website.  It can also be used to trick users into processing a payment to a fraudster, through impersonating a senior person in the organisation.

We profile the different types of phishing on our #Safe Glasgow pages - understanding the different types of cyber-crime.

Keeping our staff and systems safe

Cyber attacks are becoming more and more sophisticated and it is therefore essential that we continually keep you informed and educated on information security- so that you are aware of phishing and can identify the key characteristics of suspicious emails.

All staff should be completing our annual Information Security Essentials course on GOLD - if you haven't already done so for 2022 then please complete this on GOLD as soon as possible.

Phishing simulation exercise - during June

A key way to educate you on what to do if you receive a suspicious email is by undertaking a phishing simulation exercise.  Therefore, during June we will be carrying out an exercise with a random sample group of staff - across the corporate email network.

This sample group of staff will receive a non-malicious 'phishing email' at some point during the month. How they respond and interact to this test email will help us to better understand their knowledge on suspicious emails - in particular a phishing email.

Please note that as part of this exercise - if you are selected to take part, no personal data will be collected out with your corporate council email address and feedback from the exercise will only show us how many staff interacted with the email, not individual names.

Following this initial exercise - further council wide email simulation exercises may be carried out to include all pc facing staff, to help us tailor our information security training and communication materials.

Report it

Please report any suspicious activity or emails you receive immediately to Integrity (on Outlook)

More information is available at #Safe Glasgow  - How to report a suspicious email/text message you have received

7 June - Giving a PowerPoint presentation?

Just like individuals, every organisation, company or brand has its own 'identity'. As a council, our 'identity' helps our citizens, suppliers and staff to recognise and understand our organisation.

However, the 'identity' of any organisation can be complicated - it can include the effectiveness of its services or the shared values of staff, as well as the corporate tone of voice and how it communicates. Naturally, its visual appearance - or 'corporate identity' (brand/logo) - plays a critical role.

Corporate Identity

For the council important parts of our own corporate identity include how we display and use our visual brand - for example on vehicles, publications and presentations, as well as how we communicate and behave - for example our tone of voice when keeping our citizens engaged and informed.

Our existing corporate identity was introduced in 1996 when Glasgow City Council was formed and we have a set of formal guidelines on how to use this - to make sure we always have a consistent professional appearance.

Council branded PowerPoint presentations

To help deliver on our guidelines we have a corporate Powerpoint template (which can be downloaded) that all staff should use if delivering a presentation - internally or externally.

It includes an agreed and approved layout format and style using our council logo, brand colours and current Strategic Vision tag line. Instructions are given on how to use it.  No other PowerPoint presentation template should be used. 

It is important that we use a corporate branded template when presenting as it helps to build the right impression of our council in a professional and consistent way. It helps your audience to easily recognise who we are and what we do and elevates the professional nature of our services whilst building a positive brand experience.  

More information

• Download the template which is on our  Glasgow Intranet - Corporate Identity Guidelines page

7 June - Glasgow's Low Emission Zone now in force

Glasgow's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is now in force.

The LEZ scheme will protect public health by tackling unacceptably high levels of harmful air pollution that has long persisted in the city centre.

Since 1 June, all vehicles entering the city centre zone must meet the less-polluting emission standards or face a penalty charge.

There are some exemptions however, such as for blue badge holders and emergency vehicles. Those who live in the zone area have an extra year to prepare.

Glasgow's Low Emission Zone operates continuously. It covers an area of the city centre bounded by the M8 motorway to the north and west, the River Clyde to the south and Saltmarket/High Street to the east.

To see if your vehicle meets LEZ requirements, you can enter your vehicle registration number into the national online vehicle checker hosted by Transport Scotland.

Glasgow's LEZ is being enforced using ANPR cameras linked to a national vehicle licencing database. When a non-compliant vehicle is detected in the zone, a Penalty Charge Notice (initially set at £60) will be issued to the registered keeper. 

Gavin Slater, Head of Sustainability (Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability) said: "We've made really good progress in tackling air pollution in recent years thanks in no small part to the first phase of Glasgow's LEZ which has significantly improved the emission standards of the city's bus fleet.

"Some parts of the city centre however continue to have stubbornly high levels of harmful air pollution, which is why restricting access to those vehicles that pollute the most is vital to protect public health.

"Whether it's through the enforcement of Glasgow's Low Emission Zone, or strategies that support and encourage travelling actively or more sustainably, we'll continue to strive for better, air quality across our city."

In addition to combating harmful air pollution, Glasgow's LEZ is also expected to boost the uptake of more sustainable forms of transport and increase the attractiveness of our city centre.

Find out more by visiting www.glasgow.gov.uk/LEZ

7 June - All roads lead to Glasgow - further routes announced

Loch's, castles, iconic monuments, and stunning towns and cities from across Scotland will provide the perfect backdrop for 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships as further details of the World Championship Elite road routes were unveiled during May.

This announcement builds on the initial overview of road routes revealed last September during the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia. It includes new details and full routes for the road races (Men Elite, Women Elite and Men Under 23), Individual Time Trials (all categories) and Time Trial Mixed Relays.

Maps of the routes and more information can be found on cyclingworldchamps.com with detailed road closure maps on getreadyglasgow.com

Hosting eight championships across five venues, including road races, will impact our travel network and we will experience changes to the movement of traffic around the city.

Detailed maps, such as below, have been created for the Mixed Team Time Trial Relay as well as both of the Elite Road Races and published on the Get Ready Glasgow website https://www.getreadyglasgow.com/cycling-worlds/traffic-and-travel

Road closures on the Road Race City Centre Circuit will come into effect from 0001hrs, Friday 4 August until 2359hrs, Tuesday 8 August and then again on 0001hrs, Saturday 12 August until 2359hrs, Sunday 13 August.

Road closures on the Mixed Team Time Trial Race Route will come into effect from 0001hrs, Friday 4 August until 2359hrs, Tuesday 8 August.

Parking restrictions and road closures will be in place to allow athletes to familiarise themselves with the route, to race safely across the city, and for the safety and enjoyment of the tens of thousands of people who are expected to line the route in support of the riders.

Modes of active travel, such as walking, wheeling and cycling, are a safe and sustainable way to get around the city during the Championships.

Find out about active travel in Glasgow on the Smarter Travel Glasgow website and cycling in Glasgow on the Glasgow City Council website.

7 June - Register your trees: Clyde Climate Forest 'Tree Count' gets underway

The Clyde Climate Forest (CCF) launched its Annual Tree Count last month, with organisations and community groups encouraged to register trees planted since this time last year to contribute to this year's grand total.

Last year, 1.2 million trees were planted across Glasgow City Region and this year it's hoped even more will be registered.

The Tree Count has been launched just weeks after CCF received confirmation of a £200,000 funding boost from the eight local councils across the Region as part of a dedicated allocation from each of the member councils' UK Government Shared Prosperity Funding.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet and Leader of the council, said: "The Clyde Climate Forest has the potential to provide a significant response to the climate and ecological emergency. Our ambition to plant 18 million trees across the City Region over the next decade will bring multiple benefits to our local communities, to Scotland and to our planet."u

Added to the funding boost from the eight councils in the Region, Scottish Forestry also confirmed its commitment to continued support of the CCF's ambitions with an extra £70,000 of funding.

All of this adds up to more trees in the coming years, trees which will help soak up rainwater in downpours, create cooling effects in heatwaves and provide vital wildlife habitat.

In the past year alone, around 50,000 trees have been planted in urban areas by local schoolchildren and community groups working with the CCF team.

However, there are many local community groups, schools and other organisations who have planted trees in our region who may not have registered with Clyde Climate Forest and these are the focus of the Tree Count campaign.

Max Hislop, Director of Clyde Climate Forest, said: "We want everyone who has planted a tree or woodland to come forward and register their trees with us.  Whether it's a single tree in your garden, a dozen trees in your school grounds or a small woodland on your landholding, we want to know about it.

"Every tree registered will help us get a better understanding of how close we are to reaching our '18 million trees' goal and provide us with a tree map of all individual, community and organisational tree plantings."

As part of a Concordat agreement, the eight regional councils also formally pledged to help deliver the CCF's 18 million trees over the next decade to help tackle both the climate and biodiversity emergencies. Local authorities also pledged to register their tree plantings with the Clyde Climate Forest team.

The Clyde Climate Forest is delivering part of the Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network, with support from Green Action Trust, TCV, Glasgow City Region, Trees for Cities, Scottish Forestry and Woodland Trust Scotland. Following last month's announcement, the CCF will receive £200,000 from the UK Government through the Shared Prosperity Fund.

To register your trees visit:https://www.clydeclimateforest.co.uk/tree-counter-form

7 June - Clean up our air to look after your mind

Clean Air Day is a great opportunity to find out more about air pollution, share information with friends and act to make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone.

Air pollution disproportionately impacts upon older and very young people, and on those with existing heart and lung conditions.

Led by Global Action Plan and co-ordinated in Scotland by Environmental Protection Scotland, Clean Air Day brings everyone together to:

• Focus attention on air pollution
• Explain the easy actions we can all take to tackle air pollution
• Build awareness of how air pollution affects our health
• Showcases that a cleaner air future is both possible and desirable

This year's theme is Clean up our air to look after your mind this #CleanAirDay.

Cleaning up our air is good for us in many ways - it not only benefits our physical health and the environment but can also protect our mental and brain health. The physical health impacts of air pollution - such as asthma, heart disease and cancers - have been recognised for decades. More recently, researchers are beginning to understand how air pollution can affect the brain and the mind.

To stay up to date ahead of Clean Air Day 2023, sign up to the newsletter or for more information on how to protect your health from air pollution, head to the Clean Air Hub. 

7 June - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall refurbishment

Over the last few months Glasgow Royal Concert Hall has been refurbished and is looking great! The team has been welcoming back customers and showing off all the improvements. Pictured are some of the Concert Hall team in the refurbished Main Hall - left to right are Donald, Matthew, Harjit and Kieran, Megan, Gordon and Fionn, and Alistair and Denis.

All seats have been replaced and the choir stalls have new benches. The accessible areas are now in a new position to improve views of the stage and are bigger for greater comfort for customers using larger, modern wheelchairs. New carpets have been fitted in the auditorium, box office area, mezzanine foyer and grand staircase and the venue has been freshly painted throughout. There is also new LED lighting in the foyers and the seating in the Clyde foyer and Island bar areas has been newly upholstered. Additional improvements will be completed during the summer months in the Café and Lomond foyer area, including new flooring and a new accessible lift.

Encore Hospitality Services, part of Catering and FM in Financial Services, have also introduced STACK-CUPs to reduce single use plastic in the Concert Hall. Customers pay a £1 deposit on the cup when they buy a drink, which is then refunded when they return them at the end of the event.

Check out the improvements at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall yourself by planning your next event at glasgowconcerthalls.com

7 June - Rare Orchid's trip to London

Rare orchids from Glasgow's Botanic Gardens were on display at Chelsea Flower Show last month.

Glasgow City Council's orchids, ferns, begonias and other plants were part of an exhibition stand at the world's most famous flower show in London at end of May.

Tiny rare West African orchids were among the plants on loan for display on a stand by J.P Wright & Company of Florida and Grow Tropicals highlighting the vital role orchids play as indicators of the health of wider ecosystems.

The display showcased the beauty and diversity of orchids while highlighting the importance of conserving their natural habitats. Visitors were able to witness efforts to find and protect the rare Florida Ghost Orchid by a renowned global conservation team, along with endangered orchids from The Republic of Cameroon. A special highlight also featured some of the 52 orchid varieties native to Britain.

Glasgow's Botanic Gardens were gifted a huge collection of orchids by Isobyl La Croix of the Royal Orchid Society in 2008 and we were happy to have some of them included in the display at Chelsea. Plants loaned to the exhibit include a Resurrection Fern which grows in swamps alongside the Florida Ghost Orchid in the wild and Angraecum podochiloides which has tiny flowers smaller than a thumbnail. Numbers of this plant are declining in the wild and it is rare to find it being cultivated in the UK.

Christine Nicholson, Orchid Propagator at Glasgow's Botanic Gardens said: "I was excited to see pictures of the display and get feedback from those at Chelsea.  People were pleased to have the opportunity to see some of Glasgow's Botanic Gardens African orchids and I am glad that we could help out.  It was also a chance to make new connections.  Johanna Hutchins, my counterpart at Chicago Botanic Gardens who brought the ghost orchid over from America to Chelsea, visited Glasgow's Botanic Gardens today.  I had a very interesting morning showing her around our collection, swapping growing tips."