The Edinburgh Reporter April 2023

4 NEWS

By STAFF REPORTER

SCOTTISH ACTUARY Ronnie Bowie is

new Chair of IMPACT Scotland responsible

for the new concert hall.

Mr Bowie joins IMPACT Scotland with a

wealth of experience from forty years at

Hymans Robertson, as well as significant

time spent in governance roles in the

public and private sectors.

Enablement works for The Dunard

Centre, supported by The Royal Bank of

Scotland, began last month, with a stirring

recital on the site of the future stage. As

scaffolding goes up and decommissioned

buildings come down, the incoming Chair’s

priority areas include the appointment of

an IMPACT Scotland CEO, oversight of the

Phase 2 tender process for the main

construction phase of the concert hall

and “embedding the twin values of

quality and equality into every element

of venue delivery”.

A CELEBRATION

Mr Bowie said: “The Dunard Centre will

allow us to do two things, both of which

are equally important. Firstly, it will

celebrate the central role of music in our

culture today, spotlighting the local and

international artists who already

soundtrack our commutes, our runs, our

roadtrips, our nights out and our evenings

in. Whatever your tastes, we all know how

liberating it can be to lose yourself in

music: this space will allow audiences

to immerse themselves in the best sound

in the world.

“It’s this insistence on quality which will

allow the Dunard Centre to achieve that

second, mission-critical objective:

stretching our interpretation of what great

music-making looks like. From who’s on

stage to who’s in the crowd: this bold

building demands an equally bold artistic

and community activation programme

that challenges our preconceptions; and in

so doing catapults us into a bright musical

future. Turning a hidden plot into a public

treasure demands vision, determination

and extensive collaboration with

stakeholders: these values continue to

shape all our interactions as we develop

this stunning civic space. ”

Actuary - it’s

Ronnie who will

chair arts body

International relations

Skipping

to school

Sustrans event at Corstorphine

Primary School proves that there

is more to a school run than a car

By STAFF REPORTER

THE WALKING, wheeling and cycling charity,

Sustrans, launched their annual Big Walk and

Wheel event at Corstorphine Primary School

where pupils took part in a walking silent disco

and an accompanied bike bus to get them there.

Schools from all over the UK compete each

year to find the school which can clock up the

highest percentage of their pupils using active

travel to go to school.

Schools log who walks, uses a wheelchair or a

bike or scooter to get to school, and the results

are then submitted to the charity. The children

and young people learn about the improvements

which can be made to air quality in their

neighbourhoods by using any means apart from

travelling by car.

Elizabeth Gilles, Depute Headteacher at

Corstorphine Primary School said: “We really

enjoy taking part in this every year and we can

see how walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling

can be great fun for everyone involved. Leaving

the car at home can also have a positive impact

on local traffic congestion and air pollution near

the school too.”

Cecilia Oram, Sustrans Head of Behaviour

Change, said: “Hundreds of thousands of pupils

have risen to the challenge and embraced active

travel each year, and this is such a fun event for

schools to take part in. There’s a serious element

to the Big Walk and Wheel too. Not only does

the event help reduce pollution around the

school gates but in 2019 it helped parents to

save an estimated £1.6million in petrol costs

during the fortnight.”

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THE COUNCIL Leader, Cammy

Day, has visited Taiwan forging

Edinburgh’s long relationship with

the country.

Cllr Day represented Edinburgh

at the 2023 Asian Smart City

summit in Taipei and Kaohsiung

held from 28 March to 1 April

which more than150,

people attended.

He met with representatives from

Taipei, Tainan City and Kaohsiung,

and was accompanied by the

council’s international officer as

well as the Head of Enterprise and

Innovations and the Head of

Climate Partnerships at the

University of Edinburgh.

There is no cost to the council as

all expenses are being met by the

Representative Office of Taiwan,

despite opposition from the SNP

group on the council.

Following discussions last year it

was agreed to develop cultural and

festival links between Edinburgh

and Taiwan. The council is working

with the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues

Festival, and the Edinburgh

International Festival, the

University of Edinburgh along with

Taiwanese officials to develop a

programme of activity. These

discussions align with the

Edinburgh International

Framework and the purposes of

the council’s Business Plan.

The University of Edinburgh and

The Royal Botanical Gardens

Edinburgh have already created

their own links with the country in

the past, which both organisations

continue to build upon. It was

Edinburgh’s own Dr James Maxwell

who established the first hospital

in Taiwan in the 19th century.

The theme of the Smart City

summit was “Digital Transformation

and Green Transition”.

Pupils enjoyed a

morning of active

fun from a silent

disco to a school

bus and bike

proficiency

exercises