Also in the news / Cost of extra bank holiday, local fishermen in TV ad, driver engagement, knitting tuition coordinator

MONDAY’S additional one-off bank holiday to mark the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is likely to have cost Shetland Islands Council in the region of £90,000.

While most council services were closed on Monday some essential services, such as social care, were required to stay open.

Those working on bank holidays are entitled to pay at triple time or subject to manager’s agreement, double time plus one extra day leave.

Council chief executive Maggie Sandison said she could not say yet what the exact additional cost would be, but a report from September last year said the cost to the SIC of granting a second public holiday (2 June) to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee earlier this year was an extra £89,250.

FISHERMEN from Shetland are starring in a nationwide campaign including a TV advert for the Marine Stewardship Council UK as part of its annual Sustainable Seafood Week.

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The TV ad will air on Channel 5, Food Network, Sky Arts, Discovery, Nat Geo, Sky Nature, Wild and Animal Planet from today (Tuesday).

Whalsay scallop fisherman George Andrew Williamson, 54, who features in the advert, said: “It’s such a small community here, that scallop fishing keeps everything going. If we keep it sustainable, we actually have a future.”

The TV advert is part of the Sustainable Seafood Week which this year highlights the Shetland scallop and brown crab fishery.

MSC Ambassador James Strawbridge said: “Shetland scallops and brown crab are the perfect seafood choices for my Sustainable Seafood Suppers this year and knowing they were sourced from local, certified sustainable fisheries that support rural, hardworking communities is a real plus.

“It’s brilliant to be able to cook great food and reduce your ocean impact all at once.”

OLDER drivers and their families are encouraged to sign up to two driver engagement workshops to be held in Lerwick later this month, and in October.

The driver engagement workshops make use of an interactive driving simulator to assess and highlight participants’ reactions, hazard awareness as well as potential vulnerabilities.

The project is led by the local police force with support from Transport Scotland, NHS, the council’s community safety group, Age Concern as well as the Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The sessions will be held at the Islesburgh Community Centre on Friday 23 September between 7pm and 9pm, as well as on 11 October between 2pm and 4pm.

Anyone interested to attend should contact Elaine Skinley via e-mail elaine.skinley@shetland.gov.uk 

Amanda McCartney (left) takes over from Tracey Hawkins as ShetlandPeerieMakkers’ project coordinator.

Amanda McCartney (left) takes over from Tracey Hawkins as ShetlandPeerieMakkers’ project coordinator.

BROUGH Lodge Trust has appointed Amanda McCartney, from Bressay, as the new consultant coordinator for the ShetlandPeerieMakkers project.

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She will take over from Tracey Hawkins who ran the initiative that provides hand knitting tuition for school children for the last five years.

Trust chairperson Pierre Cambilliard said: “We had several high quality candidates for the consultant coordination appointment, which demonstrates the level of interest in ShetlandPeerieMakkers.

“When it comes to hand knitting, it’s clear that this is a dynamic community. Of course, Shetland Wool Week underlines that, too.

“It will, for sure, be a tremendous celebration for the many local and overseas knitters who are anxious to meet again.”

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