Blantyre LIFE has delivered ‘phenomenal’ care during its first full year of operation A special event was held to mark the anniversary of the pioneering housing and care campus that champions the ‘home for life’ approach Residents past and present joined staff and senior leaders to share personal stories of recovery and independence highlighting the vital role Blantyre LIFE plays in helping individuals transition back to independent living without prolonged hospital stays whose 82-year-old mother Maria from East Kilbride has been receiving care at Blantyre LIFE expressed his gratitude for the outstanding support provided He said: “My mum arrived on Christmas Eve and the care she has received has been absolutely phenomenal She has worked part-time in TK Maxx for 20 years and is incredibly independent — she’d go back to work today if she could  “I’m over the moon with this place The staff here have given my mum her independence back helping her learn to fend for herself again it’s a perfect bridge between leaving hospital and getting back home rebuilding confidence every step of the way.” Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership said: “Hearing these incredible stories of recovery and renewed independence is truly inspiring positive impact Blantyre LIFE has had on individuals and their families across South Lanarkshire.” The facility also enabled a significant improvement in terms of average length of stay falling from 44 in the previous model to 27 days in 2024 Chair of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) said: “It’s been a real privilege to meet the residents and hear first-hand how Blantyre LIFE has supported their recovery Their stories highlight just how vital this service is in enabling people to rebuild their confidence and return home safely.” Employment support for care experienced young people Bold course set for health and social care in South Lanarkshire Elmer having a jungle adventure in Lanark next month Award for charity that connects people with jobs New Education director for South Lanarkshire Pupils’ voices heard as school wins award Good_sports_are_a_perfect_match_for_each_other Find out more about what's happening in South Lanarkshire The mob aged between 14 and 20 turned on the victim who had been dropping his daughter off at Blantyre Station. The drunken group – aged between 14 and 20 at the time – turned on the victim, having earlier caused trouble on a train. The officer was punched, kicked, hit with glass bottles and bludgeoned with rocks and stones before being left for dead. Two of the group were subject to a combined total of 20 bail orders at the time and also on curfews to keep them at home at night. A judge heard how the policeman has been left so badly affected he has had to give up frontline work after 19 years in the force. On Tuesday, four of the gang admitted to their roles in the attack at Blantyre Train Station in Lanarkshire on March 30, 2024. Lauren Neary, now 18, and Robert Faulds, 20, pled guilty to an attempted murder charge at the High Court in Glasgow. Alec Fallon, 19, and a 16-year-old boy – who cannot be identified due to his age – admitted assaulting the victim to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment as well as to the danger of his life. All four were remanded by Lord Arthurson pending sentencing next month. The four had been part of a loud mob causing bother and annoying passengers on a train shortly before the attack. They got off at Blantyre at around 9pm – the same time the man drove into the station. Prosecutor Kath Harper KC said the gang “made no effort” to get out of the way of his car and he “clipped” one of them with his wing-mirror at low speed. He dropped off his daughter then went to check on one of the group he had bumped into. “The group became aggressive and surrounded the car,” Ms Harper told the court. “[The victim] got out and attempted to speak with them. “However, he was punched in the face. He managed to get back into his vehicle as the group began to kick and punch the car from all sides.” The off-duty officer was left “fearing for his own safety”. He briefly stopped 100-yards away to fix his wing mirror as three of the gang ran at him armed with bottles and a plank of wood. The victim attempted to escape to the home of a friend who lived near the station. At one stage, he tried to calm the gang, but he was chased into the driveway of his friend’s home. He was punched again. Fallon then shoved the victim to the ground before repeatedly kicking him. Faulds walked up and smacked the victim on the head with a glass bottle as he tried to defend himself and also get to the front door of the property. But, the attackers turned on him again, landing further blows. “As the group assaulted him in the driveway, a male voice can be heard shouting: ‘F*****g bottle him, bottle him’,” Ms Harper said. The 16-year-old attacker – then 14 – went on to smash such a weapon over the officer’s head, which saw the victim “slow down, appear dazed and stagger around”. “He was again surrounded and the assault continued – pushing, punching and kicking him as well as hitting him with rocks, stones and bottles,” Ms Harper said. The gang momentarily stopped the violent attack – before one of them yelled: “I’m going to f*****g kill you”. The then 14-year-old sprinted back and turned on the injured man. “The teenager, Neary and Faulds and an unknown female lifted rocks and boulders throwing them at [the victim],” Ms Harper said. The court heard the victim “could not escape”. He was then felled as Faulds hurled a rock at him, striking the victim’s head. The hearing was told he “appeared completely defenceless and dazed”. “Neary stood over his head and, with some difficulty, lifted a large rock, threw it with force at his head as he lay motionless,” Ms Harper said. “[The victim], at the last second, sluggishly moved his body as the rock was dropped. “It struck him on the side of the head, and he slumped to the ground.” Neary was heard boasting: “I think I have just killed him. I am not going to lie.” The victim managed to get to his feet to alert a resident to get him help. He was rushed to hospital, suffering from a string of injuries and needed a three-hour operation to rebuild his nose after part of it was “caved in”. A metal plate was also inserted into his face. He required more than 30 stitches for several wounds. The court heard how badly affected he remains after his ordeal. His injuries have left him scarred for life, and he has no feeling on part of the left side of his face, below his right eye and his top lip. “He now cannot operate as a respond police officer or public order officer,” Ms Harper said. “He has been advised by his superiors and doctors that he should never return to a front-line job as he cannot risk injury because of the metal plate in his face. “He continues to suffer from head rushes, dizziness and extreme fatigue.” The attackers were all arrested in early April 2024. When quizzed by police, Neary said: “My pal got smacked with a motor.” The now 16-year-old assailant meantime said: “I only hit him because he knocked out my pal.” The court heard Fallon, of no fixed abode, already had 18 previous convictions – including for dishonesty, assault and breach of the peace. He was subject to nine different bail orders at the time – the last imposed at Paisley Sheriff Court just 11 days before the attack. He had also been told to stay indoors between 7pm and 7am each night as part of the restrictions. Faulds, latterly of Paisley, breached ten bail orders and was also on a curfew. Neary, of Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, had four previous convictions, with the 16-year-old bailed by a sheriff three days before the assault. Lord Arthurson deferred sentencing for reports. 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We’re inviting residents to come and select a new-look reception area for the Blantyre Neighbourhood Office In our Council Plan we made a commitment to deliver more localised and responsive services to residents We're adopting the learning and best practice from the Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team who have demonstrated the effectiveness of a localised service We’ve consulted residents over the last couple of months about which services they want to see delivered locally The full results of this consultation are still being analysed and we will let residents know the outcomes in the coming weeks we will be starting work to transform the Blantyre Neighbourhood Office This will include making room for more of our teams to work from the office and a complete refurbishment of the reception area The reception area is where we would like your help in selecting the new look We’ve displayed mood boards on site so that you can see the suggested layout plans You’ll be able to discuss the options with staff The Blantyre Street Office will be open for you to drop in and view the plans Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm If you have any queries, please email [email protected] © 2025 The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Application Areas Coatings Technologies Legislation Markets & Companies People & Careers Production & Lab Raw materials Sponsored Content Home » News » Strategic Value Partners and Blantyre Capital acquire OQ Chemicals The acquisition marks a new phase for the company: OQ Chemicals will reinstate its name to Oxea Strategic Value Partners and its affiliates (together a global alternative investment firm with approximately EUR 19 billion of assets under management a London-based investment manager with more than EUR 2.7 billion of long-term capital commitments announced that SVP-managed funds and Blantyre-managed funds have acquired OQ Chemicals a global producer and merchant of oxo chemicals OQ Chemicals will reinstate its name to Oxea reaffirming its heritage and longstanding presence in the global chemicals industry Oxea is a manufacturer of oxo intermediates and oxo performance chemicals supplying essential ingredients to specialty chemicals and additive manufacturers across key U.S and amines that are vital to the production of paints Oxea plays a strategic role in global supply chains supporting long-term demand across high-growth industries Oxea markets its chemicals in over 60 countries with primary production sites located in Germany and Texas and innovation capabilities provide a solid foundation for long-term growth,” said HJ Woltery Co-Head of the European Investment Team at SVP “We look forward to partnering with the Oxea team to build upon this strong foundation and continue delivering exceptional value to its customers and stakeholders across well-diversified markets.” a market leader with strong production capabilities,” said Mubashir Mukadam Chief Investment Officer at Blantyre Capital “Oxea’s significant expertise in oxo chemicals We look forward to supporting the Company as it continues to expand its product offerings and enhance its strategic position in the industry.” has transitioned back to its original name This change follows the acquisition of OQ Chemicals by Strategic Value Partners (SVP) and Blantyre Capital The new owners have initiated this change as part of a new chapter for the company Demand for sustainable products continues to grow — but decorative coatings must also be durable Striking the right balance is one of the greatest challenges facing the.. has introduced three regional entities in Germany The aim is to decentralise the company’s structure have inaugurated a new laboratory in Shanghai The centre aims to strengthen innovation capabilities in the region US chemicals group Dow is considering the shutdown of two energy-intensive plants in Schkopau and Böhlen The decision follows market overcapacities rising costs and increasing regulatory pressures... Duncan Taylor will take over as interim CEO of Allnex on May 1 who will retire from the company on June 30 Taylor will continue to serve as Chief Financial Officer.. Marcus Jordan has assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IMCD N.V Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions in our FAQ collection First team player Josh Hinds will visit the school next week to take part in a Question-and-Answer about the match and life as a professional footballer Not only are club partners McDades Coaches transporting the school group to and from the match but they are also donating half-time vouchers to the pupils attending the match said: “We received tremendous feedback from Calderwood Primary after their visit to the Dunfermline game Hopefully High Blantyre Primary School will enjoy their visit just as much.” Match ticket enquiries –tickets@queensparkfc.co.ukHospitality enquiries – hospitality@queensparkfc.co.ukSponsorship/Commercial enquiries – kieran@queensparkfc.co.uk The Queen’s Park Football ClubThe city StadiumMount FloridaGlasgow Phone: 0141 632 1275Email: generalenquiries@queensparkfc.co.uk Monday 5 May – ClosedTuesday 6 May – 10am – 4pmWednesday 7 May – 10am – 4pmThursday 8 May – 10am – 4pmFriday 9 May – 10am – 4pm © 2025 The Queen’s Park Football Club Designed by IanCairnsMedia Issues with signing in? 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Click here to register Please check your spam or junk folder just in case OQ Chemicals will reinstate its name to OXEA Residents and staff at Blantyre LIFE have been treated to a heart-warming performance from pupils of nearby St Joseph’s Primary The school's P6 choir performed classic Scottish songs Where’s Your Troosers?’ and ‘Will Ye Go Lassie Go’ — bringing warmth and nostalgia to the facility with residents and staff enjoying the lively performance reinforcing the strong sense of community at Blantyre LIFE Blantyre Life champions the ‘home for life’ principle with an emphasis on enabling more people to live as independently as possible within their own homes It combines a 20 bedded intermediate care facility and 20 new technology enabled properties all equipped with state-of-the-art telecare systems to support independent living Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership said: “The visit from the St Joseph’s choir was a wonderful reminder of the strong community spirit that exists between Blantyre LIFE and its neighbours It was heartening to see the joy and connection this performance brought to our residents and staff “My heartfelt thanks to the pupils and staff at St Joseph’s for sharing their talents and making such a meaningful contribution to the well-being of our residents.” Blantyre woman Gillian Reddiex and fellow Erskine supporter Sandie Gray completed a 100ft abseil from the Falkirk Wheel(Image: Contributed/Hamilton Advertiser)A daredevil Blantyre woman raised hundreds of pounds for charity by abseiling 100 feet from the top of the landmark Falkirk Wheel took on the challenge alongside 77-year-old Glasgow woman Sandie Gray with the pair raising a combined total of more than £500 for the good cause Now the 48-year-old Lanarkshire resident is getting set for this year’s Kiltwalk to raise further funds – having previously also completed the Edinburgh Marathon as part of her fundraising The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now Get all the news from your area – as well as features sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Gillian has recently returned to her “first love” of nursing after also having had a career as a police officer Now she has resumed her role at Erskine and staff say: “She is already making a significant impact not only in patient care but also in the charity’s fundraising efforts “She comes from a family with a proud tradition of military service and even her great-aunt who served as an outrider for Winston Churchill Gillian took on the Falkirk Wheel abseil as a tribute to those who never got the chance to fulfil their own dreams.” Both she and “fearless” Sandie got harnessed up for their challenge at the top of the iconic landmark bravely abseiling from 100 feet in the air to the ground below Erskine chief executive Wing Commander Ian Cumming MBE said: “We are incredibly grateful to Gillian Sandie and all those who took on the Falkirk Wheel abseil to support our veterans “Their bravery and dedication help ensure that we can continue providing the highest level of care to those who have served our country Every penny raised makes a real difference in the lives of our veterans and we couldn’t do it without the support of amazing fundraisers like them.” * Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share! A South Lanarkshire health and care facility is leading the way in the development of the next generation of robotics a ground-breaking care development which opened last year has already forged an international reputation for pioneering increasingly sophisticated care and expertise in the heart of a community Several fact-finding missions have visited from overseas to see how technology is being used to make day-to-day living easier and safer including service-users having the opportunity to learn how to live independently as possible in a tech-enabled homes South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has welcomed the arrival of ARI a world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus have been undertaken to gather feedback from health and social care staff on an early robot prototype that aims to assist people recovering after injury Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University HSCP said “The foundation of our partnership is made up of the human compassion of the expertise of our staff “The presence of ARI  represents our commitment to both amplifying – not replacing – that expertise with latest technology and working with academic partners in a highly innovative space “It also characterises our dedication to helping shape emerging and existing opportunities that rapidly evolving technology could have for the future of health and care delivery.” The research team is led by the Head of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) at the National Robotarium Professor Baillie said: “We’re developing the ARI robot to support the self-management of rehabilitation by patients The robot will offer verbal instruction and encouragement during exercise sessions as well as using its human-like limbs to physically demonstrate how to do exercises properly We believe that this engagement can help empower patients to stick with their exercise regime and improve their overall wellbeing.” While patients aren’t yet involved in the research a PhD student in Human-Robot Interaction at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics has been working closely with professionals at Blantyre LIFE to gather data which will inform future versions He said: “A key focus of our research is the ability of the robot to make some decisions autonomously and thus reduce the burden on healthcare staff we will develop cutting-edge decision-making techniques driven by machine learning “It's amazing to come to a place like Blantyre LIFE and see how technology is being embraced and used alongside hard-earned human expertise and compassion We hope to work with Blantyre again in the near future.” Crerar Hotels acquired by Blantyre Capital and Fairtree Alistair Houghton Fri 10:12 am 4 min read -Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited Scotland's Crerar Hotels group has been acquired by Blantyre Capital and partner Fairtree Hotel Investments Crerar's portfolio of seven 4 and 5 star hotels includes the Isle of Mull Hotel and Spa and the Glencoe Inn The latest deal is Blantyre and Fairtree’s fourth landmark UK hotels acquisition since 2021 It already owns Fonab Castle and Dunkeld House hotels in Perthshire Crerar's new owners say the deal will help them grow "a significant luxury UK hotel portfolio" while the group's previous managers say the hotels will thrive under new ownership READ MORE: Crerar Hotels reports turnover rise and narrows losses after year of investment Crerar's outgoing chairman Paddy Crerar CBE who along with co-director Nigel Dearnley will continue to support the business said: "We set out to deliver the type of hotels and service that properly reflects Scotland - a world class destination that is consistently a podium finisher in the global tourism marketplace It’s been an absolute joy seeing our ambitions flourish and be rewarded by guest demand and loyalty.” “The current year we believe will be our best yet with double digit growth forecasted in every month ahead “After getting to know the new potential owners it was soon clear that they shared identical aims and ambitions to those we have worked hard to foster at Crerar Hotels Their view of the potential for high quality hospitality in Scotland pitched to the global stage is unquestionable and their access to greater resources makes delivering on the potential of Crerar Hotels achievable.” Chris Wayne-Wills will stay in post as Crerar Hotels CEO supported by his existing team as Blantyre and Fairtree develop their plans for growth Mr Wayne-Wills said: "This is an extremely exciting time for Crerar Hotels We are looking ahead to a record year of performance with our hotels now at the highest level of facility and service Knowing the ambition of the new owners our teams are ready and will relish the opportunity to make this next step change an unbridled success “A key driver for Crerar Hotels is to be the employer of choice wherever we have a hotel We work very hard to achieve that with the stability and quality of our teams standing as the judgement marker of success With a change in ownership the employee opportunity horizon widens further with the existing portfolio of hotels now brings career development options which we are very keen to get going on “Crerar Hotels has taken time to develop a distinct and authentic DNA - it is a strong and clear identity that matches the ambitions and aims of the new owners The road ahead was and remains just as clear new ownership accelerates us to the opportunities much earlier than we might have hoped previously." LIVE UPDATES: All the latest news and reaction on the Spring Budget Joe Bester of Fairtree said: "Both Nic Ross and I are hugely excited to be expanding our hotel portfolio in Scotland with the addition of the Crerar Hotel Group which offers a variety of beautiful hotels in iconic locations across Scotland "The pride the group has in offering an exceptional guest experience is an excellent fit with the existing portfolio properties and we are looking forward to building on the huge opportunity this acquisition offers us to expand and enhance the portfolio within the national and international marketplace “We are extremely proud to have a strong partner like Blantyre in this iconic portfolio acquisition as we continue to build out our UK luxury leisure portfolio.” Johann Scheid of Blantyre said: "We are very pleased to have concluded our fourth deal and first group deal with our partners Fairtree and are excited about the momentum in building our luxury leisure hospitality portfolio with them across the UK "The addition of these seven high quality assets to our platform allows us to expand on our offering in providing unique and memorable experiences to our international customer base We are grateful for all the outstanding work our existing staff members at Fonab Dunkeld and the Daffodil are doing on a daily basis to differentiate our hotels from others and warmly welcome our new colleagues to continue this exciting journey." READ MORE: Scottish business leaders share their hopes for Budget as Jeremy Hunt vows to go for growth READ MORE: Scottish grocery sales see highest increase in 24 years ‘entirely’ due to rising costs Market status is not available at the moment Error while retrieving data Kirkland & Ellis LLP has advised Strategic Value Partners (SVP) and Blantyre Capital on their successful acquisition of OQ Chemicals a global name in the oxo chemicals industry the company is returning to its original name a move that reflects its deep-rooted heritage and long-standing reputation in the global chemicals market SVP is an international investment firm overseeing around $22 billion in assets manages over €2.7 billion in committed capital The firms worked together through their managed funds to complete the purchase of the company which will now operate under the OXEA name moving forward OXEA is known for producing a wide range of chemicals that serve as key ingredients in everything from paints and coatings to plastics Its products are used every day across industries like construction With headquarters in both Germany and Texas and a global workforce of more than 1,200 employees OXEA supplies customers in over 60 countries shared his enthusiasm about the acquisition: and innovation capabilities provide a solid foundation for long-term growth we look forward to partnering with the OXEA team to build upon this strong foundation and continue delivering exceptional value to its customers and stakeholders across well-diversified markets." a market leader with strong production capabilities OXEA's significant expertise in oxo chemicals We look forward to supporting the Company as it continues to expand its product offerings and enhance its strategic position in the industry."   Strategic Value Partners (SVP) is a global investment firm founded in 2001 managing approximately $21 billion in assets Specializing in opportunistic credit and private equity value-driven investments across North America and Europe SVP has invested over $48 billion since inception Blantyre Capital is a London-based investment firm focused on special situations in the European middle market the firm manages over €2.7 billion in committed capital and has completed more than 70 investments across 20+ countries Blantyre partners with institutional investors to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns through tailored capital solutions Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a leading global law firm with over 4,000 attorneys across 21 offices Known for its client-first approach and entrepreneurial culture Kirkland is the first law firm to exceed $7 billion in annual revenue and is widely recognized for its leadership in high-stakes legal matters Dentons Appoints Jan-Willem de Tombe as COO in the Netherlands DOJ Faces Silence Over Liz Oyer in Mel Gibson Gun Rights Case Jet Set Nightclub Collapse in Dominican Republic Sparks Legal Scrutiny Mikal Mahdi Execution Proceeds in South Carolina Home > Technology > Robotics A technology-led health and care facility in South Lanarkshire is helping with the early development of next-generation assistive robotics. a care development facility which opened last year is pioneering increasingly sophisticated care and expertise and is equipped with state-of-the-art telecare systems to support independent living Now, in a taste of things to come, the facility has welcomed the arrival of ARI—a social robot aiming to help people rehabilitate and recover after significant injury Two weeks of research, supported by the National Robotarium—the centre for robotics and AI at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus—has been undertaken to gather feedback from Blantyre LIFE’s health and social care staff The feedback will help with the development of the assistive robot which is being carried out by a research team from the National Robotarium Professor Lynne Baillie, who’s head of human-robot interaction at the robotics and AI centre said: “We’re developing the ARI robot to support the self-management of rehabilitation by patients “The robot will offer verbal instruction and encouragement during exercise sessions as well as using its human-like limbs to physically demonstrate how to do exercises properly “We believe that this engagement can help empower patients to stick with their exercise regime and improve their overall wellbeing.” Whilst patients aren’t yet involved in the research a PhD student in human-robot interaction at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics has been working closely with health and social care professionals at Blantyre LIFE to gather data which will inform future versions “A key focus of our research is the ability of the robot to make some decisions autonomously and thus reduce the burden on healthcare staff,” explained Bettosi “It’s amazing to come to a place like Blantyre LIFE and see how technology is being embraced and used alongside hard-earned human expertise and compassion.” which includes 45 new affordable homes and flats and 20 technology-enabled flats and bungalows was developed by South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) The facility was created in collaboration with the South Lanarkshire Council’s Housing and Technical Resources and Glasgow Science Centre who’s chief officer of South Lanarkshire University HSCP remarked: “The foundation of our partnership is made up of the human compassion of the expertise of our staff “The presence of ARI represents our commitment to both amplifying – not replacing – that expertise with latest technology and working with academic partners in a highly innovative space “It also characterises our dedication to helping shape emerging and existing opportunities that rapidly evolving technology could have for the future of health and care delivery.” even if the stars of old reposed in the shade and the result was hardly warming for those who toiled off the pitch for the club they love The Vics were formed in 1890 and have won 40 major trophies including three Scottish Junior Cups A photograph of a Vics team of 1957 has Billy McNeill standing in the back row ‘There are not many Junior teams who can say a European Cup-winning captain and a European Cup-winning manager have played for them,’ says Jack McGilvray referencing both the Lisbon Lion and his manager The Vics are unique in this regard but they share much with the rest of the Junior world This is a club that survives on the hard work of fans and the kindness of sponsors Both categories are regularly encompassed in the one person McGilvray, general manager, points out that Joe Jordan, the future Scotland star, also played for the Vics. ‘I think he was the youngest goalscorer ever here,’ he says. ‘Jimmy Johnstone was across the road with Blantyre Celtic They are gone now but that rivalry was great.’ It’s a fine balancing act between spending on players and the ground Cash is the problem at all levels in football.’ Blantyre Vics hope a new partnership with the community will lead to ground improvements Visitors Thorniewood score their second goal in a 3-0 victory against Vics at the KG Stadium  Billy McNeill (top right) played for Blantyre Vics before going on to become a Celtic legend McGilvray addresses part of that challenge by putting on the overalls he has retired as a painter and decorator but fishes out the brushes for KG Stadium ‘I have painted this ground at least five times in the past 20 years,’ he says ‘It takes me most of the summer but it’s just part of being at the club We have a good committee and they all work hard ‘We are suffering a bit this season,’ he says of life in the first division of the West of Scotland league where Vics are second bottom A points deduction for an administration error and the departure of manager John Gibson — and subsequently players — have also made matters more difficult The club is now in partnership with a community club and that could see improvements to the ground and an infusion of new blood ‘We are proud of the history but we are just custodians of the club and we have to keep it going,’ says McGilvray ‘We are a bit of a Dad’s Army but we have younger ones coming in who will help us go forward.’ One of the old guard sits in the clubhouse reflecting on a family history with the Vics says: ‘My father was involved with the Vics and I have been here man and boy.’ He had a flirtation with Hibernian after watching them as a boy when a Vics game was postponed but he came back to Blantyre to help out when the social club ‘got into a bit of bother’ That issue has been resolved but Borland works on He smiles and says ruefully: ‘Once you get into a committee it is very hard to get out of it.’ He adds: ‘There is a sense of duty that keeps you here I am down here three times a week at least There are clubs with financial clout behind them but we don’t quite have that ‘We own our ground so that makes us asset rich but cash poor We have plans to renovate the ground through the community project with the boys’ club.’ Borland has a peculiar memory of the glory days when the Vics won the Scottish Junior Cup at Ibrox Borland was on a walking holiday on the Scottish islands ‘I was on an island that observed the Sabbath,’ he says ‘When I asked the landlady if it was all right to watch the football It was obviously the days before mobile phones so I had to phone home that night to get the result.’ One of the old guard mans the gate ahead of their game against Thorniewood George Fulston takes the entrance money in the shadow of the Saturday sun he has had a full life in business and football ‘I build them and we have one going up to Oban harbour on Monday ‘It had a wee electronic fault and it was bothering me overnight so I got up this morning at five and went to fix it His forklift firm is on the front of the Vics jersey and the family taxi firm is on the back ‘I have a wee building business too,’ says Fulston ‘I was once out digging roads and all of that.’ He had spells on the board of Hamilton Academical and Falkirk but eight years ago he came back to the Vics One of the stands is dedicated to his mother ‘There are a few families who have a long tradition with the Vics,’ he adds ‘My mother would help wash the jerseys in a building over there You would put them through the wringer and starch them.’ The site is now occupied by the stand bearing her name Fulston admits he is considering retirement but only of the ‘semi’ variety as he still has ideas for his businesses and the Vics He has transformed containers into stands and would like to see a business club built for hospitality and meetings ‘The other day the ground hosted the school cup finals,’ he says ‘It was so good to see so many youngsters in the ground Kenny Gormley stands under the sign that carries his name ‘I came here after the last Scottish Junior Cup final win,’ he says ‘I started sponsoring the club soon after that and joined the committee a couple of years later.’ he was a young businessman when he started putting money into the club His office supply business is just up the road and Gormley is a constant supporter ‘I came here to Blantyre as a nine-year-old from Easterhouse,’ he says I have met so many people and had good times We have won a few titles and won promotion so that is always something to celebrate.’ Fulston leaves the turnstile and Borland attends to matchday issues fan and businessman — strides to the pitch The young cavalry may be coming to help out but Dad’s Army still holds the fort at KG Stadium By posting your comment you agree to our house rules Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post 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Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group Emergency services were called to Calder Street in Blantyre on Sunday evening. Emergency services were called to Calder Street in Blantyre, following reports of a disturbance at around 10.40pm on November 10. A 49-year-old man was taken to Hairmyres Hospital for treatment and later released. Enquiries into the incident remain ongoing at this time. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.40pm on Sunday, November 10, 2024 we received a report of a disturbance on Calder Street, Blantyre. “Officers attended and one man, aged 49, was taken to Hairmyres Hospital for treatment and later released. An SAS spokesperson said: “We received a call at 11.38pm on Sunday, November 10 to attend an incident on Priory Street, Blantyre. “We dispatched one ambulance and one paramedic response unit (PRU) to the scene. One patient was transported to Hairmyres Hospital.” A 100-year-old Scout group in Blantyre has been given community backing to take on the lease of a hall in the area Approval was given at the Housing and Technical Resources Committee to enable the 3rd Blantyre Community Group to lease High Blantyre Hall with the intention of developing an application for a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) The hall was among a number of assets that the board of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture agreed to withdraw from as part of their plans to balance their 2024-25 budget the application for High Blantyre Hall is not a formal CAT request but the community group will be granted a 100% rent-reduction for a one-year lease to allow their CAT application to be developed The community group is a registered charity that has been set up by 3rd Blantyre Scout Group to lease and manage the facility on its behalf It follows a practice adopted by many Scout groups due to them operating under a national set of articles that are not suitable for them to take on leases which has more than 100 active participants and carries out partnership work with other local organisations has been in operation for more than 100 years It currently hires local halls but wishes to secure its future by having a set of premises where it can have long-term sustainability and grow Chair of Housing and Technical Resources at the Council said: “This is great news for the community in keeping this valuable resource open and it shows the value of the processes set up to address the lack of funding for premises like these across South Lanarkshire “It will allow this long-standing scout group to establish their own base where they can bring still more benefit to the area and it will remove the costs of operating this asset from the Community Fightback Fund and make them available for other vital purposes.” A pedal-powered "smoothie bike" will be among the attractions at Lanarkshire climate action hub's community cycling day(Image: Hamilton Advertiser)Visitors to a Blantyre attraction will have the chance to get on their bikes at a community cycle day next week launching a series of similar events across Lanarkshire and Wishaw organisation Socialtrack will provide adult and children’s bikes scooters and skateboards to try – as well as a smoothie bike blending fruity drinks thanks to pedal power The free family day takes place in the grounds of David Livingstone brithplace museum on Wednesday and is being run by Lanarkshire climate action hub who will also be highlighting how communities can apply for £1000 grants to run similar events Participants of all ages at the community event will be able to try out cycling and wheeled sports as well as taking part in family-friendly activities and gaining advice on cycle safety and bike maintenance Lanarkshire climate action hub will be running hourly active travel prize draws – and highlighting the organisation’s new active travel communities grants of up to £1000 for community groups to run similar events demonstrating the benefits of walking Travel development officer Greig Hawke said: “I’m really excited for what I hope will be the first of many active travel community events in Lanarkshire this year “As well as hosting a fun and varied programme of activities for the community the event will act as a showcase for other groups who would like to host similar events in their area with support from Lanarkshire climate action hub and community cycling groups like Gear Up and Socialtrack.” Information and application details about the hub’s new grants are available at www.climateactionlanarkshire.net/funding or by emailing travel@climateactionlanarkshire.net Metrics details Salmonella Typhi is a human-restricted pathogen that is transmitted by the faecal–oral route and causative organism of typhoid fever Using health facility data from 2016 to 2020 this study focuses on modelling the spatial variation in typhoid risk in Ndirande township in Blantyre we developed a marked inhomogeneous Poisson process model that allows us to incorporate both individual-level and environmental risk factors The results from our analysis indicate that typhoid cases are spatially clustered with the incidence decreasing by 54% for a unit increase in the water Typhoid intensity was also higher in children aged below 18 years than in adults our results did not show evidence of a strong temporal variation in typhoid incidence We also discuss the inferential benefits of using point pattern models to characterise the spatial variation in typhoid risk and outline possible extensions of the proposed modelling framework Our work builds on the current literature by developing a spatially explicit statistical model for point pattern process typhoid data The specific objectives of the study were as follows: To investigate the association between spatial and temporal covariates with the occurrence of typhoid in Ndirande township after adjusting for individual-level markers To investigate spatial and temporal trends of typhoid in Ndirande township Ndirande exhibits a variation in elevation Total precipitation also varied from 819 millimeters (mm) to 1602 mm from 2016 to 2019 The variation in total precipitation across Ndirande was minimal with the maximum difference being 209 mm each year we included season as a temporal covariate in our modelling the STRATAA study was carried out by the Malawi-Wellcome-Liverpool Clinical Research Programme at the government-run Ndirande health clinic which is the largest clinic in Ndirande township our focus is on the passive surveillance sub-study of the STRAATA project A blood culture was collected from the patients who consented to be enrolled in the study A total of 161 typhoid cases were recorded at Ndirande health clinic in a passive surveillance study between October 2016 and February 2020 The gender and age of the study participants were collected as part of the routine data collected in the study 1 case did not have a date of collection and was therefore excluded from the analysis Handheld Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices were used to collect the locations (latitude and longitude) of the households of the typhoid cases The STRATAA study also carried out household and individual-level population censuses in 2018 we restricted our attention to those covariates that are available at a spatial resolution of 100 m2 for Ndirande our spatial covariates are: distance to Ndirande health clinic in meters The raster was cropped to a 100 m2 Ndirande grid and hygiene (WASH) survey was carried out in 14,136 households in Ndirande township in 2018 as part of the STRATAA study The WASH variables were self-reported in the questionnaire A WASH score was derived using principal components analysis (PCA) and a linear geostatistical model was used to interpolate the WASH score over the grid are supplied in the supplementary material with \(i=1\) corresponding to “male” and \(i=2\) to “female” We then use j to denote the subscript that identifies a specific age group \(j=1\) representing individuals between 0 and 5 years Our outcome variable corresponds to the locations of the reported diagnosed cases x that fall in A representing the area encompassed by the boundaries of Ndirande township follows that \(n_{ij}\) corresponds to the number of typhoid cases in a specific age-gender combination we model the cases reported within each age-gender subgroup as independent inhomogeneous Poisson processes we model the intensity of the subgroup for gender i and age j as \(\lambda _{ij}\left( {x}\right) = \exp \left( \alpha _{i} + \gamma _{j} + d\left( {x} \right) ^{\prime }\beta + \log {m_{ij}(x)} \right) .\) In the equation for the intensity we use \(\alpha _{i}\) to account for the gender effects and \(\gamma _{j}\) to account for differences across age groups The vector \(d\left( {x} \right)\) denotes a linear combination of spatial covariates: distance to Ndirande health clinic (\(\beta _1\)); elevation in meters (\(\beta _2\)); and the WASH score (\(\beta _3\)) \({m_{ij}(x)}\) is an offset corresponding to the population for an individual with gender i and age j at location x We denote the vector of unknown parameters with \(\theta\) which consists of intercepts quantifying the gender effects (\(\alpha _i\) for \(i=1,2\)) and age effects (\(\gamma _j\) for \(j=1,2,3\)) and the regression coefficients \(\beta\) The likelihood function for \(\theta\) is then given by Simulate N= 10,000 samples from the fitted point process model with mean: Fit the model to the N bootstrap realisations simulated in step (1) Store parameter estimates from each of the fitted models Use the percentile method to get a 95% confidence interval from the estimates stored in step (3) We fitted both a spatial model (2) and spatio-temporal model (equation 3 in the supplementary information) to our data We tested for temporal trends in the data by comparing the purely spatial model and model with temporal covariates using a likelihood ratio test under the null hypothesis that the spatial model should be used to fit the data We computed predicted incidence rates for each combination of marks (age and gender) while adjusting for the spatial covariates and population as defined in the intensity equation above \(\left( \lambda _{ij}\left( {x}\right) = \exp \left( \alpha _{i} + \gamma _{j} + d\left( {x} \right) ^{\prime }\beta + \log {m_{ij}(x)} \right) \right)\) In addition to plotting the age and gender predicted incidence rates on the 100m by 100m regular grid we also estimated the area-wide incidence for Ndirande The integrals in Eq. 4 were approximated using a regular grid with a spatial resolution of 100m by 100m where: \(D=\frac{1}{|W|} {\sum }_{h} 1/\hat{\lambda }\left( x_{h}\right)\); r is the distance at which the function is evaluated; \(\hat{\lambda }(x)\) is the estimated intensity from the model at location x; \(I\left\{ || x_{k}-x_{h}||\right\}\) is an indicator function that takes the value 1 if the absolute distance between any two locations \(x_{k}\) and \(x_{h}\) is less or equal to r We then validate our model using the following bootstrap procedure By plugging in the maximum likelihood estimate for \(\theta\) simulate a data set based on the inhomogenous marked point process defined in the previous section Compute the inhomogeneous K-function defined in (5) for the simulated data set in the previous step For a set of predefined distances r compute the 95\(\%\) confidence intervals using the 10,000 functions obtained from the previous steps we then conclude that the data do not show evidence against the fitted model if the K-function computed on the original data falls within the 95\(\%\) envelope for each of the age-gender combinations the head of the household provided written informed consent for household surveys on behalf of the entire household In the other components of the STRATAA study an informed consent form was signed by study participants aged at least 18 years informed consent forms were signed by parents or guardians of children less than 18 years old sought from children aged between 11 and 17 years We confirm that the methods performed in this study were conducted in accordance with appropriate regulations and guidelines we confirm that the study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki Locations of 160 typhoid cases and Ndirande health clinic from October 2016 to February 2020 The shaded area represents the study region Figure 2 illustrates the typhoid cases recorded per season from October 2016 to February 2020. This plot does not show any discernible temporal pattern. Observed typhoid cases per season from October 2016 to February 2020 Predicted incidence of typhoid by gender and age per 100,000 population The rows represent the gender of a typhoid case whilst the columns represent the age group of the case We fitted an inhomogeneous K-function to validate our spatial point pattern model The model validation plots for the final model are attached in the supplementary material the figures show that the K-functions from the observed data mostly fell within the simulated envelope for most of the distances This suggests that our model was a good fit for the data we have shown how spatial point pattern methods can be used to analyze reported cases of typhoid fever in health facilities Our approach based on a multiple-marked inhomogeneous Poisson process model allowed us to estimate typhoid incidence at the household level while adjusting for both spatial and individual-level risk factors The GPS coordinates used in this study were collected at the household level and thus may not reflect the true locations of the exposure to typhoid Future research should focus on a better understanding of the factors and mechanisms that drive the likelihood of attending health facilities to better parameterise the probability of going to the hospital and overcome the identifiability issues in the estimation The proposed modelling approach in this study may be applied to the analysis of reported cases from passive surveillance data for other diseases One of the strengths of the illustrated modelling approach is its flexibility in being adapted to any other environmentally driven diseases through the selection of suitable covariates typhoid occurrence is higher among children and in areas with households with poor WASH facilities Optimal typhoid control initiatives could focus on this age group and on improving WASH facilities in households The global burden of typhoid and paratyphoid fevers: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2017 The burden of typhoid fever in low-and middle-income countries: A meta-regression approach Seasonal dynamics of typhoid and paratyphoid fever Environmental transmission of typhoid fever in an urban slum Domestic river water use and risk of typhoid fever: Results from a case-control study in Blantyre The strataa study protocol: A programme to assess the burden of enteric fever in Bangladesh Malawi and Nepal using prospective population census serological studies and healthcare utilisation surveys Distinct climate influences on the risk of typhoid compared to invasive non-typhoid Salmonella disease in Blantyre Population-based incidence of typhoid fever in an urban informal settlement and a rural area in Kenya: Implications for typhoid vaccine use in Africa Prevalence of typhoid and paratyphoid fever in the Hohoe municipality of the Volta region Ghana: A 5-year retrospective trend analysis Typhoid and Other Invasive Salmonellosis 1–13 (Vaccine-preventable diseases surveillance standards Typhoid vaccine acceleration consortium Malawi: A phase III controlled trial of the clinical efficacy of typhoid conjugate vaccine among children in Blantyre Burden of enteric fever at three urban sites in Africa and Asia: A multicentre population-based study Trends in antimicrobial resistance in bloodstream infection isolates at a large urban hospital in Malawi (1998–2016): A surveillance study Mathematical modeling to assess the drivers of the recent emergence of typhoid fever in Blantyre 1990–2018: A systematic review and meta-analysis Rainfall anomalies and typhoid fever in Blantyre Spatial and genomic data to characterize endemic typhoid transmission Spatial and temporal heterogeneities of district-level typhoid morbidities in Ghana: A requisite insight for informed public health response Ismail, K., Maiga, G., Ssebuggwawo, D., Nabende, P. & Mansourian, A. Spatio-temporal trends and distribution patterns of typhoid disease in Uganda from 2012 to 2017. Geospat. Healthhttps://doi.org/10.4081/gh.2020.860 (2020) Risk factors associated with typhoid fever in children aged 2–16 years in Karachi Combined high-resolution genotyping and geospatial analysis reveals modes of endemic urban typhoid fever transmission Partial-likelihood analysis of spatio-temporal point-process data Approximating point process likelihoods with glim the Bootstrap and Other Resampling Plans (SIAM Spatial Point Patterns: Methodology and Applications with R (CRC Press A bayesian approach for estimating typhoid fever incidence from large-scale facility-based passive surveillance data Age and gender difference of typhoid fever among paediatric patients attended at a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh Typhoid fever and its association with environmental factors in the Dhaka metropolitan area of Bangladesh: A spatial and time-series approach A Toolkit for National Dengue Burden Estimation (World Health Organization A spatial hierarchical model for integrating and bias-correcting data from passive and active disease surveillance systems Estimating koala density from incidental koala sightings in south-east Queensland using a self-exciting spatio-temporal point process model Download references We would like to acknowledge the following STRATAA Consortium Team for their various roles in the STRATAA studies: Amit Aryja and the Nepal Family Development Foundation team The STRATAA study was funded by the Wellcome Trust (no 106158/Z/14/Z) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (no analysis and interpretation of the results A list of authors and their affiliations appears at the end of the paper Malawi Liverpool-Wellcome (MLW) Trust Programme Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Nirod Chandra Saha & Prasanta Kumar Biswas All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript All the authors declare no potential conflicts or competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-66436-9 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing: AI and Robotics newsletter — what matters in AI and robotics research The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Rainbow clouds The cloud must be thin and have lots of water droplets or ice crystals of about the same size for the rainbow effect to occur They are usually spotted in colder climates such as the polar regions The snapper of the beautiful photo had just attended a friend's funeral and believed the feat of nature was a sign from them READ MORE: Sickening images shows level of filth at Glasgow's £870m super-hospital She told Glasgow Live: "We’d never seen anything like it before and I’d been to a funeral the day before and it was a wee “gift” from my friend." The post on Facebook has so far racked up 490 reactions with many locals flocking to the comments One wrote: "Wow that's beautiful." Sign up to our daily Glasgow Live newsletter here to receive news and features direct to your inbox I've never seen anything like that before." Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right Christopher Keenan died after being hit by a lorry on the M74. Christopher Keenan, from Blantyre, died after the collision on the M74 on August 3. The 18-year-old biking enthusiast was described as a “much-loved son, brother, grandson and cousin” and an “inspiration” by his family in a statement shared following his death. Christopher is due to be laid to rest on August 21 with a call being issued for motorcyclists to take part in his “final ride”. Close friend James Bain has asked anyone able to take part to join the funeral procession at Logan Street in Blantyre at 9.15am before following his procession. “I am looking for as many bikers as possible to give a young lad Christopher a send of he deserves. Rest easy young lad. Sergeant John Houston said: “Our thoughts remain with Christopher’s family and friends at this very difficult time. “I am urging anyone who witnessed the incident, or saw Christopher walking along the roadway, and has not yet spoken to us to please get in touch. “We would also like to see any dashcam footage taken around the time of the collision on the M74 between Junctions 6 and 7. “Anyone with information should contact us by calling 101, quoting reference 0512 of August 3.” An appeal to help find the 15-year-old was launched on Wednesday. Connor Rowan was last seen at Stonefield Park in Blantyre at around 8pm on Tuesday evening We can confirm that Connor Rowan aged 15 who was reported missing from the Hamilton area has been traced safe and well. Thankyou to everyone who shared our earlier appeals. pic.twitter.com/BYMru9ha1S Police confirmed on Thursday morning, the boy had been found “safe and well”. Several fact-finding missions have been undertaken to see how technology is being used to make day-to-day living easier and safer South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership have welcomed the arrival of the National Robotarium's ARI A key focus of our research is the ability of the robot to make some decisions autonomously and thus reduce the burden on healthcare staff Two weeks of research, supported by experts from the Human-Robot Interaction Research group at the National Robotarium the world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus have been underway to gather feedback from health and social care staff on an early robot prototype that aims to assist people recovering after critical injury Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University HSCP said: “The foundation of our partnership is made up of the human compassion of the expertise of our staff “The presence of ARI represents our commitment to both amplifying – not replacing - that expertise with latest technology and working with academic partners in a highly innovative space The research team is led by the Head of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) at the National Robotarium Professor Lynne Baillie “We’re developing the ARI robot to support the self-management of rehabilitation by patients "We believe that this engagement can help empower patients to stick with their exercise regime and improve their overall wellbeing.” a PhD student in HRI at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics He said: “A key focus of our research is the ability of the robot to make some decisions autonomously and thus reduce the burden on healthcare staff “It's amazing to come to a place like Blantyre LIFE and see how technology is being embraced and used alongside hard-earned human expertise and compassion We hope to work with Blantyre again in the near future.” one of six Data Driven Innovation hubs funded in partnership with The University of Edinburgh works directly with industry to test and develop robotic creating innovative solutions to global challenges Scientists from the facility have been working in tandem with Blantyre LIFE to explore how robotics can support healthcare professionals and improve patient wellbeing “We’re on a mission at The National Robotarium to create new robotics technologies that can support clinicians and healthcare professionals whilst stimulating growth and innovation within the health services it’s crucial that any robotics solutions are developed with the end user in mind “Collaborating with facilities like Blantyre LIFE allows us to work closely with experts in health and social care throughout the testing and development stage Their lived experience helps us understand their priorities when working with patients allowing us to build robotic systems that are safe mediaenquiries@hw.ac.uk© Heriot-Watt University St Joseph’s Primary School choir with Professor Soumen Sengupta chief officer of South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership and Lesley McDonald chair of the Integration Joint Board (IJB).(Image: ugc)Residents and staff at Blantyre LIFE were treated to a heart-warming performance from pupils of nearby St Joseph’s Primary School on Friday The P6 choir performed classic Scottish songs and Will Ye Go Lassie Go — bringing warmth and nostalgia to the facility The centre champions the ‘home for life’ principle It combines a 20-bed intermediate care facility and 20 new technology enabled properties St Joseph’s Primary School choir sing at Blantyre LIFE(Image: ugc)Professor Soumen Sengupta chief officer of South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership said: “The visit from the St Joseph’s choir was a wonderful reminder of the strong community spirit that exists between Blantyre LIFE and its neighbours “My heartfelt thanks to the pupils and staff at St Joseph’s for sharing their talents and making such a meaningful contribution to the well-being of our residents.” The group was initially set up to provide a warm space and food as part of the council’s Warm Welcome initiative and has continued to offer support to those who need it Blantyre Old Parish Church received £1,300 from the fund which will go towards kitchen equipment Treasurer Norma Burns said: “The Participatory Budget funding for a hot water boiler will make such a difference to the smooth running of a very busy kitchen.  “At present we are working with a well-used urn which continually requires filling up with water which is time consuming and the quantity of water in the urn has to be checked frequently.  “The fitted boiler will provide a safer setting remove that task and free up our volunteers.” Council Leader and Chair of the Community Planning Partnership said: “Participatory Budgeting works so well because it targets what local people tell us they need the work the church volunteers are doing to help those in need in Blantyre is vital “It once again shows the tremendous sense of community we have across South Lanarkshire and I would like to thank the church volunteers for all the invaluable work they do.” More information about Participatory Budgeting is available on the Community Planning website Neil and Cara Rodger of Blantyre butcher D&J Rodger with their gold award(Image: Graeme Hart/Contributed/Hamilton Advertiser)A Blantyre butcher tasted success at a national competition by striking gold for one of their popular products won a gold award for their beef slice sausage at the Scottish Craft Butchers product evaluation It passed with flying colours following a grilling by expert industry judges held at Forth Valley College who assessed more than 140 entries from sausage makers from all over Scotland He was presented with a certificate recognising the achievement at the organisation’s recent regional meeting Scottish Craft Butchers president George Jarron said: “It isn’t until you pitch products against others that you find out just how good they really are “To win awards in this evaluation is a great honour for the recipients because the standards are high this serves as an important signpost for sliced sausage lovers on the quest for the best.” It was sponsored by Dalziel and by Colin Hewitson (weighing and processing) with the latter saying: “Sliced sausage is an iconic product here in Scotland “The local butcher is the home of high-quality sliced sausage with many distinctive recipes that we all enjoy; w are proud to sponsor this evaluation and congratulations to all the award winners.” * Don't miss the latest he adlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here Almost 2000 trees have now been planted in the Blantyre area which will have a positive impact on the urban environment By providing a cooling effect in heatwaves and more resilience to extreme weather events the trees will also improve local air quality increase carbon storage and surface water management and create a more diverse place for wildlife to flourish The planting programme in Blantyre comes after the council signed a concordat agreement with the Clyde Climate Forest committing to help plant 18 million trees by 2032 across Glasgow City Region The first tree plantings were at Springwell Park and Ballantrae Road in Blantyre Children from High Blantyre Primary School worked with staff from the environmental charity Trees for Cities, and The Conservation Volunteers, who are Clyde Climate Forest delivery partners to help plant more than 1900 trees to enhance existing woodland and create new areas the chair of the council’s Climate and Sustainability Committee said: “This is a fantastic project that is part of a much bigger plan to tackle some of the key challenges we all face from the climate and biodiversity crisis to declining health and well-being “Trees are part of the solution to some of these issues They work to restore the environmental and social balance in our communities and contribute to the conditions for our economic success as well as enhancing the look and feel of our local communities provide long term benefits as they grow and enrich the local biodiversity in our communities.” Groups can share their stories on social media using the hashtag #ScotClimateWeek – more information is also available on the Stories for Change page And you can watch another film about the work of Biggar Food Growing Group on our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/1vXTX0qdL3M The Clyde Climate Forest is part of the Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network and is also being delivered in partnership with Green Action Trust Scottish Forestry and Woodland Trust Scotland with funding from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund Christopher Keenan died on the M74 after being struck by an HGV lorry.(Image: Police Scotland)A devastated friend of a Blantyre teenager who tragically died on the M74 is calling on biker to join his funeral procession for “his final ride” Biking enthusiast Christopher Keenan passed away after being hit by a lorry on the Hamilton motorway at around 3.10am on Saturday It’s believed the 18-year-old was walking southbound on the motorway however he was pronounced dead at the scene Christopher’s pal James Bain, has today described him as a “great young lad” who loved his bikes, reports Glasgow Live He is calling on bikers to come together to give the teen “a send-off he deserves” on Wednesday He said: “He was a great young lad who would always help people he had a cheeky face and always had a smile he added: “I am looking for as many bikers as possible to give Christopher a send-off he deserves at 9.30am - 9.45am (August 21) and heading to South Lanarkshire crematorium for 10am “If any bikers/ biker groups are able to take part in this could you be at Logan Street for 9.15am and ready to follow Christopher on his final ride can you be there for 9.45am to welcome Christopher on his last ride Could everyone please wear something colourful when attending.” Christopher’s family issued the following statement through Police Scotland: “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences “He was an inspiration to all that knew him and he will be greatly missed by everyone.” Enquiries are ongoing and officers continue to appeal for any witnesses to get in touch Sergeant John Houston said: “Our thoughts remain with Christopher’s family and friends at this very difficult time “I am urging anyone who witnessed the incident or saw Christopher walking along the roadway and has not yet spoken to us to please get in touch “We would also like to see any dashcam footage taken around the time of the collision on the M74 between junctions six and seven “Anyone with information should contact us by calling 101 In a fireside chat hosted by Giovanni Amodeo the Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Blantyre Capital delved into the intricate world of private credit and special situations The discussion provided a deep dive into the strategies and challenges of navigating the complex landscape of special situations investments and eventually to the UK where he transitioned from banking to investment highlighting his pivotal roles at Deutsche Bank He emphasized the allure of special situations investments during economic downturns A significant part of the conversation focused on the challenges of raising funds as a first-time fund where Mukadam detailed his extensive efforts in securing investors culminating in 814 meetings over 2.5 years to successfully launch a €500 million fund with a €240 million co-invest Mukadam also outlined the operational aspects of Blantyre Capital noting the firm’s robust deal origination process that leverages both human expertise and proprietary technology He stressed the importance of human intervention in executing complex deals The discussion also covered the evolving landscape of European markets with Mukadam pointing out the varying creditor-friendly environments across different countries He identified Italy and Germany as key areas with significant investment opportunities due to their industrial capacities and ongoing economic challenges Mukadam further discussed the strategic positioning of Blantyre Capital in the market emphasizing the importance of nimble and creative solutions for mid-market companies facing financial distress particularly in an environment of rising interest rates and economic uncertainty The chat concluded with insights into the future direction of Blantyre Capital with Mukadam affirming the firm’s focus on maintaining a robust presence in Europe given the current market dynamics and opportunities This fireside chat not only highlighted the strategic insights of a seasoned investment leader but also shed light on the broader trends affecting the private credit and special situations sectors in Europe Already a client? Sign in By submitting this form, you consent to allow ION to store and process the personal information submitted. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information (Opt-Out) Staff from South Lanarkshire health and social care partnership contributed to the research; pictured with HSCP head Claire Rae (centre left) chief officer Professor Soumen Sengupta and PhD student Carl Bettosi(Image: Contributed/Hamilton Advertiser)A groundbreaking Lanarkshire health and care facility welcomed the arrival of a “social robot” for two weeks of research into how the prototype could be used to help people recovering from injury plus colleagues from South Lanarkshire University health and social care partnership (HSCP) hosted expert researchers from the National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh who gathered feedback on the use of new technology ARI It could ultimately be used to lead patients through exercise sessions by offering verbal instructions and giving demonstrations using its movable limbs supporting their self-management of rehabilitation Opened last year, the Blantyre Life campus has 45 new affordable homes including 20 technology-enabled flats and bungalows – and has hosted several fact-finding groups including some from overseas to learn more about how technology is being used to facilitate independent living and make day-to-day living easier and safer Now scientists from the world-leading robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) centre have gathered information from staff on the prototype of ARI described as “a social robot with human-like characteristics” to help discover how it could “support healthcare professionals and improve patient wellbeing” The team is led by National Robotarium head of human-robot interaction Professor Lynne Baillie who said: “The robot will offer verbal instruction and encouragement during exercise sessions as well as using its human-like limbs to physically demonstrate how to do exercises properly We believe that this engagement can help empower patients to stick with their exercise regime and improve their overall wellbeing.” HSCP chief officer Professor Soumen Sengupta said: “The foundation of our partnership is made up of the human compassion of the expertise of our staff “ARI represents our commitment to amplifying – not replacing – that expertise with latest technology and working with academic partners in a highly innovative space; and characterises our dedication to helping shape opportunities that rapidly-evolving technology could have for the future of health and care delivery.” Patients have not yet been involved in the research; the work at Blantyre so far has seen health and social care professionals work with PhD student Carl Bettosi to allow him to gather data which will inform future versions of ARI “It’s amazing to come to a place like Blantyre Life and see how technology is being embraced and used alongside hard-earned human expertise and compassion and we hope to work with Blantyre again in the near future.” Lisa Farrell of the National Robotarium added: “Collaborating with facilities like Blantyre Life allows us to work closely with experts in health and social care throughout the testing and development stage – their experience helps us understand their priorities when working with patients Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here Hamilton Sheriff Court.(Image: Hamilton Advertiser)A paedophile who sexually abused young boys in Blantyre decades ago has been jailed for five years William Dunn skipped bail in 1998 after being charged and made a new life for himself in the south of England But justice finally caught up with the 61-year-old at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week indecent and libidinous behaviour towards two boys One victim was aged between six and 10 when Dunn targeted him repeatedly between April 1980 and April 1985 The second boy was aged five or six when he was abused on a single occasion between March 1991 and March 1993 denied the charges but was found guilty after trial he failed to turn up at court in May that year In 2018 he was jailed for 22 months for grooming a teenage boy online then giving him alcohol showering him with gifts and getting him to send intimate pictures in light of his record and the nature of the latest charges a significant prison sentence had to be imposed She also put Dunn on the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period