As we reach the end of another week in lockdown and the beginning of a new month, it’s time for our latest edition of #ICYMI. As the Covid-19 news wheel continues to turn, there were several stories this week that grabbed our attention.

Looking to the future

One of our clients, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, has established the Post-COVID-19 Futures Commission, an initiative aimed at supporting the future of Scotland beyond the coronavirus crisis. Bringing together individuals from the third sector, academia, media and business and faith (and more), the Commission will help identify and address some of the immediate policy implications and challenges arising from the coronavirus outbreak and support thinking around some of the bigger questions it raises. With “what next?” being the question on everyone’s lips, the Commission will look to establish what life will look like as we emerge from this Covid bubble to create a better future. More on the Commission here.

Seafood Supper Club

Another of our clients, Seafood Scotland, has noticed many of us are missing that restaurant experience and know we’re less likely to cook seafood at home. So last night we launched the #SeafoodSupperClub. A digital dinner party where some of Scotland’s most celebrated chefs show guests how to create the perfect seafood dish at home. The Seafood Supper Club will be virtually travelling the country with chefs and guests from regions across Scotland over the next few weeks. Last night, Carina Contini showed Kylie Reid, Founder of Egg, Adele Conn of Tartan Spoon Blog, Fiona Richmond from Scotland Food & Drink and journalist Juliet Lawrence-Wilson how to make a classic lemon sole dish while supporting the Scottish seafood industry. Find out more here.

Good dog

We are big dog fans at Clark….and I mean BIG fans. So, when we saw a story this week about a project between Medical Detection Dogs , the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Durham University exploring how sniffer dogs could be used to detect Coronavirus in passengers arriving into UK airports once lockdown measures are relaxed, we were on board! Six dogs are currently being taught to detect Covid-19 including three working Cocker Spaniels, a Labrador, a Labradoodle and a Labrador Golden Retriever cross and could be trained in a matter of six to eight weeks. If successful, it is hoped that one dog could screen 250 people per hour. We’ve never been prouder of man’s best friend and hope the trials are a huge success. Read more here.

And finally

Dua Lipa’s new album has been keeping the Clark team going through lockdown and when we heard her a mashup between her latest tune ‘Hallucinate’ and — wait for it — the BBC News theme, it gave us life! For us, the mix between a banger and the news is the perfect summer soundtrack. Start the weekend off right and listen here.

Check in next week for the latest #ICYMI. As ever, until then…stay safe.