Month: October 2015

Tax Credits: a battle won but the war goes on

Government fury over Lords revolt

parlystatue

Chancellor George Osborne has said he will act on concerns about the impact of tax credit cuts after peers forced the Westminster government to think again last night – but he has vowed to press on with changes designed to slash billions from the country’s welfare bill.

In a dramatic night the House of Lords defeated the government in two votes over the controversial legislation, forcing the government climbdown.

The Chancellor has now agreed to offer ‘transitional help’ for those hundreds of thousands of people affected by cuts – but the government was angered by the defeats in the unelected ‘other place’ is now considering a review of Lords conventions to address what is sees as ‘constitutional issues’.

The proposed cut to tax credits is the most controversial piece of legislation introduced since the Conservative government’s election in May.

Tax credits were introduced by the last Labour government to help low-paid families. There are two types: Working Tax Credit for those in work, and Child Tax Credit for those with children.

Tax credits are gradually being included within Universal Credit, which is currently being rolled out across the country. Under the government’s plans, the income threshold for receiving Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credit is due to be cut from April next year.

4.5 million people are currently eligible to claim tax credits.

Campaigners and respected think-tanks argue that the proposed tax credit cuts would deprive low-income workers of up to £1,300 a year but the Westminster government says the cuts are essential to tackle the UK’s massive deficit. It says most claimants will be better off when other changes, such as the introduction of the new national living wage, are taken into account.

Tax credits were worth around £2 billion to Scottish households in 2013/14, with two thirds of support directed at low income working families.

Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil called for for the UK Government proposals to be ditched in a letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions earlier this week.

Me Neil said the UK Government should urgently rethink tax credit changes which will punish families and push even more children into poverty and urged the UK Government to rethink its plans to cut tax credits which mean households with the least money will face the biggest losses.

 

Mr Neil said: “Cutting tax credits is a thoughtless approach which may save the Treasury money in the short term but will have heart-breaking long-term consequences that could rebound on other public and charitable services.

“Tax credits can be a lifeline for families on low incomes that rely on them to get through daily life, put food on the table, heat their home and pay their bills.

“Removing this vital support from thousands of families will widen the gap in inequalities and push even more people into poverty.

“The UK Government’s plans are a clear attack on low income working families and those families must be protected as a matter of urgency.

“The Scottish Government has made clear its opposition to these changes and I urge the UK Government to reconsider the severity and timing of these changes and make changes before the Welfare and Work Bill reaches its next legislative stage, so that the poorest households in receipt of tax credits can be protected from this fall in their incomes.

“This shows why we need more social security powers through the Scotland Bill and why, we will ensure our approach to social security will be based on fairness and that people are treated with dignity and respect.”

Letters: Developing a discussion

Dear Editor

There are many schemes, plans and ideas on how, why and what development should take place in Edinburgh, particularly North Edinburgh; some are official, others from private investors.

Although these us some attempt at public consultation it is mostly: ‘do you wish to suggest amendments to the plan?’ There is little intention to start, as it should, to find out the needs and concerns of the people first.

Official boards are on display in many places advertising areas of land set aside for business or other ‘strategic’ development. One does not see official boards setting aside areas of land for the community to use for leisure and pleasure!

If the rate of development continues as outlined in official plans and schemes there will be little open space left in which to relax and take pleasure in visiting. New plan will follow new plan; a developers’ paradise – Edinburgh must not become a city of buildings and traffic congestion.

A. Delahoy 

 

Leave us aLorne!

Grim New Year: charity’s tenants fight Lorne Street eviction 

lorne

A social media campaign and local politicians are supporting a petition to save over 100 families from eviction after a charity put their Lorne Street homes up for sale. Tenants have set up Lorne Community Association (LCA) and hope to transfer their houses into a new community-run housing co-operative – but they have only THREE MONTHS to prove their plan stacks up.

The Agnes Hunter Trust says the sale of  the Leith homes is a more effective way of maintaining income that can then be given out as grants to the local community.

The trust was set up in 1954 by Miss Agnes Hunter with the properties built by her father in the 1870s and they have since been let by the Hunter family to the people of Leith. The properties and the rental income received are then used by the Hunter Trust to support good works and worthy causes in the Leith community and beyond – these include support for people suffering from arthritis and other health conditions and ‘assistance with the education and training of disadvantaged people’.

Two hundred tenants have been issued letters of four months statutory notice to quit and find alternative rented accommodation, but campaigners have appealed for a year to turn the homes into a local community-run housing co-operative.

Petitioner Melanie Weigang said: “Over 200 tenants in Lorne Street, Leith are facing eviction. We ask that City of Edinburgh Council does everything possible within its powers, including financial support, to support the tenants to save the community and to set up a housing co-op.”

The Trust has confirmed it will resume the process of evicting tenants in January if the trustees cannot be persuaded that the LCA can buy the flats at market rates.

The first evictees will be those who have lived in a property for less than four years.

Many of the old tenement properties are understood to be in a poor state and require modernisation, but tenant Lucy Dey said she and many others have nowhere else to go. She said: “We’re not asking for much – just a year. By then we’re confident we’d have a co-op and the homes will remain in the community.”

The LCA petition to the City of Edinburgh Council says:

Over 200 tenants in Lorne Street, Leith are facing eviction by the Agnes Hunter Trust, a charitable trust that owns over 100 flats in Lorne Street. The trust was established in 1954 by Miss Agnes Hunter. The properties were built by her father in the 1870ties and since then have been let by the Hunter family to the people of Leith. Miss Hunter herself lived for many years in Leith until she died in 1954.

The properties and the income received from its tenants have always built the core of the charity. The trust informed all tenants on 11 June 2015 that it decided to dispose all of its properties within 3-4 years to re-invest the income from the sale of the properties and with a view to increasing the amount available for distribution to charities.

The tenants with the support from MP Deidre Brock, MSP Malcolm Chisholm, Councillors Nick Gardner, Angela Blacklock and Cammy Day asked the trustees to put the evictions on hold for 12 months in order to set up a housing co-op with the support of the council but that request was denied and only a 4 months period was granted which will only be extended if we can agree with the landlord on a valuation basis for the property portfolio by then.

We kindly ask that the City of Edinburgh Council does everything possible within its powers, including financial support, to support the tenants to save the community and to set up a housing co-op.

As word spreads about their plight LCA’s organisers are confident that more and more people will support their plan – they delighted with response to their petition so far.

 

OMG! College offers digital industry skills programme

Edinburgh College gives budding digital creatives the chance to make it with BBC scheme

Social Media Logotype Background

Edinburgh College is giving creative young unemployed people who love likes, hashtags and telling stories online the chance to take the first steps towards a digital industry career.

The college’s eight-week BBC Make it Digital programme will teach skills to unemployed young people including: digital storytelling, building a website, planning a social media campaign, shooting and editing a film and learning how to pitch creative ideas to business.

The training programme was designed by the BBC Academy and is open to unemployed people between 16-24. It will take place at the college’s Milton Road Campus, where students will work with industry-standard software. The course will start on 2 November.

Taking part in this programme does not affect benefits and those between 16 and 18 on the programme will receive £55 per week Training Allowance. Travelling expenses are also part of the support.

Students will spend three weeks on work placements with local employers, who will ask them to design a social media campaign.

Make it Digital is a national scheme but the programme in Scotland has the added benefit of a recognised SQA qualification – the National Progression Award in Enterprise and Employability.

Trainees will also take part in a Radio 1 challenge based in London, where the best entries will be shortlisted into the final recruitment stages for a year-long Radio 1 Apprenticeship.

As well as new digital skills, students will also learn employability skills including business networking, CV and interview tips, budgeting, project management and creating an online portfolio. By the end of the training, participants will greatly improve their chances of finding a job or a modern apprenticeship.

Jon Buglass, head of Creative Industries at Edinburgh College, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to start to develop the skills they need to make it in the creative digital industry. The digital sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the UK at the moment as businesses now rely on an online presence to survive. We’re excited to be working with the BBC Academy and Skills Development Scotland to give unemployed young people the chance to build digital and employability skills to help them make their way back into the workplace.”

Skills Development Scotland is funding the programme through the Employability Fund. Contact the Edinburgh Skills Development Scotland Careers Centre on 0131 718 2040 or speak to a Jobcentre Work Coach to find out how to apply for this course.

 

Hummingbird Ball celebrates fifteen years

champagne glasses
This year’s Hummingbird Ball in aid of Diabetes UK marks 15 years of successful fundraising in the Scottish capital at the event on Saturday 7 November.

Organised by a group of local Diabetes UK volunteers, the Ball has raised over £300,000 for research projects since the inaugural event in 2001.  Diabetes UK is the leading charitable funder of diabetes research which increases understanding of the causes of diabetes, brings about life-changing breakthroughs in care, treatment, prevention and, one day, a cure.

Craig Cameron, one of the event organisers, said:  “When we arranged the first Hummingbird Ball in 2001 we thought it would be a one off event.  No one could have imagined in those early days that we would reach 15 years and raise in excess of £300,000. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported this incredible achievement.”

The 15th Hummingbird Ball takes place at Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh on the evening of Saturday 7 November 2015.  A five star black tie event hosted by master of ceremonies, Grant Stott, guests are invited to enjoy a lavish dinner with fabulous entertainment, charity auctions and raffles.

Auction items up for grabs include an evening at the ATP Tennis Finals as well as a weekend hire of a Harley Davidson motorbike. The organising committee is keen to hear from any individuals or companies who wish to donate auction or raffle prizes.

Craig added:  “The Hummingbird Ball is a fantastic night that’s enjoyed by all.  We have already sold many tickets but there are still some available if people would like to join us.  Diabetes is a major health issue which affects over 276,000 people across Scotland including over 37,700 in Lothian.  Diabetes UK is leading the way in cutting edge research, including some ground-breaking projects across Scotland, which will have a positive impact on the lives of people affected by the condition.”

Jane-Claire Judson, National Director of Diabetes Scotland, said:  “The success of the Hummingbird Ball over the past 15 years is truly amazing given that the event is organised entirely by volunteers.  Over £300,000 raised through the event is testament to the volunteers’ commitment to funding Diabetes UK research in Scotland.  It’s a fantastic achievement and we’re truly grateful.”

Tickets for the event, priced at £90 each, are not cheap but for those who can afford to support a very worthy cause tickets can be purchased by contacting Diabetes Scotland office on 0141 245 6380 or email scotlandfundraising@diabetes.org.uk. Prizes can also be donated in this way.

‘We, the peoples’: Castle turning blue for UN Day

World’s iconic landmarks celebrate the UN’s 70th birthday

Exif JPEG

Edinburgh Castle will be lit blue from dusk tonight to celebrate the UN’s 70th anniversary. The castle will join landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Tokyo’s Skytree Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa as part of a global initiative to turn the World UN Blue.

It’s been 70 years since the UN was formed. The castle will turn blue to mark the occasion and to encourage people to reflect on the United Nation’s achievements over the last seven decades.

Scotland has a valuable contribution to offer the world, in support of UN objectives, through our expertise on climate change and energy, our clear commitment to human and children’s rights, our work on public health and research, and our innovative approach to international development.

Culture, Europe and External Affairs Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “Over the last 70 years the United Nations has protected and improved the lives of so many the world over. Tonight, we want to congratulate the UN on its many achievements and help to promote its message of peace, development and human rights by lighting Edinburgh Castle blue.

“While we celebrate the UN’s 70th anniversary, we know that more work is required by all of us to fulfil the promise of a life in peace and dignity for all that the UN stands for. Scotland shares the UN’s value and goals and is committed to promoting them.

“Many Scottish civil society organisations and individuals work hard to help the UN achieve its aims, often as unpaid volunteers. We want to thank them for this engagement and encourage more people to join their efforts.”

You can join in too – members of the public are being encouraged to share their pictures @UN #UNblue

UN

Speaking at the UN Day Concert in New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommitted the organisation’s goal of creating a better world for all, serving ‘We the Peoples’ on frontlines. He said:

Happy United Nations Day to all.

I am delighted to welcome all of you to this special seventieth anniversary celebration. We are honoured by the presence of so many talented performers.

I thank the KBS Traditional Music Orchestra, the K-pop duo Davichi, the world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir, and Lang Lang, my very dedicated UN Messenger of Peace.

Their performances can inspire the United Nations family as we ready ourselves for the enormous challenges ahead.

Wars and violence continue to devastate communities and countries. The effects of climate change are real and worsening. The gap between rich and poor is growing wider. Violent extremists, human traffickers and other criminals are abusing human rights with impunity.

But even on this grim landscape, I see signs of change. Governments have just come together to forge an inspiring vision for a life of dignity for all people — and a set of Sustainable Development Goals to achieve it.

We now have the largest youth population in history. The world’s 1.8 billion young people can help drive us to a new future. And individuals everywhere are using the communications revolution to demand their rights and pressure their Governments to deliver.

The United Nations is strongly committed to remaining at the forefront of this global wave of progress. That is what we have done for 70 years — and it is what we will continue to do in serving “we the peoples”.

I know from my own life the difference the United Nations can make. When war came to Korea, help came, bearing the United Nations flag.

Today, I am determined to see the United Nations bring help and hope to others.

Over the decades, we have helped to bring freedom to millions, dismantle colonialism, defeat apartheid and defend human rights for all, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation.

Today, our blue helmets and humanitarian workers work on the frontlines of conflict and disaster. We fight poverty, hunger and disease. We stand against corruption, impunity and injustice.

Our enterprise is not perfect. But without the United Nations, our world would be a far bleaker place.

And now, with the adoption of the inspiring 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations has pointed the way towards progress for all humankind.

To achieve these goals, we need a strong United Nations — a strong UN for the well-being of people and planet alike.

Tonight, we light up our Headquarters in UN Blue. Tomorrow night, more than 200 iconic landmarks in over 55 countries around the world will also shine under blue lights in honour of the UN’s seventieth anniversary.

I thank all of those who have made this great project possible.

Above all, I pay tribute to UN staff and all those they serve to advance peace, development and human rights around the world.

United Nations Day, for me, will always be a day for “we the peoples”.

Let us dedicate all celebrations by recommitting ourselves to achieving the goal of a life of dignity and a better world for all.

Thank you for your leadership and your commitment.

UN

“Together, we’ve spent 70 years striving for peace, 70 years helping the poorest and most vulnerable”

Speaking at the General Assembly Meeting on the 70th Anniversary of the UN, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the UK Mission to the UN said:

Ever since my distant predecessor Gladwyn Jebb served as acting Secretary-General of the embryonic UN 70 years ago, Britain has been proud to play a leading role in the multilateral system.

Together, we’ve spent 70 years striving for peace, 70 years helping the poorest and most vulnerable, and I’m pleased to say, 70 years co-operating, whatever our differences.

So looking back, there is so much to celebrate. In the last seven decades, we have helped negotiate countless peace agreements, supported by over 60 peacekeeper and observer missions to the world’s trouble spots. We’ve built on that peace, providing elections assistance to over 100 countries. The UN remains rightly an ambitious organisation; as the agreement of the sustainable development goals shows.

Today, the UN provides food to 90 million people in 80 countries, vaccinates 58 per cent of the world’s children, saving 3 million lives a year. It assists 39 million refugees and keeps the peace with over 120,000 peacekeepers in 16 operations on 4 continents.

But in looking back, we cannot lose sight of the challenges ahead; climate change, violent extremism, and issues like anti-microbial resistance which still lie below the radar. These are all issues where global action is the only solution, where the UN needs to show leadership.

To tackle these, and more, the UN needs to adapt and reform. Organisations that stand still quickly lose relevance. The UK supports modernisation of the UN. We want to bring greater diversity to the authority of the Security Council, by expanding its membership to include Germany, Japan, Brazil and India, as well as more African representation.

And we also want to see a strong leader in the next Secretary-General, who can help deliver these ambitious reforms, who is selected through a transparent, equal and fair process. And with all other things being equal, the UK believes that the UN’s next leader should be a woman.

So this year will be a seminal one in the UN’s history. It is a time for the multilateral system to demonstrate how effective it can be in delivering positive change – be it in a deal to tackle climate change, or in a plan to end the crisis in Syria. The best way to mark our 70th anniversary would be for progress to be made on all these fronts.

Trust us: students design branding for new charity building

Edinburgh College students produce logo for Gorebridge Beacon

External for exhibition board panel 2 - high resolution (2000x1333)

One of Scotland’s newest and most striking buildings has taken the latest step from drawing board to a reality with the help of two young trainee graphic designers from Edinburgh College.

The Gorebridge Community Development Trust, a volunteer-led charity that supports local economic and social regeneration, is creating a new £2.2m centre (above) and enlisted students Rhys McGeary and Liam Henderson to create its new brand identity.

The designers took the name suggested through a competition, the Gorebridge Beacon, and worked it up into a new logo that symbolises the point of the new centre, which opens next year (below). The new centre will provide affordable, subsidised business space for rental with meeting rooms, flexible conferencing and learning space, a community cafe, a Sure Start nursery and a youth space, giving the town of Gorebridge a major boost.

Logo for web

Stephanie Walker, co-chair of the Gorebridge Community Development Trust, said: “The Gorebridge Beacon is all about giving people a new start and making their lives better. Graphic design is a fiercely competitive career and getting started on your career can be extremely challenging. By working together, we’ve got a really professional product and the two designers have got something really solid and impressive in their portfolios which will hopefully give them a head start in establishing themselves as excellent creative designers.”

The designers, Rhys and Liam, both from Musselburgh, volunteered to help the trust through their course tutor Chris Hughes at Edinburgh College, where they are in the final year of the HND Visual Communication: Graphic Design course.

Rhys, Liam and the trust narrowed four approaches down to one final design, and this brand identity will now be used across the centre’s website, social media presence, signage and promotional material.  It reflects the aspirations of the trust for the contribution the new complex will make in terms of improving lives in the community. The centre has to pay its own way in terms of attracting tenants for the centre’s office spaces and ensuring as many people as possible come in to use the centre’s cafe, performance spaces, youth rooms, nursery and meeting rooms.

Chris Hughes said: “This partnership worked really well for everyone – the development trust got access to highly skilled design professionals and our students got the chance to work on live commissions and see their work being put into place in a real world commercial setting.”

Rhys said: “The client brief was really interesting but challenging. In terms of the people the centre has to attract, because it offers so many different things – from the cafe to conference venues and offices for hire – the audiences are all ages, from school pupils, to teenagers right up to older people, from charities to professional businesses.

“The trust were also clear that they wanted something that reflected both the building, its name, and its ambitious social purpose.”

Liam said: “Getting a design right involves a lot of discussion while ensuring that the end product has purpose and meaning. It will help the client achieve their purpose such as summarising quickly the point of something  to helping people get more familiar with the centre and more likely to use it.”

Stephanie Walker added: “Given all the Trust is doing, making this centre work is and continues to be a challenge for our small volunteer-led trust and that won’t get any easier when we open our doors as we will have difficult targets to reach.  That’s where a good brand identity and excellent promotional work will pay off and we’ve been grateful to our supporters for their assistance, in particular Midlothian Council which has seconded Stephen Fraser to us part-time.”

“Stephen brought Edinburgh College in and we’re really grateful for their help. Rhys and Liam have listened carefully to our views and worked with board members to come up with a logo and other materials that neatly summarises our hopes for what the centre will provide for Gorebridge when it opens.”

The actual building of the £2.2m centre, known as capital development, has been funded from grants provided by the Big Lottery Fund, Social Investment Scotland and Midlothian Council, with the trust having to repay a loan once the centre is up and running, making it vital that the development is embraced by the Gorebridge community and used fully.