Residents are being encouraged to have their say on proposed Firework Control Zones (FCZs) for autumn 2026 as a public consultation gets underway across Edinburgh.
The consultation is seeking views on continuing Firework Control Zones in Corstorphine, Longstone, Sighthill/Broomhouse, Mordeun and The Murrays, as well as introducing new zones in Liberton Grange, Lochend, Stenhouse/Gaskell Street, West Pilton and Wester Hailes.
Firework Control Zones prohibit the use of fireworks within designated areas for a limited period and form part of a wider package of measures designed to improve public safety, reduce anti-social behaviour and support local communities during the fireworks season.
Earlier this year, community groups were invited to apply for Firework Control Zone status in their neighbourhoods. Applications highlighted concerns about the misuse of fireworks, anti-social behaviour, and the impact on animals, older people and other vulnerable residents.
The proposals build on the positive results seen in recent years, with Edinburgh experiencing significantly lower levels of firework-related anti-social behaviour compared with previous years.
Councillor Margaret Graham, Convener of Culture and Communities, said: “We want to hear directly from residents and communities about the areas being considered for Firework Control Zones again this year.
“They are just one of the measures we’re using to improve safety and reduce firework-related anti-social behaviours to make sure our communities can enjoy Bonfire Night in a safe and responsible way.
“I’d encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and help shape our approach for the 2026 fireworks season.”
The consultation will run from Wednesday 24 June until Wednesday 5 August on the Council website.
Biggest update to curriculum in over a decade under way
The most significant reform of Scotland’s curriculum in more than ten years is underway, as the first early samples of new curriculum materials have been shared with councils across the country.
Planned updates to the curriculum, prepared by Education Scotland and co-designed with input from over 1,500 teachers, nursery practitioners, and partners through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC), will clarify knowledge and progression, making it clearer what children should know, understand and be able to do at every stage of school.
Discussions are taking place with the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) for two additional in-service days to be offered during the 2026-27 academic year, to help schools prepare for change.
Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “The Curriculum Improvement Cycle is driving the single largest update to the curriculum in over a decade.
“The new curriculum will make the place of knowledge and skills clearer. It will drive excellence. It will be taught in schools from August 2028 and it will be benchmarked against international standards.
“The materials shared by Education Scotland this week are a preview ahead of the full draft curriculum framework later this year, as we work with the profession on implementation from August 2028.
“We are proposing additional in-service days to provide teachers the time and support needed to prepare for these changes which will support Scotland’s young people to reach their full potential in our education system.
“These will form part of wider support up to 2028 to ensure teachers can fully engage with the updates and how they can use them in the classroom.”
This Small Charity Week, an Edinburgh chaity has been announced as a finalist for a prestigious national award, recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the small charity world.
Grassmarket Community Project, which supports those furthest from employment, has been nominated for a Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Award.
The CSJ Awards seek out the top charities nationwide, highlighting those that excel in innovation and effectiveness in the fight against poverty. The diverse panel of judges includes David Gandy, BAFTA-Winning Actor Toby Jones, and past CSJ Award winners along with cross-sector experts that come together to select the winners.
The Awards celebrate the best of the small charity sector who are providing innovative policy solutions to address the root causes of poverty across the UK.
Grassmarket Community Project exists to support people facing multiple causes of poverty in Edinburgh. The charity offers a long-term, strengths-based community for approximately 450 people each year offering mainstream support to build relationships, develop skills, and create pathways to long-term change.
Helene van der Ploeg, CEO of Grassmarket Community Project, said: “We are delighted to be recognised as a finalist in the 2026 CSJ Awards. At Grassmarket Community Project, we are an open door to anyone experiencing social isolation and poverty in Edinburgh and beyond.
“We see every day the extraordinary potential that exists when our members are given the opportunity and support to thrive through our huge programme of activities and social enterprises. To be recognised by the Centre for Social Justice is a tribute to them, staff, our volunteers and supporters across Edinburgh.”
Chris Murray MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, said: “‘It is fantastic to see the Grassmarket Community Project named as a finalist for the 2026 CSJ Awards.The Project is a true cornerstone of our community, providing vital space and services that support so many people.
“It stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose to make a positive difference.”
Andy Cook, CEO of the Centre for Social Justice, said: “While political uncertainty continues at home and global challenges mount, there’s an army of small charities in some of our most deprived communities across the UK quietly rolling up their sleeves and changing lives.
“The CSJ Awards are the Oscars of the small charity sector where we celebrate the very best of those unsung heroes who rarely get the recognition they deserve.
“Today we are proud to announce our twelve 2026 finalists. We will be revealing the winners at our CSJ Awards ceremony in the heart of Westminster this November.”
As a record-breaking heatwave hits parts of the UK this week, the Chair of Westminster’s Environmental Audit Committee has pushed the government on what it is doing to tackle the “silent killer” of extreme heat.
In a letter published today, the Chair asks the government how it plans to tackle overheating in hospitals, care homes, schools and prisons, as well as its views on measures such as establishing maximum workplace temperatures, prescribing active cooling such as air conditioning, and changing school timetables.
The Chair also asks the government about standards to ensure new housing is resilient to future heat, and the work taking place on the imminent Fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4). The Climate Change Committee has been highly critical of the Plan’s predecessor (NAP3), saying it falls “far short of what is needed”.
During a recent evidence session, witnesses told the Committee that current rates of global warming are unprecedented and that heat extremes are often outpacing scientific predictions, leaving the UK likely to face longer and more intense heatwaves.
One witness told MPs that the UK was “built for a climate that no longer exists”.
Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins MP, said: “This week parts of the UK are facing temperatures approaching 40 degrees, a level of extreme heat that was once unthinkable yet now is becoming increasingly likely.
“The effects of such extreme heat can be disruptive and devastating. Without action, we will see economic productivity take a hit; more people needing attention in hospital and suffering with poor mental health; more hospitals, care homes and schools overheating and more of our critical transport, water, food and IT systems failing.
qEconomic productivity will be hit, but more importantly we will likely see a significant number of deaths as a direct result of the current heatwave.
“The evidence could not be clearer that extreme heat is an urgent threat to the UK. Yet the government is currently falling “far short of what is needed”, according to its independent climate advisors.
“Taking action carries a significant cost. But the cost of doing nothing is far, far greater.
“I want to know what action the government is taking to tackle extreme overheating, a problem that will only grow worse without intervention, as well as its views on important measures to adapt to what seems to be our new normal.”
Up to 40,000 disabled people and people with health conditions will benefit from expanded access to personalised support, as the government rolls out Support Conversations across a further 27 Jobcentres taking the total number of sites to 33
Support Conversations expanding to a further 27 Jobcentres across Great Britain, bringing the total to 33 sites.
Disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits are being offered a one-to-one, voluntary, hour-long conversation to discuss their support needs and identify extra help. This support is personalised and could link people to help with their health, debt, skills, employment and housing.
Part of the government’s wider £3.5 billion investment to help disabled people and those with health conditions into work over the Parliament.
Support Conversations are voluntary, hour-long sessions designed to help people identify and overcome the barriers stopping them from moving into work or into meaningful activity (such as volunteering) and is part of the commitment the Government made in last year’s Pathways to Work Green Paper
Unlike standard Jobcentre appointments, Support Conversations take a holistic approach, covering not just employment, but housing, debt, skills, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation services. Support Conversations are delivered by Healthcare Professionals, Pathways to Work Advisers, and Disability Employment Advisers, and are available face to face, by video, or by telephone.
They are open to those who are awaiting a Work Capability Assessment and people furthest away from the labour market – assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA).
These are people who for too long were written off and denied support. But the government’s expansion of Support Conversations is giving people they help they need and builds on the landmark deployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work Advisers, who have already helped more than 65,000 sick and disabled people get one step closer to work.
Minister for Employment Dame Diana Johnson said: “Too many disabled people and people with health conditions face barriers that stop them from accessing the support and opportunities they deserve.
“That is why we are expanding the number of sites delivering Support Conversations from 6 to 33 Jobcentres across Great Britain, giving up to 40,000 people personalised help tailored to their circumstances.
“Getting more people into good work is central to our Plan for Change and Support Conversations will help us do exactly this.”
This expansion builds on testing already live in six sites where support conversations are being delivered by healthcare professionals and disability employment advisers. Early testing indicates customers feeling “listened to” and “supported.”
Neil, a Disability Employment Adviser in Bournemouth said: “Support Conversations are a great opportunity to spend an hour focused on the claimant and their needs.
“We all know that many people face a whole range of challenges which need to be overcome as part of their individual journey back to work and talking through those challenges with a DEA is an important first step.
“Support Conversations confirm that the most valuable resource we have is the time that we spend with our claimants.”
Saimha, a Healthcare Professional in Preston said: “Support Conversation is about providing compassionate, informed, holistic, person-centred support to disabled people and those with health conditions. Every interaction is an opportunity to make someone feel heard, safe, and supported.
“Every person’s health journey is unique and support conversation is an opportunity to identify the range of barriers people are facing in their day to day life and signposting them to the relevant services that can help, encouraging people to take positive steps towards improving their lives.”
This expansion forms part of the UK government’s Pathways to Work offer and its broader £3.5 billion employment support package, which includes:
Connect to Work, which delivers tailored, personalised, local support that will help 300,000 people into work by the end of this parliament.
The national expansion of WorkWell, backed by £259mn, helping up to 250,000 people with health conditions to stay in or return to work.
Allowing sick or disabled people to try work without the immediate fear of reassessment through the Right to Try.
The deployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers who’ve already helped tens of thousands of people the previous Government wrote off.
The government will continue to test the success of Support Conversations through healthcare professionals and disability employment advisors as part of this expansion, with Pathways to Work Advisers also carrying out these Support Conversations for the first time. 27 sites have been confirmed so far, with a further six sites to be confirmed shortly.
The expansion directly supports the government’s Plan for Change and its mission to raise living standards across the UK by helping more people into work and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Additional Information:
Support Conversations are currently offered to people awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) who have registered a health condition or disability that impacts their ability to work and those assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA).
The conversations are entirely voluntary.
List of confirmed sites (note 6 further sites to be confirmed shortly):
We are excited to share a delicious community meal with you tomorrow. We do our best to have a variety of options, including vegetarian and a delicious pudding.
What’s on the menu today:
Broccoli soup
Mexican beef stew with rice
Veggie haggis curry with rice
Please check the board or ask our volunteers about allergens.
And just a heads-up, our food is served until it runs out!
Granton Primary School children using the 30th anniversary of the Old and News Towns World Heritage Site in Edinburgh as inspiration to create an exhibition to help mark this important milestone.
The children’s artwork will be displayed in a special exhibition for residents and visitors to view in the Museum of Edinburgh later this year to celebrate three decades since the Site was inscribed by UNESCO in 1995.
The class of primary four pupils are working with local artist Stephanie Walker on their ‘Imagine if…’ project to help the children put together artwork using the Old Town to help spark excitement and curiosity for the world around us. The aim of the project is to create a connection and a sense of wonder for the valuable heritage Edinburgh is so famous for.
Local artist Stepanie Walker said:“The project has been designed to guide the children through a series of art sessions to help them imagine and create their final piece to display on canvas.
“Before our visit to the World Heritage Site we explored what we know about Edinburgh. The children brainstormed and shared ideas about famous buildings and drew them to create a class exhibition.
“We visited the Museum of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile and learnt about why the city has a World Heritage Site, explored artefacts in the museum and shared what we had discovered.
“We visited the Site twice walking around the cobbled streets and narrow closes in and around the Royal Mile. The children looked carefully at the old buildings, monuments and skylines as well as all the nature we found in the historic area. We visited the Canongate Kirk, and I encouraged the children to imagine what the people who lived there long ago were like.
“The pupils then made sketches and used water colours to create paintings of their favourite scenes, buildings and objects to use as reference material for the final piece they will put together back in the classroom.”
Cllr Joan Griffiths Planning Convener said: “This project is both creative and educational as it allows pupils from a different area of the city to use art to help bring to life different aspects of the World Heritage Site such as the buildings and skylines that they find inspirational.
“It’s wonderful to see the work they have produced and I’m very much looking forward to the final exhibition in the Museum of Edinburgh later this year. It’s important that we teach children the value of preserving our World Heritage Site for future generations to come.
“I’m hoping this class of primary four pupils will remember the project in years to come holding onto what they’ve learned about what’s special about the history of their city and will pass this on.”
Entries will be grouped into twelve categories, each celebrating a particular value of Scotland’s capital city. The winning photograph in each category will become part of a year-long calendar, which will be sold on Historic Scotland sites and at Edinburgh World Heritage events to raise money for the Trust.
The over-all winner will take pride of place on the front cover of the calendar and will receive a one-year membership for Historic Scotland, who run top-rated visitor attractions all over the country.
