Are you, a family member, carer or neighbour looking for somewhere friendly to go during the week?
At PEP, our weekly groups are all about meeting people, having fun, enjoying lunch and taking part in activities in a friendly, welcoming environment.
There’s something happening Monday to Saturday:
Lunch and activities are provided.
Sessions are just £4, with an additional £1.50 if transport is required.
If you know someone who would benefit from company, activities, a hot lunch and a reason to get out and about, please share this post or get in touch with us.
Come along, meet the PEP community and make some new friends!
Come and join other parents and carers at the Parent Council AGM on Thurs 17 September in the school staffroom. We’ll have snacks and chatting from 5.30, with the meeting from 6 to 7.30ish.
You’ll hear from Susan Bennett, one of our acting heads, plus a report on attainment and the latest SQA results.
We are looking for new committee members, but very happy to see people who just want to come along occasionally.
A major new global poll unveiled at the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival found that 68% of people worldwide say culture gives them hope.
The International Festival tackled barriers that keep audiences from world-class live performance: over 50,000 tickets were priced at £30 or under; a record 3,000 free tickets were given to Scotland’s young musicians; over 8,000 half-price and free tickets for Deaf, disabled & neurodivergent audiences; and more than double the number of £10 tickets were available across every performance.
A deep connection was forged between audiences and world-leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices: 86% of audiences rated their experience 4 or 5 stars.
The 2026 Edinburgh International Festival has concluded, with the last of 146 performances across music, dance, opera and theatre in a 24-day celebration of the performing arts.
This year’s programme, All Rise, put America in the spotlight, featuring the largest representation of American artists in the Festival’s history. With over 2,000 artists from 46 countries, hand-picked for their cultural resonance, the 2026 Festival was defined by extraordinary artists and thinkers who presented a range of contemporary perspectives, and a vision for the future.
In its inaugural Global Ideas Stage event, the International Festival unveiled a major new poll conducted on culture and hope, the largest of its kind ever undertaken on this subject. Focaldata surveyed 35,000 people across 34 countries and found that 68% say culture gives them hope, with a single cultural moment, whether a live performance, a book, a film or a piece of theatre, helping them feel more hopeful about an uncertain future.
This year’s programme brought together some of the world’s leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices, including: Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, filmmaker Ken Burns, Pulitzer-Award nominee Zora Howard, trumpeter and educator Wynton Marsalis, Oscar-nominee Wagner Moura, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and journalist Amy Goodman.
The Festival also presented a landmark exhibition The Legacy of Slavery, which gave a comprehensive history of the legacy of racial injustice, from Scotland to America. This Festival commission drew more than 7,500 people during its three-week run at the Playfair Library, in its first ever international outing outside of The Legacy Museum site in Montgomery, Alabama.
Launch of the 2026 Edinburgh International Festivall
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director,Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “These new findings confirm what I have always known, culture gives us hope. This Festival, and the audiences who have been changed by what they saw on our stages, are proof of that.
“This year’s Festival theme, All Rise, was a rallying cry for collaboration and resilience, based on our firm belief that through artistic endeavour we can learn to see one another more truthfully, and more tolerantly.
“The 2,000 artists that joined us in Edinburgh answered our invitation with courage and generosity, grappling with urgent and profound issues – everything from AI and fake news to the opioid crisis and police brutality – holding up a mirror as well as showing us a way forwards.
“We asked audiences to take a leap with us, embracing risks with an exceptional number of bold new commissions by the International Festival. They responded with curiosity and bravery. This is what it looks like when culture gives us hope.”
This year, the International Festival asked for a deeper connection between audiences and artists. Across all artforms, opera, music, theatre and dance, 86% of audiences surveyed rated their performance experience 4 or 5 stars.
The new ‘Lights Down, Phones Off’ initiative encouraged audiences to switch off distractions during all performances: resulting in a significant reduction in phone-related disturbances.
The Festival also rolled out its broad range of industry-leading concessions and initiatives, to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to cultural discovery. More than 50,000 tickets across the programme were priced at £30 or under, and a record 4,894 £10 tickets were offered across every single performance, a more than 50% increase on last year. Over a third of these were bought by audiences who had never attended the Festival before.
Alongside this, over 8,000 tickets were issued to Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members and their companions, a number of tickets that has grown consistently over the past three years.
A record 3,000 Young Musician Pass tickets were issued this year, giving Scottish young musicians free access to the International Festival and creating pathways into transformative cultural experiences.
Young Musician Pass holders were also given opportunities to meet and ask questions of artists including members of the BerlinerPhilharmoniker, Colin Currie, Nicola Benedetti and some of the Festival’s Rising Stars.
The Festival’s Discover series also brought over 2,000 opportunities for Edinburgh secondary school pupils to encounter opera, dance, music and theatre at performances and in their own schools, many for the first time.
Taking the Festival experience out of the concert halls, weekly NHS Festival Sessions brought artists into healthcare settings for pop-up performances for staff, patients and visitors. Families also enjoyed Art of Listening workshops introducing them to live classical performance, which took place in Space @ The Broomhouse Hub for the first time.
Francesca Hegyi, Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “This year we have seen the unique role Festival plays in bringing together significant thinkers, political leaders, and some of the best artists in the world to Edinburgh.
“The International Festival hosted artists from 46 countries, taking to stages alongside over 700 artists from across Scotland. We welcomed 23 international delegations and served as a launchpad for the Creative Trade Forum, a new initiative to promote trade and investment for the UK’s creative sector.
“What sets the International Festival apart is the global role it plays, while rooted resolutely in Scotland – more than half of our tickets go to Edinburgh residents.
“We provide a global stage, a meeting place for cultures and ideas, where audiences gather every year.”
New support for families to be phased in from next year
Parents and carers will benefit from a new childcare offer aimed at bringing down the cost of living, tackling child poverty and boosting family incomes, First Minister John Swinney has said.
As part of the newly-published Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is transforming its childcare offer to ensure greater childcare support is available to families with children from nine months old through to the end of primary school.
Consultation on the new approach will take place next year, with delivery phased in over time. This will begin with a £44 million annual investment in breakfast clubs in primary schools across Scotland from August 2027, followed by the introduction of after-school and holiday childcare for primary school children from August 2029.
The First Minister also announced the first recipients of the new £15 million Childcare Support Fund, which is expected to help those organisations support an estimated 4,800 low-income families with the cost of childcare at times when they most need it.
Speaking ahead of a visit with Education Secretary Màiri McAllan to Fintry Mains Childcare and Community Hub in Dundee, one of the organisations benefiting from the funding, the First Minister said:“High-quality childcare plays an important role in helping children thrive, easing cost of living pressures and creating opportunities for parents and carers to work, train and study.
“Too many families still face barriers to accessing the childcare they need. By transforming the support available to families from nine months through to the end of primary school we will help more parents and carers into employment, boost household incomes and give children the best possible start in life.
“Alongside our long-term plans to transform childcare, the £15 million Childcare Support Fund announced today will provide practical support to families who need it most.
“This forms part of our wider Programme for Government, which is focused on making tangible improvements to people’s lives by creating jobs, raising living standards and growing Scotland’s economy to help eradicate child poverty.”
Susan McGhee, Chief Executive of Flexible Childcare Services Scotland which runs Fintry Mains Childcare, said: “Receiving a grant from the Scottish Government’s Childcare Support Fund will allow us to support even more families across Scotland.
“We already deliver flexible childcare to over 1,000 parents a year and, according to our research, those families are more than £2 million better off thanks to our book-by-the-hour model.
“We look forward to working alongside Midlothian Sure Start and Renfrewshire Out of School Network to ensure families can access affordable, flexible all-age childcare within their communities.”
Chloe Sinclair, whose three-year-old daughter Lola attends Fintry Mains Childcare, said: “I heard good things about Flexible Childcare Services Scotland from other parents.
“The flexibility has really helped me and my partner as we work shifts and need to know our three-year-old daughter Lola is cared for. Being able to book what we need is ideal for our jobs and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
First recipients of the Childcare Support Fund
Grant Value
Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector – Provides intensive, referral-based childcare support across Glasgow, helping priority families overcome childcare barriers so they can enter, sustain or progress in work, study and training.
£1,000,000
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland SCIO – Delivers flexible childcare across six local authority areas, supporting families in insecure or low-paid work to take up opportunities, increase hours and reduce employment barriers caused by childcare costs.
£878,367
Early Years Scotland – Acts as a national childcare broker, connecting low-income families to childcare that fills specific gaps in provision, including bridging periods, additional hours and support for children not covered by existing entitlements.
£1,000,000
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments – known as Craighalbert – Provides specialist childcare for children with complex disabilities and additional support needs, enabling parents to work or study at points of transition while children receive tailored care and developmental support.
£615,326
Scottish Childminding Association – Funds flexible childminding placements with registered childminders, giving families personalised childcare and informal support that enables parents to seek work, remain employed or access training.
£302,948
The Indigo Childcare Group – Offers free childcare places, including a mobile crèche for parents attending employability programmes, with additional support for families experiencing crisis situations or caring for children with additional needs.
£412,045
Scottish Out Of School Care Network – Provides short-term financial support for school-age childcare, protecting families from losing childcare during periods of financial hardship and helping parents stay in work, study or training.
£1,000,000
Family and Community Development West Lothian – Combines flexible after-school and holiday childcare with support to help parents access employment and education.
£421,310
Inspiring Scotland – Provides rapid-response childcare funding through community networks, helping families manage emergencies, attend interviews and sustain income while longer-term childcare arrangements are put in place.
£300,064
Perceptive Action C.I.C – Offers breakfast, after-school and holiday childcare across the Borders and Midlothian, supporting families through key transition periods while helping them access longer-term childcare and financial support.
£263,070
The Lennox Partnership – Removes childcare costs as a barrier to employability programmes, enabling parents to participate in structured pathways into work, skills development and learning opportunities.
£947,250
Third Sector Hebrides – Improves access to childcare across the Western Isles by coordinating support through local childcare providers, helping families access provision that is often difficult to secure in island communities.
£277,500
St Roch’s Childcare Services – Provides flexible childcare alongside one-to-one family support, helping parents access employment, education and wider services while building confidence and family wellbeing.
£286,405
Care and Learning Alliance – Supports families in rural Highland and Island communities by helping them find and access childcare, while addressing additional challenges such as transport costs, limited provision and rural poverty.
SPECSAVERS Glenrothes has helped a youth football team kick off the new season in style after sponsoring a new set of home shirts for the squad.
The locally owned and run Glenrothes store donated £1,000 to Cramond FC, with the sponsorship covering the cost of new home kits for the team’s 36 young players.
The team are now sporting their new shirts as they prepare for the season ahead, with the sponsorship helping ensure the whole squad is equipped with matching kit.
Cramond FC is a long-established community football club which provides opportunities for children and young people to take part in the sport in a positive and supportive environment.
David Platt, store director at Specsavers Glenrothes, says: ‘We’re delighted to be able to support Cramond FC and provide the team with their new home shirts.
‘Grassroots sport plays such an important role in helping young people build confidence, stay active and develop friendships, and we’re really pleased to know our sponsorship has helped all 36 boys start the season with a new kit.
‘Supporting local communities is something that’s important to us at Specsavers, and it’s fantastic to see the players wearing their new shirts and representing their club with pride.’
The sponsorship is part of Specsavers Glenrothes’ commitment to supporting community initiatives and helping young people access opportunities through sport.
To book an appointment at Specsavers Glenrothes for optical or audiology needs, speak to a member of the team on 01592 611044or visit:
Action to be taken on cost of living, local regeneration and essential services to drive down costs and support families.
Taskforces will tackle the immediate priorities of the public, building on action already taken including cutting bus fares and cracking down on subscription traps.
First Secretary of State, Louise Haigh to drive forward work across government to develop local solutions for local communities.
Three new cross-government taskforces are being launched in the new Office for the Prime Minister & Cabinet, tackling systemic issues like the cost of living and public control of essentials and supporting local communities.
The three taskforces will coordinate departments and ministers, focusing on the priorities set out by the Prime Minister to Cabinet yesterday.
The priorities will be driven forward by First Secretary of State, Louise Haigh, who will work across central and local government – including with regional Mayors as the government continues to pass powers from Westminster.
Immediate action will focus on challenging everyday rip-offs, the visible decline of local town centres and the failure of many privatised utilities to deliver basic services at a fair price.
First Secretary of State Louise Haigh said: “The Prime Minister has been clear that the government’s priorities are the public’s priorities.
“This is about putting people back in control of the things that matter most to them and ensuring that the everyday essentials are more affordable and more accountable.”
Based in the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the taskforces will be fully integrated with No10 and across government to deliver the change the public rightly expect to see.
Details on the three priorities and taskforces:
Cost of Living
On the cost of living, earning back public trust begins with understanding the pressures facing families at the kitchen table. Action has already been taken in this area, including cuts to bus fares, support with energy bills and cracking down on subscription traps, but we must go further.
The taskforce will look to address the long term issues facing families, many of which have too often fallen through the cracks.
Public Control
For decades, the essential services that underpin daily life – housing, water, energy and transport – have suffered from over-privatisation, leading to high costs for the public. The Government is clear that the public has a right to expect these services to be affordable and accountable.
The public control taskforce will rewire the state, examining how public control across those four sectors can be utilised to return them to public service, and bring down costs for families. Looking at areas including market reform that could support these aims.
Community Renewal
Our communities have been left behind, high streets falling into disrepair, rubbish piling up at the sides of our streets – we will reverse that, improving people’s everyday experience of where they live.
Working with local leaders, we will create a genuine plan to rebuild Britain, not just replicating high street strategies that have gone before, ensuring communities are supported to drive through solutions, and deliver growth in every postcode.
Scottish Book Trust is delighted to announce the distribution of 30,000 The Gruffalo books to children and families across Scotland, made possible by a donation from Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler and Macmillan Children’s Books, to mark the publication of Gruffalo Granny.
The donation – including Gruffalo Granny, The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child and the All About the Gruffalo board book – will reach families most in need of support through flagship programmes.
12,000 books distributed via Bookbug for the Home family kits, targeted school outreach, and early years training initiatives supporting the fight against child poverty.
10,000 copies of Gruffalo Granny to food banks, children’s hospitals and charities via Scottish Book Trust’s Christmas Appeal.
Cutting costs and supporting teachers while delivering on reforms
Every young person will have the same opportunity to succeed, no matter their background or where they live in Scotland, Education Secretary Màiri McAllan has pledged, as she set out her priorities for education.
In a statement to Parliament, Ms McAllan confirmed councils would receive up to £2.8 million to help address school meal debt, to ease the cost of living for families that need it most, while work continues to expand Free School Meals.
A new £1 million pilot fund will support teachers taking up posts in rural and island communities with relocation and housing costs, to help attract teachers to hard-to-fill posts and encourage them to remain long-term. This is alongside wider ongoing national work to deliver a teacher job guarantee for a minimum of three years for newly-qualified teachers, and reduce class contact time.
Further plans will be brought forward shortly to help newly-qualified primary teachers gain additional registration, helping them transition into new roles, and to strengthen career opportunities for pupil support assistants.
Ms McAllan also set out plans to improve attainment, attendance, behaviour and curriculum, including streamlining guidance so that councils and schools can deliver more consistently on national policies.
Curriculum reforms, developed following the OECD’s Review of Scotland’s Curriculum, will be delivered in partnership with teachers, to ensure learners fully benefit from ongoing work to improve the curriculum.
Public Service Reform will be central to tackling inconsistencies in how national education policy is applied across the country, with work underway alongside councils to streamline data use, cut unnecessary bureaucracy and free up schools to focus on what matters most to pupils.
Ms McAllan added: “There is already so much to celebrate in our education system – record levels of literacy and numeracy in our schools, increases in exam passes across the board this year and more Scots gaining places at university.
“But I am clear we must raise standards and deliver excellence across Scotland by focusing on the ABCs in our schools – attainment, attendance, behaviour and curriculum. We must ensure every child regardless of where they live or whether they have an additional support need, are supported to learn and thrive at school.
“We must seize the opportunity of Public Service Reform to truly achieve this, by addressing the variability in education outcomes across the country, improving data collection, enhancing performance and accountability and empowering schools to invest and take the decisions they need to support pupils.
“As a Government we must also continue our work to cut the costs of the school day for families – that means more breakfast clubs, expanding free school meals and clearing school meal debt.
“The leadership I will offer as Education Secretary will always be guided by the pursuit of excellence and equity. I commit to working hand in hand with young people, their families, the workforce, trade unions and local government to ensure every child receives the highest standard of education.”
The good and the great of the Scottish licensed trade celebrated in style last night (Tuesday 1st September) as the Scottish Bar & Pub Awards revealed the country’s finest bars and pubs at a glitzy ceremony in Glasgow.
More than 600 guests packed out the Doubletree by Hilton to mark the occasion, enjoying entertainment with a Glam Rock theme to celebrate the awards’ 31st year – Scotland’s longest established trade awards, now owned by Hero Media & Entertainment.
Crowning the nation’s most loved pubs, the prestigious event saw venues and individuals from up and down the country pick up the coveted bespoke trophies, with more than 100 venues, teams and individuals shortlisted as finalists.
Edinburgh enjoyed a successful night, with Black Ivy (top) crowned Annandale Distillery Dog Friendly Pub of the Year, while Bittersweet Leith took home the Hendrick’s Gin and Monkey Shoulder Cocktail Bar of the Year award.
Boston Bar New Town (above) also celebrated after being named Jameson Best Irish Bar 2026, while Michael Maclean of The Dome was awarded Schweppes Mixologist of the Year.
There was also recognition for Barry Fish in Leith, which was Highly Commended in the Lightspeed Restaurant of the Year category.
Publisher, Susan Young, said, “It was fantastic to see so many deserving winners this year. These awards are a celebration of the people who make the Scottish hospitality industry the success it is, and this year’s entries were truly outstanding.
“The standard was so high it made the judging incredibly difficult. Every one of our finalists should be immensely proud of their achievement, and I’d like to congratulate all of our winners on their success.
“The Glam Rock theme was the perfect fit for an industry where the venues, teams and people really do rock!”
The full list of winners is as follows:
Lifetime Achievement
Don Lawson, Emerald Inns (Inverness)
Annandale Distillery Dog Friendly Pub of the Year
Black Ivy – Edinburgh
Highly Commended – The George Hotel – Inveraray
Inverarity Morton Family Business of the Year
The Fort Hotel & The Royal Arch – Broughty Ferry
Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year
MacGregor’s at The Whisky Vaults – Oban
Hero Media & Entertainment Best Bar Team
Johnny Foxes – Inverness
Highly Commended – The Parkville – Blantyre
Deanston Whisky Guru Rising Star Award
Sally Law – The Pot Still, Glasgow
Highly Commended – Chris Anton – MacGregor’s at The Whisky Vaults, Oban
Bar Personality of the Year
Tracey Hunter – The Tavern Bar, Millport
Scottish Hospitality Group Contribution To The Industry Award
Michael Bergson – Bucks Bar
Hospitality Health Employer of the Year
Lisini Pub Company – Uddingston
DRAM Community Pub of the Year
The Pawn Lounge – Alexandria
Highly Commended – Commercial Inn, Fauldhouse
Hendrick’s Gin and Monkey Shoulder Cocktail Bar of the Year
Bittersweet Leith – Leith, Edinburgh
Highly Commended – Jimmy Badgers, Inverness
Black Ivy and Montpeliers Rising Star Entrepreneur
Struan Barclay, Ruby’s – East Kilbride
HOSPO Manager of the Year
Danny Stewart – Angels Hotel, Uddingston
Sims Automatics Sports Bar of the Year
The Tap Yard – Glasgow
Jamesons Best Irish Bar 2026
Boston Bar New Town – Edinburgh
Highly Commended – Radio, Glasgow
Jump Ship Brewing Best Lo and No Destination
SOBR – Aberdeen
Kopparberg Best Outdoor Area
The Birds and Bees – Stirling
Lightspeed Restaurant of the Year
Margo – Glasgow
Highly Commended – Barry Fish, Leith
SBPA New Bar of the Year
Ruby’s – East Kilbride
Schweppes Mixologist of the Year
Michael Maclean – The Dome, Edinburgh
Scottishnews.com Independent Multiple Operator of the Year
Providing more healthcare services at home for people across Scotland is central to the Scottish Government’s ambition to fundamentally reform the NHS in the year ahead, the Deputy First Minister has said.
Jenny Gilruth visited the Hospital at Home hub for Central and West Fife in Kirkcaldy today to meet staff and hear about the recent redesign of the service.
It followed publication of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2026-2031 this week which set out major changes for the NHS, ensuring services fit more effectively around people’s lives.
The Deputy First Minister said: “People having access to the care they need in their own home is fundamental to NHS reform and improving services.
“The expansion of Hospital at Home in NHS Fife and across the country will be a key part of this, improving access to safe and effective care at home. Building on progress made already, we will increase capacity so that more than 10,000 people can benefit from Hospital at Home services this winter.
“Removing geographical barriers to care and simplifying the structure of our NHS will give us a platform to allow people to get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. It will reduce unnecessary duplication and remove artificial boundaries to care.
“We will undertake this alongside continued investment in local community services like GP walk-in centres, digital transformation led by our MyCare app, and by working jointly with our workforce and trade unions.”
Lunch and activities are provided.
Sessions are just £4, with an additional £1.50 if transport is required.
PEP Centre
0131 315 4466
hello@pepscot.org
