A sporting chance: £1 million support for social enterprises

A £1 million fund to help communities own and run their own sport facilities was announced by the Minister for Commonwealth Games yesterday.

The Legacy 2014 Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund will distribute up to £1 million to support the sustainability and capacity of aspiring and existing social enterprises delivering sport and physical activity in communities across Scotland.

The Sustainable Sport for Communities Fund is made up of an investment of £500,000 from the Scottish Government and £500,000 from The Robertson Trust.

The announcement of the fund, the 51st national Legacy 2014 programme, was made in the middle of a Legacy Week, a national celebration of the long term benefits of the Commonwealth Games.

Speaking at the 2014 Games Legacy: Scotland’s Sporting Future at our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, Minister Shona Robison said:

“A legacy from the Games has to be long term improvements in levels of physical activity. Already, Scotland’s 126 Community Sports Hubs are proving a powerful and effective way to give people more opportunities to be active.

“There are an increasing number of social enterprises providing a wide range of community and social benefits and we are committed to empowering local groups and enabling them to operate facilities and deliver services

“Where groups are looking to take on the running or ownership of facilities, these ambitions must be supported by the local community backed up by a robust, sustainable business case. These are crucial to whether a social enterprise can succeed and the Fund will help with this, building on existing support available and utilising the sector’s expertise.”

Kenneth Ferguson, Director, The Robertson Trust said: “The Robertson Trust have been working in the field of community sport for a number of years and we are delighted to be able to make this investment which we believe will make a significant contribution to enhancing the capacity and sustainability of the sector.”

Alastair Davis, CEO of Social Investment Scotland, said “Social Investment Scotland has supported a number of sports related social enterprises access the finance they need to realise their ambitions. A project like this is essential for the grassroots development of sport social enterprises, providing the opportunity not only to access essential funds, but also to tap into the knowledge and expertise from likeminded social entrepreneurs within the sector.”

A’ Jock Tamson’s bairns? Census highlights strong sense of identity

The latest figures from the 2011 Census data show a diverse nation with a strong sense of identity, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said today.

Commenting on release 3A of Scotland’s 2011 census results, which allow us to break down and compare the ethnicity, identity, language and religion, Ms Hylsop said: “Scotland is a culturally, religious and ethnically diverse place – and these pictures paint a fascinating portrait of Scotland today, telling us more about the people who make up our Scottish nation.

“What unites us is our very strong sense of Scottish identity, with 83 per cent feeling either solely Scottish or Scottish and something else, compared to, for example, 70 per cent of people in England feeling English.

“Young people feel a particularly strong sense of Scottish identity, with 71 per cent of 10 to 14 year olds, and 70 per cent of 15 to 19 year olds, feeling Scottish only.

“Scotland is an exciting and welcoming place to live and work. Our society is more multi-cultural than ever before, and our communities more ethnically and religiously diverse.

“It is especially welcome that those proud to claim a Scottish identity include those who have chosen Scotland as their home and the census reflects a strong Scottish identity in across all ethnic groups. For example, amongst those who felt they had some Scottish identity, either on its own or in combination with another identity, were 60 per cent of people from a mixed background or 50 per cent of those from a Pakistani ethnic group.

“These figures show that Scotland is an attractive and dynamic nation and one where people from many different backgrounds, cultures and nationalities want to make a life for themselves and their families and celebrate their Scottish identity.

“With each new data release we are able to build an ever more detailed demographic picture which will help us plan for the future and keep pace with the changing demographics of our country.”

Two Georges all set for Death Valley charity challenge

George Stewart (75) and his son George Junior (40) are all set for their epic cycle journey taking them from Las Vegas to Los Angeles via Death Valley, in support of Barnardo’s Children’s Charity. This is no ordinary journey, however – it’s a journey that George Senior has literally had his heart set on completing.

George Senior is a resilient man, surviving five major strokes, learning to walk and talk again, whilst also coping with a heart bypass. Given this DNA, you begin to understand where George Junior gets his energy and drive from!

Speaking ahead of the fundraising charity silent auction he has organised
in the Apex International Hotel in Edinburgh tonight (Thursday 27 February) George Junior, who works at Edinburgh College Granton Campus on the waterfront, said: “I can hardly believe we have got here. It’s only a week until we arrive in the States to set off on our life-changing adventure. My dad and I have cycled all of our lives and wanted to give something back. We’ve talked about creating lasting memories from this trip – it’s certainly something dad and I will never forget, but more importantly the funds we raise will help transform the lives of children supported by Barnardo’s, which we know will help create life chances these children will never forget too.”

The support for the challenge has been fantastic, with local businesses, the staff and students at Edinburgh College lending their support through cash pledges and event and equipment sponsorship.

With just seven days to go before the trip gets underway, the Two Georges are looking to beat their £6,000, or £5.45 per kilometer target, so a final push can help get them there. Tickets for the auction are still available via the
Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/DeathValleyCyclewithBarnardos/432013613547277

or donations can be made via their Virgin “just giving” page:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser

Inverleith’s talking transport

Transport remains a hot topic in Inverleith and the subject will top the agenda at next week’s Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership public meeting at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre …

Come along and find out what’s happening in your area and have your say on all things transport!

Road works
Meet your local roads team
Road/path improvements
20mph zones
and more …

Tuesday 4 March, 7 – 9pm

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Groathill Road North

For papers and agenda call Elaine on 529 5270

or visit www.edinburghnp.org.uk/inverleith

Council acts to tackle rising school rolls

Flora Stevenson and Wardie are among Edinburgh primary schools earmarked for additional classrooms as the city council faces the ongoing challenge of rising school rolls …

Plans to deliver new classrooms to deal with the issue of rising rolls in the capital have been revealed by the City of Edinburgh Council.

The Primary School Estate Rising Rolls report lists seven schools where space pressures may arise for the start of the 2015/16 session – Clermiston, East Craigs, Flora Stevenson, Gilmerton, Pentland, Ratho and Wardie Primary Schools – and a number of possible solutions.

In addition three other schools south of the city centre – Brunstfield, James Gillespie’s and South Morningside – face similar issues. A separate report which considers their specific issues and the possible approaches in that area as a whole will also be discussed at the Education, Children and Families Committee on 4 March.

With primary school rolls projected to rise to a peak of nearly 31,000 pupils by 2019 – an increase of about 15% on the position at the start of the 2013/14 school year – the Council is actively tackling the issue. £15m has already been pledged to help build extra accommodation; Granton, Trinity and Wardie Primary Schools all received new classrooms at the start of this school year receiving positive feedback from parents, pupils and staff.

A total of 18 new classrooms will be built at four schools for the start of the next school year in August 2014 – Broughton, Victoria, St David’s and Craigour Park – with a further 6 additional classrooms being provided at Fox Covert, Stockbridge, Flora Stevenson, Bruntsfield and Gylemuir Primary Schools by adapting the existing buildings.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener, said: “This report highlights the schools where we believe there will be accommodation pressures and outlines how we can meet demand for places from catchment pupils in 2015/16. The increase in rolls comes at a time when budgets are under increasing pressure, and so the Council has a responsibility to plan ahead, and ensure we provide a solution that fits with our needs and our budget.

“Despite the difficult financial climate the Capital Coalition has doubled the budget available for rising rolls, pledging £15m to tackle the issue. This has already resulted in fantastic new accommodation being delivered at several schools across the city.

“The primary school roll projections are updated every year to identify those schools where future accommodation pressures might arise allowing us to plan in advance for any changes necessary to deal with increased pupil numbers. We will now consult with these schools to identify the best solution to address the pressures should they arise.”

Cllr Godzik added: “Whether or not it is traditional extensions, new build accommodation or adapting existing space, we are committed to providing the very best educational environment for our pupils and are determined to listen to parental views and work with school communities as we move forward.

“In the longer term finding a sustainable solution to the problem of rising rolls is really important. We have to ensure there is space available for our catchment pupils. That’s why we will be laying out proposals to deal with the issue south of the city centre in the Brunstfield, James Gillespie’s and South Morningside area, and why we are working very closely with planning colleagues to look at the wider impact of housing developments included in the Local Development Plan.”

A further report will be considered at the May committee with a proposed solution for each school.

Our Vision: Church calls for community to be at heart of referendum debate

The Church of Scotland has called for community and integrity to be at the heart of the debate the country’s future. The call is made in ‘Scotland’s Future: Our Vision’, a report based on the views of over 900 people who attended 32 community events run by the Kirk across Scotland as an alternative national debate on the referendum.

While the 28-page report does not come down on either side of the yes/no debate, ‘Our Vision’ is an interesting insight into Scots’ views on the future of our country and is another welcome contribution towards wider debate. Among the conclusions:

• The referendum is about far more than the simple question “what is in it for me?” The idea that being £500 better off or worse off would affect how people vote was conspicuous by its absence in all 32 events. Instead, participants prioritised the building of local communities on the principles of fairness, justice and sharing of resources

• Dissatisfaction with the political system at all levels, not just Westminster or Holyrood also featured strongly. Participants wanted to see integrity, accountability and transparency, being able to hold politicians accountable between elections and for the party system to be less powerful

• Call for radical changes including far greater local decision-making and for politicians to see themselves as public servants in a more participative democracy

• A modern, successful economy needs limits placed on free market forces; business models should be more focused towards the employee and more value driven. There was a willingness to consider alternative and more progressive models of taxation to build a better society

• There was a strong expression of the need for prayer and for the Church to be involved in social action and in promoting Christian values such as love, hope, respect and forgiveness, as the fundamental building blocks to contributing towards the common good.

Sally Foster-Fulton, Convener of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society said: “It is an inspiration to see that people in communities across Scotland are challenging the political status quo. The Church of Scotland is committed to finding ways to transform our political debate to ensure that wellbeing and values, such as justice, cohesion and sustainability become the measures for economic activity.”

Click on link (below) to read the report in full:

our_vision