Get involved in GYC’s Big Obstacle

I am getting in touch to tell you about ‘The Big Obstacle’, an event being organised by three young people from Granton Youth Centre.

‘The Big Obstacle’ is a 5k fun run with obstacles. It will be held on Sunday 29 March 10am-1.30pm at Cramond Promenade.

This event is being planned and organised by 3 young people from North Edinburgh, who have worked hard to secure funding from Starbucks for their event.

The aim of the fun run is to give local youth organisations a platform to fundraise, raise the profile of the great youth work that goes on in North Edinburgh and also to encourage local young people to participate in physical activity.

There will be two races on the day, one for 11-17 year olds and one for 18+. We will also have a fun day event at the same time, where we would like youth organisations to have a stall to promote their work.

We are looking for young people and adults to enter our fun run and organisations entering the run will get a free stall at the fun day.

All participants signed up to the run will have the opportunity to take part in a 4 week running club in preparation for the event. Places are limited and will be on a first come basis.

If you would like to find out more about the event and how you can get involved please get in touch at thebigobstacle@grantonyouth.com.

I will look forward to hearing from you!

Kerry Shand
Youth Volunteer Coordinator
Granton Youth Centre
3-11 West Granton Road
Edinburgh
EH5 1HG
0131 467 5854

Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) training

MVP Training

Tuesday 24 March 10am-1pm

Pilton Community Health Project

You might have seen the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme in the news last week, when the Justice Secretary Michael Matheson visited Craigroyston Community High School to find out more about the training for High School students, which has a proven track of promoting a positive climate and reducing bullying and other violent behaviour in both schools and communities (writes Rachel Farrier).

The minister’s visit was featured on the NEN’s blog on 5 March (‘Craigroyston initiative tackles bullying and violence’)

We are really fortunate to have this highly-acclaimed training going on in our area, and there is a one-off session which has been adapted for adults happening on 24 March 10am-1pm here at Pilton Community Health Project which you can still book a place for – but space is limited so please let Rachel at PCHP know ASAP if you would like to come along, and do let her know if you might need childcare.

It is open to anyone from the local community, as well as those working professionally in the area.

The training uses a ‘bystander approach’ which helps individuals to work out practical and viable responses when they encounter harassment, abuse or violence – both aimed at themselves and others. You can read more about the programme in Scotland here (scroll down the page to find out about MVP).

Call Rachel on 551 671 or email lih@pchp.org.uk to book a place.

Women leaders unite behind Living Wage campaign

Women behind the Living Wage on International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day on 8 March is a chance to celebrate the achievements of women all around the world especially those calling for greater equality.

To celebrate IWD 2015 Living Wage Foundation would like to introduce you to some of our favourite women. Women that have not only made paying the Living Wage a reality in their own organisation, but also provide strong support for the work LWF does:

Ann Budge, Chairwoman & Chief Executive – Heart of Midlothian Football Club

“As a student of psychology, I learned some 45 years ago (Aargh!) that while money is a factor in motivating employees it is by no means the most important factor.

As a manager and employer for over 40 years (…Aargh…again!), I can definitely confirm that the text books and the behavioural theorists are 100% correct in this assertion.

To be fulfilled and to give of their best, employees need to feel valued; they need to feel respected; they need to feel appreciated. Staff loyalty and commitment… one of the most important factors in any successful business… comes from being treated fairly by employers… and yes, one measure of that fairness is, of course, being paid a fair rate for the job. It is not the only thing, but it is essential.

I know it can be difficult for many businesses, especially small/medium enterprises, to manage costs, especially in times of recession when winning business is hard and the pressures on pricing can be severe. Every business enterprise must assess these things for themselves. However, the business benefits of looking after your employees and treating them fairly should not be underestimated.

Since implementing the Living Wage at Hearts, we have been universally praised and have benefited in business terms in a number of ways.

Employees who, for a number of years, had their goodwill taken advantage of are truly appreciative and are even more willing “to go that extra mile”.
Supporters, many of whom are themselves supporting the Club financially, have been quick to show their approval. They are proud to be associated with a club that demonstrates strong values which is helping the Club’s revenues enormously.
The Business Community … Our hospitality suites, not just on match-days but also on non-match days, have never been busier… have demonstrated that they too are proud to support and be associated with the way the Club is being managed. Another boost for our revenues!
Contractors… our part-time/casual staff, who work for a number of different businesses, are actively choosing us in preference to others. This means we are getting the best staff and can, therefore, offer the best service.

On this International Women’s Day, it would be remiss of me not to mention the gender imbalance in relation to payment of the Living Wage. Sadly, a number of the sectors where particularly low wages are paid, have a very high percentage of women in the workforce; and yet, so often, these women are doing jobs which are not only emotionally and physically draining but also hugely important to all of us.

Care workers, who provide an invaluable service to the community, helping to look after the elderly, the infirm, the lonely, are some of the lowest paid workers in our society. This cannot be right.

So to conclude! Why do I believe in the Living Wage? Because… it is the right thing to do.

Every worker deserves to be paid a fair rate for a day’s work, regardless of colour, creed or gender. Every working man or woman deserves to be sufficiently rewarded to enable them to provide a decent quality of life for themselves and their families. The Living Wage makes a real difference to people’s lives”.

Professor Jane Wills, Professor of Human Geography – Queen Mary University of London | Member of the Living Wage Foundation’s Policy Group

“I have been tracking the development of the Living Wage campaign since it was launched by London Citizens in Walthamstow, east London, in 2001. During that time, the campaign has spread to the national scale and is now led by the Living Wage Foundation.”

The links below take you to web pages and files where you can find out more and explore Jane’s work:

Jane Wills talks about the Living Wage for the Queen Mary media team in 2014.
Data tracking the impact of the Living Wage in London.
Data tracking the impact of the national Living Wage Foundation.
A report into the impact of the Living Wage in organisations accredited by the Living Wage Foundation, across the UK, November 2013.
A short film features workers, their managers, employers, politicians and civil society leaders saying why they support the living wage. Made to support Living Wage Week 2013, the film was produced by Mile End Films and funded by the Centre for Public Engagement (both at Queen Mary University of London) with the full support of the Living Wage Foundation.
A report mapping the costs and benefits of the London Living Wage, written with Brian Linneker, for Trust for London in 2012.
A report into the experience of Queen Mary being the first Living Wage campus in the UK, published in 2009.
A list of these and additional publications capturing experience of the Living Wage in the UK.
A short history of the living wage campaign
Mapping the gap between the National Minimum Wage, the London and UK Living Wage rates 2003-2012
A short chronology of the early Living Wage campaign in London.
A summary of the research project completed as part of the ESRC’s Identity and Social Action research programme, exploring the coalition behind the Living Wage campaign and workers’ experiences of the campaign.
A series of pictures by Chris Clunn, commissioned as part of the ESRC’s Identity and Social Action research programme.

Sarah Bentley, CEO- The Building Futures Group | Member of the Living Wage Foundation’s Leadership Group for the Service Provider Programme

“As the CEO of The Building Futures Group, I am proud that we are a Living Wage Employer for many reasons. Firstly, many of our members involved in Cleaning and Facilities Management are Living Wage Employers and it made perfect sense for The Building Futures Group to become an accredited Living Wage employer. It is also especially important as Living Wage enables hard working people to be able to work to live, not live to work. One only needs to read the case studies on the Living Wage website to see the benefits to workers paid the Living Wage, they no longer have to take on two or more jobs to put food on the table and pay the bills, even enjoying leisure activities and treats for their children.

Sadly, unequal pay still exists in our society with women being paid less than men, according to the Fawcett Society, in In 2012, comparing all work, women earned 18.6% less per hour than men. Comparing those in full-time work, women earned an average of 14.9% less per hour than men – this means that for every £1 a man takes home, a woman takes home 85p. Whilst the Living Wage will not directly lead to equal pay for men and women in the UK, it is a major force for good, and as women are more likely to be employed in low paid work, Living Wage employers ensure that these women can support their families and themselves.

Living Wage isn’t just good for those individuals, it’s a common good for society – employing people on a Living Wage enables them to reduce any reliance on social security benefits and pay tax. This extra revenue can be used by the State to pay for Schools, Hospitals and other essential services we all need and rely on. Paying the Living Wage means that everyone can contribute to our society.

So the Living Wage initiative is good for individual employees, the State and Society, but is it good for the business? In a word – Yes. It may seem counter-intuitive to think that employers who pay a higher wage and national insurance to their employees would believe that Living Wage is good for them, but it is; paying the Living Wage leads to improved recruitment, retention and staff satisfaction.

These are just some of the main reasons why I as an individual and The Building Futures Group supports the moral, economic and social reasons to pay the Living Wage”.

Follow Sarah Bentley on Twitter

Sara Turnbull, CEO & Company Secretary – Bootstrap Company Limited

“I recently chaired an event for London Councils on the Living Wage and was surprised to learn from one, that according to their research one in five of their borough residents is not receiving the minimum wage.

That really put the finding that 1 in 5 people aren’t receiving the Living Wage in perspective for me. That’s a tough figure to start with, but when you add to the fact that a further 20% of people aren’t even in the figures, as their employer isn’t even meeting the legal minimum, then the truth of low pay Britain starts to reveal itself.

Paying as little as you can get away with, is part of the culture in many industries. Especially those where margins are low and staff costs are a high proportion of overheads such as the retail, cleaning and care professions. All these industries have a high proportion of women employees, women are disproportionately affected by low pay.

A lot is spoken about in the media of increasing board presence of women or evening up the pay gap, and these are parts of the puzzle. But we hear very little about women in low paid jobs and low paid industries, struggling to make ends meet and feed their families, with little prospect of change any time soon.

This situation is not only bad for women. It’s costing tax payers money. Anyone who earns over £10k a year is paying tax on their income. A proportion of which is allocated to in work benefits, such as tax credits, for people who are working, but their income is so low that they still need support.

A lot of time is spent of vilyfing these people and digging out bizarre examples of people with lots of children or lots of horses who are somehow ‘robbing’ us all by claiming benefits.

It’s weird that very little time and certainly no headlines I have seen are focussing on the real issue here. Our income tax is subsidising companies who are not paying their workers what they need to maintain a passable existence. Earlier in my career I had a senior management role, earned the average wage in Wales and yet still needed to claim housing benefit to afford to live.

It irked me as a manager that I wasn’t being paid enough not to need benefit. It bothered me that I was paying tax to contribute to my own benefit. The whole thing seemed bizarre.

My personal circumstances have changed, I now live in London and run Bootstrap, a charity that works to create a cohesive socially enterprising community by providing workspace, enterprise support and events in Hackney.

One of the first things I did as CEO was to achieve London Living Wage accreditation for Bootstrap. Now we are committed to paying all our staff the Living Wage. All our cleaners, bar staff, security, receptionist – our entire staff team is paid the Living Wage. When I go to events now, I ask the staff if they know about the Living Wage. I am evangelical about it because it’s good business sense to start by paying people a Living Wage so they don’t have to work two jobs which means they are unable to perform as well for you.

I am happy to be a tax payer and happy to contribute to a system that supports those in need as I have been. However as an employer, an employee and a tax payer I think the conversation needs to shift. There is a perverseness to of all of us working to pay tax, which is used to pay benefits, to subsidise employers who don’t pay a fair living wage to their employees. I’d love to see the figures on how much the economy as a whole would benefit if the living wage was adopted by all employers.

It’s more than a women’s issue, it’s an issue for us all”.

Getting it right for children affected by parental substance misuse

There’s still time to book your place on the CAPSM training course running on Tuesday 31 March at Spartans Community Football Academy.

This course is suitable for anyone working with parents with problem substance use, or their children. This will include Early Years Practitioners, schools staff, voluntary sector, adult treatment services, social work, youth and community workers.

See above for more details.

Run for a reason in the Kilomathon

Macmillan Cancer Support is urging people to look out their trainers and sign up to support them at the Kilomathon on 29 March.

Participants can take on 13.1k or 6.5k making it the perfect race distance for those progressing from a 5k or 10k and the 2.62k junior race is a great opportunity for junior runners to participate in a fully chip timed race.

The route is picturesque and traffic free along Edinburgh’s scenic cycle routes and finishes with a bang (hopefully not too much of a bang? – Ed) at Murrayfield Stadium.

Fundraising Manager for Edinburgh, Jayne Forbes, said: “Running is a fantastic way to support Macmillan and the Kilomathon has a race distance to suit everyone. Knowing that every mile you cover is raising money for people affected by cancer will give you real motivation to keep going with your fitness programme.

“Whether you’re taking part for the first time or are a seasoned runner, we’ll be with you every step of the way. We provide comprehensive training, nutrition and kit advice, as well as very simple ideas to raise money.”

All the money raised from the run will be used to fund Macmillan’s vital cancer services, from specialist nurses and doctors, to help and advice for people who have financial problems as a result of their cancer.

For more information on taking on a run for Macmillan please contact fundraising@macmillan.org.uk or 0300 1000 200.

See all our running events at www.macmillan.org.uk/running

Flying high: Keir welcomes APD report

Colin Keir MSP has today welcomed a report by Edinburgh Airport that shows the gains of controlling and cutting Air Passenger Duty (APD) and calling for timetabling of the powers promised to Scotland.

The analysis backs the Scottish Government’s position and shows that the impact of reducing APD in Scotland by 50% will initially support around 800 new jobs and millions of pounds for the economy.

Colin Keir, the MSP for Edinburgh Airport said: “This excellent report by Edinburgh Airport, which shows that the impact of reducing APD in Scotland by 50% will initially support 800 new jobs and create millions for the economy, is most welcome and must be taken seriously by the UK Government.

“The tourism tax that is particularly damaging to Scottish airports – should be cut at once. Devolution of APD would be a game changer for Scottish airports.

“The Scottish Government has committed to cutting Air Passenger Duty once it is devolved and that responsibility cannot come soon enough for passengers and Scotland’s airports.

“Only a strong team of SNP MPs elected on May 7 will ensure Scotland gains the powers it has been promised – including APD – to create jobs and build a more prosperous and fairer country.”

Lazarowicz welcomes plan to close education gap

Mark Lazarowicz MP has welcomed the plan announced at the Scottish Labour conference to use funding from Labour’s cut in pension tax relief for highest earners to set aside £125m extra for the Scottish education budget to close the educational attainment gap between children from rich and poor backgrounds.

The cut in pension tax relief will also provide funding for school leavers to ensure more students from the most deprived backgrounds have the chance to go to university and all young people start their working lives on a secure footing.

The extra £125m is only part of the plan which would also:

require Ministers and local councils to report annually on progress in reducing inequality in education

see all local authorities appoint a chief education officer to lead the work to close the gap in attainment

create a National Centre of Excellence of Education to enable best practice to be shared

double the number of teaching assistants in those primary schools that send children to the 20 secondary schools where there is most concern over attainment

Labour also plans to introduce

better grants for poorer students, worth over £1000 to enable more students from deprived backgrounds to attend university

a fund worth £1,600 each to support young people who don’t go on to college or university or an apprenticeship to pay the cost of training, setting up a small business or expenses like driving lessons

Mark Lazarowicz said: “This funding from taxing highest earners will enable us to really tackle the gap in attainment between children from the richest and poorest backgrounds which has been too often neglected.

“It will also ensure young people who don’t go on to study at a college or university or gain an apprenticeship are not forgotten by helping them with the cost of training or other expenses as they start their working lives.

“Educational opportunity at every level should be our aim and we must do much more to make that a reality to give all our young people the chance they deserve.”

The Scottish Labour leader, Jim Murphy, has reaffirmed that there will be no tuition fees at Scottish universities if Labour wins the next Scottish Parliament elections but he also went on to highlight the need to widen access so that students from the most deprived backgrounds have the chance to study at university in much greater numbers.

Independent studies show that Scotland currently has the lowest proportion of university students from the most deprived backgrounds in the UK.

The funding would come from the funding that the Scottish Government would receive from Labour’s cut in pension tax relief for highest earners. That would cut

the rate of pension tax relief for people earning over £150,000 a year to the basic rate;
the annual limit on pension contributions free of tax from £40,000 to £30,000;
the lifetime allowance from £1.5 million to £1 million.

Inspiring Young Women: be all you can be

Major event at Holyrood this month

Inspiring young women to be the best that they can be is the key focus of a major event being held at Holyrood on Monday 23 March, hosted by the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP.

Announced as part of the Presiding Officer’s Time for Reflection address to the Scottish Parliament on 23 September 2014, the event will bring together 128 young women from across Scotland. It has been designed to encourage young women to develop the confidence and leadership skills needed to help them to achieve.

The Presiding Officer said: “The referendum demonstrated to the world that young people can and should play a full role in determining the future of their countries. This is right and proper. As the Scottish Parliament is led by its first female Presiding Officer with women in key political positions, we have a golden moment now to encourage this generation of young women.

“On 23 March, I have invited young women from schools across Scotland to come to Holyrood. We will explore what it means to be a young woman in Scotland today, what inspires them, what holds them back and what their hopes are for the future.”

Exploring themes of confidence, leadership and barriers that hold young women back from being the best they can be, the young women will meet with and have the opportunity to question female MSPs who are playing leading roles in their parties.

MSPs joining the Presiding Officer on the day are: Leader of Scottish Labour in the Scottish Parliament Kezia Dugdale MSP, Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson MSP, Business Manager and Spokesperson for Justice for the Scottish Liberal Democrats Alison McInnes MSP and Scottish Greens’ spokesperson on sport, rural affairs, environment, culture and education Alison Johnstone MSP. Also participating in the day will be key figures in the fields of arts, industry, sport and public life.

Speaking of her own personal commitment, Mrs Marwick MSP said: “All young women should have the confidence to achieve whatever it is they want to achieve. I am determined to play my role in making sure the Scottish Parliament is a place that encourages them and positively impacts on how they see themselves.”

Thirty-two schools across Scotland (one in each local authority area) will each send four young women to attend the Inspiring Young Women event at Holyrood Scottish Parliament staff are working closely with the S4 and S5 year group pupils ahead of the event to ensure they get the best from their time on the day.

Schools taking part are:

Aberdeen City – Torry Academy
Aberdeenshire – Peterhead Academy
Angus – Arbroath Academy
Argyll & Bute – Dunoon Grammar School
Clackmannanshire – Alloa Academy
Dumfries & Galloway – Maxwelltown High School
Dundee City – Off-site Education Service
East Ayrshire – Doon Academy
East Dunbartonshire – Boclair Academy
East Lothian – Preston Lodge High School
East Renfrewshire – Barrhead High School
Edinburgh City – Castlebrae Community High School
Eilean Siar – Sgoil Lionacleit
Falkirk – Falkirk High School
Fife – Auchmuty High School
Glasgow City – Springburn Academy
Highland – Inverness High School
Inverclyde – St Stephen’s High School
Midlothian – Newbattle High School
Moray – Forres Academy
North Ayrshire – Irvine Royal Academy
North Lanarkshire – Braidhurst High School
Orkney Islands – Stromness Academy
Perth & Kinross – Perth Academy School
Renfrewshire – Castlehead High School
Scottish Borders – Hawick High School
Shetland Islands – Anderson High School
South Ayrshire – Ayr Academy
South Lanarkshire – John Ogilvie High School
Stirling – Wallace High School
West Dunbartonshire – St Peter the Apostle High School
West Lothian – St Kentigern’s Academy

Edinburgh is world’s third safest city

We’ve had our share of problems recently, what with gun crime, armed robberies and acts of violence, but it seems we’re better off than most – Edinburgh has just come third in a survey of the world’s safest cities!

The survey was conducted on behalf of Post Office Travel Insurance, and while the sample size is relatively small Edinburgh sits proudly behind the top two – both of which are cities in England.

The winner has a wealth of history and quaint, narrow streets and closes – and it boasts the glorious mediaeval Minster. It is indeed a great place to visit, and it seems there’s another reason why tourists go there all year round – Britons reckon York (above) is the world’s safest city!

According to those surveyed, Britain is definitely best when it comes to safe travel destinations – Bath, Edinburgh and Brighton make up the top four safest places in the world. Edinburgh was rated by 69 per cent as ‘safe’ and only three per cent thought Edinburgh ‘risky’.

Travellers found Cairo, Bangkok, Istanbul and Marrakech the cities most risky to visit on a short break.

The survey by Post Office Travel Insurance of 2,075 UK adults showed that 72 per cent felt York was safe, compared to only one per cent considering it risky. By contrast, only seven per cent thought Cairo was safe – and more than half -56 per cent – felt it was dangerous to visit.

Britain’s most popular holiday destination is London, but the capital didn’t even make the top ten – 58 per cent see London safe while 16 per cent think it’s a risky place to visit.

Theft – in particular stolen wallets (24 per cent) – was the most common occurrence for those who had had problems in cities. More than a quarter of respondents (26 per cent) felt they had been ripped off on city visits, with this figure rising to 43 per cent among the 18-24 age group.

Of eight UK and Ireland destinations in the survey, the least-safe was Belfast with only 37 per cent deeming it safe.

While four home cities took the top honours in the poll, Venice, Vienna, Dublin, Florence, Stockholm and Copenhagen made up the rest of the world’s top ten safest cities.

Edinburgh city council’s community safety leader Councillor Cammy Day welcomed the findings. He said: “To be rated so highly for safety in not one but two national surveys is a fantastic accolade for the city, and I’m delighted that people feel secure when they holiday here.

“It’s not just visitors either – the most recent People’s Survey found that 91% of our residents feel safe here after dark. I’m really proud of these results and the good work carried out daily by the Council, Police Scotland and communities across the city.

“Tourism is vitally important to Edinburgh with millions of people coming here from around the world each year to enjoy the culture and attractions it has to offer. As well as being renowned as a festivals city, we can also now claim to be classed as one of the safest cities in the world.”

Scotland’s changing …

2.5 million Scottish households to receive leaflet explaining devolution changes

A leaflet explaining the changes to devolution as the UK Government prepares to transfer powers to Holyrood will begin arriving through letterboxes in Scotland this week.

The 8-page Scotland’s Changing leaflet (see below) will explain the new powers as well as the benefits people in Scotland retain as part of the UK, including the pound, pensions and passports.

It will be sent to every one of the 2.5 million households across the country.

Find out more about Our United Future

The leaflet clearly explains which powers will be devolved and reserved following the Smith Commission and the earlier Scotland Act 2012. Powers going to the Scottish Parliament include income tax, some elements of welfare and choices over new taxes such as Airport Passenger Duty and Stamp Duty.

The Smith Commission recommended action to raise public awareness of devolution and this is part of the UK Government’s response to that challenge.

Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said:

“Scotland is changing for the better, with new powers coming to the Scottish Parliament.

These powers will have an impact on every person living in Scotland and it is important that we all know what they are and what they mean for us.

From Monday, households across Scotland will receive a leaflet, direct to their door – and that leaflet will spell out the facts.

The Scottish Parliament will soon be given power over the rates of income tax, welfare provision with a starting budget of more than £2.5 billion, and the ability to give the vote to 16 and 17 year olds in Holyrood and local government elections.

Alongside borrowing powers, and continued control over health, education, housing, public transport and so much more, the Scottish Parliament is set to become one of the most powerful devolved parliaments not just in Europe, but in the entire world.

At the same time, Scotland will keep the many benefits which come as part of the UK. We’ll keep our UK pound, our UK passport and our UK pensions. We’ll also continue to benefit from a single jobs market, a single defence system and a single, strong and fast-growing UK economy.

This is good news for Scotland. A united future, built to last.”

Scotland_s_Changing_info_leaflet

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