Alex Salmond to address Saltire Society

Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond will give a special lecture to celebrate the Saltire Society’s 80^th anniversary at the Royal Society of Edinburgh tonight.

Entitled ‘Inspiring Scotland – 80 years of the Saltire Society’, Mr Salmond’s lecture will focus on the history of the Saltire Society and its varied contribution to Scotland’s public life, culture and society since being set up in 1936. As part of the lecture, Mr. Salmond will also consider what Scotland’s future might hold and its changing place in the world.

The event is open to the public and tickets are free but must be booked by emailing saltire@saltiresociety.org.uk. Tickets can also be booked through the Saltire Society website, www.saltiresociety.org.uk.

Ahead of the lecture, Mr Salmond said: “The Saltire Society is a superb collective where Scottish culture is preserved, nurtured and most importantly, enjoyed, across the globe. As we approach a century of their great work, I am thrilled to be able to host this event and look back on eighty years of Comann Crann na h-Alba. Long may their work – and celebrating everything it means to be Scottish – continue.”

Alex Salmond was first elected as an SNP MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987 and first became leader of the SNP in 1990. He was elected First Minister of Scotland following the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections in which the SNP beat Labour into second place and became the largest single Parliamentary party. He then led a minority SNP administration until the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, at which the SNP won an overall majority.

He led negotiations on the terms of the 2014 Referendum on Scottish Independence. On the day after the referendum vote, he announced his intention to resign as Leader of the SNP and as First Minister immediately following the SNP’s Annual Conference in November 2014, where he was succeeded as SNP Leader and First Minister by Nicola Sturgeon. He is currently MP for Gordon where he won 48% of the constituency vote at the 2015 UK General Election.

Jim Tough, Executive Director of the Saltire Society, said: “We are very excited to announce that former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond will be addressing the Saltire Society on its 80^th anniversary. We are enjoying an extremely busy year of events, awards, and lectures to celebrate 80 years of the Saltire Society and I believe this will be another great highlight.

“I am very much looking forward to what I’m sure will be a fascinating and thought-provoking lecture and would encourage anyone interested to come along and join the audience for what is bound to be a very popular event.”

The lecture will take place at 6.30pm tonight at The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street.

See St Columba’s tomorrow on Doors Open Day

St Columba’s Hospice is pleased to be taking part in Doors Open Day Edinburgh on Saturday 24^th September …

For one day only, buildings across Edinburgh with a fascinating story to tell will be open to the public, so come and join us to see what goes on at St Columba’s Hospice. Our doors will be open from 11am – 4pm.

We’ll be opening our doors to the general public, giving you a chance to meet our staff and volunteers who will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about the Hospice, palliative care, the services we provide and there’s even an opportunity to meet our therapets.

As part of Doors Open Day at St Columba’s Hospice, you can:

visit our Day Hospice which is where patients spend one day a week for peer support, nurse-led clinics, appointments with complementary therapists and other health and social care staff
spend time in our Information Hub which is part of the original Challenger Lodge building
view the original Challenger Lodge building and rooms which are not normally open to the public, which have stunning views over the Firth of Forth
tour the Centre for Education & Research where you can visit our lecture and seminar rooms
admire a scale model of the Hospice
find out about the impact our care has had across Edinburgh and the Lothians
visit historical areas of the building and artefacts which have been incorporated into our buildings such as the railings outside the Centre for Education & Research
have lunch and refreshments in the Iona Café
Spend time in our gardens (if the weather allows!), home to our Tribute Garden which is part of our Tribute Fund initiative.

On Doors Open Day, you will be able to learn about the Hospice, the services we provide and the architecture of our building – both the historical Challenger Lodge and also the multi-million pound newly built extension.

Guided tours will be offered by our team of volunteers throughout the day.

Community councillors: get your nomination papers in NOW!

The deadline is fast approaching for local people taking part in this year’s community council elections in Edinburgh – nominations close on Monday (26 September).

This year, nominations are being sought for 44 community councils. By becoming a member, local residents are given the opportunity to influence what happens in their area. Members can get involved in a wide range of activities, comment on planning and licensing applications, take part in community campaigns and work with others to improve the local area.

Community councils are made up of local residents and community groups such as youth forums, parent councils and student bodies. Each one is represented on the Neighbourhood Partnership for their area, where they work with local elected members, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, NHS Lothian and the voluntary sector to identify and deliver local priorities.

The first community councils were established in Edinburgh in 1980 in Merchiston and Longstone, and there are more than 500 community councillors across the city.

Cllr Maureen Child, Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee Convener, said: “Community councils are an ideal way to support communities to thrive. They allow people of all ages and from all backgrounds to meet and share ideas and to make change happen. They are a fantastic way of making public sector agencies aware of the needs of local areas, and can really help to make changes for the better.

“With only three days left until nominations close, I’d like to encourage anyone who’s interested in local democracy to get involved – be part of something great.”

People aged 16 years or older who are registered to vote can join. The nomination period for the community council elections runs until 4pm on Monday 26 September 2016. Elections, where required, will take place on Thursday 27 October 2016. Residents can apply as an individual or as a local interest group, such as a Parent Council, Friends of Parks or sports club.

Nomination forms are available on the City of Edinburgh Council’s website.

You can find information on each individual community council, including maps, on the Neighbourhood Partnership website, telephone 0131 469 3838 or email community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk

Karen Lloyd
0131 469 357