Month: March 2018

Trinity CC’s best ever attended meeting discusses Wardie Playing Fields proposals

A little bit late this month but hopefully worth the wait following our biggest ever meeting (writes BILL RODGER).  Continue reading Trinity CC’s best ever attended meeting discusses Wardie Playing Fields proposals

SFRS breaks ground on £12 million training facility

The safety of Scotland’s communities is set to be further bolstered as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service breaks ground on a new, multi-million pound training centre in Edinburgh. It will boast the capacity and latest cutting edge technology to train more than 1,600 frontline firefighters annually to respond to the most challenging incidents and protect people and communities. Continue reading SFRS breaks ground on £12 million training facility

Voting opens for city youth work projects

Young people in Edinburgh are being asked to decide how £160,000 of City of Edinburgh Council funding should be spent on youth work projects.

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A total of 55 projects now face a public vote in Choose Youth Work – the latest participatory budgeting project in the Capital. Voters can cast their vote online with a Young Scot card or at events being held in schools and other community venues.

The Communities and Families Youth Work Grant Programme allowed groups to apply for grants of up to £10,000 each, to be spent on open-access, universal youth work that will benefit young people in Edinburgh. The youth work can be locally-based or city-wide.

Submitted applications were assessed by a team of young people and Council officers, and those that met the required criteria are now being voted on by young people.

Voting

Young people aged 11-25 years who live in Edinburgh have two votes: one for projects taking place across the city, and another for projects in their local area.  Young people will be able to use their Young Scot number to vote. Temporary registration numbers can also be provided, and there will be paper ballots at locality events.

Voting opened on Monday and will close at 5pm next Friday – 16 March 

During this time, voting will be available online at: https://young.scot/edinburgh-pb/ and in selected community and education centres in Edinburgh.

 

 

Young women’s voices to be heard at Holyrood

A group of young women from across Scotland will today take over a Holyrood committee room as part of a project to increase political involvement.

The Young Women Lead project, which is run by the Young Women’s Movement, is a leadership programme for young women aged 30 and under and aims to increase political participation and connect a diverse range of voices to Scottish politics.

The project will see the group hold a series of committee meetings at the Scottish Parliament in order to gain more experience of how the Scottish Parliament works.

Chaired by Deputy Presiding Officer, Linda Fabiani MSP, the committee meetings will see the group hear from a range of witnesses on the issue of sexual violence, particularly sexual harassment experienced by women in education, a topic chosen by the young women themselves.

Speaking ahead of today’s meeting, Deputy Presiding Officer, Linda Fabiani MSP said: “I am thrilled to be involved in the Young Women Lead project, a project which is designed to not only help young women across Scotland find their voices but to ensure that these diverse and underrepresented voices are heard in the Scottish Parliament.

“The topic which the group has chosen to explore is something that all too many women will have faced in their lives – sexual harassment and violence experienced in education. It speaks volumes for the passion and commitment of these young women that they are willing to tackle such an important subject and I am looking forward to seeing the impact they make.

At today’s meeting, the group will hear from Scottish Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland, Girlguiding Scotland and Zero Tolerance before meeting again at Holyrood on Friday 20 April and Friday 18 May.

Jemma Tracey from the Young Women’s Movement said: “Young Women Lead presents a unique opportunity to have young women in all their diversity feed into Scottish politics.

“It is such a privilege for us as organisation to have partnered with the Scottish Parliament in co-designing this pilot programme with young women.

“The Young Women Lead programme also supports young self-identifying women to develop leadership skills, knowledge of human rights issues, and their own professional networks. We’re aiming high, and we cannot wait to see how this programme develops. “

One of the participants in the project, Emily Davis said: “100 years ago, the first group of women in the UK got the right to vote. Young Women Lead allows us to stand together in the Scottish Parliament building and form our own parliamentary committee. That blows my mind. I know life is still hard as a woman. But this would have not have been possible years ago. I wish those brave women could see us now.”

Derby Days: Edinburgh College students run football fundraiser for mental health charity

Not one but two Edinburgh derbies this weekend. Hibs face Hearts tonight at Easter Road – but Events Management students from Edinburgh College are also hosting a charity football game at Spartans Football Club on Sunday (11 March)! Continue reading Derby Days: Edinburgh College students run football fundraiser for mental health charity

Wages cheats: fifteen Scottish employers named and shamed

  • Nearly £75,000 identified for 206 workers underpaid minimum wage rates.
  • 15 Scottish employers named and fined nearly £70,000 after underpayment
  • Naming round comes before minimum wage rates rising on 1 April

The UK Government has today named and shamed 15 Scottish employers for underpaying more than 200 minimum wage workers by nearly £75,000 – and four of the companies are based in Edinburgh. Continue reading Wages cheats: fifteen Scottish employers named and shamed

Leith to become a Window Wanderland

The Window Wanderland concept, which transforms everyday streets into outdoor art galleries, is coming to the streets of Leith for the first time this month (on 17 March from 6 – 9PM), giving the community the chance to show off their creative talents. Continue reading Leith to become a Window Wanderland