Four teams of walkers set off on Wednesday 16 May on an epic three-week journey across the UK, as The Big Walk returns for its second year. This year, representing Scotland is a 52-year-old father of three, Angus McLeod from Dundee. Joining him on various other sections of the 400-mile route is Adam Mould, founder of the Glasgow Panthers Wheelchair Rugby League team, along with several of his team-mates. Continue reading Big Walk strolls in to Portobello
We now have a dates in place for our Childcare Academy Information Sessions:
Wednesday 6th June @ 10am
Wednesday 27th June @ 1pm
If you would like to book a place to come along and hear more about the Academy, ask any questions and take away an application pack, please do not hesitate to contact me on the number below or Audrey O’Neill on 0131 311 6931.
Liam Moffat
Training Administrator
North Edinburgh Childcare
18b Ferry Road Avenue, Edinburgh EH4 4BL
Tel: 0131 311 6929
People across Scotland are being invited to join a conversation about community decision-making to help make public services more locally focused. The Democracy Matters conversation will identify new legal rights for communities which would place them at the heart of decision-making.
As part of the conversation people are being invited to consider a short set of questions on shaping local democracy. Community groups can also apply for grants of up to £300 to host their own events related to the project.
Communities Secretary Angela Constance said: “The start of the Democracy Matters conversation is an important moment for community decision-making in Scotland. We believe that more decisions about public services should be taken locally, and that communities should be able to influence those decisions.
“We want to hear from people across Scotland about the issues they want decisions on in their neighbourhood, town or village, and the kind of arrangements that would help that happen.”
COSLA President Alison Evison said: “Across the country, it is widely recognised that Scotland needs local solutions to the opportunities and challenges it faces.
“The conversation is a vital contribution to the change that is needed across all spheres of government to make Scotland a more democratic place, and to ensure that Scotland’s public services are built around the communities they serve.”
Scottish Community Alliance Director Angus Hardie said: “As things stand, communities often find that the really important issues that affect them the most are decided without their involvement and in faraway places.
“But if democracy is working well, most of those decisions would be taken much closer to these communities and often by local people themselves. Democracy Matters is a rare opportunity for communities everywhere – especially for those groups whose voice doesn’t always get heard – to become involved and to re-imagine how democracy can be made to work for everyone.”
The Democracy Matters conversation is a joint venture between the Scottish Government, COSLA and the community sector and will run over the next six months.
More information on how to take part in the conversation and how to apply for funding to run an event is available online.
You can also contact the organisers via: democracymatters@gov.scot
The aftermath of an attack that shook the heart of London; a rioter on fire running from police in Venezuela; a young boy being pulled alive from rubble in Mosul and concertgoers hiding from a gunman at a country music festival in Las Vegas … these are just some of the powerful images that will be on display in a free exhibition at the Scottish Parliament, as part of World Press Photo Exhibition 2018 from Wednesday 1 August – Saturday 25 August.
RBS has singularly failed to appreciate the damage their closure programme will inflict on many communities across Scotland, says a damning report by the Scottish Affairs Committee. Continue reading Clueless bankers! Westminster committee report lambasts RBS
A new way of monitoring and recording bullying in Scottish schools will be introduced this autumn. The standardised approach will make it easier for teachers to identify trends and address the problem. Continue reading Beating the bullies: improved measures to be introduced
Tomorrow, Scotland will become the first UK nation to enact legislation banning the use of wild animals in circuses. Celebrating the popular measure, Animal Defenders International (ADI) has renewed its call to other UK nations to follow their lead and stop circus suffering in Great Britain. Continue reading Campaigners welcome circus animal ban
Scotland will become one of the first countries to achieve a 100% reduction in carbon emissions, Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham announced last week. Continue reading World leaders: Scotland’s Climate Change legislation set to be ‘toughest in the world’
Scotland’s walking charity Paths for All has launched the 15th annual Big Fit Walk, a campaign that will see more people become more active this June. Over the next four weeks, people of all ages and abilities are being encouraged to organise a 30-minute walk or join one being held in their local area. Continue reading Big Fit Walk calls on communities to join biggest short walk of the year
The Social Bite Village was officially opened on Thursday. Around 150 guests attended the launch and took the opportunity to explore the new village which sits under the shadow of Granton’s last gasometer. Continue reading Social Bite Village opens on Granton waterfront
