Month: June 2019

First Minister announces food education programme

A food education programme designed to teach children and young people about Scotland’s food industry has been launched by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The Good Food Futures programme, backed by £1 million of investment, aims to give children a greater understanding of where food comes from and the many career opportunities available in the industry.

The programme will also include support for more farm visits, healthy cooking lessons and put more locally produced healthy food on school menus.

Speaking at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston, the First Minister said: “Scottish produce is enjoyed across the globe and Scots work in many of the world’s finest kitchens. I want people to enjoy our quality food, but I also want children and young people growing up here to benefit from it too.

“The Good Food Futures programme will help more children understand where their food comes from as well as benefit from it in their school meals. It will also encourage more young people to consider a career in the industry.

“In introducing more of our produce to children and young people, we will help farmers, food producers, manufacturers and businesses benefit in the longer term too.

“This is central to our work to become a Good Food Nation and the Royal Highland Show – with its focus on the best of Scottish produce – provides the perfect place to launch this programme.”

 The Good Food Futures food education programme is being delivered in partnership with:

  • Education Scotland and Food for Thought. The Food For Thought programme has been running for several years and provides funding to support schools in teaching teach children about growing and cooking healthy food.
  • Soil Association though the Food for Life Programme aims to stimulate more local sourcing through a holistic approach encompassing catering and supply chain work and education.

 

Chatterbooks is back at Muirhouse Library

CHATTERBOOKS IS BACK!!!

The book group with a twist is back at Muirhouse Library, with loads of fun activities, quizzes, crafts and of course, loads of awesome books to read and talk about!

Starting Tuesday 2nd July and every Tuesday after

2pm – 2.45pm during the summer holidays, 3.15pm – 4pm when schools are back!

Holyrood committee asks: can business finance support be improved?

Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee is looking for a wide range of views from businesses that have received ‘Regional Selective Assistance’ (RSA) or other financial support from Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise over the past ten years.

RSA is Scotland’s main national scheme of financial assistance to industry and has existed since 1970. It is managed and delivered by Scottish Enterprise and offers discretionary grants with the aim of creating and safeguarding jobs.

The Committee is also looking to hear from businesses who have been unsuccessful in their application to RSA or have received financial assistance from another body.

Committee Convener, Gordon Lindhurst MSP (above) said: “Over the last ten years over 960 projects have received £337 million of RSA investment. This has represented a significant attempt to address regional disparities across Scotland.

“The Committee wants to gain an understanding of impact these grants have had and whether grant support could be improved, and I urge businesses who have engaged with this scheme to tell us about their experiences.”

The outcome from this exercise is expected to feed into the upcoming Scottish Government budget plans and policy development.

The key areas that the Committee hopes to find answers to are:

  • Does RSA, and other grants, represent good value for money?
  • Could the £18 million to £34 million spent each year on RSA be better used supporting Scotland’s businesses in other ways?
  • To what extent does Regional Selective Assistance support the Scottish Government’s economic goals, as set out in its Economic Strategy and National Performance Framework?
  • How do RSA, and other grants, contribute to “inclusive economic growth”?
  • How do the enterprise agencies measure the impact of RSA? Views on how RSA and other financial support packages are evaluated by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
  • How well do RSA and other grants interact with other SE and HIE interventions?
  • Views on the eligibility criteria, application and approval process;
  • Should RSA change, and if so, how?
  • What due diligence and accountability processes are followed by the enterprise agencies?
  • What progress has been made towards introducing more conditionality? Whether more conditionality should be applied to RSA funding in addition to that announced over the past year.
  • How successful is the claw-back process when investments fail?

Businesses are encouraged to complete a short questionnaire which aims to capture the experiences and views of successful, and unsuccessful, recipients of RSA and other grants. The questionnaire can be found here

Alternatively, you can respond to the call for views which can be found here

The deadline for submitting views is Friday 16th August 2019.

Summer Fair Party at the Commie Pool

Summer Fair Party

Thursday, 8 August, 4 – 6pm

Royal Commonwealth Pool, Dalkeith Road

Join Edinburgh Leisure for two hours of all the fun of a summer fair plus soft play at Clambers, where little ones can climb their walls and burn off all the pent-up energy, plus a disco plus a free healthy slush to keep cool. Continue reading Summer Fair Party at the Commie Pool

Letters: Cats Protection repeats call for compulsory microchipping

Dear Editor

As the UK’s largest cat charity, Cats Protection has been marking National Microchipping Month this June by renewing our calls for compulsory microchipping of owned cats.

Cats and dogs are both much-loved pets by owners across the UK. Yet currently, microchipping is only compulsory for dogs, and we believe this should also apply to cats, so they have the same level of protection.

Microchipping is a safe, permanent and cost-effective method of identification which ensures cats can be reunited with their owner should they go missing and that lost cats are not mistaken as strays by rehoming charities.

It also ensures owners can be notified if their cat has been injured or killed in a road accident.  Cats Protection encourages local councils to scan any cats they collect that have died in road accidents for a microchip so their owners can be informed. 

Cats Protection will continue campaigning on this important issue, and readers can keep updated by visiting: www.cats.org.uk/microchips-reunite

Yours faithfully,

Jacqui Cuff

Head of Advocacy & Government Relations, Cats Protection

New benefit for teenage carers to launch in autumn

Young carers in Scotland aged 16 to 18 could benefit from a new £300 social security payment.

The Young Carer Grant is the first of its kind in the UK. It will be available to 16, 17 and 18 year olds who help care for someone in receipt of a certain type of disability benefit. The payment will be introduced this autumn.

Following feedback from young carers, eligiblity is being widened to include all 18-year-olds, not just those in education.

In a further another extension of the policy, young carers will now also be able to combine the hours they spend caring for more than one eligible person in order to reach the 16 hours a week requirement.

Young carers will also be able to take respite weeks without this impacting upon their application.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We are using our new social security powers to recognise the extraordinary contribution young carers make to the lives of those they care for.

“This is the first time young carers aged 16 to 18 will be given a cash benefit to spend as they choose. We will be making these payments at what could be a pivotal stage in their lives – when they may be finishing school, looking for employment or starting further education or training.

“Young carers make an invaluable contribution to society but many have difficulty participating in the normal activities their peers can enjoy. The Young Carer Grant will help ensure they are treated with the dignity, fairness and respect they deserve.”

The Scottish Government is investing £600,000 to support nearly 2000 young carers in 2019/20.

The Young Carer Grant will open for applications in autumn this year and applications can be made online, over the phone or by post.

 

Three youths arrested following vehicle thefts in North Edinburgh

Police have arrested three teenagers in connection with the theft of two vehicles and road traffic offences in the north of the city. Continue reading Three youths arrested following vehicle thefts in North Edinburgh

Reuse Showhome opens it’s doors at Ocean Terminal today

Discover comfortable, practical living in a space created entirely from beautiful and affordable reused and upcycled furnishings. Our things have value and this showhome is the ideal place to see that in action. Continue reading Reuse Showhome opens it’s doors at Ocean Terminal today