On Wednesday 30 October, an event was held at City Art Centre in Edinburgh to celebrate the publication of Blether, a free book created by Scottish Book Trust for this year’s Book Week Scotland celebrating a Year of Conversation.
Writers from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness, Oban and more had the opportunity to gather together and read their works. Continue reading Scottish Book Trust celebrates publication of free Blether book
Continue reading Success for BBC Scotland at Scottish Baftas
Citizens Advice Scotland has launched ‘Do the Rights Thing’, a new campaign to raise awareness among young people in Scotland of their employment rights.
Continue reading Citizens Advice Scotland urges young people: Do The Rights Thing
Wednesday 6th November & Wednesday 20th November
1pm – 2.30pm at Granton Library
Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was assaulted in the Leith Links area.
The incident happened around 5.50pm on Sunday (3 November) on Leith Links near Links Athletic FC changing rooms. Continue reading Police appeal following Leith Links assault
On Saturday the Parliament hosted the Modern Studies Association Annual Conference 2019, hosted by The Deputy Presiding Officer, Christine Grahame MSP.
Part of the day included presenting an SQA Advance Higher Award and SQA Higher Awards for the most outstanding students in the country. Continue reading Parliament celebrates Edinburgh students awarded top marks in Modern Studies
BONFIRE NIGHT
Do you know what your children have planned this evening?
We don’t want anyone injuring themselves or others by playing with fireworks. As well as being dangerous, misusing fireworks is also an offence. Now is a good time to talk to your children about the dangers of fireworks and fires as well as the law, before it’s too late.
Check the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website for more advice and guidance – http://ow.ly/nZgy50x1A3T
Check out the firework code here – http://ow.ly/62Df50x1A3U
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is urging people to attend organised Bonfire events this Tuesday, November 5.
Private firework displays and illegal bonfires pose a serious risk to the safety of the communities across Scotland.
And SFRS, alongside the Scottish Government, is making a final appeal to members of the public to attend an organised firework display and help curb illegal behaviour such as the construction of illegal bonfires.
Speaking on the run up to Bonfire Night Assistant Chief Officer Ross Haggart, the SFRS Director of Prevention and Protection, said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue service can be up to four times busier than usual on November 5.
“There are many official Bonfire events this year in Scotland and attending one of these can help ensure our resources are not delayed.
“Illegal bonfires needlessly take up our time and put others with genuine emergencies at risk.
“I would urge any member of the public who sees someone starting an illegal bonfire to contact Crimestoppers.
“I would also urge anyone who witnesses the construction of an unlit illegal bonfire to contact their local authority to have it removed.
“Together we can help each other stay safe this bonfire night.”
ACO Haggart was joined in the call by Minister for Community Safety Ash Denham.
Ms Denham also highlighted the distress that fireworks can cause for members of the community as well as animals such as livestock and pets.
Ms Denham said: “Bonfire Night is a chance for families and local communities to come together and enjoy fireworks responsibly. However the noise from fireworks can cause distress to vulnerable members of our communities – older people, those with post-traumatic stress disorder, autism or underlying mental health issues – and to animals.
“I would encourage people to be mindful of this and to attend organised displays where fireworks are set off in a controlled and safe environment.
“Bonfire Night is also one of the busiest nights of the year for our blue-light staff and robust action will be taken against anyone involved in the misuse of fireworks.
“I would urge members of the public to report any criminal or anti-social behaviour to Police Scotland, their local council, or through Crimestoppers.”
Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111 or contacted through their website at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
Thursdays, 10am – 11am
Women Supporting Women at Pilton Community Health Project
Commissioned by the Trussell Trust and conducted by Heriot-Watt University, State of Hunger 2019 is the most authoritative piece of independent research into hunger in the UK to date. It reveals the average weekly income of people at food banks is only £50 after paying rent, and almost one in five have no money coming in at all in the month before being referred for emergency food.
The first annual report of a three-year long research project, it shows definitively for the first time the three drivers hitting people simultaneously and leaving no protection from hunger and poverty. These drivers are problems with the benefits system, ill health and challenging life experiences, and a lack of local support.
The most common source of income for people at food banks is the benefits system. Problems with benefits are widespread, affecting two-thirds of people at food banks in the last year. Key benefits problems highlighted by the research are: a reduction in the value of benefit payments, being turned down for disability benefits, being sanctioned, and delays in payments like the five week wait for Universal Credit.
Statistical modelling shows the positive impact an increase in the value of benefits could have, estimating that a £1 increase in the weekly value of main benefits could lead to 84 fewer food parcels a year in a typical local authority.
The majority of people referred to food banks also experienced a challenging life event, such as an eviction or household breakdown, in the year prior to using the food bank. Such events may increase living costs and make it harder to maintain paid work or to successfully claim benefits.
Particular groups of people are more likely to need a food bank. One risk factor is being a single mother – 22% of people at food banks are single parents, the majority of which are women.
Almost three-quarters of people at food banks have a health issue, or live with someone who does. More than half of people at food banks live in households affected by a mental health problem, with anxiety and depression the most common.
A quarter of people live in households where someone has a long-term physical condition; one in six has a physical disability; and one in 10 has a learning disability, or live with someone who does. Ill health often increases living costs and may be a barrier to doing paid work.
Amanda explained to researchers that £130 of her £138 fortnightly benefit payment for a health condition goes to paying arrears, leaving her with only £8:
“If I don’t pay my bills, then I’ll get the house taken off me. After paying arrears, I’ve got £8 a fortnight and that’s to pay for gas, electric, water. So it’s just impossible, it really is. I go to bed at night wishing I never wake up in the morning.”
The study also found that the vast majority of people at food banks have either exhausted support from family or friends, were socially isolated, or had family and friends who were not in a financial position to help.
Chief Executive Emma Revie said: “People are being locked into extreme poverty and pushed to the doors of food banks. Hunger in the UK isn’t about food – it’s about people not having enough money. People are trying to get by on £50 a week and that’s just not enough for the essentials, let alone a decent standard of living.
“Any of us could be hit by a health issue or job loss – the difference is what happens when that hits. We created a benefits system because we’re a country that believes in making sure financial support is there for each other if it’s needed. The question that naturally arises, then, is why the incomes of people at food banks are so low, despite being supported by that benefits system?
“Many of us are being left without enough money to cover the most basic costs. We cannot let this continue in our country. This can change – our benefits system could be the key to unlocking people from poverty if our government steps up and makes the changes needed. How we treat each other when life is hard speaks volumes about us as a nation. We can do better than this.”
The Trussell Trust is calling for three key changes as a priority to protect people from hunger:
