The Scottish Parliament will today commend the work of churches throughout the pandemic in a debate on the Stories of Hope report, published in December 2020 by the Evangelical Alliance and Serve Scotland.
The report calculated that churches across Scotland had delivered 212,214 acts of support during the first lockdown and that these acts were delivered by 3,212 volunteers and impacted 55,671 beneficiaries.
The motion, which has been submitted by Jeremy Balfour and will be held at the Scottish Parliament on the first anniversary of the UK COVID-19 lockdown, acknowledges that: “churches in 180 locations across Scotland worked in partnership with key stakeholders, including supermarkets, community councils, NHS boards, food banks, voluntary support groups and charities, to deliver services to support vulnerable groups, including older, homeless and young people; recognises the important role that it considers churches and charities play in communities across Scotland, including in the Lothian region, and praises all those involved in delivering these services during the pandemic.”
The report found churches across Scotland had developed support networks and established projects to support the most vulnerable and isolated in their communities.
Projects were active across the country from the Highlands to the Borders, across the breadth of denominations and in partnership with a number of charities including CAP Scotland, the Bethany Trust, and Glasgow City Mission.
Kieran Turner, Public Policy Officer for the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland said: “Often the work of churches in the community goes under-reported and as a result government and parliament are not aware of the role of the church in wider society.
“We are grateful to Jeremy and to all the MSPs who are supporting the debate for the opportunity to show how the church spreads hope and the impact that has been made at a national level during the pandemic.”
The report also highlighted the importance of churches partnering with local businesses and other agencies as more than two-thirds of the projects identified were delivered in partnership to provide support to those in need.
Supermarkets, community councils, businesses, NHS boards, housing associations, voluntary support groups, and food banks have all worked with churches on the ground in these projects. In addition, 11 local authorities were identified, sometimes by multiple projects, as providing emergency funding for weekly support costs.
Keiran Turner continued: “Having the Scottish Parliament debate the report and commend these churches will raise awareness and challenge perceptions of what the church is and what the church does in Scotland.
“The church is a force for good in Scotland and operates at a scale of national significance meaning it must be a core part of the government’s rebuilding plans post pandemic.”
The parliamentary debate has been welcomed across the political spectrum and is being supported by Michelle Ballantyne, Miles Briggs, Donald Cameron, Peter Chapman, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Maurice Corry, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Rhoda Grant, Jamie Greene, James Kelly, Liam Kerr, Bill Kidd, Gordon Lindhurst, John Mason, Stuart McMillan, Pauline McNeill, Margaret Mitchell, Anas Sarwar, Elaine Smith, Stewart Stevenson, David Stewart, Alexander Stewart, Annie Wells and Brian Whittle.
To find out more and download the full report go to:
Tuesday, March 23rd, marks the anniversary of the day the UK was officially plunged into lockdown. We have lived through what is probably the most extraordinary year in most people’s lifetimes.
Blind and partially sighted people have had to adjust like everyone else to the daily challenges this has created. Thankfully, there’s now light at the end of the tunnel. But some ongoing measures could continue to be barriers to their independence and confidence.
People with sight loss can sometimes find it difficult to judge space, so we’re asking everyone to maintain their own distance, be patient and be helpful.
Just getting out and about can be more hazardous for those without sight. The Government’s ‘Spaces for People’ initiative has already transformed many of our streets and thoroughfares. We must take care that this doesn’t inadvertently create new obstacles for those with disabilities.
The covid crisis has given all of us a sense of uncertainty and vulnerability, of what it’s like to depend more on others.
So let’s make one positive legacy of this crisis a resolve to make sure we re-emerge as a society in which no one is left at the margins.
James Adams
Director, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland
Progress on closing the poverty-related attainment gap between the most and least deprived school pupils has been limited. And more evidence is needed to understand educational achievement beyond exams.
A joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission found that exam performance and other attainment measures at the national level have improved.
However, progress since 2013-14 has been inconsistent. And there are large variations in local authority performance, with some councils’ performance getting worse on some measures.
The poverty-related attainment gap remains wide and existing inequalities have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The national curriculum recognises that school is about more than exams.
And there has been an increase in the types of pathways, awards and qualifications available to young people. But better data is needed to understand if other important broad outcomes, like wellbeing and self-confidence, are improving.
The Scottish Government, councils, schools and the other bodies responsible for planning and delivering education were working well together before Covid-19.
That allowed them to respond rapidly in exceptionally difficult circumstances. Funding for education has remained largely static – rising from £4.1 billion in 2013/14 to £4.3 billion in 2018/19.
However, most of that real-terms increase was due to the Attainment Scotland Fund, which the Scottish Government set up to close the attainment gap.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Significantly reducing the attainment gap is complex. But the pace of improvement has to increase as part of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 recovery planning.
“That process needs to particularly focus on the pandemic’s impact on the most disadvantaged children and young people.”
Elma Murray, Interim Chair of the Accounts Commission, said: “There is variation in educational performance across Scotland, but this is not solely about exam performance.
“Education also supports and improves the health and wellbeing of children and young people, which has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is vital that councils, schools and their partners work to reduce the wide variation in outcomes as well as understanding and tackling the short and longer-term impact of Covid-19 on learning and wellbeing.”
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The impact of poverty on children’s life chances remains a matter of huge concern, and much more needs to be done to support young people living in poverty to overcome the barriers that they continue to face.
“Schools do all that they can with insufficient resources to support young people from all backgrounds but cannot, in isolation, overcome such serious societal issues as inequality and poverty.”
“We have long known of the devastating impact that poverty can have on young people, and this has been made worse during the pandemic when young people from less affluent backgrounds have been far more likely to have had their in-school learning disrupted and to face barriers in accessing education outwith the school environment.”
“It is clear that much greater and sustained investment is needed to tackle the impact of poverty on young people’s education, and all of Scotland’s political parties must fully commit to tackling this issue in the context of education recovery during the next Parliament.”
Police Scotland is appealing for information after a cyclist collided with a car in Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon.
Around 4.40pm on Sunday (21 March), a 32-year-old woman was cycling a white Specialized road bike on Broughton Street, near to Forth Street, when a collision occurred involving a silver coloured Volkswagen car.
The driver of the Volkswagen stopped, but was not present when police arrived.The woman was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to be treated for minor injuries.
Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick said: “We are trying to establish exactly what happened here and would appeal for anyone with any information to come forward.
“Did you see this cyclist, or vehicle prior to the collision? Or were you driving in this area of Edinburgh and could have dash-cam footage that can help us? We urge you to get in touch.”
Anyone with any information should contact Police via 101, quoting incident number 2942 of Sunday, 21 March, 2021.
Joanna Barrett, Associate Head of Policy (Devolved Nations), NSPCC Scotland, said: “The events of the last year have profoundly impacted so many lives and, sadly, are continuing to do so. We know from Childline and our other frontline services just how difficult it has been for children of all ages.
“The huge pressure on families, combined with schools being closed to most children and the disruption to protective services, has increased the risk of child abuse and neglect. Grief, isolation and uncertainty have also taken a heavy toll on children and young people’s mental health.
“And, we know, the impact on those with very young children has been considerable. Approximately 50,000 babies will have been born in Scotland over the last year, born into a society of heightened anxiety and stress. While we might think infants will be too young to remember, there is extensive evidence showing early experiences can have profound effects on lifelong development.
“And so it is vital that the Scottish Government ensures Covid-19 does not shape the future of our young children. With need increasing as a result of the pandemic, huge investment is crucial to ensure all children in our country are offered the best start in life.
“The next Scottish Government must make the social and emotional wellbeing of very young children it’s number one priority.”
Ministerial Code report published: First Minister cleared of code breach
The independent report by Mr James Hamilton on the First Minister’s self-referral under the Scottish Ministerial Code has been published.
Mr Hamilton is a former Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland and has been an independent adviser on the Code since January 2013, having been appointed by Alex Salmond when he was First Minister.
He was asked to assess whether there had been any breach of the Code by the First Minister, the nature of any such breach and, if a breach had occurred, to advise on the appropriate remedy or sanction.
Mr Hamilton looked at the following:
the First Minister’s meeting with Geoff Aberdein on 29 March 2018, and the meetings / telephone calls with Mr Salmond on 2 and 23 April, 7 June and 14 and 18 July 2018
whether the First Minister misled Parliament about these meetings
whether the First Minister attempted to influence the conduct of the investigation
whether the First Minister broke the code by continuing with the judicial review.
On each point he found the First Minister had not breached the code, saying in his conclusions at para 18.2 of the report: “I am of the opinion that the First Minister did not breach the provisions of the Ministerial Code in respect of any of these matters.”
Mr Hamilton’s report, formally commissioned by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, was delivered to the Scottish Government yesterday. In line with the First Minister’s commitment to Parliament, the report has been published on the day of receipt.
The report is published in full, except for information that needs to be excluded to comply with court orders in force to protect the identity of complainers. In a covering note to the report Mr Hamilton has acknowledged that redactions will be necessary.
Commenting, Mr Swinney said: “I want to thank Mr Hamilton for his thorough and impartial assessment of the facts.
“People can read the report for themselves, but the rigour and independence of his investigation is clear.
“This report is the formal outcome of the self-referral under the Ministerial Code made by the First Minister on 13 January 2019. I hope that everyone will now accept that Mr Hamilton’s conclusions are comprehensive and evidence-based.”
Mr Hamilton’s report said Ms Sturgeon had given an “incomplete narrative of events” to MSPs but he said this was not deliberate, rather a “genuine failure of recollection”.
While Mr Hamilton’s report relieves some of the pressure on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a Holyrood committee is expected to take a very different view when it finally publishes it’s findings this morning.
It’s parliament’s responsibility to hold the government to account, and a cross-party committee of MSPs has been scrutinising the government’s handling of the complaints against former First Minister Alex Salmond.
The committee’s work has been hampered throughout by obstructions placed in their way by the government and the Crown Office, but their final report is expected to be highly critical of Ms Sturgeon’s recollection of events. The report is likely to accuse the First Minister of misleading their investigation – that’s parliament-speak for lying.
The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints will formally publish its full report at 8am.
In a pre-emptive strike, Ms Sturgeon has already dismissed the committee’s report as ‘partisan’.
The Scottish Tories also plan to hold a vote of no confidence in the First Minister today, but this seems doomed to failure as the SNP Government has the support of the Scottish Greens.
When all this is over, it’s full steam ahead to May’s elections – and it remains to be seen whether any of the above will make any difference at all to voting intentions. Was this a deliberate attempt to subvert our democracy – or just a Salmond Sturgeon stooshie of interest only to political anoraks and conspiracy theorists?
New European-wide research by Handiscover indicates that almost two thirds (62%) of disabled people in Scotland say that Hotels in which they have stayed have not met their accessibility needs.
Handiscover, a leading accessibility and disability data organisation, is now calling on the Hotel industry to prepare for a travel restart post-Covid adapted to all travellers, by improving their accessibility or accessibility information, something which is much needed, according to the survey.
Moreover, over half (52%) of those surveyed said that they did not have all accessibility information before they visited.
It’s thought that more than 14 million people in the UK live with a long term illness or disability requiring specific accessibility needs, highlighting the importance of this research for the hotel and hospitality industry.
Handiscover believes that if accessibility, accessibility information and greater training was in place across the travel industry, the EU economy could benefit by up to 25% against current level – that’s almost 196 Billion Euros.
To help businesses, Handiscover has now developed and released an industry leading ‘Accessibility Standard’ for Hotels which it provides free of charge to help hotels start working on their accessibility on their own.
Businesses needing help to improve accessibility can sign up for Handiscover’s Accessibility Management Program. The program includes accessibility data management and assessment, marketing expertise to help communicate accessibility to customers, and Accessibility & Disability Education to help the hotel industry recover in a post COVID world.
Magnus Berglund, Accessibility Director at Handiscover. said: “Improving accessibility in the hotel industry is not just a ‘nice’ thing to do, it is the ‘right’ thing to do and can generate huge increases in revenue for properties!
“The Handiscover Accessibility Management Program exists to help hotels, and other businesses, work with and improve accessibility in an easy way to the benefit of the day-to-day lives of millions of people who live with a disability.”
Sebastien Archambeaud CEO Handiscover added: “Ever since we launched Handiscover, our aim has simply been to use accessibility data to make booking accommodation easier for those with disabilities.
“We now want to take the knowledge and experience we have working with those with accessibility needs and help hotels and accommodation providers improve accessibility and knowledge.
“We want to let businesses know that improving accessibility is not a cost burden, but a means to actually improve business by catering to more customers”.
The research from Handiscover.com also revealed that 58% of the disabled population who required assistance say that staff at Hotels were not as knowledgeable about accessibility needs as they could have been – thus demonstrating the importance of accessibility training and education among staff, not just at hotels, but across industries.
Good progress is being made towards closing the poverty-related attainment gap, a new report has found.
The study examines improvements made through the Scottish Attainment Challenge, and wider education policies, towards closing the attainment gap during this Parliamentary term.
The report highlights a number of key strengths in the education system, including a systemic change in culture and ethos, improved learning and teaching, strengthened collaboration, work with families and communities and a focus on health and wellbeing.
The findings show:
the gap between the proportion of primary pupils (P1, P4 and P7 combined) from the most and least deprived areas achieving the expected level in literacy and numeracy has narrowed since 2016-17
the gap between the proportion of S3 pupils from the most and least deprived areas who achieved their expected level in numeracy narrowed between 2016-17 and 2018-19
the participation gap between those who live in the most deprived and least deprived areas has narrowed year-on-year between 2016-17 and 2019-2020
96% of headteachers felt that they had a good awareness of the range of approaches that can help close the poverty-related attainment gap
90% of headteachers reported they had seen an improvement in closing the gap in their schools in the past five years
88% of headteachers expect to see improvements in closing the gap over the next five years
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Closing the poverty-related attainment gap and giving every young person the chance to fulfil their full potential, regardless of their background, remains our defining mission.
“Our ambition is a long-term one and this report clearly shows significant progress has been made in the last five years. We know that COVID-19 has made our ambition of achieving equity in education harder and I would like to thank all of our teachers and support staff for their extraordinary contribution and resilience shown throughout the pandemic.
“We have put in place a comprehensive range of measures, supported by the £750 million Attainment Scotland Fund, to turn the corner with the attainment gap.
“We have seen improvements across a number of indicators, including a narrowing of the gap between pupils from the most and least deprived areas achieving the expected level in literacy and numeracy.
“Longer term, we have also seen the gap narrow in initial positive destinations and the proportion of pupils achieving one pass or more at SCQF Level 5 and 6.
“The International Council of Education Advisers has acknowledged progress is being made and headteachers are positive about the impact of our measures, have a clear understanding of what is working and are optimistic about improvements being embedded and continuing over the next five years. I am greatly encouraged by this welcome progress and am confident we are on the right path.
“To mitigate against the impact of the pandemic, we are investing a record £200 million in the Attainment Scotland Fund in 2021-22, including an additional £20 million of Pupil Equity Funding.
“We are also investing £50 million in the Challenge Authorities and Schools Programmes next year and will support the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund with more than £11 million. This is alongside £375 million in education recovery over this year and next to recruit additional teachers and support staff and address digital exclusion.
“I am determined to continue to support our young people through these unprecedented times and the evidence from this report and the Equity Audit will guide our thinking for the next phase of the Scottish Attainment Challenge. Now, more than ever, there is a need to stay the course with our vision of equity and excellence.”
Looking at performance of pupils since 2009-10, the report also finds:
the percentage of school leavers in a positive initial destination consistently increased between 2009-10 and 2018-19, for all leavers. The gap in positive initial destinations also decreased in this period
the gap between pupils achieving 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 5 has reduced from 33.3 percentage points in 2009-10 to 20.8 percentage points in 2019-20
the gap between pupils achieving 1 pass or more at SCQF Level 6 has reduced from 45.6 percentage points in 2009-10 to 36.1 percentage points in 2019-20
Gayle Gorman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Chief Executive of Education Scotland, said: “We are happy to see the improvements detailed in the report and it is heartening that nine out of ten schools have seen a recent improvement in closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
“We recognise this work is more important than ever and the evidence from this report and the Equity Audit will inform the Scottish Attainment Challenge moving forward.
“Our Attainment Advisors have strong partnerships with every local authority and remain focused on working collaboratively with them, our schools and their community partners to ensure our most disadvantaged learners continue to be supported to achieve their aspirations.
“This is a long-term commitment that has been supported by a system-wide, collaborative endeavour across Scottish education to make Scotland the best place to grow and learn.”
Professor Chris Chapman, Senior Academic Adviser to the Scottish Attainment Challenge programme, said: “This report highlights both government’s commitment to equity and the cultural change that has occurred in Scottish education over the past five years.
“The drive to improve outcomes for children and young people from Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities has been placed centre stage of the reform agenda.
“Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the challenge and magnified the necessity of ensuring that all children and young people reach their full potential irrespective of their circumstances.”
Police Scotland can confirm that four teenage girls have been charged in connection with an assault against three other girls in the Meadows.
The incident happened around 7pm on Sunday, 20 March. All four youths aged, 13, 16, 16 and 17- years-old, will be reported through the appropriate youth justice process.
We would like to thank everyone who helped up with our enquiries into this incident.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Police are appealing for witness following an assault and robbery of three girls in the Meadows.
The incident happened around 7pm on Saturday (20 March).
Two teenage girls, aged 13 and 14-years-old, were approached by a group of youths who assaulted and robbed them. An unknown member of the public intervened and took both girls away from the group.
A short time later a 16-year-old girl, known to the other girls, arrived and the group approached them again, assaulting the 16-year-old by dragging her to the ground and also robbing her. Again, unknown members of the public intervened, and the girls were taken safely away.
All three girls suffered injuries to their faces which required medical attention.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait of Corstorphine CID said: “This was despicable behaviour which has left three young girls injured and shaken and it will not be tolerated.
“Enquiries are ongoing and we are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and would urge anyone who may have been there and saw what happened to contact us as soon as possible.
“We are especially keen to speak to the various unknown adults who intervened to help the girls and I would ask that if that was you that you give us a call.”
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting incident number 3698 of 20 March, or alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be passed on anonymously.
20 creatives launch new campaigns and bid for up to £10,000 match funding
Eight Edinburgh based projects are among twenty creative projects across Scotland to launch their worldwide crowdfunding campaigns, thanks to a coaching and match-funding scheme run by Creative Scotland in partnership with Crowdfunder.
The Edinburgh based Crowdfunding campaigns include INKLINGS, a new non-fiction series from award winning, independent publisher 404 INK;
ReStyler a brand-new and sustainable garment restyling alteration service from award-winning social enterprise Remode Collective;
Ink on Mesh, a community print, and textiles studio facility offering fully equipped studio space from contemporary textiles brand Blessed Unrest;
songwriter Amy Duncan is fundraising for her new album ‘Cocoon’;and
Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education CIC is fundraising to develop an original outdoor circus & theatre show, ‘Positive Imaginings’, that engages children with the issue of climate change and how it is linked to our connection with the natural world, amongst others.
As part of the Creative Scotland Crowdmatch programme, the creatives have been building their campaigns with coaching support from Crowdfunder over the past four weeks.
Now ‘live’, once projects raise £1,000 from at least 30 supporters they will receive £1,000 match funding from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
Further match funding is potentially available, up to a maximum of £10,000 per project, for those that reach additional funding targets, until the total sum available of £75,000 is allocated.
Jason Nuttall, Programme Director at Crowdfunder said:“Working with Creative Scotland in 2020 was a very positive experience so we’re pleased to be collaborating once again on what is shaping up another fantastic round of crowdfunding.
“We had a huge response to this year’s call for entry, with an amazing range of ideas submitted for big and small creative projects across Scotland. Throughout the COVID crisis we have worked with thousands of organisations, so we know that crowdfunding has many positive benefits, even during tough times.
“Good luck to all the entrants, we’re looking forward to sharing the highs, lows, and surprises over the coming weeks.
Jackie Stewart, Creative Industries Officer, Creative Scotland said: “We’re delighted to continue working with Crowdfunder to help more creative businesses in Scotland gain a deeper understanding of crowdfunding by giving them the coaching and tools to launch their own campaigns.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the projects selected to grow their networks, increase awareness of their work and build stronger connections with their customers and audiences.
“The arts and creative industries have been hit hard by the consequences of the pandemic and crowdfunding offers creative individuals and businesses a viable way to generate the income required for creative projects and to sustain and grow a business.
“Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every week these creative projects will be supported to deliver a fantastic range of work.”
About the Creative Scotland Crowdmatch 2021 projects in Edinburgh
Heather McDaid and Laura Jones of award-winning independent publisher 404 Ink is crowdfunding for the launch of their non-fiction seriesINKLINGS.
The eight titles, part of their series of big ideas in compact packages, are designed for the curious reader, looking to learn more on subjects that they may be interested in learning more about, but don’t know where to start.
Laura Jones, co-founder & publisher, 404 Ink: “What a thrill to see our new Inklings series launched with Crowdfunder and the Creative Scotland Crowdmatch initiative!
“The idea for this series came mid-pandemic when life was looking bleak for so many people and 404 Ink was in hibernation and now that idea has bloomed into a full series of topics that are vital, timely, and insightful, we can’t wait to get the books into people’s hands.
“We’re honoured to be working with such talented writers who are trusting us with their words and experiences – we hope we can do them justice and that this campaign will launch the Inklings with the fanfare it deserves.”
Edinburgh based songwriter Amy Duncan is fundraising for her new album ‘Cocoon’, which was written during lockdown.
Amy will be working with percussionist Guy Nicolson and co producer Cameron Malcolm to record the album.
Amy Duncancommented: “I am a music artist based in Scotland and will be releasing a new album next November. It was written in 2020 throughout the lockdown and it is my hope that the songs will resonate widely with people through the shared experience of being in the midst of a global pandemic.
“I will be working with PR specialist Black Arts PR who work with renowned artists such as Mogwai and C Duncan. Crowdfunding will cover costs of recording, PR, radio plugging, and a special live stream album launch gig which I will perform with a band in an Edinburgh venue.”
Isla Munro is crowdfunding the 100 Days Project Scotland which encourages people to undertake daily creative pursuits which will be exhibited in an annual show.
Building on the award-winning album Songs of Separation, Jenny Hill is fundraising for ‘SoS Music – ALL SING!’.
The project will bring together community choir leaders from across the UK to enjoy a rewarding creative residential which will result in new song teaching resources.
Contemporary textiles brand Blessed Unrest is crowdfunding Ink on Mesh, a community print, and textiles studio facility offering fully equipped studio space, a wide range of classes and expert technical support to its community.
Lorna Brown ofBlessed Unrestcommented: “With the support of Creative Scotland Crowdmatch and Crowdfunder UK I’m looking to achieve my dream of establishing INK on MESH in the heart of my local community.
“The studio will allow me to continue to develop my own textiles brand as well as providing invaluable space and specialized equipment for developing, emerging and graduate textile practitioners.
“I know just how challenging it is to pursue your professional career as a textile graduate without access to screens, studio space and the support networks that college life offers”.
Award-winning social enterprise Remode Collective are crowdfunding ReStyler, a brand-new and sustainable garment restyling alteration and mending service in Edinburgh.
Producer Penny Davies (co-owner of Smashing Pictures) is working with an all-female team including Director Shiona McCubbin and Writer Amy Hawes to crowdfund their short film ‘Maureen’.
Penny Davies commented: “Shiona, Amy and I have talked about working together a number of times, so we’re absolutely delighted to have been selected for Creative Scotland Crowdfunder with our short film Maureen.
Amy has written a fantastic script, and we have a wonderful all-female team lined up – we can’t wait to get going now!”
Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education CIC is fundraising to develop an original outdoor circus & theatre show, ‘Positive Imaginings’, that engages children with the issue of climate change and how it is linked to our connection with the natural world.
Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education commented: “2021 is the year we must address the climate emergency.
“Coming out of COVID-19 we have an opportunity to create a new way of living. Scotland is hosting COP26 this year, the most important meeting on climate change since 2015 when the Paris agreement was drawn up. This project aims to both educate and give a voice to children creating a sense of agency and hope for their future.”
For the full list of projects across Scotland please visit:
