PATRÓN Tequila, the number one super–premium tequila in the world, is opening the doors to an authentic taste of Mexico’s culture with bar takeovers across Edinburgh to celebrate Margarita Month from February to March, coinciding with International Margarita Day tomorrow – February 22nd.
Edinburgh’s boldest, most innovative bars including The Voyage of Buck, Uno Mas and El Cartel, will be raising a glass with the PATRÓN familia to celebrate International Margarita Day by offering handcrafted ‘Botanas’ – traditional Mexican small plates of exclusive Margarita serves perfectly curated with PATRÓN Silver, and specially curated Margarita menus.
The Voyage of Buck has developed a specialtacomenu featuring dishes that have been designed to perfectly complement the flavour profile of the iconic Margarita cocktail, made with PATRÓN Silver Tequila. Tacos range from lamb shoulder with Greek yoghurt to feta cheese and butternut squash, drizzled in red chilli oil. PATRÓN Tequila UK Brand Ambassador Gianluca Pavenello Canella will also be hosting a dinner and tasting for one night only on the 15th March. Limited spaces available so please book here.
Uno Mashas developed a curated menu of cocktails including the Elderflower and Cucumber Margarita (a combination of PATRÓN Silver Tequila, St Germain cordial, cucumber lime and sugar) and many other special serves, inspired by the traditional margarita cocktail.Tee and John McCellan will be hosting a “Vinyl Nights” DJ set on February 23rd.
Hoot The Redeemerwill host the 2022 winner of PATRÓN Perfectionists, Max Macauley, who will do a shiftto celebrate the perfection of PATRÓN Margarita this International Margarita Day. Visit Max to check out his Simply Perfect twists on the Margarita.
Other bars across the city are also celebrating with PATRÓN in their own unique way. See below for more information and how to book a table.*
These International Margarita Day celebrations pay homage to the Mexican roots of PATRÓN and its tequila-making tradition. Passionately handcrafted in Jalisco by PATRÓN’s familia, maintaining a tireless dedication to achieve perfection in every drop. PATRÓN uses only the highest-quality three natural ingredients masterfully combined to ensure consistency and quality in production handcrafting the finest tequila in the world.
Since the brand’s inception in 1989, PATRÓN Tequila continues to experiment, explore and create bold innovations whilst staying committed to its handcrafted production process that delivers only the highest quality, 100% naturally perfect tequila. PATRÓN Tequila uses 100% simply perfect ingredients – agave, water and yeast – and crafted in small batches to ensure consistency and quality. PATRÓN has one goal in mind and that’s to create the finest tequila in the world.
Max Macauley, 2022 winner of ‘PATRÓN Perfectionists’ and host of the International Margarita Day event at Hoot The Redeemer, Edinburgh says: “As a member of the PATRÓN familia, it’s inspiring to work with bar teams to celebrate Margarita Month.
“In my eyes, PATRÓN stands for passion and the handcrafted perfection – something that we want to reflect in every drink I get my hands on! I’m proud to be hosting the ‘Locale takeover’ at Hoot The Redeemer alongside Ellie Raeside, also a perfectionist finalist – a one night only guest shift on the 15th March.
“I will also be doing a guest shift at Present Company in Liverpool on 5th March alongside my other perfectionist finalist, Christopher George.”
PATRÓN’s Margarita inspired activations in Scotland will be in action throughout February and March, so head to the websites below to book a table and raise a glass with the PATRÓN familia.
How and when to book your table:
EDINBURGH
Book a table at Hamilton’s from 22nd February – 22nd March
An eight-year-old Shar-pei who has received a gold star report from his Dogs Trust foster carers is hoping being on his best behaviour will help him find his forever home.
Gorgeous Gregor arrived at the charity’s West Calder Rehoming Centre in May 2022 after being found as a stray. It didn’t take long for staff to realise Gregor wasn’t suited to life in kennels, so a temporary foster home was sought.
Gregor landed on his paws when he first went into foster care in July 2022 with Fiona Jardine from Grangemouth. She said Gregor was a very well-behaved boy and perfect house guest.
Gregor is now enjoying life in a foster home with Meta Brockie from Dunfermline who said: “Gregor is a wonderful, calm, gentle and easy going dog. He has a very sweet nature and is friends with everyone he meets whether dog or human.
“”When out walking he takes his time and loves to stop and look at what people are doing rather like a nosey neighbour. He is also very funny, loves his food and sleeps through the night. There really is nothing not to like about Gregor.”
Shona Crosbie, Home from Home Coordinator at Dogs Trust West Calder said: “Gregor’s personality is now shining bright after what has been an unsettling time in his life. He has lived in two foster homes now with both of his foster carers agreeing what a delight he is in the home.
“A dog can be in foster from a few days to a few weeks, with the average time being 21 days. Gregor has been in foster nearly eight months and we cannot understand why he hasn’t been snapped up. He has the looks, a loving nature, is housetrained and is very well-mannered. We are keen to hear from anyone who thinks our gorgeous boy could be the canine companion for them.
“We are so grateful to Fiona, Meta and all our foster carers for everything they do for dogs like Gregor. For dogs that cannot adapt to life in a rehoming centre having the option of a foster home is vital for their happiness and wellbeing. We learn so much more about our dogs when they are in a home environment and this also helps with finding them the right forever home. Our foster carers are simply the best.”
While Gregor is friendly on his walks, happily saying hello to dogs of all shapes and sizes, he is looking for a home where he is the only pet.
He could live in a home with children aged 16 and over. Gregor isn’t keen on the rain so prefers to go for walks in fair weather. He appreciates a little time to meet new people but once the bond is made, he is loyal and loving. Gregor is on medication for arthritis which he takes no problem at what is one of his favourite times of day, food time.
If you are interested in rehoming Gregor you can apply here:
Circularity Scotland has today (21st February 2023) announced £22 million of cashflow support measures to help Scotland’s brewers, distillers, importers and drinks manufacturers prepare for the introduction of Scotland’s deposit return scheme.
The package includes:
Up front charges removed for lower sales volumes
Improved payment terms for lower sales volumes
Simple labelling option for niche products, alleviating administrative burden
The support package is particularly designed to help SMEs, who have previously voiced concerns about the impact of the scheme on their business’ cashflow.
To address these concerns, Circularity Scotland is removing the day one and month one charges for all producers, up to a threshold of three million units per year. It is also providing two month credit terms on deposits and fees up to the same volume threshold to reduce the working capital impact on all producers.
The three million unit threshold has been established to ensure that the thousands of smaller scale producers selling in Scotland benefit more proportionately from the cashflow support. This will particularly help companies like craft brewers, wine importers and craft spirit producers. The two month credit terms will be made available to all producers, regardless of their size, ensuring all producers within the scheme are treated equally.
Circularity Scotland has also confirmed that it will be offering the option to use self-adhesive barcode labels for producers placing less than 25,000 units per year of a specific product on to the Scottish market. This will provide a simple and straightforward administrative solution for independent producers and importers for whom the cost of changing packaging to introduce new barcodes could be prohibitive.
David Harris, Chief Executive of Circularity Scotland said: “Circularity Scotland was established by industry to meet their obligations under the deposit return scheme as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
“This announcement is further evidence of how we are continuing to innovate and identify additional ways to mitigate the pressure on businesses. We know that smaller producers in particular have been concerned about the cashflow impacts of the scheme, and these measures will address those concerns.
“Circularity Scotland has successfully secured over £100m of third-party funding to establish the infrastructure of the deposit return scheme, with only minimal up-front funding from the very largest producers. This funding approach allows producers both large and small to benefit on equal terms from this investment in world-class infrastructure and leading-edge technology and only pay their share of the costs once the scheme is in operation.
We have already announced reductions in producer fees of up to 40%, while also being able to offer the highest return handling fees of comparable schemes anywhere in the world. These additional support measures further demonstrate our confidence in being able to deliver ongoing operational efficiencies once the scheme has gone live. We are committed to ensuring that the deposit return scheme works for Scotland, is cost effective for business and helps protect our environment for generations to come.”
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “This is a big and welcome change that responds directly to many of the concerns that have been raised, particularly those from smaller producers like craft brewers.
“It addresses initial cash flow challenges, and provides a pragmatic and simple solution to the issues raised around barcodes for smaller product lines. This is a package that gives businesses the clarity and confidence they need to be part of Scotland’s deposit return scheme.
“Over the last few months I have been meeting industry regularly to listen to their feedback and this industry-led solution has been designed in direct response to its concerns. I remain committed to a pragmatic approach to implementation between now and the 16 August.
“By working together we can lead the UK in delivering a deposit return scheme which will increase Scotland’s recycling rates from around 50% to 90%, cut emissions, tackle littering and address public concerns about the impact of plastic and other waste.”
Businesses looking for more information on these measures or how they can register for the scheme should contact Circularity Scotland’s customer support team at www.circularityscotland.com or on 0141 401 0899.
Campaigners have welcomed the news that small businesses will be supported to launch Scotland’s deposit return scheme on time this year in August 2023.
Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “The announcement today demonstrates commitment from Circularity Scotland and the businesses they represent to start the scheme on time in August 2023, and we’re pleased to see that support is being given to smaller businesses to address their concerns.
“This announcement should end calls for further delays. To undo the building momentum for the scheme would be counterproductive for producers and retailers planning for an August introduction, as well as risking further environmental pollution from discarded drinks containers.
“It is fundamental to the long-term success of the scheme that the costs of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme come from industry. Part of the purpose of a scheme like this is to make sure the responsibility for cleaning up is held by the companies that are producing the waste, rather than from the public purse, as is currently the case.”
Health charity urges Scottish Government to increase cessation support for Scotland’s 730,000 smokers
ASH Scotland is urging the Scottish Government to boost specialist cessation services for the estimated 730,000 Scots who smoke, after it emerged that quit smoking attempts have dropped by more than a third compared to the year before the COVID-19 pandemic started.
The latest annual NHS Stop Smoking Services Scotland report (April 2021 to March 2022) published by Public Health Scotland today (Tuesday 21 February 2023) reveals there were 31,359 quit smoking attempts, around 17,000 fewer than the 48,749 in 2019/20.
With smoking continuing to cause 100,000 hospitalisations and 9,000 deaths in Scotland each year, and the 2034 target for the country to be tobacco-free on track to be missed by an estimated 16 years, ASH Scotland says it is vitally important that the Scottish Government and health boards consider the promotion and expansion of the country’s smoking cessation services as top priorities.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of the health charity ASH Scotland, said: “It is alarming that these latest figures show stop smoking attempts with NHS support have fallen for the 10th consecutive year and by almost 75% since the peak of 121,385 attempts in 2011/12.
“At a time when the health service is under considerable pressure and smoking continues to be the biggest preventable cause of illness and death, swift action is required by the Scottish Government and health boards to ensure NHS Quit Your Way services are promoted and better resourced to reach more of the two-thirds of Scots who smoke and want to quit.
“Quit Your Way services, which provide specialist person-centred smoking cessation support, must be boosted as a matter of urgency to continue their critical role helping people who have the highest smoking rates, such as those living in our most deprived communities, and experiencing mental health problems, to leave tobacco behind.”
ASH Scotland research suggests that smoking prevalence for people experiencing mental health problems in Scotland’s poorest communities is between 40 to 50 per cent, comparable to the country’s general population smoking rates of the mid-1970s.
People aiming to give up smoking can call Quit Your Way’s free helpline on 0800 84 84 84 or create a quit plan at www.QuitYourWay.scot.
ASH Scotland’s Closing the Inequality Gap: Smoking and Mental Health report, published in 2022, can be downloaded at www.ashscotland.org.uk/mentalhealth
Report identifies 31 ways to reduce gender gap and boost economy
The Scottish Government will carefully consider proposals to support more women into entrepreneurship, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said following publication of a wide-ranging independent review.
Pathways: A New Approach for Women in Entrepreneurship was commissioned by the Scottish Government to identify ways to unlock untapped potential, close the gender gap and boost Scotland’s economy.
The review – led by Ana Stewart, an entrepreneur and investor, and co-authored with Mark Logan, chief entrepreneur to the Scottish Government – makes 31 recommendations. The steps include:
providing start-up training and support in a range of pop-up locations to help more women, and other primary care givers, access services
integrating entrepreneurial education into schools and further education
clarifying existing access pathways into entrepreneurship
improving access to start-up and growth finance
tracking and measuring progress towards full representation in entrepreneurship
Commenting on the report, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I welcome Ana Stewart and Mark Logan’s work in delivering a powerful review of the barriers facing women in entrepreneurship in Scotland and presenting a compelling set of recommendations aimed at removing them.
“The review’s findings are challenging but underline the need to tackle the root-causes, as well as the immediate barriers, of this inequality.
“Fully realising the entrepreneurial potential of women in Scotland will not only promote greater equality in our society, it will also deliver significant benefits for the economy.
“The Scottish Government will respond quickly to the review as a whole, and its recommendations.”
Review chair Ana Stewart said: “This review has, through a combination of extensive stakeholder engagement and robust data analysis, revealed that women face many significant barriers to entrepreneurship.
“Only one in five businesses in Scotland are female-led, while start-ups founded by women received only 2% of overall investment capital in the last five years. By taking a root cause and effect approach, our recommendations focus on dramatically increasing female participation rates to drive a vibrant and fairer entrepreneurial economy.”
The First Minister welcomed the publication of the review on a visit to Roslin Innovation Centre, where she met Ishani Malhotra, Chief Executive of Carcinotech, and Dr Kate Cameron, who founded Cytochroma.
Communities in Edinburgh have been slower to take control of their local assets than their counterparts elsewhere in Scotland, it has been recognised. But they are now catching up with a series of truly exciting projects.
Nowhere more than in the north of the city, according to Community Land Scotland. There the community-led North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) is right at the heart of one of the most ambitious urban regeneration programmes in Scotland.
Its new venue, part of a £15m hub to be completed by the end of the year, will make up a third of the flagship building at the newly created Macmillan Square. Surrounded by 154 new affordable homes and 13 retail units it will anchor a new ‘town centre’.
It is part of a £200m plus programme of public and private sector investment. This is committed to revitalising an area which has long suffered from multiple deprivation, despite having some of the most affluent postcodes in the capital as neighbours.
NEA was founded 25 years ago bringing together Muirhouse Festival Association and Triangle Arts. It covers the Muirhouse, Granton, Pilton and Drylaw areas between the busy Ferry Road and the Firth of Forth.
Before that they met in huts, to drink coffee from chipped mugs and plan a way ahead. It didn’t take them long. Just over three years later NEA’s first building was opened. Financed by the city council and other public agencies the venue sat on land leased to the NEA charity.
At the time it was seen as a most impressive community asset, with its recording studio, 96-seater theatre and community garden.
These along with other facilities are being integrated into the new hub. But it will have significantly more capacity with a new enterprise wood workshop, learning and creative studio space, alongside an expanded café, hot desk youth area and shared atrium. Crucially NEA now will own the land on which the building and gardens sit. Support of £156,000 from the Scottish Land Fund has financed a Capital Asset Transfer from the city council.
Long-serving NEA Director Kate Wimpress is proud of what has been achieved already, and is thrilled by the prospect of what lies ahead: “The existing bright blue NEA building has been a beacon of hope for many years, not least throughout the lockdown.
“But our new extended hub will be taking us on to the next stage of a really exciting journey. The building will be a third bigger so we are hoping to add to the many hours of creative activitywe have been offering every week, from Saturday morning yoga to messy play for the under-fives.
“We also want to increase the 40,000 visits a year we have been attracting from those who come to learn how to sew to those who play an instrument in the local orchestra. Owning the property outright will change our psychology, our feel for the place. I am confident it will be bustling, a real draw, and ready for the next 25 years.”
Bridie Ashrowan, CEO of EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council), part of the Edinburgh Third Sector Interface (TSI) Partnership, says there are complex reasons why Edinburgh has been slower to pursue community ownership.
The community right to buy in rural areas provision was contained in the Scottish Parliament’s 2003 land reform legislation, but wasn’t extended to urban areas until 2016.
But there have been other difficulties. She says it is not as easy to identify what constitutes an urban local community, as it is perhaps in the rural areas where there is so often, a geographical sense of place. Concern about the likes of housing or school rolls in rural communities, can motivate people to act and take control.
Bridie continues: “There have also been barriers in urban areas, where fewer community development trusts have emerged thus far, but there is a sense that things are now gathering momentum. There appears to be a recognition on the part of city council officials, that they need to make the process less onerous for the likes of capital asset transfer to the community and voluntary sector.
“Local activists are beginning to see that community ownership is a way to improve the future for their area. This is particularly true for the green agenda, from the Harlaw Hydro scheme at Balerno to the solar panels Action Porty has put on the roof of the old parish church halls in Portobello.
“There is no doubt that Glasgow has benefitted from the advice and encouragement given to local communities by Community land Scotland and being based at a successful site, at the Kinning Park Complex.
“The former school itself was only transformed after an extraordinarily resolute local campaign to acquire it. But Edinburgh is getting there: look at North Edinburgh Arts, Bridgend Farm House, Space and The Broomhouse Hub. Communities are coming together and are inspired by what has been achieved in rural areas, and island communities. But officialdom has got to keep removing the barriers.”
Ailsa Raeburn, Chair of Community Land Scotland says “The popular image of community ownership may still be that of mountain, moor and woodland, but Community Land Scotland is immensely proud what has been achieved since the community right to buy was extended to urban areas in 2016. Some 28% of the purchases of land and assets recently supported by the Scottish Land Fund, were in towns and cities across Scotland.
“There have perhaps been fewer in our capital Edinburgh, which is popularly seen as an affluent place. But there are significant areas of deprivation. Not least around Muirhouse, where community-led bodies are leading the way in addressing the challenges. The city’s communities are now increasingly taking control of assets and improving local life.”
FROM URINAL TO YOGA
Communities are often sparked into action when faced with losing an important element of local life. It can be a bus or ferry service, a primary school or post office. In the case of Juniper Green, the village on the south-western outskirts of Edinburgh at the foothills of the Pentlands, it was the public toilet.
It marked the continuing retreat from the civic provision long accepted as part of normal life.
The City of Edinburgh Council closed the public convenience in 2015. But it was to provide an important local opportunity, which a determined community took. The community council persuaded the local authority not to sell the building or site immediately.
Residents were consulted and there were suggestions that it could be used to replace the local post office which had already closed. In 2017 the Royal Bank of Scotland branch shut its doors and a community bank or credit union were mooted.
Cliff Beevers, a retired professor of mathematics at nearby Heriot-Watt University who chaired the community council recalls “First the post office then the bank, they were devastating blows. Soon after we lost the fishmonger and the butcher had gone too. The village was losing much of its retail infra- structure which is so important to the older members of the community.”
Both the PO and bank replacement ideas proved too impractical. Plans changed. The old toilet building was demolished. It was replaced by a new building at 531 Lanark Road, incorporating a much-needed community space for events, activities and classes, with a flat upstairs for affordable rent. But it took till December 2022 before it could open its doors having battled through covid and rising material costs.
Today it is the venue for a huge range of activities from: yoga sessions to Nordic walking; a knitting group to keep fit classes; guitar lessons to first aid classes and wreath-making. It is where the community council meets, and possibly reflects the long journey from urinal to yoga.
One of the crucial milestones on that near eight-year journey was the founding of the charity Pentlands Community Space (PCS) to raise the best part of half a million pounds (community councils are not allowed to own property), and to navigate the red tape and bureaucracy. But the support of the local community made it work.
Crucially a local builder Domenic Tedesco, agreed to act as contracting consultant. Professor Beevers, who had become PCS chair, describes this as “A generous pro bono offer worth, it was estimated, at around £75,000 for Domenic’s time, experience and know how.”
A local lawyer also gave of his time. Importantly a £33,000 grant from the Scottish Land Fund allowed the toilet building to be bought and demolished. Private, corporate, public, third sector, charitable and individual donations followed. The list is long, but those on it will not be forgotten in Juniper Green, according to Professor Beevers.
SWIFT ACTION IN PORTOBELLO
While some localities in Edinburgh may have been slow to take the opportunities community right to buy offered, not so the good people of Portobello. They were the first in an urban area to use the provision when extended from rural areas to Scotland’s towns and cities.
In 2016, community body ‘Action Porty’ officially registered an interest in Portobello’s Old Parish Church and its halls on Bellfield Street. Despite interest from property developers, a grant of over £600,000 from the Scottish Land Fund and other fundraising delivered the church.
It was built in 1809 by the Kirk, with a mission to save souls. Action Porty’s ambitions for the Bellfield building are to help save our planet, while providing a vital community resource. Solar panels have been installed on the roof of the halls, capable of producing 20kw of electricity. It cost around £25,000, of which the Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) fund paid £17,740, and the rest an interest free loan from a Scottish Government fund. Two 10kwh batteries were installed for when the sun doesn’t shine.
Action Porty’s chair, anthropologist Justin Kenrick, explains the background: “We are lucky to live in a seaside community, but we are painfully aware the threat rising sea levels from climate change poses.
“It is in our faces every day. We have to do our bit. The solar panels mean that we earn around £700 p/a in feed-in tariffs, as well as significantly reducing our electricity costs. But perhaps more importantly, they were a real catalyst for us thinking how we decarbonise our operations, and about the role the Bellfield building should play within our community.”
Action Porty has been working with fellow travellers Porty Community Energy, to help Portobello transition to low carbon living. One measure is to pursue an e-cargo bike ‘library’, allowing local residents to borrow them.
Justin said “One is already used to pick up food from supermarkets that is about to go out of date, and take it to the community fridge at the Baptist Church. The Community Fridge project is just one of many organisations we work closely with, to improve local life in the face of the social, climate and nature emergencies.”
There were public events to promote cycling and walking as active travel options and to advise on heating and insulating homes. Action Porty also initiated an ultimately successful campaign to save local five-aside football pitches and is currently helping monitor plans for the major new Seafield housing development to ensure they are socially just and ‘climate aware.’
Meanwhile the Bellfield building is being used daily for classes and events from pilates to adult drawing, baby & toddler music to the Scouts, weddings and jazz nights.
Outside on the north-facing wall of the old church, bird boxes have been fixed, as part of a partnership with RSPB. They are there to encourage the return of the swifts, which used to grace Portobello. Fingers are crossed they will be back this spring. It’s really a sort of metaphor for Action Porty.
As a coalition of organisations that support vulnerable children and young people, many of whom have mental health problems, we share the concerns of many over a proposed £38 million cut to mental health spending in today’s final vote on the Scottish Budget (Tuesday 21st February).
It should be noted that we were already experiencing a mental health emergency in Scotland, even before Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis took hold. These have worsened an already devastating situation for many children and young people, resulting in a perfect storm of challenges.
It therefore beggars belief that, in the face of a mental health tsunami, the Scottish Government is set to cut the mental health budget. Combined with this, an already tight budget will have to stretch even further to keep pace with soaring inflation.
With the resultant personal cost to those concerned and their families, as well as to the economy overall, we need to invest more, not less, in our mental health services. The situation we are currently in could potentially lead to a lost generation of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.
To address this, we must ensure our mental health services are protected and would urge the Scottish Government to reconsider these cuts and commit to increasing investment, ensuring that our children and young people receive the high-quality care they need when they need it.
A set of good practice principles for the management of School Meal debt have been published by COSLA.
The principles, which are a first for Scotland, and have been developed by COSLA, with partners from across Local Government, have been produced to promote good practice in the management of school meal debt, whilst retaining a level of flexibility to enable local authorities to design and implement approaches which align with the unique needs and circumstances of their communities.
Decisions around school meal debt management, including all aspects of policy and practice, remain at the discretion of each local authority. However these principles may be useful for supporting the review and development of local authority school meal debt policy and practice, as well as supporting effective implementation on an ongoing basis.
The intended audience for these principles is local authority staff across a range of departments (including, for example, education, catering, finance and debt collection) as well as Head Teachers, class teachers and other school staff.
Commenting as he launched the principles COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “As Local Government we’re committed to tackling child poverty and ensuring that all children and young people can engage fully in their education, free from barriers. This has never been more important than now, as families continue to face the impact of rising costs.
“COSLA recognises that school meal debt is an emotive issue but one that is complex. We’ve worked closely with colleagues in the third sector in response to the research they’ve highlighted, and have developed an agreed set of principles for councils to consider when making decisions on local policy and practice.
“I’m pleased that these new principles will support councils to reflect good practice in their management of school meal debt, as part of their own, locally responsive, approaches to supporting children, young people, and families.”
Martin Canavan, Head of Policy and Participation at Aberlour children’s charity, said: ““The level of school meal debt in Scotland is concerning and has been rising due to the cost of living crisis.
“Low income families not eligible for free school meals are struggling to feed their children, and many are accruing school meal debt as a result. We need to respond better, with compassion and empathy, to those families and make sure that no child will go hungry at school or is stigmatised by the processes in place for any child to access a meal in school.
“We welcome these school meal debt good practice principles that Cosla has published. These can help councils and schools respond to the issue of school meal debt consistently, sensitively and in a way that recognises the financial pressures and anxiety that low income families face.
“Embedding these principles in practice will help further Scotland’s commitment to the UNCRC and every child’s right to healthy and nutritious food.”
Edinburgh Tradfest’s full music programme for 2023 is now on sale. The programme includes a fantastic line-up of live music, talks, and new commissions, at the Traverse and various venues across the city, thanks to continued support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and the William Grant Foundation.
Opening the Festival on Friday 28 April is the electrifying two-time winner, and six-time Grammy nominee Rhiannon Giddens performing withmulti-instrumentalist, pianist and composer Francesco Turrisi. These amazing international talentsare supported by newcomers Roo Geddes and Neil Sutcliffe whose debut album Homelands released in 2022 has been met with huge acclaim.
Over the 11 days of the Festival more than 100 artists and musicians will perform. From Scotland the line-up includes well-known award-winning bands, and emerging new musicians including Shetland pianist Amy Laurenson who was recently crowned BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Musician of the Year 2023. Other great talents taking part include legendary pipers Rona Lightfoot and Allan Macdonald; Rory Matheson and Graham Rorie whose album We Have Won The Land celebrates the success of the Assynt Crofter’s Trust in buying back the North Lochinver Estate from a Swedish land speculator 20 years ago; tenor banjo player Ciaran Ryan and his band; spell-binding vocals and harmonies from Orcadian powerhouse FARA; trailblazing cellist Juliette Lemoine (who counts SAY-award winning pianist Fergus McCreadie among her A-list backing band); award-winning singer and composer Kim Carnie (above); nu-folk singer-songwriter and ukulele musician Zoë Bestel; 2022 MG ALBA Musician of The Year nominee fiddle player Ryan Young; and, to close the festival, award-winning musical geniuses Ross Ainslie (Treacherous Orchestra, Salsa Celtica) and Tim Edey (Chieftains) playing an unmissable festival finale of foot-stomping tunes topped with great banter.
Other great musicians from further afield, include talented Austro-British, singer-songwriter, folk-punk musician Alicia Edelweiss; Mississippi Delta songbird Bronwynne Brent who was crowned Female Vocalist of The Year by Americana UK in 2019; Swedish nyckelharpa player Fredy Clue; America’s masters of old-time, bluegrass, classic country and Cajun music The Foghorn Stringband; Northumbria’s Kathryn Tickell who has twice won ‘Musician of the Year’ at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, presents Music Planet and holds an OBE for services to folk music, performing with her band The Darkening; Gnawa musician Omar Afif in a collaboration with local sax wizard Steve Kettley; and daughter/father duo Dirk and Amelia Powell from Louisiana who bring their deeply rooted Cajun, Appalachian and original sounds to the festival for the first time.
Premiering this year is the festival’s new commission Two For Joy composed and arranged by award-winning harpist Ailie Robertson, which explores the use of birdsong in music and folklore, and the positive impact that listening to birdsong has on our mental health.
Joining Ailie on stage to perform this new work are some of the most talented musicians in Scotland – Neil Sutcliffe, Alice Allen, Alastair Savage, Josie Duncan, and Heather Cartwright. Supporting this Two for Joy premiere will be the very talented Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin Band.
Also new for 2023 is ETF Spotlight which will showcase some of the most exciting new performers emerging in folk and traditional music today including high energy folk band Falasgair; guitarist and singer-songwriter Heather Cartwright; folk musician and activist Maddie Morris; and the Madeleine Stewart Trio which includes Rory Matheson (piano) and Craig Baxter (bodhran).
Returning for a third year is Edinburgh Tradfest’s Rebellious Truth lecture/recital presented in collaboration with Celtic and Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh, which explores mental health issues in the music industry.
Led by Gaelic singer, composer, researcher and broadcaster Mischa Macpherson the lecture looks in depth at the mental pressures that traditional musicians face and also the joy in playing the music you love.
In 2021 her study involving over 2000 artists, was presented in an award-winning documentary on BBC Alba Ceol is Cradh featuring interviews with some of the folk scene’s best-known faces including Ross Ainslie, Greg Lawson Laura Wilkie and Corrina Hewat. This fascinating talk accompanied by live music from Mischa and Celtic and Scottish Studies musician-in-residence Fraser Fifield is free but ticketed and will be live-streamed.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “We’re delighted to be able to share our stellar music programme for this year’s festival ahead of the full programme being announced in March.
“Edinburgh Tradfest is brimming with musical highlights from some of the best trad and folk musicians from Scotland and around the world.”
Siobhan Anderson, Music Officer at Creative Scotlandsaid: “An incredible mix of talent from emerging local artists through to international award winners provides another exciting and diverse programme in the capital.
“Tradfest continues to offer performance opportunities to artists and allows audiences to experience a wealth of talent, new commissions and engaging talks covering important issues within the traditional music sector.”
The full programme for this year’s Edinburgh Tradfest including events at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, and the Edinburgh Folk Club will be launched mid-March and will include an unmissable line-up of talks, adult and children’s music workshops, ceilidhs, and storytelling thanks to continued support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and the William Grant Foundation.
Edinburgh Tradfest 2023 will run from Friday 28 April – Monday 8 May. For tickets and more information visit edinburghtradfest.com
