Lauriston Castle has been named one of the top 5 hidden gems to visit in Scotland in 2023.
With more and more people embracing staycations, travel experts have identified the best-kept secrets around Britain – for holiday goers who are looking to explore somewhere new.
Their research, which scores various locations based on social and search data, reveals the top off-the-beaten-track gems in Scotland and found that the stunning 400-year-old castle was one of Scotland’s best.
A £160,000 fund to help local charities and good causes supporting communities affected by the cost of living has been announced by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Royal Bank of Scotland’s frontline colleagues in local branches and offices will be nominating good causes that they have chosen from their communities, to save charities from finding time to nominate themselves, or individuals on their behalf
The fund is part of a £1 million fund announced by the NatWest Group, which will be distributed by the bank’s boards across the UK, and forms part of a wider £5.7 million commitment to provide cost of living support across the country through partner organisations including the Federation of Small Business, the Trussell Trust, and Responsible Finance.
Over the last year, NatWest Group has provided £40 million cost of living support to its personal customers and community partners and this latest fund reaffirms its commitment to help people, families, and businesses with the rising cost of living.
Judith Cruickshank, Scotland Chair, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “This local funding is a real opportunity for us to tailor the support we provide to Scottish charities and organisations who are delivering vital support to our communities.
“Our colleagues across the country will be shaping how the money is donated, nominating the good causes that are making a difference in their towns and villages.”
Raghu Narula, NatWest Group’s Managing Director of Customer Engagement & Distribution, said: “We are a bank driven by our purpose and values and right now that is to help our colleagues, customers and the communities they live in through the challenges faced with cost of living.
“The funding we are providing directly to our boards across the UK means that we are targeting support on a local level where it can have maximum impact.”
A charity set up to empower people to make informed decisions around funerals and end of life planning, is hosting a free afternoon tea event at 2pm next Wednesday at Life Care in Stockbridge.
Dying to Talk? is an informal and friendly chat about death, dying and loss over afternoon tea.
Caledonia Funeral Aid Funeral and Bereavement Advisor Emma Kelso explains: “Death is a subject that’s never been easy to talk about, and yet itaffects people every day.
“Life is finite and death is inevitable, so our aim is to encourage people to bring it out into the open, break the taboo and reduce the fear.
“We will invite people to share experiences, talk about things that they’ve discovered during their own journeys and maybe discuss their own personal end-of-life plans, all over a cuppa.
“By empowering people to talk in a friendly, safe space, we hope to move towards a Scotland where everyone is empowered to make the right choices for themselves and their loved ones. As a result, they will become aware that there are choices and consequently we can realise a Scotland without funeral poverty.”
Although the event is free, people are encouraged to pre-book at Caledonia Funeral Aid’s website www.funerals.scot
Twelve Scottish Government benefits including Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Best Start Grants will be increased by 10.1% on 1 April, backed by investment of around £430 million.
The Scottish Child Payment was increased by 150% in 2022 to £25 per eligible child per week.
A total of 13 Scottish Government benefits are now being delivered through Social Security Scotland, seven of which are only available in Scotland.
Social Security Minister Ben Macpherson said: “We are committing £5.2 billion for social security benefits in 2023-24, providing support to more than one million people in Scotland. This is £776 million above the level of funding we are forecast to receive from the UK Government for social security through Block Grant Adjustments.
“The choices we have taken in our Budget represent a significant investment in people and are key to our national mission to tackle child poverty. They will help low-income families with their living costs, support people to heat their homes in winter, and enable disabled people to live full and independent lives. This is money that will go directly to people who need it the most.”
12 Scottish Government benefits will be increased by 10.1% on 1 April 2023. These are:
Child Winter Hearing Assistance
Carer’s Allowance Supplement
Young Carer Grant
Job Start Payment
Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment
Best Start Grant School Age Payment
Adult Disability Payment
Child Disability Payment
Best Start Foods
Best Start Grant Pregnancy & Baby Payment
Funeral Support Payment
Winter Heating Payment
Scottish Child Payment was increased to £25 per eligible child per week in November 2022. This represented a 150% increase in eight months.
The people of Scotland and island communities have been badly let down by ferries project, says Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee
The people of Scotland and island communities have been badly let down, says Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee in a report published today which exposes a ferry fiasco riddled with failures in governance, transparency, accountability, communication and record-keeping.
The report highlights key failings exposed throughout the Committee’s scrutiny of the Auditor General for Scotland’s Report New Vessels for the Clyde and Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802 (1) and recommends change to ensure that future vessels are delivered on time and on budget.
It highlights, for example, the Committee’s serious concerns around the initial stages of the procurement process and, having now established that FMPG holds FMEL’s financial records, calls on the Auditor General for Scotland to complete a forensic analysis of how £128.25m of public money was spent by FMEL.
The report shines light on the serious failings of Transport Scotland, including the ‘weak and toothless’ Programme Steering Group it led and its’ consistent failure to accurately and timeously reflect CMALs concerns to Scottish Ministers.
It also calls into question the role of various Scottish Ministers. The majority of the Committee considered that both the First Minister’s decision to publicly announce the preferred bidder when considerable negotiations were still required – and the decision to proceed in the absence of a full guarantee, weakened CMAL’s position when the standard of FMEL’s work became an issue (2).
The report acknowledges that the Scottish Government’s ‘Project Neptune’ provides an opportunity for governance reform but says that a formal review of the entire project on completion of the vessels is essential for learning lessons for future projects.
Launching the report, Convener of the Public Audit Committee Richard Leonard MSP, said: “The people of Scotland have been badly let down by this project. There have been collective failures at government and agency level from the start. It has been dogged by a lack of transparency; by ineffective governance arrangements; by poor record keeping within the Government; and by baffling communication failures.
“Throughout our scrutiny, we took a wide range of evidence, navigating our way through many conflicting perspectives to reach the conclusions set out today. We had to battle to get some of the information we needed. Sadly, despite our best efforts, some questions remain unanswered.
“We recognise the efforts by the Scottish Government to protect jobs at Ferguson Marine and commend the workforce for their resilience during what has been and continues to be an extremely challenging time. Their experienced voices should have been listened to from the outset.
“It is vital that lessons are learned. That means much needed reform of governance arrangements for future vessel projects. But it also means a change in the way the Government and its agencies conduct themselves and are accountable to Parliament and the people. That is a challenge for the Permanent Secretary and the new First Minister.”
Further recommendations for improvement put forward by the Committee include:
Greater transparency where Scottish Ministers use written authority and shareholder authorisations and recording these occasions as a matter of public record.
Scottish Government to now further review and refine its record-keeping and reporting procedures.
Scottish Government to ensure its Business Investment Framework is sufficiently robust so there is transparency around the expected public benefit of future interventions in private companies, and greater public reporting.
Upon completion of vessels 801 and 802, Transport Scotland and CMAL to undertake a formal project review to learn vital lessons.
Parliament to be updated on the investigation into allegations raised about the procurement process.
(1) The remit of the Public Audit Committee’s inquiry was to scrutinise the Auditor General for Scotland’s (AGS) report, New Vessels for the Clyde & Hebrides: Arrangements to deliver vessels 801 and 802 (published 23 March 2022), which focused on events after Scottish Ministers announced Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) as the preferred bidder on 31 August 2015.
(2) Committee members Colin Beattie MSP and Willie Coffey MSP did not support these findings. Full details of where there was division can be found in the report at Annex C – Extract from minutes.
Officers were called around 8.35am yesterday morning (Wednesday, 22 March, 2023) following a report of a ship becoming dislodged from its dry dock in Leith Docks.
Emergency services attended at the location at Imperial Dock and a multi-agency response was co-ordinated by Police Scotland.
The Scottish Ambulance Service took 15 people to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, four to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh and two to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife. By around 1.20pm, all casualties were confirmed as being removed from the area and everyone accounted for.
Eight people remain in hospital this morning.
Superintendent Mark Rennie said: “I would like to thank partner agencies involved in the response to this incident which involved a complex operation to make sure everyone was safe.
“There is no risk to the wider public and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.
“I would also like to thank the public for their patience while the emergency services undertook a very difficult job aiding casualties. We continue to ask people to avoid the area.”
Scotland-born online ticketing and livestream events platform, Citizen Ticket, has today expanded its UK and European presence through the launch of a new promotion arm, Citizen Live.
As part of the expansion, the newly formed Citizen Live will host between 80 and 100 events this year in London, further afield in the UK, and Europe. Tickets for Citizen Live will be sold exclusively through Citizen Ticket, with every ticket sold, 5p goes towards planting trees in the UK – making it one of the most sustainable event ticketing platforms on the market.
The new promotion arm, Citizen Live, will be led by Harpo Scaini & Alesandro Sforza. Between them, Scaini and Sforza have over a decade of industry experience in creating, producing and selling out shows, and have hosted more than 300 events across the UK and Europe.
To celebrate the launch, Citizen Live will be hosting a launch event at Amazing Grace in London Bridge on Tuesday 28th March. Scaini and Sforza have secured Emma Noble to help mark the monumental night for the brand.
Tickets for the event start at £13.50 and can be purchased via the Citizen Ticket website.
Harry Boisseau, Co-founder & CEO of Citizen Ticket, said: “We’re delighted to have Harpo and Alesandro on board and look forward to embarking on this next chapter for the business.
“Through ticketing thousands of events and analysing the data from Citizen Ticket, we can really get a grasp of what ticket purchasers are looking for and what there is demand for. We’re excited to host a wide range of events over the next year.”
Commenting on the launch, Harpo Scaini and Alesandro Sforza, said: “We share a passion for producing live events and we know that every detail matters. We’re excited to launch Citizen Live and continue promoting a strong line-up of events going forward.”
Citizen Live aims to create an established UK-based promoter that can also operate in Europe. It will tailor a live music product, expand a roster of artists, and venues and create the best live shows. The data and marketing reach of the Citizen Ticket platform will help market the shows and feedback data to help understand the type of shows that there is customer appetite for.
In 2023 Citizen Live will host 80-100 events at a mid-capacity range (200 – 600) with plans to focus on a larger scale, higher production and more ambitious live content within the next few years.
Edinburgh’s Easter event of the year starts early at family run, for family fun Conifox Adventure Park with an eggs-traordinary lineup of activities guaranteed to put the fun into the Spring festival.
From the 1st April meet the mischievous Easter Bunny, journey to Hoppity Hollow and visit the magical maze, hop to it in the Bouncy Burrow’s 14 inflatables or take part in the Easter-lympics. There’s a cracking programme for everyone, including a session for families with children with Additional Support Needs.
The entertainment at the park, at Kirkliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh, runs until 10th April with morning and afternoon sessions for the whole family – toddlers to adults. All tickets include access to the Adventure Park during the chosen session.
Attractions include:
The Magic Shed leading to Hoppity Hollow, home of the Easter Bunny. During an immersive adventure in the magical maze, seek out the portraits of famous rabbits all lost by the Easter Bunny. But beware of the Big Bad Wolf and give him the slip to find safety in the Spring Garden. Instead of a chocolate egg, there’s a cuddly rabbit soft toy for every child who completes the trail.
The Bouncy Burrow – challenge the grown-ups on the exciting bungee run or fly down the helter-skelter for some hare-raising family fun on a total of 14 inflatables.
The Baxter Bunny challenge – he’s been in training for the Easter-lympics and is taking on families in an Easter contest, so get on your marks!
Egg Foot Golf – the mischievous Easter Bunny has replaced all our footballs with eggs! Try to throw or kick them into the holes, but don’t expect this to be an easy task…
DJ Claire Kinnaird from Edge Radio keeping the music pumping and getting everyone involved in the festival fun.
Sessions for children with Additional Support Needs on Tuesday, 4th April between 1.30 and 5pm. There will be limited numbers, more muted music and additional staff to ensure an eggs-tra special experience for everyone.
Have fun in the Adventure Park during your session but make sure to look out for their special golden egg for a chance to win a large Cadbury’s Easter Egg
Jonathan Brown, Conifox Events Manager, says: “We’re all looking forward to some fantastic family fun with all our favourite Easter characters. Spring is in the air and this is a wonderful chance to make some special memories with friends and loved ones.
“We’re confident it will be Edinburgh’s best Easter event and can promise lots of eggs-hilarating activities – all puns intended!”
To find out more and to book tickets, visit Conifox Adventure Park at:
SPRINGBOARD RUNS DESTINATION HOSPITALITY PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT
Refugees from the Ukraine have successfully found work in Edinburgh hotels after completing the Destination Hospitality Programme to advance employment skills and help people into jobs in the UK hospitality industry.
Nine individuals fled the war and were enrolled onto the programme, run in Edinburgh by Springboard, a charity set up to support people – and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – find employment in hospitality.
The employability course was funded by Solidarity Accor, Accor’s long-established endowment fund created to fight economic and social exclusion, and was run in partnership with Accor.
Olga, who left the Ukraine with her children, has secured a role as a receptionist at ibis South Bridge, shares: “I was amazed by the willingness to help, involvement and flexibility of all Springboard team members.
“They were ready to find additional placement after learning that the biggest part of our group didn’t have normal access to the internet in our accommodation. They were ready to rebuild and customize some days of the program to respond to the group’s needs. Moreover, they helped me not to forget who I am.
“The Springboard charity course gave me an opportunity to understand the standards of the UK customer service and hospitality working approaches which are a little different from Ukrainian ones.
“Being a stranger in a new country, it’s necessary to understand local rules, and business habits and build professional connections. Springboard’s mentors helped me a lot not only with studying modules but with advice and psychological support.”
Maryna, a single mother who fled the war in the Ukraine to find shelter for herself and daughter in Scotland, is now successfully working as an F&B Assistant at the ibis Edinburgh Centre, South Bridge.
Commenting on the programme, she expalined: “I learned to work in a team and I have become more confident. I learned many differences in working with clients in my country, Ukraine and Scotland.
“Given that I am a refugee from Ukraine, I would like to be useful for the country which provided us with shelter. Eventually, I would like to return to Ukraine and bring the knowledge I received here to my home country.”
The Destination Hospitality programme was a three-week programme consisting of in-person and online training and engagement to help to develop soft skills and industry-specific knowledge/qualifications, culminating in a one-week work placement.
The programme offered work placements in several Accor hotels in Edinburgh including Novotel Edinburgh Centre, Lauriston Place; ibis Edinburgh Centre, South Bridge; and ibis Edinburgh, Royal Mile.
Fran Carr, Talent & Culture Director, Accor UKI, commented: “Accor, our hotel teams and Solidarity Accor are proud to work with partners like Springboard to create a brighter future for those who deserve it.
“It is our duty to support those impacted by economic and social exclusion, and why programmes like this are so important. I’m excited to hear of the ongoing success these new recruits achieve.”
Chris Gamm, CEO, Springboard, commented: “It was a huge honour to work with this highly capable and enthusiastic cohort of candidates.
“The hospitality industry desperately needs great people and each individual brought a unique skill set to the table, along with a desire to learn and a real drive to get back to work.
Having experienced a huge upheaval in their lives and been forced to leave everything, including their careers, behind, it is admirable to see this resilience in action.”
More funding, more flexibility, and clearer priorities need to be given to Scotland’s college sector according to a report issued by Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.
The Committee have been looking at the progress of the regionalisation of Scotland’s college system. Their new report has found that while the reforms have had some positive impacts, Scotland’s colleges are being held back by funding issues. The Committee is now urging the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to do more.
The Committee is extremely concerned about the significant back log in maintenance work that Scotland’s colleges need. Its report highlights a survey from 2017, which disclosed that one third of the college estate was not wind or watertight. This will also counter any progress with the sector reaching its net zero targets.
In response, the Scottish Funding Council told the Committee that it was providing colleges with around £30 million per year for maintenance. Yet a briefing from Audit Scotland said that this figure meant there was a £321 million shortfall in maintenance funding since 2018-19.
The briefing said that maintenance needs “…pose a risk to colleges’ ability to maintain the suitability and safety of their buildings.”
Scottish Government reforms to the college landscape began in 2012, resulting in the creation of 13 college regions. It was hoped that college provision would be better aligned with employer and learner needs, helping meet national ambitions for jobs and growth.
The report finds that the reforms have had some positive outcomes. The creation of ‘colleges of scale’, which are better placed to engage with educational and economic partners, is one such positive. The report also credits regionalisation with helping to widen access to higher education.
The Committee compliments colleges for their good work in the report, noting that they support skills development and platforms for lifelong learning. The report also says colleges play a critical role in helping the Scottish Government deliver its economic strategy.
However, the financial issues identified by the report are likely to become more pronounced. Colleges must meet net-zero commitments by 2045.
To help, the report asks the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to ensure colleges have greater flexibility. Changes to colleges’ finances and goals are viewed as vital in ensuring their financial sustainability and delivering on their ambitions to support both the learner and the economy.
Sue Webber MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee said:“Our report lays bare the shortcomings of the current funding model and the lack of flexibility our colleges have.
“During our inquiry we heard witnesses express frustration about colleges finances. The challenges colleges face will make it more difficult for them to respond to Scotland’s needs and priorities.
“However, the critical findings in our report are not a reflection on the hard work of colleges or their staff. Colleges continue to deliver high-quality, highly respected qualifications and professional training.
“Regionalisation has been, on balance, beneficial, but we want to help colleges meet the ambitions of all Scots. The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council must work together to ensure our colleges have more cash, more flexibility, or clearer priorities.”
