Happy Easter everyone. This weekend, as people come together to celebrate and reflect on the message at the heart of the Easter festival, I want to pay tribute to the incredible work of Christians in this country.
To the churches, charities, volunteers and fundraisers who live the Christian values of compassion, charity and self-sacrifice, supporting those in need and demonstrating what it means to “love thy neighbour”.
Many, I know, will also be thinking of those in pain and suffering around the world and Christians, persecuted because of their faith, who are unable to celebrate Easter freely.
For many of us in the UK, Easter is a chance to pause and reflect, and an opportunity to spend some precious time with our families and a moment to enjoy the start of spring.
So this weekend, let me wish you all a very happy and peaceful Easter.
A 50-year-old man has been charged in connection with road traffic offences following a two car crash on Whitehouse Road that happened around 6.30pm on Wednesday, 6 March.
Out of Competition, Midnight Madness and Repertory strandswill showcase the best in UK and World cinema
The newly relaunched Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has today announced a landmark collaboration with the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe which will open up the Film Festival programme in new venues across the city including non-traditional cinema spaces at Summerhall and the heart of the Fringe footprint.
From August 15 to August 21 2024, the 77th edition of EIFF will see film embedded in the August festival ecosystem, allowing audiences to seamlessly experience the best of the Fringe along with the world-class programme of cinema at EIFF.
Spaces in Summerhall and others at the heart of the Fringe will serve as unique and unusual EIFF venues, creating a new EIFF footprint in close proximity to wider Fringe activity including theatre, music and comedy, ensuring audience engagement with Edinburgh’s summer festivals is easier than ever before.
This year’s cinema hub will be the Cameo Cinema on Home Street, one of the original venues for EIFF and home to some of its most iconic moments, including a speech from Orson Welles as part of the Festival in 1953.
This year’s EIFF programme will include a strand of Out of Competition films including international premieres, UK premieres and additional world premieres sitting alongside the 10 world-premiere feature films competing for The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence.
A Midnight Madness strand will showcase the best in genre cinema from around the world in a late night slot.
A repertory strand will champion retrospective and restored masterworks.
Innovative short film programmes will also run alongside this year’s EIFF Short Film Competition, which will award a cash prize of £15,000. The title of the Short Film Competition will be revealed soon.
Industry activity will run across the first weekend of the Festival with more announcements to follow in the next few weeks. Submissions to the 77th EIFF are currently open, with a final deadline of 19 April.
EIFF honours 70+ years of film festival history, showcasing the very best talent in filmmaking in a format rooted in a local Scottish context whilst embracing the international diversity of creative expression. The Film Festival encourages general audiences, film fans and industry professionals to make the trip this summer to Edinburgh, which is universally recognised as a place of beauty, history, discovery and adventure.
EIFF Director, Paul Ridd said: “We are so excited by the possibilities of August in Edinburgh and the shape of our programme as it comes together.
“Our collaboration with the Fringe will grow a powerful relationship between audiences across artistic forms. We will tap into the creative energy that is everywhere in the city, encouraging critics, tastemakers and above all audiences to engage with each other and all that is on show.”
Recently announced, The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence is a £50,000 award given to a single filmmaker as part of a new features competition prize at the centre of the relaunched festival.
10 world-premiere feature films will compete for the cash prize, to be determined by audience vote. EIFF will also inaugurate a short film competition with a cash prize of £15,000. Submissions are now open. Criteria for submitting films to the Festival can be found at www.edfilmfest.org.
Helmed by Festival Director Paul Ridd and Festival Producer Emma Boa, the team aims to create a world-class showcase for independent film and filmmaking talent.
Former Acquisitions Executive Ridd is supported by an expanding Board, including Chair Andrew Macdonald of DNA Films, producer of the iconic Edinburgh-based film Trainspotting; Peter Rice, former Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney and President of 21st Century Fox; and Amy Jackson, producer of last year’s BAFTA award-winning indie, Aftersun. EIFF 2024 is supported by Screen Scotland.
The UK’s only fully electric-powered gardening business has been able to make new hires and grow its business operations after accessing support from Business Gateway.
The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh, which offers a complete garden maintenance service delivered on cargo bikes by a team of independent gardeners, was founded in 2023 by Callum Ross, who wanted to combine his talent for gardening with his desire to be more sustainable.
Callum, who previously worked as an Operations Manager in the events industry, was keen to reinvent the way gardeners operate in Scotland’s capital city.
The business uses cargo bikes to travel and to transport materials and exclusively uses electric power tools. While the tools are more expensive than traditional petrol-powered tools, they are more sustainable, which chimes with the overall principle of the business.
As well as its team of freelance gardeners, who are largely experienced horticulturalists, The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh is also hoping to employ young gardeners who may be new to the trade but who may not have their driving licence.
The team has worked with local organisations Spokes, Sustrans, and the Cargobike Movement to increase their knowledge of cargo bikes.
Looking for some inspiration on growing his business, Callum attended a Business Gateway-run Meet the Investors session where he was able to rehearse pitching his business and find out about the work Business Gateway does. It was this that inspired him to contact Business Gateway, and through that he met his adviser Jeff Hume.
Business Gateway has supported The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh in a number of ways, including helping them to employ an Operations Manager using Edinburgh’s Employer Recruitment Incentives (EERI) Scheme, using the research service to identify possible collaborations and improving their use of social media.
Callum Ross, Founder of The Cycling Gardeners of Edinburgh said:“I’ve found that having a personal contact in Jeff has been so helpful, and I’m safe in the knowledge that he can give us solid advice.
“Business Gateway has also supported us in applying for grant funding which has been so helpful to help keep our operations afloat.
“As a new business, it’s invaluable to have the support of Business Gateway and to know that they’re on the other end of a phone if you need.”
Jeff Hume, Business Gateway adviser said:“It has been fantastic to support Callum and the team to create this unique idea and watch it come to life. They’ve been able to determine a great niche for their company and it’ll be wonderful to see it bloom into something even more special.”
To find out more about how Business Gateway can help your business, visit https://bgateway.com.
Gas network company SGN will shortly begin work to replace the old metal gas mains on Glasgow Road with new plastic pipes. This work is essential to ensuring the local community continues to receive a safe and reliable gas supply.
As part of a wider project in the West Craigs area, work on Glasgow Road will begin on Tuesday 2 April and should be completed in around two weeks.
Lane closures will be in place on Glasgow Road west bound, and Maybury Road south bound, both at the Maybury Junction.
This is a busy route and motorists are being urged to allow more time for their journeys and plan ahead, particularly during peak travel times.
The work will progress as quickly and safely as possible and all efforts to reduce disruption are being made, including the work being undertaken within the Easter break.
SGN manages the network which distributes natural and green gas to approximately six million homes and businesses across Scotland and southern England. Our pipes deliver gas safely, reliably and efficiently to each of these customers.
We perform an essential 24/7 service to keep everyone in our communities safe and warm. If anyone smells gas indoors or outside, they should dial the National Gas Emergency Number on 0800 111 999* and an engineer will visit that location to carry out the required checks.
We’re committed to caring for our customers, especially those in vulnerable circumstances, working with specialist organisations on initiatives aimed at making a positive impact on society and improving the lives of the people in our communities.
Alongside the UK and Scottish Governments and the other gas distribution networks, we’re developing the world’s first zero-carbon gas grid and shaping a net zero future for the UK.
*Calls are free and lines are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. These calls are recorded and may be monitored
Musselburgh Racecourse has ABANDONED today’s (30 March) Virgin Bet Easter Saturday Race Day.
The East Lothian track took the difficult decision to call off the meeting after further rainfall this morning which made the course unsafe for jockeys and horses.
All ticket holders will be contacted with information on how to transfer their booking to another meeting or to receive a full refund.
Racecourse director Bill Farnsworth said: “Unfortunately racing has been abandoned. We had 15mm of rain yesterday and a further 3.25mm of rain this morning between 5am and 6am.
“It has been an incredibly wet winter and the ground is very wet. Normally Musselburgh could handle this kind of weather but the water table must be so high, that this has not happened.
“The ground is saturated in places and our priority must be the safety of the jockeys and the horses. It is very disappointing, we had a brilliant day lined up for our race goers and we are sorry to have to abandon racing.”
Should Scotland have a Disability Commissioner? This is what a Holyrood Committee is asking and it now wants to hear from disabled people and those you care, support and live with.
The Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill has been introduced by Jeremy Balfour MSP. The Bill would establish a commissioner, who would be expected to promote and safeguard the rights of disabled people.
The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee will be scrutinising the Bill and want to hear views on the proposals in the Bill before it takes public evidence.
In particular, the Committee wants people to share their views on the proposal to establish a commissioner, the powers that the Commissioner would have and the involvement that disabled people should have in the Commissioner’s work.
The consultation, which opened yesterday, will be open until Friday 17 May.
Karen Adam MSP, Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, said: “With approximately one fifth of Scotland’s population defining themselves as disabled, our Committee welcomes any discussion on what can be done to ensure that their voices are heard and their rights are protected.
“Our newly opened consultation will help frame our scrutiny of the proposals in the Bill. What we hear from the public will define our evidence sessions and ultimately be reported back to the Parliament.
“We’re especially keen to hear what Scotland’s disabled community make of the proposals, which is why we are providing our consultation in a range of formats, including Easy Read and BSL.”
One of our amazing parents Traci Gaven has organised a Swimathon to raise funds for Fetlor to support our exciting summer programme we have planned.
The Swimathon is for young people who attend FetLor and their parents – we will be swimming as many lengths as we can in 2 hours to see how far we can cover.
Young people can swim without their parents.
As this is a Fundraiser, young people taking part will have a Sponsor Sheet which they can collect from FetLor and the parents, we would appreciate you sharing the just giving page created by Traci.
★ Two-part Vocal Programme officially begins in September 2024
★ TASTER DAY set for 5th May, including a Concert, Performance Classes, Coaching and Ensemble Work for ages 13 – 18, led by vocal experts
St Mary’s Music School, an established internationally recognised specialist music school based in Edinburgh’s West End, has announced an exciting new two-part expansion to their music education: theChanging Voices Programme and theSenior Vocal Programme.
These programmes will create opportunities for young singers who are interested in developing classical solo voice to the next level.
The Vocal Programmes are designed to support young aspiring singers in realising their potential. With a focus on expert coaching and teaching, these programmes run concurrently with the School’s academic classes, reinforcing the School’s reputation as a leader in shaping musical education.
Head of Voice Kate Aitken said: “The new vocal programmes at St Mary’s Music School are a fantastic and significant addition, not only to the School and its pupils, but to music education in Scotland.
“The programmes will give passionate young singers a place where they can thrive and hone their craft in a safe and supportive environment. Vocal education is not just about receiving great singing lessons, the creation of a complete programme for young singers will help to develop and inspire the next generation of singers: this has been a long time coming!”
To experience what the new programmes have to offer, a Vocal Taster Day will be held on 5 May 2024, opening the School’s doors to prospective pupils and their families who want to learn more about specialist vocal training for children aged 13 – 18.
With notable former pupils including Alexander Armstrong, Steven Osborne, Brìghde Chaimbeul, and Aaron Akugbo, the new Vocal Programmes expansion at St Mary’s Music School hopes to see wider pools of exciting new talent emerge to lead the upcoming generations of singers across Scotland and beyond.
Director of Music John Cameron said: “To add a comprehensive programme for singers to sit alongside the instrumental training we offer is hugely exciting and speaks to the ambition of the School.
“Early exposure to movement, drama, languages and poetry as well as singing lessons and ensemble work is key to the development of young singers whilst the voice settles and grows. We look forward to being able to offer this new programme and look forward to watching it grow.”
Devolved governments and businesses facing further uncertainty
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater has written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to express her frustration at a further significant delay to the Deposit Return Scheme launch, despite repeated requests for DEFRA to set out its plans.
The full text of the Circular Economy Minister’s letter:
To: Stephen Barclay Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs From: Lorna Slater Circular Economy Minister
Dear Stephen
I am writing to you to express my deep concerns at your comments about the future of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Tuesday 26 March.
Despite our continued requests for Defra to set out its plans for DRS, and my recent correspondence dated 8 March on such matters, it is extremely frustrating to hear about details of a further significant delay to the DRS launch from media reports.
Your Government committed to develop and consult on a DRS in England for metal, plastic and glass drinks containers in 2018, a commitment also set out in your 2019 manifesto. We are now five years on from that commitment, which has been significantly weakened following your Government’s decision to remove glass from the scheme in 2023. It is clear now that it will be further delayed.
As you know, Scotland would now have an operational DRS if the UK Government had not prevented it from moving forward as planned. This would have provided a launchpad for wider DRS across the UK meaning we would all be experiencing the environmental and economic benefits much sooner.
Instead, the UK Government’s refusal to provide that IMA exclusion created enormous uncertainty for businesses on what a scheme across the UK would look like and on how it would be delivered, and severely undermined confidence. Even though the main premise for undermining Scotland’s scheme was the need for a UK-wide approach, almost one year on, there is no further clarity on the details of your Regulations. We, the other devolved governments, and businesses now find ourselves facing even greater uncertainty as a result of these latest comments.
It is also now clear from your comments that the UK Government won’t hesitate to continue to use the IMA to undermine, override and re-write devolved legislation, disregarding four-nation agreements and good-faith engagement in Common Frameworks to so do.
Despite the continued shifting of goal posts and delays by the UK Government, which we have set out in an annex to this letter, officials across the four nations have been working closely since May last year to design and agree interoperable schemes.
Minister Moore’s letter to devolved Ministers on 1 March particularly emphasised the valuable input from Scottish officials, and that the preparations we had already put in place to deliver DRS in Scotland has helped inform the four nations approach, including the amendments to our regulations in May and September last year, based on significant feedback from business.
We have said from day one that we we’re committed to all schemes across the UK to work together. We designed our scheme in good faith so it would be interoperable with the proposals agreed and consulted upon by all UK nations. I would ask that you focus on working with all devolved nations to finalise an interoperable DRS, which still recognises the devolved nature of this policy, to provide businesses with the certainty they need to make the scheme a success. This includes setting out a realistic timescale for delivery which is agreed across the four nations, rather than creating speculation without consultation.
I am copying this letter to Robbie Moore MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Huw Irranca-Davies AS/MS Minister for Climate Change and Andrew Muir MLA, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. I have also copied to the Secretary of State for Scotland, Secretary of State for Wales, and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Permanent Secretary for Defra and the Defra Director for Resources & Waste for their information.
