Day: April 2, 2024

Police seek witnesses to serious assault in park

Officers are appealing for information following a serious assault at the Inch Park last night.

The incident happened around 9.20pm on Monday, 1 April, 2024, when a 21-year-old man was assaulted. He was taken to hospital for treatment.

Detective Inspector Gavin Howat said: “Our enquiries are ongoing and we are appealing to anyone who may have seen anything to contact us.

“We also ask anyone driving in the area at the time who may have dash-cam footage to come forward.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident 3625 of 1 April, 2024. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Drug overdose: How to save a life

PUBLIC Health Scotland have worked with @SimonCommScot to publish a new resource on what to do in an emergency response to a drug overdose.

First, know the signs of overdose.

Get your copy of ‘How to save a life’ here:

🔽

https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/how-to-save-a-life-emergency-response-to-an-overdose/…

#HarmReduction

how-to-save-a-life-booklet_1323Download

Caroline is Scotland’s Midwife of the Year

A staff member with NHSGGC has been named Midwife of the Year 2024 at The Mariposa Trust Awards.

The Mariposa Trust exists to ensure that each baby who has died during pregnancy or early in life is recognised and that the parents, extended family, and friends receive the support they need for as long as they need it.

The awards recognise midwives, nurses, bereavement midwives, doctors and community members who have gone above and beyond in the care and support they have provided for people who have experienced baby loss. 

Caroline Judge is a Charge Midwife at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Unit in Paisley, and she was recognised by the charity for her important role in caring for women across Greater Glasgow and Clyde and their families when they experience loss in their pregnancy and birth journey.

In addition to her current charge midwife role Caroline has worked with women and families to provide resources for special memory making during this very emotional and difficult time in the labour ward.

She has introduced sibling boxes for brothers and sisters with the support of various charities, and she is passionate about progressing the service that provides follow-up care and support for women once they leave the hospital.

Caroline was honoured to receive a nomination for Midwife of the Year and in shock when they announced her name as the winner. She explained: “I was aware that the event had received a record number of nominations for this award, so I was very surprised when my name was called.

“I found the night inspirational being surrounded by so many incredible people who care for families with bereavement and do such an amazing job.

“I am forever grateful to the person who nominated me.”

Laura Flynn, Lead Midwife (Clyde) for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “Supporting families through their loss in pregnancy is a hugely important part of our work.

“Caroline leading the charge on many of our initiatives, to provide the level of care that our women and families need, is something that is worth recognising.

“Caroline has been a dedicated midwife in the RAH for many years and the team are so proud that she has been commended for the amazing work she does.”

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is among the second wave of health boards within Scotland to implement the National Bereavement Care Pathways (Scotland) which aim to improve bereavement care for parents after pregnancy or baby loss.

Mushroom-made clothes? Edinburgh Science Festival showcases the future of fashion

Edinburgh Science Festival – celebrating it’s 35th anniversary this year – kicked off on Saturday, 30 March with the theme of ‘Shaping the Future’.

One of the key exhibitions this year is Growing Home at the National Museum of Scotland, exploring the past and future of materials and how biomaterials – like fungi – can be used for fashion, engineering and more.

Part of this special exhibition is Symbio from Edinburgh-based artist Emily Raemaekers, featured in the picture. Her garment uses mycelium materials and leather made from vegetable processing waste in combination with cutting edge environmentally-friendly fabrics.

Adorned with elaborate laser cut designs inspired by mycelium structures, hand carved lino print patterns and featuring plant-derived biomaterial dyes. Her work highlights some of the key issues in the fashion industry nowadays such as textile dyeing being the second largest polluter of water globally.

Emily Raemaekers is an Edinburgh-based designer who specialises in garment design and construction, and hand printed fabrics.

She studied Performance Costume Design at Edinburgh College of Art before working as a freelance Costume Designer in the Scottish theatre and film industry. Emily ran a textile printing and fashion accessory business for 10 years in Scotland and Australia, and dabbled in upholstery, before moving back to her hometown of Edinburgh where she is now a events planner, blending creativity and the arts with science.

Symbio is a collection of biomaterial themed garments inspired by fungus structures. Many of the most exciting and talked-about biomaterials being developed today are made from mushrooms, and the designer has used this as the inspiration for these garments. The designer has explored the properties of a range of biomaterials using a variety of construction methods. Bracket fungus-like elements are attached using appliqué, an ornamental needlework technique. The elaborate cape structure is created using laser cutting.

The base dress is dyed with dried hibiscus flowers, a biomaterial dye that produces a rich palette of pinks and reds. Industrial textile dyes contain many harmful chemicals derived from fossil fuels, and textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally.

Many designers are now exploring natural dyes derived from plants, invertebrates, and minerals traditionally used by many cultures around the world. Although it is more difficult to produce consistent tones from natural dyes, this variation can be embraced as an aesthetic choice as part of the Slow Fashion movement.

The dress is decorated with mycelium patterns using linocut, a printmaking technique where linoleum is carved into to create a relief surface. The designer has printed these using water-based textile inks which are more sustainable than commonly used plastic-based alternatives.

The dress itself is made from Tencel(TM), a type of lyocell — a fibre made from wood pulp. As the raw material is responsibly forested wood, the textile originates from a renewable source, and Tencel(TM) uses a closed loop manufacturing process.

The fibres are also certified as compostable and biodegradable, making Tencel(TM) one of the more sustainable options for the fashion industry which are currently available on an industrial scale. 

The designer has chosen a range of cutting-edge biomaterials to create the mushroom-like appliquéd elements that adorn the garments. Some are made from Uppeal(TM), a leather made from apple processing waste leftover from the juice and compote industry.

The apple fibres are made into a powder and mixed with polyurethane, then laminated onto cotton and polyester. Apple waste makes up 20% of the final textile and every meter contains 5 apples. By using waste, Uppeal(TM) helps to create a circular economy which supports the planting of fruit trees and provides a second income for farmers.

It also reduces the amount of plastic-based fibres required to make a leather textile and is an interesting alternative to traditional leathers made from animal skin, as animal farming uses 83% of global farmland and is responsible for 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.

MuSkin is also used for some appliquéd elements. This is an alternative to animal leather made from a large parasitic fungus that grows wild in subtropical forests. Every piece of MuSkin is unique, 100% natural and does not use any chemicals or plastics in the production process.

This fascinating material is designed to offer an innovative, low-carbon alternative to materials that use fossil fuels in their manufacturing process.

Animal leather has a significant carbon footprint, as livestock farming uses a lot of fossil fuels to power farm machinery the produce animal feed, and clearing land for livestock is responsible for much of the world’s deforestation. Animals also produce a lot of methane, a big contributor to greenhouse gases. 

Other appliquéd elements in these garments include SeaCell(TM), a new lyocell fabric that uses 19% algae in its fibres. Whilst a good example of a biodegradable fibre, the brand has faced some controversy for its claims that minerals and vitamins can be absorbed through skin contact with the fabric. As industrial interest in biomaterials increases, global scrutiny of any associated claims of green or health credentials also rises. 

Some more traditional biomaterials are featured in the garments, including:

  • Silk, a protein fibre made from the cocoons of certain insect larvae.
  • Cork, a biodegradable fibre made from tree bark. Cork is sustainable as the tree is not cut down in the harvesting process; the stripped bark regenerates and the tree continues to grow.
  • Linen, a natural textile made from the fibres of the flax plant. Linen is a sustainable choice for the garment industry because the entire flax plant can be woven into a fibre, making it a zero-waste crop. It also takes dye extremely well, and the linen used in this art piece has also been dyed using hibiscus flowers.

Parents in England to save thousands in childcare cost with new funding

First phase of the biggest ever expansion of childcare starts giving working parents of two-year-olds access to 15 hours a week

THOUSANDS of parents of two-year-olds across the country are getting help with their childcare costs as the first phase of the biggest ever expansion in childcare starts.

In this first stage, working parents of two-year-olds are now able to access 15 hours a week of government-funded childcare from 1 April.

The rollout of support is part of the government’s plan to help families – freeing thousands of couples from having to choose between having a family and a career, as over 150,000 children are on track to secure government-funded places from this week.

By September 2025 the full rollout will be completed, with working parents able to access 30 hours from the end of maternity leave to when their child starts school, saving parents an average of £6900 per year.

The government has supported the sector to deliver this expansion by increasing the number of staff and places, introducing measures to boost the recruitment and retention of childminders, launching a major national recruitment campaign and providing over £400 million of additional investment to uplift funding rates in 2024-25. On top of this, the government will increase rates over the next two years by an estimated £500 million, the Chancellor confirmed at the Spring Budget.

The UK Government is confident that the childcare sector is ready to deliver the offer and make sure parents have the childcare they need. The government is paying a higher rate per place than parents would pay at the market rate for the new entitlements – as independently reported by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Last year we promised the biggest ever expansion in childcare provision this country has ever seen, and today we are delivering on our plan with 15 hours of free childcare for parents with 2-year-olds.

“We want to give working families the peace of mind that they will be supported and our full expansion will save parents £6900 a year – helping to build a brighter future for families and help to grow our economy.”

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “This is a landmark moment, and I am extremely proud to see we’re on track for more than 150,000 children to take up government-funded places under our new offer. This will be a lifeline for working parents, building up to this government’s plan for the most comprehensive childcare support in this country’s history by 2025.

“Support with childcare costs has an enormous ripple effect, freeing up parents to increase their hours at work and put more money in their pockets, or giving them the security to try out a new career or passion. It also contributes to economic growth and opens up new career opportunities in a hugely rewarding sector.”

The largest ever expansion in childcare is just one part of the government’s long-term plan to give working families a brighter future. Businesses across the country have welcomed the historic expansion which will support them to grow.

Jane Gratton, Deputy Director Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said:  “When parents struggle to find a childcare solution, employers lose talented people from the workplace.

“That’s damaging for people, business and the economy. The further rollout of free childcare in England is good news.  It will benefit parents and employers, as well as providing more great jobs and career opportunities in the childcare sector.    

“Helping more parents access high quality, affordable childcare will help firms recruit and retain skilled people and remove a significant barrier to work.  We need more capacity in the childcare system to help fill jobs in local economies and ensure individuals can progress in their careers.”  

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The cost of childcare remains one of the biggest challenges to many parents, preventing many who wish to re-enter the workforce.

“As the largest private sector employer, we welcome the expansion of childcare provision that is being rolled out, and the support it will offer to many of our colleagues and potential colleagues, now and in the future.”

Parents like Jennifer – who has been using two of the government childcare support schemes to help her family with the costs of childcare – will benefit. Jennifer is already using tax-free childcare, and will now also start using the 15 hours of government-funded childcare for her two-year-old.

She said: “If we didn’t have the support, we’d have to reduce our working hours. When I went back to work, I stepped up into a promotion and started working more hours. Having access to this support made it financially sustainable to increase my hours.

“Lots of family members and friends will also benefit, and we can see already how it will help people feel less anxious about finances.”

Applications for the first stage of the rollout from April are now closed, but parents who have already registered can continue to take up places from April.

The number of parents taking up places is expected to continue to grow by tens of thousands over the coming weeks, and the government is expected to provide a formal update on take-up in the middle of April.

Chris McCandless, CEO, Busy Bees Europe, said: “We welcome the Government’s continued commitment to expanding support for early years education. The increase in funded hours will help working families and give more children the best start in life, and we’re really pleased that the rollout has been accompanied by the clarity on future funding rates we needed to invest in creating the additional capacity required in our centres.

“We’ve already seen a significant increase in interest in our nursery places in recent months from parents looking to make use of the funded hours, and expect to welcome more children to our nurseries this year and in subsequent years as the scheme expands further.”

Jo Turley, Managing Director, Ashbourne Day Nurseries, said: “At Ashbourne Day Nurseries, we welcome the extension of government funding in early years childcare and education as a positive step forward.

“Quality early years education is foundational in shaping a child’s future, and we eagerly anticipate any benefits this extended funding will bring to families across our nurseries and the broader community.”

Justine Roberts, Founder and CEO of Mumsnet, said: “By closing the gap in support between the end of maternity leave and a child’s third birthday, the government will enable many women who would otherwise have been forced out of the workforce to choose to stay in work, benefitting not just them and their families but also the wider economy.“

All parents are being encouraged to check their eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for the September phase of the rollout, and to act now to secure their place for September if they have a preferred provider.

Consultation on international football broadcasting

Case for Scotland qualifiers to be free-to-air

An evaluation will take place as part of making the case to the UK Government that major Scotland men’s and women’s national football team qualifier matches should be available for free-to-air broadcast.

The Scottish Government’s view is that national sporting events, such as Scotland’s men’s and women’s football qualifiers for the World Cup and European Championships, should be included in the list of matches protected for free-to-air broadcast to expand the opportunity for audiences to enjoy these games.

Scotland matches in major men’s and women’s tournaments are on the protected list, but qualifiers are not, and this consultation will examine the case to close that loophole. UEFA holds the rights to these matches and they are often sold to the highest bidder – regardless of whether that results in them being shown behind a paywall.

Any consultation would form part of broader analysis of the case for the expansion of the list of free-to-air games, alongside a consideration of the business case. The Scottish Government plans to publish further details on the consultation this summer.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “The Scottish Government is taking a further step towards making major Scotland international football matches available free-to-air, which would allow the whole country to get behind our national teams in important qualifying fixtures.

“Scots celebrated as our men’s national team charged their way on scintillating form into this year’s Euro Championships, and we’ll all be behind the women’s national team when their qualifiers get underway next month, but most Scots are blocked from watching the national team with the bulk of games shown on a pay-per-view basis.  

“With so much at stake in qualifiers, our vision is for all fans to be able to watch their national teams as they battle to reach the world’s biggest competitions.

“With the full powers of independence, the Scottish Government would have the power to determine the list of events that should be available to broadcast free-to-air to reflect the interests of Scottish audiences, and enable broadcasters who have a public service remit to better meet these needs.

“But broadcasting policy is currently reserved to the UK Government, and only Westminster can add these matches being included in the so-called “crown jewels” of international sporting fixtures for free-to-air broadcast.

“With the UK Government refusing to act to resolve the situation for Scotland fans, the Scottish Government will launch a consultation on the issue to help progress the campaign to ensure Scotland international qualifying matches are on terrestrial TV.

“Further evaluation work will be taken forward to understand the implications such a decision would have for rights holders, including the SFA, before the Scottish Government’s case is brought forward to the UK Government.”

XL Bully dog exemption application process is open

Owners urged to apply before 31 July deadline

XL Bully owners can now apply for an exemption certificate so they can continue to legally own their dogs in the long term.

The application scheme opened yesterday (1 April) and runs until 31 July 2024, after which it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate.

To get an exemption certificate, owners must apply online or by post, pay a £92.40 fee, obtain third party insurance and neuter and microchip their dogs. Postal applications must be made by 15 July and online applications by midnight on 31 July. Full details of the process and requirements are available on the Scottish Government website.

In line with the initial safeguards introduced on 23 February, XL Bully dogs must continue to be muzzled and kept on a lead in public.

Owners who decide not to keep their dogs can apply for £100 to cover cost of euthanasia/veterinary fees and £100 to compensate for the loss of the animal.

Siobhian Brown, Minister for Community Safety attends Celebrating our Communities, being held at Maryhill Burgh Halls, Glasgow, Scotland, to celebrate community groups. October 6, 2023.

Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “These new safeguards are being introduced to protect the public while giving XL Bully owners time to comply with the new rules.

“I would encourage XL Bully owners who wish to keep their dogs from 1 August to apply for an exemption certificate in good time.

“The Scottish Government continues to work with Police Scotland, local authorities, the SSPCA and others to ensure our communities are kept safe.”

Exemption scheme details

Spending to support Scotland’s vulnerable children slashed by more than a third

SCSC calls for greater resourcing

  • Spending cut of £1,934 per pupil from 2012/13 for those identified with additional support needs (ASN) – 33.9 per cent cut over a decade
  • More than doubling in the number of pupils with ASN from 2012
  • Cut of 546 in the number of ASN teachers 

An alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), has called for greater resourcing to support children and young people with ASN, such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems.

The call comes as new figures contained in a parliamentary answer to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth MSP, reveal that average additional support for learning (ASL) spend per pupil has slumped by over a third (34.8 per cent). [1] This comes against a perfect storm of escalating numbers of pupils with ASN, against the backdrop of cuts in support.

While the SCSC supports a presumption of mainstreamingfor pupils with ASN, meaning that they are educated in a mainstream school unless exceptional circumstances, without adequate resourcing there is an obvious impact on those with ASN, fellow pupils and teachers.

The SCSC is calling on the Scottish Government to work with local authorities to increase funding to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people, including greater provision of specialist ASN teachers, educational psychologists, behaviour support staff and classroom assistants.

The figures highlight that average spending per pupil on ASL by local authorities in Scotland (primary, secondary and special education) has fallen from £5,698 in the 2012/13 financial year to £3,764 in 2022/23 (in real terms). This amounts to an overall cut in spending of £1,934 per pupil, representing a 33.9 per cent drop.

This fall is against the backdrop of a 104.8 per cent increase between 2012 and 2022 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 118,011 to 241,639, amounting to 123,628 individuals. Those with ASNcurrently represent more than a third of all pupils (34.2 per cent).3

Between 2012 and 2022 the number of full-time equivalent ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,390 to an all-time low of 2,844, a decrease of 546 teachers, representing a cut in numbers of 16.1 per cent.4

Against the backdrop of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, with its disproportionate impact on those with ASN, this cut in support has created a perfect storm for those with ASN.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is devastating to note cuts in spending supporting those with ASN, and we would urge the Scottish Government to adequately resource the provision of the likes of specialist teachers, educational psychologists and classroom assistants.

“We are facing a lost generation of children with ASN, and it is vital that they get the care and support they need, when they need it, especially given the impacts of the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crisis. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.

“We are experiencing a mental health emergency, and have also witnessed dramatic increases in classroom disruption, impacting on pupils and teachers alike. This is in part due to increased levels of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown.

“The Scottish Government and local authorities must work together to provide adequately resourced support across Scotland for those children and young people with ASN, representing some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “

External Affairs Secretary to visit USA

‘Celebrating Scotland’s ties with North America’

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson will visit Washington, D.C. and New York City this week to promote Scotland to North America as a place to live, work, study and do business. He will also take part in a range of other diaspora and cultural events, including this year’s Tartan Day parade in New York City.

Tartan Day (6 April) was officially declared by the US Senate in 1998 to honour the contributions that American Scots have made to the US. The days leading up to the annual parade up 6th Avenue have since become known as ‘Tartan Week’ with a range of events held across the USA to celebrate Scottish arts and culture, as well as traditional music, food and drink.

The External Affairs Secretary’s engagements will include:

  • meetings with tech companies who are investing or planning to invest in Scotland
  • a meeting with the World Bank to discuss Scotland’s funding for inclusive education projects in partner countries in Africa
  • a Scottish Development International showcase of high-quality Scottish food and drink products to US buyers and distributors with the aim of increasing export sales
  • a discussion hosted by the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society to discuss their new research into Scottish links of enslaved Americans and their descendants – a project supported by the Scottish Connections Fund
  • cultural events including the Tartan Day Tattoo in Washington, D.C., New York’s Tartan Day Observance in Bryant Park, the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan at the Brick Church on the Upper East Side and the annual Tartan Day parade up 6th Avenue with this year’s Grand Marshal Dougray Scott.

Mr Robertson said: “Tartan Week is an opportunity to celebrate the Scotland’s historic ties with North America, which flourish to this day through cultural exchange, trade, investment and tourism.

“The US is Scotland’s most important international trading partner, as our largest export destination and source of inward investment, and our third biggest market for non-EU international students, with over 6,300 US students choosing to study here in 2021/22.

“I want to encourage greater connections, and greater trade and investment between our countries, which is why I’m meeting a range of existing and potential investors during my time in the US.

“As a showcase of Scottish culture and heritage in the US, Tartan Week is also a major opportunity for our culture and creative sectors to reach new audiences and markets, in line with our recently published international culture strategy, and our Scottish Connections Framework, which aims to strengthen Scotland’s links with our diaspora throughout the world.” 

Barnardo’s B-Wild project helping young people back into education

Young people struggling to attend school and to develop relationships with their peers are being helped back into education and are learning to open up thanks to a pioneering nature-based project being run by the country’s leading children’s charity.

Since 2020 – and thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund – Barnardo’s Scotland has been implementing its B-Wild project in eight localities across the country. B-Wild, which allows the young people to get out and about in nature and explore what the world has to offer.

It provides greater attachment to nature and increased self and social awareness. More than 800 children and young people aged between one and 24 have been supported to have therapeutic experiences in nature.

Claire Reid, B-Wild Project Co-ordinator at Barnardo’s, said: “One of the referral criteria for B-Wild is low or no attendance at school. We have a lot of young people on the programme that, for a number of reasons, find it difficult to attend school.

“Also, all participating young people struggle with peer relationships and making friends. The project offers children, young people and families the chance to benefit from outdoor learning, outdoor play and therapeutic practice in nature.

“And the results have been very positive indeed. Many of the young people attending B-Wild sessions have bonded and made friends with others on the programme. Others have very much found their ‘voice’ and developed some really important communication skills.

“Of course, in this process they have developed a stronger connection to nature and a desire to protect it – something that is more important than ever.”

Claire Reid added: “B-Wild looks different in every service. From supporting expectant parents with wellbeing walks in nature spaces; to messy outdoor play for babies; and from allowing primary children to build confidence as they learn about nature through games, play and exploration; to supporting teenagers to develop bushcraft skills while also building an emotional vocabulary for their experiences.

“B-Wild might be families tree planting in a local green space or parents learning how to connect with their children while rock pooling on the beach. It allows Barnardo’s practitioners to support children, families and young people to build their confidence, have fun, develop relationships with others and a relationship with nature, too.”

B-Wild Project Worker Kenny Fulton outlined an example of how the nature-based work can support the young people with real-life issues. He said: “The young people were engaging in an activity using natural materials and outlines of people to show how different emotions are felt in the body. They chose their own emotions to depict ‘grief’ and ‘scared’.

“All young people were incredibly insightful and engaged. Two young people dug a hole in the area of the heart to show how empty grief feels. Others used prickly leaves around the body to show fear. It was very brave and trusting of the young people to share their feelings and experiences in the group setting.

“One young person who does not typically talk about emotions at all shared a memory from early childhood of feeling scared. They shared how this memory was traumatic and how they had blocked it out, laying a stick across the head to represent this. This was a very significant moment for this young person as they grew in understanding of themselves and their life experiences.”

And one young person who attended B-Wild sessions added: “I can talk about things when I’m out on one of these trips. I can talk more here than I do with my counsellor. I can look at things about me in nature and I can talk.”

Another young person, Josh*, was able to join a B-Wild group run by our Edinburgh Together service through his school. Josh was not often able to attend school and struggled to make friends or connect with others – his life was all about gaming.

B-Wild project workers reached out to Josh and helped him get used to the woodland he would be learning about through the project. At the end of the programme, he had gone from a young person who didn’t spend any time outdoors to one who was passionate about nature.

Josh’s mum said: “When Josh started B-Wild he didn’t have anything else in his life. He rarely managed school, didn’t have friends and spent most of his time lost in gaming.

“Through B-Wild he has blossomed. For the first time, he has friends, he looks forward to B-Wild sessions and even talks to me about them when he comes home. It’s the first time in a long time I’ve heard him talk about something other than gaming. He has even bought himself a microscope. I’m so grateful he has had the opportunity to be part of B-Wild with Barnardo’s.”

B-Wild, which takes place in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Inverclyde, Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire (with Fife coming on board later this year), was awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2020. The project was originally due to run until the end of this month, but that has now been extended to March 2025.

Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland, said: “It is wonderful to see the success of the Barnardo’s B-Wild project and to hear first-hand accounts from project workers and participants on the powerful, positive impact it is already having in young lives.

“Supporting greater inclusion, diversity, access and participation in heritage is one of the four investment principles, this project is a great example of why that is important. It is thanks to National Lottery players that we can support this work.”

In the past year, Barnardo’s in Scotland provided essential support to more than 11,500 children, young people, parents and carers through more than 150 specialised community-based services and partnerships across the country.

The charity works to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life.

To donate, volunteer or fundraise, please visit www.barnardos.org.uk/get-involved/raise-money.