SCOTLAND’S most luxurious care home is set to host an open day where members of the public are invited to come and experience an exclusive tour around its premises.
Dementia care experts, Cramond Residence is urging members of the public looking at care facilities to come and view its world-class facilities between 4-8pm on May 2nd.
Guests will be led by professionals around its facilities to learn more about the benefits of the home, its unique care packages, as well as learning more about how Cramond Residence Tailors care provision for each individual resident.
Client Liaison Manager Christian Daraio said: “It’s always great to welcome new people into our home and our open day offers an opportunity for those exploring care for a loved one to come and view our brilliant facilities and get a feel for what makes Cramond Residence unique.
“A stay at Cramond Residence is truly unique, we have a wonderful team who help to ensure that the residence delivers the best care while having a comfortable homely feeling.
“This is the perfect chance to soak in the residence’s warm and friendly atmosphere, and enjoy a cup of tea with some homemade treats, all while having access to our staff to ask as many important questions as they need.”
Cramond Residence is divided into nine individual homes, each named after an area of Edinburgh, fostering a sense of community among residents. Each home has private dining and living rooms, encouraging socialising and lasting connections.
Visitors can explore the main communal areas, including a dining room, library, private dining room, cinema, physiotherapy area, and hairdressing salon.
Cramond Residence also offers advanced facilities, such as high-tech therapy baths, to cater to the diverse needs of its residents.
The residence features beautiful gardens and a summer house, welcoming guests to wander leisurely and appreciate the scenic environment.
The home offers a unique set of activities for residents to enjoy, thanks to its Lifestyle Team, who offer day trips to landmarks such as, The Royal Yacht Britania as well as Therapet sessions, relaxing joy rides down to Cramond Beach and much more.
For further information about Cramond Residence, call 0131 336 1064 or visit the care home’s website at cramondresidence.co.uk.
An inspiring project to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into STEM careers is among six charities across Scotland set to benefit from a funding boost from the ScottishPower Foundation.
Some of the most forward-thinking and progressive charities across the country will use this backing to support vulnerable people, local communities and the environment.
Twenty charities across Scotland, England and Wales have been awarded funding totalling almost £1.2 million for projects committed to tackling current issues, from cost-of-living support and raising aspirations for the next generation to protecting the environment and celebrating cultural diversity.
An exciting new project from Archaeology Scotland, Energy Through Time, is helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop transferable skills and build their understanding in STEM subjects.
Through the project, young people will harness the power of the past by exploring the historic green spaces around Newbattle Abbey College with the task of creating innovative solutions for future energy sustainability, enabling them to become climate ambassadors for the future.
Supported by the ScottishPower Foundation, the first courses of the project will be kicking off as part of Meaningful May, a programme of activity offered to young people who are not sitting exams in school, with the aim of supporting them into a positive destination.
Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said:“The Energy Through Time project is helping young people to look into the past to inspire their very own future in STEM, supporting them in developing a host of skills and become the next generation of climate ambassadors.
“At the ScottishPower Foundation we always want to nurture projects that we believe will make a real difference, not only to our planet but to our local communities and the people within them. That is why it’s important for us to recognise and boost the incredible work of charities across the UK.
“It is always a challenge to narrow down the number of applications, but we sincerely believe we have selected a group of incredible organisations that we are thrilled to be in partnership with over the next year. We can’t wait to see what they all achieve.”
Jane Miller, Learning Officer at Archaeology Scotland, said:“At Archaeology Scotland we engage and connect young people with their local heritage, helping them develop new skills while raising aspirations for work and further learning.
“This project gives us the opportunity to use archaeology to grow STEM literacy amongst young people from areas where people are experiencing disadvantage across various aspects of their lives.
“We’re extremely grateful to the ScottishPower Foundation for supporting this new project which forms part of our Attainment Through Archaeology courses, designed to offer all people the chance to develop and grow, whatever their background.”
Another charity benefiting from this funding initiative is People Know How, an innovation charity in Edinburgh that aims to improve wellbeing across communities by supporting people to overcome social barriers and thrive.
The ScottishPower Foundation’s funding will support the Reconnect: Digital & Wellbeing Community Support project which seeks to help eradicate digital exclusion by providing place-based digital support in collaboration with local community partners.
By working directly with local communities, the team are creating connections between people who may otherwise feel isolated in society.
The ScottishPower Foundation will also be supporting Hope Kitchen, an Oban-based charity looking to help those in need through food, friendship and fellowship. Pilot Upcycle and Repair Shop: Oban provides affordable food, clothing and homeware whilst also reducing waste.
The funding from the ScottishPower Foundation will allow Hope Kitchen to deliver workshops and events to enable people to learn the skills to repair and upcycle, whilst the shop aims to alleviate the impacts of poverty, specifically by reducing food and textile waste.
With more than £13 million given out to charitable initiatives across Britain over the past 11 years, including more than 230 grants, the ScottishPower Foundation is continuing to support a range of worthy causes, ranging from helping the next generation into STEM careers and reducing isolation among older people to helping enhance the biodiversity of our habitats.
A full list of the 2024 ScottishPower Foundation funded projects are:
Millions of workers checking payslips tomorrow will see a tax cut
As the economy turns a corner, the government is rewarding hard work, with over £900 a year boost for typical worker
Marks another step in long-term ambition to end unfair double tax on work
There are 27 million employees in the UK, and today [Tuesday 30 April] millions of them on monthly salaries will wake up with a little more cash in their pockets, as the UK government’s Spring Budget cut to National Insurance appears in April’s pay-packets.
Since Autumn 2023, National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for workers have been slashed by a third – the largest cut to employee and self-employed NICs in history.
The main rate of employee National Insurance has been cut for 27 million workers from 12% to 8%, saving the average employee on £35,400 over £900 a year. An average full-time nurse will save £1053, a typical junior doctor £1508 and an average teacher £1270.
These cuts are possible because the economy is turning a corner, thanks to the government’s decisive action that has helped bring inflation down from 11.1% to 3.2% and ensure borrowing costs start to fall. Because of this progress, the government can now cut taxes to reward work and grow the economy.
This marks another step towards the longer-term ambition to end the unfair double tax on work and abolish employee and self-employed NICs altogether.
These tax cuts – worth over £20 billion a year – have been achievable while protecting spending including keeping the Triple Lock and the government has commitment to going further only when it’s possible to do so.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: ““At the start of last year I made to pledge to half inflation. And because of the difficult decisions we have taken, inflation has more than halved and we are now able to reward work, and cut taxes for millions of workers who are seeing the benefit in their pay checks today.
“We have now cut National Insurance by £900 because it’s unfair that workers pay double tax on their income. We need to make it much simpler and much fairer and we are going to continue cutting this tax until it’s gone – while continuing to protect pensioners with the triple lock and providing record levels of funding to the NHS.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “We’re on the right track – we’ve been able to slash National Insurance to return hundreds of pounds back into the pockets of hard-working Brits because of the decisions we’ve made to manage the economy responsibly.
“Over the years ahead we want to get rid of National Insurance completely for workers – it is an unfair double tax on work and we’ve shown we can protect spending on public services while eliminating it.”
The tax cuts to date mean that for single individuals on average salaries, personal taxes would be lower in the UK than every other G7 country, based on the most recent OECD data.
The smart nature of the tax cuts will also help grow the economy by bringing more people into the labour market. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects that, as a result of these combined cuts, total hours worked will increase by the equivalent of almost 200,000 full-time workers by 2028-29.
To mark the record cuts to NICs, HMRC launched an updated online tool earlier this month to help people understand how much they personally could save in National Insurance this year.
These cuts to reward work follow a raft of changes that came into force on 1 April and could save households up to £3,850 a year to help those struggling with cost-of-living while igniting the economy.
This includes a record increase in the National Living Wage from £10.42 an hour to £11.44, and a 12.3% drop in energy bills from the previous quarter.
In addition, households can benefit from a separate increase to the Local Housing Allowance that will mean some of the poorest families on either Universal Credit or Housing Benefit will gain £800 a year on average.
Who does this help?
The combined cuts to National Insurance mean:
A ‘hard-working’ family with two earners on the average salary of £35,400 each will be better off by £1,826.
An average full-time nurse on £38,900 will be better off by £1,053.
A senior nurse with five years experience on £42,618 will be better off by £1,202.
The average police officer on £44,300 will be better off by £1,270.
A cleaner working night shifts on £21,058 will be better off by £340.
A typical junior doctor on £65,000 will be better off by £1,508.
A typical self-employed plumber on £34,361 will be better off by £846.
The typical teacher on £44,300 will be better off by over £1,270.
The UK Government is making it easier for customers to check for and fill any gaps in their National Insurance (NI) record to help increase their State Pension by launching a new online service today (29 April 2024).
The Check your State Pension forecast – a joint service by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – has been enhanced to include a fully end-to-end digital solution.
The service will show customers by how much their State Pension could increase and details of the voluntary NI contributions they would need to pay to achieve this. It allows most people under State Pension age to view gaps in their NI record and pay voluntary contributions to fill those gaps, if it will benefit them.
Anyone with NI gaps in some of their tax years that could increase their State Pension if filled, can use the new digital service to choose which years they would like to pay to fill. They can then pay securely through the service and will receive confirmation that their payment has been received and that their NI record will be updated.
Those who are eligible have until 5 April 2025 to pay voluntary contributions to make up gaps in their NI record between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2018. From 6 April 2025, people will only be able to pay voluntary contributions for the previous 6 tax years, in line with normal time limits.
Nigel Huddleston, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said:“Having peace of mind when planning for retirement is crucial to ensure people can enjoy later life.
“That’s why HMRC has launched this new online service today, making a real difference for thousands of pensioners in their retirement while providing certainty to those in their middle years and those still planning ahead.”
Minister for Pensions, Paul Maynard, said:“The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement, which is why we have introduced this new online tool to help simplify boosting it for those who are able to.
“I would encourage everyone to check their State Pension forecast and to take a look at how they could improve their State Pension award with only a few simple clicks.”
Last year, the government extended the deadline to pay voluntary NI contributions to 5 April 2025 for those affected by new State Pension transitional arrangements. This covers tax years from 6 April 2006 to 5 April 2018.
The extended deadline means that people now have more time to properly consider whether paying voluntary contributions is right for them and ensures no-one need miss out on the possibility of increasing their State Pension.
Paying voluntary contributions will not always increase their State Pension but everyone can use the new service to check whether they could be better off in retirement before making any voluntary NI payments.
Customers will need to login to the new digital service using their Personal Tax Account login details. Those without an online HMRC account can register on GOV.UK.
Everyone should be aware of the risk of falling victim to scams and should never share their HMRC login details with anyone, including a tax agent, if they have one. HMRC scams advice is available on GOV.UK.
New Women’s Wellness Commitment aims to support health needs and break down stigmas
First campaign will help educate on hormones as nearly half of women (48%) feel dismissed when talking about their symptoms
Retailer launches over 600 Women’s Health Coaches and the first of its kind free nurse helpline
Celebrity Hayley Morris supports campaign to raise awareness of hormone health
New research has revealed that over a third of women (35 per cent) say there is a lack of education or readily available, trusted support and guidance on women’s health issues, including hormone health across the life-span from menstruation to menopause.
60 per cent of women agree there needs to be more access to information and support on women’s health, with a third (31 per cent) stating they were last equipped with information on their cycle and hormones when at school, or not at all.
Understanding the need, Holland & Barrett, the UK’s leading health and wellness retailer, is launching a long-term commitment to address four key areas:
democratising access to support,
closing the research gap,
enabling health equity
and leading in product innovation with women’s needs in mind.
The H&B Women’s Wellness Commitment* will kick-off with an awareness campaign on hormone health.
The ‘Own Every Day Of The Month’ campaign, supported by award-winning actor and writer, Hayley Morris, will aim to empower women to optimise their overall wellness by understanding the rhythm of their hormone cycle across their lifespan and break down associated stigmas.
Despite almost half (49%) stating they have experienced negative symptoms throughout their menstrual cycle, such as weight changes, low energy, stress, cramps, 48 per cent say they have felt dismissed when speaking about their symptoms, with health professionals ranking top of the list (16 per cent) versus employer (8 per cent), and partner (8 per cent) amongst others.
Over a quarter (28 per cent) of women admit to living with symptoms for longer than a year before seeking help, or not seeking help at all.
To support all women, Holland & Barrett is introducing over 600 Women’s Health Coaches to the high-street. Nearly every store will have a dedicated Women’s Health Coach with expanded training to offer a deeper level of expertise and confidential support on hormone health. Additionally, the retailer will extend its current women’s health training to all 4,000 colleagues to be able to offer guidance on personalised solutions.
A free general women’s health helpline will see trained nurses able to offer further support and guidance on the hormone cycle and any symptoms. The specialist nurses can also help prepare individuals for their GP consultation and offer advice on what they can do while they wait.
Lina Chan, Women’s Health Director at Holland & Barrett, said: “Women’s health has been under-served for too long. Being on every high-street, we are ideally placed within the community to support and help add quality years to life and truly champion wellness for all women.
“Our new long-term commitment will start by empowering women to understand their hormones, so they are in control of their marvellous bodies.
“Understanding and optimising the menstrual cycle can unlock a lot of the mysteries about women’s health and even help improve other areas of their wellness such as gut health, energy, sleep, skin and metabolism.
“By proactively engaging with our hormone health we can also better understand gynaecological conditions, fertility and the menopause as hormones sit at the core of these various life transitions where women can experience severe symptoms.”
The new commitment comes at a time when gynaecological conditions were rated the number one issue for 100,000 respondents to the government’s Women’s Health strategy, a 10-year strategy set out to boost health outcomes and radically improve the way in which the health system engages and listens to all women.
Hayley Morris, actress and writer, said: “I’m so proud to be able to support Holland & Barrett’s ‘Own Every Day Of The Month’ campaign, and be a part of a genuine movement for women to understand their health better, and the role of our powerful hormones within it.
“I’ve been on a real journey (it’s still going!) with my hormonal health, there have been really difficult times but understanding my hormones better is empowering and I will keep spreading the word!”
Alongside expert advice and support, Holland & Barrett offers a line of hundreds of products designed to help with the symptoms experienced through the cycle. C
ustomers can also find a hormone guide packed with expert advice to support women at every stage of their hormone cycle and the H&B Health Hub has been updated to include further advice and guidance on a wide range of women’s health topics.
Hot on the heels of their annual festival, Edinburgh Science are on the road again bringing hands-on science lessons to classrooms in a number of schools across the city as part of Generation Science.
This fantastic programme sees science educators tour Scottish nurseries and primary schools delivering a range of engaging workshops and shows which are all linked to the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) – helping to inspire a new generation to explore the world of STEM. Running for over 30 years, Generation Science has delivered hands-on learning to over 1 million children!
Over the coming weeks, the Generation Science team will be bringing some of their shows and workshops to a number of local primary schools across Edinburgh as part of their Summer programme.
This year’s programme features 10 exciting interactive shows and workshops, including two brand new climate-focused activities Our Changing Climate and The Green Machine.
P6 pupils from the Royal Mile and Abbeyhill Primary Schools and student dancers from Moray House School of Education and Sport came together yesterday to perform Junk Food, written and created for this year’s Pomegranates Festival.
Over the course of the spring term, pupils at both schools took part in several workshops to discuss themes such as why people dance, what dance looks like, and chose a topic of their choice to create a dance piece that was relevant to them.
The pupils chose to discuss ‘Junk Food’ and used this theme to create a short dance piece accompanied by new electronic music by Gourab Dey, with the help of students at the University. The pupils worked on themes like ‘hangry’ and what this looked like as a dance movement, and after several rehearsals they created today’s final dance piece.
Wendy Timmons, Co-Producer of Pomegranates Festival and Senior Lecturer in Dance at Moray House School of Education and Sport said:“Many children that we work with in schools experience dance as part of physical education, and therefore the aesthetic experience of being in a theatre and being on stage is completely new.
“What this project aimed to do was to create a dance piece using their ideas so they would feel more connected with the process. Today’s performance illustrates the quality of work that this process can create, and this came across in the piece.”
The Pomegranates Festival runs until tomorrow (Tuesday 30 April) and is Scotland’s annual festival of international traditional dance.
Initiated and curated by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland it is presented and produced in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
The Festival finishes with a finale performance on International Dance Day 29 April which includes a new piece of dance created by MC, hip-hop dancer and choreographer-in-residence Jonzi D and performed by 20 Edinburgh-based traditional dancers.
The piece will be accompanied by newly-commissioned poetry by Perth-based poet Jim Mackintosh who will also be launching his new book of poetry We are Migrant at the event, and poems by BBC broadcaster Ian McMillan.
Plus, there will be a screening of a new film by contemporary visual artist and human rights activist Mare Tralla who has been artist-in-residence at this year’s festival.
There will also be a live streamed keynote lecture by Jonzi D on ‘Decolonising the Expressive Arts Curriculum’ tomorrow – Tuesday 30 April at 10am at Paterson’s Land, Moray House School of Education and Sport, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AQ.
Garden Centre to host themed children’s workshop in May
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is inviting children aged four to 10 to a free workshop in its Edinburgh store in May to learn more about trees and how to protect them.
‘Love Your Trees’ is the theme of next month’s Little Seedlings Club, taking place on Sunday 5 May, ahead of Love Your Tree Day on 16 May.
Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club provides interactive learning activities that allow children in Edinburgh to understand, explore, and connect with plants, wildlife and the environment around them.
During May’s workshop, children will learn about the most common trees in the UK, including the Alder, Beech and English Oak, and discover the value of trees and learn how to nurture and protect them.
They will delve into the anatomy of trees, exploring their different parts and understanding their fascinating lifecycle, from seedling to plant, as well as the difference between deciduous and evergreen varieties and how they change through the seasons. To add to the fun, there will be a special tree-themed 3D craft activity.
Dobbies’ colleague Liz Clare-Savage, who is involved in the delivery of the Little Seedlings Club, is looking forward to welcoming children along to May’s workshop. She said: “Our Little Seedlings Club is very popular with kids in Edinburgh, and we’re thrilled to introduce them to the wonders of trees.
“Learning about and encouraging the planting of new trees is a fantastic way to give back to nature and support our wildlife. Little Seedlings Club is not just about learning, it’s about fostering a lifelong connection with nature and having a great time.”
For more information about Dobbies’ Little Seedlings Club May session or to make a booking, visit dobbies.com/events.
Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) and the British Council have awarded 13 EARTH Scholarships to early-career researchers from 10 countries including France, Switzerland, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.
The scholars are currently undertaking their exchanges at Scottish Universities and will be here for up to 3-months working in environmental arts and humanities.
During the exchanges, recipients will come together alongside Scotland-based PhD scholars to network, collaborate, and build connections.
THIRTEEN early-career researchers from 10 nations, including India, France, South Africa, and the United States, have been awarded the EARTH Scholarships by the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) and the British Council.
These scholars are currently immersed in an induction with Universities across Scotland, meeting their peers and delving into the intersection of environmental arts and humanities.
Over the next two weeks, the scholars are visiting key projects right across Scotland, from archaeology practice in Glencoe to engaging in artistic practice workshops at Talbot Rice gallery in Edinburgh.
The EARTH Scholars will go on to collaborate with Scotland-based PhD scholars, fostering a vibrant and growing global network. In its second year, the EARTH Scholarships have been designed to confront the climate emergency from a new angle, encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations with a focus on environmental sustainability themes and the interventions of the arts and humanities.
This year their PhD research spans topics at the intersection of arts, culture, and environmental issues, from eco-archaeology and re-wilding in Scotland and around the world, to marine governance, human rights, and climate refugees, and even AI governance and environmental sustainability.
Last week, the EARTH Scholars were in Glencoe and have been sharing their excitement about the induction weeks:
Aphiwe Moshani is a PhD candidate from South Africa based at the University of Cape Town, her research centres on ocean governance, and researching oceanic and coastal conflicts. For the next few months, she will collaborate with Scotland-based peers at the University of Strathclyde.
Aphiwe says:“Being part of the Earth Scholarships Programme has been an amazing journey. Getting to tour otherwise out-of-reach locations in the Highlands with a really thoughtful group is an experience that’s opened me up to a much deeper understandings of the environment and humanity.
“My excitement for my research has been reignited through this opportunity!”
Gala Morris, originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, is one of the Scotland- cohort based at the University of Glasgow. Gala is an early career archaeology scholar researching rewilding and the historic environment.
She adds: “The Earth Scholarships Programme has been spectacular so far. Each member of the cohort brings such a unique perspective, and our discussions on topics across the environmental humanities have been so inspiring. The programme has been incredibly enriching, and I feel very lucky to be involved!”
Professor Claire Squires Director, Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities welcomed the EARTH scholars saying:“We are thrilled to kick off the EARTH scholarships for the second year and to welcome this exceptional cohort of global scholars to collaborate with researchers from Scotland’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
“By bringing together this diverse group of scholars, we can share best practices and develop culturally informed solutions through the lens of the arts and humanities”.
Peter Brown, Director of British Council Scotland, who helped fund the programme added: “International collaboration and exchange of knowledge are crucial for tackling the global climate emergency, and we are proud to partner with SGSAH on this innovative programme.
“It’s great to see the scholars coming together to develop new environmental perspectives and creative interventions that will resonate across cultures and communities worldwide”.
The EARTH Scholars are here in Scotland to harness the power of arts and humanities to drive awareness, shift perceptions, and inspire solutions to global environmental challenges.
A key legacy of the British Council’s work at COP26 in Glasgow, the programme continues the British Council’s work building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas.
Humza Yousaf ‘indicates intention to resign’ – but not yet
First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced that he will stand down.
Speaking at a news conference at Bute House, Mr Yousaf confirmed: “After spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for the government and country I lead, I have concluded that repairing our relationships across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm.
“I intend to stand down as Party Leader. I will continue as First Minister until my successor has been elected, particularly as the Parliament will be debating some incredibly important legislation in the coming days and weeks.
“I cannot tell you what an honour it is being the First Minister of the country I love, the country I am raising my family in, and the only country I will ever call home. I have had the honour of serving in Government for almost 12 years in a variety of roles.
“Although I am sad that my time as First Minister is ending, I am so grateful and blessed for having the opportunity so few are afforded – to lead my country, and who could ask for a better country to lead than Scotland?”
Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross commented: “We knew the best chance of winning a VoNC was in Humza Yousaf himself. That’s why @ScotTories tabled it last Thursday and he’s now jumped before being pushed.
“We saw off Nicola Sturgeon and now Humza Yousaf.
“Now we work to remove this entire rotten SNP Government from office.”
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon commented: “I know how big a privilege being First Minister is, but also the toll it can take. I also know what a wrench it is to step aside, even when sure it is the right thing to do.
“Humza has conducted himself with grace, dignity and integrity – both as FM and in the manner of his leaving. I am and always will be proud to call him a friend.”
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer commented:
Read the First Minister’s official statement in full at:
