Come and share your stories of Corstorphine at CCC tomorrow 1pm-2.30pm
We are working in partnership with Citadel Arts we are holding a series of sessions where we gather together in a small group and tell our tales.
Help our Untold Tales Unfold!
As part of its approach to the Commission’s 2023-24 scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s progress in reducing child poverty, the Poverty and Inequality Commission wanted to hear from parents and carers who were a member of the Scottish Government’s ‘priority family types’. These are households types who are at greater risk of poverty.
The Commission worked with eight organisations to organise workshop discussions (and in one case a survey) to gather parent and carer participant views on:
This report summarises the views of participants on the three topics above, expanding on the material the Commission published earlier in 2024 as part of its 2023-24 child poverty scrutiny.
The Commission is very grateful to all the participants in our workshops who took time to discuss these issues, and the organisations who we worked with to arrange them.
Download: Report of workshops with priority families in Scotland and their ideas to reduce child poverty (pdf, 422kb)
More than 1,800 Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) students are on track to collect their degrees during a bumper week of graduations at the Usher Hall.
The number of autumn graduation ceremonies has increased to six for 2024 – and they coincide with the arrival an ENU addition to the Edinburgh Trams network.
The Must Be Napier branded tram will be carrying new graduates, friends, and family across the city as they celebrate their achievements.
The ceremonies will also see the return of The Napier Graduate pub, which will see Shakespeare’s on Lothian Road renamed and decked out in Edinburgh Napier red for the week.
For the new graduates, it is an opportunity to reflect on the completion of their studies.
35-year-old Steven Halloren (above) from Edinburgh will be among those crossing the stage, graduating with an MSc Human Resources Management. He took the decision to go to university to study part-time while continuing his career in business consulting.
He said: “Studying at Edinburgh Napier has been an amazing experience from start to finish.
“Going to university was a transformative decision, especially as a mature student. It’s a bit of a culture shock at first to balance the commitment on top of a busy career, but it has taught me to think and challenge myself.
“I did my dissertation on mergers and acquisitions from an organisational culture perspective, so I was able to apply it to work straight away.
“I’ve just started my doctorate, which is something I thought I would never do. It focusses on the role AI can play in the business world.
“Seeing the enthusiasm and passion from the academics at Edinburgh Napier has inspired me to keep going.”
Learning Disability Nursing Lecturer Sam Abdulla, whose picture features on the side of the Must Be Napier tram, will be watching another cohort of students graduate this week.
He said: “Graduation is without doubt the highlight of our year. It’s the reason we do what we do.
“Seeing our students celebrate alongside their families, loved ones and colleagues is a reminder of all the hard work they’ve put into their journey at Edinburgh Napier.
“I can’t wait to see the difference that our latest graduates will make and the careers they go on to build.”
Edinburgh Napier University’s autumn graduation ceremonies are taking place at the Usher Hall between 29-31 October.
Since the launch of Self-Harm Network Scotland’s (SHNS) live chat service on World Mental Health Day 2023 (10th October 2023), the SHNS team has had 1,273 supportive conversations on the webchat, with an average chat lasting around 29 minutes.
The unique live webchat service can be accessed on the SHNS website and is for people aged 12 and over in Scotland in need of support for their self-harm. The service is available between 6pm and 10pm, seven days a week.
People can anonymously chat to one of the SHNS team about their self-harm and get advice and support outside of standard support hours, when those experiencing self-harm may be most in need of someone to speak to.
As well as offering support via the live chat, the SHNS website has free and accessible resources, tools and information for people who self-harm, their loved ones and for professionals who work with people who self-harm.
SHNS’s team of Peer Practitioners can also provide 12 to 15 free one-to-one support sessions for people (aged 12 and over) who self-harm in Scotland, delivered via video, phone calls and text.
The SHNS service is part of charity Penumbra Mental Health, which provides dedicated services for people with mild to enduring mental ill-health.
We work together with the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) in delivering their self-harm strategy and action plan, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the world.
SHNS is funded by the Scottish Government, and we also work with partners who share our goal of providing compassionate and freely accessible support services to people who self-harm.
In the past year, 90% of people who gave feedback after using the webchat said they found it helpful (71% ‘Very Helpful’, 19% ‘Somewhat Helpful’). Here is some feedback from people that were supported by the webchat:
“[The chat] was so lovely and very logical and helped me into a safe and calmer location.”
“Very patient and convinced me to try the local self-harm services.”
“No pressure was put on me regarding my coping techniques. Very good listening.”
Darren Boyd, SHNS Network Manager, said:
“Since the inception of Self-Harm Network Scotland, it has been important to us that people with lived experience guide our delivery of support. Feedback from people with lived experience revealed to us a need for accessible, national support for people who self-harm. We also know there is still a lot of stigma around self-harm and this can be a barrier to people accessing support.”
He continued: “The Live Chat is a place anyone can come to and can remain anonymous should they wish. They can get support from our team at times they are feeling distressed and may not have anyone else to reach out to. The first year of running this new element of support has taught us a lot, and we look forward to continuing to work with people with lived experience to grow and continue this service.”
Julia, who works on SHNS’ live chat, said:
“The webchat is great, and the users have told me that they prefer it to calling somewhere. They appreciate the anonymity of the webchat a lot. A lot of young people feel anxiety about making phone calls. It’s also good for me as I find it easier to think about what I want to say while I am typing.”
Julia added: “Having lived experience of self-harm makes it easier for me to relate to the people I am chatting to. When chatting to someone on the webchat, I have shared tips that have helped me on my recovery journey, and I feel that I can easily pick up when someone needs to be heard most of all instead of looking for advice.”
Maree Todd, Mental Wellbeing Minister, said:
“I am pleased to celebrate the first year of the webchat that we launched together with Penumbra this time last year.
“To have already supported 1,273 people through the webchat is a huge accomplishment and supports our vision for anyone affected by self-harm to receive compassionate, recovery-focused support, without fear of stigma or discrimination, as outlined in our Self-Harm Strategy and Action Plan.
“We greatly value the expertise peer practitioners and trained volunteers are bringing to this service, which is showing positive results in supporting people affected by self-harm right across Scotland. This is why we are continuing to invest £1.5 million to support Self-Harm Network Scotland.”
Paul Kelly, COSLA’s Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, said:
“COSLA welcomes the ongoing development of compassionate support for those experiencing self-harm. Making services such as the webchat available is essential in ensuring those who need it get the right support at the right time. Through the Self Harm Strategy and action plan we continue to work collectively to improve responses and support for self-harm across Scotland.”
Outside of the live chat operating hours, people can self-refer on to the service via the online contact form.
You can access the webchat between 6pm and 10pm over on the SHNS website:
Mooving on up! Students Max Connolly and Amy Mills of Vale of Leven Academy pose alongside Elsie, a life-size Ayrshire dairy cow, as part of the Future Farming activity at Edinburgh Science’s annual week-long free schools event Careers Hive.
Initially developed in 2016, Careers Hive is an annual event from Edinburgh Science which inspires S1-S3 pupils to pursue a STEM-based career through hands-on activities and discussions with early-career STEM professionals.
Careers Hive 2024 takes place for schools between 28 October and 1 November at the National Museum of Scotland, with a Public Open Day on 2 November.
Careers Hive offers a unique and fascinating insight that showcases STEM skills as transferrable to a wide range of sectors.
This week, storytellers and audiences are invited to gather at the Tree of Memory in the Storytelling Centre to hear stories of our great tradition bearers, and add a leaf to honour their elders and celebrate their own memories of lives well lived.
The Tree of Memory by artist Katie Warner is created from willow and forms the centrepiece to four Tree of Memory events during this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival:
Mon 28 Oct, 4pm
Edinburgh-based storyteller Claire McNicol hosts a celebration of Irish and Scots storyteller Audrey Parks who has been described as the founding mother and grandmother of Scotland’s storytelling renaissance.
Tues 29 Oct, 4pm
Liz Tulloch hosts a celebration of her father, well-known Shetland storyteller Lawrence Tulloch who was a familiar voice on BBC Radio Shetland and wrote for many magazines and newspapers.
Wed 30 Oct, 4pm
Storyteller Tim Porteous and Festival Director Donald Smith host a celebration of Edinburgh storytellers Jack Martin and John Fee.
Jack Martin who died in 2023, became a storyteller after a lifetime as an entertainer, puppeteer, and stand up comedian.
John Fee who died aged 80 was known as a master of storytelling and performed regularly at the Waverley Bar’s Guid Crack Club and on the Netherbow stage.
Thu 31st Oct, 4pm
Douglas Mackay hosts a celebration of David Campbell with a basket of blessings to all absent friends.
David Campbell is a writer, broadcaster, poet and an acclaimed international storyteller whose repertoire ranges from ancient Celtic epics of Ireland and Scotland through stories of adventure, romance, faith, love and quirky comic tales.
Donald Smith, Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, said: “Stories are passed between the generations. Our Tree of Memory honours the elders – those who are preciously still with us, and those who have passed on.
“We invite everyone who wishes to honour a storyteller in their life to add a leaf to our Tree.”
The Tree of Memory events are presented in partnership with To Absent Friends and Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief and are supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival runs until Thursday 31 October. 2024 marks the 35thanniversary of the festival and its packed programme of events take place in venues in Edinburgh and across Scotland thanks to support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Creative Scotland.
For details of the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk
Since the Labour party took office on 4th July, and by the time the Budget is announced, a staggering 12,500* children have been plunged into poverty due to the two-child limit on benefit payments. This shocking surge adds to the 1.6 million children already suffering under this unnecessary policy.
Leading children’s charities (the End Child Poverty Coalition, Save the Children, Action for Children, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Centre for Young Lives, Gingerbread, Barnardo’s and the National Children’s Bureau) have joined together to call on the government to include scrapping the two-child limit in the Budget on 30th October. Two of these organisations, Save the Children and CPAG, are also assisting the government with evidence gathering ahead of the publication of the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025.**
These charities are supported by the 120 members of the End Child Poverty Coalition, an alliance of national, regional and local anti-poverty organisations, united in the view that child poverty in the UK can be addressed via government action.
Joseph Howes, CEO of Buttle UK and Chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition said: ‘The two-child limit must be scrapped: children cannot wait any longer for government action.
“We don’t say only two children in a family can go to school, or that the third sibling cannot receive hospital treatment, so why do we limit benefit payments to only two children? By scrapping this policy, this government would be recognised as one that turns the tide on rising levels of child poverty across the UK’.
Victoria Benson, CEO of Gingerbread said: ‘Scrapping the two-child limit is a quick and cost-effective way to lift children out of poverty and it’s disappointing that our Government hasn’t committed to doing this.
“The majority of families hit by the two-child limit are single parent families who are already almost twice as likely to be living in poverty, compared to couple parent families.
“There is no doubt it is a cruel policy that has done little to meet its aim of increasing employment levels and yet it has left hundreds of thousands of single parent households in poverty.
“If our Government wants to tackle child poverty it must scrap the two child limit as soon as possible.’
Becca Lyon, Head of Child Poverty for Save the Children UK, said: ‘The time for action on the two-child limit to benefits is now and the UK Government must scrap this cruel policy.
“Children cannot wait any longer to receive the same amount of money as their siblings. Our society should be one where being born after your siblings shouldn’t exclude you from support. These are political choices, and the Budget is a chance for the UK Government to right the record for thousands of children.”
The two-child limit to benefit payments is an unfair policy which limits the amount of money families in receipt of social security payments receive for the third or subsequent child born after April 2017. Families affected by it miss out on up to £3455 per child per year.
The policy pushes families into poverty. Recent analysis published by CPAG has shown that for every day this policy remains in place, 109 children are being pulled into poverty.* End Child Poverty Coalition analysis has shown there is a strong positive correlation between child poverty figures and the number of children living in families impacted by the two-child limit.***
Unless this issue is urgently addressed, the government’s upcoming Child Poverty Strategy will fall short of delivering meaningful change. Lifting the two-child limit is a critical step towards to halting the harmful cycle of deprivation and despair.
Children can no longer wait for change. The ‘sibling tax’ must be scrapped.
*More information on the government’s plans to engage on the Preventing Child Poverty Strategy here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy
**109 children a day are pulled into poverty by this policy every day, research has found https://cpag.org.uk/news/10000-children-dragged-poverty-two-child-limit-labour-took-office
*** More information on this research can be found here: https://endchildpoverty.org.uk/child-poverty-2024/
Today we have signed a joint statement with:
calling for @RachelReevesMP to scrap the 2-child limit in the #Budget on Wednesday.
This is also supported by 120+members of @EndChildPoverty
Detectives in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a man and a woman were assaulted and robbed in the city centre.
A 50-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were at the pedestrian crossing at Leith Street and Princes Street junction around 10pm on Monday, 28 October, 2024 when they were assaulted and robbed by a group of people.
They were both taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.
The suspects ran off towards St James Quarter and Multrees Walk.
Detective Sergeant Steven Gray of CID said: “This appears to have been a shockingly unprovoked and random attack, which left the victims requiring medical treatment. We are keen to trace three males and a female.
“The first male youth is described as aged between 14 and 16 years of age, tanned complexion, of medium build, with light curly hair which was short on top. He was wearing a black snood, a blue zipped jacket with white down the side.
“The second male is aged between 16 and 20 years of age, with dark hair. He was wearing dark clothing and white trainers.
“The third male is aged between 16-20 years of age, with dark hair. He was wearing dark clothing with white writing across the chest.
“The female is aged between 16 and 20 years of age, five-foot one inch tall, with blonde hair. She was wearing a white jacket.
“As part of our enquiries, we are reviewing CCTV to identify those responsible. We would ask if any has footage of the incident to please come forward.
“If you believe you could help our investigation, please call 101 quoting reference 4015 of 28 October, 2024. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”
Tenants have moved into the first ‘net zero ready’ affordable homes to be delivered in Granton Waterfront.
A housing emergency was declared in Edinburgh last year and the 75 energy efficient homes for social and mid-market rent at Granton Station View built by CCG (Scotland) Ltd on behalf of the Council are part of the local authority’s £1.3bn regeneration of the area to provide much needed affordable housing.
The project is part of the major transformation of Granton Waterfront to create a new coastal town in the north of the city with tenants and homeowners also due to start moving into over 400 ‘net zero ready’ homes for social rent, mid-market rent and homes for sale at Western Villages throughout next year. Work is also well underway to deliver a further 143 ‘net zero ready’ social and mid-market rent homes at Silverlea due for completion in Summer 2026.
The homes at Granton Station View are the first Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) programme pilot which is part of a collaborative programme between local and national government, academia and the construction industry that has developed a new model for delivering affordable housing in Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
The homes will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the city’s 2030 net zero target. The homes were largely manufactured offsite and have high performance energy efficient features which will help reduce utility bills for tenants. Features include triple glazing, communal zero direct emissions heating as well as solar panels linked to the communal energy centre being provided. The University of Edinburgh will monitor the energy efficiency of the building design for the first year.
Granton Station View was supported by of over £6.6m funding from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (ASHP).
Other innovative features in the development include an underground waste collection system, cycle parking twice the capacity of the residents living there and links to existing and established walking, cycling and wheeling routes.
Three commercial spaces are also situated underneath the homes at Granton Station View providing business and employment opportunities for the area. Two of the spaces have recently been let out ensuring that residents of Granton Station View will have access to a local convenience store with a post office and a fitness gym.
As well as delivering over 3,500 ‘net zero’ homes in the next 10 years, the wider £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration will include a primary school, a health centre, commercial and cultural space as well as a new public park at the iconic Granton Gasholder, currently being restored.
Council leader Cammy Day said: “Today’s announcement is welcome news as the housing emergency we declared last year means we have a chronic shortage of housing in the city.
“Despite Scottish Government cuts in affordable housing, the homes at Granton Station View are part of an exciting pilot project which will not just help us ease this shortage but will provide many individuals and families with comfortable modern homes using the very latest technology to keep energy bills down.
“I wish everyone moving into Granton Station View well and look forward to seeing hundreds of other individuals and families move into the high-quality homes we are delivering at Western Villages and Silverlea as part of our wider £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.”
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “I am pleased that the City of Edinburgh Council has delivered 75 high-quality, energy-efficient homes for social and Mid-Market Rent in Granton.
“These homes were backed by over £6.6 million of Scottish Government funding and they will help to meet the needs of the local community for generations to come, whilst supporting Scotland’s net-zero ambitions.
“We remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032 with at least 70% for social rent and 10% in our rural and island communities.”
CCG (Scotland) Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “Scotland is in a housing emergency and our planet is in the midst of a climate emergency. Both issues are some of the most challenging that will face this generation and it is fundamental that we tackle both in equal measure by delivering more, sustainable homes like we have here at Granton Station View.
“Through our own, pioneering construction methods and a new delivery model that focuses on streamlined procurement and collaborative working, we have unlocked brownfield land and evidenced that a just net zero transition is achievable, the needs of our communities can be met, and our carbon impact can be significantly lowered.
“We thank the partners of the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator programme for their support during construction, and we look forward to continuing our work with the Council at Western Villages where a further 444 net zero ready homes, including 56 for sale from CCG Homes, will be completed in 2025.”
The EHD programme has developed a housing delivery model for ‘net zero ready’ homes across the six council areas in the City Region Deal.
As part of this programme, in Edinburgh, there are also 140 affordable homes being built in Greendykes which will be ready in 2027 and another 40 affordable homes currently being designed for Burdiehouse Crescent. These homes will have similar energy saving features.
Funding to support the delivery of an extra two million NHS operations, scans and appointments a year to significantly cut waiting lists across England has been announced by the Chancellor and Health Secretary today. This comes following over a decade of neglect and underinvestment of the NHS.
Ahead of her Budget on Wednesday, the Chancellor has confirmed that the NHS will receive the funding needed to deliver an extra 40,000 elective appointments per week, delivering on one of the Government’s First Steps in office to reduce waiting times in the NHS. This includes an additional £1.8bn the government has invested in elective activity this year since the July Statement.
This will be supported by a significant uplift of capital investment, with new capacity including surgical hubs and scanners, meaning thousands of additional procedures and millions of diagnostic tests across the country, alongside funding for new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment.
In his recent independent investigation into the NHS in England, Lord Darzi highlighted that the NHS is in “critical condition”. Patients across England are waiting too long, with the waiting list at over 7.6 million in August. In the same month, over 280,000 had been waiting for an operation, scan or appointment for over a year.
Today’s announcement is an integral step in reducing the waiting list and puts the NHS on course to meet the commitment that 92% of people wait less than 18 weeks to start treatment in the NHS.
The Chancellor’s budget tomorrow will set out how this government will fix the foundations to deliver change, by fixing the NHS and rebuilding Britain, while ensuring working people don’t face higher taxes in their payslips.
It will focus on “investment, investment, investment” in order to get the economy moving again and demonstrate how this government will take the long-term decisions needed to grow the economy and restore the country’s public services.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “Our NHS is the lifeblood of Britain. It exemplifies public services at their best, there for us when we need it and free at the point of use, for everyone in this country.
“That’s why I am putting an end to the neglect and underinvestment it has seen for over a decade now.
“We will be known as the government that took the NHS from its worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet again and made it fit for the bright future ahead of it.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Our NHS is broken, but it’s not beaten, and this Budget is the moment we start to fix it.
“The Chancellor is backing the NHS with new investment to cut waiting lists, which stand at an unacceptable 7.6 million today. Alongside extra funding, we’re sending crack teams of top surgeons to hospitals across the country, to reform how they run their surgeries, treat more patients, and make the money go further.”
Building an NHS fit for the future is one of this Government’s five priority missions; but it is clear that alongside sustainable investment, the NHS will need significant reform across the board to be truly transformed.
The Chancellor has therefore confirmed an ambitious reform programme across health and social care in England, including reforming the delivery of elective activity and patient pathways. Billions of pounds are set to be invested in technology and digital innovations across the NHS to boost productivity and unlock significant savings for the NHS in the long-term.
The funding comes after the Government last week launched ‘Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future’, a national conversation to help develop the 10 Year Health Plan, which will set out our long-term vision for health and the path to delivering the three shifts to reform and transform health: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.
Starting this week, the NHS will help people back to health and back to work by sending teams of top clinicians to hospitals across the country to help roll out reforms to cut waiting lists in hospitals – which will start with those in areas of the highest economic inactivity.
