December 2024 – Page 32 – The NEN

National charity confirms 17 job losses after losing Scottish Government funding

Young Enterprise Scotland will continue to deliver enterprise and financial education with significantly reduced team

Young Enterprise Scotland, the national charity that has delivered enterprise education to schools and colleges for over 30 years, has confirmed it has made 17 members of staff redundant after failing to secure Scottish Government funding in October.

The national charity will now operate on a significantly reduced staff team of no more than a dozen people after being denied funding from the Scottish Government’s new Entrepreneurial Education Fund.

YE Scotland’s funding has historically come from a combination of a core continuity grant from the Scottish Government, an ongoing pipeline of support from Trusts and Foundations and, to a lesser extent, support from the private sector.

In July this year, YE Scotland was advised the grant process would now cease with immediate effect, replaced with a competitive process which subsequently opened in August. The new fund awarded seven organisations with a share of £829,346, with YE Scotland being unsuccessful in this round of funding.

The charity was granted emergency funding of £285,000 which covered its existing costs for this financial year, allowing YE Scotland to avoid closure.

Young Enterprise Scotland CEO Emma Soanes said: “It is a huge relief that we have been able to avoid a complete closure of Young Enterprise Scotland and we are grateful to the Scottish Government for providing us with emergency funding which prevented our worst case scenario becoming reality.

“Sadly however, this will provide little consolation to the 17 valued members of our team who have lost their jobs just weeks before Christmas.

“Losing our major income source has been an enormously unsettling and upsetting time for everyone involved, and while we try to remain positive there is no doubt there will be challenging times ahead as we refocus and prioritise what programmes we deliver within schools and colleges on such a reduced staff model.”

Last year, YE Scotland supported over 18,000 school and college students through its enterprise programmes, including its flagship Company Programme, which many entrepreneurs credit with setting them on a successful business career.

In the past three years, more than 1,000 students have gained a YE Scotland enterprise qualification (SCQF Level 6) to prepare them for further education, work and life.

Emma Soanes added: “We will definitely be engaging our own entrepreneurial mindsets in the coming weeks and months as we reposition ourselves within the education ecosystem and continue with our commitment to deliver financial and enterprise education from primary one and early years, right through to S6”.

Rare festive photographs reveal glimpse of Scotland’s rural past

The National Museum of Rural Life has released a group of rare festive photographs from the Scottish Life Archive. The five historic photographs will be available to download for free for the first time, as a set of Christmas cards.

The photographs, each over 100 years old, include record-breaking snowy scenes, an eccentric Father Christmas from Fife and a family portrait by one of Scotland’s earliest woman photographers.

The Christmas cards are free to download from nms.ac.uk/ScottishLifeArchive, just in time for the festive season. Each one offers a unique glimpse of Scottish Christmases past.

Lady Henrietta Gilmour took up photography after the birth of her seventh and last child. She became a pioneer of the medium, capturing over a thousand images of Scottish country life, including a tender portrait of her children sledging in the grounds of Montrave House, Fife, in 1900.

Also from Fife, Mr Henry Watson posed as a characterful Father Christmas in Burntisland in 1909, wearing a fake beard and long, fur- trimmed coat decorated with dolls and toy animals. Two snowy scenes capture the extreme winter of 1895, when Braemar in Aberdeenshire captured the lowest ever recorded temperature in the UK at minus 27.2°C.

The Scottish Life Archive was established in 1959 as a way of preserving and documenting material culture and histories relating to rural life in Scotland. In later years it expanded to include evidence of not only country life, but maritime, urban and industrial life.

It contains a large collection of photographic negatives, slides and prints. It can be viewed by the public upon appointment.

Dr Ailsa Hutton, Curator of Modern and Rural History at National Museums Scotland, said: “The Scottish Life Archive offers remarkable insight into all aspects of Scottish life, with 300 years of documentary and illustrative material.

“I am thrilled to have an opportunity to shine a light on this rich resource, and Scotland’s fascinating rural history, through these magical festive photographs. Whether it’s a quirky Santa Claus or a record-breaking snowy winter, I hope people enjoy sharing a little bit of Scottish rural history this Christmas.”

The National Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride consists of a museum, historic farmhouse and working farm, telling the story of the land, people and ways of working that have shaped Scotland’s rural history.

On display in the museum is Scotland’s largest collection of tractors, combine harvesters and farming machinery, while the farm is home to Ayrshire, Aberdeen Angus and Highland cattle, Tamworth pigs, sheep, hens and Clydesdale horses.

Lanarkshire’s Reid family lived in the Georgian farmhouse for ten generations, and rooms are as they would have been in the 1950s.

Auditor General: No clear plan to deliver NHS vision

The Scottish Government needs a delivery plan that clearly explains to the public how it will reform the NHS and address the pressures on services.

Despite increasing funding and staffing, the NHS in Scotland is still seeing fewer patients than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Auditors found that:

commitments to reducing waiting lists and times have not been met
the number of people remaining in hospital because their discharge has been delayed is the highest on record
and NHS initiatives to improve productivity and patient outcomes have yet to have an impact and lack clear progress reporting.

Health accounts for about 40 per cent of the Scottish budget. Funding grew again in 2023/24 but has mostly been used to cover pay commitments and inflation. Costs are forecast to continue rising and making savings remains challenging. Work to build new healthcare facilities also remains paused.

The Scottish Government’s restated vision for health and social care is not clear on how these operational pressures on the NHS will be addressed or how reform will be prioritised. It needs to work with NHS staff, partners and the public to set out a clear delivery plan and make tough decisions about how it may change or potentially even stop some services.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “To safeguard the NHS, a fundamental change in how services are provided remains urgent. The Scottish Government needs to set out clearly to the public and the health service how it will deliver reform, including how progress will be measured and monitored.

“Difficult decisions are needed about making services more efficient or, potentially, withdrawing those services with more limited clinical value to allow funding to be re-directed. Taking those steps will require greater leadership from Scottish Government and NHS leaders than we’ve seen to date.”

nr_241203_nhs_in_scotland_2024_er Download

The Scottish Government responded:

Demolition Starts of Former Deutsche Bank House at Crewe Toll

256 New Low-Carbon Homes and Commercial Space to be Created at Ferry Road Site – Construction Starts Summer 2025

Regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate is progressing with the demolition of the former Deutsche Bank House at 525 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, making way for a spectacular homes-led redevelopment of the site.

Planning approval was granted in March 2024 for Artisan together with fund manager REInvest Asset Management S.A. to create a low-carbon residential community on the vacant site near the Crewe Toll roundabout in the northwest of the city centre.

Known as ‘525 Park View’, the new neighbourhood will provide 256 sustainable homes, 25% of which will be for affordable housing.

Flexible commercial space facing on to Ferry Road will provide potential for cafes, shops and shared workspaces.

The 110,000 sq. ft Deutsch Bank House was an office and data-processing centre and was formerly the Scottish base for State Street Bank until the building was vacated in 2018. The phased demolition programme, led by specialist contractor Metropolitan Demolition Ltd, will last up to six months before construction of 525 Park View begins in summer 2025.

Welcoming the start of demolition, Artisan’s Regional Director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity to breathe new life into an underused site, whilst ensuring its long-term future by delivering a new sustainable community to an accessible city centre location, underlining Artisan’s long-term commitment to future investment in Edinburgh.

“We have a long-standing working relationship with our specialist demolition contractor who have significant UK-wide experience of carrying out complex demolition programmes in sensitive city centre areas. Priority will be given to ensuring minimal disruption to both our immediate residential neighbours and the surrounding business community.”

He added: “As a regeneration specialist, Artisan has an established track record in transforming sensitive urban spaces into vibrant living environments. As part of our award-winning commitment to sustainability, we will ensure that as much material as possible from the demolition will be recycled on site and used for the new development.

“To this end, we are forging an innovative partnership with Edinburgh-based social enterprise EALA Impacts to help manage the salvaging and reusing of materials from the existing building.”

Designed by Edinburgh-based 7N Architects, 525 Park View will raise the bar for sustainable city-centre living. More than two thirds of the development area will be made up of high-quality green spaces – including a large central communal garden as well as biodiverse green roofs and a ‘wetland’ area which enhances local ecology whilst contributing to the wider sustainable urban drainage system.

Smart technology such as individual air source heat pumps for each home also means no fossil fuels will be used, emphasising Artisan’s commitment to sustainable low carbon development and delivering low energy costs for occupiers. Artisan Real Estate has a strong track record in delivering complex residential and mixed-use regeneration projects in sensitive city centre environments across the UK and won the inaugural ‘Excellence in Sustainability’ award at last year’s Scottish Homes Awards.

Development partner REInvest Asset Management S.A. was founded in Luxembourg as a specialist for future-facing investment ideas and currently manages and develops properties across Europe with a value in excess of EUR 2.3 billion. 525 Park View is held in a progressive property fund within a pan-European portfolio managed on behalf of a German insurance group.

For more information and to register interest in 525 Park View visit:

www.525parkview.co.uk

Santa’s Grotto to bring festive cheer to Utilita Energy Hub in Leith

Donations at Santa’s Grotto set to benefit South Leith Foodbank this weekend

Families are invited to swing by Utilita’s Energy Hub in Newkirkgate Shopping Centre this Saturday (7 December) between 11:30am and 3pm for a fun and free festive experience.

Visiting children will be given a gift completely free of charge and can take a selfie with Santa – thanks to the UK’s leading Smart PAYG energy supplier, Utilita.

In the spirit of giving, Utilita is asking every family to bring a non-perishable food item with them if they can, which will be distributed to South Leith Foodbank – part of Edinburgh North East Foodbank.

Natasha Baillie, Manager at the Leith Energy Hub, is looking forward to welcoming families and children to the hub on Saturday, 7 December. She said: “We’re excited in the countdown to Christmas to have a very special visitor coming to our high street energy hub.

“As well as giving youngsters the opportunity to take selfies with Santa Claus and receive a free gift, their grown-ups can also benefit from free and simple energy advice to help make their energy spend go further this winter. So why not swing by this Saturday for a cuppa and some festive cheer?”

Utilita’s high street hubs make it super simple to manage your energy – no phone lines or online dashboards, just a friendly face to speak to.

Whether you’re looking for account support, help to manage your spend or energy-saving advice, Utilita’s Energy Experts are on hand to help.

End Child Poverty: Budget Briefing

In the period 2020 to 2023, 1 in 4 children in Scotland were growing up in poverty. Poverty strips away the opportunities for children and young people to learn, grow and develop fully, and have happy and thriving childhoods.

As well as harming children and families, poverty harms Scotland’s economy to the cost of at least £2.4 billion per year. This isn’t acceptable, and change is possible.

We welcome progress on action to drive down child poverty, especially through investment in the Scottish Child Payment, a powerful intervention for putting money directly in the pockets of low income families.

However, while tackling child poverty is the Scottish Government’s and the First Minister’s stated “first priority”, this priority must be better reflected in budget decisions.

That is why the End Child Poverty Coalition is calling on the Scottish Government to ensure the 2025-26 Scottish Budget allocates the necessary additional resources to address the root causes of child poverty.

The 2025-26 budget should resource action across social security, employment, housing and whole-family support.

It is vital that the Scottish Government raises the resources in this budget – including through the ambitious and bold use of devolved taxation and Barnett consequentials flowing from the recent UK Budget – to fund the action needed to deliver on the First Minister’s number one priority of ending child poverty.

ECP Pre-Budget Briefing Final V02 Download

Edinburgh to host 42nd British-Irish Council

Capital meeting will mark 25th anniversary of BIC

The Scottish Government will host the 42^nd Summit meeting of the British-Irish Council in Edinburgh on 5 and 6 December, First Minister John Swinney has confirmed.

The British-Irish Council was formally established following the Good Friday Agreement. It brings together leaders from the Northern Ireland Executive, the Government of Ireland, the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Isle of Man Government, the Government of Jersey, and the Government of Guernsey.

The meeting in Edinburgh marks the 25^th anniversary of the first BIC which was held in London in 1999.

With a focus on financing a just transition, the First Minister said this Summit provides a forum for leaders to work collaboratively on tackling climate change and delivering real progress towards action that will help protect the planet.

First Minister John Swinney said: “I am pleased to confirm Scotland will host the 42^nd Summit meeting of the British-Irish Council in Edinburgh – a meeting which marks the 25^th anniversary of the first Summit which took place in December 1999 following the Good Friday Agreement.

“Since that first meeting, politics across our nations – and the issues that we have each faced – have changed significantly however the principles underpinning the British-Irish Council remain as important now as they did 25 years ago.

“In this anniversary year, I hope our meeting in Edinburgh will encourage and enhance a shared desire to work collaboratively on the big issues facing people.

“One of the biggest issues facing us all is of course climate change and this Summit’s theme of financing a just transition is a critical example of how governments must work together in recognition of the challenges we have to overcome, whilst seizing shared opportunities for the future.”

The 42^nd Summit of the British-Irish Council (BIC) will take place on Thursday 5 December and Friday 6 December 2024, marking the 25th anniversary of the first Summit which was held in London in December 1999.

This will be the sixth time the BIC Summit has been held in Scotland.

The Scottish Government last hosted an in-person Summit in June 2016, in Glasgow. In November 2020, it hosted a Summit virtually.

TODAY: Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre Annual General Meeting

TUESDAY 3rd DECEMBER at 3.30pm

Join us for our Annual General Meeting—a chance to hear about our achievements, plans for the future, and how you can get involved in shaping our community.

Date: Tuesday 3rd December

Time: AGM at 3:30 PM

Refreshments from: 2:30 PM

Come early, enjoy a cuppa, and connect with fellow community members.

Your voice matters, and we’d love to see you there!

Scotland Office supports worldwide anti-violence campaign

From 25 November to 10 December, the United Nations is making a worldwide call to action during 16 Days of Activism to help end violence against women and girls.

The Scotland Office has joined other UK Government departments, the Scottish Government, local authorities and partner organisations across the country in supporting the campaign against gender-based violence.

Violence against women in all its forms, whether on the street, in the home or – increasingly – online, is unacceptable. One incident is one too many.

Here, in her own words, Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill explains why she and Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray signed the pledge to help end these atrocious crimes, and why she’s urging everyone in Scotland to back her:

“Women have always known, because we are taught and told and trained, from very early on in our lives, that we are not safe – not on the street, not in the park, not in the club, not in the pool, not on a date.

“We learn that our own bodies can be a source of vulnerability or an object over which other people feel entitled to ownership and control. For me and for so many of my friends, that is such a fact of life we don’t even talk about it until there’s another horrific headline about a woman or girl we know could so easily have been us.

“This government won’t stand for half the population living like that.

“Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is overseeing an unprecedented Government mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. No government has sought to do this before, and we recognise the scale of the challenge we are facing. But the time has come for us to treat these appalling crimes like the national emergency that they are.

“In Scotland, as globally, the figures are stark and unacceptable. In the last year, 14,484 sexual crimes were recorded by Police Scotland. And during the same period, there were 63,867 incidents of domestic abuse, an increase of 3% compared to the previous year.

“You will know some of these women. You might not know that you know them, but you do. They are in every town, every workplace, every friendship circle.

“The trauma of survivors runs deep. So too does our commitment to ensure all women and girls across Scotland can breathe freely, sure in the knowledge their safety is a priority. “

*Minister Kirsty McNeill and Secretary of State Ian Murray sign the pledge*

She went on: “That’s why this past week, and until December 10, the Scotland Office has joined other government departments, the Scottish Government, our 32 local authorities and organisations across the country in supporting the United Nations’ 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, the annual campaign to raise awareness and commit to change.

“Secretary of State Ian Murray and I have signed the White Ribbon pledge and we’ve been inviting Scottish MPs into our base on Whitehall to do the same.

“By supporting the White Ribbon Scotland charity – whose emblem is the global symbol detesting gender-based violence – each one of us has pledged never to ‘commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women in all its forms’.

“Whether it’s domestic abuse behind closed doors or harassment on our streets, we’re sending a clear message: it ends now.

“One of my earliest ministerial visits was to Edinburgh Women’s Aid, to hear from survivors about the work that had changed and, in some, cases saved their lives. There can be no doubt about the stakes. Let there be no doubt either about our determination to work together – Scottish and UK governments, Police Scotland, local authorities and more – to build a safe Scotland for all women and girls.”

Festive drink and drug-driving crackdown launched

Figures show 45 offences recorded in Edinburgh during last year’s festive period

A hard-hitting campaign aimed at tackling drink and drug-driving was launched by The Scottish Government and Police Scotland yesterday, after a record number of drivers being caught drink or drug-driving.

Last year’s efforts resulted in more drink and drug-drivers being caught over the festive period than ever, with 45 offences recorded in Edinburgh between 1^st December 2023 and 2^nd January 2024¹.

Police Scotland is now warning offenders that anyone who drives with alcohol or drugs in their system, endangering themselves and others, risks being caught.

With police officers able to carry out immediate roadside drug testing using a simple swab, it’s easier than ever for officers to catch drug-drivers, with almost 50 per cent of tests showing up positive².

The most recent figures available, from 2022, show that drink-driving is estimated to have resulted in 30 deaths and a further 280 injuries.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Angela Constance, was joined by Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland’s Head of Road Policing, at the Livingston Inn, to emphasise the potentially devastating consequences of drink and drug-driving – not just for other road users but for those behind the wheel.

Ms. Constance said: “Driving with drink or drugs in your system destroys lives. As well as those whose loved ones are killed or seriously injured as a result of a driver under the influence; drivers themselves face losing their licence and their job, and could be faced with hefty fines.

“The impact on their own families can be huge. It’s simply not worth the risk – leave the car at home if you are planning a night out.”

Police Scotland is urging people to make transport plans before heading out to festivities.

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of Road Policing, said: “Our officers will be working hard to relentlessly target drivers who choose to drink alcohol or take drugs.

It doesn’t matter how good a driver you think you are, alcohol or drugs will affect your reactions and your judgement.”

The campaign aims to emphasise the long-lasting effects of drugs and alcohol and remind people that even one drink can take them over the alcohol limit. You can still be unfit to drive the morning after drinking or taking drugs, and some drugs can remain in your system for days.

Those caught driving with drugs or alcohol in their system may face a range of penalties including a 12-month driving ban, a fine of up to £5,000, penalty points on their licence and up to six months in prison.

Chief Superintendent Sloan continued: “We will be doing everything we can to protect the public and support crucial road safety partnerships to encourage behaviour change, but we also need your help.

“The influence people can have on their family and friends can be lifesaving.

“If you know someone is going to drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, please speak to them. We all have a responsibility to improve road safety.”

The new drink and drug-driving advertising campaign highlights how easy it is to catch drivers under the influence, that even one drink can put you over the limit, and that you can still be over the limit the morning after.

It will run during the festive period on radio, digital and outdoor channels supported by a PR and social media campaign.

For more information go to roadsafety.scot or the Road Safety Scotland Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) (@roadsafetyscot) pages.