Month: January 2025

Creative Scotland announces Multi-Year Funding Outcomes for arts and culture organisations

  • A record number of cultural organisations to receive stable, year-on-year funding to deliver culture and creativity for Scotland’s people 
  • All organisations currently funded by Creative Scotland to receive a significant uplift after years of standstill funding 
  • An additional 141 organisations will receive a multi-year funding commitment for the first time 
  • Significant increase in community-focused organisations being supported, alongside established cultural organisations, better representing Scotland’s geography and diversity 
  • Overall funding to the portfolio will increase further in 2026/27 
  • This cultural shift has been made possible thanks to a significant budget commitment from the Scottish Government 

Today, Thursday 30 January 2025, in a significant moment for culture in Scotland, Creative Scotland has announced the largest portfolio of cultural organisations ever to be supported on a multi-year basis.​ 

The recent uplift in Grant-in-Aid funding from the Scottish Government, releasing the largest budget ever available to Creative Scotland, enables more than £200m in support to be provided to 251 organisations over the next three years. 

Further to this, 13 other organisations, will be supported by a £3.2m Development Fund, with a view to them joining the Multi-Year Funding portfolio in 2026/27. 

Over half of the organisations in the portfolio are being offered a multi-year funding commitment for the first time, reaching more parts of Scotland, and more parts of our society, than ever before. 

Those organisations which have an existing regular funding relationship with Creative Scotland will receive an average uplift of 34% in their funding in 2025/26, increasing to an average of 54% from 2026/27, bringing certainty and stability. 

North Edinburgh Arts is one of the organisations to receive three year funding. They said: ‘We are delighted to share that North Edinburgh Arts has been awarded Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland! We are looking forward to re-opening our venue in the coming weeks, so the confirmation of Multi-Year Funding has come at the ideal time.

“NEA’s venue is owned, used, and loved by our community. The stability of long-term funding will allow us to plan with confidence and make a real difference for the hundreds of artists, participants, volunteers, and visitors coming through our door.”

Hidden Door also received good news. They announced: “We’re proud to be one of 13 organisations to receive Creative Scotland development funding with a view to joining their Multi-Year Funding portfolio in 2026 ❤️

This is a huge vote of confidence in our support for emerging artists, connecting audiences with inspirational cultural experiences.

‘We’re acutely aware of the challenges facing the creative sector, and we know that not everyone will have received good news today. But we warmly congratulate all those who secured funding, and we look forward to collaborating with many more wonderful projects in the years to come.’

Together, the organisations in this portfolio deliver cultural and creative work of quality, breadth and depth to audiences across Scotland and internationally and the portfolio is more representative of Scotland’s geography, diversity, people and communities than ever before. All this underlines Scotland’s reputation as a thriving creative nation where culture is valued and developed for all.  

​Importantly, the portfolio also provides significant support to Scotland’s local and national economy, through direct employment, by creating opportunities for freelancers, and by supporting individual artists and creative practitioners of all types. 

Robert Wilson, Chair of Creative Scotland said: “This is an extremely positive moment for culture in Scotland, bringing with it a renewed sense of stability and certainty to Scotland’s culture sector. 

“Thanks to the vote of confidence in the culture sector, demonstrated by the recently announced budget from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland can offer stable, year-on-year funding to more organisations than ever before.  

“I’m particularly pleased that this funding will increase further from next year, enabling even more fantastic artistic and creative work to be developed here in Scotland.  

“Stable, long-term funding for as many organisations as possible is the underlying principle of the Multi-Year Funding programme, and we are delighted to be able to bring it to fruition.  

“This funding means that we are able to bring so many new, community focused organisations into the portfolio, while also providing significant increases to those more established organisations which have been on standstill, regular funding for so many years. 

“I’m also very pleased to be able to offer 13 further organisations significant amounts of development funding, to enable them to come into the portfolio in its second year. 

“This signals a significant moment of positive change for Scotland’s cultural community, and I hope that, after the deeply challenging time of the pandemic, and the difficulties that have faced the sector in the subsequent years, that now is the time that we can look forward with confidence and the Scottish culture sector can get on with what it does best, producing outstanding art and creativity for everyone to enjoy.” 

Download short audio statement from Robert Wilson, Creative Scotland Chair.

Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Culture said: “This is a foundational moment for culture and the arts in Scotland. More organisations than ever, in more parts of the country will benefit from the stability of Multi-Year Funding with the number of funded organisations more than doubling, from 119 to 251. 

“Funded as part of a record £34 million increase for culture in the draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget, this significant increase in both the number of funded organisations, and the level of grant funding they will receive, has the potential to be truly transformational. It secures the future of key cultural organisations of all sizes across Scotland, which are major assets to our communities and our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and creating new opportunities for freelancers, artists and other creative practitioners. 

“It means 251 culture organisations across Scotland, from Argyll and Bute to Shetland, Na h-Eileanan Siar, and the Borders, will receive Multi-Year Funding from April this year and a further 13 have the possibility of doing so from 2026-27.

“I am also reassured that the remaining unsuccessful applicants will all be offered bespoke support from Creative Scotland to adapt their business models.”

Following the ministerial statement in the Scottish Parliament, Labour Lothians MSP Foysol Choudhury welcomed  the funding: “This funding decision is a step forward for Scotland’s cultural community. It  reflects the collective determination of local groups, artists, and advocates who have worked  tirelessly to highlight the importance of the arts in our society.

“I am proud to have played a  role in advocating for multi-year funding, and I hope this provides some temporary relief to  the culture sector. Festivals  have struggled with standstill government funding for years, stunting their growth. The  culture sector should not just be fighting for its survival.”

The list of organisations being awarded Multi-Year Funding, and their award for the next three years, is available on our website. 

The list of organisations being offered development funding, and their conditional award for the next three years, is also available on our website. 

Results of festive drink and drug driving campaign 2024/25

Police Scotland carried out more breath tests and more roadside drug tests during the 2024/25 festive drink and drug driving campaign than previous years.

There were 4,779 breath tests and 963 drug wipes conducted by police officers.

Road Policing and Local Policing officers worked together to target and deter drink and drug drivers.

They did this by carrying out proactive patrols, speaking to drivers and raising awareness in communities, using data to target key areas, responding to information from members of the public and setting up roadside checks.

Over 25,000 drivers were spoken to as part of the campaign.

Road safety partnership work happened at a local and national level, including supporting a Scottish Government marketing campaign and telling the story of road crash survivor Ellen Stickle who was left paralysed by a drug driver.

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of Road Policing, said: “Police Scotland will keep targeting drink and drug drivers and we know how important this is to the public.

“My message to people thinking about driving after taking drugs or alcohol is you will get caught. Our officers are out every day, we will arrest you and that will affect you for the rest of your life. It’s your choice and it can have a devastating impact on other road users. It changes people’s lives and it is avoidable.

“Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign and please continue to speak to family and friends to encourage changing the behaviour of drivers.”

The campaign ran from 1 December 2024 until 19 January 2025.

A pilot to give local policing officers the ability to use Drug Wipe roadside testing kit is ongoing in Shetland. The six-month pilot started during the festive campaign.

There were 12 roadside drug tests carried out using the Drug Wipe kit, with 5 positive results and one failure to comply with the test.

Three drivers failed the alcohol breathalyser test.

The small pilot will be evaluated as Police Scotland continues to work closely and carefully with Scottish Police Authority laboratories to ensure testing capacity can be managed. More information can be found here.

Improving lives for people with learning disabilities

Fund to support third sector organisations

People with learning disabilities will be supported to reach their full potential through a £1.6 million fund.

The Learning Disability Support Fund will be available to third sector organisations to enable them to promote equality and inclusion and improve access to health services and social activities for people with learning disabilities.

The fund will run for 30 months from October 2025, with a total of £325,000 available for the first year and £650,000 per year for the following two years. Organisations can apply for grants of between £75,000 and £250.000.

Minister for Wellbeing, Social Care and Sport Maree Todd said: “The last 30 years have seen enormous changes in how people with learning disabilities are supported in society, however we recognise there is more work to be done.

“We know the third sector plays a crucial role in improving the lives of people with learning disabilities and this fund will support organisations to enable those they work with to lead fulfilling, independent, and active lives as equal citizens.

“The grants will be used to provide people with education and information on matters such as accessing health services and developing safe relationships.

“In developing the fund, we have taken into account the views expressed by people with learning disabilities in recent consultation and research and we will work closely with the third sector to ensure it makes a difference.”

Celia Tennant, Chief Executive Officer at Inspiring Scotland said: “We are pleased to be managing the application process for the new phase of the Scottish Government’s Learning Disability Support Fund.

“We know from the past few years managing the Inspiring Inclusion fund the positive impact that empowering third sector organisations can have to deliver support for people in Scotland with learning disabilities to lead happy, healthy lives and create a more inclusive society.”

The Learning Disability Support Fund replaces the Inspiring Inclusion Learning Disability Fund.

Maybury Primary School welcomes first pupils

THE First of its kind, Maybury Primary School has this week welcomed its first pupils – 25 excited P1 learners – into the brand-new school building. 

The group of children, who have been based at neighbouring East Craigs Primary School since August 2024 are the first intake at the new school which will offer capacity for up to three streams, including 630 primary pupils and 128 nursery pupils. The next group of children will join the new school in August 2025.

The school’s catchment area includes the new housing developments in Cammo and West Craigs.

Maybury Primary School is built to the Passivhaus standard, a highly energy-efficient construction method that regulates air temperature in classrooms, creating a more comfortable learning environment. This approach supports The City of Edinburgh Council’s 2030 net-zero target by significantly reducing the building’s energy consumption.

The new primary school is part of the Maybury Community Hub and is the first school in Edinburgh to share a campus with a medical practice. The hub will maximise the use of its buildings, allowing local residents to access services close to where they live in line with the 20-Minute Neighbourhood strategy.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener said: “It is great to see that the new Maybury Primary School has welcomed its first group of learners into the building.

“The head teacher and her team have worked hard to ensure that the transition from East Craigs Primary School into the new school is smooth for the P1 children and I know that they are all excited to get settled into their new school environment.

“The new building has been constructed to be fit for the future and the ‘hub’ model means that the building can be used by the whole community, which is fantastic. The construction of Maybury Primary School is part of a broader initiative to meet the needs of new families who have moved into the area, alongside working to achieve the Council’s ambition to meet future demands and support community growth.”

Drylaw Litterpick Walk

MONDAY 3rd FEBRUARY from 10am – 12pm

Exciting news!

We have loads of new kit from Sustrans’ Love Your Neighbourhood project. Litterpickers, hoops, wipes, gloves, and best of all – trolleys!

FEBRUARY LITTERPICK WALK

Time: Monday Feb 3rd 10-12pm

Location: Drylaw Neighborhood Centre 67b Groathill Rd North

Fitness level: Easy

Led by: Cecile and Natalie

Open Days at Edinburgh College

Are you ready to Experience Edinburgh College? Each campus has a wide range of facilities for our students to experience, such as our libraries, hair and beauty salons, classroom cafes and fitness facilities.

Come along to our open days this February to find out more about each of our campuses and courses starting in August 2025. Applications are open now!

To find out more about the courses available and register your interest for one of our open days, check out our website https://www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/…/events/open-days-2025

#EdinburghCollege

#ExperienceEdinburghCollege

#ApplyNow

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Brexit cost: higher energy bills and lower investment

Scottish Government calls for closer energy links with Europe

The Scottish Government is calling for closer co-operation with Europe to help lower energy bills and boost investment.

Ahead of upcoming UK Government talks with the EU the Scottish Government has published a report, identifying  a number of opportunities to more closely align with the European Union on energy matters.

These include:

  • accelerating the adoption of more efficient UK-EU electricity trading arrangements to bring down energy costs for consumers
  • linking the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) to help reduce costs and barriers to trade

Estimates from the UK energy industry predict that unless the UK moves toward closer cooperation with the EU on energy and climate, it may lead to additional costs of up to £10billion in 2024-25, through higher energy bills and lower Treasury revenues.

The Scottish Government’s wants Scotland to be an EU member state, however the report published today sets out immediate actions which would rebuild closer collaboration with the EU on energy and climate matters and offset some of the damage caused by Brexit.

Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin said: “As we approach the fifth anniversary of Brexit, the costs to the people of Scotland are becoming ever clearer.

“The best future for Scotland is to be a member state of the EU. But we will always be a voice for closer co-operation with our fellow Europeans – in particular around issues which impact us all such as lowering energy bills and driving up investment in renewables.

“This paper highlights the key areas where working together is vital for achieving our shared ambitions – driving economic growth, reducing costs, strengthening energy security and substantially contributing to our shared climate goals.

“We have a pivotal role to play and stand ready to work collaboratively with the UK Government and wider partners to re-build a closer relationship with Europe in this space.”

Read the Closer energy and climate cooperation with the EU report

Energy UK Explains: the cost of the UK-EU relationship for energy – Energy UK

Rethink kick-off times during 2026 FIFA World Cup to protect footballers from extreme heat, report warns

Almost 90 per cent of stadiums hosting the 2026 World Cup could face potentially dangerous levels of heat, Queen’s University research has revealed.

With climate change and extreme heat becoming a growing problem for sport, some governing bodies for football recommend delaying or postponing games if a metric of heat stress termed “wet bulb globe temperatures” reaches above 28°C.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Dr Donal Mullan from Queen’s University has modelled this metric using 20 years of meteorological data to predict how hot the host stadiums are likely to get if it’s an average summer or a more extreme one.

Of the 16 stadiums, 14 could exceed the potentially dangerous 28°C level at least some of the time – with up to nine stadiums facing this heat at least half the time in a hot summer. Four stadiums could also reach a more dangerous 32°C level of extreme heat.

His research shows that temperatures are likely to be at their peak in the afternoon, when games are usually scheduled. Outside afternoon hours, levels of extreme heat reduce greatly at all host stadiums.

Dr Mullan comments: “Climate change and extreme heat are becoming bigger issues for all areas of our lives, and this includes sport.

“After analysing 20 years of data, our modelling shows that high temperatures are extremely likely, and these will have a major impact on players. We can see that afternoons are the peak time for higher temperatures, regardless of whether 2026 turns out to be an average or hot summer.

“To protect players, and spectators, organisers must rethink the timing of games. The best solution would be rescheduling kick-off times outside the hottest afternoon hours for the locations with highest temperatures, especially those without air conditioning. This is primarily Miami and Monterrey, but also Philadelphia, Kansas City, Boston and New York.”

The research findings have been published in The International Journal of Biometeorology.

The research was led by Dr Donal Mullan from the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen’s University Belfast. He worked with a team of researchers from a range of universities across the UK and Canada.

EVOC: CEO Update

I have now been in post as CEO with EVOC for 25 days (on 22/1), though it sometimes feels like a lot longer! I have had a whirlwind of an introduction, and my feet have hardly touched the ground, which has made it exciting. 

I have met a lot of great people from across the sector and our partner organisations, including the City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government. I have been made to feel welcome and have learned a lot from a diverse mix of individuals.

I have heard of the challenges different organisations are facing right now, and these conversations are shaping my understanding and giving me insights that I will be distilling, with colleagues, into our future planning. 

We are currently seeking the views of members and voluntary organisations in Edinburgh to tell us about their needs and the challenges that they are facing in 2025 and beyond. To increase the number of people who can contribute, we are using a survey that will be circulated to our members.

Please take a few minutes to complete it to ensure we consider the needs of more organisations in shaping how we work in future and what our priorities will be.

This month we are preparing for our Annual General Meeting at 4pm on Wednesday 26 February which will be held on Zoom. We will report on the year 2023/24 and give a flavour of our plans for the future.

We are looking for new individuals with business skills to be elected to the board of EVOC to join a committed group of volunteers who are interested in the development of EVOC as representatives to serve third sector organisations in Edinburgh. You can find how to apply to join the Board of Directors here.

Separately we are seeking a new Convener to chair the board and provide leadership to the organisation and directors. We’re looking for somebody with integrity good governance, leadership, finance and change management experience. If you are interested in this role, please see the details here.

We are spending a great deal of time currently in seeking ways to support those organisations affected by the impending cuts to the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) grants scheme which is a partnership between the NHS and the City of Edinburgh Council. 

In recent months we have increased our engagement across the sector, so that we are better able to represent the views and interests of voluntary organisations in strategic forums such as the EIJB and the Edinburgh Partnership.

We are doing this as we strengthen our culture of service, to our members and to the sector. 

With best wishes  

Bruce Crawford, CEO