Day: February 12, 2025

Edinburgh College set to welcome prospective students during February Open Days

Edinburgh College is set to host four open days this month for those considering starting a course in August 2025.

At the open days, prospective students are invited to find out about the various courses they can apply for, meet curriculum teams, explore the College’s facilities, as well as experience first-hand what it’s like to study at Edinburgh College.

Midlothian Campus will be open from 4pm-7pm on Tuesday 18 February, Milton Road Campus will be open from 4pm-7pm on Wednesday 19 February, Sighthill Campus will be open from 4pm-7pm on Thursday 20 February, and Granton Campus will be open from 10am-1pm on Saturday 22 February.

Prospective students are invited to attend the open days to not only discuss course options, but also find out more about applications, funding options and the support available to them while studying at college.

The College offers a wide range of subjects within its faculties of Creative Industries, Construction and Engineering, Health, Wellbeing and Social Science, and Tourism, Hospitality and Business.

With beginner-level courses, pathways to university, short courses and continuous development courses, learners at any stage of their career or education journey will be able to find out about their possible next steps at these events.

Edinburgh College Principal, Audrey Cumberford, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming prospective students onto our campuses this February.

“Open Days are the perfect opportunity for those considering coming to college to not only find out about the wide-variety of courses that we offer, but also explore our campus facilities, and learn about the range of support available to them.

“I highly encourage anyone considering studying here to join us for the events.”

Attendees can drop in or book a place on subject-specific sessions.

For more information and to book a place at one of the open days, visit the Edinburgh College website.

Applications for courses starting in August 2025 are now open.

Funding boost to tackle gender-based violence

Delivering Equally Safe Fund increased

More than 100 organisations across Scotland working to tackle violence against women and girls will share in a funding uplift of £2.4 million.

The funding boost will bring the total Scottish Government investment in Delivering Equally Safe, which funds projects to prevent violence and support survivors, up to £21.6 million for the year ahead subject to the 2025-26 Budget being approved.

Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart announced the funding increase on a visit to SAY Women – a Glasgow charity offering safe accommodation and emotional support for young survivors of sexual abuse who are facing homelessness.

Ms Stewart said: “Grassroots organisations across Scotland are at the heart of tackling violence against women and girls. Their work is fundamental to creating a country free from gender-based abuse.

“This funding boost will support these organisations, will help prevent abuse occurring and ensure that women and girls who have experienced violence can continue to access the support they deserve.”

SAY Women CEO Pam Hunter said: “SAY Women is delighted to receive the additional funds. This will go towards increasing our investment into projects for the young women within our services.

“In the face of the rising cost of living, increase in N.I contributions and inflation, the organisation made the challenging executive decision to limit the variety of activities on offer to those in our care so that we may allow the staff to have a fair living wage.

“This additional funding will reinstate many of the services that were temporarily paused so that SAY Women may continue to do the good work supporting young women affected by sexual violence and homelessness.”

The Delivering Equally Safe Fund supports organisations across Scotland in their work to tackle violence against women and girls, and has done since 2021.

The organisations funded through Delivering Equally Safe are as follows:

Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen Cyrenians Ltd
Aberlour Child Care Trust
Action for Children
Amina – the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre
Angus Women’s Aid
Argyll & Bute Rape Crisis
Argyll & Bute Violence against Women and Girls Partnership
Argyll & Bute Women’s Aid SCIO
ASSIST, Glasgow City Council
Barnardo’s Tayside
Barnardo’s Falkirk
Border Women’s Aid Ltd
British Red Cross Society
Caithness & Sutherland Women’s Aid
CEA Committed To Ending Abuse
Central Advocacy Partners
Children 1st
Clackmannanshire Women’s Aid
Close the Gap (SCIO)
Deaf Links
Dumbarton District Women’s Aid
Dumfries & Galloway Council
Dumfries & Galloway Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Support Centre
Dumfriesshire & Stewartry Women’s Aid
Dundee City Council
Dundee International Women’s Centre
Dundee Women’s Aid
East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership
East Ayrshire Women’s Aid
East Dunbartonshire Association For Mental Health
East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid SCIO
East Lothian and Midlothian Public Protection Committee
Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre
Edinburgh Women’s Aid Ltd
Edinburgh Women’s Aid Ltd
EmilyTest
Engender
FENIKS Counselling, Personal Development & Support Service Ltd
Fife Council
Fife Rape and Sexual Assault Centre
Fife Women’s Aid
Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre
GEMAP Scotland Ltd
Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis
Glasgow Women’s Aid
Grampian Women’s Aid
Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid Limited
INVERCLYDE WOMEN’S AID SCIO
Inverness Women’s Aid
JustRight Scotland SCIO
Kenyan Women in Scotland Association (CIC)
Kibble Education and Care Centre
Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project
Lanarkshire Rape Crisis Centre
LGBT Youth Scotland
Liber8 (Lanarkshire) Ltd
Lochaber Women’s Aid
Monklands Women’s Aid
Moray Rape Crisis
Moray Women’s Aid
Motherwell & District Women’s Aid
Multi-Cultural Family Base
North Ayrshire Women’s Aid
North Lanarkshire Council
Cumbernauld & District Women’s Aid SCIO
Orkney Rape & Sexual Assault Service (ORSAS) SCIO
Perth & Kinross Council
Perthshire Women’s Aid
Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Perth & Kinross
Rape and Sexual Abuse Service Highland
Rape Crisis Grampian
Rape Crisis Scotland
Renfrewshire Council
Renfrewshire Council, Children’s Services, Women and Children First
Renfrewshire Women’s Aid SCIO
Respect
Ross-Shire Women’s Aid
Rowan Alba Ltd
Sacro
SafeLives
Saheliya
Sandyford – NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
SAY Women
Scottish Borders Council
Scottish Borders Rape Crisis Centre (SBRCC)
Scottish Commission for Learning Disability
Scottish Women’s Aid
Shakti Women’s Aid
Shetland Rape Crisis
Shetland Women’s Aid (SCIO)
South Ayrshire Women’s Aid
South Lanarkshire Council
South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd
Stirling & District Women’s Aid
The Highland Council
The Improvement Service
The Star Centre
The Venture Trust
West Dunbartonshire Council
Western Isles Rape Crises Centre
Western Isles Women’s Aid SCIO
West Lothian Council
West Lothian Women’s Aid (WLWA)
White Ribbon Scotland
Wigtownshire Women’s Aid
Women’s Aid East and Midlothian Ltd
Women’s Aid Orkney
Women’s Aid South Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire
Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Dundee and Angus
Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Dundee and Angus
Women’s Support Project
YWCA Scotland
Zero Tolerance

Edinburgh council facing £1 million compensation payouts over unlawful planning fees in ‘shambolic’ short-term let licensing rollout

More than a hundred self-catering operators have lodged formal complaints of maladministration against City of Edinburgh Council, citing unlawful charges amounting to thousands of pounds in unnecessary planning fees.

These fees were imposed during the rollout of the Council’s controversial short-term let (STL) licensing scheme under the leadership of former Council Leader, Cammy Day.

A recent Judicial Review at the Court of Session confirmed that self-catering businesses operating before 5th September 2022 were not required to apply for planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness. However, in 2024, operators were compelled to incur these costs, which could now lead to financial repercussions for the Council exceeding £300,000.

With additional complainants expected, the total compensation owed could surpass £1 million in unlawfully levied fees.

This development follows multiple legal challenges by self-catering operators against the Council’s STL licensing policies. Edinburgh Council has already been forced to amend its policies twice following rulings against it in the Court of Session.

A third legal threat recently prompted the Council to concede once again that its policy was unlawful.

Ralph Averbuch, spokesperson for Justice for Scotland’s Self-Caterers, commented: “Edinburgh Council’s recent actions have caused immense distress and in some cases loss of employment to self-catering operators that had historically been advised no action was required other than moving from council tax rolls to non-domestic rates.

“Now that we have a new regime in place, it has never justified the retrospective hounding of those that traded prior to the introduction of STL Licensing and the opportunities the Council took to use this as a pretext for closing down a sector that accounts for well under 1% of all homes in the capital.

“To be clear, this city needs self-catering to function and the Council’s lack of recognition of the wider impacts has already done great harm, adding cost to operators and visitors alike.”

Fiona Campbell, CEO of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC), added: “It is deeply regrettable that the self-catering community must yet again challenge Edinburgh Council’s STL policies which amount to an ideologically driven de facto ban.

“Despite being a professional and integral part of Edinburgh’s tourism economy, legitimate businesses continue to face an existential threat. The mishandling of STL regulations by the Scottish Government was evident from the outset. We continuously warned that they were not fit for purpose and now we are seeing the consequences unfold.

“With the shambolic roll out of licensing across the country, it is only a matter of time before further compensation claims emerge throughout Scotland.”

The city council has yet to comment on this latest development.