February 2025 – Page 3 – The NEN

Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association celebrates International Mother Language Day

The Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association (SBWA) is proud to announce its celebration of International Mother Language Day in Edinburgh.

The event, held at Portobello on 23rd February 2025, truly promoted social cohesion and cross-cultural awareness between our community and others across Scotland. This initiative fostered stronger connections with diverse communities, encouraging linguistic diversity, multilingualism, and the preservation of mother languages worldwide.

In this multicultural festival, Honorable Chief Guest was Mr. Foysol Choudhury MBE MSP who has been the advisor of SBWA since it was founded.

In his speech he said: “It is important for our younger generations to embrace their mother language, as it not only helps to maintain cultural connections but also plays a vital role in fostering inclusivity in society.”

The event saw participation from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, including Bangladeshi Scottish, Irish, English, French, German, Polish, African, Spanish, Japanese, Greek, and Indian performers and attendees.

In his speech, The President of Scottish Bangladeshi Welfare Association, Mr. Ziauddin Khan Siddique (Sumon) said, “We are incredibly proud of this achievement and extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to making the event a success.”

The Genearal Secretary of the organisation Mr. Khan Elahi urged to take necessary steps to establish a permanent ‘Shaheed Minar’ (Monument) in Edinburgh like other cities across the World (London, Paris, Lisbon, Toronto).

Moreover, The Event management secretary of the organisation Mr. Nazim Ahmed thanked everyone including guests, performers & volunteers to make this program successful.

This organisation’s mission is to address and work on the key issues including the advancement of education, community development, arts, heritage, culture, science, social welfare, and health and wellbeing.

Since it’s registration with the Scottish Charity Registry in April 2022, we have been committed to serving the community with dedication and compassion.

প্রেস রিলিজ

স্কটিশ বাংলাদেশি ওয়েলফেয়ার অ্যাসোসিয়েশন এডিনবরায় আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস উদযাপন করল

স্কটিশ বাংলাদেশি ওয়েলফেয়ার অ্যাসোসিয়েশন (SBWA) গর্বের সঙ্গে ঘোষণা করছে যে, তারা এডিনবরায় আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস উদযাপন করেছে। ২৩শে ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০২৫ তারিখে এডিনবরার পোর্টোবেলোতে অনুষ্ঠিত এই অনুষ্ঠানটি সামাজিক সংহতি ও আন্তঃসাংস্কৃতিক সচেতনতা বৃদ্ধির একটি অনন্য উদাহরণ হয়ে উঠেছিল। এই উদ্যোগ বিভিন্ন সম্প্রদায়ের মধ্যে সংযোগ আরও দৃঢ় করেছে এবং ভাষাগত বৈচিত্র্য, বহুভাষিকতা এবং বিশ্বব্যাপী মাতৃভাষার সংরক্ষণকে উৎসাহিত করেছে।

এই বহু-সাংস্কৃতিক উৎসবে প্রধান অতিথি ছিলেন মাননীয় ফয়ছল হোসেন চৌধুরী এমবিই এমএসপি, স্কটিশ পার্লামেন্টের সদস্য। ছায়া মন্ত্রী সংস্কৃতি, ইউরোপ এবং আন্তর্জাতিক উন্নয়ন. যিনি SBWA-র প্রতিষ্ঠাকালীন পরামর্শদাতা। তাঁর বক্তব্যে তিনি বলেন, “আমাদের তরুণ প্রজন্মের জন্য মাতৃভাষাকে গ্রহণ করা অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ, কারণ এটি শুধুমাত্র সাংস্কৃতিক সংযোগ বজায় রাখতেই সাহায্য করে না, বরং সমাজে অন্তর্ভুক্তির গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ভূমিকা পালন করে।”

অনুষ্ঠানে বিভিন্ন সাংস্কৃতিক পটভূমির মানুষ অংশ নেন, যার মধ্যে ছিলেন বাংলাদেশি-স্কটিশ, আইরিশ, ইংরেজ, ফরাসি, জার্মান, পোলিশ, আফ্রিকান, স্প্যানিশ, জাপানি, গ্রিক এবং ভারতীয় শিল্পী ও দর্শনার্থীরা। স্কটিশ বাংলাদেশি ওয়েলফেয়ার অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের সভাপতি মি. জিয়াউদ্দিন খান সিদ্দিক (সুমন) তাঁর বক্তব্যে বলেন, “আমরা এই অর্জনে অত্যন্ত গর্বিত এবং যাঁরা এই অনুষ্ঠান সফল করতে সহায়তা করেছেন, তাঁদের সবাইকে আন্তরিক ধন্যবাদ জানাই।”

সংগঠনের সাধারণ সম্পাদক মি. খান এলাহী এডিনবরায় একটি স্থায়ী “শহীদ মিনার” (স্মৃতিস্তম্ভ) প্রতিষ্ঠার জন্য প্রয়োজনীয় পদক্ষেপ গ্রহণের আহ্বান জানান, যেমনটি বিশ্বের অন্যান্য শহরে (লন্ডন, প্যারিস, লিসবন, টরন্টো) ইতিমধ্যেই রয়েছে। এছাড়াও, সংগঠনের ইভেন্ট ম্যানেজমেন্ট সচিব মি. নাজিম আহমেদ অতিথি, শিল্পী এবং স্বেচ্ছাসেবকদের ধন্যবাদ জানান, যাঁদের অক্লান্ত পরিশ্রমের ফলে এই অনুষ্ঠান সফল হয়েছে।

এই সংগঠনের লক্ষ্য হল শিক্ষার উন্নয়ন, কমিউনিটি ডেভেলপমেন্ট, শিল্প, ঐতিহ্য, সংস্কৃতি, বিজ্ঞান, সামাজিক কল্যাণ, স্বাস্থ্য ও সুস্থতা সংক্রান্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বিষয়গুলোতে কাজ করা। ২০২২ সালের এপ্রিলে স্কটিশ চ্যারিটি রেজিস্ট্রিতে নিবন্ধিত হওয়ার পর থেকে, আমরা কমিউনিটির সেবা প্রদানে নিষ্ঠা ও আন্তরিকতার সঙ্গে কাজ করে যাচ্ছি।

Child Poverty: Turning the Tide

NEW REPORT BY RESOLUTION FOUNDATION

The Government is due to publish a Child Poverty Strategy later this year, with a promise to bring about “an enduring reduction in child poverty” (write ALEX CLEGG and ADAM CORLETT of The Resolution Foundation).

In this report we focus on the Government’s headline metric of relative child poverty and look at what might be needed to achieve this welcome goal in the face of significant headwinds.

We consider the role of improvements in parental employment and housing affordability, but also of reforms to social security, and we show what is needed to make sure that any gains in this Parliament are not lost in future.

KEY FINDINGS

On the Government’s headline measure of relative poverty after housing costs, 4.3 million children (three-in-ten) were living in relative poverty across the UK in 2022-23. On an international measure accounting for both housing and energy costs, the UK’s relative child poverty rate is higher than in any EU or EFTA nation bar Greece.
On present policies and our baseline economic forecasts, we project that UK child poverty will rise over this Parliament from an estimated 31 per cent in 2024-25 to reach 33 per cent by 2029-30, its highest rate since 1998-99, and the highest number of children on record, at 4.6 million. This is partly because the outlook includes £3 billion of scheduled welfare cuts, in the form of the ongoing roll out of the two-child limit and family element abolition, and real cuts each year in the value of Local Housing Allowances and the benefit cap.
It is right to be ambitious about employment rates and housing supply. Concerted action on these could lower child poverty by 130,000 compared to our base scenario, and would provide fiscal room for new spending (as would higher-than-expected growth more generally). But without changes to social security, poverty would still rise over the Parliament.
The child poverty priority should be to abolish the two-child limit, and the benefit cap alongside it, which would take an estimated 500,000 children out of poverty in 2029-30. This would cost £4.5 billion in 2029-30 but is the most efficient anti-poverty measure the Government could take. Turning the two-child limit into a three-child limit (and assuming the benefit cap is still abolished) would have about two-thirds of the impact at two-thirds of the cost.
Free School Meal entitlement should be extended to cover all families on Universal Credit, which would take around 100,000 children out of poverty, with money found from within existing departmental spending plans. For further poverty reductions, Local Housing Allowance should be repegged to local rents – rather than remain frozen indefinitely – and Universal Credit’s basic adequacy tackled, for example by reversing the abolition of the ‘family element’. This would reduce child poverty by a further 140,000. These policies could mean that, by 2029-30, child poverty could be around 900,000 lower than in our default projection, at 3.7 million: getting below 4 million for the first time since 2015 outside of 2020-21. And the child poverty rate could be cut to its lowest in four decades, at around 27 per cent, in the highest-ambition scenarios.
The ambitious package would have a price tag of around £8.5 billion, falling to £5.5 billion if the extension of free school meals is funded within existing departmental budgets and the Government can succeed in raising employment and building more homes.
In the longer-term, family benefit uprating needs to move to tracking average earnings – alongside the State Pension – or else relative child poverty will always tend to rise as social security entitlements fall behind average earnings.

Read Resolution Foundation’s TURNING THE TIDE report:

Turning.the_.tide_Download

Views sought on proposals to recall MSPs

Should voters be able to recall MSPs? And if so, what criteria should be used?

Just two of the questions the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee is asking about Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill.

The work is part of the Committee’s consideration of the Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill. The Bill, which was introduced by Graham Simpson MSP, proposes that systems should be introduced for the recall and removal of MSPs.

Now the Committee is asking whether these measures are generally supported and how the detail of the Bill would work in practice.

The recall process would be triggered if an MSP was excluded from Parliament for 10 sitting days or received a prison sentence of less than six months.

This would then mean that constituents in the constituency or region the MSP represents would be able to sign a petition calling for the MSP to lose their seat.

The Bill also proposes new grounds for the removal of MSPs, including when a Member has not attended the Parliament in person for 180 days without a good reason for their non-attendance.

Speaking as the Committee launched its call for views, the Committee Convener Martin Whitfield MSP said: “According to the support documents accompanying this Bill, it has at its heart the integrity of the democratic process and the aim of improving accountability.

“Our Committee want to know what effect these proposals would have in practice.

“The recall process suggested within the Bill broadly mirrors the now well established process at Westminster. But the two electoral systems are not alike and a simple copy and paste approach will not work.

“So, we want to hear from people in constituencies and regions across Scotland about whether they feel that these measures, and the suggested approaches would work.”

Read the questions and submit your views on Citizen Space

Have your say: https://ow.ly/jCNC50V6TLB

Fundamental review needed of planning and resourcing of additional support for learning

The Scottish Government and councils must fundamentally rethink how they plan, fund and staff additional support for learning as part of core school education in Scotland.

Since legislation in 2004 to make additional support for learning (ASL) more inclusive, there has been an eight-fold increase in pupils recorded as receiving ASL; currently 40 per cent of Scottish pupils – or 285,000 children – receive ASL. Almost all support is now delivered in mainstream classrooms, and it has become an increasingly central part of what teachers do.

The Scottish Government failed to plan for the impacts of this inclusive approach, and poor data means it is not possible to determine the scale, complexity and nature of needs across Scotland. The Scottish Government and councils urgently need better information to understand pupils’ needs and appropriate level of resource to support them.

Existing measures show a wide gap in outcomes for pupils receiving additional support compared with other pupils, including being more likely to be absent or excluded from school. More appropriate ways of measuring the achievements of pupils who receive ASL are still to be developed.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government has failed to plan effectively for its inclusive approach to additional support for learning. Current gaps in data mean it is unclear whether all children’s right to have an education that fully develops their personality, talents and abilities is being met.

“The Scottish Government and councils urgently need better quality data to understand pupils’ additional support needs and the resources required to provide support to enable all pupils to reach their full potential.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1895030093891731696

Ruth MacLeod, Member of the Accounts Commission, said: “Councils and the Scottish Government must fundamentally rethink how additional support for learning is planned and provided as a core part of Scotland’s school education.

“This includes reviewing how mainstream and special education is provided to meet current and future additional support needs and demands.

“It is critical they work with pupils, parents and carers and staff throughout this process.”

COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson, Councillor Tony Buchanan @antbuc1), has commented following report published today about Additional Support For Learning from the Auditor General and Accounts Commission.

The Auditor General and Accounts Commission published a briefing paper on additional support for learning (ASL) on 27th February 2025. It makes a series of recommendations to Scottish Government and Councils, touching on data, measuring the outcomes of children and young people with additional support needs, funding, workforce planning and school buildings.

The COSLA Children and Young People Board will discuss the briefing at their meeting on 7^th March.

Councillor Tony Buchanan, said: “Local Government is fully committed to supporting all children and young people to learn and to providing opportunities so that they can realise their full potential. The briefing paper published by the Auditor General and Accounts Commission on additional support for learning is welcomed.

The COSLA Children and Young People Board will be updated next week, with an initial consideration of the recommendations. COSLA, alongside the Scottish Government, co-chair the Additional Support for Learning Project Board.

“There will be an opportunity for the project board to consider the recommendations fully when they meet next month and consider how these can inform their priorities.”

briefing_250227_additional_support_for_learning Download

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home announces in-person cat first aid training course

The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is proud to announce the launch of in-person Cat First Aid Training courses, designed to equip cat owners with the vital skills needed to handle emergencies and common health issues with confidence.

With cats being prone to a variety of injuries and illnesses, this innovative course aims to empower owners and ensure their feline companions receive immediate and effective care when needed most.

The full day course, priced at £110, will be held at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home and covers a wide range of crucial topics to help cat owners deliver first aid.

Participants will be taught; how to respond quickly in cases of choking or suffocation, how to handle wounds with proper care and bandaging and how to identify and manage common medical conditions like feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism.

The course also covers environmental hazards, including poisoning and electric shock, and provides guidance on maintaining a proper diet and nutrition to support a cat’s overall health.

Participants will learn how to perform a weekly health check to identify early warning signs of illness and injury in their feline friends, as well as how to assess vital signs and effectively evaluate their cat’s condition. The course also includes essential life-saving skills such as recognising and responding to shock and performing CPR.

Carla Harris-Tait, Education Officer at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, explains: “Cats are incredibly good at hiding pain, so it’s vital that owners know how to spot subtle signs of distress and illness.

“This course provides them with the knowledge and confidence to take action, which could mean the difference between life and death for their cat.”

This course marks a significant development in cat welfare education, as it is one of the first in-person Cat First Aid courses to be offered in the UK. While similar courses are available online, this hands-on approach ensures that pet owners gain practical, lifesaving skills in a real-world environment.

In the UK, there are over 10 million cats*, yet a significant number of cat owners are unaware of the common health issues that can affect their pets. Only 45% of cats are insured*, making costly vet bills a concern for many owners.

This training course will help mitigate these concerns by teaching preventative care and early detection, which can reduce the likelihood of serious health issues and lower vet bills.

Lindsay Fyffe Jardine, CEO of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, added: “Our mission at the Home has always been to support pets and their owners, and this new training course is a vital step in achieving that.

“By equipping owners with these essential skills, we’re empowering them to be their cat’s strongest support system, ensuring their pet gets the care they truly deserve.”

The total cost of the Cat First Aid Training delivered by Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home goes directly to the home, supporting their mission. As they receive no government funding, every contribution helps them continue their vital work.

For more information on how to book Cat First Aid Training, please visit Cat First Aid – Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home

Party in the Park!

SATURDAY 5th APRIL 11am – 1.30pm at GASHOLDER 1 PARK

Join us for the official launch of Granton’s newest public park at Granton Gasholder 1!

Enjoy a day for all the family and celebrate with the community. Activities will include:

A one-off community singalong with Pianodrome at 11am
A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11.15am
Family arts and craft activities
Penalty shoot-outs with Craigroyston Community Youth Football Club
Free ice cream from Lucas
Free facepainting
Exhibition stalls

Bring your family, friends and a picnic blanket for a fun day out. All are welcome! We can’t wait to see you there!

First Minister to convene gathering on ‘democracy and respect’

A new initiative to unite Scotland together against extremism

First Minister John Swinney will convene a pivotal gathering of Scottish society to work together and unite Scotland against the “increasingly extreme far right”.

Representatives from key organisations across Scotland including churches, trades unions and charities will be invited to attend a gathering in April, alongside the leaders of Scotland’s parliamentary parties.

Speaking at a press conference at Bute House, following the passage of the 2025-26 Budget, the First Minister said the new gathering will be an opportunity renew public trust in politics and unite Scotland in a common cause – “for democracy and respect.”

The First Minister said: “At the start of the year, I warned that failure to pass the budget would send a signal that Parliament and politics could not deliver. That failure would only serve the interests of an increasingly extreme far right and leave devolution dangerously exposed.

“But the budget has passed, and a different story can be told. Yesterday’s vote demonstrated that partnership and collaboration are possible. And that is something precious, something vitally important itself.

“But we must do more. It is time to come together to draw a line in the sand. To set out who we are and what we believe in.

“The threat from the far right is real. But that leaves me all the more convinced that working together is not only the right choice, but the only choice.

“That is why I want to share a new initiative to bring Scotland together in common cause. I want us to work together to agree a common approach to asserting the values of our country, to bringing people together and creating a cohesive society where everyone feels at home.

“It was a mobilisation of mainstream Scotland that delivered our parliament a quarter of a century ago. And I have no doubt, it is only by mobilising mainstream Scotland that we can protect those things we care most about, those things that are most important to us today.”

The First Minister will write to all party leaders and the leaders of civic organisations with the details of the upcoming gathering in due course.

A new initiative to bring Scotland together: First Minister’s speech – 26 February 2025 –

Growth and security at heart of PM’s meeting with President Trump

The Prime Minister will be focused on delivering prosperity and security for the British people, when he meets President Trump today in Washington D.C – but what Mr Trump will be focused on is anyone’s guess

Prosperity and security for working people focus of Prime Minister’s meeting with President Trump.
Special relationship between UK and US critical to deliver growth and security, with further collaboration on AI and tech.
Prime Minister to reiterate shared US-UK commitment to reaching a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine, and the need for Europe to step up to the challenge.

The Prime Minister will be focused on delivering prosperity and security for the British people, when he meets President Trump today (Thursday 27 February) in Washington D.C.

The UK and the US share a unique and historic relationship, based on shared values and a mutual commitment to economic and defence cooperation.

The UK and the US have one of the biggest trading relationships of any two countries in the world, worth around 400 billion dollars and supporting over 2.5 million jobs across both countries.

This visit comes just days after the third anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister and President Trump share a commitment to delivering lasting peace in Ukraine, and the Prime Minister will reiterate the UK’s commitment to securing a just and enduring peace, bringing an end to Russia’s illegal war.

The Prime Minister will be clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine, without Ukraine and will recognise the need for Europe to play its part on global defence and step up for the good of collective European security.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced that defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament. This will drive economic growth and create jobs across the UK, while bolstering national security and protecting borders.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The world is becoming ever more dangerous, and it is more important than ever that we are united with our allies.

“A stable economy, secure borders and national security are the foundations of my Plan for Change, and the US-UK relationship is integral to delivering them. These principles will be at the heart of discussions with President Trump today.

“There are huge opportunities for us to deepen our special relationship, deliver growth and security, and improve the lives of working people in both our great nations.”

Both countries are world leaders in AI and advanced technologies, and the Prime Minister will be looking to build on these strong foundations to create jobs and economic growth.

The discussion will have a particular focus on the opportunities that further technology and AI partnerships could deliver. These include a proposal of high-ambition shared moonshot missions across top technologies including quantum and AI, and a deeper partnership on space.

The US and UK are the only two allied countries with trillion-dollar technology eco-systems, and the Prime Minister will make the case for further integration between the two countries’ tech sectors to make them the most efficient, ambitious technology sectors in the world.

In October, US tech firms announced a £6.3 billion package of investment to support UK data centres – a central pillar of the government’s plan to ramp up the country’s AI capacity. In January a further £12 billion investment from Vantage Data Centers created over 11,500 jobs as the government published its AI Opportunities Action Plan.

These investments represent just one facet of the deepening science, innovation, and technology collaboration between both countries. In AI, researchers from both sides of the Atlantic have dedicated research exchange programmes to share knowledge and expertise in delivering the next wave of cutting-edge innovations that improve people’s lives in areas such as personalised care, autonomous surgeries, and cancer diagnosis – on top of a broader AI partnership which has also been signed by the AI Institutes of both countries.

On a visit to the West Coast at the end of last year Technology Secretary Peter Kyle met a range of companies to bang the drum for further investment in the UK’s technology sector. Just two weeks ago, he also put pen to paper on a new partnership with leading AI firm Anthropic which will explore how the technology can be put to work to transform the public services that UK citizens rely on, and deliver on the government’s Plan for Change.

The Prime Minister will join President Trump at the White House today, where he will be greeted by the President before signing the White House Guest Book and a tete a tete at the Oval Office. This will be followed by a bilateral lunch, and a joint press conference. He will also carry out a defence-focused visit.

On arrival on Wednesday night, he met a select group of CEOs from large US businesses to discuss their existing and growing presence in the UK, and the importance of UK-US trade and investment (above).

He will outline the strength of the UK offer to investors: policy stability; an active partnership with government; an open, trading economy; and a reform agenda focused on making it easier to do business.

The Prime Minister is accompanied by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who will join the Prime Minister’s programme at the White House (pictured above with ‘Lord’ Peter Mandelson, who welcomed the UK delegation to Washington).

COMMUNITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS: FINAL REMINDER

COMPLETED FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY 4pm TODAY

LAST CALL FOR COMMUNITY COUNCILLORS!

As at 2pm yesterday (Wednesday 26 February):

25 Community Councils currently have the minimum elected members numbers to form. Vacancies remain on ALL CCs.

22 Community Councils still require more elected member nominations to form. Of these, seven CCs have received NO nominations.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE – DEADLINE TO APPLY IS 4pm TODAY

Form can be downloaded here:

http://edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/36320/2025-community-council-election-nomination-form

Chief Constable meets family of Sheku Bayoh

Chief Constable Jo Farrell today met with the family of Sheku Bayoh to underline Police Scotland’s support for his relatives and the wider Public Inquiry into his death.

The Chief Constable pledged that Police Scotland remained fully committed to assisting the Chair to discharge the Inquiry’s terms of reference and that the Service would address any recommendations made.

The private meeting in Glasgow was also a chance for the Chief Constable to build on Police Scotland’s relationship with the Bayoh family and highlight the anti-racism work being carried out to improve policing in Scotland.

Chief Constable Farrell said: “I very much welcomed the opportunity to meet with the family of Sheku Bayoh and listen to their concerns.

“I took the opportunity to express my personal condolences and reiterated those of the service. I am very aware of the significant impact his death had on his family, friends, the wider community of Kirkcaldy and beyond, and serving and retired officers.

“This meeting also allowed me to underline Police Scotland’s commitment to participate in every aspect of the Public Inquiry and to positively assist the Chair in discharging the terms of reference.

“Meeting directly with the family also allowed me the opportunity to highlight the extensive work ongoing under the Policing Together programme to drive a culture change towards becoming an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory service which better reflects and represents the communities we serve.”

“I repeated the assurances that both myself and the senior leadership of Police Scotland are absolutely committed to driving this work forward with a very clear determination to address any recommendations made by the Inquiry.”