COST OF LIVING CRISIS – HELPFUL INFO TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY
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Don’t miss the Cost Of Living Hub for Community Councils which is packed with local and national resources:
Junior school Children at @george_heriots_school once again chose ESUB to benefit from their Non-Uniform Day fundraiser which went ahead on Friday 7th February.
They raised an incredible £656.50 which will go a long way to support our work around Edinburgh.
Thank you all so much for your continued support
Families could get quicker access to free school meals under proposed new regulations laid at Holyrood.
If agreed by MSPs, the regulations would see Social Security Scotland given new powers, allowing them to share Scottish Child Payment data with local authorities. This would allow councils to ensure eligible pupils receive their free school meals.
The latest phase of the free school meals programme will include all pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment in Primaries 6 to 7 and S1-S3 in eight local authority areas.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Free school meals are a crucial element of the Scottish Government’s ambition to eradicate child poverty, and the provision is currently available to over 273,000 pupils across Scotland, saving families who take up the offer around £400 per child per year.
“The next phase of the rollout will significantly build upon this, with an additional 25,000 pupils being able to benefit from this vital provision. Through further support for data sharing, local authorities will be able to more quickly identify those eligible for this next phase.
“That is why we have proposed these changes to streamline the process to help more families and remove any administrative burden for local authorities. I would encourage members of the Committee to back these proposals to ensure more families can easily access the support they need.”
Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee will vote on the regulations on Wednesday 2 April. If approved, they will come into effect from 19 May 2025.
Barchester’s Strachan House care home in Edinburgh is proud to provide a much-needed pit stop for all local emergency services.
At any time of the day or night, hard-working emergency workers can call into the care home to get a hot or cold drink and a tasty bite to eat either to have at the home or to take away with them if time is tight.
Everyone at Strachan House is delighted to be able to offer this service to our wonderful emergency crews to thank them for all that they do.
When crews come to Strachan House, they are always so glad of a drink and a rest if there is time so staff and residents decided to extend this offer to all emergency teams in the area and they want to spread the word that all blue light staff are always welcome to stop in for a rest and some refreshment.
The home has prepared snack bags to keep on hand should a crew have no time to rest and just need to grab a bag and go.
Frances Fisher, General Manager for Strachan House, said: “We all know how hard our emergency services work and how much we rely on them.
“We wanted to say thank you for all that they do to protect and support us and this is our way of giving back. We want our local emergency services to know they are always welcome here at Strachan House”.
Strachan House is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides nursing care and specialist dementia care.
For more information, please contact StrachanHousee@Barchester.com
Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland. Social Security Scotland has begun transferring the awards of 169,000 people in Scotland who currently receive Attendance Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions.
People do not need to take any action; the transfer will happen automatically in phases throughout 2025. Everyone will continue to receive their payments on time and in the right amount.
Social Security Scotland will notify people by letter when their benefit has been selected for transfer and it should take up to three months for the transfer from the Department for Work and Pensions. There will be no gaps in payments while people’s awards are being transferred.
Until people receive the letter from Social Security Scotland to tell them their transfer is complete, they should continue to report any change in their personal circumstances to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that older people who have care needs because of a disability, long-term health condition or terminal illness get the financial support that they’re entitled to.
“As people’s awards start to transfer from Attendance Allowance, to Pension Age Disability Payment, they will be kept informed of this process and treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
“Pension Age Disability Payment is being rolled out across Scotland in phases. If the payment is currently open for new applications in your area and you think you could be eligible for support right now, I would encourage you to apply.
“If the payment is not yet available in your area, you can still apply for Attendance Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions.”
Pension Age Disability Payment is currently open for new applications in Aberdeen City, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney and Shetland. It will become available in more areas from 24 March before becoming available throughout Scotland from 22 April 2025.
More information about Pension Age Disability Payment is available at mygov.scot/pension-age-disability-payment and mygov.scot/moving-to-pension-age-disability-payment
Social Security Scotland aims to complete case transfer for everyone by the end of 2025
The city council would like to hear from communities by 31 March about neighbourhoods they would like to be considered for firework control zones this November.
These zones can help reduce noise, stress and littering caused by fireworks.
Email us for an application pack at fireworkscontrolzone@edinburgh.gov.uk
The Scottish Government will invest nearly £2.2 million to enable the Wise Group to provide wrap-around support to individuals and families on low incomes in six local authority areas.
The investment, from the Tackling Child Poverty Fund, was announced by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville during a Scottish Parliament debate on supporting households with cost-of-living pressures and rising energy bills.
It will allow the Wise Group to continue with work which has so far helped 3,200 households, enabling people to find work, increase their skills and improve their financial situation.
The wrap-around nature of the support means mentors from the Wise Group are also able to support people to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Ms Somerville said: “We know people continue to face pressures with the cost of living and the recent announcement that energy bills are set to rise again this month will only add to those pressures.
“The Wise Group work we are funding, offers support not just with an immediate crisis, but aims to help people make long-term improvements to their financial stability, helping them to access help with issues such as childcare, training and finding sustainable work.
“Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s overriding mission. This year’s budget commits more than £3 billion to a range of actions to tackle poverty and the cost of living. However our efforts are undermined by the social security policies of the UK Government, not least the two-child cap which prevents parents from claiming universal credit for more than two children.
“That is why we will develop the systems necessary to effectively scrap the impact of the two-child cap in 2026. The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that scrapping the cap in Scotland could lift 15,000 children out of poverty.”
Sean Duffy, Wise Group Chief Executive said: “This investment is a vital opportunity to rethink how we deliver services, strengthen local partnerships, and take a preventative, ‘invest to save’ approach that drives lasting change in tackling poverty.”
Today, 12 March 2025, the first batch of shows that will be staged at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe have been announced, and over 556 shows will be available to view and book on edfringe.com from 12:00 today.
The 556 shows span many genres, including cabaret and variety; children’s shows; comedy; dance, physical theatre and circus; music; musicals and opera; spoken word; and theatre. The shows announced today will take place across 100 venues. More shows will be revealed in the run-up to August.
In a continuing trend, this year more Fringe artists than ever have chosen to make their show available at this early stage, giving them longer to promote their show, grow their audiences and capitalise on all the opportunities available when taking part.
It is the artists, companies and venues who come to the Fringe who take the risk in bringing work here every August. Fringe-makers all need help to mitigate these complexities, manage rising costs and make sure this August is the best it can be for residents, visitors and the thousands of arts industry and media that come to the city each Fringe for the world’s largest arts expo.
The Fringe Society continues to advocate and lobby for more support for the festival community – support such as affordable and available accommodation, to the continuation of the Keep it Fringe fund, and anyone in a position to support is encouraged to get in touch with the team.
With over 500 shows on sale from today, the Fringe Society also asks audiences from near and far to start booking tickets now, to take a chance on an emerging artist, to plan a visit to a venue you’re unfamiliar with, and to dive into the first batch of shows.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘It is always an exciting moment to see the first shows that will be performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
“The 2025 Edinburgh Fringe feels more real than ever and being able to browse the first batch of shows adds another level of excitement. It’s incredible to see the range and themes of work as well as the talent and creativity that artists are bringing to the festival this year.
‘More artists than ever have chosen to put their shows on sale at this early stage, allowing more time to plan their trip to Edinburgh this August.
“The cost of putting on a Fringe show can be a barrier to attending and the Fringe Society is working to support artists in any way that we can, whether that’s sourcing artist accommodation, keeping registration fees affordable, seeking out funding opportunities, or simply providing advice to any artist that needs it. Our Artist Services team is on hand to offer support, so please do reach out to the team.’
Below is a small representative sample of shows available to book from today. The full list of shows released today can be found at edfringe.com.
Cabaret and variety
In 1954: Ella, Etta, Eartha (The Jazz Bar) Melissa Western and her musicians pay tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Eartha Kitt and their ‘swinging jazz, powerful soul and cheeky kitsch’.
Returning this year is La Clique, being staged this year in The Famous Spiegeltent – which is returning to St Andrews Square, while Sexy Circus Sideshow 2.0 brings ‘alternative circus’ to ‘the dark arts of underground burlesque and cabaret’ at Assembly.
Alex Love: How to Win a Pub Quiz 2025 is ‘part stand-up, part actual pub quiz’ at The Stand Comedy Club.
At theSpaceUK, Dan Bastianelli: Identity is providing ‘a brand-new magic experience which uses sleight-of-hand, personal stories and honest deception’, while ‘rock’n’roll’s greatest magician’ Arron Jones is at PBH’s Free Fringe with #1 Greatest Hit Rock’n’Roll Magic Show.
Children’s shows
Join Baby Shark and the Mystery of the Sphinx (Gilded Balloon) at for ‘fin-tastic show packed with music, magic and mayhem’ or skip, clap and march together’ to traditional Scottish music at CeilidhKids at the Fringe (Laughing Horse).
‘Experience magical illustrations and amazing new music’ as you follow Milly’s Musical Adventure (Greenside). At School’s Out Comedy Club with Philip Simon (Le Monde),expect ‘children (and maybe even a few parents)’ to ‘take to the stage to share their favourite jokes’.
Among returning shows for children and their families are The Listies: Make Some Noise at Assembly and Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! at Pleasance.
Comedy
Dungeons & Dragons fans will want to join Tartan Tabletop: A Dungeons & Dragons Comedy (Gilded Balloon) for ‘improvised comedy at the roll of a dice’. At Laughing Horse, Chonk hosts a ‘body-positive buffet of comedians from across the Fringe’. Hasan Al-Habib, 2025 Keep it Fringe recipient, ‘was born to Iraqis that moved to Birmingham after deciding Baghdad wasn’t dangerous enough’ in Hasan Al-Habib: Death to West (Midlands) (Pleasance).
Join the ‘longest-running panelist from BBC Scotland’s Breaking the News’ Stuart Mitchell at Hoots or head to Planet Bar for Settle! for ‘a whirlwind of laughter, infectious tunes, and a good old-fashioned roasting’. At theSpaceUK, Chan Lok Tim ‘navigates life as a Hong Konger preparing to become a husband’ in Congratulations, Good for You – Cantonese Stand-Up Comedy.
At Scottish Comedy Festival, enjoy ‘dark, unfiltered and unapologetic takes on the topics most comedians are smart enough to avoid’ at Michael Shafar – Inappropriate. At The Royal Scots Club, Ian Wood relates anecdotes to show ‘being visually-impaired and a wheelchair user, one can get round most barriers in life’ in Living with Mitochondria Against All Odds.
Familiar faces at this year’s Fringe include Nish Kumar and Jason Byrne at Assembly, Andy Parsons, Chloe Petts, Deirdre O’Kane, Elf Lyons, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Marjolein Robertson and Rhys Darby at Pleasance, Paul Sinha and Richard Herring at The Stand, and Geoff Norcott and Ali Woods at Underbelly.
Representing Scotland’s comedy scene, Susie McCabe is at Assembly, while Connor Burns, Craig Hill and Daniel Sloss are at Just the Tonic and Robert Grainger is at The Stand.
Dance, physical theatre and circus
At Greenside, Tales From Your Queer Elder ‘blends movement and spoken word’ while ‘creating a powerful testament to living authentically while encouraging others to follow their dreams’.
Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths return to Assembly with Ten Thousand Hours, bringing ‘an ode to the countless hours of sweat and joy needed to achieve great things’.
Art of Andalucia brings a must-see flamenco spectacle to YOTEL Edinburgh, while at theSpaceUK, Sole to Soul ‘blends the physical language of traditional Chinese opera with the expressive symbolism of modern dance’.
Music
For an ‘evening of classics from the silver screen’, check out Tutti Orchestra: At the Movies at Canongate Kirk, or ‘experience the beauty of Italian and Neapolitan love songs’ at La Dolce Vita: A Celebration with Philip Contini(Valvona & Crolla).
MASSAOKE has two runs at Underbelly this year, 90s Live – ‘everything from rock to rave, girl power to grunge and Britpop to boybands’ – and Sing The Musicals – ‘Mamma Mia, Hamilton, Frozen, The Greatest Showman, Dirty Dancing, Les Mis, Jungle Book, We Will Rock You, Phantom, Mary Poppins and many more’.
Ali Affleck comes to the Fringe with five shows this year: she’s with her band The Vagabond Jacks playing Hot Roots Jazz, Highway Honky-Tonk, Rags and Blues at the Argyle Cellar Bar; paying tribute to Billie Holiday with Sophisticated Lady at The Jazz Bar; and revisiting both venues with Ali Affleck Presents: A Hot Time in the Old Town – Celebrating the Wild Trailblazers of Blues and Jazz; Ali Affleck and the Traveling Janes – Bringing Bold, Brassy Bedlam to Swing, Blues and Trad Folk/Roots Jazz; and Ali Affleck’s Queens of Swing.
Head over to Footstomping: Live Scottish Music (WHISKI Bar & Restaurant) for a ‘vibrant foot-stomping good time’ or listen to ‘up-and-coming young musicians’ at Marchmont Music (Marchmont St Giles Church).
Journey to Stolen Identity (Saint Stephen’s Theatre) explores ‘women’s rights through a blend of musical genres, starting with classical but evolving into jazz and rock’. At Edinburgh New Town Church,Andrii Kymach: Ukraine is a ‘new recital, Ukraine, specially devised for 2025’s Day of Ukraine Independence’.
There are a number of tribute acts across venues, including Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac and Celine Dion at theSpaceUK, Abba at Greyfriars Hall at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh andJoni Mitchell at Le Monde.
Musicals and opera
Check out Charles ii: Living Libido Loca atPBH’s Free Fringe for a ‘raunchy adult historical comedy centered around the life and libido of Charles ii’ or head to Rock of Ages at Paradise Green for ‘powerhouse vocals, epic guitar solos, and all your favorite 80s rock anthems’.
How to Win Against History is a ‘tragi-gorgeous comedy musical’ and ‘a true story about expectations, masculinity, privilege and failure on an epic scale’ at Underbelly.
At Greenside, the prince breaks free of the fairytale to ‘sing his very own songs and complain about what his life could be’ in To Be a Prince. At theSpaceUK, ‘ancient Silk Road meets the present, and centuries-old murals come alive’ in Dunhuang.
Updated for 2025 with new songs, I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical the ‘musical comedy revue revealing all about musicals and the people who love them’ is back at Gilded Balloon.
If you fancy a ‘murder-mystery comedy musical’, head to The Detective’s Demise at Just the Tonic for ‘showstopping songs and devilish twists’.
Spoken word
At The Stand, ‘elected MP for Islington North, former Labour leader, and Peace and Justice project founder’ Jeremy Corbyn is in conversation.
For ‘an amusing take on life, with the added hint of truth’, check out What Are You Laughing At? at theSpaceUK, while ‘Peter gives a stirring and passionate account of his great-grandmother’s hard-fought campaign for the right to vote over 100 years ago’ in Alice Hawkins – Working Class Suffragette at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre.
Theatre
Shakespeare for Breakfast is back at C Venues, offering a ‘sensational Shakespearience, perfect for hardened fans and blank-verse virgins alike’ while former Chelsea FC trainee Alfie Cain delivers a ‘raw and powerful solo performance … exposing the brutal reality of football’s unforgiving system’ in Dropped at Easter Road Stadium.
Timestamp at Dovecot Studios is a ‘performance duet of sonic verse, dance, and audience experience that challenges the expectations imposed upon us in society.’ A Period of Faith follows Faith’s ‘battle against Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder in a moving and thought-provoking way’ at Hill Street Theatre.
Brown Girls Do It Too: Mama Told Me Not to Come (Underbelly) explores ‘messy realities, fantasies, sexpectations and navigating life and relationships as British Asian women’.
Experience the beauty of Italian literature and the terror of looming deadlines at Valvona & Crolla with No Shakespeare. At theSpaceUK, The Boy from Bantay takes us on Jeremy’s ‘heartwarming journey of growth and self-discovery’.
Miriam Margolyes is back this August with Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits, bringing ‘more characters, more Dickens and more fascinating stories about the man behind the classics’ to Pleasance. More familiar favourites returning this year are Trainspotting Live atPleasanceand Xhloe and Natasha with three shows at theSpaceUK – A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First, And Then the Rodeo Burned Down and What If They Ate the Baby?
Head to Robot Vacuum Fight Club (Outhouse Bar) to ‘form a team, select a knockoff Roomba, customise it, then pit it against a dozen rivals in a series of knockout competitions’, or check out Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me but Banjos Saved My Life (Summerhall), an ‘inspirational true story … about overcoming obstacles, pursuing passions, and the healing power of the arts’.
Regulation will be cut back as the Prime Minister sets out his latest steps to drive economic growth that puts more money in working people’s pockets.
The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) will be abolished as the latest step in reducing the burdens on business.
The Government will set out further steps to reduce red tape in the coming days.
A strong economy is at the heart of the Government’s plan to deliver security and renewal through the Plan for Change.
The PSR – which looks after payment systems like Faster Payments and Mastercard – will mainly be consolidated into the Financial Conduct Authority, making it easier for firms to deal with one port of call.
It follows complaints from businesses that the regulatory environment was too complex – with payment system firms having to engage with three different regulators, costing them time, money and resource.
This has a greater impact on smaller businesses that are trying to scale and grow – as the costs are disproportionately higher for them.
The Prime Minister wants to make regulation work for the UK – and this is the latest step in his drive to create an environment that will kickstart economic growth.
It is only by creating growth that people will see a genuine increase in their living standards – with higher wages and more money in their pocket at the end of the month.
Prime Minister, Keir Starmer said: “For too long, the previous Government hid behind regulators – deferring decisions and allowing regulations to bloat and block meaningful growth in this country.
“And it has been working people who pay the price of this stagnation.
“This is the latest step in our efforts to kickstart economic growth, which is the only way we can fundamentally drive-up living standards and get more money in people’s pockets.
“That’s why it is the priority in the Plan for Change, and it’s why I’m not letting anything get in its way.”
Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said: “The regulatory system has become burdensome to the point of choking off innovation, investment and growth.
“We will free businesses from that stranglehold, delivering on our Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth and put more money into working people’s pockets.”
This builds on the Government’s deregulatory agenda, which has already:
Yesterday’s announcement does not result in any immediate changes to the Payment Systems Regulator’s remit or ongoing programme of work. The regulator will continue to have access to its statutory powers until legislation is passed by Parliament to enact these changes.
In the interim period, the Payment Systems Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority will work closely to deliver a smooth transition of responsibilities to ensure the market remains competitive.
The entire regulatory landscape will continue to be reviewed and finessed as part of a wider Government effort to kickstart economic growth and make regulators work for the country, rather than block progress.
This is the latest in a line of work to make regulators work for the country. It follows:
Campaigners from Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Divest Lothian, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Protest in Harmony demonstrated outside the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association Investment conference in Edinburgh this morning.
The protest included a performance calling on delegates to acknowledge they are currently hugely underestimating climate risk and to take bold action to address this.
This annual Pension Investment conference brings over 800 delegates to Edinburgh from across the UK pension investment industry; an industry which invests more that £1.3 trillion on behalf of 30 million people.
Attracting the attention of delegates with singing and a ‘Big Oil Funk’ dance, campaigners portrayed a pension fund leader with his head in the sand being persuaded by actuaries and climate scientists to look up and “Face the Climate Risks”.
They warn of the “catastrophic” risks to communities and the economy which are being ignored by pension funds due to the flawed climate risk assessments supplied by their advisers, according to ‘Planetary Solvency – finding our balance with nature’, a report published in January 2025 by The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, in conjunction with climate scientists at the University of Exeter.
The report explains how climate change and nature-driven risks have been hugely underestimated through flawed economic modelling and risk assessment processes. It sets out that we are on a trajectory to catastrophic warming levels of > 2°C by 2050, leading to a possible 50% contraction of the global economy within the lifetimes of current pension savers.
Alexander Forbes, 35, Lifeguard and XR Edinburgh & Lothians, said: “The warning from the actuaries, the risk experts, couldn’t be more stark. Risk management by pension funds is currently blind to systemic climate, nature, societal and economic risks.
“The lack of urgency within governments to make the sweeping policy changes necessary – and within the pension industry to demand that they do – can be directly attributed to the flawed economic modelling and risk assessment processes widely considered authoritative, that underestimate the risk.
“We urgently need the people managing our pension savings to boldly face these risks, be honest about the risks with pension savers and demand the government take immediate policy action to accelerate the energy transition and reduce emissions.”
The actuaries’ report comes at a time when UK pension funds are investing an estimated £88 billion in fossil fuel companies which, buoyed by support from the new US administration, are intent on increasing oil and gas production and worsening the climate crisis, as evidenced by BP’s ‘reset’ announced in February.
Joan Forehand, 60, retired accountant and Divest Lothian, said: “Pension fund managers have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate risk. They need to look at the evidence in front of them, which risk experts have hammered home. A robust approach to climate risk assessment would clearly show that investing in the fossil fuel industry is not in the interests of its members.
“Divestment by pension funds would be both economically wise, and would send a strong signal to governments that policies and subsidies favouring the fossil fuel industry must be rapidly removed.”
Meanwhile climate records continue to be broken and extreme weather is devastating millions of lives around the world.
Last year, 2024, was the hottest on record, and the first year with an average temperature exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level. January 2025 was the warmest January on record, surprising scientists who had expected it to be cooler due to transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions.
Sally Clark, divestment campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:
“Pension funds are in charge of our savings, they are responsible for our futures – but if they keep investing in fossil fuels, we won’t have a liveable planet or positive future to retire into.
“The money moved away from fossil fuels could instead be invested in ways that support local communities and protect the planet for everyone, like renewable energy, warm homes and social housing.”
The campaigners demand that pension fund leaders face the climate risks and urgently:
PICTURES: Siobhian Chalmers
