On #GoodFriday , Saturday and Easter Monday we have some FREE #Easter & Nature trails at Lauriston Castle. Pop along and pick up the trails & solve a puzzle to get some chocolate eggs.
Between 11am-4pm. In front of Castle.
Details here: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/family-fun-lauriston…
Construction has begun on a new residential development in Newington which will provide 19 modern, fully wheelchair-accessible homes available for social rent.
Work commenced today (Monday 31 March), with the project expected to be completed by summer 2026.
Upon completion, the homes will provide much-needed wheelchair accommodation in a city centre location whilst incorporating innovative, energy efficient design features. A fabric first approach with high levels of insulation will ensure that the homes stay warm, reducing the level of heating needed and helping to prevent fuel poverty.
The development will also include renewable heating and energy generation with the use of Air Source Heat Pumps and Photovoltaic (solar) panels which will produce low-cost, sustainable energy and significantly reduce carbon emission from the development.
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “Edinburgh is in urgent need of new affordable and accessible homes to address the shortage of suitable accommodation options for residents who have disabilities and residents who are wheelchair users.
“I am therefore delighted that the new Cowan’s Close development in Newington is now underway to provide 19 new, modern, fully wheelchair accessible homes for social rent.”
CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “We are delighted to have commenced construction at Cowan’s Close.
“The project is another great example of how The City of Edinburgh Council and CCG are working collaboratively to address the demand for new, affordable homes in the city, and it will be a much welcome addition to the Newington community upon completion next year.”
Community Council Elections 2025 – 2nd call for nominations
Nomination forms can be downloaded by clicking on the community council name above (an example completed nomination form is available here)
Local Interest Group Nomination Form are also available here (an example completed Local Interest Group nomination form is available here)
Completed nomination forms can be returned by:
The quickest method to return completed nomination forms is by email to the Governance Team at community.councils@edinburgh.gov.uk
If candidates choose to return by hand or by post please ensure sufficient time is allowed for the nomination form to be received before the deadline at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.
Nominations close at 4pm on Thursday 17 April 2025.
Our webpages have been updated with the Notice of Community Council Election 2025.
Please share with your networks to encourage nominations for the above 8 Community Councils.
Completing a nomination form
Please review the example Nomination Paper for Community Council Elected Representative and the example Local Interest Group Registration and Nomination Form. All sections in yellow must be completed.
Declaration of Acceptance
If successful, candidates will be required to sign a Declaration of Acceptance at the first community council meeting declaring that, having been elected to the office of Community Councillor they
A copy of the Declaration of Acceptance can be viewed on our website.
Community Council election timescales (for the above 8 Community Councils)
Here is a breakdown of the important dates:
Nominations are for the 8 community councils agreed in the new Scheme for Community Councils and new boundaries which were approved by Council on 26 September 2024. The Scheme and Boundaries agreed on 26 September 2024 took effect on 28 March 2025.
The other 39 community councils in Edinburgh received sufficient nominations to form during the previous nomination period and have had their election results published and will establish once the new terms starts on 28 March 2025.
CEC Governance Team
The National Galleries of Scotland celebrates being shortlisted for the Visitor Accessibility Award 2025 at the prestigious Museum + Heritage Awards.
Home to Scotland’s world-class collection of art, the National Galleries of Scotland was shortlisted for the incredible strides made in integrating accessibility into every aspect of the visitor experience across all three of its galleries in the heart of Edinburgh.
From visually impaired, dementia friendly, British Sign Language and sensory friendly activities and resources, the National Galleries of Scotland has a mission to make art work for everyone and ensure anyone can access and discover Scotland’s incredible national collection.
The global Museum + Heritage Awards recognise the very best in the world of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions.
The National Galleries of Scotland is the only Scottish organisation to be shortlisted for the Accessibility Award, with the winners to be announced at a glittering live ceremony on Thursday 15 May. 2025 marks the first year of the Accessibility Award, shining a light on exemplary initiatives which remove barriers and increase engagement for people with disabilities.
The National Galleries of Scotland’s People Team have also been shortlisted for Team of the Year, celebrating their work on the organisations people strategy. Their focus has been on inclusion, wellbeing, and the delivery of an engaging colleague experience. One result of this was the team working with many stakeholders and colleagues to deliver a new shorter working week for everyone in the organisation.
The National Galleries of Scotland was nominated for the Accessibility Award for improvements achieved during the opening of the Scottish galleries at the National, which opened in September 2023. Leaving a lasting legacy, the new spaces transformed the visitor experience and provide more visitor-centred galleries for the disabled community, as well as the launch of new online activities.
The mission was to ensure this extended across all galleries and everyone could easily discover Scotland’s national collection without barriers.
Whether exploring treasures such as Botticelli, Titian and the largest collection of Scottish art in the world at the National, discovering the very best of modern and contemporary art at Modern or coming to face to face with famous faces and pop culture icons at the Portrait.
Whilst the National Galleries of Scotland have run a dedicated accessible programme for over 20 years, the opening of the Scottish galleries was an opportunity to provide even greater flexibility and choice for how and when disabled visitors interact with the collection. With major accessibility improvements made, this transformed the experience for disabled visitors at the National.
The changes made during the opening of the Scottish galleries included an accessible path in Princes Street Gardens, new lifts, a partial Changing Places toilet, accessible entrances, inclusive signage, and self-led collection-based resources. This has since expanded across all three of the National Galleries of Scotland’s sites.
Across 2023 and 2024, the National Galleries of Scotland worked with consultants and audiences with lived experience on audio-described highlight tours across the galleries for blind and partially sighted visitors.
Which have now been accessed by over 12,000 people. Addressing a key accessibility barrier, new pre-visit online information was created including audio-described welcome and orientation tracks, BSL video-guides, and sensory-friendly films on the buildings, facilities and artworks, to make visiting the gallery easier and less stressful.
Inclusive resources were created at National Galleries Scotland: National, home to the Scottish galleries, including in-gallery object handling, sensory bags with tactile objects and trails that centre inclusion and diversity.
Accessibility boxes containing sensory maps, ear defenders, disposable earplugs, magnifying glasses were all made available at all gallery information points. Two dementia-friendly art films and the first in a deaf led film series ‘Exploring Deaf History’ were also created to allow people to discover the collection online.
Over the last year this has resulted in 4,374 people attending the regular programme (Visually Impaired Programme, dementia-friendly, BSL tours, Relaxed sessions afternoons, sensory-friendly sessions) delivered by a creative team that includes deaf and disabled people.
1,433 people also enjoyed free supported or self-led group visits. With the programme extending online, access groups including Deafblind Scotland, Deaf Action and Guide Dogs Scotland make regular use of digital and in-gallery resource.
Siobhan McConnachie, Head of Learning and Engagement, National Galleries of Scotland, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised by the Museum + Heritage Awards for all of our efforts to make the galleries accessible to all.
“We believe art is for everyone and that museums and galleries are a resource which should be available for visitors to use and experience in their own way. Ensuring everyone has access to Scotland’s wonderful art collection only enhances our cultural landscape.
“Our focus has been on supporting independent visits by disabled visitors, offering greater flexibility and choice for how and when disabled visitors interact with their collection. We hope that our online and in gallery resources help everyone to feel welcome and at ease in all of our galleries.”
The development of all programmes and resources were underpinned and informed by direct relationships with disabled audiences and partnerships with expert organisations.
Working alongside Alzheimer Scotland, RNIB Scotland, Vocaleyes, Deaf Action, Door in the Wall Arts Access, PAMIS (Promoting More Inclusive Society), individual consultants, creatives and experts with lived experience.
Our Winter’s End Safe and Warm Partnership Conference 2025 in London brought together experts from organisations such as Age Scotland, Citizens Advice, Energy Systems Catapult, Fuel Bank Foundation, National Energy Action and Scope, who are all part of our Safe & Warm partnership network supporting vulnerable people in the communities we serve.
Experts from the energy, advice, government and charity sectors took part in panel sessions and open discussions to share the real world impact of financial cuts on the communities they’re helping and the daily challenges faced by individuals to keep their homes safe and warm, particularly during the colder months.
It was a crucial opportunity for delegates to reflect on the challenges experienced during the winter and share their insight, as well as collaborate on ways to work together in future to support vulnerable communities across SGN’s network areas in southern England and Scotland.
Together, we have so far supported 693,956 households and we expect this number to rise significantly over the coming months.
Held as a hybrid event, the conference had live interviews from key specialists streamed to the online audience, providing an opportunity for all partners to meet and discuss opportunities to collaborate with one another. We’ll be using discussions from the event to inform how we can evolve our partnership network and find new opportunities to plug gaps in support.
A key theme which emerged from the conference was the impact that cuts to benefits are having on the vulnerable people who our attendees are helping every day. Also, the value which our partner organisations create in supporting people who need extra help.
The conference opened with a keynote speech from National Energy Action Chief Executive Adam Scorer, who spoke about the need for local energy plans to be aligned with health plans in communities. He highlighted the long-term commitment of partners to our Safe & Warm network that enables organisations to provide enduring support.
Some of the key highlights from attendees included:
Maureen McIntosh, Director of Customer Service at SGN, explained how hosting the conference is part of SGN’s work to bring partners together to support vulnerable customers to use energy safely, efficiently and affordably.
She said: “We really appreciate how many people took the time to attend and take part in our Winter’s End partners conference. It highlights the importance of working together as we face the challenges that winter brings to communities across the UK.
For more information on how SGN partners with other organisations to support vulnerable households, visit https://www.sgn.co.uk/about-us/supporting-vulnerable-households
The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has reduced the level of support it offers to Universal Credit (UC) claimants due to a shortage of available work coaches at jobcentres, amid government plans to get more people into work and progressing in their careers, according to a new National Audit Office (NAO) report.
DWP relies on its network of 646 jobcentres across Great Britain to help people move
into work and to support those already in work to progress. In November 2024, the
government set out its plans for reforming employment support, including the role of jobcentres.
DWP tailors jobcentre support for UC claimants based on their earnings and personal circumstances. The number of claimants in categories where DWP could require them to receive support from a work coach – which includes the ‘Intensive Work Search’ category for those with the lowest earnings – grew from 2.6 million in October 2023 to 3 million in October 2024.
DWP has increased the number of Intensive Work Search claimants by raising the earnings threshold.
Work coaches play a critical role working directly with claimants to identify their needs and provide support. But partly due to funding constraints, DWP has not had enough work coaches to meet the expected demand for jobcentre support, with shortfalls in five of its seven regions in 2023-24.
DWP has also faced challenges in recruiting and retaining work coaches.
To help manage the shortfall, DWP has prioritised supporting claimants in the
Intensive Work Search category and postponed plans to require ‘Light Touch’
claimants to meet regularly with a work coach.
This resulted in DWP needing an estimated 900 fewer work coaches in 2024-25 than it otherwise would have done.
DWP has also set out measures that jobcentres can implement if work coaches’
caseloads are too high.
From September 2023 to November 2024, 57% of jobcentres used these flexibilities to reduce the support they provide for claimants.
The proportion of Intensive Work Search claimants who move into work each month
has declined in the past two years to below pre-pandemic levels.
There is also substantial variation in performance across DWP’s seven jobcentre
regions and 37 districts. At district level, from December 2023 to November 2024,
Birmingham and Solihull had the lowest average monthly into-work rate (5.5%) and
Northern Scotland had the highest (10.8%).
In November 2024, the government published a white paper that set out its plans for
reforming employment support. The plans include creating a jobs and careers service, bringing together jobcentres with the National Careers Service in England.
The NAO recommends that DWP assesses the impact of the shortfall in work coaches
on jobcentres’ ability to provide people with the intended level of support, and uses the findings to inform the design of its future operating model for employment support.
DWP should also set out the information it will use to monitor jobcentres’ performance so that it can identify and share good practice from those that are doing well, as well as improve how it measures and reports outcomes, with metrics covering factors such as the sustainability and quality of employment.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “Helping people move into and progress in work is crucial to boosting productivity and reducing economic inactivity.
“As it takes forward the government’s plans for reforming employment support, DWP should pay close attention to how it can make best use of its work coaches and ensure that people get the support they need.
“Given the key role jobcentres will play in supporting the government’s ambition to
increase the employment rate, DWP should also be transparent about how effective
they are and evaluate the impact of its changes on the system of employment support.”
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, said: “Jobcentres play an important role in supporting people to access and progress in work. However, a shortage of work coaches is limiting the support available to the growing number of Universal Credit claimants, with over half of jobcentres having to scale back their services.
“Future reforms to employment support will be frustrated without clear evidence on what works in supporting benefit claimants into employment. DWP must strengthen its monitoring of the performance of jobcentres, ensuring every pound spent delivers positive outcomes for individuals and the wider economy.”
The first image has been revealed for new drama, Make It Happen, about the rise and fall of the Royal Bank of Scotland, featuring Brian Cox who will be playing the role of Adam Smith and Sandy Grierson who will be playing Fred Goodwin.
Make it Happen is the first major artwork to tell the story of Royal Bank of Scotland’s role in the 2008 financial crash and is written by James Graham and directed by Andrew Panton.
It marks the return of Brian Cox to Scottish stages for the first time in a decade. The world premiere of Make It Happen opens the Edinburgh International Festival’s 2025 following preview performances at Dundee Rep Theatre.
Tickets to the Edinburgh International Festival opened for sale to the public on Thursday 27 March.
SCOTLAND TO LEAD NEW INTERNATIONAL CANCER “SUPERGROUP”
Cancer Research UK and partners today committed £5.5m to form a world-leading research team tasked with making personalised medicine a reality for people with bowel cancer.
Led by Scottish scientists, the CRC-STARS initiative (Colorectal Cancer — Stratification of Therapies through Adaptive Responses), will bring together more than 40 bowel cancer experts to find new and kinder ways to tackle a cancer increasingly being diagnosed in younger people.
Bowel cancer kills 16,800 people in the UK (1,700 in Scotland) every year and is increasingly being diagnosed in younger people.*A recent study by the American Cancer Society published in The Lancet Oncology showed early-onset bowel cancer rates in adults aged 25-49 are rising in 27 of 50 countries studied and are rising faster in young women in Scotland and England than in young men.**
Harnessing the expertise of researchers at universities and institutes across the UK, Spain, Italy and Belgium, the five-year project will aim to better understand how different bowel cancers respond to current treatments, why certain bowel cancers spread, and whether scientists can predict which treatments will work for individual patients.
Led by Professor Owen Sansom of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow and University of Glasgow, along with co-leads Professor Jenny Seligmann of the University of Leeds and Professor Simon Leedham of the University of Oxford, this personalised medicine approach will see detailed information about an individual’s cancer – not just the area of the body where the cancer started – used to help inform decisions on diagnosis and treatment.
Personalised medicine is a growing area of cancer care and research.
Director of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and CRC-STARS co-lead, Professor Owen Sansom, said: “With more and more younger people being diagnosed with bowel cancer, it’s vital we remain vigilant and keep trying to understand new causes and new reasons for cancer.
“Step by step, day by day, we’re discovering new ways to prevent, detect and treat bowel cancer and save lives, but there’s more to discover, and this new support from our funders will allow us to take bold steps towards better understanding bowel cancer and how to beat it.”
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK.*** Despite this, treatment options remain limited, particularly for patients who are diagnosed at later stages of the disease. Scotland is disproportionately affected by the disease with around 4,000 people being diagnosed each year.
First Minister John Swinney, who visited the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute today (Monday 31 March), said: “I very much welcome this multi-national research project and hope it will lead to more personalised care for people with bowel cancer. The fact it is being co-led by scientists in Glasgow is recognition of the expertise we have here in Scotland.
“With studies suggesting bowel cancer diagnoses rates are increasing for younger adults, it is vitally important to support research that will improve our understanding of how the disease progresses and develop new approaches to its treatment.”
Rectal cancer survivor Tracy Farrell, 53, from Glasgow welcomed the new investment into colorectal cancer. The fire service cook from Balornock was diagnosed aged 50 after seeing blood in her poo after going to the toilet.
She said: “It was the first time I’d had blood, I had no symptoms, no pain and my GP said because I was so young and had no family history of bowel cancer then she hoped it wouldn’t be that.
“There were no red flags for me so I was considered low priority but they were able to get me a colonoscopy within just three weeks due to a cancellation.
“They told me that day I had a tumour. I went from one day having nothing to the next day having cancer. I couldn’t even bring myself to say I had cancer. It was such a shock.
“At the time I was looking after my 14-year-old nephew Reece because his mother, my sister, had died from an aneurysm and I just thought he can’t lose me as well. He was like the baby I never had.”
Tracy was given chemotherapy and radiotherapy to shrink the tumour and the treatment worked so well she didn’t need surgery and now has been cancer free for three years.
She said: “I was lucky the cancer hadn’t spread and that it was caught early.”
With the support of her mum Kathleen, great friends and firefighter colleagues, Tracy is now doing well and nephew Reece is 18 and at college.
She took part in a research project by offering samples for scientists to study.
She said: “I found it a great help. It allowed me to have extra scans so we could see the treatment was working.
“But taking part in the study was amazing – to know you are helping them find out more about this disease so they can find new ways to tackle it feels very rewarding.”
The team will work on combining experimental, pre-clinical and clinical data to predict cancer progression and tailor new therapeutic approaches specific to each patient’s characteristics. It is hoped this work will the development of drug resistance and improve the response to treatments, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, hopefully improving outcomes for patients.
Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell, said: “For more than 100 years, Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have been working to beat bowel cancer, and this project is one of the most comprehensive for bowel cancer that we have ever supported.
“Together with our funding partners – the Bowelbabe Fund, Bjorn and Inger Saven and the FCAECC – we can empower the CRC-STARS team to speed up the development of personalised treatment for people living with bowel cancer, bringing us closer to a world where people live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”
The team will also build on the tools, resources and discoveries developed by existing bowel cancer research collaborations (e.g. ACRCelerate) and Cancer Research UK’s National Biomarker Centre and analyse data from Cancer Research UK-supported colorectal cancer studies such as the FOxTROT, TREC and PRIME-RT clinical trials.***
Scientific Director at the FCAECC, Dr Marta Puyol, said: “This project will not only help us to better understand the landscape of bowel cancer in a collaborative and multidisciplinary manner but will also allow us to place a strong emphasis on patient needs, accelerating the translation of results into clinical practice.”
Strachan House and Queens Manor in Edinburgh will be opening their doors to the local community for an day of coffee and cakes on Saturday 12th April.
Taking place between 10.00 am – 4.00 pm guests will be able to enjoy home-made cakes prepared by the home’s Head Chef, and will have the chance to meet the team and take a tour of the home.
Frances Fisher, General Manager at Strachan House, says: “I’m excited about welcoming new visitors and existing friends of the home to our open day.
“Looking for care can be a little bit daunting, but our team here at Strachan House will do all we can to provide all of our guests with the guidance and support they may need, and answer all of their questions, big or small.
“Our open day is a great chance to enjoy some delightful entertainment in a homely and friendly setting- hope to see you all there!”
Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides nursing care and dementia care from respite care to long term stays.
Calling all community activists in Newhaven / Trinity / Granton / West Pilton – can you share your ideas about how decisions should be made on heating system changes coming within 5-15 years?
– How to tackle fuel poverty? Stop energy leaking out of homes!
– After gas … what? Heat pumps or heat networks?
These are big technical options being discussed right now by the Scottish Government and the City Council.
– Do you want a say in the new arrangements the infrastructure needed?
– Share your views on what will happen when gas no longer heats homes / workplaces.
– Could a Local Place Plan / a Local Energy Plan help?
This online workshop is for community organisers and residents interested in the issues. It will inform future funding applications and support for community organisations looking to take control of their journey to a low carbon future.
Book your place: https://tinyurl.com/2vfp5kv8
