Menu for Friday the 5th of September 
We are excited to share a delicious community meal with you tomorrow. We do our best to have a variety of options, including vegetarian and often a delicious pudding.
What’s on the menu tomorrow:
Lentil and ginger soup
Brisket stew
Mushroom stew (V)
Side of potatoes and veg
Apple crumble and custard
Please check the board or ask our volunteers about allergens.
And just a heads-up, our food is served until it runs out! Do come along and enjoy.
Thank you!
On Friday 22 August, the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics hosted Dreaming of a Fairer Future for Culture, an inspiring event exploring the role of creativity in building a more equal and hopeful Scotland.
Chaired by Foysol Choudhury MSP, the discussion brought together an engaging panel of voices from across Scotland’s creative sector, including Katie Goh, Matthew Hickman, Claire Dufour and Jen Collins.
Together, they reflected on how creativity can drive equity, collaboration and shared resources, reimagining artists, art workers and cultural organisations as vital partners in shaping Scotland’s future.
A moving film by Indra Wilson, commissioned by Culture Counts, shared voices and aspirations of some of the people living in North Glasgow: “I am a son, a brother and an uncle.” “I am the guitar that my mother gave me.” Everyone has a story, and artists and creative minds can help us to tell them in a meaningful way.
Artist and writer Harry Mould urges us to remember that culture “isn’t caviar, it’s salt. You sprinkle it on everything because it brings out the flavour.”
The event focused not just on creativity but also on equity, shared resources and seeing artists, art workers and organisations as viable partners and collaborators.
Building on this, the discussion turned to the importance of collective action and connectivity. Speakers highlighted the many artistic projects already thriving in village halls and community spaces across the country, and the need for better data to capture and sustain this work.
As one participant put it: “Voices need to be heard, not just individual voices, but collective voices. That is how we can rally behind these efforts and make a difference.”
Reflecting on the event, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “It was a privilege to chair this conversation, and to hear how deeply culture is rooted in people’s everyday lives, whether in community halls, local projects, or the shared stories that bind us together.
“When those voices unite, they do more than celebrate creativity: they challenge inequality, demand accountability, and help shape a fairer Scotland for all.
“I am grateful to everyone who shared their perspectives, and especially to Kathryn Welch of Creative Counts, whose vision and leadership were the driving force behind this important discussion.”
The event demonstrated that Scotland’s creative community continues to be a driving force for positive change, showing that culture is not a luxury, but an essential part of building a fairer society.
Scottish benefits are easing the cost-of-living burden for families according to a new evaluation.
The Scottish Centre for Social Research surveyed people in receipt of any of the Five Family Payments, a group of benefits designed to tackle poverty and to improve household finances.
Findings show the payments have a positive impact on recipients’ overall finances and have helped to reduce material deprivation and food insecurity for low-income families. The majority of Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Foods recipients agreed the payments meant they did not need foodbanks.
Feedback also shows the majority of Best Start Foods recipients, who receive a pre-paid card to purchase healthy food, reported that the card enabled their families to have healthy meals more frequently.
Other impacts include a reduction to household debt and borrowing and more children being able to undertake extra-curricular activities, like sport, music or drama.
Recipients also commented that the automatic payment system reduces worry and stress.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville met some impacted families at Brunstane Primary School in Edinburgh.
Ms Somerville said: “We want every child to have the best start in life, but we recognise that the cost of living continues to have a negative impact on families across the country.
“It is a moral imperative to offer the best support we can, and I’m pleased that this work found an array of positive, meaningful impacts.
“But we are not letting up. We know there is more to do, which is why, as an example, we are launching the new Two Child Limit Payment in March, which will benefit the families of 43,000 children next year.
“And in the face of challenging economic headwinds and cuts to the UK welfare system, I want to reassure families that our support will continue. No child, nor family, will be left behind by the Scottish Government.”
One parent, Emma Hunter from Magdalene, said: “We are so grateful for the support we received with the healthy start vouchers, school uniforms and child payment.
“It has been such a huge help in easing the financial burden of starting a family and it has made a real difference to our lives.”
