Scottish charities are set to benefit from changes to legislation which will raise the audit income threshold from £500,000 to £1 million.
Secondary legislation has been laid in the Scottish Parliament which, subject to approval by MSPs, will come into force on 1 January next year.
That means 93% of Scotland’s 24,500 charities won’t need an audit once the new rules come into force, reducing their administrative and financial burdens.
The change responds to feedback from charities about rising costs and the limited availability of specialist charity auditors.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “It’s important that charity regulation not only meets the needs of charities, but is fair and works well.
“We recognise the real financial pressures on charities particularly the challenges they face as a result of the UK government’s increase to employers’ national insurance contributions.
“We have listened and responded with this change to the audit income threshold. This means that only around 93% of charities registered in Scotland will require an audit.
“Charities will still be held to high standards because they are accountable to the public.”
Chief Executive of SCVO Anna Fowlie said: “I very much welcome this move by Scottish Government.
“The threshold for requiring a full audit has been static for decades, placing a burden on small charities who simply can’t afford the cost or the time. There is also a shortage of auditors prepared to take on such small pieces of work.”
600 school girls from 15 state and independent schools across Edinburgh and the surrounding areas have gathered today for the third annual Fearless Women in Computing event at St George’s School.
The event aims to address the gender gap in Computing Science by bringing together schools, tech companies and innovators to create an immersive, hands-on experience, with more than 20 companies in attendance, including The National Robotarium, IBM and The Quantum Software Lab at the University of Edinburgh.
Computing Science teacher and founder of dressCode, Toni Scullion, said:“The Fearless Women in Computing event is a fantastic initiative.
It’s amazing to hear the sounds of high fives and exclamations from the girls when they solve a problem or make something happen. If we don’t act now, we won’t see equality in our lifetime.”
St George’s Head, Carol Chandler-Thompson, said:“Women make up only 22% of the AI workforce, meaning they are being left out of the most influential, high-paying jobs of the future.
“Our Fearless Women in Computing event brings together state and independent schools, companies and innovators. The day is an eye-opener to the world of computing.”
Through hands-on workshops, dynamic demonstrations and real-world role-models, the day underlines that tech careers are for everyone and encourages these young women to step confidently into their future in computing, STEM and tech careers.
The Financial Conduct Authority’s review of certain types of credit builder products found little evidence that they are effective for most consumers.
FCA want consumers to be able to make informed decisions so that they can navigate their financial lives.
That’s why we carried out work to understand how some credit builder products operate and have been working with firms and credit reference agencies (CRAs) to drive improvements in the market.
Here we explain the work we’ve done, and where consumers can access useful information on improving credit profiles, such as via MoneyHelperLink (external)
What we looked at
Credit builder products claim to help you build a record of making payments, which could improve your credit history and score.
Our review focused on specific credit builder products that simply report your regular payments to CRAs with the sole aim of helping you ‘build’ your credit score or history.
These products typically do not involve regulated credit. But because they are closely linked to the wider credit market and tend to be marketed to people who have little or no credit history, we looked at how they affect consumers.
We didn’t look at other products or features often described as credit builders like low-limit credit cards, rent reporting services, or services which simply explain how your credit file works.
Our key findings
Effectiveness: For most consumers, there is little evidence that these credit builder products significantly improve credit scores.
Potential risks: In some cases, firms reporting payments on these products to CRAs can potentially misrepresent a customer’s financial circumstances and help facilitate access to unaffordable credit. For consumers experiencing financial difficulty, these products are even less likely to positively affect credit scores and may reduce the amount of income available for essential living expenses.
Complexity and regulation: The majority of the credit builder products we looked at are unregulated and firms often fail to clearly explain their limitations and risks.
Our work
Based on our feedback, 5 firms have chosen to stop offering this type of credit builder product. Others have changed their products, business models and marketing materials.
We continue to work with firms offering these products as we decide whether we should take further action.
We’ve engaged with CRAs on new data reporting guidance to ensure that only appropriate information is reported that accurately reflects repayment performance.
What to consider as a consumer
There’s little proof that these products will help improve your credit score or make it easier to get affordable credit.
Think carefully about whether these products fit your needs and are worth the cost.
For more information on improving your credit profile, like tips on low-limit credit cards, or for free debt advice if you’re having money problems, visit:
StepChange has welcomed the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) review into credit builder products, and the harm that they can cause to consumers, particularly if they are struggling with debt.
Peter Tutton, Director of Policy, Research and Public Affairs at StepChange, said:“We welcome the FCA’s new review into credit builder products.
People who have a poor credit history or are new to credit may choose to use these products explicitly to build their credit score. Advertising of these types of products can exaggerate the benefits of having a good credit score, and lead consumers to believe it will help them get access to credit or other financial services.
“Our research finds people in financial difficulty delay seeking help because of worries about their credit scores – almost half (45%) of people finding it difficult to keep up with credit repayments were offered more credit. This increases harm and makes debt problems worse.
“The reality is that credit scores are only one element of what lenders look at when assessing credit worthiness. We support the FCA’s wider work as part of the Credit Information Market Study that lenders should report forbearance arrangements more positively which would make people more confident to get better and earlier help with their debts.
“We need to ensure the credit information system is not used to push people further into harmful debt.”
People from Kutenholz helped to launch Remembrance and Reconciliation at Edinburgh Napier University
A group of dedicated volunteers from a small German village hope a remembrance exhibition held at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) will help trace relatives of a Leith-born soldier who died in the Second World War.
Residents from Kutenholz, near Hamburg in lower Saxony, have travelled to ENU’s Craiglockhart campus for the launch of Remembrance and Reconciliation. It tells the story of their effort to connect with the families of those who lost their lives there during the Second World War.
The group of locals, led by Debbie Bülau, have sought to keep their memories alive by identifying remains, establishing memorials and contacting families of those killed in the area.
That endeavour to bring families closure has reached across continents, to England, France, Australia, Canada, Singapore – and Scotland.
In 2022, memorial stones were unveiled in the village to commemorate those who lost their lives, and earlier this year Debbie was awarded a Medal of the British Empire for her efforts.
Their search is continuing too, as they hope to find relatives of a Leith-born soldier. Donald Cameron was killed by an explosion near Kutenholz in April 1945.
Donald died alongside fellow member of the Royal Horse Guards Lieutenant Robin Tudsbery from Edinburgh, whose descendants have already formed a lasting bond with the people of Kutenholz. He is commemorated in his home city by the Robin Chapel, which was built by his parents in his honour.
Descendants of Lieutenant Tudsbery, representatives from the Robin Chapel, and the German Consulate General of Edinburgh were among those present at the launch of Remembrance and Reconciliation, which is on display in the Craiglockhart campus chapel until Thursday [13 November].
Craiglockhart is a fitting setting for the exhibition, given its previous use as a hospital for soldiers returning from the First World War. It is known as the place where poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon recovered from their trauma.
Debbie Bülau from the Kutenholz Memorial Group, said: “In 2022, we began researching victims of the Nazis in our home community, so we began extensive research into the deceased victims.
“Many of the families did not know what had happened to their loved ones or where their graves were located. Today, they know where their loved ones are buried and have places to remember them and mourn their loss.
“We now see ourselves as one large international family.
“In Edinburgh, from the very beginning, we have been welcomed and accepted with open arms. This special friendship shows that reconciliation and healing are possible, even after so many years.
“Many hours of preparation have now gone into this project, and we hope that many people will take an interest in our special commemorative work.”
Professor Sue Rigby, Principal and Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “We are deeply proud to host this exhibition.
“Through years of patient research and quiet determination, the people of Kutenholz have uncovered the stories of those whose voices were silenced by war, who lost their lives far from home.
“From that tragedy, something profoundly human and hopeful has emerged.
“The exhibition gives voice to these stories – stories of suffering, yes, but also of healing, courage, and connection. It reminds us that history is not distant. It is deeply personal. It lives in families, in communities, and in the small acts of remembrance that bring us closer together.”
Professor Gerri Matthews-Smith, Director of ENU’s Centre for Military Research, Education and Public Engagement, said: “Remembrance is never passive. What Debbie Bülau and the Kutenholz community have done, patiently restoring identities and reaching across borders embodies reconciliation in action.
“Here at Craiglockhart, a place shaped by recovery, we’re honoured to host their exhibition and to support the search for relatives of Leith-born soldier Donald Cameron.
“If this work reconnects even one family with their history, it will have transformed loss into lasting human connection.”
Christiane Hullman, German Consul General in Edinburgh, said: “I am delighted that we could bring this special exhibition to Edinburgh.
“The exhibition is about the work of local volunteers from Kutenholz, thanks to whom we now know the exact circumstances of the deaths of British soldiers who lost their lives at the end of the Second World War in that area.
“What makes this exhibition so powerful is that it shows how friendship can grow between peoples who were once enemies through the shared act of remembrance.”
The search for relatives of Leith-born soldier Donald Cameron
The Kutenholz Memorial Group, let by Debbie Bülau, have been able to establish some of the family background of the soldier Donald Cameron, whose relatives they are hoping to find.
Donald Cameron was born on 1 July 1911 in Leith, the son of Donald Archie Cameron and his wife Annie May Cameron, née Spence. Donald senior and Annie May married on 5 March 1908.
Donald grew up with his older sister Mary and his younger sister Jessie, who was born in 1922 and married George Stewart in 1947. Jessie died in 2003.
Mary was unmarried and died in 1970 at the age of 61. Mary was born on 6 October 1908.
Their father, Donald Archie Cameron, worked as a bus driver. Annie May was a housewife. The family lived at 34 Balfour Street in Leith at the time.
On 10 November 1944, Donald Cameron and Catherine Flanagan were married at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Edinburgh. The short marriage remained childless.
Catherine worked as a rubber worker at the North British Rubber Company. During the war, the factory produced rubber boots, gas masks and tyres for army vehicles, among other things. She died in Leith in 1976, and did not remarry after her husband’s death.
Anyone with information about the family, can contact Debbie Bülau via:
Minister thanks NHS staff for their work supporting mothers
More than half of all babies in Scotland are now breastfed at 6 – 8 weeks, the first time this has been achieved since records began in 2002.
Latest Public Health Scotland Infant Feeding statistics for 2024-25 show that at the time of the 6-8 week review, 51% of babies were being breastfed – 34% exclusively and 17% a mixture of formula and breastfeeding. Inequalities are reducing – the numbers demonstrate that breastfeeding rates among those from the most deprived areas and younger mothers continue to increase.
The new rates mean the Scottish Government has met the commitment to reduce the drop off in breastfeeding rates at the 6-8 week point by 10% by 2025.
The figures also reveal that 69% of newborns were breastfed for at least some time after birth (up 6% from 2016-17) – this includes an 11% increase in the most deprived areas, from 47% to 58%.
Minister for Public Health Jenni Minto said: “I welcome the news that so many babies in Scotland are now being breastfed. We will continue to protect, promote and support breastfeeding to give all babies the best nutritional start in life and to support families with their infant feeding choices as we know breastfeeding may not be possible for everyone.
“Of course, mothers benefit from support to breastfeed – from their families of course, but I also want to thank all the healthcare staff and their partner organisations who work tirelessly to educate and encourage new mums to achieve their breastfeeding goals.
“The Scottish Government has targeted an additional £11 million over the past seven years towards breastfeeding support. This extra funding has now been transferred to Health Boards so they can adapt their plans to suit local needs and it is particularly pleasing to see breastfeeding rates in the most deprived areas increasing.
“We have also seen good progress in Health Boards implementing the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly standards as a strong foundation for this work.
“Rates have increased in all Health Board areas since 2012/13 and we will keep building on this success as part of our continuing efforts to improve the health of the nation.”
A growing number of employers across the capital are committing to paying the Real Living Wage.
New numbers released today to mark Living Wage Week reveal that there are now 790 accredited employers, collectively employing over 221,000 workers across Edinburgh.
Since last year there have been more than 40 new accreditations in the city, resulting in 13,683 workers receiving a welcome boost to their incomes.
The Real Living Wage is an independently calculated rate based on the actual cost of living. It’s paid voluntarily by employers and is updated annually to make sure hourly pay keeps up with the essential costs of housing, childcare, transport, and heating costs.
Living Wage week, which runs from 10 to 16 November, provides an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the movement to date, recognise its positive impact on workers and communities and to thank employers for maintaining their commitment, despite challenging business conditions.
Councillor Tim Pogson, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener and Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Fair Work Action Group, said: “I’m delighted that every year an increasing number of employers in Edinburgh are committing to paying the Real Living Wage, meaning thousands more workers are earning a fair day’s pay.
“There are now 790 Living Wage Employers – up more than 40 on last year – and I’d like to thank each and every one for making the effort to sign up.
“More than 80,000 residents in Edinburgh are struggling to make ends meet and earning a fair wage is key to tackling poverty and the rising costs of living. We want to continue working with employers to encourage them to commit to paying the Real Living Wage and Living Wage Week is a great opportunity to highlight this.
“There’s still so much work to do but I’m really encouraged by the great strides made by employers across the city, despite facing their own pressures.”
Kat Brogan, Managing Director of Mercat Tours and Co-Chair of the Edinburgh Fair Work Action Group said: “Employers in Edinburgh are continuing to put the wellbeing of their workers first by committing to paying the Real Living Wage. This is despite challenging economic conditions with rising business costs.
“Paying the Real Living Wage is more important than ever. The cost of living continues to rise, and we are seeing persistent levels of poverty in the city, particularly in-work poverty.
“We know that well paid, fair and secure work is one of the best and most sustainable routes out of poverty. By committing to paying the Real Living Wage, employers are doing their bit to support city-wide efforts to reduce levels of poverty.”
Social Tariff can deliver “transformational impact” on fuel poverty levels
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan has called for urgent action from the UK Government on energy bills, as new modelling finds that around 660,000 households could see estimated fuel bills cut by an average of £700 under Scottish Government proposals for targeted discounts.
New scenario modelling on a targeted unit rate discount and targeted removal of standing charges – or Social Tariff – published today by the Scottish Government, suggest it could lift 202,000 households in Scotland out of extreme fuel poverty and reduce the number of households in fuel poverty entirely by around 135,000, with a UK Government investment of £475 million per annum.
Today’s modelling builds on the work undertaken by the Social Tariff Working Group – comprising energy suppliers, consumer and fuel poverty groups and disabled people’s organisations.
Màiri McAllan said: “In an energy-rich nation like Scotland, no one should be struggling to pay their energy bills – yet far too many people are struggling with bills still higher than they were this time last year.
“The UK Government promised to cut people’s bills by £300 – instead bills have risen by almost £200. We must see action from the UK Government now.
“Today’s evidence shows that under our proposals for targeted discounts, around 660,000 households in Scotland would see their estimated fuel bills go down by an average of £700 – with more than around 135,000 households lifted out of fuel poverty and more than 200,000 lifted out of extreme fuel poverty.
“We have worked closely with energy providers, consumer groups and others to develop these concrete, deliverable plans which would have a transformational impact on people in Scotland during the cost of living crisis.
“The UK Government is not going to reduce fuel poverty without investment – but set against the impact of fuel poverty, which research suggests costs the NHS across in England alone £1.4 billion per year, this investment is not just the right thing to do, but is a smart, preventative spend.
“High energy bills are causing misery for people throughout Scotland and I am calling for the UK Government to use the powers at their disposal and take action to support people now.
“UK ministers have been quick to tell us what they will not do to cut energy bills and reduce fuel poverty – they must now tell us what they will do.”
Frazer Scott, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Action Scotland said: “It is abundantly clear from the report published by the Scottish Government that the introduction of a social tariff or social discount would have a transformational impact on low-income fuel poor households and people with serious health conditions or disabilities.
“The current approach of a wholly inadequate payment £150 through the Warm Home Discount provided through energy suppliers is simply no longer fit for purpose.
“Energy Action Scotland urges the UK Government to introduce a social tariff or social discount of the type modelled in this report and provide meaningful support for households unable to heat and power their homes.”
David Hilferty, Director of Impact, Citizens Advice Scotland said: “Energy is one of our fastest growing advice areas across the CAB network – up 150% compared to the period before the pandemic and the twin cost of living and energy crises.A social tariff for energy is no longer a nice-to-have – it is now an essential and imperative need.”
Based on Scottish Household Condition Survey data, eligible households would receive on average a £1,000 reduction on their modelled fuel bill.
As this estimate is based on modelled fuel bills to meet the heating regimes set out in the Fuel Poverty definition in Scotland, we have also provided a calibrated cost based on DESNZ average domestic consumption data.
For the calibrated cost, the average fuel bill reduction per household is £700 and would require a UK Government investment of around £475 million per annum.
This Christmas, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will host its Festive Family Feast at Greyfriars Hall, offering guests a relaxed, communal dining experience in one of the city’s most atmospheric venues.
The celebration will begin with a starter buffet featuring smoked salmon, scallops, charcuterie, cheeses, and artisan breads, followed by main course options such as roast turkey roulade, Mushroom Wellington, and Scottish salmon, served with traditional festive sides. Guests will finish with a chocolate crémeux dessert with raspberry gel, salted caramel, and pistachio crumb.
With doors open from 13:00 and final seating at 14:30, the event will provide a stress-free Christmas celebration for all the family with joiner tables of ten and drinks available to purchase on the day.
We’re thrilled to announce the extension of our Artist in Residence programme – a celebration of Edinburgh’s vibrant art scene and creative community.
Due to popular demand, local artist Jennifer Court will continue her residency at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh through December.
Guests can meet Jennifer in-house, discover her latest works, and even book a studio tour for an inside look at her creative process. Be amazed by her awe inspiring 360 view of Edinburgh, capturing her view from the top turret of the unicorn room.
To arrange a visit, contact our Concierge team or reach out to Jenny directly on Instagram @jennifercourt_art
Waves of Wordsis an idea for a community group where you don’t need to do any real “homework” but instead come along to share words, phrases, and ideas together, not to analyse them but to explore what they mean to us and what they awaken in us.
Interested? Then read on ….
We’re suggesting a weekly meeting that will be a space for gentle conversation, discovery and fun!
You can bring along something you’ve read – an article, a line in a book, a favourite poem, a social media post and share it if you’d like to – there are no right or wrong answers, only different voices and opinions
We’ll also share tea and treats, simple things to make every conversation a little sweeter!
If you’d like to find out more about this proposed group – or to contribute ideas of your own for a discussion group – please come along to the Heart on Saturday November 15th at 12.30 and share your thoughts.
For more information or to ask any questions please contact Alessandra:
The Polar Express
Home Alone
Elf
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
