FRIENDS OF STARBANK PARK EVENT
SATURDAY 14 MARCH at 10.30am
Come along and hear about the fascinating world of amphibians. 10:30 start with tea & coffee afterwards
Thanks to Lothian Amphibian and Reptile Group.
MONDAY 30th MARCH 6.30pm
at DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
WE’RE HOSTING A HUSTINGS!
Ever wanted to ask your parliamentary candidates the questions that REALLY matter to YOU?
Monday, 30th March 2026
6:30 PM
Edinburgh Northern Constituency Mini Hustings
Hosted by Drylaw/Telford Community Council
This is YOUR chance to:
Hear directly from candidates
Ask YOUR questions
Make an informed choice
Tickets are LIMITED and are FREE
Get your Ticket! https://north-edinburgh-mini-hustings.eventbrite.com
Candidate lineup announced soon!
This is democracy in action, right here in OUR community.
Tickets are now available to purchase for our June Nature and Biodiversity training course 
This training provides carefully curated content to help upskill people, groups and communities so they have the knowledge required to successfully respond to the nature and biodiversity crisis, including:
– Learn how culture, infrastructure, and the systems we rely on benefit from a rich natural world.
– Learn about the pressures impacting nature and why biodiversity continues to experience a global decline that is echoed here in Scotland.
– Be inspired by case studies of organisations and actions that are making a positive difference and celebrate the range of habitats across Scotland.
– Reflect on what impact you, your organisation or your community can have to help nature recover and the co-benefits of this.
Find out more and book now:
Over a third of workers (35%) think that their employer is ineffective at training managers to support neurodiversity at work, according to a new Acas survey.
The survey, carried out by YouGov, of 1,000 employees across Great Britain found that just 32% think their organisation effectively trains managers to make reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent colleagues.
By contrast, 35% said their employer was ineffective, with 18% of those describing their employer as “very ineffective.” Almost one-third (32%) of respondents said they didn’t know how effective their employer was at supporting neurodivergent staff, pointing to a potential lack of understanding of neurodiversity at work.
Julie Dennis, Acas Head of Inclusive Workplace Strategy and Policy said: “These stats show a potentially worrying lack of knowledge when it comes to supporting neurodivergent colleagues, and how to put support at the centre of workplace policies and training.
“Supporting neurodivergent staff can be simple and cost-effective, and it should be integral to any business. When everyone is given the chance to thrive, every business can too.
“Acas has advice and training for employers on how to raise awareness, be inclusive, sensitive, and stay within the law when managing neurodiversity at work.”
Neurodiversity describes the natural differences in how people’s brains behave and process information. Well-known types of neurodivergence include neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
A lot of neurodivergent people do not see themselves as disabled but will often be considered as having a disability under the Equality Act.
The Equality Act gives disabled employees protection against discrimination and the right to reasonable adjustments at work. A reasonable adjustment is a change that an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s disability.
According to Acas figures, around 15-20% of adults experience and process the world differently. Acas advice is that employers should make their organisation more inclusive, so that staff feel comfortable sharing and talking about neurodiversity.
Acas has some top tips for employers:
Acas has training in the year ahead on neurodiversity and advice too:
A programme giving dedicated support to cancer patients throughout their treatment will be rolled out nationwide.
Following the success of 12 pilot projects, which received over £5 million in funding between 2022 and March 2025, an additional £1 million will be provided annually to expand the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) programme, reaching more people with cancer than ever before. An assessment by Healthcare Improvement Scotland found that over a 12-month period, SPOC services had more than 30,000 interactions with people affected by cancer.
The SPOC makes life easier for patients with cancer, providing easy access to clinical teams providing information and advice about appointments, tests and results, and explaining what clinical and non-clinical support is available for them and their family.
Patient feedback from the pilots highlighted reduced stress around appointments, quicker access to blood results, more time for questions, and greater emotional support. Staff reported improved wellbeing and more time for professional development and clinical care.
Announcing the expansion at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, where the SPOC navigation team has supported patients since early 2023, Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “I am very pleased to roll-out this invaluable initiative which gives people with cancer a consistent contact throughout their treatment, enabling specialist staff to focus on complex clinical care.
“The Single Point of Contact service ensures cancer patients know exactly who they can turn to when they need advice about their diagnosis or care. The expansion of this programme means more people can benefit from this type of one-to-one support which is truly making a difference.”
NHS Forth Valley Deputy Medical Director Professor Karen Adamson said: “Digital follow-up for patients with prostate cancer is transforming how we support people after diagnosis. It offers a convenient and efficient way for patients to receive their results and ongoing follow-up, without the need for unnecessary hospital visits.
“In 2024–25, 391 patients received their results and follow-up digitally, releasing the equivalent of 26 Clinical Nurse Specialist clinics so more patients can be seen and supported. Feedback shows patients value the service, describing it as quick, convenient and reassuring.
“This approach reflects our commitment to value-based health and care – improving patient experience and outcomes while making the best possible use of specialist clinical time.”
The Fair Work Festival 2026 is coming up!
Next week (16–20 March) organisations across Scotland will gather to explore how #FairWork can strengthen businesses, empower workers, and create more inclusive, forward‑looking workplaces.
The week features a wide range of online sessions, from job security and gender equality, to flexible working insights and the role of emerging technologies in building fair, productive organisations.
#fairworkfestival2026@followers
View the full programme and register:
The Fair Work Festival 2026 takes place from Monday 16 to Friday 20 March.
It’s open to employers and workers who want to learn more about fair work and how to implement it in their organisation.
Here you can find out about events taking place and how to register. More events will be added in the lead up to the festival.
Host: Peer Works and South of Scotland Enterprise
Time: 12:00 – 13:00
Location: Online
Join us for an online session on how job security can reduce staff turnover, support recruitment, and build resilient, values led organisations, delivering measurable benefits for workers and employers alike. This session is delivered in partnership with SOSE and The Poverty Alliance as part of the Fair Work Festival 2026.
Register for Secure Workforce, Stronger Business
Host: South of Scotland Enterprise
Time: 13.15 – 14.15
Location: Online
Join us to discover how small, people-centric changes can boost performance, strengthen your employer brand, and give your organisation a real competitive edge.
Register for Fair Work, Smart Business
Host: Close the Gap
Time: 10:00 to 11:00
Location: Online (MS Teams)
Join Close the Gap for a practical, business-focused session on how employers can strengthen Fair Work practices and advance gender equality at work, featuring the free Think Business Think Equality tool.
Register for Think Business, Think Equality
Host: Flexibility Works
Time: 11:00 to 12:00
Location: Online
An evidence lead session sharing key findings from the Flex for Life 2026 research. Exploring how flexible working in Scotland supports Fair Work and helps people access and sustain good quality work.
Register for Flex for Life 2026
Host: Scottish Enterprise in partnership with Peer Works
Time: 12:00 – 13:00
Location: Online (MS Teams)
Join Scottish Enterprise and Peer Works for an online session that will look at how businesses can use emerging technologies to improve performance while supporting fair and progressive workplace practices and better outcomes for employees.
Register for Futureproof your business
Host: BITC/CEMVO Scotland
Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Location: Online (MS Teams)
Join BITC and CEMVO Scotland for a focused session exploring how anti‑racist leadership can accelerate progress towards Fair Work, with particular emphasis on Opportunity and Effective Voice.
Register for Overcoming Barriers to Fair Work
Host: Living Wage Scotland
Time:
10:00 – 11:00
12:00 – 13:00
14:00 – 15:00
Location: In person – The Studio, Hope Street, Glasgow
An interactive puzzle game themed around the real Living Wage, Living Hours, and Living Pensions fair work measures.
Register for The Living Wage Escape Room
Host: Scottish Union of Supported Employment (SUSE)
Time: 10:00 – 11:00
Location: Online (MS Teams)
Join this one-hour session from SUSE to discover how inclusive hiring through Supported Employment can boost your business, strengthen workplace culture, and deliver on Fair Work principles.
Register for Fair Work in Action
Host: Acas
Time: 11:00 – 12:00
Location: Webinar
In this webinar Acas explore how employers can positively support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Register for Fair Work & Mental Health: Building a Workplace Where People Thrive
Host: Working Health Services Scotland (WHSS)
Time: 13:00 – 14:00
Location: Online
Join Working Health Services Scotland (WHSS) to discover how early, person centred health and wellbeing support helps employers reduce absence, improve retention and strengthen workplace culture while enabling employees to stay healthy, confident and thriving in meaningful work.
Register for Delivering Fair Work
Host: South of Scotland Enterprise
Time: 12.00 – 13.00
Location: Online
Join us to discover how small, people-centric changes can boost performance, strengthen your employer brand, and give your organisation a real competitive edge.
Register for Fair Work, Smart Business
Host: Social Enterprise Scotland
Time: 13:00 – 14:00
Location: Online
Discover how Scotland’s social enterprises are putting Fair Work into practice in ‘Showcasing Fair Work in Social Enterprise’, a one-hour online event featuring data, insights, inspiration and practical ideas from an award-winning social enterprise.
Register for Showcasing Fair Work in Social Enterprise
Host: Fair Work Convention and CIPD Scotland
Time: 14:00 – 15:30
Location: Online (MS Teams)
Join this webinar, jointly organised by the Fair Work Convention and the CIPD, for the latest update on the implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025 and its interaction with the fair work agenda in Scotland.
Register for The Employment Rights Act 2025 and Fair Work in Scotland
Host: Flexible Working Scotland
Time: 10.00 – 11.00
Location: Online
An interactive one-hour webinar with Lynn Houmdi, Founder of Flexible Working Scotland and Scotland’s Flex Influencer, sharing practical advice and real-life insight to help jobseekers and employees find, negotiate and sustain fair, flexible work.
Register for How to Create or Negotiate Fair, Flexible Work That Works for You
A cross-Government Ministerial Board has been established to coordinate the Scottish Government’s immediate and longer-term response to the Glasgow Union Corner fire that will support the ongoing critical work of partners and stakeholders.
Chaired by Justice Secretary Angela Constance, the board will ensure that work across the Scottish Government is most effectively supporting the city’s recovery efforts. It will also oversee the development of a support package to aid in the recovery process.
Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, is joining the Group’s meetings with Ministerial members including: Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic; Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government; Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport; Màiri McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Housing; and Siobhian Brown, Minister for Victims and Community Safety.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has launched a multi-agency investigation into the causes of the fire, which is expected to take time given its scale and complexity.
Ms Constance said: “First and foremost I want to pay tribute to the emergency services, and particularly the brave firefighters who fought the blaze. It is an incredible relief that there were no casualties and there is no doubt that without their tireless efforts the fire’s impact would have been far greater.
“The fire has left a scene of ruin in the heart of Glasgow and I am determined that the Scottish Government will stand with the city as it recovers.
“The Ministerial Board has been established to coordinate the Scottish Government’s response. There are the immediate issues of making the site safe and the recovery of the transport network, with significant ongoing work to return rail and road systems back to normality as soon as possible.
“There are also wider impacts to be considered and managed, not least the impact on affected businesses and the recovery of the site. The Board will oversee the development of a support package to aid in the recovery process.
“Undoubtedly this will take time, requiring a significant effort across Government, together with partners and stakeholders. The Ministerial Board will play an integral role to ensure the city can get back on its feet as quickly as possible.”
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, has written to MSPs and MPs providing them with an update on the status of Rail Transport following the Union Corner Fire.
Updates on the Union Corner Fire can be found at Glasgow City Council’s Union Street Incident page
A new report is calling for Scotland to move “beyond adequate” in the way public libraries are supported, measured and funded, warning that without clearer national expectations, communities could face widening inequalities in access to essential services.
Public Libraries: Beyond Adequate, published by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) on behalf of a national advisory group convened for the Scottish Government, sets out a series of recommendations to ensure equitable, sustainable and modern library services across all 32 local authorities.
The report makes 10 recommendations covering innovative service delivery, funding and costs, measurement and accountability, leadership awareness and national and local positioning.
Central to the report is the proposal to develop a Universal Library Offer — a clear national framework defining the essential services and experiences every person in Scotland should expect from their local library.
While councils already have a legal duty to provide an “adequate” library service, the report highlights that the term is not clearly defined in legislation, leading to growing differences in provision across the country.
The advisory group warns that without stronger national clarity, there is a risk of incremental erosion of services, increasing geographic inequality and missed opportunities to use libraries to support major national priorities.
The proposed Universal Library Offer would define core areas of service that every community should be able to access, including:
The framework would maintain local flexibility in how services are delivered while ensuring greater national consistency and transparency.
Libraries remain among Scotland’s most trusted public services, providing vital support for literacy, digital access, learning, culture and community wellbeing.
The report positions public libraries as essential partners in delivering Scotland’s wider national ambitions, including the National Performance Framework, child poverty strategy, digital inclusion and preventative public services, highlighting how libraries act as cost-effective civic infrastructure, helping tackle child poverty, improve digital inclusion, support preventative health and strengthen local communities.
It argues that investing in libraries represents a high impact policy lever because they already operate as trusted, place-based services embedded in every community.
Alison Nolan, chief executive of SLIC, said: “Scotland already has a powerful foundation for delivering public services through its library network. They are one of Scotland’s most trusted and far-reaching public services, and access to them should never depend on where you live.
“The recommendations in this report set out a clear path to move beyond the ambiguity of ‘adequate’ and towards a shared national understanding of what every person in Scotland should be able to expect from their local library.
“A Universal Library Offer will provide greater clarity, transparency and fairness so that people across Scotland can rely on consistent access to the services libraries provide, while still allowing local authorities the flexibility to respond to the needs of their communities.”
The report also calls for:
The advisory group presented its recommendations to Mr Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture earlier this month, with the Scottish Government welcoming the proposal, signalling full support to take the package forward.
Mr Robertson said: “I welcome the hard work that SLIC and the Public Libraries Beyond Adequate Advisory Group have put in to develop these recommendations over a short period of time. It will be for the new administration to consider and decide how they are taken forward.”
These recommendations will help inform the next phase of Scotland’s public library strategy, building on the progress of Forward: Scotland’s Public Library Strategy 2021–25 and its 2026 Fast Forward refresh. Together, the proposals aim to ensure libraries can continue to act as vital community anchors supporting learning, inclusion, culture and wellbeing across the country.
A formal national review of progress is proposed within twelve months to ensure the recommendations translate into measurable improvements.
The full report and recommendations have been published by SLIC and the Scottish Government.
Find out more: https://scottishlibraries.org/public-libraries-beyond-adequate/
An Edinburgh MSP has gone to Specsavers to see how local opticians and audiologists are making a difference to patients, the community and supporting the NHS in Scotland.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western and leader of Scottish Liberal Democrats chatted to the Specsavers team in the Gyle Centre store about the expert eye and hearing care services they provide to the local community.
Jonathan Bell, audiology director says: ‘It was a pleasure to welcome Alex, introduce him to our Specsavers team and talk to him about the care we currently provide to his constituents.
‘We discussed the unique partnership model that sees the Gyle Centre store – like all Specsavers services – owned and run by the audiologists and optometrists who provide expert care to patients, in the heart of their community.
‘Our team offers vital eye and hearing care services, and we are keen to change even more lives through better sight and hearing. We are well-placed and have capacity to add NHS care to our hearing offer and would encourage NHS commissioners to consider the commissioning of a community audiology service that would allow us to test and fit NHS patients with hearing devices, free of charge.’
Mr Cole-Hamilton says: ‘I was pleased to visit Specsavers, hearing about what the team already does in terms of serving our community.
“Seeing the technology and clinical expertise in store, and the ability to identify a whole range of health conditions, was a good reminder of how important it is that everyone gets their eyes tested and hearing checked regularly.
‘It was also interesting to learn more about how we could improve access to NHS care by commissioning community hearing health services. Being able to access NHS-funded hearing care on the local high street would reduce pressure on GPs and our hospitals.’
Mr Cole-Hamilton also heard how Specsavers supports community organisations and provides a range of career opportunities for local people.
Ian Hobson, optometry director at the store adds: ‘We had a valuable discussion and were able to showcase the clinical expertise and comprehensive range of eye and hearing health services we offer. Our team is passionate about delivering exceptional care right in the heart of our community.’
Specsavers has more than 1,000 stores throughout the UK and is the leading provider of NHS primary care optometry services – testing more than 20 million eyes every year. It also provides more than 40% of NHS community audiology services in England, supporting more than 200,000 NHS audiology patients a year. Ear wax removal is another popular service offered by Specsavers.
Specsavers Gyle Centre is open seven days a week.
To book an appointment, visit: www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/gylecentre or call the store on 0131 317 7540.
For those that can’t leave their homes unaccompanied due to disability or illness, Specsavers also offers a home visits service covering more than 90% of the UK – with more details available at www.specsavers.co.uk/home-eye-tests.
One year on from Westminster’s Business and Trade Committee’s last report on the Post Office Horizon scandal, progress has been made delivering redress for victims of the Fujitsu-supplied Horizon IT scandal. More than 11,300 claimants have received payments with £1.44 billion distributed.
But thousands of sub‑postmasters are still waiting for the redress they are owed, and in a report today the Committee says “serious structural failings persist” in the redress system. Many victims still face unacceptable delays, inadequate offers, and administrative processes that “re‑traumatise” those who have already been seriously wronged.
Fujitsu, with a central role in one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history, has contributed nothing to the bill for redress and is still expanding its public sector revenues. A few days after UK CEO Paul Patterson gave evidence in Parliament, Fujitsu announced that he would move this month to a non-executive role “managing the company’s response” to the public inquiry into the Horizon scandal.
There is a serious risk of an unknown number of unsafe convictions – potentially including wrongful imprisonment – that are yet to be uncovered or have any access to justice. The Committee found evidence that the MoJ is wrongly judging eligibility of sub postmasters who should have had their convictions quashed, and there is no route for appeal in these cases.
And there is now emerging evidence that pre-Horizon IT systems, especially Capture, had similar flaws to the Horizon system that may have contributed to unsafe convictions. Incomplete records mean that the current confirmed number of Capture cases may represent just “the tip of another iceberg”, with the Committee calling for urgent legislation to quash Capture-related convictions.
The Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), still managed by Post Office, routinely sees its offers overturned and significantly increased after a DBT-administered appeal. The stark disparities between initial offers and eventual awards reinforces that the HSS is no longer fit for purpose. Fully assessed claims continue to take far beyond target timelines with thousands of late claims still awaiting final offer.
The Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) is performing better, but claimants are still being forced to jump through administrative hoops to secure what is now effectively a guaranteed minimum £600k redress payment. That should simply be paid in full to all eligible claimants now.
Fujitsu has acknowledged its moral obligation to contribute to the cost of redress, yet it has made no interim payment and has agreed no figure. The total cost of redress payments now stands around £2 billion. But despite its “self-imposed moratorium” on bidding for new public contracts, Fujitsu continues to benefit from substantial Government contracts. The failure to even offer an interim amount is “unacceptable”.
Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the Business and Trade Committee, said: “For hundreds of sub-postmasters, justice has come far too slowly. Many have waited years for the truth to be recognised and for the compensation they are owed. Yet today we find serious structural failings still blocking the road to justice.
“Thousands of victims are still waiting for fair redress, while the processes designed to help them are too often slow, bureaucratic and re-traumatising. That is simply unacceptable after one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history.
“Worse, Fujitsu has yet to contribute a penny to the nearly £2 billion redress bill, even as it continues to benefit from public contracts. That cannot continue. It is simply wrong that taxpayers are covering the costs for Fujitsu’s sins while Fujitsu is still profiting from taxpayers funded contracts.
“We were also concerned to hear new evidence that suggests unsafe convictions linked to earlier systems such as Capture may be only the tip of another iceberg. Parliament must act quickly to quash these convictions and ensure that every victim finally gets the justice they deserve.
“The victims of this scandal have shown extraordinary courage. The country owes them more than apologies — it owes them justice, accountability, and full and fair redress without further delay.”
