Three men have been convicted of wilful fire-raising offences linked to Operation Portaledge.
At the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, 26 March, 2026, Marshall O’Hara, 21, and Fraser Stewart, 22, pleaded guilty to four wilful fire-raising offences. Aiden McLaughlin (pictured above), 21, pleaded guilty to one wilful fire-raising offence.
All three pleaded guilty in relation to a wilful fire-raising at a premises on Wellington Road in Bishopbriggs on Tuesday, 8 April, 2025.
O’Hara and Stewart were also convicted in relation to wilful fire-raisings at a property on Ashgill Road, Glasgow and a property on Meadow Court, Stepps, on Monday, 7 April, as well as a property on Colston Drive, Bishopbriggs on Monday, 14 April.
They are all due to be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday, 13 May.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry, Specialist Crime Division, said: “These were worrying incidents for the local community and now those responsible will face the consequences of their actions.
“We will continue to bring those intent in being involved in serious and organised crime to justice.
“These convictions are further examples of Police Scotland’s commitment to the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce and its national strategy.”
Operation Portaledge is the ongoing investigation into violent incidents in the East and West of the country.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Giants Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 Until 14 Sep Tickets from £13
Giants showcases the colossal prehistoric creatures that lived after the extinction of the dinosaurs, 66 million years ago. Discover life-sized 3D sculptures, skeletons, and fossils in this immersive, family-friendly exhibition. The Giants exhibition is designed and produced by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
COMING SOON Scotland’s First Warriors Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Opening 27 June Entrance into the museum and exhibition is free
Explore archaeological evidence for the origins of organised conflict, from the Neolithic (late Stone Age) to the Romans, through over 250 objects. Scotland’s First Warriors explores how and why people fought, the impact of war, and the legacy of prehistoric conflict. Internationally significant discoveries from Scotland will be on display for the first time, including the Carnoustie Hoard.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Curiosity Club Learning Centre, Level 4 28 Mar & 23 May 10:30-12:00 £10 (Members and Concessions £9)
Inspired by some of the museum’s most exciting collections, our Curiosity Clubs are a chance for kids to explore the museum without their adult helpers through games, activities, and gallery visits.
Relaxed Curiosity Club Learning Centre, Level 4 28 Mar 14:30-15:30 £10 (£9 Members and Concessions)
Relaxed Curiosity Club sessions are particularly aimed at children with additional support needs, neurodivergent children, or children with disabilities. Parents/carers (up to two per participating child) are invited to stay and either join in with the activities or enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the foyer of the activity area.
Gather Around the Frame: A Celebration of Hand Quilting Locations across the museum 29 Mar 10:15-16:45 Free drop-in activities, booking required for panel discussion
Join us for a hands-on stitching experience around replica historical quilting frames as enjoyed by previous generations as they sewed together. This event will feature talks, film screenings, hands-on crafts, and our very own quilting bee. All materials are provided.
Edinburgh Science Festival 2026 Locations across the museum Daily from 4-19 Apr 10:00-17:00 All pricing and bookings through Science Festival website
Edinburgh Science Festival 2026 will highlight Scotland’s contribution to scientific advances through research, innovation, and its extraordinary people. The Grand Gallery will host family-friendly activities and artwork by award-winning artist, Gayle Chong Kwan.
Makkin it! 5-19 April 10:00-2:00 and 13:00-15:00 Free, drop in
Join our Learning Team in the Grand Gallery to discover some incredible Scottish inventions. Get hands-on with some of our favourite inventions, press and investigate your unique fingerprint, then head off and explore our galleries with a copy of our Inventors trail.
Morning Curator Tour: Giants Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 7-14 Apr Tickets from £13
Join exhibition curator, Dr Sarah Stewart, for an exclusive early-morning tour of Giants.
Giants celebrates the colossal creatures that roamed the Earth 66 million years ago. Meet ten giant creatures from prehistory. Discover how they were able to grow so large, what advantages their size offered, and why they eventually faced extinction.
The Giants exhibition is designed and produced by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
Gordon Buchanan: Giants of the Land Auditorium, Level 1 16 May 14:00 Tickets from £12
Join award-winning wildlife filmmaker, presenter and author Gordon Buchanan as he makes his first-ever appearance at the National Museum of Scotland. In this auditorium talk, Gordon will reflect on 30 years of taking part in daring expeditions, pushing boundaries, and raising awareness of the world’s most endangered species and habitats.
Creative Workshop: Paper Creations Learning Centre Studios, Level 4 23 May 10:30-13:00 and 14:00-16:30 Tickets from £45
Join paper folding artist Kate Colin for a bespoke workshop, inspired by our ‘Giants’ exhibition and fossil collections. You will learn paper folding techniques and create a collection of handcrafted paper sculptures inspired by spiral forms and fossil structures.
Museum Socials Learning Centre Seminar Room, Level 4 Third Friday of the month 10:30–12:00 Free, booking required
Our Museum Socials events are designed for people living with dementia, their relatives, friends, carers, and supporters. Relaxed and informal, each session explores a different museum theme through various interactive activities, including curator talks, object handling, and creative crafts. And tea, cake and a warm welcome are always provided.
National Museum of Rural Life Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Relaxed Afternoon: National Museum of Rural Life Last Tuesday of every month 14:30-17:00 Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Join us for our monthly Relaxed Afternoon for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum. This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with neurodivergent children; neurodivergent young people and adults; adults living with dementia; adults and children with mental health problems; and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
Spring Explorers 14–17 Apr 10:30–15:30 Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Become a Spring Explorer this April at the National Museum of Rural Life. Join us as we dig into all things soil and explore the wiggly world beneath our feet. Take part in a planting activity to learn how bugs and worms keep soil healthy for plants to grow. Settle in for some lively, soil-inspired storytelling in the theatre, then get messy with some hands-on fun at our Soil Exploration Station.
Tractor Tots 24 Apr & 29 May 2026 Learning Centre £25 per child for block of 3, £20 per Member child for block of 3
Running in blocks of three sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to rural life through interactive creative play. Each session will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions, and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside
Woolly Weekend Museum and farm 23 & 24 May 10:30-16:00 Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Celebrate all things woolly with a weekend of family fun at the National Museum of Rural Life.
See woolly farm friends up close and take part in wool-themed crafts, storytelling, and activities in the museum. Then take a walk to the farm to watch YouTube sensation Cammy Wilson shear our flock. Cammy will explain how, when, and why sheep are sheared, and will demonstrate traditional and modern shearing techniques.
Expert Talks Concorde Theatre 17 Apr & 15 May 11:00-11:20 Free with museum admission
From April to October, learn more about our collections and the history of East Fortune Airfield with our series of free expert talks at the museum. There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of each talk. In April, join Matteo Randazzo who will discuss ‘Second World War Archaeology at East Fortune’.
Relaxed Morning: National Museum of Flight Every second Sunday of the month, 10:00-12:00 Free with museum admission
Join us for a Relaxed Morning at the National Museum of Flight, for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum. Friendly staff will be there to give you a warm welcome and support your visit, as you explore the museum without noisy interactives and videos to create a more relaxed environment.
“For more than four decades, miners and their families have been forced to live with unanswered questions. Today, I am formally launching the Orgreave Inquiry to uncover the truth of what happened.
“I pay tribute to the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, the National Union of Mineworkers, and all those who campaigned so tirelessly to reach this moment” – SHABANA MAHMOOD, HOME SECRETARY
ORGREAVE TRUTH and JUSTICE CAMPAIGN STATEMENT:
We are pleased that the Government is finally launching the start of the Orgreave Inquiry after their inquiry announcement last July 2025.
While we are disappointed that it has taken so long for the Home Office to come to this stage, we are relieved that work will now begin to establish the truth about the Tory government involvement and police conduct at Orgreave on 18th June 1984 during the 1984/5 miners’ strike.
The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign and supporters have worked hard over many years for an Orgreave Inquiry and it has been a long and difficult journey.
Our determination and tenacity has however received much support from many individuals, organisations and the Labour and Trade Union movement, whose wonderful solidarity has made it possible to continue and be able to come this far.
This is a statutory inquiry, with the Terms of Reference and panel membership established by the government. We have however tried our best to influence the process to ensure this does not become a police-led inquiry but one shaped by the miners and their experiences.
This 42nd anniversary year of the miners’ strike reminds us that we must never forget the importance of that great strike to defend an industry, jobs, trade unions and communities and the fight for all our futures.
We are indebted to the striking miners and their families for their dedication and sacrifice to that year-long struggle that changed all our lives forever.
The 1980s Tory cabinet of Margaret Thatcher, Leon Brittan, Nigel Lawson, Norman Tebbit and others, along with their secret “Misc 101” Committee, planned to destroy the British coal industry and organised labour, the National Union of Mineworkers, its leaders Arthur Scargill, Peter Heathfield and Mick McGahey and the British labour and Trade Union movement.
Kevin Horne, striking miner arrested at Orgreave on 18th June 1984 said: “We know that the Tory Government of the 1980s was directly involved in the miners’ strike while professing ‘non-involvement’.
“The Tory Ridley plan of the 1970s exposes how far they were prepared to go and the 1980s Tory Government put vast amounts of public resources into the implementation of this plan. This was state sponsored organisation against the miners and our livelihoods.
“The Tory’s own archives confirm Parliament and the public were knowingly lied to but their involvement in the strike and the policing of it has never been publicly acknowledged.”
John Dunn, striking miner assaulted by the police and arrested on a Derbyshire picket line said: “The mass media colluded with the Tories by lying in their headlines and reports about what was really happening, or not reporting it at all. Their collaboration in these government and police lies and coverups continues to this day, demonising and vilifying strikers and protesters.
“The raw footage that the many media companies and photographers have of police attacking miners at Orgreave and other footage of police violence and harassment throughout the strike must be handed over to this inquiry.
“The injustice faced by us miners and our communities has never been acknowledged by the state and instead they and the media have lied and covered it up. The right to strike and the right to protest should be a fundamental human right”
Kate Flannery, Secretary of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign said: “We need answers about the systemic violent and lying behaviour of the police. We need to know about plans of how police officers on the ground were briefed and how that briefing came about.
“We need government and police papers releasing that have been embargoed until 2066 and 2071. The police have recently still been destroying vital evidence needed for this inquiry.
“This is of great public interest and concern and is about a government who actively worked against its own population and handed the police paramilitary powers and destroyed an industry in the process.”
Chris Peace, Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign activist said: “Orgreave marked a turning point in the policing of public protest. With no accountability of policing at Orgreave, a message was sent to the police that they could employ violence and tell lies with impunity.
“This set a culture for violent militarised police to run riot throughout mining communities and villages all over Britain. It also enabled a culture for the police to maintain many lies and cover ups in 1989 at Hillsborough. The Hillsborough campaigners are still fighting for justice to this day”
Chris Hockney, Chair of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign said: “It is important that due to the age and health of many miners we quickly secure a public acknowledgement of why and what the state did to the miners and our communities.
“We have to have hope that an inquiry of full disclosure should influence the future behaviour of the state and public officials and that the inquiry panel and resources committed to this inquiry will establish truth and justice.”
The campaign will be encouraging as many people as possible to come forward with information to submit to the inquiry once more details about how people can contribute has been revealed by the Chair and inquiry team.
Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, Dance Base is known for curating an ambitious programme of Scottish and international shows every August, giving a world-class platform to up-and-coming and established dance artists.
Dance Base Festival 26 in partnership with Assembly, a collaboration now in its fourth year, is Dance Base’s 25th festival programme – a milestone the team is marking with a fantastic line-up of shows.
2026 is also a landmark year for Dance Base as the organisation celebrates 25 years in its purpose-built home in the heart of Edinburgh’s Grassmarket which becomes one of the festival epicentres every August.
As always, Dance Base nurtures and celebrates the breadth of Scottish dance talent, this year featuring, among others, YDance – Scottish Youth Dance company, Penny Chivas and her politically charged Where We Choose to Stand and Jack Anderson, Charlotte Mclean, Malin Lewis’ not for glory which dissects heritage and resuscitates tradition, Marc Brew’s moving Boys Don’t Dance and Two Destination Language’s 40/40 celebrating a life of a woman, artist and a migrant.
Outwith the UK, artists from Brazil, Basque Country, Italy, Netherlands, Japan and Taiwan call Dance Base their home this August, presenting work as part of Taiwan Season, São Paulo Showcase and Basque Showcase.
From Breakdancing to Butoh, from Pole Dance to politics – this diverse programme caters to both dance curious and Dance Base’s regular audiences.
Tickets go on sale on Friday at 12 noon at assemblyfestival.com and on Monday 30 March at edfest.com with further shows to be announced in due course.
NEW SHOWS ANNOUNCED
Penny Chivas – Where We Choose to Stand (7-16 August)
A powerful dance-theatre show inspired by activism and political change. Blending movement, music, real stories and moments of audience connection, it invites reflection on the choices we make—and what it means to stand together.
YDance & National Youth Arts Wales – Celtic Collective (7-16 August)
Bringing together the National Youth Dance Companies of Scotland and Wales for an electrifying night of bold choreography, this special show celebrates the power of dance, blending distinct cultural influences with cutting-edge vibrant contemporary dance.
Erain / Helena Wilhemsson – Jarraibiderik Gabe / Trembling Frequencies (7-16 August)
A double bill of emerging choreographic voices from the Basque Country. Bodies and objects create shifting physical landscapes in Jarraibiderik Gabe, while the mysterious and dynamic solo of Trembling Frequencies takes a look at the shifting landscapes within.
Marc Brew Company – Boys Don’t Dance (7-23 August)
A poignant dance theatre show by acclaimed disabled choreographer and dancer Marc Brew, it draws on his experience as the only boy in a rural Australian town who wanted to dance, defying societal expectations. It combines movement, BMX tricks, storytelling, lighting and an uplifting 80s soundtrack, alongside visual projections and animation.
T.F. Cia de Dança – Border Bodies (7-30 August)
Border Bodies desires to rediscover ways of being together in times of social segregation. Despite their diverse backgrounds, artists unite, believing that their differences empower each other when they act as one.
LEI Dance Theatre – Proximities (6-30 August)
LEI Dance Theatre and Lao-French choreographer Olé Khamchanla create a captivating quintet about boundaries and rules, distance and closeness, alienation and connection. An intelligent, imaginative show, questioning blend of traditional, contemporary and classical styles.
Mailantia Dance Company – Under Mask (6-30 August)
What lies beneath the roles and identities we choose to play? Drawing upon folk ritual and a battery of cross-cultural movement styles, Lai Yun-Chi’s company Mailantia presents a bold, intricate quartet about concealment and transformation.
COSMIC DANCE – Space In Between (9-16 August)
A South Asian triple bill exploring tensions between intention and outcome, self and society. Blending Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Contemporary movement, three interconnected works examine regret, conflict and misalignment, revealing unseen forces shaping identity, relationships and choice.
Jack Anderson, Charlotte Mclean, Malin Lewis – not for glory (11-23 August)
A rebellious unravelling of traditional dance and music. not for glory is bodies and bagpipes, kilts and queerness, a battering, flinging skirl. This dance-theatre gig resuscitates tradition, dissects heritage, not for glory – but for what?
Corpo Máquina – Poles (18-30 August)
A champion pole dance artist. A spider-like steel structure. A live soundscape. At the cutting edge of personal and public space, pole dance virtuoso Yvonne Smink delivers a performance of technical strength and intimacy, choreographed by Guilherme Miotto.
Karl Jay-Lewin and Matteo Fargion – If I Can’t Dance I’m Not Coming (18-27 August)
Reimagining Fritz Lang’s 1927 Metropolis as a score for dance, an eclectic ensemble of performers embraces dignity over virtuosity, blending rebellion with humour in a process shaped with clarity and care.
Compagnia Bellanda – Il canto dell’assiolo (18-30 August)
In the silence of a summer night, a call returns. A duet rooted in Breakin’ explores love’s borders – between desire and control, tenderness and violence. Breath, language, and movement intertwine, exposing intimacy as threshold, conflict, and transformation.
Two Destination Language – 40/40 (18-23 August)
An inspiring and moving celebration of Two Destination Language co-artistic director Katherina Radeva’s 40 years as a woman, a migrant and an artist. Claiming space on a dance floor, she dances with joyous abundance and presents stories of her past and present.
Dance Base Yokohama/Conan Amok – R/evolution(s) (18-30 August)
A contemporary Butoh work, this piece reimagines Butoh for the present while carrying its inheritance forward. Uniting Conan Amok – heir to the lineage of Dairakudakan, one of Japan’s leading Butoh companies – and contemporary dancers, renewing the form from within.
Frauke Requardt and Vivienne Franzmann – Anatomy Of Survival (25-29 August)
A woman walks into a cafe. She orders a coffee. The barista doesn’t understand her request. The woman loses her sh*t. Chaos reigns.
PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
Dance Base’s PRIME – We Are (6-9 August)
Who are we when we’re together? When we’re alone? When we fight for what we believe in? Hot off the heels of its 10th anniversary last year, Dance Base’s in-house company for dancers over 60, PRIME premiers new work from Artistic Director Kally Lloyd-Jones and choreographer Malcolm Sutherland.
Dance Base’s Common Ground(11-16 August)
Dance Base’s two in-house companies PRIME (for dancers over 60s) and Lothian Youth Dance Company (for 14-21 year-olds) come together in a quadruple bill to explore the pressures we all face. Features new pieces created over the past year by PRIME’s Artistic Director Kally Lloyd-Jones, as well as guest choreographers Malcolm Sutherland, Tough Boys Collective and Rosie Mackley.
Dance Base’s Fringe Fragments (24-25 August)
Catch a glimpse of the next big thing. An industry pitching platform open to audiences, Dance Base’s Fringe Fragments spotlights dance artists from Scotland and around the world as they share 15-minute excerpts of tour-ready performances. A unique event strengthening Dance Base’s position as the major launchpad for dance artists at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Continuing Dance Base’s commitment to providing a home for Edinburgh’s thriving dance community throughout the Festival, the venue also hosts a vibrant programme of public and professional dance classes from Monday 3 – Sunday 31 August.
Almost a third (32%) of bosses report stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health problems as a reason staff give for sickness absence.
A YouGov survey, commissioned by workplace expert Acas, asked employers what the top three reasons employees give for being off sick from work.
Almost two-thirds (62%) said that workers report their absences as being due to minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds and the flu, while nearly a quarter (23%) said that the absences are due to headaches and migraines.
The poll was commissioned ahead of new changes to statutory sick pay that will take effect in a few weeks’ time due to new rules introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025.
From 6 April, workers will be eligible for statutory sick pay for their first day of illness rather than the fourth day and workers will no longer need to earn a minimum amount to be eligible
Acas Head of Inclusivity, Julie Dennis, said: “Our findings reveal that 1 in 3 bosses report mental health problems as a key reason for staff absence. It’s a surprising result alongside the top reason for sickness being coughs, colds, flu and other minor illnesses.
“Bosses need to ensure that their work environments are healthy places to work as well as prepare for the new rules on sick pay that will coming in a few weeks’ time.
“Workers should also look after their own health and wellbeing too. If they are experiencing stress, they should talk to their manager as soon as they can. Acas has good practice advice and training in this area.”
Acas has good practice advice to help bosses manage sickness absence at work:
Providing training for managers on how to support employees through periods of illness can help with absence rates.
Employers that offer flexible working can also help promote a healthy work environment and prevent high levels of sickness absence.
Good mediation services at work can help resolve any issues that is sparking sickness absence among staff.
Easily accessible illness and absence policies will make it clear what’s expected of both employers and workers if someone needs time off work.
Acas has updated its advice on sick pay to reflect the new changes in the law from the Employment Right Act 2025 that will apply from 6 April and how they compare to the current rules: Statutory sick pay – Sick pay – Acas.
Acas also has training courses for employers on managing absence.
Young people are set to benefit from expanded employment support through a further 80 new Youth Hubs as the Government continues to provide opportunity across the UK.
80 new Youth Hub locations confirmed across Great Britain.
Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) Trust partners with DWP to support Britain’s Youth Hubs – taking jobs and opportunity straight to the heart of communities.
Expansion builds on commitment for every local area across Great Britain to have a Youth Hub.
Work with wider stakeholders – including the English Premier League – ongoing, to give every young person access to support locally.
Young people are set to benefit from expanded employment support through a further 80 new Youth Hubs as the Government continues to provide opportunity across the country.
Youth Hubs bring together Jobcentre Plus, local authority services, employers and training providers under one roof to support young people aged 16 to 24.
As part of this expansion, every Youth Hub will meet a set of minimum standards, ensuring young people can access on-site jobcentre support alongside mental health and housing support, skills and training opportunities, careers guidance and direct connections to employers with live job and apprenticeship opportunities.
The expansion is the latest step towards bringing Youth Hubs to every area in Great Britain to establish a national network and address the almost one million young people not earning or learning – a rise of 248,000 between 2021 to 2024 – so that every young person can progress wherever they live.
To mark the expansion, the Work and Pensions Secretary opened Scotland’s first Youth Guarantee Jobs Fair in Glasgow’s iconic Concert Hall, bringing employers, training providers and support services together to connect young people with jobs, skills and opportunities in the area.
Over 2,400 young people looking for work met leading employers including Scottish Power, HSBC, Barclays, Police Scotland, the Army, Royal Air Force, NHS24, Kier Construction and the Scottish Professional Football League Trust.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “Today marks a major boost for young people with 80 new Youth Hubs and Scotland’s first Youth Guarantee Jobs Fair driving opportunity.
“We are delivering support in every region, connecting young people with employers, and meeting them where they are so they can move into work, as we reform the welfare state into a working state.
“This is about breaking down barriers, opening doors and ensuring every young person can earn or learn, wherever they live.”
The Scottish Professional Football League Trust will partner with DWP to deliver Youth Hubs across Scotland, as the Government continues its drive to deliver support to young people where they are.
This builds on work across England, where Premier League is working with DWP to support the Youth Guarantee and help young people access jobs, training and support.
80 new Youth Hubs are coming to communities across Great Britain@SPFLTrust is partnering with us to deliver 10 of these across Scotland, where today’s Scottish Youth Guarantee Jobsfair brought together employers, young people and opportunity https://t.co/8KzwaaaOkypic.twitter.com/xtpQHevQ6q
— Department for Work and Pensions (@DWPgovuk) March 25, 2026
Nicky Reid, SPFL Trust Chief Executive, said: “We’re extremely proud to have been chosen to deliver these vital Youth Hubs in partnership with the DWP across the country.
“Football clubs and their associated community trusts are places where many young people feel a strong sense of connection, making them a natural fit for this programme.
“These initiatives will play a crucial role in helping participants access the training and support they need to take the next step in their careers or education.”
Youth Hubs will be expanded to over 360 areas across Great Britain over the next three years, from Manchester and Salford to Dundee and Newport.
The 80 new Hubs are launching across Scotland, Wales and England with delivery already well under way and the expansion seeing Youth Hubs open from November 2025.
Today’s announcement is part of the £2.5 billion investment in the Youth Guarantee and changes to the Growth and Skills Levy to prioritise young apprentices, which together create 200,000 jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.
This includes a Youth Jobs Grant worth £3,000 for employers for every young person they hire aged 18-24 who has been on UC for six months, an expanded Jobs Guarantee for 18-to-24-year-olds, and new foundation apprenticeships in key sectors.
These commitments come alongside the government’s expansion of its innovative ‘Pathfinder’ programme to Nottingham and the North East, following early success in Wakefield. Like the Youth Hub model, Pathfinders bring together local councils, mayors and health teams and partners to design employment support that reflects the specific needs, employers and job markets in each community.
The Pathfinder programme forms part of the government’s broader ambition to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to employment support, providing personalised, practical help to people before they reach crisis point.
These steps ‘show the Government’s commitment to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to earn or learn’.
Ten young people (aged 14-18) have taken part in a six-month course with Tinderbox Collective and North Edinburgh Community Festival to learn how to organise a festival.
The course, Festival Futures, culminates this weekend (Saturday 28th March) in West Pilton for the launch event for North Edinburgh Community Festival.
The launch event will feature live music from local performers, a games hub, food stalls, community stalls and sports activities.
Local young people are behind the organisation of the launch event for North Edinburgh Community Festival, taking place in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre tomorrow (Saturday 28th March) from 12-2pm.
Festival Futures, a six-month project between Tinderbox Collective and North Edinburgh Community Festival, has allowed ten young people from North Edinburgh to get hands-on experience, workshops and work experience on how to run a live event. This festival launch is the culmination of their work and has given the young people the chance to step behind the scenes and learn how a real community festival comes to life.
The launch event will host live music from local young performers who have been honing their skills and shaping their sound in youth clubs and community spaces delivered by Tinderbox Collective and Granton Youth, including Lotas, Georgia Amery, Abraham Olivier, and Leon Highway.
There will be community stalls from local organisations including Granton Baptist Church, Spartans, Childrens’ Holiday Venture, Project Esperanza and more, as well as sports activities and food stalls. Tinderbox Games Club will also be hosting an escape room they have designed, letting people try out computer games they have designed over the last year.
This weekend’s event marks the launch of the programme for the 2026 North Edinburgh Community Festival, which will take place on 16th May.
Returning for its fifth edition, the much-loved festival continues its mission as a family friendly fun day out for all the residents in North Edinburgh, and a vital community anchor which brings people together, strengthens local pride, and connects thousands with essential services and opportunities.
During the festival itself, Tinderbox Collective will be producing and running the Main Stage, which brings together choirs, youth bands and community performers from across North Edinburgh.
The North Edinburgh Community Choir – a vibrant group of around 100 singers from Pirniehall, St David’s Craigroyston and Forthview Primary Schools and Craigroyston High School – will return to perform, and Tinderbox’s Tuesday Music Club band – made of up thirty young people from across North Edinburgh – will also take to the stage with original tunes and reimagined covers they’ve been developing together.
Tinderbox Collective will also join forces with Granton Youth to produce the North by North West stage which will feature emerging young musicians and new talent still to be announced.
Adele Conn, Festival Director of North Edinburgh Community Festival, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the young people in our Festival Futures programme; their creativity, commitment, and professionalism over the last six months have been nothing short of inspiring.
“Seeing them lead today’s launch with such confidence and pride is a real joy, and they should each feel immensely proud of what they’ve achieved.”
The North Edinburgh Community Festival launch takes place tomorrow – Saturday 28th March, from 12 – 2pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre and is free to attend.
The full festival will follow on Saturday 16th May 2026 at West Pilton Park and the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
We are hosting a coffee morning on 28th March @ 10am – 2pm in RWCC for our Do you Recognise theme.
We have a box of photos of individuals in sports groups, plays, social events etc all in the old RWCC building & we are planning to post a few up on our fb page & ask for people to help identify who these North Edinburgh individuals are.
On the 28th, we will have them all on display in our hall on boards, for people to look at, write names, comments, stories beside each of them.
Would you be interested in coming along to take part / share and have a wee look.,
Keep your eyes peeled for our publicity on our facebook, rwcc noticeboard and please spread the word!
Pupils from across Edinburgh took to the stage at Murrayfield Stadium and Easter Road Stadium this week as they participated in Powering Futures Live – a series of regional showcase events which brought over 2,000 pupils from across the country to some of Scotland’s most iconic venues to present to, and network with, over 300 business leaders working across Scotland’s economy.
Across the city, 225 pupils from seven schools – St Augustine’s RC High School, Trinity Academy, Balerno Community High School, Liberton High School, Drummond Community High School, Craigmount High School and Portobello High School – have spent the past 30 weeks working in teams to research, develop answers to real world challenges posed by leading Scottish businesses.
They then delivered their work in a presentation to a panel of professionals working in leading businesses across the Lothians, including Aecom, HSBC, PwC and Hitachi Rail, where they presented their innovative solutions.
Powering Futures Live, which was sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland, marks the end of a year-long journey for participants in the Powering Futures Schools Challenge Programme, bringing education and industry together for a series of regional events at Ayr Racecourse, The Crichton, Stirling Court Hotel, Pittodrie Stadium, Ross Country FC, Hampden Park, Easter Road and Murrayfield stadium.
This academic year marked the largest participation in the Powering Futures programme to date, with over 100 schools across the country and around 2,300 pupils taking part for 2025-2026.
Having undertaken their final presentations at Powering Futures Live, all participants are now expected to earn an SCQF Level 6 qualification – equivalent to a Scottish Higher.
The challenges for this year’s cohort were set by leading Scottish industries, reflecting the priorities shaping Scotland’s future economy:
Seafood Scotland – ‘Fish-Tales’: Helping Scots to rediscover their local superfood by designing a campaign that reconnects Scottish people with local sustainable seafood
Vital Energi with the Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings (CeNZ-HighDB) and HCI Skills Gateway – ‘Hot Stuff’: Design a town for 2,500 new homes that showcases the opportunities that new heating technology offers – creating communities where heating is affordable, efficient and low carbon
BAM and Siemens Energy – ‘Watt’s Next?’: creating a nine-month timeline of experiences and events that redesigns how young people can discover careers in clean energy, and be connected with potential employers
SSEN Transmission – ‘Power-Up’: Create a plan for moving the equipment and materials for new electricity infrastructure to a remote environment whilst minimising the impact to local communities and the environment.
Industry mentors from these organisations worked directly with pupils in the classroom, guiding their research and helping develop creative solutions, directly bridging the gap between education and business and helping employers to engage with the workforce of the future.
Powering Futures was established in 2020 to empower young people with the skills, critical thinking and confidence to enter the workplace. At its heart is the Powering Futures Challenge Programme, which tasks teams of S5 and S6 pupils with solving a problem set by industry.
The programme supports pupils in developing skills in teamwork, problem-solving and presenting, and culminates with pupils presenting their creative solutions to a panel of industry judges. At the end of the process, participants will gain a SCQF Level 6 qualification, equivalent to a Scottish Higher.
Jennfier Tempany, Co-Founder of Powering Futuressaid: “We were delighted to have 225 pupils from across Edinburgh attend Powering Futures Live at Murrayfield and Easter Road this week, and we were blown away by the innovation and creativity in their final presentations.
“This has been our biggest cohort of young people taking part in the Powering Futures Challenge programme, and Powering Futures Live marks the pinnacle of their exciting journey.
“What makes Powering Futures Live so special is the way it brings education and business directly together, giving young people the opportunity to showcase their talent, harness their skills and present the solutions they have collaborated on for the past year.
“By empowering young people through our pioneering Powering Futures Challenge Programme, we can help them develop the critical skills that employers are looking for in their future workforce as well as establishing those essential links between the businesses of today and the workers of tomorrow who will power Scotland’s future.”
Jeni Adamson, Industry Engagement Manager at Seafood Scotland said: “As both a student mentor and challenge setter, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the journey from the classroom to final presentations.
“The commitment and creativity displayed by the students at the live events I have attended has been outstanding, and the quality of solutions presented across all challenges has been incredibly impressive.
“Every student I’ve encountered on the programme has grabbed the opportunity with both hands, which is inspiring to see.”
