Scotland’s first Center Parcs resort will create 1,200 permanent new jobs First Minister John Swinney announced today, as he visited the site near Hawick in the Scottish Borders where the resort will be built.
The Scottish Government has committed up to £30 million over five years to deliver the essential infrastructure needed to make the resort possible. The funding, which will be delivered via South of Scotland Enterprise, unlocks more than £420 million in private funding from Center Parcs, which could not proceed without it.
Work is expected to begin on site in spring 2026, with the resort set to open in summer 2029. The development is expected to increase tourism to the area by 38%, generating £87 million annually for the Scottish economy.
The resort will offer families across Scotland a high-quality staycation option closer to home, reducing the need to travel abroad for short breaks.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Economic growth must reach the people and places that need it most. Investing in the South of Scotland through this project is a direct expression of our belief that every part of Scotland deserves to benefit from a growing economy.
“Investing here is a deliberate statement that we are serious about reducing regional inequality and creating genuine opportunity for young people — 30% of these 1,200 jobs are targeted at 16-to-24-year-olds.
“It is a privilege to be here with local school children to start planting new trees for the site and I look forward to seeing the development of the project before the resort opens in 2029.”
Center Parcs CEO Colin McKinlay said: “We are very grateful for the support of the Scottish Government, as well as South of Scotland Enterprise, Scottish Borders Council, and the many other partners who have worked with us to unlock the potential of this project.
“Center Parcs will have a transformational effect on the South of Scotland, bringing jobs, tourism, supply chain opportunities and significant economic benefits. It is incredibly exciting for work on site to now be getting underway and we were delighted that the First Minister could join us to commemorate this key milestone.”
Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise Russel Griggs said: “This is a significant moment for the South of Scotland, with Center Parcs being one of a number of big investments we are currently welcoming to our region.
“Center Parcs presents massive opportunities and will help diversify the visitor economy, attract new people, deliver inclusive growth and provide significant supply chain opportunities for SMEs and entrepreneurs.
“This investment also provides a chance to tackle head-on the economic challenges of the past which still impact communities such as Hawick.”
Planning permission for Center Parcs was granted by Scottish Borders Council in December 2025.
Debbi McCulloch, Chief Executive Officer of the Spartans Community Foundation, gave evidence in the Parliament yesterday, where she spoke extensively to the Education, Children and Young People’s Committee about the Foundation’s work in Pilton and the wider community.
During the evidence session Ms McCulloch said that North Edinburgh has fantastic networks and collaboration, referring to R2 and that network’s ability to signpost and help individuals and directly help individuals who might otherwise be missed:
Ms McCulloch said that 94% of young people surveyed by the Spartans said that they felt like they had a trusted adult at the foundation.
"It gives people a chance and a place where they can feel safe and they can feel that they ultimately belong to something that can give them hope." – Debbi McCulloch, @Spartans_CF at our meeting on community sporting initiatives for young people: https://t.co/ep3Vl7OxoSpic.twitter.com/t4GZGQ8DAz
— Education, Children and Young People Committee (@SP_ECYP) March 19, 2026
She says the Foundation’s work has increased employment and volunteering opportunities and has provided families with a place where they can come and be listened to in a dignified way:
Ms McCulloch also gave examples of the impact of the Foundation’s work, referring to Naomi Hume, who is now the Assistant Operations Manager, who started off attending the Foundation’s Street Football offering:
More than 80 grassroots initiatives across Scotland will share in over £3 million funding to help deliver more ambitious community projects and activities and enable them to generate their own income.
North Edinburgh’s Heart of Newhaven and R2 are among the projects to be awarded Strengthening Communities Programme funding.
To date the Strengthening Communities Programme has helped hundreds of organisations to develop and improve their work with local communities and boost local economies.
This latest tranche of funding for 2026-27 will back community organisations to deliver local projects including spaces for business, improving access to employability and skills services, family and young people’s activities, and health and wellbeing support.
The First Minister announced the funding on a visit to the Usual Place in Dumfries – a charity that supports young people with learning disabilities to develop skills, gain qualifications and access employment.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Local organisations are best placed to understand what their communities need and how to deliver it. This programme helps to support and empower community initiatives to deliver what their area needs most – whether that is spaces for small businesses, culture and sport activities, or employability support.
“By providing this funding, we are helping organisations to become more financially resilient and develop the means to generate income for themselves. This will not only help boost local economies, but in turn help these projects generate more funds to serve wider community needs.
“The Usual Place is a fantastic example of this type of initiative. Their work to support young people with additional support needs to build community connections and friendships, and develop the skills needed to access employment, helps to improve peoples’ lives and future opportunities. I was pleased to visit the charity and see first-hand the difference it is making for people in Dumfries.”
Craig McEwen, Chief Executive at The Usual Place said: “Following a very difficult year for The Usual Place, we are now in a much better financial position.
“With the interim funding found to give us breathing space and now the success in securing funds through the Strengthening Communities Programme, we have the space to create capacity to implement some strategic changes, decided by the Board of Trustees, to enable us to diversify our income streams to ensure a more stable future for The Usual Place. Over the past ten years we have put back into the economy of Dumfries and Galloway £9.8m, so our value speaks for itself.
“We thank the First Minister personally, and the Scottish Government for believing in the work we do in reducing the disability employment gap here in Dumfries & Galloway and beyond.”
STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME
FUNDING BY ORGANISATION 2026/27
Organisation Name / Funding 2026/27
Active Communities £39,461
Annan Harbour Action Group £47,000
Antonine Sports Centre £44,980
Ardrossan Community Development Trust £40,679
Arisaig Community Trust £46,604
Assynt Development Trust £17,000
Belhelvie Community Trust £26,325
Bluevale Community Club £51,952
Bute Community Land Company £17,760
Campsie Memorial Trust £21,750
Castlemilk Community Football Trust £53,000
Community Development Company of Nesting £25,300
Comrie Development Trust £53,000
Cromarty Community Development Trust £33,100
Culbokie Community Trust £30,277
Dalbeattie Community Initiative £53,060
David Livingston Trust, Blantyre £31,500
Development Coll £41,597
Dufftown and District Community Association £18,825
Dunvegan Community Trust £26,661
Eday Partnership £18,000
Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association (GURCA) £8,500
Glengarry Community Woodlands £20,000
Go Golspie £40,000
Gorebridge Community Development Trust £48,169
Grow 73 £18,688
Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust £40,647
Heart of Newhaven£47,356
Helmsdale & District Development Trust £30,000
IG – Great Bernera Community Trust £39,048
Inspired Community Enterprise Trust (ICET) (The Usual Place) £25,402
Isle of Canna Community Development Trust £12,537
Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust £25,355
Isle of Luing Community Trust £27,000
Kilmadock Development Trust £10,049
Kinloch Historical Society £35,000
Kinlochleven Community Trust £24,110
Kinning Park Complex £42,500
Kirkcolm Community Trust £9,500
Kirkcudbright Development Trust £32,500
Kirknewton Community Development Trust £35,000
Lesmahagow Development Trust £60,504
Linlithgow Community Development Trust £34,885
Lochwinnoch Community Development Trust £25,773
Lockerbie Old School £53,500
Maslow’s Community SCIO £44,847
Midsteeple Quarter, Dumfries £56,420
Minginish Community Association £24,000
New Cumnock Development Trust £44,563
Nith Valley Trust £32,444
North Edinburgh R2 Co-ordinator £56,205
North Glasgow Community Food Initiative £29,388
North Ronaldsay Trust £23,000
One Dalkeith £36,057
Pollok United Nethercraigs CIC £46,498
Portgordon Community Trust Limited £28,723
Possilpark People’s Trust £32,700
Rannoch Community Trust £43,722
Roseneath Pennisula West CDT £44,500
Ruchazie Growing 21 £40,000
Sandness Community Development Group £22,028
Scalloway Community Development Company £38,468
Scourie Community Development Company £12,000
Shapinsay Development Trust £20,000
SHAX £50,500
Sleat Community Trust £38,601
South Islay Development Trust £20,000
South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust £33,990
Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry SCIO £10,000
Stow Community Trust £36,382
Stranraer Development Trust £47,000
Stranraer Water Sports Association £35,690
South West Arts & Music Project (SWAMP) £20,000
Take a Bow Development Trust £48,320
Tayport Community Trust £48,638
The Furniture Project, Stranraer £40,500
The Pavilion, Glasgow £37,987
Three Kings Cullen Association £40,800
Tiree Community Development Trust £22,650
Torridon and District Community Association £46,090
Unst Partnership £37,288
Whitburn Community Development Trust £37,195
Wick Development Trust £26,030
Please note that all funding amounts are subject to due diligence.
Police are appealing for information to help trace 15-year-old Ahmad Bader from Edinburgh.
Ahmad was last seen at a premises on Gorgie Road around 8.20pm on Wednesday, 11 March.
He is described as being around 6ft tall, of medium build with short black hair and brown eyes.
When last seen, he was wearing a black jacket and trousers and carrying a backpack.
Ahmad is thought to be in the South West area of Edinburgh, but it is believed he may have previously travelled to Dundee and Dunfermline.
Inspector Quentin Russell said: “We are extremely concerned for Ahmad’s welfare and are looking to trace him to make sure he is safe.
“Our enquiries are ongoing and I am appealing to anyone who has seen him or who has any information on his whereabouts to contact us as soon as possible.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0726 of 11 March, 2026.
A thorough independent review of how UK Government departments and civil servants interact with devolution should be carried out in order to improve the way Westminster works with governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to a new report from a Scottish Parliament Committee.
The report from the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee says interactions between the UK Government and those in devolved nations should be less ad-hoc with a formal, structured and transparent schedule published in advance.
The publication reports “significant concern” around the understanding of the powers and role of the devolved governments and parliaments within Whitehall, and as a result, it says there appears to be a lack of thought in some cases about how devolution affects the development of policy by the UK Government and passage of legislation at the UK Parliament.
The new report was supported by four members – Committee Convener Clare Adamson MSP, Keith Brown MSP, George Adam MSP and Patrick Harvie MSP. Neil Bibby MSP, Stephen Kerr MSP and Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP dissented from the report.
The publication follows the Committee’s inquiry on the transparency of intergovernmental activity – the interaction and cooperation between central and devolved governments – and its implications for parliamentary scrutiny and Ministerial accountability.
As part of its work, Committee members held a number of informal meetings in London with UK Government Ministers, Cabinet Office officials and parliamentary committees in the House of Lords and House of Commons. Its recommendations were also informed by previous work and reports including on the UK Internal Market Act.
The report describes it as “striking” that a majority of Common Frameworks have yet to be agreed by the Scottish Government, more than eight years after an initial agreement on their principles. Common Frameworks are the agreed approaches between the UK Government and the devolved administrations to manage regulatory consistency in specific areas including food safety, environmental standards and agriculture, following the UK’s exit from the EU.
The report notes the example of the UK Internal Market Act (UKIMA), where although the Scottish Parliament voted twice by division to repeal UKIMA, the possibility of repeal was not considered as part of the UK Government’s review of the Act.
It concludes that it is “unclear” how further progress can be made in agreeing Common Frameworks in policy areas impacted by UKIMA, which undermines certainty and trust among businesses and hinders ministerial accountability and parliamentary scrutiny.
Committee Convener, Clare Adamson, said: “There continues to be a number of ongoing challenges which are undermining effective intergovernmental relations.
“The Committee’s view is that the resetting of intergovernmental of relations should include improving the effectiveness of engagement between governments and parliaments in the devolved nations.”
Shake up of rules on who can join a credit union will support more families, workers, students and retirees to access fairer financial products.
Bigger, stronger credit unions as the Government raises the cap that can limit growth and makes it easier for credit unions to expand and merge.
Move will see more households access cheaper alternatives to high-cost credit, helping people access fair loans and build savings through community lenders.
MORE people will benefit from affordable loans and savings as the Westminster Government changes the rules so more people can join credit unions, helping households with the cost of living.
Delivering on its manifesto pledge to grow the mutuals sector, the Government is today (18 March) setting out reforms to the rules on who can join credit unions in Great Britain.
By making it easier for credit unions to serve more people in their communities, the changes will support families, workers, students and retirees to access fairer financial products and build financial resilience.
Credit unions offer affordable, community based financial services and play an important role in promoting financial inclusion. Enabling credit unions to expand and broaden their membership will help ensure that more people can access fair, lower-cost alternatives to high-cost credit. This will strengthen the provision of responsible financial services and support households with the cost of living.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby said: “These reforms will help more people get access to affordable credit and a safe place to save, so families have a real alternative to high-cost credit.
“We’re delivering on our manifesto pledge to grow the mutual sector by backing credit unions to expand and serve more communities. It’s another step in making financial services more accessible and supporting people to build financial resilience.”
The reforms will include:
Bigger credit unions, serving more people: Government will raise the cap on locality-based credit unions from three million to 10 million potential members, making it easier for them to grow and merge.
Students included: Students will be able to join locality-based credit unions, alongside people who live or work in the area.
Modern rules for modern families and working lives: Credit unions will be able to serve more relatives and household members, and members will be able to stay with (or join) their credit union after retirement as full members.
These reforms follow the Call for Evidence on credit unions’ common bond rules launched after the Chancellor’s first Mansion House speech.
This also builds on the Government’s wider work to improve financial inclusion and resilience across the UK. As part of the Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government is also working closely with the financial services sector and consumer groups to bring forward interventions to make it easier for people to access a bank account, support people to build savings and improve financial education.
Lakshman Chandrasekera, Chief Executive Officer, London Mutual Credit Union said: “I warmly welcome today’s announcement. Raising the common bond cap to 10 million gives credit unions the freedom to grow and keep wealth within the communities we serve.
“In London, we see first-hand the demand for fair, affordable finance. This reform means many more people across the UK will be able to access it — building savings, reducing reliance on high-cost credit, and developing real financial resilience. This is a transformative moment for the sector.”
Frances McCann, CEO, Scotwest Credit Union said: “Today’s announcement is excellent news for credit unions and for the communities we serve.
“Raising the locality cap to ten million potential members and modernising the rules around family and retirement membership are exactly the kind of practical, meaningful reforms the sector has been asking for.”
“At Scotwest we see every day the difference a credit union can make to households that need an affordable alternative to high-cost credit. These changes will allow more credit unions to reach more of those people.”
Matt Bland, Chief Executive of ABCUL said: “This announcement marks an important milestone in the Government’s recognition of the vital role credit unions play in strengthening financial resilience and improving financial inclusion across Great Britain.
“Reforms to the common bond will enable credit unions to expand their reach, serve more communities and work together more effectively to deliver sustainable growth.
“As the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy moves into delivery, it is encouraging to see credit unions recognised as a central part of improving access to fair and affordable financial services.”
Clear progress is being made across all 20 actions set out in out in a national plan aimed at improving relationships and behaviour in schools, according to a newly-published report.
The second annual progress report on the joint action plan details the work undertaken in the last 12 months to address areas including guidance on consequences and on risk assessments for schools.
Updated Scottish Government guidance has also been published on attendance, along with new guidance on substance use, now covering vapes, and on a whole school approach to tackling racism. These were among the recommendations of the 2024-27 blueprint to improve relationships and behaviour in schools.
Work is also ongoing on to provide future guidance in other areas, including the recording and monitoring of violent incidents.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Scotland’s schools should be safe and consistent learning environments for everyone and clearly the vast majority of children and young people behave well.
“However, we know there has been an impact on behaviour as a result of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis. So I am heartened to see the clear progress being made to implement the measures set out in the action plan to address this.
“The challenges of the post-COVID-19 generation of young people is reflected in the updated guidance on attendance to deal with the use of part-time timetables, long-term, persistent absence, as well as young people who are in school but absent from classes.
“Vaping has also been identified as an emerging trend among some young people at school, so the new guidance on substance use will allow local authorities and Head Teachers to develop or update local policies to deal with this. Taken together this newly-published package of guidance addresses all the all emerging patterns of behaviour identified in our Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research.
“The action we are taking will help ensure that teachers and schools can deal with issues in ways that are appropriate and also respond to the needs of each individual child.”
The Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill, which regulates higher-risk cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers, has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The Bill requires procedures to be performed by, or alongside, certain healthcare professionals in a registered setting, bringing consistent regulation to the industry. The Bill also ensures non-surgical cosmetic procedures cannot be performed on under 18s.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland will be able to inspect premises where there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence is being committed.
The Scottish Government will support businesses to adapt to the new requirements. Businesses will have at least until September 2027 to make necessary changes.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Non-surgical cosmetic procedures are increasingly popular, and when not carried out safely they can cause serious and lasting harm.
“This legislation is designed to ensure that higher-risk procedures take place in appropriate settings with a healthcare professional present, and that under-18s are properly protected. These are meaningful, proportionate changes that put public safety first.
“I also recognise the importance of ensuring businesses are supported to adapt to new requirements and we have listened closely to the sector. The offences in the Bill cannot come into force before September 2027 giving an extended period of time for businesses to respond to these changes. The Bill is designed to be responsive to changes in the industry, and the procedures will be kept under review to ensure the list remains effective and proportionate.
“I am incredibly grateful to everyone who campaigned so passionately on this issue – their determination has helped shape stronger legislation.
“I am also grateful to colleagues across the Parliament who worked together constructively to pass this Bill.”
