August 2026 – Page 29 – The NEN

Minister visits QMU as Clearing opens opportunities for prospective students

Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh welcomed Ben Macpherson MSP, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education, to campus yesterday (7 August 2026) as he met staff supporting prospective students through the Clearing process.

The Minister visited QMU’s dedicated Clearing operations room, where the University’s Admissions, Recruitment, Outreach and Widening Participation teams are helping applicants explore their study options and secure places on courses starting this September.

While applications to study at QMU this year have been buoyant, the University is pleased to have places available on a number of courses through Clearing, all of which are open to and welcome Scottish applicants.

Tertiary Education Minister, Ben Macpherson, said: “Missing a university offer doesn’t have to mean missing out on going to university.

“Clearing provides many opportunities for students across Scotland to find a course and university that’s right for them, and it’s been great to see Queen Margaret University’s dedicated team offering such personalised support to prospective students.

“Our message to anyone still weighing up their options is this: search ucas.com and don’t hesitate to reach out to your school, UCAS, universities, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) or Qualifications Scotland if you need support.

“We would also encourage anyone heading to university or college this autumn to look into having both doses of the MenB vaccine, as this is one of the highest-risk times for meningococcal disease.”

During his visit, the Minister met members of the Clearing team to learn more about how they are supporting prospective students by phone and email during one of the busiest periods in the higher education calendar.

In addition to personalised support from the Clearing team, QMU is offering dedicated campus tours for prospective Clearing applicants and an ‘Ask a Student’ service, giving applicants the opportunity to speak directly with current students about life at the University.

Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of QMU, said: “Clearing is an important opportunity for many students to find the right university and course for them, and we’re proud of the personalised support our teams provide throughout the process.

It was wonderful to welcome the Minister to campus and demonstrate how we’re helping prospective students explore the degree opportunities available at QMU, with all of our courses focused on preparing career-ready graduates.

“We know that choosing where to study is a significant decision, and we’re committed to making that journey as straightforward and supportive as possible.”

Prospective students can contact QMU’s friendly Clearing team by phone or email for advice on available courses and the application process.

They can also find information on available courses, campus tours, student stories and guidance on the Clearing process on the University’s Clearing webpages.

Alongside highlighting the opportunities available through Clearing, the Minister used his visit to highlight the importance of eligible students taking up the free MenB vaccine ahead of starting university.

Young people in Scotland, including S6 leavers born between March 2008 and February 2009 and under-25s entering higher or further education for the first time in 2026-27, are eligible for two free doses.

As moving into shared accommodation can increase the risk of infection, students are encouraged to complete the course before the start of term where possible and to check NHS Inform for more information.

The Pencil Case Project: Stationery Appeal

Do you have any unused, new or pre-loved stationery in the run up to back to school? We are working alongside The Leith Collective at Ocean Terminal and Fort Kinnaird, with our donation drop-off boxes in both locations from 12th August – 12th September (writes EILIDH BARR).

I founded The Pencil Case Project when I was 16 during my National 5s and we are a youth-led non-profit organisation that provides schools and children across countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Indonesia with stationery, pencil cases and tools to learn!

I still run the project now whilst at University and have managed to secure charity partnerships with 2 international charities, 7 partner schools as well as working with schools and groups in Scotland and England.

We also have a youth volunteering team and board of trustees made up of young people from across the world!

We accept any stationery including things like jotters and maths equipment which is often difficult for these schools to source. We would love any stationery you have, which will be distributed to our network of partner schools in September.

We would love your help in making education more accessible whilst also supporting the amazing Leith Collective too!

Wife of motorcyclist killed in collision shares her story as part of National Motorcycle Safety Campaign

The wife of a motorcyclist killed in a road traffic collision in 2024 has shared her family’s story as part of Police Scotland’s National Motorcycle Safety Campaign 2026.

56-year-old father and grandfather Ian Sloan died when his motorcycle collided with a car on the A719 Waterside to A77 Ayr Road around 3.10pm on Saturday, 15 June, 2024.

His wife, Shirley Sloan, is sharing her family’s story to raise awareness of the importance of road safety and encouraging all road users to remember to take care on Scotland’s roads.

The campaign follows the publication of a joint study published last year with Transport Scotland examining motorcycle fatalities between January 2015 and August 2024.

The study found that 269 people – including 253 riders and 16 passengers – were killed during that period. Despite accounting for less than 1% of traffic, motorcyclists represented 18% of all road fatalities in Scotland.

Shirley Sloan, wife of Ian Sloan, said: “Ian had bikes for all the time that I knew him, it was his love. Any time he was stressed or just not feeling great, he would go out on his bike.

“Hearing the words ‘I’m sorry but your husband was killed in a motorcycle accident’ was dreadful. Losing a loved one, in the manner that we lost Ian, it was so traumatic. You don’t have time to say goodbye, you don’t have time to put plans in place.

“One minute you’re a family of four, making plans for the future, and just in the blink of an eye, the heart of your family is gone.

“It’s left myself and my son and daughter with terrible anxieties as well. It’s like we are waiting for something bad to happen again.”

Inspector Hugh Niccolls, Head of Police Scotland’s Motorcycle Unit, said: “On behalf of Police Scotland, I’d like to thank Shirley Sloan and the Sloan family for taking the time and courage to share their story.

“Shirley’s story is a powerful reminder of the devasting and lasting impact that road collisions can have, not only on those directly involved, but also on the families, friends, and communities affected.

“We know our roads are busier with motorcyclists during the summer months, and so we continue to remind all road users to be mindful of one another.

“As Shirley mentions, road safety is a shared responsibility. Whether you’re riding a motorcycle, driving a car, are cycling or walking, we all have a role to play in keeping each other safe on Scotland’s roads.”

Shirley continues: “My message to all road users, whether you’re on a bike or a car, is ride to the road conditions. Don’t take chances, don’t cut corners and just take another look.

“That extra second to take a second look, even a third look, could make the difference to someone’s life.

“If someone has a collision in a car, there’s a fair chance they’re walking away. But that’s not the same for a biker.”

For more information and guidance on road safety, you can visit Road Safety Scotland at https://roadsafety.scot/.

Arts festivals put Scotland on global stage

Deputy First Minister attends opening concert

Edinburgh’s festivals provide a “global platform” for Scotland as well as the artists who take part in performances, the Deputy First Minister has said.

Jenny Gilruth will attend the opening concert of the Edinburgh International Festival – All Rise – tonight along with Public Finance Minister Hannah Mary Goodlad.

It comes after the First Minister last night (Friday) attended the opening evening of ‘A Trial’, a special collaboration between the Edinburgh International Festival, Festival d’Avignon and Holland Festival, the three European festivals established in 1947.

Funding for the August festivals in Edinburgh has increased to £6.3 million this year through both the Multi-Year Funding programme and Expanded Festivals Fund provided through Creative Scotland. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society received £500,000 in 2026-27 to support ongoing digital transformation work, including a new website to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Fringe next year.

Ms Gilruth said: “Edinburgh’s festivals provide a global platform for Scotland and for all the talented performers who take part. They also bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the capital throughout August with all the economic benefits that brings.

“They are invaluable for Scottish artists and performers to develop and support their ambition and creativity, providing opportunities to showcase their work nationally and internationally.

“These festivals also send out a clear message that Scotland is an open and welcoming country, reinforcing how the culture and arts sector occupy such an important place at the heart of our national identity.

“Increasing investment into Edinburgh’s Festivals forms part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to increase culture funding by £100 million annually by 2028-29, ensuring the benefits and chances to participate are enjoyed across the country.

“I am delighted to be attending the opening concert of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival and thank everyone involved in the tremendous range of shows on offer across all the festivals in the city this month.”

The Scottish Government has a long term commitment to providing £100 million more per year into the culture budget as a whole by 2028-29, compared to 2023-24

As part of this commitment, the 2026-27 Expanded Festivals Fund supports the ambitions of 55 arts festivals across Scotland and recognises their vital role as platforms for artists and performers.

Taken together, eight Edinburgh Festivals will receive just over £20.5m of Multi-Year Funding under Creative Scotland’s Multi-Year (2025-28) Funding Programme (MYF).

Police launch Operation Summer City

Police in Edinburgh have launched their annual policing campaign to keep members of the public safe throughout the International Festival and Fringe.

Operation Summer City 2026 will provide a high-visibility police presence within the city-centre between 7 and 31 August, with the Capital’s population expected to double to around one million people during this time.

Local officers from Edinburgh, in particular, the division’s new City Centre Policing Unit, will be supported by colleagues from neighbouring local policing divisions, as well as officers from specialist and national departments, including Road Policing, Intelligence, CID and Public Order.

Police Scotland’s Special Constables will also be deployed throughout the month to support full-time colleagues, while PSYV teams will also undertake various engagement activities and share useful crime prevention and personal safety information with members of the public.

In addition to police undertaking reassurance patrols and responding to any incidents that may arise, a number of Project Servator deployments will take place.

Project Servator is a policing tactic that aims to reassure the public. It targets criminal activity, including terrorism.

Officers utilise a range of resources and also make use of various technology including CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). They will speak to people and local businesses to let them know what they are doing, remind them to be vigilant, trust their instincts and report any suspicious or unusual behaviour.

For the duration of the Festival and Fringe Edinburgh Division’s Facebook and X channels will be utilised to provide those who live, work and visit the city centre with useful information on staying safe, as well as giving an update as to the activity officers are involved in.

Superintendent Kathryn Fairfield, Gold Commander for Operation Summer City, said: “The Edinburgh International Festival is the largest festival in the world, given the length of time it runs for, and brings to the city people from all around the globe, all of whom wish to savour the sights, sounds and experiences of the Capital during the summer.

“We’ve been running Operation Summer City for several years now and are fully aware of the demands and challenges this time of year places on the city-centre and as such, we’ll have an appropriate and proportionate policing response in place throughout August to keep people safe and respond to any incidents that may arise.

https://twitter.com/PoliceScotland/status/2085731241987289433/video/1

“The public can assist us with our efforts to maintain safety and reduce criminality by always keeping hold of their belongings and never leaving valuables unattended. Similarly, if you see anything suspicious, please report it immediately so we can respond.

“If you’re enjoying the city’s night-time economy, look out for those in your group. Please also remember that we will utilise our Think Twice bail conditions for anyone charged with an alcohol-related violent offence and this will prevent you from entering a licensed premises during the Festival period until the outcome of court proceedings.

“Don’t let alcohol ruin your summer. Help us keep everyone safe and have a wonderful Festival period. Stay tuned to our social media channels for regular updates and crime prevention advice throughout the month.”

Flooding and water scarcity reflect contrasting conditions across Scotland

Scotland has seen a contrasting picture this week, with Flood Alerts issued due to heavy rain in some areas, while other parts of the country remain at significant water scarcity.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) weekly water scarcity report, published on 6 th August, shows how conditions have improved in several areas following recent rainfall. However, parts of the country remain at Significant Scarcity and others could deteriorate without sustained rain.

Around 50mm of rain fell in some northern and north-eastern catchments this week, causing some rivers to rise rapidly. However, intense rainfall over a short period does not have the same effect as sustained rainfall over time, particularly after prolonged dry conditions.

Many east coast rivers continue to experience very low flows and ground conditions across much of the east remain dry or very dry. Prolonged low river flows can put pressure on river ecosystems, reducing the water and habitat available for fish and other wildlife.

When an area reaches Significant Scarcity, SEPA will temporarily restrict the amount of water that can be taken from rivers and burns to protect the water environment.

At the peak of restrictions, more than 170 authorisations to abstract water from the environment were affected. Restrictions remain on five authorisations where river levels have not sufficiently recovered.

The Lower Don has remained at Significant Scarcity since 27th July, while the River Teviot and Ettrick Water reached Significant Scarcity on 4th August, showing how different catchments are responding to recent rainfall. SEPA officers have been carrying out checks in areas where restrictions were in place, with good compliance seen during visits.

Without sustained rainfall, the Mid Dee from Ballater to Banchory, and the Lower Dee and Water of Feugh could also reach Significant Scarcity within the next week.

Improved conditions have allowed restrictions to be lifted as river levels recover. Lunan Water, Tay Estuary (North), North Fife and Fife (East Neuk) are no longer at Significant Scarcity, with improvements also recorded across a number of other catchments. Businesses whose restrictions are being removed will be contacted by SEPA to confirm the change.

July was much drier than normal across the south and east of Scotland, with many areas receiving less than half the rainfall they would normally expect during the month. When ground is very dry, intense rain can run rapidly over the surface and into rivers rather than soaking into the soil.

River levels can rise quickly, and localised flooding can happen, but those rises can be short-lived and do not always result in the sustained river flows needed for water scarcity conditions to fully recover.

Shona McConnell, SEPA’s Head of Compliance, said: “After the rain we’ve seen this week, people may understandably wonder how parts of Scotland can still be experiencing water scarcity.

“The rain has made a real difference in some areas. River levels have recovered and we’ve been able to remove restrictions where conditions have recovered. But Scotland is not out of the woods yet.

“Water scarcity develops over weeks and months, and a short period of heavy rain does not necessarily result in sustained recovery. We’re only at the beginning of August, so what happens next will depend on the rainfall we see over the coming weeks. We will continue to monitor conditions closely and introduce or remove restrictions where required.”

Further rain is forecast for northern and western Scotland over the coming days, with drier conditions expected elsewhere.

SEPA will continue monitoring river flows, rainfall, soil moisture and groundwater levels across Scotland and will update water scarcity levels as conditions change.

Scotland 2026 – who gets to belong?

FESTIVAL OF POLITICS – SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

MONDAY 17th AUGUST 5.30 – 6.30pm

With growing polarisation, mistrust, and a sense of being left behind for many communities, how can Scotland bring diverse voices together, move from division to empathy, and ensure community voices are at the heart of decision-making?

Come along and take part in this free panel discussion at the Scottish Parliament on 17 August: https://ow.ly/zmb450Zx3oS

(featuring The artwork of Gerard M Burns)

Chair:

Katie Hagmann MSP, Convener, Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee

Panellists:

Dr Hayley Bennett is Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on the design and delivery of social security, labour market programmes, and anti-poverty initiatives for the working-age population in the UK.

Gerard M Burns is an artist and studied drawing and painting at the Glasgow School of Art, graduating in 1983. Burns has had a successful teaching career, leaving his post as Principle of Art at Glasgow’s St Aloysius College to focus full time on painting. He has completed commissions for a number of private and commercial collections, notably his painting The Rowan which hangs in the Scottish Parliament.

Professor Dr Nasar Meer FRSE is Professor of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow and Academic Chair of the Stuart Hall Foundation. He has been a Commissioner on the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Post-COVID-19 Futures Inquiry, a Member of the Scottish Government COVID-19 and Ethnicity Expert Reference Group. He has previously held a Minda de Gunzburg Fellowship at Harvard University, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the UK Academy of Social Sciences, and a past recipient of the RSE Thomas Reid Medal.

Yuliia Hryshchenko is the founder of SCIO Music & Art Centre Nightingale. After fleeing Ukraine with her three children in 2022, she rebuilt her life in Scotland and turned her family’s journey into a mission to make arts accessible to every child.

She believes creativity can heal, build confidence and strengthen communities.

Have your say on Lottery funding

National Lottery Good Causes: Fund what matters to you

It Starts with Community. And it starts with you.

There are just seven weeks left to respond to the UK Government’s call for evidence, on how the money raised for good causes by National Lottery players should be spent – and they want to hear from individuals and groups across Scotland.

Since 1994, the National Lottery has generated over £53 billion for good causes – through projects that help people connect, grow and build a better future, all across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England.

Our priorities, and our strategy It Starts With Community, have been shaped by 18,000 people across the UK who told us what their communities needed. And last year, our funding teams covering every postcode area of the UK funded an idea every 8 minutes.

Find out more and share your thoughts:

https://www.gov.uk/…/national-lottery-good-causes-fund…

Edinburgh residents announce launch of active volunteering group, Goodgym Edinburgh

Launching 11th August 2026
Edinburgh community combine getting fit and supporting local organisations with practical volunteering
Sessions will be free and inclusive of all fitness levels
Funded by Places for People
The new group will combine exercise with practical volunteering.

GoodGym Edinburgh, the first GoodGym group in Scotland, will run weekly sessions to support local charities and organisations such as food banks, schools, community gardens and youth centres.

Residents will run, walk and cycle to sessions, combining exercise and volunteering to benefit themselves and Edinburgh as a whole. As a result, Edinburgh GoodGymers will be improving their local area and their own mental and physical wellbeing.

The London School of Economics found participation in GoodGym sessions led to “extraordinary” increases in life satisfaction, connectedness and belonging.

For the launch, GoodGym will be supporting the Leith Links Community Croft on 11th August with gardening tasks, whilst learning about gardening, food growing, and the concept of an urban community croft.

Each GoodGym session will be providing much needed volunteer support to Edinburgh’s community groups and charities.

Edinburgh GoodGymers will also run, walk and cycle to visit isolated older people, helping with practical tasks they aren’t able to do on their own such as gardening and moving furniture. These visits create crucial social interaction that the GoodGymer and isolated older person wouldn’t ordinarily have.

Kelly Brown, Director, Places for People Scotland, said: “We’re proud to support GoodGym Edinburgh, helping people to improve their health while making a positive difference in their local community.

“This initiative will build connections, reduce isolation and provide valuable support to local organisations.”

Dave Entwistle, GoodGym Edinburgh Area Activator (group leader) said: “Volunteering has played a huge role throughout my life, it has created some of my most meaningful friendships, experiences, opened a lot of doors and helped me feel connected to the communities I have lived in.

“I am looking forward to being a part of creating those same opportunities for others in Edinburgh by connecting people with amazing projects around the city and building our own GoodGym Edinburgh community.”

GATHER Community Arts Exhibition

Gather Exhibition

A Creative Community Hubs Network Event

We are hugely excited for Gather, a new exhibition showcasing work by artists and community members from across Edinburgh for the very first time.

This is a very special exhibition, and we’d love you to join us for it!

Gather Exhibition

Private View: 11th September 2026, from 4:30pm