A local construction worker has been praised for his contribution to the regeneration journey of all three phases of the Pennywell Living development.
Born and bred in Muirhouse, 59 year- old Roy has lived at Pennywell his whole life and has played a vital role in the development of the site from its inception, bringing his knowledge and connection to the community to the delivery team. Continue reading Local worker praised for contribution to Pennywell Living
UK Government legislation puts the prospect of a damaging ‘no deal’ Brexit more firmly back on the table, the Scottish Government has warned.
The Queen’s Speech made clear the UK Government intends to bring forward legislation to ensure there can be no extension to the implementation period beyond 2020, even if no future partnership has been agreed.
According to Scottish Government analysis, the country’s economy would suffer significant damage under Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. A ‘no deal’ outcome would cause even more damage with profound consequences for jobs, investment and living standards.
Commenting on the Queen’s Speech, Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations Michael Russell said: “Once again the prospect of a disastrous ‘no deal’ Brexit is looming for Scotland if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.
“The decision to remove Scotland from the European Union, which ignores the will of the Scottish people, is the most serious example of the democratic deficit in our post-devolution relationship with the UK Government.
“A ‘no deal’ Brexit would further and seriously compound the harmful effects of this decision and have a very damaging effect on our economy.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service welcomed the latest additions to its firefighter ranks yesterday.
Fifty seven recruits graduated in front of proud family and friends during an emotional ceremony at the SFRS Headquarters in Cambuslang. Continue reading Fire and Rescue Service salutes 57 new graduate firefighters
FESTIVE SHOPPERS in Edinburgh are being warned against the latest ATM scams hitting high streets across Scotland this Christmas and New Year’s.
The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) has issued a call for extra vigilance when withdrawing cash over one of the busiest periods of the year for shopping. Continue reading ATM scams: Christmas crime
While walking is a hugely popular pastime for many people, Christmas and the festivities surrounding it can sometimes leave us all feeling a little exhausted and stressed out. This can be the best reason to get outside on a walk and enjoy the fresh, winter air. Continue reading A guide to enjoying The Festival of Winter Walks with your dog
VICTORY FOR COMMUNITY CAMPAIGNERS
The Leith community is celebrating news today that the Scottish Government’s Reporter has upheld the city council’s decision to reject Drum Property’s development plans for Leith Walk. It’s a huge victory for people power and in particular Save Leith Walk’s energetic grass roots community campaign. Continue reading Leith Walk SAVED!
The team at the Amazon Customer Services Centre in Edinburgh is joining in the festive cheer in the run up to Christmas with a two-month-long series of activities, fun events and special surprises.
Party games, prizes, festive food giveaways and Christmas Jumper Day are just some of the fun activities ongoing at Amazon’s Customer Services Centre in Edinburgh. The Amazon team was also treated to a three course Christmas lunch at a local restaurant.
Speaking on the fun events, Stephen Lumsden, Site Leader at Amazon’s Customer Services Centre in Edinburgh, said: “Christmas is a really exciting time of the year at Amazon and there’s no better way to celebrate than by having two months of fun with our team.
“My favourite event has been the Christmas Jumper Day. This has been a brilliant year for our team and it’s great to end it with lots of festive cheer.”
A recent Edinburgh Napier graduate has had her excellent internship work recognised with a leading student impact award.
Caroline Tocher – who first graduated in 2018 with a degree in International Festival and Event Management before graduating in October this year with a Masters in Business Management with Entrepreneurship – recently undertook an internship at Business Fives, a company which runs corporate sports events with a charitable impact. Continue reading Intern of the Year award for graduate Caroline
An Edinburgh After School club has dug deep and donated £2,000 to Cash for Kids as the charity’s Mission Christmas campaign reaches its final few days. Continue reading Edinburgh After School club digs deep for Mission Christmas as campaign reaches final few days
People living on low incomes in Edinburgh have decried the city’s high living costs and called for increased action to loosen the grip of poverty in their lives, in a new report.
New research undertaken by the Poverty Alliance on behalf of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission has revealed the range of challenges faced by people struggling financially in Edinburgh, with high housing and living costs combining with low-paid work and benefit issues to lock them into poverty.
Many participants were struggling to afford day-to-day basics like food, transport and households bills due to a combination of low incomes and high living costs in the city. As a result, people are being forced to rely on foodbanks and on friends and family.
You can read the full report below.
The research revealed problems with the social rented housing system in Edinburgh, including a lack of adequate, available housing and long-term stays in inadequate temporary accommodation, which were having a significant impact on people’s lives.
Many participants felt displaced from Edinburgh city centre and had a perception that those with power valued tourism over the needs of local residents living on low incomes.
There were also major challenges faced by people seeking advice and support, with many either not knowing where to access this support or being faced with long waits for appointments at advice services.
Research participants shared their solutions to Edinburgh’s challenges. The need to recognise the higher cost of living in Edinburgh was the dominant theme, with solutions including greater action on housing (including more socially-rented properties and action to reduce private rents), more affordable transport, and more action to improve people’s awareness of their social security entitlements.
One Edinburgh resident who participated in the research said: “I’ve always believed that it’s very expensive to live and work in Edinburgh. Many people commute into Edinburgh because it’s cheaper to live outwith Edinburgh.
“But, you know, some of us ‘Edinburghers’ don’t want forced out of the city, we want to live in the city and I’ve always thought that Edinburgh should be treated a little bit like London is with a higher salary scale to incorporate the cost of living in the city centre.”
Jim McCormick, Chair of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, said: “It cannot be right that, on the eve of a new decade, one in five children in our wealthy capital city are living in poverty.
“This timely report shows the problem to be damaging, costly and spread across the city. Poverty can be solved if we involve people with first-hand experience. City-wide, further action to boost affordable housing and cut the cost of travel needs to be backed by employers offering a living wage and secure hours.
“Easy access to quality advice on money, debt, housing and care should be available to every neighbourhood. We can start to solve poverty by stopping the ‘pillar to post’ experience that too many citizens struggle with.”
Vice Chair of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission said: “At this time of year, more than ever, we need to consider those less fortunate than ourselves. Most of us will be downing tools and enjoying food, fun and games with family and friends but the stark reality is that there are too many people who still don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs over the festive season, let alone all the trimmings that come with it.
“The research published today is a startling reminder of this. The result of focus groups carried out with people who are actually experiencing poverty in Edinburgh today, it spells out their personal experiences, providing a valuable platform for setting policies and improving people’s lives in the future.”
Since the Edinburgh Poverty Commission was established in November 2018, three calls for evidence have received over 120 written responses, and forty face to face evidence sessions have been held.
Yesterday, as well as launching the new report, the Edinburgh Poverty Commission launched an online survey to find out what the people who live and work in Edinburgh think about solving poverty in their city.
The survey is open to everyone who works and lives in the city of Edinburgh, and aims to be the largest ever public consultation about poverty in the city.
The survey will remain open until Friday 11th January 2020 and can be accessed here: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Edinburgh_Poverty_Barometer_2019.
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