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Scottish government commits £100 million to welfare support

‘It is unacceptable that anyone should be living in poverty in a country as wealthy as Scotland’ – Margaret Burgess, Housing & Welfare Minister

Measures to tackle the impact of Westminster welfare reforms will receive £104 million of Scottish Government support next year, it was announced today.

£8 million will be allocated to funding advice services which support those affected by welfare changes and for the delivery of the Emergency Food Aid Action Plan which helps organisations combat food poverty in Scotland.

Around £35 million will be divided between local authorities to support people affected by the bedroom tax.

£38 million will be allocated to the Scottish Welfare Fund and its delivery. The Scottish Welfare Fund provides a safety net to people in an emergency or a disaster and helps people on low incomes access household goods.

In addition, the Scottish Government is committing a further £23 million funding for the Council Tax Reduction scheme which supports vulnerable people in meeting their Council Tax liabilities.

The £104 million forms part of the Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2015-16.

To date the Scottish Government’s welfare support has:

Helped over 100,000 households, including 32,000 families through the Scottish Welfare Fund, between April 2013 and June 2014.
Protected over 537,000 vulnerable people from increased Council Tax liabilities, following the UK Government’s abolition of Council Tax Benefit.
Helped 71,000 households affected by the bedroom tax, at an average cost of £50 a month.
Helped to deliver 72 projects which are supporting 20,000 people through the Making Advice Work programme funded by both Scottish Government and the Money Advice Service.

Announcing the welfare budget allocations ahead of the Welfare Benefits for People Living with Disabilities Debate, Housing and Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess said:

“It is unacceptable that anyone should be living in poverty in a country as wealthy as Scotland.

“We recognise there is still a problem which is why we are taking action and setting aside £104 million in next year’s budget to tackle poverty and inequalities and to help those affected by welfare changes.

“By allocating £38 million to the Scottish Welfare Fund and its delivery, we are making sure that we continue to reach out to those in the most deprived areas of Scotland. This Fund will help families access support and help to buy everyday items that many of us take for granted.

“We are still paying a heavy price for Westminster’s welfare reforms, this investment will help to mitigate the effects of these cuts on some of our most vulnerable households.

“As we have already set out in our submission to the Smith Commission, full responsibility over welfare and social policy is the only way for us to tackle poverty and to create a more prosperous and fairer society.”

STV Edinburgh will launch with live magazine show

New local channel on air in January

STV Edinburgh will launch in early January 2015 with a magazine show broadcast live from the capital each weekday evening. The Fountainbridge Show will be presented nightly from the studio by former Heart and Real Radio breakfast show host Ewen Cameron and broadcaster and presenter Hayley Matthews.

Ewen and Hayley will be joined on the live programme by roving reporters Zara Janjua and George Ward. The Fountainbridge News will air from 1830 – 1900 each evening, followed by The Fountainbridge Show from 1900 – 2030.

The Fountainbridge Show will reflect what’s happening in the city each day with a combination of local news, community features and live entertainment.

STV Edinburgh will be on air midday to midnight each day with an entertaining mix of news and features, live and interactive formats, and quality acquired and archive programming, including Take the High Road and Days of Honour.

Paul Hughes, channel editor for STV Edinburgh said: “The launch of STV Edinburgh offers a brand new platform for local community groups in the capital city to share their stories. The Fountainbridge Show is part of an entertaining schedule with locally relevant content for this unique city.

“STV Glasgow has delivered a strong performance since launch nearly six months ago and we anticipate a positive response from the people of Edinburgh when we begin broadcasting in early January.”

The launch of STV Edinburgh follows the launch of STV Glasgow in June 2014. STV Glasgow reaches a monthly audience of 600,000 in Glasgow and the west, with 64% of the transmission area tuning in since launch.

Ofcom announced the award of licences to STV for Glasgow and Edinburgh in January 2013. STV Edinburgh will be delivered in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, offering students the opportunity to work in a live television environment. STV has also submitted applications to Ofcom to deliver local TV in Aberdeen, Ayr and Dundee.

STV Edinburgh will broadcast on Freeview channel 23, Sky channel 117 and Virgin channel 159 and will be available to watch live on the STV Player. Ahead of the channel’s launch, viewers will be asked to retune their televisions to pick up the Freeview signal for channel 23.

The new channel will complement STV’s current portfolio of locally focused services on air, online and on mobile.

Priceless! Putting a value on the city's parks

New research has revealed just how much our parks are worth to us

Analysis carried out on behalf of the Council by Carrick Associates demonstrates for the first time the impact of the city’s 140 green spaces. The study, which uses a Social Return on Investment (SROI) approach, has valued their benefits at an impressive £114m.

By measuring the social, environmental and economic change experienced by those who use Edinburgh’s parks, researchers were able to apply a monetary value to the effects.

Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “This research demonstrates just how important parks are for our health, well being, environmental awareness and even local economy.

“Our parks are the gem in Edinburgh’s crown and are a real success story for the capital, as recent awards from Britain in Bloom and Entente Florale have recognised. But more than that, they are at the heart of many of the city’s communities.”

As part of the analysis, parks were divided into different categories – Premier, City, Natural Heritage and Community – and their stakeholders and benefits assessed.

Amongst these were the community, whose gains varied from enhanced fitness levels to well being, local employers, who could benefit from a more productive workforce, and school pupils, who are expected to build environmental awareness from a visit to the park.

By monitoring and interviewing visitors on their experiences, analysts concluded that, for every £1 spent by the Council maintaining parks, £12 of social, economic and environmental benefits will be delivered. The report also estimates an annual revenue of £51m for local businesses, health and well being benefits worth around £40.5m and outdoor education experiences equating to just under £1m.

Analysis builds on the results of the Edinburgh People’s Survey 2013, which found that the average Edinburgh resident visits a park in the city on 49 days in the year – almost one day a week.

Over the past five years a steady improvement in the quality of parks has been evidenced by annual Park Quality Assessments, as well as a record number of Green Flag Awards, and national and international recognition by Britain in Bloom and Entente Florale.

Edinburgh’s parks: Their value

This analysis has allowed the Council to predict that by using City of Edinburgh Council’s parks:
Individuals will gain health and wellbeing benefits worth around £40.5 million
The impact on social inclusion and community capacity is calculated to be worth over £6 million
Local businesses and the economy will gain additional revenue from visitors to the parks in the region of £51 million
Schools, nurseries and colleges are able to provide outdoor educational experiences that equate to just under £1 million
The awareness and understanding gained by visitors of their local environment is valued at just under £5 million
For an investment of £9,684,000 in parks and green space by City of Edinburgh Council it is estimated benefits worth £114,191,000 are generated.

Priceless! Putting a value on the city’s parks

New research has revealed just how much our parks are worth to us

By measuring the social, environmental and economic change experienced by those who use Edinburgh’s parks, researchers were able to apply a monetary value to the effects.

Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “This research demonstrates just how important parks are for our health, well being, environmental awareness and even local economy.

As part of the analysis, parks were divided into different categories – Premier, City, Natural Heritage and Community – and their stakeholders and benefits assessed.

Analysis builds on the results of the Edinburgh People’s Survey 2013, which found that the average Edinburgh resident visits a park in the city on 49 days in the year – almost one day a week.

Edinburgh’s parks: Their value

This analysis has allowed the Council to predict that by using City of Edinburgh Council’s parks:
Individuals will gain health and wellbeing benefits worth around £40.5 million
The impact on social inclusion and community capacity is calculated to be worth over £6 million
Local businesses and the economy will gain additional revenue from visitors to the parks in the region of £51 million
Schools, nurseries and colleges are able to provide outdoor educational experiences that equate to just under £1 million
The awareness and understanding gained by visitors of their local environment is valued at just under £5 million
For an investment of £9,684,000 in parks and green space by City of Edinburgh Council it is estimated benefits worth £114,191,000 are generated.

#StrongerNorth Going, going, gone …

They said they’d lift it, they’ve lifted it: special uplift in Ferry Road Drive this morning …

Women: Breaking the Mould at Royston Wardieburn

BREAKING THE MOULD

Breaking the Mould is a new project which aims to record and celebrate inspirational women from North Edinburgh who have made a difference to the lives of others locally, nationally, internationally. The North Edinburgh project is looking to find women from the community who have ‘broken the mould’, and who will be featured in an Edinburgh wide publication.

We are trying to find out and learn more about local women of North Edinburgh, who did/ are doing amazing and remarkable things for their community and who we feel can inspire women and girls today and in the future. To do this we are discussing women from the North Edinburgh area who are or were engaged in a range of social and political campaigns, including women’s involvement in the recent Scottish Independence Referendum. Other areas of women’s activism that will be looked at are throughout the 20th century looking at the 1960s and 70s, the war years and the women’s suffrage movement.

At the moment we are chatting about what we mean by a women having ‘broken the mould’.

The group of women meet every Wednesday from 11 – 1pm in Royston Wardieburn Community Centre. A free crèche is provided for participants’ children. Free Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided.

If you would like more information or to join the group please call Lynn McCabe at Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre on 552 5700 or Janette Bond, from the Workers’ Education Association on 225 2580.

Flyer B New Breaking the Mould NorthEd NEW

11 November 1918

We were still fighting hard and losing men. We knew nothing of the proposed Armistice, we didn’t know until a quarter to ten on that day. As we advanced on the village of Guiry a runner came up and told us that the Armistice would be signed at 11 o’clock that day, the 11th of November. That was the first we knew of it.

We were lined up on a railway bank nearby, the same railway bank that the Manchesters had lined up in 1914. They had fought at the battle of Mons in August that year. Some of us went down to a wood in a little valley and found the skeletons of some of the Manchesters still lying there. Lying there with their boots on, very still, no helmets, no rusty rifles or equipment, just their boots.

Marine Hubert Trotman, Royal Marine Light Infantry

It wasn’t like London, where they all got drunk of course. No, it wasn’t like that, it was all very quiet. You were so dazed you just didn’t realise that you could stand up straight and not be shot.

Corporal Reginald Leonard Haine, Honourable Artillery Company

What was one going to do next? That was very much the feeling of everyone. To some of us it was the end of four years, to others three years, to some less. For many of us it was practically the only life we had known. We had started so young.

Nearby there was a German machine gun unit giving our troops a lot of trouble. They kept on firing until practically 11 o’clock. At precisely 11 o’clock an officer stepped out of their position, stood up, lifted his helmet and bowed to the British troops. He then fell in all his men in the front of the trench and marched them off.

I always thought that this was a wonderful display of confidence in British chivalry, because the temptation to fire on them must have been very great.

Major Keith Officer, Australian Corps

The Armistice came, the day we had dreamed of. The guns stopped, the fighting stopped. Four years of noise and bangs ended in silence. The killings had stopped.

We were stunned. I had been out since 1914. I should have been happy. I was sad. I thought of the slaughter, the hardships, the waste and the friends I had lost.

Sergeant-Major Richard Tobin, Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division

NEN news: meetings and deadlines

News from your community newspaper:

North Edinburgh News – Annual General Meeting

NEN’s AGM will be held in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre next Tuesday (18 November) at 7pm. All welcome – come along and find out what’s happening at your community newspaper.

North Edinburgh News – December edition

The next NEN print edition is fast approaching – we’ll be printing again in December (look on it as an early Christmas gift!) If you have news you’d like to share with the wider community, email your article and pictures to northedinnews@gmail.com

Or what about taking out an advert? Rates are very reasonable (see below) and your’e supporting your community too!

2pp A5 Rate Card NEN

And for this edition only (true, there’s no much point in running Festive ads in June!) you can say ‘Merry Christmas’ to friends, colleagues, members, family, users and clients in a business card-sized ad for only £25! Just send your words and logo and we’ll add a seasonal graphic. Ho, ho, ho indeed!

DEADLINE for all copy – articles and advertising – is

FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER so don’t put it off for too long!

Out of mind: attitudes to mental health must change

‘The best way to start to deal with a mental health problem is to talk about it’ – Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health

More than a quarter of people have experienced a mental health problem and nearly half of those interviewed would not want other people to know if they had a mental health condition, according to new research.

These findings are revealed in the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, commissioned by the Scottish Government to find out how attitudes are changing over time. The survey, published today, was carried out by ScotCen Social Research, and builds on previous surveys, the last one being in 2008.

Of the 1,500 people surveyed, 26 per cent said they had personally experienced a mental health problem at some point, with depression being the most common. This is similar to previous surveys.

A total of 47 per cent said that they wouldn’t want anyone to know if they were suffering from mental health problems, a slight increase from 44 per cent in the previous survey in 2008. However, of people who have actually experienced a problem, 85 per cent have talked to someone about it, slightly down on 88 per cent in the last survey.

Other findings include:

• 85 per cent of people with a mental health condition have told someone about their condition. Usually this is a friend or family member (80 per cent). Much smaller proportions (less than 20 per cent) had told someone at work.
• 37 per cent have experienced negative social impact as a result of their mental health – an increase from 23 per cent in 2008.
• 65 per cent of people said they knew someone who had a mental health problem, a similar level to 2008.
• 22 per cent have avoided a social event because of how they feared they would be treated, and 13 per cent have been discouraged from attending by someone else.
• 22 per cent of people said they were not willing to interact with a person with schizophrenia

The Scottish Government is tackling mental health discrimination and stigma by funding the campaign group See Me. See Me have held 22 events around Scotland since April 2014, reaching more than 1,200 people, and have supported 24 projects around the country.

Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health, said: “This survey gives us some invaluable information about attitudes towards mental health, which helps us to better tackle the prejudices and misconceptions which still exist.

“It shows us that unfortunately there is still some stigma surrounding mental health. For that reason it’s all the more important that the Scottish Government continues our work to reduce the stigma suffered by people with mental health conditions. We fund See Me, which has just launched an anti-stigma campaign called ‘People like you will end mental health stigma and discrimination’.

“The best way to start to deal with a mental health problem is to talk about it. Also, if more people talk about their problems this will help to spread greater understanding and tolerance. This could be talking it through with a friend or family member, or going to your GP. There are treatments available that will help you to deal with your problems.”

Attitudes to Mental Health in Scotland: Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2013 can be viewed read:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent

Edinburgh's One Feeds Two is global competition finalist

BEN & JERRY’S AND ASHOKA SELECT SOCIAL ENTREPENEUR FINALISTS FOR JOIN OUR CORE 2014

Winners will scoop investment, mentoring and see their name on a pack!

Business bright sparks JP Campbell, founder of One Feeds Two and Katharine Hibbert, founder of Dot Dot Dot, have both secured a place at the London finale of Join our Core 2014.

Join Our Core is Ben & Jerry’s and Ashoka’s annual global competition to celebrate those who are creating cool new models for sustainable business to help make a difference in communities.

This year’s finale, held across London, Singapore & Tokyo next month, will see the finalists from eleven countries (UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Singapore and Japan) go head to head, with one young entrepreneur from each region being crowned as a winner.

One Feeds Two, founded in Edinburgh by JP Campbell, builds on the one-for-one model, making it simple for the food industry to tackle child hunger and for the companies within it to come together. With One Feeds Two, every time food businesses sell a meal or a product displaying their logo, a school meal is provided to a child in poverty.

On 19 November in London, each of the European finalists will pitch to an expert panel, including Sophie Tranchell, founder of Divine Chocolate, members of the world’s leading network for social entrepreneurs Ashoka, and other top European ethical business minds.

Each of the winners will scoop €10,000 investment, invaluable mentoring from Ashoka, and will see their business logo featured on an exclusive Ben & Jerry’s tub in 2015. The winner will also bag a trip to Ben & Jerry’s birthplace in Vermont, USA where they will gain additional training and hear from US based entrepreneurs and socially responsible business leaders.

Ed Shepherd, Social Mission Manager, Ben & Jerry’s said: “This year’s Join Our Core is bigger and better than ever, as we’ve taken Join Our Core global. We have chosen two UK finalists who really stood out, but all of those who put forward a model for change are worthy entrepreneurs with aspirations of operating businesses formed to directly address social or environmental problems in our global community. We loved the ethos and vision of One Feeds Two and Dot Dot Dot and we’re looking forward to the final stage of the competition!”

Felicity McLean, Framework Change Manager, Ashoka Europe, said: “We are hugely excited by the quality of applications this year- it’s testament to the changing world we live in, and a true nod to a world where every young person feels equipped with the skills and confidence to drive positive change in their communities.”

For further information about the Join Our Core 2013 winners and the prizes they have won please visit www.joinourcore.com.

Join Our Core and Scoop For Change!

About JP Campbell, Join Our 2014 finalist One Feeds Two:

Website: www.onefeedstwo.org

Social Media: www.facebook.com/OneFeedsTwo @OneFeedsTwo

Since launching in October 2013, One Feeds Two has provided 212,225 school meals to feeding partners and have secured a further 191,578 meals that will be provided by COOK through their Christmas campaign.

This total of 403,803 school meals provided to feeding partners working in the poorest communities in the world will result in over 2,125 school children being able to attend school for a full school year. The simple school meal is ultimately an opportunity for the child to escape extreme poverty through education and gives them hope of a better future. The aim of our feeding partners is always to start and build school feeding programmes that can be nationally owned, funded and sustained by the local governments.

About Katharine Hibbert, Join Our 2014 finalist Dot Dot Dot:

Website: www.dotdotdotproperty.com/

Social Media: www.facebook.com/DotDotDotPropertyGuardians @3dotproperty

Since 2011, Dot Dot Dot guardians have contributed over 20,000 hours to great causes. That’s the equivalent of 12 years of full time work – paid at the UK average wage of £12.74 per hour, that’s equivalent to a contribution of £254,800. This year, the Prime Minister awarded two of their guardians with national volunteering awards in recognition of their commitment. Hours are recorded monthly and Dot Dot Dot produce quarterly social impact reports. Public opinion and customer feedback has been consistently positive. The company features on Nesta’s 2014 New Radicals list of the organisations offering the most effective ways to tackle social challenges and last year they won a Security Excellence Award.