Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Castle of Light ignites Scotland’s spirit with return to Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle will shine brighter than ever this winter as the UK’s largest annual projection show, Castle of Light, returns for a sixth year with an immersive experience inspired by the enchanting forces of fire and ice.

Transforming the iconic fortress into a stage of elemental wonder, this year’s spectacular after-dark walking trail fuses Scotland’s fierce spirit with its frozen beauty. Visitors are invited to step into a world where flame and frost collide as dazzling light and sound displays awaken the Castle’s stories born of volcanic fire and sculpted by the power of ice.

Running for seven weeks throughout the festive season, on select dates from Friday 21 November 2025 until Sunday 4 January 2026, Castle of Light: Fire and Ice promises to captivate audiences with extraordinary installations, interactive moments and atmospheric storytelling.

Guests will wander through a fortress of light and encounter mythical creatures, from a mighty dragon soaring across the night sky to the Ice Queen herself in the Great Hall.

Brought together by a consortium of the finest digital and visual talent in Scotland, in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the larger-than-life installations combine cutting-edge projection, striking soundscapes and creative artistry to deliver the boldest Castle of Light yet — a breathtaking spectacle on a scale unlike anything else in the UK.

Alastair Young, producer of Castle of Light, said: “As we enter our sixth year, we’re bringing an even bolder and brighter adventure to Edinburgh Castle.

“Castle of Light: Fire and Ice draws on the fire that forged this ancient rock and the ice that shaped its form to tell a captivating story of resilience, transformation and wonder. Whether it’s your first visit or you’ve joined us before, this year’s show promises to be like nothing you’ve ever seen.”

Alongside the awe-inspiring tapestry of storytelling projections, visitors can enjoy a variety of drinks and small plates, toast marshmallows by the fire pit, and indulge in a mouth-watering selection of street food on the esplanade.

Kit Reid, Head of Experience at HES, which runs Edinburgh Castle, said: “Castle of Light has become a much-loved winter tradition, attracting thousands of visitors every year.

“Now in its sixth year, we’re getting ready to present a completely new show that highlights both the fiery origins and the icy resilience of Scotland’s most iconic landmark.

“Castle of Light: Fire and Ice will transform Edinburgh Castle into an unforgettable festive experience, creating magical memories for families, friends and visitors of all ages as they’re invited in to see Edinburgh Castle in a whole new light and take in the breathtaking views of the Edinburgh skyline after dark in all its festive splendour.”

Ticketed entry slots will run every 15 minutes between 4.30pm and 7.30pm each evening, with last entry between 7.30pm and 7.45pm. The event closes at 9pm.

A special reduced-capacity ‘quiet night’ will also take place on Sunday 7 December, offering a calmer experience with softer lighting, lower sound levels and no smoke effects.

Adult early bird tickets cost £21.60 and are available until Tuesday 30 September (using the promo code: COLCM25 at checkout). Concession rates, family tickets and discounts for Historic Scotland members are also available.

For more information and to get your tickets, visit www.CastleofLight.com.

Advance booking required.

One in three workers in Scotland say workplace conflict is on the rise

Acas launches new strategy to prevent, manage and resolve disputes at work

Almost one-third of employees in Scotland say that workplace conflict is rising, according to a new survey by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

New Acas-commissioned YouGov polling found that 30% of Scotland workers who knew of conflict in their organisation over the last 3 years said it has increased, compared to just 7% who say it has decreased.

The news comes ahead of major new employment law reforms, and with Acas experiencing increased demand for its services.

Responding to these challenges, Acas has launched a transformative five-year strategy to modernise how disputes at work are handled across Britain.

Niall Mackenzie, Acas Chief Executive, said: “Businesses in Scotland are doing much to promote productivity and economic growth, but our poll shows that there is more we can do to tackle conflict and help Scottish businesses grow and flourish.

“Our strategy for the next five years will give employers and workers across Scotland the skills and knowledge they need for the healthy employment relations that prevent conflict and promote growth.”

The new Acas strategy will help to support economic stability by reducing the cost of conflict – estimated to be £28.5 billion – through increased prevention, improved management, and earlier resolution of disputes.

The new Acas strategy will:

  • Prevent more disputes before they arise by targeting industries and groups where conflict is most likely
  • Support employers to manage conflict well with clear guidance, tools and training offers
  • Equip workers and employers with the skills and confidence to resolve problems earlier, including doubling the number of SMEs Acas is equipping to manage conflict well
  • Harness technology and data more effectively to focus Acas’s efforts where they can have the greatest impact
  • Drive innovation in dispute resolution, maintaining Acas’s record settlement rates (70% for individual disputes and 90% for collective disputes) while exploring the use of AI and new digital services to make support faster and more accessible

Jessica Brady’s legacy inspires new life-saving GP safety rule in England

Patients with a potentially deadly illness will be diagnosed sooner thanks to a new life saving patient safety initiative called Jess’s Rule

  • GPs across England to take “three strikes and rethink approach” after three appointments – as Jess’s Rule rolled out nationwide to prevent avoidable deaths
  • Move will save lives and help catch serious, deadly conditions earlier, particularly in young people
  • Named after Jessica Brady, who tragically died of cancer aged 27 after twenty appointments at her GP surgery failed to diagnose her condition

Patients with a potentially deadly illness will be diagnosed sooner through a new life-saving patient safety initiative called Jess’ Rule that is being rolled out across the NHS in England today [23 September 2025].

Jess’s Rule is named in memory of Jessica Brady, who died of cancer in December 2020 at the age of 27, and will help avoid tragic, preventable deaths as GPs are supported to catch potentially deadly illnesses sooner. 

In the five months leading up to her death, Jessica had more than twenty appointments with her GP practice but eventually had to seek private healthcare. She was later diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma. With such an advanced disease there was no available treatment. She was admitted into hospital where she died three weeks later.

The new initiative will ask GPs to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to offer a substantiated diagnosis, or the patient’s symptoms have escalated.

While many GP practices already use similar approaches in complex cases, Jess’s Rule will make this standard practice across the country, aiming to reduce health inequalities and ensuring everyone – no matter their age or background – receives the same high standard of care.

Designed in collaboration with the Chair of Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and NHS England, Jess’s Rule will help to catch serious conditions earlier and support GPs with guidelines that bolster their clinical judgment, while encouraging them to reflect, review and rethink if they are uncertain about a patients’ condition.

Jess’s mum Andrea Brady said: “Jess lived for just three short weeks following her terminal cancer diagnosis. Despite her shock and devastation, she showed unfailing courage, positivity, dignity, and love. Jess was determined that people should understand how desperately she had tried to advocate for herself and seek a resolution for her declining health.

“In the bleak weeks following the loss of Jess, I realised it was my duty to continue what she had started. It has taken nearly five years to bring about Jess’s Rule. I would like to dedicate this initiative to all the young people who have been diagnosed too late.

“It has only been made possible because of the people who have listened — politicians, medics, and the nearly half a million who supported the campaign.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Jessica Brady’s death was a preventable and unnecessary tragedy. I want to thank her courageous family, who have campaigned tirelessly through unimaginable grief to ensure Jessica’s legacy helps to save the lives of others.  

“Patient safety must be the bedrock of the NHS, and Jess’ Rule will make sure every patient receives the thorough, compassionate, and safe care that they deserve, while supporting our hard-working GPs to catch potentially deadly illnesses.

“I don’t want any family to endure the pain Jessica’s family have been through. This government will learn from such tragedies and is taking decisive action to improve patient safety.”

Jess’s Rule could support GPs to ensure continuity of care for patients with persistent health concerns. This could involve arranging face-to-face consultations if previous appointments were remote, conducting thorough physical examinations, or ordering additional diagnostic tests.

It also encourages GPs to review patient records comprehensively, seek second opinions from colleagues, and consider specialist referrals when appropriate.

Research shows that younger patients and those from ethnic minority backgrounds often face delays in diagnosis of serious conditions, as their symptoms may not match typical presentation patterns seen in older or white patients.

A report from the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation found that half of 16 to 24-year-olds required three or more interactions with a healthcare professional from a GP practice before being diagnosed with cancer, compared to one in five across the whole population. 

Jess’s Rule emphasises the need to remain alert to symptoms that might suggest serious conditions, regardless of a patient’s age or ethnicity, thereby reducing health inequalities.

Dr Claire Fuller, National Medical Director at NHS England says: “I am very humbled by the efforts of Andrea and Simon Brady, who have campaigned for this important initiative which will undoubtedly save lives by avoiding missed or delayed diagnoses and ensuring patients receive the right treatment at the right time.

“Many clinicians already apply a version of “three strikes and rethink” in their routine practice, but Jess’s Rule formalises this instinctive approach, providing a consistent structure to support reflection and timely action for patients.”

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “No GP will ever want to miss signs of serious illness, such as cancer. Ensuring a timely diagnosis often means better outcomes for patients – but many conditions, including many cancers, are challenging to identify in primary care because the symptoms are often similar to other, less serious and more common conditions.

“Alternative diagnoses are often more likely, particularly when considering risk factors such as age.

“If a patient repeatedly presents with the same or similar symptoms, but the treatment plan does not seem to be making them better – or their condition is deteriorating – it is best practice to review the diagnosis and consider alternative approaches.

“We hope that by formalising this with Jess’s Rule, it will remind GPs to keep this at the forefront of their minds. The College has also worked with Jess Brady’s family and the Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust to develop an educational resource for GPs on the early diagnosis of cancer in young adults, based around the principles of Jess’s Rule.”

Jessica Brady’s legacy will ensure that patient voice is at the heart of healthcare – a key commitment in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan.

This initiative, targeting primary care, builds on the recent rollout of Martha’s Rule to every acute hospital in England, which empowers patients, families, and carers to request urgent clinical reviews if they are concerned about deteriorating conditions not being adequately addressed.

Jess’s Rule is just one of the ways the government is supporting GPs to provide worldclass healthcare for patients as part of the Plan for Change.

This includes recruiting over 2,000 extra GPs in a year, providing vital cash for over 1,000 GP surgeries to create additional space to see more patients, and securing a record funding boost for practices – over £1 billion in 2025-26. Public satisfaction with GP services is finally on the rise, with 73.6% of patients describing their GP experience as “good” according to recent ONS statistics, up 6.2% since July 2024.

By catching illnesses at earlier stages, Jess’s Rule will help reduce hospital backlogs, improve outcomes for patients, and save lives.

John Swinney: “Scotland stands with Palestine”

First Minister calls for more sanctions and an end to arms sales

Formal recognition of the state of Palestine must be accompanied by sanctions on Israeli security cabinet members, a ban on the trade in goods from illegal settlements, and the suspension of the UK–Israel trade deal, First Minister John Swinney said yesterday as he attended a ceremony at the Palestinian Mission in London.

The event to mark the historic step towards keeping the two-state solution alive follows the UK Government’s announcement of formal recognition of Palestine.

The First Minister pressed the UK Government for stronger action to end the conflict and protect civilian lives, and urged the UK to join South Africa’s International Court of Justice case and implementing International Criminal Court arrest warrants.

The decision to recognise Palestinian statehood brings the UK into line with the vast majority of countries at the United Nations, over 75% of whom now recognise the State of Palestine. The First Minister said it marks the first step towards establishing a viable two state-solution where both states can live in peace, prosperity and securely.

The ceremony follows the arrival of Gazan children and their families into Scotland for NHS treatment and comes as Scotland prepares to welcome the first students from Gaza to study at Scottish universities.

First Minister John Swinney said: “This is a historic moment for the people of Palestine which should have come long ago.

“I have been clear that the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine should have been unconditional, but this decision goes some way towards acknowledging the UK’s solemn and historic responsibility towards all peoples of the region.

“While this announcement is welcome news, this is just the first step towards establishing the two-state solution. I urge the UK Government to take further action to accelerate peace including continuing to call for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of free flowing aid.

“The international community must use all its energy to persuade and pressurise Israel to end the violence and return to a peace process. A two-state solution is the only option that can provide peace, prosperity and security for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.

“Hamas must play no role in the future of the Palestinian state. I have consistently and unequivocally condemned the brutal terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in October 2023 and I join the international community in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

“Scotland stands with the people of Palestine, and everyone in the region who yearns for peace, and I will continue to do all that I can to support those suffering in Gaza and the West Bank.”

‘Without government action, the cost will continue to be measured in lives’

800 EXCESS DEATHS ASSOCIATED TO LONG A&E WAITS IN SCOTLAND LAST YEAR

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine will today reveal that there were more than 800 deaths associated with long A&E waits before admission in Scotland last year.

Shockingly this is an increase of a third (202) from the 2023 figure.

The latest analysis will form part of a presentation by RCEM Scotland’s Vice President, Dr Fiona Hunter, at the College’s Future of Emergency Care event being held this afternoon (Tuesday 23 September 2025) in Edinburgh.

The event, which will be attended by RCEM Officers, clinicians, healthcare leaders, policy makers and politicians, will focus on Scotland’s Emergency Care crisis and what can be done to alleviate it.

The College will also unveil its Emergency Medicine Workforce Census 2025 and launch its manifesto ahead of the 2026 elections. 

RCEM_SE_Manifesto-1Download

The manifesto urges all politician parties to:

  • End overcrowding in Emergency Departments
  • Provide Scotland with enough Emergency Medicine staff to deliver safe and sustainable care
  • Resource NHS Scotland to ensure equitable care is provided throughout the emergency care system 

It comes as Scotland’s Emergency Departments faced a summer of unrelenting pressure with an unacceptable number of people enduring long and dangerous waits.

Over the warmer months (1 June until 31 July 2025) one in 24 people (9,881) endured a stay of 12 hours or more from their time of arrival at an Emergency Department in Scotland.

This is 7,003 more patients than the entire year of 2018. 

When looking at July alone, 4,686 people experienced this extreme wait – over 2,400 more than in the winter month of January 2022 (2,266).

Meanwhile, further analysis for the previous year (2024) reveals a record 76,510 patients waited 12 hours or more to be admitted, discharged or transferred from A&E.

That’s 20,432 more people who endured an extreme wait compared to 2023.

Of these patients, 58,906 people were waiting to be admitted to a ward for further care.

Using the Standard Mortality Ratio – a method which calculates that there will be one additional death for every 72 patients that experience an eight–12-hour wait prior to their admission – RCEM estimates that there were 818 associated excess deaths related to stays of 12-hours or longer before being admitted in 2024.

That’s equivalent to 16 people losing their lives every week.

Dr Fiona Hunter, Vice President of RCEM Scotland, said: “The fact that the deaths of more than 800 patients have been lost due to a system in crisis is a national tragedy.  

“Behind this statistic are stories of heartbreak. Because these are people. Mums, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents – their deaths shattering the lives of families and friends.

“These are patients who are sick and need further care on a ward. So they are forced to endure extreme wait times for an inpatient bed to become available for them. Often, they will be experiencing this, counting the hours they have been in ED, on a trolley in a corridor, cupboard, or simply any available floor space.

“It doesn’t have to be this way – the crisis is fixable and it comes down to patient flow in hospitals – getting people out of ED and into a ward bed and getting them out of hospital when they are well enough to go home.

“We urge all political parties to adopt the recommendations in our manifesto to give Scotland a Emergency Care system that we can be proud of once again. Because without government action, the cost will continue to be measured in lives.”

The College’s census highlights that there is a shortage of key decision makers to provide quality care to patients.  

RCEM’s ‘Scotland Emergency Medicine Workforce Census 2025’ provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of the Emergency Medicine workforce, providing an insight into the working patterns of clinicians and allowing a forecast to be made around the future workforce needs of Emergency Departments in Scotland.

This is the second national Scottish census, the first having been conducted in 2021.

Responses were received from 28 major Emergency Departments, along with three Rural and Remote hospitals and found:

  • There is one whole time equivalent (WTE) consultant for every 4,692 attendances. While it’s an improvement compared to RCEM’s census in 2021, (1:6,444) it’s still below RCEM’s recommended figure of 1:4,000.
  • Of the 329 consultants, 38 are planning to retire in the next five years, along with 10 SAS doctors.
  • There were 16 gaps in the consultant rota – the same when compared to RCEM’s last census in Scotland. Meanwhile, there were 32 in the SAS rota, up from 23, and 26 in the resident doctor rota, down from 28 compared to four years ago. Recruitment issues were highlighted among the main reasons for rota gaps.
  • The average weekday consultant presence was 14 hours a day, down from 15 hours in 2021. Given RCEM’s recommendation that consultants are present at least 16 hours a day in all medium and large systems, this decline is a worrying find.

Responding to RCEM’s census, Dr Fiona Hunter said, “The College’s workforce census is a vital piece of work which reveals the true extent of workforce pressures our departments in Scotland are facing.

“While there have been some slight improvements compared to our first census in 2021, it is still abundantly clear that EDs are not adequately staffed, with senior decision makers, to deliver high quality patient care.

“Going into work, caring for patient, after patient, on a trolley in a corridor takes an immense toll. It’s no wonder they are burnout and stressed as they struggle to do the one thing they came into medicine to do, provide care.

“To futureproof our workforce, we have published a set of recommendations to the Scottish government. It must read this report and act. Because if they don’t, our Urgent and Emergency Care workforce will continue to be pushed beyond their limits, and patients will ultimately bear the brunt.”

Love to write? Join the Citizen Collective!

Are you (or know someone who is) aged 15 to 18 and interested in …

🔎 journalism and reporting

🗣️ poetry and spoken word

🎶 lyrics, rap and songwriting

✒️ fiction writing and storytelling

💡 or nonfiction writing and how facts can be brought to life?

Well, we’ve got a most exciting opportunity to share…

Our free and online young persons creative writing group, Citizen Collective, is open for new members!

Taking place on Wednesday afternoons during term time, this weekly online gathering is a supportive and inclusive space in which you can:

📝 develop your writing skills

💛 make new friends

👂 hear from published writers

🛤️ go on cultural trips

🤩 and, if you’re up for it, perform at the Book Festival next summer!

Interested? Sessions begin Wednesday 22 October and you’ve got until Wednesday 8 October to register!

Find out more including how to sign-up at: edbookfest.co.uk/news/join-the-citizen-collective

TUC: National jobs guarantee can help “turn the tide” on youth employment prospects

  • Challenges in jobs market have been “long in the making”, says TUC – as it calls for ambitious policy response
  • The number of payrolled employees has fallen by 127,000 over the past year, but the pace of recent falls has slowed.
  • The employment rate rose slightly to 75.2% from 75.1%. The unemployment rate has risen to 4.7% from 4.6%, but this is offset by welcome falls in the inactivity rate to 21.1% from 21.4%.
  • Youth unemployment is falling and is now 11.6%, down compared to the same period last year (13.3%)
  • Real wages grew by 1.2% but real and nominal pay growth are both slowing

Commenting on the latest labour market data, which show some tentative improvements alongside ongoing challenges, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Fragilities in the jobs market have been long in the making and are another toxic Tory legacy.  

“But there are some positive signs. It is welcome that both economic inactivity and youth unemployment are down.

“And the government has started to lay the foundations to reset our economy with significant investment in public services, stronger workers’ rights and improving the support people need to get into work. 

“But the government must build on this with a national jobs guarantee for young people. There are still too many young people stuck out of work, education and training.

“We know that real experience of paid work is the best way to turn the tide on long-term worklessness – and that over time this investment will more than pay for itself.”

  • TUC calls for a national jobs guarantee for young people to build on the government’s Youth Guarantee.
  • NEW analysis reveals that supporting 300,000 young people through the scheme would pay for itself within a decade and deliver over £8bn of benefits in the years after – at a cost benefit ratio of 2.8 to 1.
  • Young people let down by 14 years of toxic Tory rule in urgent need of decisive action, TUC says. 

On Wednesday, the TUC called for an ambitious national jobs guarantee for young people currently not in education, employment or training (NEETs).  

The UK faces a growing crisis in young people’s labour market participation which spiralled under the Conservatives, the TUC warns. 

The TUC says this not only has damaging consequences for young people’s prospects – but for the country as a whole.

The government has “laid the foundations” to turn this around – starting with a youth guarantee programme to ensure every young person aged 18-21 has access to learning, an apprenticeship or support to find a job, which is being trialled in regions up and down the country. 

The TUC says this should be built on with a national jobs guarantee, which prioritises young people aged 18-24 who have been not in employment, education or training (NEET) for six months or longer and young people aged 18-24 who are at high risk of becoming long-term NEET.

This would offer young people experience of a real good quality job with a real wage; opportunities to gain new skills; and an employer reference – “game changing” factors for young people approaching the labour market.

National jobs guarantee 

While a national jobs guarantee would need upfront investment, TUC modelling estimates that in the long term the cost-benefit ratio would be 2.81, with the scheme paying for itself within a decade. 

Setting out potential options for a national jobs guarantee for young people:

  • 100,000 placements in a 2-year period would cost £1.03bn but return £2.9bn.
  • 200,000 placements in a 2-year period would cost £2.06 bn but return £5.8bn.
  • 300,000 placements in a 2-year period would cost £3.1bn but return £8.7bn

The TUC says the national jobs guarantee must be designed to promote good work including by:

  • Being paid decently, either at the national minimum wage or union negotiated rate for the job
  • Meeting local labour market needs with additional roles – so that money is only used to create jobs that would not have been created in the absence of a scheme, ensuring jobs guarantee participants don’t replace existing workers.
  • Delivering quality training that puts workers on a pathway to a Level 3 qualification and ensure the worker gets experience that will enable them to move into permanent work.
  • Being sustainable, so that the placement could transition into an apprenticeship, or with a guaranteed job interview at the end.
  • Ensuring quality work which adheres to health and safety law, is accessible and promotes equality, has clear minimum standards for quality and access to a union. 

The placements should be allocated proportionately across regions, so there are a greater number of placements in areas where young people face the highest risk of becoming NEET. 

Tory legacy 

The TUC says the Conservatives failed to support young people throughout the pandemic and ever since, leading to a sharp rise in the number of young people out of work, training and education   – leaving yet another toxic Tory legacy for this government to deal with.

Almost a million young people aged 16-24 in the UK are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET), with the total reaching 948,000 in August 2025 – up from 800,000 in 2019.

The TUC says that overall disabled young people are the most affected by this crisis as they’re far more likely to be NEET (28.6%) compared to non-disabled young people (7.1%). 

TUC analysis also shows that there is a growing number of young people who are being failed by unsupported or poorly designed opportunities. 

Analysis of destination data for 16–18-year-olds who left education in 2022-23 found that a year later 14.8% of them had entered work, education or training but had not completed or continued it. This is up from 12.9% in 2017-18– and is far higher for those on free school meals at 26.8% and SEN young people at 25.9% in 2022-23. The TUC says this shows the need for high quality support in education and workplaces.

Another example of the toxic Tory legacy is the proportion of young women and men who have become NEET since the pandemic.

Overall, while rates among both groups have been growing, young men (from 11.8% in April – June 2019 to 13.1% in April – June 2025) are more likely to be NEET than young women (from 11.3% in April – June 2019 to 12.4% in April – June 2025). Young women however are more likely than young men to be economically inactive – not working nor looking for a job. 

Other risk factors identified by the TUC include: 

  • Having a below a Level 2 qualification. This is significant as, according to TUC analysis, 30.9% of 24-year-olds do not have Level 2 English and Maths qualification.
  • Having unpaid caring responsibilities

The TUC says the government should build on the positive progress in its Make Work Pay agenda to make sure more good jobs and training opportunities are accessible to all young people, particularly disabled young people and young women with caring responsibilities.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Under the Conservatives, young people were failed with many let down by the education system and stuck out of work, education and training.

“This toxic Tory legacy has hugely damaged young people’s prospects – and for the country as a whole too. 

“With the youth guarantee, stronger employment rights, an industrial strategy and apprenticeship reforms, the government has started to turn this around. 

“It’s now time for ministers to build on this progress with a national jobs guarantee for young people. We know that real experience of paid work is the best way to turn the tide on rising rates of worklessness – and that over time this investment will more than pay for itself.

“Young people across the country need access to high-quality training and decent, well-paid work – boosting their prospects and the wider economy as a whole.” 

Support for youth climate activists

Funding to mentor and upskill young green leaders

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin has pledged support for the next generation of green leaders in Africa as Climate Week NYC gets underway.

A total of £165,000 of Scottish Government funding has been awarded to the Green Generation Initiative (GGI) Youth Accelerator Programme – run by Kenyan youth climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti.   

It will be used to help identify, upskill and mentor 25 emerging African climate leaders seeking to drive change and action in their local communities through a year-long fellowship programme.  

The move reflects government commitments to champion the rights of children and young people as a signatory of the UNICEF Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action.

The government also reiterated its commitment to amplify the voices and strengthen the participation of young people from the Global South at climate conferences.

Ms Martin met with Ms Wathuti as part of her engagements in New York for Climate Week NYC.

She said: “Young people’s activism has challenged governments around the world to go further and faster on climate action and was instrumental in Scotland becoming one of the first countries to declare a climate emergency.

“Now, more than ever, we have a responsibility to ensure that young people feel valued, empowered and heard, and that they have access to the right funding and resources to act as agents of change in climate advocacy and action. 

“This funding supports wider Scottish Government action on climate justice – which recognises that those who have contributed the least to global emissions are the ones most vulnerable to its impacts.

“By empowering youth-led organisations, we will help mobilise the next generation of leaders to shape climate policy, drive innovation and promote inclusive action that meets the needs of the communities they represent.”

Elizabeth Wathuti founder of Green Generation Initiative said: “The Green Generation Initiative (GGI) is glad to partner with the Scottish Government to scale our Africa’s Next Green Leaders Eccelerator (ANGLE).

“This partnership marks a powerful step toward building a green accelerator ecosystem in Africa that transforms promising youth-led climate leaders, ideas, solutions, and initiatives into investable, scalable, and locally rooted social enterprises and champions for people, planet, and prosperity.

“Through a strong consortium of partners and as a key youth voice in Africa, the Green Generation Initiative (GGI), through ANGLE is committed to advancing just, resilient, and low-carbon development pathways, driving green transitions across African communities and markets.”