Services to save people the time, cost and stress of court action
Free mediation services for people involved in civil disputes are being expanded to cover all of Scotland.
The services offer those who are eligible an opportunity to negotiate a mutually acceptable resolution to their civil dispute, reducing the stress, cost and time of going through a court process.
Mediation hubs already exist in 22 sheriff court areas – 18 are delivered by the University of Strathclyde Mediation Clinic and four by Edinburgh CAB Mediation Services. The expansion will see the University of Strathclyde Mediation Clinic open a further 17 hubs across the country.
Free mediation services, backed by more than £250,000 of Scottish Government funding in 2023-2024, are available for civil disputes involving sums up to £5,000, with hundreds of cases referred to the hubs every year. Examples of such disputes include those involving goods and services, building work, unpaid bills, employment and vehicle disputes.
Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “Civil disputes, especially when they end up in court, can be costly and time-consuming for those involved and can affect individuals, communities and organisations.
“Mediation within the civil justice system offers the opportunity for a more flexible and affordable way to resolve those disputes.
“The expansion of the availability of mediation services will widen access to justice for citizens and businesses consistently across the whole of Scotland.”
Head of Strathclyde Law School Professor Adelyn Wilson said: “We are delighted that the Mediation Clinic’s partnership with the Scottish Government has continued to flourish.
“To be able to offer free mediation to eligible parties in 35 Scottish courts is a tremendous honour and responsibility, and an important step towards ensuring access to justice across Scotland.”
Edinburgh Leisure’s soft play parties are back this festive season at Clambers, Scrambles and Tumbles soft play. From rocking around the Christmas tree to burning off all that Christmas excitement across the city’s soft play venues, there’s plenty to keep kids active.
Children can dance and prance to the jolly disco, make new friends with the preppy party games and unwrap their creativity with Christmassy arts and crafts. And at Edinburgh Leisure’s Christmas parties, you won’t find the Grinch present – each child will leave with a celebratory gift.
In preparation for burning off all those mince pies, Santa Claus will be consuming this Christmas, he’s been seen on the climbing wall at Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (EICA) Ratho, perfect for practising descending all those chimneys. He’s also been making a splash at The Royal Commonwealth Pool and practising his jumps at Tumbles at Portobello, in preparation for leaping from roof-top to roof-top.
Tumbles at Portobello, 20 Westbank Street, Edinburgh EH15 1DR
What: Tumbles Christmas Party with soft play included, a jolly disco, peppy party games, and a gift for every child.
When: Friday, 15 December 2023 – 15.00–17.00 hrs Monday, 18 December 2023 – 16.00 – 18.00 hrs
Scrambles at EICA: Ratho, South Platt Hill, Newbridge, Edinburgh EH28 8AA
What: Scrambles Christmas Party, with soft play included, arts and crafts and a gift for every child.
When: Friday, 22 December 2023 – 15.00 – 17.00 hrs
Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, 21 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh EH16 5BB
What: Clambers Christmas Party, with soft play included, a jolly disco, peppy party games, and a gift for every child.
Childline has delivered more than 500 sessions with children from Scotland
New figures come as the counselling service prepares for the Christmas season, continuing to be a lifeline for vulnerable children and young people
Childline reveals that over the last year the service delivered 554 counselling sessions to children and young people from Scotland about sexual, physical, domestic, emotional abuse and neglect.
The service, which is run by the NSPCC, is also highlighting that of those counselling sessions in Scotland, 35 per cent (192) had a child say that Childline was the first place where they had spoken about their abuse.
Due to the confidential nature of the service, Childline only records the nation or region a child or young person is contacting them from if they volunteer that information. Last year, in more than a third of all sessions (4,906) the child did not disclose that information.
The NSPCC is releasing these figures as it launches its Christmas appeal.
Although Christmas comes with huge expectations of happiness, love and fun – for the more than half a million children experiencing abuse a year, it can also be an incredibly lonely and frightening time.
With schools closing their doors and children having reduced contact with wider support networks over the festive season, the charity knows that there will be many vulnerable children at home facing increased risks.
For those children and young people for whom Christmas means abuse, Childline is a lifeline.
December last year was the second highest month in the year for children from across the UK reaching out for support on emotional abuse
A girl from Scotland, aged 15, who contacted Childline over the Christmas period last year said: “I’m struggling at the moment. I had an argument with my mum, who hasn’t been looking after me very well.
“She’s been drinking a lot lately – she’s currently asleep on the sofa. There are jobs that need doing. I do have other family, but I just don’t feel like I get the support I need. Social Services are involved, but I worry about where I would go if my mum got taken into rehab or hospital.”
A girl, aged 17, who contacted Childline over the Christmas period said: “My parents are drug addicts and don’t buy us any food. If they do get us any, it’s usually stolen from somewhere.
“They always ask me for my work money. I’d like advice on how to move out with my 12-year-old brother. I feel like other people don’t get it when I try to talk to them. I’ve been thinking about contacting Social Services, but I thought I would ask Childline for advice first.”
In its new TV advert, the NSPCC highlights that on average a child will call Childline every 45 seconds and that for these children, Christmas can be the worst time of year.
The ad is inspired by real calls from children to the NSPCC’s Childline service, which is open for children every day, including Christmas day.
In the advert a girl named Kara is sat outside on a park bench in the dark speaking to a Childline a counsellor over the phone.
Shaun Friel, Childline director said: “Although Christmas should be a time of happiness and fun for all children, at Childline we know that sadly this is not the case and that for many, it is a time full of fear, isolation and increased risks.
“For lots of children, Childline is the only place they can turn to for help when they are trapped behind closed doors feeling scared and alone.
“In the run up to this festive season, it is essential that the service continues to be here as a lifeline for those children who are in desperate need of support from our trained counsellors and those in immediate danger.”
To enable the charity to be there for all children this Christmas, visit the NSPCC website to donate. Just £4 could help a counsellor answer a call this festive season.
The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day. Children can contact Childline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. When a child needs help and Christmas means abuse, Childline is a lifeline and it is vital that our counsellors are here and ready to listen and support children across the UK.
In 2024 98% of Scotland’s bathing waters will again meet or exceed the Sufficient classification – with 84% achieving the higher standards of Excellent or Good, says the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
This long-term positive trend for Scottish bathing water quality has been demonstrated in sampling and analysis carried out by Scotland’s environment regulator over the summer.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) work with regulated operators and stakeholders across the country and have driven millions of pounds of investment to bring about changes needed to make our bathing waters a success story.
In 2024 98% of Scotland’s bathing waters will again meet or exceed the Sufficient classification. ✅84% Good or Excellent ✅Wardie Bay and Fisherrow Sands, both added this season, will achieve Good. ➡️Read more in our media release at https://t.co/pLdeSfjIoP ➡️Check the… pic.twitter.com/KFMeDbD3PG
— Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) (@ScottishEPA) November 21, 2023
For the 2024 bathing season Scotland’s bathing water classifications will be:
38 (43%) Excellent
37 (42%) Good
12 (13%) Sufficient
2 (2%) Poor
Ruth Stidson, SEPA’s Principal Scientist for bathing waters, said: “Scotland started this bathing water season with more bathing waters than ever and a record-breaking number rated excellent. I’m delighted to say we’ll start next year just as strongly.
“Our bathing waters have the best water quality since 2015, when tighter standards first came into force. We now have an additional five designated bathing waters where we monitor water quality to protect human health. Over this time those with the highest excellent classification has increased from 17 to 38, and the number with a poor classification has fallen from 17 to two.
“Being outdoors can provide many physical and mental health benefits. Our beaches offer opportunities for physical activities and social interaction and earlier this year I saw personally how much having a designated bathing water meant to the local community at Wardie Bay.
“SEPA’s monitoring data has provided crucial evidence to drive millions in investment and we’ve worked with businesses, farmers and land managers across the country to help them understand how they can make changes to protect water quality.
“All these successes show that, while it can take time to see big improvements, they are possible – and SEPA will keep monitoring, reporting, enforcing, encouraging and challenging for the future of our water environment.”
Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan said: “Scotland now has the highest number of designated Bathing Water sites ever, with the vast majority classified as good or excellent.
“This demonstrates the benefits of our continued investment in protecting and improving bathing waters across the country. However we are not complacent and will continue to work closely with SEPA and Scottish Water to monitor and improve water quality, to make sure that as many people as possible are able to enjoy them.”
Success stories for 2024
Scotland’s newest bathing water, Wardie Bay in Edinburgh, will be rated as Good for its first classification in 2024. The location was designated by Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition, Màiri McAllan, following an application from Wardie Bay Beachwatch and The Wild Ones
Just along the coast in East Lothian, the first bathing water in Scotland to be re-designated will also be classified as Good. Fisherrow Sands was de-designated in 2020 following five years of Poor classifications.
It was re-designated following work between SEPA, the Scottish Government, Scottish Water, East Lothian Council and wider stakeholders to drive improvements. Over £3 million has been spent on works to upgrade wastewater pumping stations, resolve multiple misconnections and make improvements to the sewer network to reduce spills.
Future challenges
Pressures on bathing waters can include overflows from the drainage network and misconnections from homes and businesses.
Agricultural run-off and bacteria from dog fouling and gulls can also be factors. Some sites have a legacy of complex inter-linked issues that need individual assessments and unique solutions.
The two bathing waters with a Poor classification, Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) and Lower Largo, both have ongoing improvement plans in place.
Kinghorn (Harbour Beach) had been achieving Sufficient after previous work was carried out by Scottish Water. Following a Poor classification last year, an enhanced monitoring program has been carried out to identify potential sources of pollution, SEPA will continue to work with regulated operators and stakeholders to explore solutions to improve water quality at this location.
At Lower Largo, SEPA has required Scottish Water to conduct comprehensive studies into the sewerage infrastructure to identify any necessary upgrade requirements.
Surveillance and monitoring has included CCTV and flow surveys of the sewer network; intensive water quality sampling of the sea and watercourses; a survey (via boats) to map the seabed; tidal current profile and dispersion testing to understand how discharges disperse to the sea and nearby rivers.
This work also identified some misconnected properties, which have now been connected to the public sewerage system correctly.
Significant further work and investment are ongoing towards achieving the infrastructure improvements in the Lower Largo area necessary to bring about improved bathing water quality.
Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee have visited Leith based businesses and social enterprises to learn more about the different ways in which businesses are evolving and adapting to help accelerate Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.
The visits form part of the Committee’s scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Bill, as Parliament seeks to make sure the Bill encourages a new approach to the use and consumption of materials in a way that will ultimately help Scotland achieve it net zero goals.
Committee Members, Deputy Convener Ben Macpherson MSP (delegation lead) and Douglas Lumsden MSP began the visit at local refill shop WeighToGo, where Members looked back to a time before single use plastics and saw a simple and convenient solution to sustainable living.
Members then continued their research at the Edinburgh Remakery – a social enterprise which encourages regenerative practises linked to upcycling and the reuse of products. The visit ended at the Edinburgh Tool Library which offers the public access to all sorts of tools by promoting a ‘why buy when you can share’ ethos.
Following the visit Deputy Convener Ben Macpherson MSP, said: “Throughout our scrutiny of this Bill, we’re keen to understand each stage of the waste hierarchy – and what’s preventing reusing, recycling and recovering products and materials.
“It was great to hear more about the environmental benefits these organisations in Leith have generated, by offering more sustainable products and services for consumers. They’ve also helped social cohesion by bringing people together to share ideas and lived experiences, as well as learn new skills.”
“We want this Bill to support and drive change to reduce waste. Our thanks to all the hosting organisations for the invaluable insights they have shared.”
Carbon Monoxide Awareness week runs 20 – 26 November
RoSPA: Carbon monoxide is a silent killer that can cause symptoms mistaken for other ailments like headaches and the flu
Awareness and having carbon monoxide alarm(s) is key to reducing accidents
This Carbon Monoxide Week, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has issued a stark warning to be aware of the dangers of the silent killer that causes over 4000 A&E visits and 440 hospital admissions a year in England alone.
According to RoSPA, carbon monoxide poisoning is an underdiagnosed problem in the UK, with the signs and symptoms of low-level carbon monoxide toxicity confused for other ailments like headache, nausea, flushing, the flu, muscle pain, food poisoning and depression.
Poisoning is more prevalent in the winter months, likely related to the increased indoor use of heating and other devices which are common sources of carbon monoxide, such as incorrectly installed fuel-burning appliances, blocked chimneys, gas ovens inappropriately used for heating, and barbecues or gas stoves used in enclosed spaces.
What to do if you are exposed to carbon monoxide
If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds or you believe there to be a leak (unignited gas does not contain carbon monoxide):
stop using all appliances and evacuate the property immediately
call the relevant National Gas Emergency Service number to report the incident or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Gas Safety Advice Line on 0800 300 363
do not go back into the property (wait for advice from the emergency services)
get immediate medical help.
If you think you have been exposed to carbon monoxide and feel unwell or are worried call NHS 111, contact your GP or in an emergency contact emergency services on 999.
The relevant National Gas Emergency Service number you need depends on where in the UK you’re based and the type of gas that’s involved:
Country
Natural Gas (NG)
Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Towns Gas/Mains Gas**
England, Wales and Scotland
0800 111 999
Contact number on bulk storage vessel or meter*
N/A
Northern Ireland
0800 002 001
Contact number on bulk storage vessel or meter*
N/A
Isle of Man
0808 1624 444
0808 1624 444
0808 1624 444
Guernsey
N/A
01481 749000
01481 749000
Jersey
N/A
01534 755555
01534 755555
Phil Le Shirley, Public Safety Advisor at RoSPA said:“With the colder months almost upon us and more people using fuel-burning appliances, it’s vital to be aware that carbon monoxide poisoning is silent and can often be confused with other ailments like a headache, nausea, flushing, the flu, muscle pain, food poisoning and depression.
“Carbon monoxide is colourless, tasteless and odourless, so it is essential that you fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm that meets British or European Standards (BS Kitemark or EN 50291).
“We recommend testing the alarm at least once a week, changing the batteries regularly and replacing the whole alarm before its expiration date.
“Finally, if you’re camping or caravanning, irrespective of how cold or rainy it gets, ensure that there is adequate ventilation when using fuel-burning products and always have a carbon monoxide alarm with you.”
Phil went on to describe what you should do depending on the type of fuel appliance you have at home:“We recommend only using a qualified Gas Safe engineer to install gas boilers and appliances and advise that they are serviced annually by Gas Safe approved technicians.
“Solid fuel appliances should be installed and serviced annually by a qualified HETAS engineer, and chimneys and flues should be kept clean by being swept from top to bottom at least once a year by a qualified chimney sweep and should not be blocked.”
“It is also advised that oil heaters should be installed and serviced annually by a qualified OFTEC engineer.”
For further information on carbon monoxide, please visit RoSPA’s carbon monoxide pages.
A new public campaign titled #RespectHerSpace was launched yesterday (November 20) at the City Chambers.
This approach was produced by the City of Edinburgh Council alongside partners, Police Scotland, NHS Lothian, the University of Edinburgh, and Edinburgh Napier University. It was also supported by the Women’s Safety in Public Places Community Improvement Partnership and the Equally Safe Edinburgh Committee.
The launch follows two Women’s Safety in Public Places consultations held between June 2022 and March 2023. The analysis of consultation responses found between 73.9% and 80.5% of women reported having experienced harassment, abuse, or violence while in a public space in Edinburgh.
Following extensive discussions with key campaign stakeholders, the ‘her’ pronoun was chosen for the campaign title to represent all women and girls.
It comes as evidence suggests that women and girls experience disproportionate levels of harassment in public places compared with men. This restricts their ability to freely participate in school, work, and public life due to concerns for personal safety, directly impacting their health and wellbeing.
The consultations detailed key recommendations to tackle this inequity, including a campaign targeted at men to address their behaviours and attitudes towards women in public places.
The campaign will not target criminality, but instead encourage men to make small changes to their behaviour to make people, especially women and girls, feel safer in Edinburgh.
Small changes, such as crossing the road instead of walking directly behind someone or making a phone call, are intended to reassure women and girls who may otherwise feel unsafe while in a public place. The campaign will be positive and will not alienate or blame men, rather it’ll encourage men to reflect on their behaviour.
The #RespectHerSpace campaign runs from 20 November 2023 for at least three weeks and will be seen across television, digital, and outdoor advertising.
Depute Council Leader, Councillor Mandy Watt said:“It’s so important that everyone feels safe whilst out and about in Edinburgh. Women and girls are often excluded from full and meaningful inclusion in public spaces due to worries about their safety, but men can be fundamental in changing this.
“We are asking men to make small but significant changes to their behaviour to make sure women and girls feel safe when accessing our public spaces.
“I’d encourage people to engage with this campaign and use it as an opportunity to have these important conversations with male family members, friends, and colleagues.
“We’re committed to making Edinburgh as safe, secure, and inclusive city as possible. Alongside our wider work, this campaign represents an important step in this process.”
DCI Adam Brown of Edinburgh’s Public Protection unit welcomed the campaign: “Improving the wellbeing of our communities is a key purpose of policing and I fully support this campaign, which demonstrates that small and considerate changes in our behaviour can make a difference in promoting feelings of safety and helping everybody to enjoy use of our public spaces equally.
Dona Milne, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, said:“NHS Lothian welcomes the #RespectHerSpace campaign. Research clearly demonstrates the issues faced by women and girls who report negative experiences whilst in a public space. These experiences can cause anxiety and distress, which contributes to poorer health and wellbeing.
“Increasing awareness of these issues, and of the small changes that can make a big difference, is a powerful tool towards enabling women and girls to feel safer when they are in public spaces across our city.
“Everyone has a right to feel safe and we would encourage people to engage with this campaign and take action to support women and girls to achieve that right.”
Carolann Begbie, Director of People & Services at Edinburgh Napier University said:“We strive to make Edinburgh Napier a safe place for everyone, and this campaign underlines that effort.
“Sadly, harassment and gender-based violence are problems which affect all aspects of society. We want to ensure that it’s not a part of university life.
“#RespectHerSpace demonstrates that small changes can have a significant impact on helping our city become a more inclusive place to study, work and live.”
Scottish Water discharged sewage 58,304 times in the last 5 years from just 4% of overflows
The latest water quality report from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) highlights a severe lack of accountability from Scottish Water.
Untreated sewage has been discharged by Scottish Water at least 14,008 times in 2022 alone.
Only 4% of Scottish Water’s 3,641 overflows are reported on, meaning these statistics are likely a huge underestimation.
Many popular bathing sites across Scotland, such as Portobello in Edinburgh, have no reporting whatsoever.
New Surfers Against Sewage Community Group will monitor water quality in Portobello area.
mike@mikeguest.co.uk
A new report released today by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) emphasises Scotland’s sewage blind spot due to a lack of reporting by Scottish Water.
Analysis of EDM data by SAS found that untreated sewage has been released into Scottish rivers and seas at least 58,304 times over the last 5 years. However, just 161 out of the 3,641 sewage overflows in Scotland were reported on during this time period meaning this figure is a gross underestimation of reality, with the true number of discharges likely to be in the 100,000s.
Under 4% of sewage overflows in Scotland are required to be reported on, a stark contrast to England and Wales where nearly 100% are monitored. This leaves the Scottish public in the dark about the performance of the other 96% of overflows and the impact these are having on Scottish rivers and coastline.
The little data that is reported by Scottish Water is patchy, according to SAS. Three sewage overflows that previously were reported on annually are now only required to report during the bathing season due to the license agreement approved by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Additionally, some overflows that were previously monitored now go entirely unreported and are labelled as having ‘no license requirement for reporting’.
mike@mikeguest.co.uk
Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, said:“Yet again, our annual water quality report reveals the complacency and disregard of governments, water companies and regulators towards the health of rivers and coastlines in Scotland and across the UK – and by extension people’s health.
“How much do our blue spaces need to suffocate in sewage before those we elect to keep us safe and protect our environment wake up and smell the shit?
“We are seeing failure at every level – from governments and regulators failing to enforce the law, to water companies refusing to clean up their act – with the general public ending up the biggest loser every time.
“How many times can we say ‘enough is enough’? Our leaders need to prioritise transparency, ensure laws and regulations are properly enforced, and prevent water companies from continuing to pollute our blue spaces.”
Sicknesses due to sewage pollution reported to SAS reached 1,924 UK cases in the last year – nearly triple the number of cases reported a year prior. These cases resulted in 1,987 days taken off sick, which translates to 5 years of work lost to ill health caused by polluted waters.
Many of these sicknesses have led to hospitalisation, events cancelled, earnings lost, and businesses closed. As this data only covers cases reported to SAS, these numbers are likely to be the tip of the iceberg.
The Porty Water Collective was set up in response to the ongoing poor state of water quality in Portobello, which is impacted by several sewage overflows bringing sewage downstream into the sea via the Figgate Burn (known locally as the ‘Figgy Burn’).
Portobello is a popular beach with thousands of visitors, but notably has no reporting whatsoever. Users of the beach rarely have any idea if the area is safe to enjoy, or if they will unknowingly be swimming in sewage.
The Collective is conducting regular testing in the area with support from SAS to monitor water quality and raise awareness in the absence of any reporting from Scottish Water.
Charlie Allanson-Oddy, founding member of the Porty Water Collective and an SAS regional representative, said: “It’s obvious from walking the beaches, from the number of baby wipes, that there is a massive sewage-related problem – something that is ignored by SEPA and Scottish Water.
“What we know – from testing conducted in 2021, and now from the Collective’s current water quality testing backed by SAS – is that there are dangerously high levels of E. coli and chloroforms in the Figgy Burn from CSOs further upstream. Not all the locals know this.”
Scottish Water has made a promise to install monitoring equipment on 1,000 of the highest priority sewage overflows by 2024 with the remaining 2,600 to be considered in terms of cost and benefit.
SAS are calling on the Scottish Government to direct Scottish Water to install event duration monitoring on all overflows and for that data to be freely and easily accessible to the public in real-time so the Scottish public can make informed decisions when entering the water.
Additionally, SAS want the Scottish Government to set progressive sewage reduction targets to end untreated discharges into bathing waters, popular water usage areas, and high priority nature sites by 2030.
This year SAS developed the End Sewage Pollution Manifesto, which sets out the policies needed to clean up our rivers and seas.
Created in collaboration with environmental charities, sports governing bodies and community groups around the UK, the manifesto suggests a five-point plan to make the UK’s waters healthy and safe to enjoy again:
• Enforce the law and regulations
• Stop pollution for profit
• Prioritise high-risk pollution events
• Empower a nature-led approach to tackling sewage pollution
• Reveal the truth by ensuring UK-wide transparency on sewage pollution.
Edinburgh architecture. Trafic on Princes Streeet in front of Edinburgh Castle.
An Edinburgh Napier University study suggests inflation has worsened transport inequalities
The cost of living crisis has deepened inequalities in the way people in Scotland are able to travel, according to an Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) study.
Analysis of Transport Scotland survey results by researchers at ENU’s Transport Research Institute (TRI) and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki show that rising inflation during 2022 disproportionately affected how those from low-income households and ethnic minorities can get about.
More than one in four respondents said they had changed their usual mode of transport to save money, while nearly 38% appeared to reduce their number of journeys.
While people on low incomes were forced to ‘drastically modify’ their travel habits, soaring costs also had an unequal effect on women, millennials, rural residents, and people with disabilities.
The study concludes that more action needs to be taken to make transport more affordable and accessible, in order to prevent people from becoming socially isolated.
Staff portraits October 2018 Achille Fonzone
Achille Fonzone, Professor of Transport Analysis and Planning at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment, said: “These findings shed light on how the cost of living crisis has exacerbated already existing inequalities in how people are able to get around.
“Travel makes up a large portion of people’s overall spending, and greatly influences inflation. Although latest figures signal an encouraging trend around personal vehicles and fuel, public transport fares are increasing above the general rise in living costs.
“If remedial measures are not taken soon by central government and local authorities, disparities will only deepen further.”
Greg Fountas, Assistant Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Associate member of TRI, added: “During times of economic crisis, public transport should be leading the way towards more affordable, sustainable travel, otherwise more and more people will be at risk of transport poverty and, in turn, social exclusion.
“Prioritising investment in policies such as fare caps, concessionary ticket schemes, improved active travel infrastructure or community transport programmes would not only help narrow these inequalities, but also help us towards environmental targets.”
Other conclusions from the study, ‘The Impact of the Cost-Of-Living Crisis on Travel Choices of Scottish Residents: An Exploratory Analysis’, include:
· People living in the central belt, with more public transport options, were more likely to have changed how they travel, while people in Highlands and Islands were more prone to reducing the number of journeys
· Generally, respondents were more likely to reduce their trips rather than change transport method because of cost
· Those who responded to the survey later in 2022 were more likely to have changed their habits, as the impact of the cost of living crisis was felt
· Being from a low-income household was the most significant variable on reducing journeys
· Women were more likely to cut down on trips than men
The Public Attitudes Survey by Transport Scotland, which was first conducted in 2020, formed the basis for this study. Three waves of the survey were carried out in 2022, the last of which coincided with inflation surpassing 11% – a 41-year high. Answers from 2,705 people, who were deemed representative of ‘a key strata’ of the Scottish population, were statistically analysed.
The findings, which are undergoing peer review, will be presented to a conference in the United States next year.
· Aberlour Children’s Charity is launching a national ‘Poverty Relief Appeal’ to secure donations for its Urgent Assistance Fund
· The Fund, which provides emergency funding to families for essentials, is in desperate need of money to support a rise in applicants due to the cost-of-living crisis
Aberlour Children’s Charity, one of Scotland’s largest children’s charities, is launching a national fundraising drive, to secure critical donations for its Urgent Assistance Fund which is set to run out by Christmas.
The Fund provides poverty relief to families in crisis, where they receive emergency grants, often within 48 hours, to help pay for essentials such as food, clothing, bedding, heating and lighting costs.
In the last year, the Fund has donated over £33k to people in Edinburgh and the Lothians helping almost 500 people in critical conditions.
This winter will see the highest cost of living in decades for Scots, and in many communities around the country, children are going without the basics required to feed, clothe, and heat them.
The latest research suggests that almost half of families who apply to Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund do not know where their next meal is coming from, and a fifth of families who apply don’t have beds for their children.
Worryingly, around 50% of those who apply do not have the funds to purchase their children new clothing adequate for Scottish weather, which could have serious health implications as the colder months set in.
One support worker in Edinburgh said:“The cost of living crisis is a real issue. Everything has gone up in price for families who were already living in poverty. I am seeing children that have unclean bedding or sometimes no bedding. Some have broken beds. Some have no storage or anywhere to keep their clothes, because of the terrible housing problems in Edinburgh right now.
“Families have only just got enough money to pay rent and by the time they’ve paid their bills, especially with the rising costs and buying food, they don’t have money for anything else. So, if their kids need winter clothes, they have no way of buying them warm stuff.
“Families are so grateful for the financial support. If I tell them I’ve had an email through from Aberlour, so they will have money soon, they are so relieved.”
This year Aberlour has provided grants via the Urgent Assistance Fund to more than 6,986 people in Scotland, including 4,275 children, totalling over £580k. It is a vital lifetime to thousands of people for items which many of us take for granted.
The charity’s Poverty Relief Appeal launches this week across national TV, radio, press and digital. Those who can are being asked to donate to support families trapped in poverty and struggling to survive the toughest conditions faced by Scots in many years.
SallyAnn Kelly OBE, Chief Executive at Aberlour Children’s Charity, said:“This winter, as we continue to face the biggest cost of living crisis in recent memory, more and more families are turning to the charity for help. Because of this soaring demand, the emergency fund is going to run out of money by Christmas when it is needed most.
“Too many children are going without and for many families it is a constant worry of where the next meal is coming from, and if there’ll be enough money to heat their home.
“Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund is a lifeline to disadvantaged families all over Scotland and every penny of cash donated goes directly to those who need it most. If you are in a position to donate – however big or small the amount – we would be infinitely grateful for your support.”
Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund is designed to provide immediate relief to families with children (aged 21 and under) who are suffering extreme hardship. It is a critical lifeline with money paid straight to families who apply via a sponsor (health professional, social worker, teacher, third sector organisation, clergy or other professional) to ensure that the lights stay on, homes are warm, and their children have the essentials they need.
Donations to Aberlour’s Urgent Assistance Fund via:
