A new prevention-focused approach and rapid rehousing will be at the heart of work reduce homelessness in Scotland over the next five years.
The Scottish Government unveiled plans for a shift in approach from crisis management to prevention as part of this year’s Programme for Government.
Measures to tackle homelessness include:
an additional 1,500 Housing First tenancies, supporting people with complex care needs into permanent housing
continued roll-out of the Homelessness Prevention Fund of £50 million over 10 years
£1 million from the Homelessness Prevention Fund for the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Homeless Network Scotland to strengthen tenancy sustainment activity by registered social landlords in Glasgow
£2 million for the ‘fund to leave’ scheme to become permanent, offering support for women and children to leave an abusive partner.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing Shirley-Anne Somerville visited homelessness charity Simon Community Scotland in Edinburgh, which is involved in two Scottish Government prevention pilot projects.
One is in partnership with Police Scotland while the other is in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service – which will enable police officers and ambulance staff to identify housing instability and homelessness risk and provide tailored individual support.
Ms Somerville said: “The best way to end homelessness is to prevent it from happening in the first place. That is why we are shifting our approach from crisis management to prevention and rapid rehousing.
“We will do all we can over this Parliament to help people off the streets and end the use of unsafe and harmful temporary accommodation.
“I was pleased to meet staff and tenants at Simon Community Scotland Streetreads library to hear first-hand how their early identification of housing problems is helping to make a real difference to people’s lives. Their homelessness prevention pilots are generating valuable learning and knowledge transfer, and we want to replicate this across the country.
“Over the next five years we will drive progress through our £50 million Homelessness Prevention Fund, our Housing First programme which will provide 1,500 permanent tenancies for people experiencing homelessness, and our £2 million for the ‘fund to leave’ scheme which supports women to leave an abusive partner.
“Our record investment of up to £4.9 billion over the next five years will deliver around 36,000 affordable homes.”
Chris Murray MP has welcomed the official opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub at Queen Margaret University, a major new centre for innovative businesses which has received £28.6 million in UK Government funding.
Chris Murray MP attended the launch of the new Hub, opened by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland Melanie Ward and Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn.
The £40 million Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a joint venture between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University (QMU), and forms the first phase of the planned Edinburgh Innovation Park.
It is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. It is supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government,£1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council.
The new facility provides specialist laboratory, office, meeting and conference space for innovative businesses, with a particular focus on life sciences, food and drink, technology, start-ups and related sectors.
The Hub has already welcomed companies including Forge Minerals, Aurora Avionics and Riverwood Ecology, with a further life sciences company recently signing a lease to move around 40 employees into the facility.
The opening represents a significant investment in Edinburgh and the region’s innovation economy and is intended to support the growth of high-value businesses and create highly skilled employment.
Chris Murray MP said:“It was fantastic to be at the opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub and to see the businesses already making use of this impressive new facility.
“This part of Scotland has been short-changed for too long, with not enough Government support to create the jobs of the future.
“So as the local MP, I am delighted to see such significant UK Government investment, driven by our brilliant Scottish Labour Ministers. This money will help to create opportunities for innovative businesses to scale up and deliver high-skilled jobs right here in Edinburgh and East Lothian.
“Andy Burnham and the Labour Government are determined to deliver growth and invest in good jobs in the industries of the future, and the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a great example of what that ambition looks like in practice.
“We have an enormous amount of talent and potential across Edinburgh and Musselburgh, across life sciences, technology, aerospace, environmental innovation and more. This Hub will allow this talent to build the businesses of the future right here in Musselburgh.
“I look forward to working with the Hub, Queen Margaret University, the Scottish Government, East Lothian Council and the UK Government to make sure that potential is realised.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Melanie Ward MP said:“The opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a vital step in backing Scottish innovation and building a modern, resilient economy.
“Significant UK Government investment of over £28 million is giving start-ups the specialised lab space they need to accelerate breakthroughs, scale up quickly, and create high-skilled jobs across the region.
“This project shows the tangible impact of targeted UK Government support. While the Hub acts as a flagship engine for the regional economy, its impact links directly into communities right across Scotland.
“By connecting cutting-edge innovation with national supply chains – from Scotland’s space sector to freshwater ecology – we are using targeted regional investments to bring growth, high-skilled jobs, and economic opportunities to every postcode across Scotland.”
Check out what our workshop participants said last time and join us on Saturday, 5 Sept, 12-13:30 for another round of drumming with Morgan Motika Njobo and Ramcise Modie.
The results of the Southside/Newington (Ward 15) and Portobello/Craigmillar (Ward 17) by-elections have been announced at Waverley Court.
Ruth Elliott (Scottish Labour Party) and Lorenzo Martinico (Scottish Greens) have been duly elected to serve in the City of Edinburgh Council for Ward 15 and Ward 17 respectively. Ruth Elliot received 2,153 votes, and Lorenzo Martinico (Scottish Greens) received 1,781 votes.
The new councillors were elected through the Single Transferable Vote system.
The turnout was poor – 6,741 votes (27.3%) in Ward 15 and 6,427 votes (22.9%) in Ward 17.
The declaration was made in the early hours of this morning (Friday 4 September) by Depute Returning Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Chris Highcock.
Depute Returning Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Chris Highcock, said: “I would like to welcome Councillors Elliot and Martinico into their new roles and wish them all the best as they begin serving their wards.
“My thanks goes to everyone who took part in these by-elections, alongside our elections team and council colleagues, who have been working hard behind the scenes over the last few months.”
SCOTTISH GREENS HAIL HISTORIC BY-ELECTION WIN
Portobello housing campaigner Lorenzo Martinico has made history by becoming the first Scottish Green to win a council by-election in the City of Edinburgh.
Lorenzo is a local housing campaigner and was previously a postdoctoral researcher at Edinburgh University, specialising in computer security and digital privacy.
Reacting to the result, Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer MSP said: “This is a truly historic day for Edinburgh and the Scottish Greens. For the first time ever our capital has elected a Scottish Green councillor at a by-election, showing the failing Labour administration that Edinburgh demands better.
“By electing Lorenzo, voters in Portobello/Craigmillar have demanded radical change in Scotland’s capital. Just a few months ago, Greens won our first ever Holyrood constituency here in the heart of the city. This result confirms that we are fighting to win next May’s council elections in Edinburgh.”
“I know that Lorenzo will make a huge difference for the people of Portobello/Craigmillar. He will push to deliver urgently needed rent controls, tackle the climate emergency, and build a more affordable Edinburgh.”
Edinburgh Green Group co-convenor and fellow Portobello/Craigmillar councillor, Cllr Alys Mumford said: “Portobello-Craigmillar is now the first ward in Edinburgh to be represented by two Green Councillors, and residents there will benefit hugely from Lorenzo being their new local Councillor.
Alys added: “We’d like to congratulate Lorenzo on his election and also pay tribute to Isabella, who narrowly missed out on securing our second by-election win in Southside/Newington, but whose vote share increase reflects a growing desire for change.
“Green volunteers and activists ran a fantastic campaign across both wards and the results show that our message of hope is resonating with the people of Edinburgh.”
Lorenzo Martinico, the newly-elected Green councillor for Portobello/Craigmillar, said: “I am really honoured that my neighbours in Portobello/Craigmillar have chosen me to represent them as their councillor.
“I would like to thank the hundreds of Scottish Greens volunteers and supporters who have spent the last two months campaigning for us, securing our first by-election wins in the city.
“It’s been an honour to be part of such a positive and energetic campaign. When I first moved to Edinburgh, I could never have imagined I would be elected as a councillor.
“There are thousands of people like me who weren’t born here but have chosen to make Edinburgh their home – I hope my election gives them a bit of hope, at a time when some in our community feel unsafe because of how they sound when they speak, because of the colour of their skin or their religion.
“I am looking forward to working to make a difference for the people of Portobello/Craigmillar.”
The by-elections were initiated by the resignation of two SNP city councillors who were elected as MSPs in May’s Scottish Parliament elections. Another two city councillors – Green Kayleigh Kinross‑O’Neill and Lib-Dem Sanne Dijstra Downie – also became MSPs in the Holyrood elections but both decided to stay on as councillors, carrying out dual roles until next May’s council elections.
Are you, a family member, carer or neighbour looking for somewhere friendly to go during the week?
At PEP, our weekly groups are all about meeting people, having fun, enjoying lunch and taking part in activities in a friendly, welcoming environment.
There’s something happening Monday to Saturday:
Lunch and activities are provided.
Sessions are just £4, with an additional £1.50 if transport is required.
If you know someone who would benefit from company, activities, a hot lunch and a reason to get out and about, please share this post or get in touch with us.
Come along, meet the PEP community and make some new friends!
Come and join other parents and carers at the Parent Council AGM on Thurs 17 September in the school staffroom. We’ll have snacks and chatting from 5.30, with the meeting from 6 to 7.30ish.
You’ll hear from Susan Bennett, one of our acting heads, plus a report on attainment and the latest SQA results.
We are looking for new committee members, but very happy to see people who just want to come along occasionally.
A major new global poll unveiled at the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival found that 68% of people worldwide say culture gives them hope.
The International Festival tackled barriers that keep audiences from world-class live performance: over 50,000 tickets were priced at £30 or under; a record 3,000 free tickets were given to Scotland’s young musicians; over 8,000 half-price and free tickets for Deaf, disabled & neurodivergent audiences; and more than double the number of £10 tickets were available across every performance.
A deep connection was forged between audiences and world-leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices: 86% of audiences rated their experience 4 or 5 stars.
The 2026 Edinburgh International Festival has concluded, with the last of 146 performances across music, dance, opera and theatre in a 24-day celebration of the performing arts.
This year’s programme, All Rise, put America in the spotlight, featuring the largest representation of American artists in the Festival’s history. With over 2,000 artists from 46 countries, hand-picked for their cultural resonance, the 2026 Festival was defined by extraordinary artists and thinkers who presented a range of contemporary perspectives, and a vision for the future.
In its inaugural Global Ideas Stage event, the International Festival unveiled a major new poll conducted on culture and hope, the largest of its kind ever undertaken on this subject. Focaldata surveyed 35,000 people across 34 countries and found that 68% say culture gives them hope, with a single cultural moment, whether a live performance, a book, a film or a piece of theatre, helping them feel more hopeful about an uncertain future.
This year’s programme brought together some of the world’s leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices, including: Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, filmmaker Ken Burns, Pulitzer-Award nominee Zora Howard, trumpeter and educator Wynton Marsalis, Oscar-nominee Wagner Moura, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and journalist Amy Goodman.
The Festival also presented a landmark exhibition The Legacy of Slavery, which gave a comprehensive history of the legacy of racial injustice, from Scotland to America. This Festival commission drew more than 7,500 people during its three-week run at the Playfair Library, in its first ever international outing outside of The Legacy Museum site in Montgomery, Alabama.
Launch of the 2026 Edinburgh International Festivall
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director,Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “These new findings confirm what I have always known, culture gives us hope. This Festival, and the audiences who have been changed by what they saw on our stages, are proof of that.
“This year’s Festival theme, All Rise, was a rallying cry for collaboration and resilience, based on our firm belief that through artistic endeavour we can learn to see one another more truthfully, and more tolerantly.
“The 2,000 artists that joined us in Edinburgh answered our invitation with courage and generosity, grappling with urgent and profound issues – everything from AI and fake news to the opioid crisis and police brutality – holding up a mirror as well as showing us a way forwards.
“We asked audiences to take a leap with us, embracing risks with an exceptional number of bold new commissions by the International Festival. They responded with curiosity and bravery. This is what it looks like when culture gives us hope.”
This year, the International Festival asked for a deeper connection between audiences and artists. Across all artforms, opera, music, theatre and dance, 86% of audiences surveyed rated their performance experience 4 or 5 stars.
The new ‘Lights Down, Phones Off’ initiative encouraged audiences to switch off distractions during all performances: resulting in a significant reduction in phone-related disturbances.
The Festival also rolled out its broad range of industry-leading concessions and initiatives, to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to cultural discovery. More than 50,000 tickets across the programme were priced at £30 or under, and a record 4,894 £10 tickets were offered across every single performance, a more than 50% increase on last year. Over a third of these were bought by audiences who had never attended the Festival before.
Alongside this, over 8,000 tickets were issued to Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members and their companions, a number of tickets that has grown consistently over the past three years.
A record 3,000 Young Musician Pass tickets were issued this year, giving Scottish young musicians free access to the International Festival and creating pathways into transformative cultural experiences.
Young Musician Pass holders were also given opportunities to meet and ask questions of artists including members of the BerlinerPhilharmoniker, Colin Currie, Nicola Benedetti and some of the Festival’s Rising Stars.
The Festival’s Discover series also brought over 2,000 opportunities for Edinburgh secondary school pupils to encounter opera, dance, music and theatre at performances and in their own schools, many for the first time.
Taking the Festival experience out of the concert halls, weekly NHS Festival Sessions brought artists into healthcare settings for pop-up performances for staff, patients and visitors. Families also enjoyed Art of Listening workshops introducing them to live classical performance, which took place in Space @ The Broomhouse Hub for the first time.
Francesca Hegyi, Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “This year we have seen the unique role Festival plays in bringing together significant thinkers, political leaders, and some of the best artists in the world to Edinburgh.
“The International Festival hosted artists from 46 countries, taking to stages alongside over 700 artists from across Scotland. We welcomed 23 international delegations and served as a launchpad for the Creative Trade Forum, a new initiative to promote trade and investment for the UK’s creative sector.
“What sets the International Festival apart is the global role it plays, while rooted resolutely in Scotland – more than half of our tickets go to Edinburgh residents.
“We provide a global stage, a meeting place for cultures and ideas, where audiences gather every year.”
New support for families to be phased in from next year
Parents and carers will benefit from a new childcare offer aimed at bringing down the cost of living, tackling child poverty and boosting family incomes, First Minister John Swinney has said.
As part of the newly-published Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is transforming its childcare offer to ensure greater childcare support is available to families with children from nine months old through to the end of primary school.
Consultation on the new approach will take place next year, with delivery phased in over time. This will begin with a £44 million annual investment in breakfast clubs in primary schools across Scotland from August 2027, followed by the introduction of after-school and holiday childcare for primary school children from August 2029.
The First Minister also announced the first recipients of the new £15 million Childcare Support Fund, which is expected to help those organisations support an estimated 4,800 low-income families with the cost of childcare at times when they most need it.
Speaking ahead of a visit with Education Secretary Màiri McAllan to Fintry Mains Childcare and Community Hub in Dundee, one of the organisations benefiting from the funding, the First Minister said:“High-quality childcare plays an important role in helping children thrive, easing cost of living pressures and creating opportunities for parents and carers to work, train and study.
“Too many families still face barriers to accessing the childcare they need. By transforming the support available to families from nine months through to the end of primary school we will help more parents and carers into employment, boost household incomes and give children the best possible start in life.
“Alongside our long-term plans to transform childcare, the £15 million Childcare Support Fund announced today will provide practical support to families who need it most.
“This forms part of our wider Programme for Government, which is focused on making tangible improvements to people’s lives by creating jobs, raising living standards and growing Scotland’s economy to help eradicate child poverty.”
Susan McGhee, Chief Executive of Flexible Childcare Services Scotland which runs Fintry Mains Childcare, said: “Receiving a grant from the Scottish Government’s Childcare Support Fund will allow us to support even more families across Scotland.
“We already deliver flexible childcare to over 1,000 parents a year and, according to our research, those families are more than £2 million better off thanks to our book-by-the-hour model.
“We look forward to working alongside Midlothian Sure Start and Renfrewshire Out of School Network to ensure families can access affordable, flexible all-age childcare within their communities.”
Chloe Sinclair, whose three-year-old daughter Lola attends Fintry Mains Childcare, said: “I heard good things about Flexible Childcare Services Scotland from other parents.
“The flexibility has really helped me and my partner as we work shifts and need to know our three-year-old daughter Lola is cared for. Being able to book what we need is ideal for our jobs and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
First recipients of the Childcare Support Fund
Grant Value
Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector – Provides intensive, referral-based childcare support across Glasgow, helping priority families overcome childcare barriers so they can enter, sustain or progress in work, study and training.
£1,000,000
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland SCIO – Delivers flexible childcare across six local authority areas, supporting families in insecure or low-paid work to take up opportunities, increase hours and reduce employment barriers caused by childcare costs.
£878,367
Early Years Scotland – Acts as a national childcare broker, connecting low-income families to childcare that fills specific gaps in provision, including bridging periods, additional hours and support for children not covered by existing entitlements.
£1,000,000
The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments – known as Craighalbert – Provides specialist childcare for children with complex disabilities and additional support needs, enabling parents to work or study at points of transition while children receive tailored care and developmental support.
£615,326
Scottish Childminding Association – Funds flexible childminding placements with registered childminders, giving families personalised childcare and informal support that enables parents to seek work, remain employed or access training.
£302,948
The Indigo Childcare Group – Offers free childcare places, including a mobile crèche for parents attending employability programmes, with additional support for families experiencing crisis situations or caring for children with additional needs.
£412,045
Scottish Out Of School Care Network – Provides short-term financial support for school-age childcare, protecting families from losing childcare during periods of financial hardship and helping parents stay in work, study or training.
£1,000,000
Family and Community Development West Lothian – Combines flexible after-school and holiday childcare with support to help parents access employment and education.
£421,310
Inspiring Scotland – Provides rapid-response childcare funding through community networks, helping families manage emergencies, attend interviews and sustain income while longer-term childcare arrangements are put in place.
£300,064
Perceptive Action C.I.C – Offers breakfast, after-school and holiday childcare across the Borders and Midlothian, supporting families through key transition periods while helping them access longer-term childcare and financial support.
£263,070
The Lennox Partnership – Removes childcare costs as a barrier to employability programmes, enabling parents to participate in structured pathways into work, skills development and learning opportunities.
£947,250
Third Sector Hebrides – Improves access to childcare across the Western Isles by coordinating support through local childcare providers, helping families access provision that is often difficult to secure in island communities.
£277,500
St Roch’s Childcare Services – Provides flexible childcare alongside one-to-one family support, helping parents access employment, education and wider services while building confidence and family wellbeing.
£286,405
Care and Learning Alliance – Supports families in rural Highland and Island communities by helping them find and access childcare, while addressing additional challenges such as transport costs, limited provision and rural poverty.
SPECSAVERS Glenrothes has helped a youth football team kick off the new season in style after sponsoring a new set of home shirts for the squad.
The locally owned and run Glenrothes store donated £1,000 to Cramond FC, with the sponsorship covering the cost of new home kits for the team’s 36 young players.
The team are now sporting their new shirts as they prepare for the season ahead, with the sponsorship helping ensure the whole squad is equipped with matching kit.
Cramond FC is a long-established community football club which provides opportunities for children and young people to take part in the sport in a positive and supportive environment.
David Platt, store director at Specsavers Glenrothes, says: ‘We’re delighted to be able to support Cramond FC and provide the team with their new home shirts.
‘Grassroots sport plays such an important role in helping young people build confidence, stay active and develop friendships, and we’re really pleased to know our sponsorship has helped all 36 boys start the season with a new kit.
‘Supporting local communities is something that’s important to us at Specsavers, and it’s fantastic to see the players wearing their new shirts and representing their club with pride.’
The sponsorship is part of Specsavers Glenrothes’ commitment to supporting community initiatives and helping young people access opportunities through sport.
To book an appointment at Specsavers Glenrothes for optical or audiology needs, speak to a member of the team on 01592 611044or visit:
. A truly incredible amount raised at our annual dinner last night 
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