Join our guest organist Oli Kelly and the church choir tonight Friday 19 May at 7pm for a charity recital and concert in aid of Drake Music Scotland.
The event is free but we would ask for donations to the work of Drake Music Scotland who provide music making opportunities for children and adults with disabilities and special needs.
The concert will last approximately 1 hour 20 mins and will be followed by refreshments. The concert will feature Oli Kelly on the organ and after a short interval Oli will conduct the church choir in a selection of pieces ranging from Palestrina to Howard Goodall.
You can learn more about the work of Drake Music Scotland at:
Vast majority of £150 payments set to be made automatically over two-week period between 20 June and 4 July 2023
More than six million disabled people will receive payment and benefit from extra cost of living support
Comes as part of wider package of Government support, including separate means-tested Cost of Living Payments totalling up to £900, and £300 Pensioner Payments
More than six million disabled people in the UK will receive their one-off £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment from 20 June.
This follows the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment that was paid last September, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to supporting the most vulnerable in society while delivering on its commitment to halve inflation this year and grow the economy.
Those being paid a disability benefit that qualifies them for the payment will receive it automatically during a two-week window starting on 20 June and finishing on 4 July.
At a time when costs are rising for everyone, this payment recognises the extra costs disabled people in particular often face, such as care and mobility needs.
A small proportion of payments will be made after this date, where claimants were still awaiting confirmation of their eligibility or entitlement to disability benefits on 1 April.
There will also be further payments of £300 for pensioners due later this year, meaning some of the most vulnerable households can receive up to £1,350 in direct Cost of Living Payments.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, said: “This payment helps protect those who need our support the most, providing a vital financial boost to six million disabled people.
“Our multi-billion-pound package of support reinforces our commitment to help UK households with the rising cost of living. It comes on top of record increases to benefits and the national living wage.”
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said: “We know the cost of living has gone up for disabled people, which is why we are taking action to reduce the financial pressures they face.
“This £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment is on top of up to £900 that most low-income benefit claimants will also receive, helping ensure the most vulnerable in our society are protected from rising costs during this challenging period.”
The full list of benefit recipients that qualify for the upcoming Disability Cost of Living payment are those who receive:
Disability Living Allowance
Personal Independence Payment
Attendance Allowance
Scottish Disability Benefits (Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment)
Armed Forces Independence Payment
Constant Attendance Allowance
War Pension Mobility Supplement
They must have received a payment (or later receive a payment) of one of these qualifying benefits for 1 April 2023 to get the payment. For those who were awaiting confirmation of their entitlement to disability benefits on 1 April, or who are waiting to be assessed for eligibility to receive disability benefits, the process may take longer, but payments will still be automatic.
Disabled people on low incomes in receipt of means-tested benefits may previously have been eligible for £301 this spring, and stand to be eligible for a further £300 this autumn and £299 in spring 2024. The £150 payment will be made on top of these Cost of Living Payments, with disabled people who wouldn’t qualify for the means-tested support, but who are in receipt of disability support, also receiving the payment.
A MEMORIAL BENCH – WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS
Last Thursday, we were delighted to welcome a group of volunteers from Natwest Bank NatWest to Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre. The volunteers, who were organised by The Conservation Volunteers TCV Scotland, spent the day helping us in the gardens and preparing the area for a Memorial Bench.
The volunteers worked hard to prepare an area at the rear of the centre and plant new flowers. They also helped us to install the Memorial Bench, which was built by Penny and Andrzej in memory of a much-loved member of our staff and community,
Dawn Taylor will always be remembered for the amazing impact she had on so many young lives. The materials for the bench were donated by North Edinburgh Arts – Shed Project. If not for their help, this would not have been possible.
We are very grateful to Natwest Bank and The Conservation Volunteers for their support. Their hard work has made a real difference to our gardens, and we are sure that the Memorial Bench will be a popular spot for people to come and reflect and remember.
LOTHIAN MSPs have spoken out following a critical report on safety issues at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France. Inspectors reported safety concerns following visits to the hospital’s A & E Department in February and subsequent follow-ups.
Conservative Lothian list MSP Miles Briggs said: “These are very serious concerns in regards to overcrowding at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the fire safety risk it creates.
“The A&E department at the hospital has been running over capacity for a number of years now, with SNP Ministers showing an ability to make any progress.
“Patient and staff safety must be the number one priority at the RIE and urgent improvements must be made.
“I have written to NHS Lothian to ask for further details and a timetable for when these improvements are being made .”
Labour list MSP Foysol Choudhury added: “It is incredibly disappointing and worrying that inspectors raised numerous serious concerns about safety in the A&E department at Royal Infirmary Edinburgh (RIE).
“Constituents in Edinburgh need to be sure that they can safely attend hospital for care and treatment. Instead, patient safety, care and dignity were called into question.
“This is terrifying for those patients in the region who need to be able to rely on and trust the A&E department should they ever need it.
“I’m very concerned that our hardworking NHS staff may also be put in danger by this crisis in the NHS, with concerns raised over staff wellbeing at RIE. Our hospital staff work incredibly hard to provide the best service possible.
“Patients at RIE and their relatives spoke highly of the compassionate care they received from staff. “This makes it all the more disappointing that staff and patients alike are being affected by 16 years of SNP incompetence.
“Staff and patients are crying out for help. Will the new Health Secretary answer their call and reverse years of damage done by Humza Yousaf when he held the post?”
NHS Lothian says the concerns expressed in the report are already being addressed. Alison Macdonald, nurse director at NHS Lothian, told the BBC the HIS visit came at a time of “unprecedented pressure” on the hospital.
She said: “We accept and acknowledge the findings of the HIS report and we sincerely apologise to patients for longer than usual waiting times in the emergency department and a poorer experience of care.
“We had already begun our own improvement work when the inspectors carried out their first visit.
“When they returned for their follow-up, it was clear to see that improvements had already been made, but more was required. We are now focused on our improvement and safety action plans.”
HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT SCOTLAND’S REPORT
HEALTH watchdog Healthcare Improvement Scotland carried out an unannounced inspection to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian on Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 February 2023 using our safe delivery of care inspection methodology.
During our inspection, we:
inspected the ward and hospital environment
observed staff practice and interactions with patients, such as during patient mealtimes
spoke with patients, visitors and ward staff (where appropriate), and
accessed patients’ health records, monitoring reports, policies and procedures.
As part of our inspection, we also asked NHS Lothian to provide evidence of its policies and procedures relevant to this inspection. The purpose of this is to limit the time the inspection team is onsite, reduce the burden on ward staff and to inform the virtual discussion session.
On Tuesday 14 March 2023, we carried out an unannounced follow-up visit to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to establish if concerns we raised during our initial visit had been addressed.
On Thursday 16 March 2023, we held a virtual discussion session with key members of NHS Lothian staff to discuss the evidence provided and the findings of the inspection.
As a result of serious concerns about patient safety within the emergency department identified during this inspection we wrote to NHS Lothian to formal escalate our concerns in accordance with level 1 of our escalation process in the Healthcare Improvement Scotland and Scottish Government: operating framework.
A copy of the letter has been published with this report.
Summary of our findings
At the time of inspection, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, like much of NHS Scotland, was experiencing a significant range of pressures including increased hospital admissions, increased pressures in the emergency department and admission units and reduced staff availability. During our onsite inspections the hospital was operating at over 100% capacity.
In ward areas, senior managers were visible, wards were generally calm and well organised and we observed good leadership and care being delivered. Patients and relatives spoken with described a good experience of care and helpful staff.
During the safety huddles we attended, we observed a strong focus on patient care needs across the hospital. However, serious patient safety concerns within the emergency department were identified during this inspection.
Inspectors raised a number of serious patient safety concerns regarding the emergency department during both our onsite inspection and return visit regarding the delivery of fundamental care for patients, patient safety, care and dignity, the current operating environment, leadership and coordination of care in the emergency department, as well as concerns about staff wellbeing.
Other areas for improvement identified during the inspection include the management of intravenous fluids, medicine administration processes, locked doors policies and procedures, and feedback to staff following incident reporting.
NHS Lothian senior managers responded quickly to concerns raised during the initial inspection. However, during our return visit on 14 March 2023, we remained concerned that the immediate actions put in place by NHS Lothian did not lead to significant improvements in the delivery of safe and effective care within the emergency department.
This resulted in us writing a formal letter of non-compliance to NHS Lothian in accordance with level 1 of our escalation process, setting out the serious patient safety concerns that required immediate action.
NHS Lothian promptly responded to this escalation, providing a detailed plan of improvement action to address each of the concerns. We will seek assurance on progress with planned improvement actions in accordance with our published inspection methodology.
This inspection resulted in five areas of good practice, three recommendations and 13 requirements.
Lochs, castles, iconic monuments, and stunning towns and cities from across Scotland will provide the perfect backdrop for 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships as further details of the road routes are unveiled.
This announcement builds on the initial overview of road routes revealed last September during the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia. It includes new details and full routes for the road races (Men Elite, Women Elite and Men Under 23), Individual Time Trials (all categories) and Team Time Trial Mixed Relay.
Tuesday’s announcement also unveils the first details of the route for the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships that will take place in Dumfries and Galloway, including the Road Race, Individual Time Trial and Team Relay.
Road races and Team Time Trial Mixed Relay
Throughout these events, the world’s best cyclists will savour some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery, with racing taking place across the country.
The Balmoral Hotel clock tower and Princes Street seen from Calton Hill
The Men Elite road race takes in Edinburgh Castle and Arthur’s Seat from its start in the capital on Sunday 6 August, before heading north across the Firth of Forth via the iconic Queensferry Crossing, then heading west through Fife towards Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling, passing near world-renowned landmarks including the Kelpies, the Falkirk Wheel, Carron Valley and the Crow Road, before turning towards Glasgow and the specially designed finishing circuit, looping through the west end to the city centre for a spectacular finish alongside George Square.
The Helix, Home of the Kelpies. Scotland
The Women Elite and Men Under 23 road races will also finish on the Glasgow city circuit, though starting on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond at Balloch, weaving through West and East Dunbartonshire en route via the Crow Road to the finish line in George Square.
The Men Under 23 road race takes place on Saturday 12 August with the Women Elite road race, which includes the Women Under 23 category, closing this inaugural and history making competition on Sunday 13 August.
In addition, the Men and Women Junior road races and the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay will start and finish on the Glasgow city circuit on Saturday 5 August and Tuesday 8 August respectively.
Individual Time Trials
Stirling and its surrounding area will host the Individual Time Trials for all categories, with competition beginning on Wednesday 9 August and continuing across three days until Friday 11 August.
Riders will set off from the King and Queens Knot in the shadow of Stirling Castle on a fast course that will take them, through the flats of the River Forth to the west across the countryside, before heading back towards Stirling city centre, and finishing on Stirling Castle esplanade.
Para-cycling road
Dumfries and Galloway will welcome the world’s best para-cyclists for four days as they host the para-cycling road competition at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
Drumlanrig Castle is situated on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway. Part of the South West Coastal 300 route.
The region, which lays claim to introducing the first pedal-driven bicycle to the world in 1839, will see athletes competing on single bikes, tandems, tricycles and hand-cycles for the UCI World Championship titles across the varied para-cycling sport classes and the right to wear the coveted rainbow jersey.
Competition will start with Individual Time Trials on Wednesday 9 August and will finish with road races on Saturday 12 August. The routes, which take advantage of Dumfries and Galloway’s stunning cycling terrain, have been designed in conjunction with local partners to showcase the region and present a fitting challenge to the athletes.
Teams will then travel to Glasgow for the Team Relay, which will take place on Sunday 13 August.
Full details for each event, including routes and technical information can be found in the Notes to Editors alongside links to course maps on the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships website. Please note the full course details for the Gran Fondo will be announced in due course.
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will bring together 13 existing UCI World Championships into a new mega event in Glasgow and across Scotland from 3 – 13 August.
Picture by Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com 10/08/2019 Cycling – Women’s Tour of Scotland 2019 – Stage 2 Glasgow to Perth – The peloton roll out of George Square, Glasgow.
2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Chair Paul Bush OBE said: “The announcement of further details for road races and the unveiling of the para-cycling road routes for the first time is another exciting milestone as we continue the final countdown to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships this August.
“The routes will take in some of the country’s most iconic cities and countryside, providing a spectacular backdrop to the action taking place on road and showcasing why Scotland is the perfect stage for events.”
David Lappartient, President of the Union Cycliste Internationalesaid:“Today’s announcement detailing the road and para-cycling road routes confirms that the competitions will be spectacular.
“Challenging from a sporting point of view, the routes will also highlight Scotland’s wonderful scenery and rich history. We have all the ingredients for intense and sensational racing, and I cannot wait to witness the action unfold as the athletes battle for glory at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said:“It’s fantastic to see just how many communities across Scotland will play their part by hosting the road races for this year’s UCI Cycling World Championships.
“The routes showcase the best of Scotland to both visitors and those watching from home. Scotland’s breath-taking views and iconic landmarks will provide a great backdrop for the drama of the races. I would encourage all those who can do so to get out and see this world-class sporting action right on your doorstep.”
Picture by Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com – 12/08/2018 – Cycling – Glasgow 2018 European Championships Road Race – Glasgow, Scotland – Matteo Trentin of Italy celebrates.
Leader of Glasgow City Council, Councillor Susan Aitken, said:“We are excited to see the full road race routes now announced for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
“Glasgow’s iconic George Square, in the heart of the city centre, will provide the exciting, fast finishing straight for most of the Elite races, and before that the athletes will take in laps of the city centre circuit designed to be technically challenging, while showcasing the city to the global tv audience.”
“These races will be a real highlight of our sporting calendar with stars from across the world competing, and of course including these events as part of the competition schedule gives local, national and international sports fans and visitors a fantastic opportunity to see elite riders race past their doorsteps, this summer – for free.”
With something for everyone to enjoy, the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds will feature 13 high-adrenaline, exciting UCI World Championships including Track and Para-cycling Track at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, BMX Racing at Glasgow BMX Centre, BMX Freestyle (Park and Flatland) and Trials at Glasgow Green, Indoor Cycling (artistic cycling and cycle-ball) at the Emirates Arena, Mountain Bike Cross-Country, and Marathon in Glentress Forest, Tweed Valley. Mountain Bike Downhill in Fort William and Road and Para-cycling Road across Scotland.
Tickets are on sale now from as little as £8, with concessions from £5, plus there are many free events to watch throughout the Championships.
The International Festival searches for 26 talented dancersto join Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on stage and five pre-professional musicians to join the Mendelssohn Octet in an audition judged by Festival Director Nicola Benedetti.
12 Scotland-based dance artists are invited to take part in a week of artistic development with performers of Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring / common ground[s].
Other opportunities to get involved with the International Festival include the London Symphony Orchestra playing for patients and staff in hospitals, flagship Culture Club events in community centres and young people will get the chance to meet The Late Show’s bassist, Endea Owens, in a Youth Takeover Day.
As part of the 2023 Edinburgh International Festival programme, the International Festival is providing three exciting paid opportunities for dancers and musicians based in Scotland to collaborate with major artists, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Base and in a performance of theMendelssohn Octet.
Each artist will be paid, with travel and accommodation provided, to open the opportunity for equal participation. These projects were made possible by the support of the International Festival’s Learning & Engagement Partner Baillie Gifford Investment Managers.
In partnership with the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the International Festival has created a major professional development opportunity for a diverse and dynamic cohort of 26 emerging dancers aged 18-25 who live in, were born in or trained in Scotland, to rehearse at Edinburgh College with the company and perform in the Alvin Ailey classic Memoria, on stage at the Festival Theatre on 24 and 25 August.
In mid-May, the Festival will also be inviting applications from pre-professional string players (three violins, one viola and one cello) through an open international audition process for the Mendelssohn Octet.
Musicians will be selected by Edinburgh International Festival Director, Nicola Benedetti, to work with Stefan Jackiw, Jessica Bodner and Sterling Elliott, culminating in an onstage performance in the Festival’s home on the Royal Mile, The Hub, on 10 August.
Outside of the August festival period from 24 – 28 July, the Festival is partnering with Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, to find 12 Scotland-based dance artists to take part in a week of artistic development and workshops with performers from The Rite of Spring / common ground[s].
The dance work premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2022 and marks the first-time Pina Bausch Foundation (Germany), École des Sables (Senegal) and Sadler’s Wells (UK) have collaborated. At least 25% of the places will be allocated to artists who identify as d/Deaf, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent. This opportunity is supported by the British Council.
In a collaboration with two Belgium-based award-winning puppetry and mime companies, Focus Company and Chaliwaté Company, the International Festival will continue to match artists in a sharing of artistic skills by hosting a professional development workshop with Imaginate and Puppet Animation Scotland, ahead of the UK premiere of their work Dimanche.
Caroline Donald, Head of Learning & Engagement at Edinburgh International Festival said: “We are delighted to share these projects that we work on year-round to connect with people of all ages across Edinburgh, with our values of discovery, connection and internationalism at the heart of each opportunity.
“By welcoming schools and community groups to International Festival performances, we hope to help people get involved in the arts, be inspired by artists and art forms they might never have come across before and feel part of what we at Edinburgh International Festival do. We may be international, but we are firmly rooted in Edinburgh.”
Alongside the performance and development opportunities, there are also several opportunities for children and young people to engage with the International Festival.
On the 23 August, young people will be joined by bassist Endea Owens in a Youth Takeover Day, in partnership with 6VT Edinburgh City Youth Café, to explore her commission, and will be invited to The Hub to watch her performance.
Opera Project will return in June to secondary schools across the city, this year exploring the International Festival’s performance of Mozart classic The Magic Flute. A version of the opera will tour schools, with participating pupils offered free tickets to attend the Scottish Chamber Opera’s performance during the Festival.
After the summer holidays, the classes will then be invited to see Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle, with the International Festival working with Sight Scotland and the Royal Blind School to create a bespoke, sensory version for their pupils.
Punchdrunk Enrichment’s The Lost Lending Library will welcome groups of children from ten community groups across the city during the summer holidays, with follow-up immersive storytelling workshops. Stories from the children written during the workshops will be collected and shared, creating a legacy for The Lost Lending Library beyond the Festival.
For people of all ages, the LSO in the NHS Project will bring London Symphony Orchestra players into The Royal Edinburgh Hospital, The Royal Infirmary, The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and The Western General over the 14-16 of August.
LSO players will perform in closed wards, staff wellbeing spaces, and larger, open spaces for patients, staff and visitors. In addition, 100 tickets will be given to NHS staff to attend the LSO’s performance of The Road to Turangalila, presented by Nicola Benedetti and Sir Simon Rattle on 18 August. The project is supported by Tonic Arts, the Arts and Wellbeing leg of the NHS Lothian Charity.
Culture Clubs will bring together different communities in Edinburgh together to share a meal and enjoy a range of artistic performances from the International Festival programme. This year, there will be four Culture Clubs as part of 2023 Festival programme with the first ever BSL Culture club being hosted by Deaf Action. Endea Owens has already been confirmed as a performer for one date.
For full information on these projects and further information on how to apply, please visit: https://www.eif.co.uk/jobs
Proposals for a new £2 billion, sustainable ‘20-minute neighbourhood’ on 205-acre West Town site ‘set to transform Scotland’s Capital’
West Town Edinburgh Ltd, the development consortium which owns more than 200 acres of prime development land to the west of Edinburgh, has agreed a joint approach with the City of Edinburgh Council to deliver a major new ’20-minute neighbourhood’ for the city.
Both parties have agreed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ which sets out how they will work closely together to prepare a delivery strategy for the sustainable expansion of Edinburgh at the West Town site.
The agreement was announced by Cammy Day, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council and Graeme Bone, Group Managing Director of Drum Property Group, developers of West Town, at the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREIIF) in Leeds
The 205-acre West Town site – located between Ingliston Park and Ride and the Gogar Roundabout at the western gateway of Edinburgh – is one of the most strategically important development areas in Scotland.
The £2 billion project presents the opportunity to help meet the housing needs of the nation’s capital whilst delivering a significant sustainable urban expansion for the city.
The area is identified in the City of Edinburgh Council’s City Plan 2030 as having the potential to become a vibrant, high-density city extension with a capacity for 7,000 homes, along with the commercial and community facilities required for a 20-minute neighbourhood.
The proposals for West Town also align with the ambitions of the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4, which was approved in February 2023. The Edinburgh Tram route runs directly through the site, and a new station will be created to ensure the whole development has access to quick and efficient public transport.
Subject to the development of a delivery strategy as set out by the joint Memorandum of Understanding, as well as the approval of City Plan 2030 and in accordance with all relevant Council policies and the appropriate planning consents, it is hoped that work will start on site next year with the first phase of homes and community amenity being ready for occupation from early 2026.
Welcoming the agreement, City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Edinburgh is quickly becoming a trailblazer for the type of affordable, sustainable homes our residents need and this overlooked land at West Town could pave the way for thousands more.
“We are leading the way as a city to harness new technologies to make developments greener and fairer – building low and zero carbon homes which are energy and cost efficient – so I’m looking forward to working with West Town Edinburgh to build on our net zero ambitions.
“Wherever you are in Edinburgh and wherever you choose to go, everyone should feel connected to all of the amenities they need to live well locally, so I’m pleased to see their vision for a 20-minute neighbourhood approach.
“As a Council we’ve been modernising planning and procurement policies so that we can maximise the amount of affordable and social housing and community benefits each new development brings.
“Currently, over 150 households bid for every council and housing association home that becomes available, so we must set our sights on this development unlocking a huge amount social housing. With demand for affordable homes higher than ever before, this is what our city desperately needs.”
Graeme Bone, Group Managing Director of Drum, added: “This agreement is a major step forward in realising the ambition we share with the Council for the area and for the city, further strengthening the long-term collaborative process that is set to deliver a positive and high-quality transformation of the west of Edinburgh.
“The amount of space on the site combined with its superb location allows for a natural extension for the city providing 7000 mixed-tenure homes and new jobs in a new 20-minute neighbourhood.
“West Town has direct access to some of the best public transport in Scotland – the tram line travels through the site and there are integrated rail, cycle and road connections, creating a strategic gateway to Edinburgh.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Council to advance our shared vision to create a new, sustainable urban quarter for the city.”
Drum Property Group is currently delivering a variety of transformative mixed-use projects across Scotland, including the award-winning Buchanan Wharf and Candleriggs Square developments in Glasgow.
Building brighter futures through confidence with numbers. That was the message today for children and young people from across the Capital as they celebrated National Numeracy Day.
The national scheme, run by charity National Numeracy, aims to promote confidence through numbers and how we use them in our everyday lives.
Here in Edinburgh at Piershill Library, Great British Bake-Off Winner, and National Numeracy Ambassador Peter Sawkins, led a reading group for local children.
A singing session then took place, led by library colleagues, before finishing with refreshments.
The aim of the event was to show local children the variety of situations where maths and numeracy were important.
Also in attendance were Depute Lord Provost, Councillor Lezley Marion-Cameron and Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, alongside library colleagues, representatives from National Numeracy, Education Scotland, and the Scottish Book Trust.
Culture and Communities Convener Councillor Val Walker said: “I was delighted to attend the event today at Piershill Library to celebrate National Numeracy Day. It was fantastic to hear from National Numeracy Ambassador Peter Sawkins and all the children who attended enjoyed it tremendously.
“I am proud that our libraries can host such diverse and fun events for our residents to enjoy.”
Pupils from Edinburgh and Scottish Borders schools joined MSPs outside Scottish Parliament to celebrate Walk to School Week yesterday (17 May 2023).
Walk to School Week is organised by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking as part of their National Walking Month campaign each May.
Families are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ for the whole week to see the big differences that come from small steps, from healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.
Over 250 schools in Scotland signed up to receive special Walk to School Week packs from Living Streets, joining 356,000 pupils across the UK to learn about the important reasons to walk to school and the difference it can make to individuals, communities and the planet.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils who travel actively at least once a week for a month are rewarded with a WOW badge.
WOW schools see on average a 5 -10% increase in pupils walking to school in Scotland with a corresponding drop in car use, helping to reduce congestion and increase safety outside the school gates.
Stuart Hay, Director, Living Streets Scotland said:“Walk to School Week is an excellent opportunity for families to give walking to school a go. Walking our short journeys helps us stay healthy, while reducing traffic, pollution and road danger on our local streets.
“We’re delighted that so many of our schools were able to join us to celebrate the great strides Scottish pupils are making to get more active and tackle the climate emergency.”
Patrick Harvie MSP, Minister for Active Travel said:“I’m pleased to support Walk to School Week. Walking to school is a simple step that many young people and their parents and carers can make for a healthier and happier start to the day – with each step improving health and taking climate action.
“More people walking or wheeling means fewer cars, less congestion and safer environments for everyone to enjoy – both outside the school gates and beyond. I hope many people who try making the change during Walk to School Week will find that it’s a change they want to stick with, every week of the year.
“I’m grateful to the pupils from various local schools that took the time to walk to the Scottish Parliament, helping encourage even more people to choose active and sustainable travel.”
Christine Grahame MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale said:“It’s great to see Living Streets actively encouraging our primary school pupils to walk more and reduce congestion at the school gates and in built-up areas, especially during Walk to School Week!
“Walking is so important for young bodies and minds; the WOW Challenge is a great incentive to get pupils and their parents walking and actively travelling”.
Living Streets celebrated Walk to School Week with a group of Edinburgh and Borders schoolchildren taking a trip to the Scottish Parliament on the 17th of May, where MSPs were invited to join in on the festivities.
Foysol Choudhury MSP for Lothian Region said:“I am pleased to be supporting Walk to School Week once again this year. It is a great initiative that encourages families to change their school run habits and choose to walk to school instead.
“It is a healthy option that allows children and their parents or guardians to be more active, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and road safety. I hope this week will raise awareness of the importance of walking to school and various benefits to the community and environment and, will in turn motivate families to make walking to school a daily habit”.
Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire said:“It was great to join Living Streets outside the Scottish Parliament alongside pupils from Burnfoot Primary School.
“Living Streets is doing fantastic work in encouraging young people to walk to school and it is important we keep our children active and reduce congestion in built-up areas.”
