EVOC has submitted a collective third sector response to the #EIJBStrategy consultation.
It summarised the priorities, concerns, and recommendations from surveys, interviews and discussions with a breadth of sector colleagues.
Read the response below:
Following news the UK Government will invest in Grangemouth’s future, First Minister John Swinney has written to Scottish Labour Party Leader Anas Sarwar inviting him to vote for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget in a “spirit of cooperation” and deliver investment worth almost £90 million to support jobs at the site.
The full text of the First Minister’s letter to Anas Sarwar: Scottish Budget Bill – Grangemouth Industrial Cluster: letter to Anas Sarwar – gov.scot:
To: Scottish Labour Party Leader Anas Sarwar
From: First Minister John Swinney
Dear Anas,
I welcome the response from the Prime Minister to my call last week for the UK Government to provide support for Grangemouth.
I know you share my concern that the decision to close the Grangemouth refinery is premature and fundamentally short sighted and the UK Government’s commitment to additional investment is a step in the right direction. We all have a responsibility to work collaboratively to secure Grangemouth’s long-term future, its workforce and Scotland’s transition to net zero.
My announcement last week that the Scottish Government will make a further £25 million available to enable businesses to bring forward investable propositions for Grangemouth, will be put to Parliament as an amendment at Stage 3 of the Budget Bill tomorrow.
This funding will be made immediately available from the beginning of the next financial year without requiring match-funding.
I hope that when the UK Government provide more details on the announced £200 million being available through the National Wealth Fund that this will also be available for timely deployment on a similar basis as the funding I have set out and that these funds align to best support a just transition for Grangemouth.
In that spirit of cooperation, I trust that you and Scottish Labour colleagues will now be in a position to vote for the Budget at Stage 3 tomorrow and work constructively to deliver the nearly £90 million investment for Grangemouth, supporting the jobs, livelihoods and businesses which depend on it.
Yours sincerely,
John Swinney
Britain is stepping up support for Ukrainian troops wounded on the frontline, who will receive life-saving medical support and rehabilitation services through the UK’s Project Renovator. The programme, which will see its funding doubled, also includes training for surgeons and rebuilding of a military hospital targeted by Russian bombs.
Project Renovator draws on the UK’s leading defence medical expertise to expand Ukraine’s military rehabilitation and medical services and help troops who suffered life-changing injuries to return to the frontline or help them readjust to civilian life after the conflict ends.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP has today announced a new £20m funding package to step up the programme further – doubling the Government’s funding for the scheme – as the UK’s cast-iron commitment to Ukraine continues three years into the conflict.
The project, which started in October 2023 demonstrates the UK’s international leadership role, taking responsibility for repairing and upgrading a military rehabilitation hospital which was targeted and bombed by Putin’s forces earlier in the conflict. The UK is also encouraging allies to support and grow this work as part of the broader NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine scheme.
From providing life-saving surgery, to issuing advanced prosthetics, physiotherapy, and aftercare, the rehabilitation hospital will be a significant upgrade for Ukraine’s current services, with Ukrainian surgeons, doctors, and nurses being trained by the UK.
The announcement comes on the third anniversary of Putin launching his illegal full-scale invasion, as the Home Office announced new measures to block Russian elites entering the UK. It forms part of this Government’s record support for Ukraine this year – building on £12.8 billion worth of military, humanitarian, and economic support since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said: “As we mark three years of this brutal conflict, Putin is still waging a war he thought he would win in three days, because of fierce resistance to the Russian invasion from ordinary Ukrainians – military and civilian alike.
“In this critical period, Ukrainians need our support to keep them in the fight and to put their nation in the strongest possible position ahead of any talks. That’s why we are stepping up further our UK leadership and life-saving medical support for brave Ukrainian fighters. Our commitment to them is unshakeable.
“I’m proud of the UK’s leadership in supporting Ukraine, both now and in the long-term, and this new investment in Ukraine’s military medical services will harness the UK’s leading expertise to ensure wounded troops are given the best treatment possible.”
The work will help address a major challenge posed by the conflict, with the largest casualty figures seen in Europe since the Second World War. The support stands in stark contrast to Russia’s widely-reported poor treatment of Russian casualties and veterans, leading to instances of crime and violence when they return from the frontline.
While a small number of British personnel have been working to deliver the project in Ukraine, nearly 100 Ukrainian surgeons, doctors, and nurses are due to travel to the UK this year to receive further medical training using the latest techniques and equipment.
Around £20m of money from a NATO common fund has been invested in the rehabilitation hospital so far, much of which was provided by the UK. In addition to major structural repairs, improvements have included more than £300k worth of new gym equipment, and £400k worth of prosthetics and associated equipment.
Norway has also announced it is carrying out similar work to repair and improve a similar facility under the same NATO scheme, working closely with the UK. It comes as both nations have committed to deepen military ties, with a new agreement being drawn up following a visit from the Defence Secretary last week.
Defence Medical Services personnel from Project Renovator have been working with the team at the UK’s world-leading equivalent, the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall, to produce around 50 rehabilitation training videos to support the training of Ukrainian medical staff.
Minister for Veterans and People, Alistair Carns DSO, OBE, MC, said: “The UK Armed Forces are experts in the area of defence medical services and rehabilitation, pioneering the field during the Second World War.
“These services are absolutely essential to ensuring veterans get the support they need to go back to their daily lives after being on the frontline, especially if wounded.
“The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall in particular is a world-leading facility, and I am proud that the equipment and the skills of our personnel are being put to good use in supporting Ukraine.”
This year, the UK will spend £4.5 billion on military assistance for Ukraine – more than ever before. Supporting Ukraine in the conflict and to secure a peace deal is critical for the security of Europe and the UK, a foundation for the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change. Earlier this month, the Defence Secretary announced a new £150 million firepower package including drones, tanks and air defence systems.
Since July 2024, the Government has provided over £5.26 billion in military aid and financial support to Ukraine, including a £3 billion annual military aid and a £2.26 billion loan for military spending. This includes £300 million for artillery ammunition and £68 million for air defence systems, as well as the new £150 million firepower package for thousands of drones, dozens of battle tanks and armoured vehicles.
The UK Government has supplied over 90,000 rounds of 155mm artillery, 150 artillery barrels, and 10 AS90 self-propelled howitzers. Air defence support includes 17 Gravehawk systems, 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems, and £68 million for radars and counter-drone tech.
The UK has also invested £7.5 million in drone technology and continues training, surpassing 50,000 Ukrainian troops under Operation Interflex. Naval support totals £92 million, providing drones, uncrewed vessels, loitering munitions, and mine countermeasure drones.
Elites linked to the Russian state can be excluded from entering the UK under new measures announced by the Home Secretary today.
Under the new measures, the government will expand the criteria for exclusion to cover Kremlin-linked elites. This will ensure that, while Russia remains an acute national security threat, elites linked to the Russian state can be prevented from entering the UK.
Those who could be barred from the UK include anyone who:
Kremlin-linked elites can pose a real and present danger to our way of life. They denounce our values in public while enjoying the benefits of the UK in private – benefits which they look to deprive Ukraine of through their support of Russia’s war. They can act as tools for the Russian state, enabling the continuation and expansion of Russia’s aggression.
The move will bolster both UK national interest and national security, one of the key priorities underpinning the government’s Plan for Change, by blocking the physical access of those who undermine UK national security. These new measures will complement the UK’s existing sanctions regime against Russian elites who are supporting Putin’s war effort, which will remain in place as long as Russia threatens Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The move follows continued action from the UK to respond to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine including through imposing extensive sanctions on elites linked to the Russian state, strengthening law enforcement capabilities through the National Crime Agency’s (NCA’s) Combatting Kleptocracy Cell and closing the legislative loopholes open to money laundering by criminal actors.
These measures also follow ramped up efforts to tackle Russian illicit finance through the NCA’s Operation Destabilise, successfully disrupting 2 Russian money laundering networks which provided services to Russian oligarchs and helped fund Russian state espionage operations. The NCA-led action led to 84 arrests and over £20 million in illicit funds seized. This work continues and since the disruption, a further £1 million of cash has been seized and a further 6 arrests made.
This change builds on the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership signed in January, which commits both countries to work together to tackle the malign influence of elites linked to the Russian state.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: “Border security is national security, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to protect our country against the threat from Russia.
“The measures announced today slam the door shut to the oligarchs who have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people whilst bankrolling this illegal and unjustifiable war.
“My message to Putin’s friends in Moscow is simple: you are not welcome in the UK.“
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the UK’s total military, economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine amounts to £12.8 billion. We remain committed to the provision of £3 billion of military support a year to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible.
Earlier this month, the Defence Secretary led the 50-nation strong Ukraine Defence Contact Group for the first time and announced a further £150 million firepower package for Ukraine, including drones, tanks and air defence systems.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said: “As we mark the third anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion, Putin is still waging a war he thought he would win in three days, because of fierce resistance from the Ukrainians. Our support for them is unshakeable.
“I am proud of the UK’s leadership and unity on Ukraine. Keeping the Ukrainians in their fight and as strong as possible at any negotiating table is critical not only for them, but for the security of the UK. These new measures send a powerful message that we will do what it takes to turn the tables on Putin’s aggression.”
A new study indicates animal populations living in urban areas show elevated resilience to stressful environmental conditions, with conservation implications.
Published last week in Ecology Letters, the study was conducted by Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany.
Researchers tested the adaptability of aquatic species, such as blue mussel and amphipods, found in shorelines in urban environments exposed to high ship traffic, compared with those from a remote protected shore.
An urban area can be described as a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment.
The team exposed the animals from both habitat types to a range of environmental stressors under laboratory conditions.
The treatments, which were events or situations that cause stress, reflected current and predicted environmental conditions in the sea, such as rising temperatures, saltwater changes and increased carbon dioxide.
The research showed animal populations from urban areas, with higher temperatures and greater concentrations of pollutants, demonstrated significantly higher resilience to stressful environmental conditions when compared to their counterparts from protected habitats.
Dr Ross Cuthbert from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s, was part of the international team of researchers, he said: “Our findings indicate that the populations of species differ substantially in their susceptibility to stressors associated with urbanisation.
“These results have important conservation implications, however, it remains to be seen whether these adaptations can keep pace with the rate of human-induced environmental changes relating to climate change such as pollution, burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and more.”
Urban habitats are very different from natural habitats and pose new challenges for animals and plants.
The research was led by Dr Elizabeta Briski, a marine biologist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, she said: “The results show that populations from urbanised habitats tend to be more robust to these environmental stressors and, are already adapting to changing conditions.
“These populations could serve as potential ‘rescue populations’ for endangered populations. At the same time, their greater tolerance to future environmental changes could make it easier for them to conquer new habitats. This makes them potential invasive species that can be spread by human trade and transport between urban centres.”
Dr Cuthbert adds: “Until now, little was known about how populations of the same species evolve in habitats with and without human influence.
“While the tested species do not directly affect human health, if the processes found indeed worsen invasion risks in general, they could exacerbate known health risks from biological invasions, such as through spread of disease.”
The results of the study support the hypothesis that urban habitats can provide important clues about how animals will adapt to future environmental changes.
To all local families in Edinburgh looking for a venue for your child’s birthday party we offer a fabulous package.
It’s easy to park and loads of space for children to run around and have fun. The full package for up to 25 children aged 0 -12 includes:
* Two hours party time (plus set up and close at end)
* Bouncy castle with slide
* Modern soft play area and ball pit
* Cafe area for party food and kitchen area to set up
* Available on Saturdays and Sundays (daytime only)
To find out more get in touch with us or visit our website https://lnkd.in/ewKKpUhw
As a registered charity any profit made goes straight back in to the running of our clubs and groups throughout the year.
Please share with family and friends.
Thanks
PY Team
Police Scotland has confirmed plans to dispose of three police stations in East Lothian: Prestonpans, Dunbar and North Berwick.
On 23 August, 2024, Police Scotland launched public consultations on the disposal of the stations. The changes are part of Police Scotland’s Estates Masterplan, a comprehensive and prioritised ten-year programme focused on building improvements, refurbishments and disposals to create a modern fit for purpose estate that better fits communities and the workforce.
Prestonpans, North Berwick and Dunbar stations were constructed before 1950, designed to meet the needs of policing at that time. They no longer meet the demands or requirements of modern policing and are not sufficiently flexible to adapt for how policing may be delivered in the future.
Prestonpans police station has been unused since early 2023, with local community officers operating from Tranent. North Berwick and Dunbar stations are staffed by a small number of officers and staff and public attendance at the sites is low.
Chief Inspector Ben Leathes said: “Disposing of a building does not mean there will be a withdrawal of service from the area.
“This decision will not impact local policing services in East Lothian. Our officers will continue to respond to incidents and support the local areas as they do now. We will maintain a visible presence and provide a high quality service to the communities we serve.
“We recognise that the visibility of our officers is important to the community, which is why we have been setting up touch points in various local areas that the public are using to increase accessibility.
“Our officers have been available at Dunbar Garden Centre and Tesco stores in North Berwick, providing opportunities for the public to engage with them directly and ask any questions.
“We aim to make these sessions a regular part of local service, alongside our Coffee with Cop initiative. Details of all upcoming events will be shared across our social media platforms.
“I realise that for many the physical presence of a police station has provided reassurance and confidence over the years. However, our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work in the area.
“Historically, having multiple stations in such a close proximity was a benefit as officers didn’t have modern technology. The need for separate physical buildings has reduced, officers are now fully mobile with investment in fleet and mobile phones, allowing them to patrol and respond effectively without relying on a physical building.
“Prestonpans and Tranent are two miles apart, and it is simply not necessary for us to maintain two buildings in such close proximity. Maintaining underused buildings is not financially sustainable and by merging resources, we can focus on delivering effective policing services rather than retaining surplus buildings.
“North Berwick and Dunbar police stations are staffed by a small number of officers and staff who will be relocated to Haddington. This move aligns with our policing plan, which has been in place for the past 10 years. Under that plan, response officers covering North Berwick and Dunbar are already based in Haddington, meaning there will be no change in how incidents are responded to or in the level of service provided to the community.”
Haddington police station front counter is open from 8.40am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Tranent police station front counter is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Wednesday.
For non-emergencies and general enquiries, can call 101, and 999 in the event of an emergency. If you are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or cannot communicate via speech you can utilise the text relay service on 18001101.
For emergencies British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us by using 999 BSL. For non-emergencies BSL users can use Contact Scotland BSL. Both these sites are free to use.
Age Scotland has identified a record £2,116,447 of unclaimed benefits for older people who called the charity’s helpline in 2024 – an increase of 34% on the previous year.
However the Scottish charity for older people stressed that the amount could be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ with millions of pounds still going unclaimed by older people who are entitled to more financial support.
Last year Age Scotland was part of a campaign urging older people on low or moderate incomes to check if they were entitled to Pension Credit, after the UK government scrapped the Winter Fuel Payment for anyone not in receipt of the benefit.
Pension Credit is available to people over State Pension age on low incomes or with modest savings, to help with the cost of living. Attendance Allowance is for people over State Pension age who have a physical or mental disability.
Katherine Crawford, Age Scotland’s chief executive, said: “The UK government’s shock decision last year to remove the Winter Fuel Payment for all pensioners except those who received Pension Credit made it abundantly clear just how important it is for older people to claim all the benefits they are entitled to.
“We know that many callers to our helpline are facing severe financial hardship, and that claiming the full range of benefits can make a significant difference to their lives. It can be the difference between heating their home or not and being able to eat well.
“While we welcome the increase in the amount of money uncovered in 2024, we still believe this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are millions of pounds of benefits set aside for older people – money which could be life changing – which is not being claimed.
“Our helpline advisors can carry out a full benefits check and help callers navigate the complex benefits system. We also have an online benefits calculator, and we would encourage older people to make use of our helpline or the calculator to ensure that every penny gets into the right hands.”
Anyone over the age of 50 can call the Age Scotland national helpline on 0800 12 44 222.
Case Study 1:
Mrs Smith is in her 50s and currently unable to work through ill health. Her husband is a pensioner and has suddenly become unwell himself. Their adult son lives with them.
Mrs Smith called our helpline worried about how she would cope financially. Our advisors were able to examine a number of financial scenarios based on the potential award of benefits such as Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Council Tax Reduction, Adult Disability Payment, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit, as well as the effect of her son leaving home if this occurred.
The potential financial gain to Mrs Smith identified was £8,724.04 each year. This would make a huge difference and alleviated some of Mrs Smith’s worries and concerns. We were able to explain how to go about claiming the benefits and where to get help if needed along with providing a range of publications for more information.
Case Study 2
Mr Brown is approaching pension age and not able to work through ill health. He and his wife are receiving a means tested benefit but were not sure if it would stop at pension age.
Mr Brown and his wife are both in receipt of disability benefits and she also gets Carer’s Allowance for helping to look after him. They called our helpline worried and unsure about their future financial circumstances.
Our advisors completed a benefit check and identified that Mr Brown and his wife are currently being underpaid on their existing benefit and that, by correcting this, not only will they be entitled to significant arrears but this will mean they are also able to receive some Universal Credit after Mr Brown reaches pension age. We explained how to go about disputing the underpayment, how and when to claim the new benefits, and what support might be available to do this.
We also explained that Mr Brown had been misadvised by his energy supplier in relation to obtaining the £150 Warm Home Discount, how to go about disputing this and what he might be able to do if there were any problems.
The total financial gain identified for 2024 was £6,637.10. Mr Brown felt reassured about the situation following the call.
Big changes are coming to the Gateway Café! While renovations are underway to create a fresh new look, the café counters will be closed from tomorrow until the end of March.
But don’t worry – we’ve got you covered:
– The Gateway Café is still open in a reduced capacity. Enjoy a selection of sandwiches and baked goods from our pop-up in the café, accessible via the decking outside the Gateway 
– Your favourite drinks and sweet treats are available at our pop-up downstairs in the John Hope Gateway 
– Delicious hot food is just a stone’s throw away at the Terrace Café 
We can’t wait to welcome you to our new space – here’s a sneak peek (above)
P.S. Even more exciting dining updates coming your way soon!
Our new spring exhibition is ‘Nurture Through Nature with Children’s Books’ and explores the links between wellbeing and nature introduced to us through books from an early age.
Accompanied by a creative programme of events for everyone.
Explore: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/nurture-through…
Today marks the start of CyberScotland Week – take steps to protect yourself from a cybercrime:
Think before you post – Scammers can use your content for criminal purposes.
Deactivate old accounts – Unused profiles can be hacked, so delete them to stay secure.
Check privacy settings – Control who sees your information to protect yourself from scams and fraud.
You can find out further information on how to protect yourself online on Police Scotland’s website:
