Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has claimed that almost 160,000 people across Edinburgh and the Lothian’s would benefit from increasing the council tax discount for single occupancy households, from 25% to 35%.
Figures obtained by SPICe, the Scottish Parliament research department, show that there are currently 159,490 households across Edinburgh and the Lothian’s who receive the single occupancy household discount. Of which 98,000 are in Edinburgh, 17,218 in East Lothian, 13,967 in Midlothian and 30,305 in West Lothian.
A central Scottish Conservative council election manifesto pledge is to increase the discount for single person households from 25% to 35%.
The average property in local authorities across Scotland is band D. This means that the average single person household in Edinburgh would save an additional £138 per year, in West Lothian £131 per year, in Midlothian £144 per year and East Lothian £134 per year.
The total saving for single occupancy households in Edinburgh would be approximately £13,524,000 in West Lothian £3,969,955 in Midlothian £2,011,248 and in East Lothian £2,307,212. Across all four local authorities the savings for single household properties would be £21,812,415.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“Increased council tax and the rise in the cost of living, all hit single person households the hardest, with more and more people struggling to get by.
“The Scottish Conservatives have committed to and will continue to push for single occupancy households to receive 35% council tax discount, a 10% increase from the current discount of 25%.
“Across Edinburgh and the Lothian’s this would benefit almost 160,000 people, alleviating some of the pressure from council tax hikes.
“Single parents, young professionals and elderly people living alone would all benefit from an increase to the single occupancy household discount.”
Tables for tax bands in each local authority and savings per tax band:
MORE than one hundredyoung people with additional support needs have taken forward creative arts projects as a result of funding from the Access All Arts Fund, led by national charity Children in Scotland.
The fund, delivered through Creative Scotland’s Nurturing Talent Fund: New Routes programme, distributed £68,000 to young people across Scotland, supporting projects ranging from dance to drama and visual art to television.
As a result of the fund’s success, Creative Scotland will be supporting a second phase of the project from 2022-23.
A report on the first year of the Access All Arts Fund, capturing its aims, approach, impact and recommendations, is published today.
The Access All Arts Fund was established specifically to support children and young people with an additional support need or disability, a community who have experienced significant challenges during the pandemic.
Children in Scotland recruited four children and young people with a range of additional support needs as panellists to lead the design of the fund, make decisions about funding and support creative initiatives. The panel comprised young people aged 12-25 from West Lothian, Stirling and Glasgow.
With year one of the fund successfully completed, recruitment of young people to take part in the year two panel will begin shortly.
Activity in 2022-23 will have a strong emphasis on wellbeing and a continued focus on young people as project co-designers.
Ryan Cuzen, one of the panel members who took part in the projectover the past year, said: “Having young people with lived experience of a disability or additional support needs involved in the design of funds, training programmes and opportunities is vital.
“It shows we are being listening to, included and our ideas and voices are being heard.”
David Mackay, Policy & Projects Manager at Children in Scotland and Access All Arts Fund project lead, said: ““It’s been fantastic to work with the young people on our design panel over the past year and to see the incredible response to the fund.
“The Access All Arts Fund has had a significant impact on many children and young people’s lives – helping them to improve their wellbeing, learn new skills and open up new creative opportunities. We are delighted that Creative Scotland has announced it will be supporting a second round of the fund in 2022.
“We look forward to continuing to support children and young people with additional support needs or a disability to access the arts and realise their full potential.”
Sarah Mcadam, Youth Arts Programme Manager at Creative Scotland said: “The high demand for Access All Arts in 2021 showed us the important role that arts and creativity was able to play in the lives of children and young people who were experiencing significant challenges during the pandemic.
“We’re thrilled that through renewed support, this programme will give more children and young people opportunities to lead on decision-making and access the funding they need to bring their creative ideas to life.”
Recommendations in the report on year one of the project include:
Creative Scotland should continue to fund Access all Arts. The fund has been successful in reaching a previously under-represented community and evaluation suggests it has had a positive impact for many young people.
Creative Scotland and Children in Scotland should share key learning from the project with policy leads and decision-makers, identifying opportunities to influence other initiatives designed to support children and young people’s learning and wellbeing following the pandemic.
In additional rounds of the fund, increased time and financial resource should go to outreach workand building relationships with organisations supporting specific communities (for example, deaf children and children and young people with a visual impairment). This would encourage a wider diversity of applications to join the design panel and an increased range of applications.
The fund was open for applications from 11 August – 13 September 2021 and received 236 submissions from children and young people aged 11 to 26.
A large number of applications included requests to purchase items ranging from drawing and painting materials to musical instruments or photographic equipment.
Funding allowed children and young people to attend music, dance or drama tuition classes, realise zine-making projects, progress their song-writing ability and learn silversmithing skills and clothing design.
Evaluation of the project concludes that the fund:
Provided opportunities for children and young people to explore their unique personal interests and passions
Gave them autonomy and agency to develop projects and learn new skills while supporting their wellbeing
Created opportunities for them to overcome barriers and try new creative experiences and, in some cases, supported career development opportunities.
Householders across Scotland will be given an extra four weeks to complete their census returns.
Over two million households have already completed the census – more than 77% of the total – but National Records of Scotland (NRS) has now offered the extension until the end of May to ensure everyone has the opportunity to complete their return and help shape important services in their community.
Around 68,000 households have begun their census returns online, but have not yet completed them and a similar number of requested paper forms have yet to be returned.
Every household is legally required to complete their returns and Scots are reminded that failing to do so could result in prosecution and a fine of up to £1000.
Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson said: “The results of the Census help local authorities, businesses and the government plan a wide range of vital public services to improve the lives of those living and working in Scotland. The census also becomes part of our history.
“It is therefore essential that we take further steps to maximise participation, particularly given the wider challenges people have faced in recent times.
“That is why I am announcing today that National Records of Scotland will now continue to accept census returns until the end of May. This will allow the census collection period to continue for four weeks to give everyone the opportunity to complete Scotland’s Census, and allow all outstanding returns to be captured so that everyone’s voice can be heard.
“In addition to being a civic responsibility completion of the census is also a legal responsibility. Failure to meet this responsibility can result in prosecution. However, the shared focus is, and must be, on ensuring that people are supported and encouraged to complete the census.
“It is vital that we secure as high a response rate as possible so that the census can be effective in delivering its many benefits for future public services. For those who have already completed their census, thank you. For those still to do so, I would urge you to act now.”
The ScottishConservatives are less than impressed, however …
Help and support to complete the census is available on the Scotland’s Census website or via a free helpline 0800 030 8308.
Paper forms are also still available on request for those who need them.
The 2022 census asks questions on a range of topics, including the types of accommodation people stay in, household relationships, age, sex, health and employment status.
New questions for the 2022 census include use of British Sign Language (BSL), passports held, previous armed forces history and new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and trans status.
Every household in Scotland must complete the census and the answers provide the information needed to make important decisions on funding for services such as education, housing and healthcare.
Extending the census collection period for 4 weeks will cost an additional budget investment this year of up to 7% (£9.76 million) of the overall programme costs.
Community and voluntary organisations are invited to hear about the work going on to support people from Ukraine arriving in Edinburgh.
Find out about the strategic and operational work that the community and voluntary sector is involved in to ensure a warm welcome to Edinburgh for the people of Ukraine, hosted by Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council.
Find out about the strategic and operational work that the community and voluntary sector is involved in to ensure a warm welcome to Edinburgh (and Scotland) for the people of Ukraine.
For several weeks Volunteer Edinburgh and EVOC have been involved in daily meetings with statutory partners to ensure we are helping the sector develop a strategic role and offer support on every level for the people arriving in our city.
The Ukrainian community and many community partners are also doing amazing work, as you would expect.
This online event will include representatives from:
Ukrainian Community
Community and voluntary sector organisations already delivering support
City of Edinburgh Council
Capital City Partnership
Programme:
Welcome & Introduction: Bridie Ashrowan
Panel Q&A with the representatives above (please submit any questions in advance to comms@evoc.org.uk)
If your organisation would like to play a part, please get in touch: olga.wojciechowska@evoc.org.uk
Find out about other support available for people from Ukraine here.
EVENT LINK: This event will take place on MS teams and the link will be sent out after registration closes.
Today (FRIDAY) is your last chance to register for tickets to attend the Royal British Legion Falklands 40th anniversary commemorative event.
If you played a role in the conflict, whether you’re a veteran of the campaign or a member of a civilian organisation that supported the Task Force, please sign up now.
If you would like to chat to someone about the opportunity please contact shelley@grantonyouth.com or any member of staff at Granton Youth, FetLor, Spartans, Pilton Youth & Childrens Project or Muirhouse Youth Development Group.
The 26th in-store festival brings together eleven of Scotland’s best breweries
Aldi has revealed the line-up for its 26th Scottish Beer Festival, which will showcase 25 craft beers from eleven breweries across the country, including several retail exclusives.
Kicking off in-store today, Thursday 28th April, the festival will take place across all of Aldi’s 101 Scottish stores in a deal worth over £86,000 to the breweries involved, with prices starting at just £1.49.
Aldi’s Scottish Beer Festival is known for celebrating the vast range of beers, lagers and ales brewed across all corners of Scotland. This spring’s festival will give customers the chance to try everything from tropical pilsners to spicy sour ales and vanilla porters to crisp IPAs.
As part of the in-store activation, Aldi shoppers will have the chance to try a range of award-winning craft beers from Aberdeen-based Fierce Beer, which was recently crowned Scottish Brewery of the Year at the 2021 Scottish Beer Awards.
The multi-award-winning brewery took home 11 medals for its unique concoctions and will feature five of its brews in Aldi’s festival line-up. Its gold medal-winning Café Racer Coffee & Vanilla Porter, which is fuelled with locally roasted Sumatran espresso coffee and Madagascan Vanilla, is just one of the brewery’s quirky beers that customers can enjoy at everyday Aldi prices.
This spring’s line-up will also feature Edinburgh-based Stewart Brewing’s Ka Pai South Pacific Pale Ale. The light-bodied brew, which balances notes of passion fruit, mango, and lychee, will be stocked as an exclusive to Aldi Scotland. The popular beer also took home a gold award at the 2021 Scottish Beer Awards for Best Pale Ale.
Peterhead-based Brew Toon Beers will also be included in Aldi’s Spring festival. Customers have the chance to try the brewery’s J’Ale Riot Red Ale, which has a strong caramel and biscuit nose with a hoppy full-strength punch, and their Pineapple Pils Tropical Pilsner, a blend of crisp malts combined with fresh pineapples and tropical hops.
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Our Scottish Beer Festivals always prove popular with our customers.
“The craft beer industry continues to thrive in Scotland, and I am proud that the relationships we have built with local breweries over the years mean our customers can enjoy a variety of unique brews at everyday amazing Aldi prices. There really is something for everyone to enjoy.”
Celebrating the 10th year of Scottish Beer Festivals, products will be available in store from 28 April. Visit aldi.co.uk/scottishbeerfestival to find out more.
Council candidates across the political spectrum are being asked to sign a pledge to support veterans, military personnel, and their families in their communities.
More than 80 politicians have already signed the #PoppyPromise, a commitment to ensure that current and former servicemen and women are not disadvantaged when accessing local services.
Poppyscotland is urging voters to ask the local candidates in their council area to support the five-point plan in the Scottish Local Elections next week (MAY 5th).
The charity is concerned that many members of the Armed Forces community are struggling when it comes to accessing housing, transport, education, and benefits, due to the unique nature of their military service.
Scottish veterans often face health problems, with a large number affected by long-term illness, disability, or mental health issues. Research suggests that veterans experiencing homelessness are more likely to have multiple, complex problems, while Scottish Government data shows they are more likely to have experienced rough sleeping.
Children from military families can also face challenges such as disrupted education if they move between schools.
David Dickie, who served in Iraq with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, found himself homeless more than a decade after he was discharged. He had been living with his sister in Inverness, but lost his home and his job after her sudden death.
After returning to Kilmarnock, he submitted a homeless application to East Ayrshire Council, but was concerned about staying in a hostel since he suffers from PTSD and finds it difficult being around people he does not know.
Thanks to Poppyscotland’s advocacy, Mr Dickie was offered temporary housing in a one-bedroom flat and was supported to apply for benefits. He now lives in a council house in Kilmarnock and has returned to work as rope access safety supervisor.
Mr Dickie said: “It can be hard when you come out the Army, and a lot of people find it difficult to settle into civilian life. Councils need to be more aware of some of the issues affecting veterans.”
“Local councils play a huge role in helping serving personnel, veterans, and their families, who rely on public services such as housing, education, transport, social care, and benefits. But some members of our Armed Forces community, such as Mr Dickie, can still find it difficult to access these due to a lack of understanding of their specific needs.
“We believe no one should be disadvantaged after serving their country. With just a few days left before we go to the polls, we’re encouraging voters to ask their local candidates to sign our #PoppyPromise. This demonstrates their commitment to listen to the voices of the Armed Forces community and ensure they are treated fairly when it comes to delivering local services.
“We hope that candidates seeking office will take this opportunity to recognise the service of our Armed Forces community by promising to act decisively to help them lead healthy, successful, and fulfilling lives if elected.”
