New benefit to tackle child poverty pays out £3.6 million since February
An estimated 78,775 children have already benefitted from Scottish Child Payment since its launch.
The benefit, which is unique to Scotland, is intended to help low-income families with the costs of raising a child. It gives qualifying parents and carers £40 every four weeks for each child under six.
A total of 92% of the applications received and processed have been approved, and payments started in February.
Applications were received from people living in all 32 local authorities in Scotland, with the highest number of 17,330 from Glasgow City.
Parents and carers are able to apply for all eligible children in their household in a single application and can also apply for Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods at the same time.
Scottish Child Payment is in addition to the UK wide Child Benefit.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Security Shirley-Anne Somerville said:“It is great to see so many families benefitting from the Scottish Child Payment and that it is making a positive impact on the lives of so many children. We are working hard to tackle child poverty and it is fantastic to see the number of households being supported so quickly after the payment’s launch.
“It is a benefit unique to Scotland within the UK, and has been hailed as a potential ‘game-changer’ in the fight against child poverty.
“It shows how, with the welfare powers we have gained, we are making a real, positive difference to the lives of young people and their families, boosting the life chances of children across the country.”
More than 104,000 applications were made between 9 November 2020 and 31 March 2021.
If you need local help or advice about your benefits, contact Granton Information Centre. Telephone 0131 552 0458, 0131 551 2459 or email info@gic.org.uk
An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde critical care worker has written a poem to recognise the hard work and dedication of colleagues as part of International Nurses Day 2021.
Senior Charge Nurse, Ruth Wilson, tells the tale of a nurse’s role through ‘Helping Hands’ which outlines the huge remit and responsibility of nurses in providing day-to-day care. Ruth, 55 from Ayrshire who has worked as a nurse for more than 36 years, sees first-hand how colleagues look after patients on a day-to-day basis.
Read ‘Helping Hands’ below:
Helping Hands
At the start of the day, hands are washed before countless nursing tasks Protecting ourselves with hand hygiene and professionally fitted masks
These hands will wash patients, write careplans, and administer medication They will clean surfaces and equipment with total dedication
These hands will give out meals, make beds, and answer numerous telephone calls They will guide and support mobilising patients in order to prevent falls
These hands will pour cups of tea, tie up linen, and empty patient bedpans They will secure pumps and equipment to gleaming drip stands
These hands will feed and clothe, perform oral hygiene and comb hair They will fill out fluid balance charts and give regular catheter care
These hands will take notes on ward rounds, and order things on “Trak” They will dispense analgesia, offer a massage or give a soothing ice pack
These hands will organise flowers, open cards and tidy the place They will dress wounds, cut nails, moisturise patient’s bodies and their face
These hands will soothe fevered brows through the comfort of touch They will wipe away tears when it all gets too much
These hands will perform CPR and airway skills and really without much thought Will automatically pilot to the resuscitation skills they were taught
They will support relatives with bad news, and patients will be allowed to cry They will perform last offices when their patients die
They will sign discharge letters when people are getting home They will clean all the surfaces shinier than chrome
These hands are priceless hands, helping hands, the hands you hope are there If you ever get sick yourself, you want hands that care.
Ahead of the start of Eid al-Fitr, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Eid al-Fitr, the end Ramadan’s month of fasting, is a profoundly important event to Muslims across Scotland and around the world.
“This is the second Eid to have taken place during the pandemic, which I know has been incredibly challenging. I want to thank community leaders and members for doing an amazing job keeping each other safe during this difficult period.
“I understand how disappointing it will be to have to restrict celebrations. However, everyone celebrating Eid must do so safely and in line with the necessary public health restrictions – unfortunately that means not visiting other people’s homes and maintaining a two-metre distance with those from outside your household at all times.
“The changes to lockdown restrictions I announced yesterday will be welcome to many, but they do not come into force until Monday, so everyone should continue to follow the Level 3 restrictions that still apply in all areas of Scotland until then. We know from public health data that travel from India, Pakistan, Turkey and Nepal is a particular risk, so everyone arriving from those countries must follow the red list rules.
“I know following these rules during such a significant event will be difficult, particularly when the overall picture with the virus is positive. However, cases are high and rising in Moray, and Glasgow is seeing an increase in cases too. By sticking to the Level 3 restrictions for just a few more days, we can all help to keep the virus under control and ensure Scotland stays on the path to recovery.
“I’d like to say a deep thank you to all of Scotland’s Muslim communities for everything you have done during the pandemic, and wish you an enjoyable Eid.”
The First Minister visited Glasgow Central Mosque on Wednesday 12 May alongside Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf and Scottish Labour Leader and Glasgow MSP Anas Sarwar.
Mr Sarwar said: “Scottish Muslims have made sacrifices during Ramadan. But they have also made big sacrifices over the last year to get through this pandemic.
“Like me, I know you are desperate to be reunited with your loved ones. But I would urge everyone to please follow the Covid rules closely in the coming days.
“This is to keep you and your family safe and well.
“There is hope and optimism again as the lockdown continues to ease. And if we follow the rules we will soon be able to see and hold our loved ones again safely.
“I wish all Scottish Muslims a happy Eid, Eid Mubarak!”
Morrisons has launched a mega in-store sale on baby and toddler products. The sale, which is on across the month of May will allow parents to save big on brands including Pampers, Baby Dove, Johnson’s and many more.
Morrisons has also launched a new baby food range under its Nutmeg brand with prices starting at just 50p – a fraction of the cost of similar products from Hipp and Ella’s Kitchen which normally for almost double (90p).
To help parents even further as the nation moves out of lockdown, they can also sign up to the Baby & More Club for additional exclusive offers, helpful tips, members-only freebies and competitions.
And because parents need treats too, Morrisons has further offers on bath and beauty products to unwind and relax.
Around 7.10pm last night (Wednesday 5 May), police received a report of a bus window being smashed in Pennywell Gardens, after a stone was thrown by a group of youths.
Enquiries are continuing and officers are following a positive line of enquiry.
Pupils from eight Edinburgh schools have shown their budding design skills by winning the nationwide Pocket Garden Design Competition, run by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.
The eight schools are: Cowgate Under 5s Centre, Duddingston Primary, Hillwood Primary, Murrayburn Early Years Campus, Summerside Kindergarten, Castlebrae Community High School, Greenbank Pre-School, and Dean Park Primary.
During 2020 and 2021, 230 entries were received from 22 of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas. The winning schools received the opportunity to build and grow their designs to appear in a digital showcase.
Children, from as young as three, were challenged to design a colourful and sustainable garden that could feature at the Scottish Gardens Show at Scone Palace in late May.
Sadly, the show has had to be cancelled due to Covid restrictions but the winning schools are still growing and building their gardens and these finished gardens will be available to view in an online showcase, where the nation will also be able to vote for their favourite Pocket Garden.
Following the great success of five previous Pocket Garden competitions in past years, schools from across Scotland were encouraged to take part and develop designs for a tiny garden which reflects the four interlinked 2021 themes.
These themes include The Year of Coasts and Waters, One Planet Picnic, Wildlife Gardening and Celebrating Nature on our Doorstep.
Eve Keepax, Education and Learning Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Many people rediscovered a connection to nature on their doorsteps during lockdown, and the competition has encouraged young people to celebrate that through their designs.
“We are delighted that schools and young people are finding the benefits of this competition in learning and teaching about issues that are important to them. The Pocket Garden designs we received were practical, creative, challenging, sustainable and full of fun!”
Anthony McCluskey, Chair of the Garden for Life Forum, who was involved in the judging, said:“Nature is in crisis, but we can all do our bit to help wildlife in our local areas.
“Even small gardens and growing spaces can make a great contribution to supporting populations of insects like bees and butterflies, and provide homes and food for birds, hedgehogs, and amphibians. Getting close to nature is great for our mental wellbeing too, so everyone wins when we grow for wildlife.”
The winning Pocket Gardens will be available to view in the digital showcase from Saturday 5 June at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/pocketgarden. Voting for the nation’s favourite Pocket Garden will be open from 5 – 13 June.
IT’S been the dullest election I can remember. Yes, you can blame COVID, but pandemic aside, it’s hardly been riveting, has it?
Even the return of Alex Salmond – mair comebacks than Frank Sinatrawifie said – did little to raise excitement levels to anything above ‘mildly interesting’. The one memorable moment of the campaign for me was not Anas Sarwar’s dad dancing, it was ‘Gorgeous George’ Galloway’s party election broadcast. I haven’t a clue what it was all about, but it was unforgettable nonetheless.
The Leader Debates were dominated by middle class blokes in ties (occasionally during they were slightly risqué and removed the neckwear to show that they are ordinary blokes just like us). The ties – like the rosettes – are a different colour, but they are still ties. The uniform. All in this together? You bet they are, mired in identikit neo-liberal politics that will change little for the most disadvantaged.
The debates looked like the sort of middle-management meeting that might take place in any big bank or insurance company.
And the women must also play the game. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, serious, statesmanlike (should that be statespersonlike?), looking to be given the opportunity to ‘get on with the job’. No tie, but the smart business suits are a model of conservatism. More of the same, we’re promised. There’s more to do, we’re told. Trust me, she appeals.
There’s every indication that the public do indeed trust Nicola Sturgeon. The unpleasant uncertainties of the Salmond affair have barely left a mark, and confident daily press briefings throughout the pandemic – much as she would say it is the last thing she would have wanted – has given Ms Sturgeon a platform other politicians would dream of.
She has undoubtedly come out of the worst of the pandemic with her reputation enhanced; seen as a safe and steady pair of hands throughout the crisis while Prime Minister Boris Johnson bumbled and blundered from one self-inflicted crisis to another.
Scots voters will deliver their verdict tomorrow but it seems inevitable that a grateful nation will reward Ms Sturgeon’s apparent competence with a further five year term. True, the government’s rhetoric was seldom matched by concrete achievements over the last five years, but many voters will see this as a time for continuity as we plan our way back to some semblance of normality. Conservative with a small ‘c’. And anyway, what’s the alternative?
New Labour (in both senses) leader Anas Sarwar unilaterally declared a new kind of politics. A break from the past, just as Sarwar is a break from the recent socialist past of Jeremy Corbyn and Ricard Leonard. Let’s put the politics of division behind us, he appealed. We must focus on Scotland’s National Recovery, he said. Trouble is, so did everyone else, including Nicola Sturgeon. Indeed, is there anyone in the land who would argue with that?
Certainly not Lib Dem leader, he of the famous photoshoot stunts but not a lot else, Willie Rennie. Or Patrick Harvie. Or Douglas Ross. All agree – the national recovery must be paramount, they sing from the same hymn-sheet.
And maybe that’s the problem: there’s nothing new here. Nothing radical. Nothing different. Nothing to fire up passion and nothing that will shake voters from their apathy.
Opposition parties should have started the election campaign on the front foot, but right from the start of the election campaign, just days after a weakened Nicola Sturgeon survived accusations of misleading parliament during the Salmond Affair, it was back to business as usual – and the opposition parties retreated into their deferential, subservient roles.
Quickly out of the starting blocks, Labour proclaimed: ‘We want to be the official opposition!’ Hardly the sparkiest motivator for the troops out on the streets delivering leaflets, is it? ‘Vote for us – we’re nearly second best!’ Honestly, who wants to be Number Two? Well, Labour does. That is the limit of their ambitions – to defeat the Tories and finish second. Even a distant second would do.
For present-day Labour – a party that dominated Scottish politics for generations – second place would be seen, and spun, as progress. Opinion polls suggest that even that target has proved beyond them this time round, however. And they can’t even blame Corbyn.
The Tories know that their best hope of progress – finishing second again, that is (even the most loyal true-blue zealots dismiss the idea that they could do any better than that!) – lies in the top-up lists whereby MSPs gain seats, almost through the back door, in Holyrood’s hybrid proportional representation voting system.
While the SNP government’s shortcomings have been increasingly documented – education, drug deaths, starving local government of adequate funding, to name but three – the Tories decided instead to concentrate their fire on another independence referendum!
It’s their tried and tested strategy: only by voting for us can you stop a ‘damaging referendum’, they claim. They can’t – it’s uncertain now that their London bosses would even try – but the argument seems to be a compelling one for unionists in Scotland: no matter how bad the SNP government is in Holyrood, they have the comforting certainty of remaining part of the UK.
Turning the election into a straight Independence vs Union choice suits the Tories down to the ground: the Conservative and Unionist Party is surely the party anxious voters will turn to again in the fight to preserve the union? The clue’s in the name!
And you don’t even have the inconvenience of having to come up with policies to address the nitty-gritty of domestic politics. So ‘Stop The Referendum’ is the simple Tory message – and this despite some frustrated nationalists arguing that there seems to be little appetite among the SNP leadership for an early referendum anyway!
So while we know that the SNP will almost certainly be the biggest party following tomorrow’s elections, there are some things we do not know. Most importantly, will the SNP gain an overall majority?
Scotland will elect 129 MSPs tomorrow. 73 of these are constituency MSPs who are elected using the traditional ‘First Past the Post’ method.
The other 56 are ‘List’ MSPs who are elected through the Additional Member system of proportional representation. Scotland is split into eight regions, each of which will elect seven list MSPs.
To form a majority government a party must win at least 65 seats. The SNP won 63 seats in the 2016 elections and formed a minority administration with the support of the independence-supporting Scottish Greens. So near but yet so far – can the SNP reach that magic number this time round?
Other issues of interest: Will Alex Salmond’s Alba party win any seats? And, if so, will the SNP hold their noses and do a deal with them to advance the case for another referendum should they need to do so?
Alba has argued, with some justification, that a vote for the SNP on the peach ballot paper is effectively a wasted vote as the SNP is expected to hoover up the vast majority of constituencies so will gain few list seats. Will nationalist voters take heed to ensure a ‘supermajority’ or take their chances with an SNP1, 2?
One thing is certain. There will be a lot of new faces in the new Holyrood Parliament. No fewer than 33 MSPs have stood down and will not contest tomorrow’s election. That’s a lot of experience to lose as the new parliament attempts to formulate a strategy for post-pandemic recovery.
Among the best known are Jeane Freeman, Aileen Campbell and Mike Russell of the SNP, Tories Ruth Davidson and Margaret Mitchell, Labour’s Neil Findlay and Iain Gray, Green John Finnie and Lib Dem Mike Rumbles. Presiding Officer Ken Mackintosh also steps down.
Also leaving at last are ‘Independent’ MSPs Derek Mackay and Mark McDonald, former SNP Ministers who left office in disgrace but doggedly held on to their Holyrood seats – and £64,470 annual salaries – until the bitter end.
Here’s hoping the new parliament can agree cross-party legislation to ensure that democratic disgraces like these will not be allowed to happen again.
So good luck to all the candidates as they deliver their final leaflets this evening. None will sleep too well tonight, whether you have the biggest majority in Scotland or you are standing for the very first time in an ‘unwinnable’ seat. It’s the adrenaline!
They will all be up at the crack of dawn to get their A-boards out at the polling stations, hoping for decent weather – we had some snow and hail flurries in Edinburgh today – to encourage a good voter turnout. It will be a long day – and then there’s the long wait until Friday’s count, so a second night of troubled sleep ahead!
Locally, it’s hard to see any shock results, but Edinburgh Central – Ruth Davidson’s seat before she left for that lucrative, unelected retirement home, the House of Lords – will be interesting. Can the Tories hold on to this SNP target seat?
Other seats to keep an eye on are East Lothian (Labour seat; SNP target), Airdrie & Shotts (SNP held; Labour target), Moray (SNP seat; Tory target), Dumbarton (Labour; SNP target) and Perthshire North (SNP; Tory target).
KITCHENS within one of Edinburgh’s most high-profile developments are getting the ultimate grilling thanks to a partnership with renowned Michelin-star chef, Tom Kitchin.
In celebration of local producers and the reopening of Edinburgh’s vibrant hospitality scene, Tom is collaborating with CALA Homes (East) on a live event at its Boroughmuir development in the city.
The Masterchef judge regular will be hosting a cook-along at the housebuilder’s recently opened second showhome on 7th May, using ingredients locally-sourced from his favourite suppliers in the city, and showing how home cooks can replicate the magic of his restaurant dishes.
On the menu is salmon fillet, sourced from Welch fishmongers at Newhaven served with spring peas and broad beans. The full recipe will be shared ahead of the event for budding home chefs and followers to easily follow along on the day.
Chef Kitchin, Scotland’s youngest winner of a Michelin star and Chef Proprietor of four businesses across Edinburgh and East Lothian (The Kitchin, The Scran & Scallie, The Bonnie Badger & Southside Scran), believes the partnership is the perfect opportunity to showcase the best of Scottish produce and hospitality as the industry reopens.
He said: “Edinburgh has a fantastic hospitality scene and it’s great to do something fun and a bit different to celebrate the reopening of restaurants, bars and pubs across the country.
“The invite from CALA is a fantastic opportunity to try out the kitchens at Boroughmuir, while giving home cooks a challenge to replicate the quality of a restaurant meal at home.
“The CALA kitchens have an incredible specification and look like the perfect setting for getting creative, so I’m excited to visit and try everything out.”
Chef Kitchin will be cooking in the development’s showhome kitchen which has been designed by Kitchens International and is fully equipped with integrated Siemens appliances throughout, including an induction hob, fridge-freezer, black glass and stainless steel oven, and combination microwave oven.
Philip Hogg, Sales and Marketing Director with CALA Homes (East), said: “It’s a real honour to have Scotland’s most renowned chef cooking in a CALA kitchen – we’re thrilled to have him showcase how you can create a restaurant-quality dish from home.
“Since we welcomed our first residents late last year, we’ve heard a lot of great feedback on our kitchens, so we wanted to showcase and celebrate that, as well as local produce and hospitality, as best we could.”
To join the cook-along, follow @calahomes on Instagram or Facebook and tune in to the live stream from 5pm on 7th May or search for the dedicated hashtag, #TheKitchinAtCALA
17-year-old percussionist Fang Zhang – born in China’s Henan province and a recent student of Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester – has been revealed as BBC Young Musician 2020.
The announcement was made during the broadcast of the competition’s Grand Final on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3 last nght, presented by BBC Young Musician regular Josie d’Arby, organist and conductor Anna Lapwood, and star saxophonist Jess Gillam.
Fang Zhang (above, left) follows in the footsteps of 19-year-old American-born/UK-based pianist Lauren Zhang, who won the competition in 2018 and went on to perform in the UK and beyond, including a debut at the BBC Proms in 2018, and appearances as soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra – among others.
Previous BBC Young Musician winners include celebrated classical music stars such as cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, violinist Nicola Benedetti, and clarinettist Mark Simpson.
A recent student at Manchester’s prestigious Chetham’s School of Music, which he joined in September 2018, Fang Zhang is a member of China Youth Percussion Orchestra, and thanks to this scheme he has been performing around the world since he was 11 years old.
Despite his young age, he has already won prizes at international percussion competitions all around the world, including USA, Japan, and his native China. Among his tutors are international percussion luminaries such as Royal Northern College of Music Deputy Director of Percussion Le Yu, and Chen ShaoLun, president of the Shanghai National Percussion Association.
Fang Zhang impressed the judging panel with a performance of one of the gems in contemporary marimba repertoire: Prism Rhapsody by Japanese composer and marimba innovator Keiko Abe. He was accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth.
The panel was chaired by Chief Executive of Saffron Hall Angela Dixon, and included composer, clarinettist and BBC Young Musician 2006 winner Mark Simpson, composer Errollyn Wallen, Principal Conductor with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales Ryan Bancroft, and experimental composer and turntable artist Shiva Feshareki.
Taking place after a year-long delay due to the global pandemic, the socially-distanced BBC Young Musician 2020 Grand Final was filmed on Sunday 25 April at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall without an audience in attendance.
The competition’s three finalists performed on stage with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, performing with reduced numbers to allow the required social distancing.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1387814009710256128
Fang Zhang says: “I am honoured and delighted to win BBC Young Musician 2020, and feel so lucky considering the talent of the other finalists.
“The BBC team is amazing and I want to thank them and my schools, Chetham’s School of Music and Qingdao Percussion College, for supporting me through the whole programme in every possible way.”
On Fang Zhang’s performance at the Grand Final, Angela Dixon says: “BBC Young Musician 2020 has been an outstanding competition, the standard has been incredibly high and all three finalists showed exceptional musicianship.
“Fang chose to perform on a single instrument, the marimba, but elicited a kaleidoscope of colours and expression from it that deeply moved the jury and presenters. It was a privilege to be one of the few people to hear his performance live.”
Conductor Mark Wigglesworth says: “BBC Young Musician is always a glorious celebration of the future, but especially this year, it offers a much needed sense of optimism to everyone in the classical music world.
“All three finalists have shown a tremendous passion and determination to maintain their commitment to the competition across a year of uncertain silence. They play with humility and respect but daring and personality too, encouraging all who hear them to look forward to more positive times ahead.”
The BBC Young Musician 2020 Final also featured exceptional performances by the winner of the brass final, 18-year-old French horn player Annemarie Federle from Cambridge, currently in her first year studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London; and 19-year old oboist Ewan Millar from Reading, Berkshire, who won the woodwind category. Ewan is now in his second year reading music at Oxford University.
Jan Younghusband, Head of BBC Music TV Commissioning says: ““BBC Young Musician competition is always a great celebration of incredible young talent. But this year in particular, with Covid restrictions still in place, broadcasting the grand final has had particular poignancy.
“All of these musicians have shown that there is much to look forward to. We wish Fang – and all of our outstanding finalists – the best for the future, and we are delighted that audiences at home were able to join us for such a spectacular display of musicality and technique.”
BBC Young Musician Executive Editor, Paul Bullock says: “We will surely remember the 2020 edition of BBC Young Musician as a unique and ultimately very special one.
“The three finalists have shown extraordinary resilience over the past 12 months when it’s been difficult for us to tell them when and if the final would go ahead. To see and hear them perform last weekend alongside the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth was both thrilling and deeply moving.
“Congratulations to Fang and all of the finalists and a thank to the musicians of the orchestra and Mark for their support and commitment. This is a BBC Young Musician Final like no other and we’re delighted that audiences at home can now share this experience – a celebration of the future and the joy of making music together.”
In addition to the coverage on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3, the BBC Young Musician 2020 Grand Final is now available on iPlayer for 12 months, and BBC Sounds for 30 days.
BBC Young Musician 2020 is managed and produced by BBC Studios Music and Entertainment Wales.
Foreign Secretary announces £8 million of funding for BBC World Service to tackle harmful disinformation, challenge inaccurate reporting around the world and improve digital engagement.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announces multi-million pound uplift for BBC World Service
Funding will help to tackle harmful disinformation and inaccurate reporting around the world and enhance its digital offer
This follows the UK Government’s Integrated Review, which underlined the need to fight disinformation to protect the UK against state threats
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced £8 million of new funding for BBC World Service projects to tackle harmful disinformation, challenge inaccurate reporting around the world and improve digital engagement.
Funding will support the BBC World Service’s investigative journalism, expanding the reach of its work to report in an unbiased and impartial way. This follows the success of their “Reality Check”, “Africa Eye” and “Arabic Investigations” programmes, which have challenged fake news around the world.
The new package will also help to build international audiences, improving the digital platforms available to people in countries such as India, Kenya and Nigeria.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “In a world where states and criminal gangs twist the news to exploit others, it is vital to safeguard independent and objective news reporting around the world.
“This new funding will allow the BBC World Service to take impartial journalism to many more people around the world, by countering those who distort the truth to mislead the public.”
This new support comes shortly after the publication of the Government’s Integrated Review, which underlined the need to fight disinformation to protect the UK against state threats. Today’s announcement will help support efforts to counter those.
Some states are using internet bots to push out disinformation on social media platforms, such as spreading fake news around the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in harmful content, that is often shared widely by tens of thousands of people on social media.
This includes encouraging scepticism around vaccines or in some cases prime-time news outlets in some states are blaming the US for artificially creating – and profiting from – the pandemic.
Welcoming the announcement, BBC Director General Tim Davie said: “We welcome this investment in the World Service which builds on the significant results achieved since the funding programme began in 2016.
“Through this partnership, the World Service has achieved an all-time record audience of 351m, in 42 languages including English, with the BBC’s global News services now reaching 438m every week.
“More than a third of the total BBC News global audience – 151m – access BBC News digitally and this additional support will enable us to further strengthen our digital offer and tackle global disinformation.
“As the world continues to fight the Covid pandemic, the positive role of the World Service in providing trusted, impartial news has never been more critical.”
Yesterday’s funding announcement comes on top of previous funding for the BBC’s World2020 programme from the FCDO since 2016, which has meant impartial news is available in 12 additional languages.
The additional support has helped increase the service’s international reach by 40 per cent to 351 million people each week, including across Asia and Africa.
