TOMORROW (Sunday 14 September) our 2025 team – Anne, Claire, Donald, Finn, Harvey, Julia, Maureen, Oliver, Tom, Trish and Sarah – are taking on the Kiltwalk to turn miles into meals!
Every £5 that you sponsor is a healthy meal pack cooked, packed and delivered to a person in need – alongside wellbeing and referral support.
Everyone deserves to know where their next meal is coming from. You can take away that worry from a person or family today.
New research by our office, SAMH & Young Scot shows not enough is being done on mental health.
The Scottish Government accepted Youth Commission on Mental Health Services recommendations, but 6 years on, lack of transparency means young people feel little progress & change.
From one of Britain’s most acclaimed and beloved filmmakers, classic genre comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are back on the big screen at Vue this September and October as part of a special Edgar Wright season.
Ahead of his reimagining of the Stephen King’s action-thriller classic The Running Man, the works of the fan-favourite director will once again take centre stage, including his iconic Cornetto Trilogy.
The three cult classics Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, all starring actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as they face off against the undead, a murderous cult and aliens, will be back on the big screen starting from 12 September.
Wright’s other celebrated work – including Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, Baby Driver and psychological horror Last Night In Soho- also make their big screen return throughout October.
Robert Smith, General Manager of Vue Edinburgh Omni, said: “At Vue, we celebrate the very best of British filmmaking, and there are few names who have done more for the UK film scene over the past few decades than Edgar Wright.
“Ahead of his upcoming release The Running Man, we’re excited to showcase his very best work where it belongs – right at home up on the big screen at Vue.”
The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is delighted to announce that Heather Lyon from Edinburgh, Scotland will be taking part in the prestigious Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition which takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 11-19 October 2025. At this annual competition, young dancers from around the world will come together for a week of dance, to win competition prizes and scholarships.
Heather age 18 started ballet at the age of three in her hometown Edinburgh, Scotland, and it soon became her passion. She took RAD ballet classes at a local dance school, KS Dance Academy.
Currently studying at Northern Ballet School, England Heather watched others from previous years benefit from attending The Fonteyn competition. Heather is delighted and grateful to be a part of this year’s competition and excited for all the challenges and opportunities it will offer.
“I am so excited to take part in this competition and represent my home country of Scotland”, says Heather.
Named in honour of RAD’s longest-serving president, Dame Margot Fonteyn DBE, The Fonteyn is one of the oldest and most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, representing the pinnacle of achievement for young dancers trained in the RAD syllabus.
Beginning in 1931, the competition has toured the globe and is dedicated to promoting dance, providing educational experiences and recognising excellence in young ballet dancers internationally. A launch pad for a professional career, past winners have become professional dancers with companies worldwide and enjoyed long-lasting careers in the arts.
At The Fonteyn, candidates compete for a chance to win the coveted Genee Gold medal supported by Freed of London, Silver and Bronze medals and cash prizes, and for the Dame Margot Fonteyn Audience Choice Award, Choreographic Award and Musicality Award.
Alongside the prizes, candidates have the chance to be awarded scholarships to some of the most prestigious ballet schools across the globe including English National Ballet School, Houston Ballet Academy and The Royal Ballet School. F
Learners from primary and special schools across Edinburgh have taken part in the Outdoor Learning Challenge, Scotland’s largest outdoor learning event.
Over 2,000 P6 children took part in a range of sustainability focused activities at Holyrood Park across two days on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 September.
The event was organised and led by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Outdoor Learning Team and delivered in partnership with Dynamic Earth Science Centre and Planetarium, Historic Environment Scotland Ranger Service in Holyrood Park, and Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh.
More than 25 different partner providers contributed a huge diversity of outdoor activities to make the event happen.
Designed to offer learners a chance to try a range of outdoor learning activities and experiences, the event also aimed to inspire and demonstrate to teachers how they can integrate outdoor learning into the curriculum.
This is the first time the event has run since 2019 and this year it focused on the theme of Learning for Sustainability. Activities included orienteering, archaeological excavation, ropes/tents/knots challenges, learning about geography, biodiversity, conservation and environmental art. Each group of pupils attends three 40-minute activity sessions.
The event supports the delivery of outdoor learning through the Curriculum for Excellence and Learning for Sustainability as a national priority as well as raising awareness of the twin nature and climate crises.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: “The Outdoor Learning Challenge is a truly unique event that brings together a large number of our learners to experience an exciting and action-packed day outside of the traditional classroom learning environment.
“This year’s theme was Learning for sustainability, and it has been fantastic to see the next generation being inspired in an outdoor setting and really engaging with the range of activities on offer.
“A key aim of the event is to showcase to school staff how they can incorporate outdoor learning into their everyday teaching and I’m confident that those who attended will go back to school inspired and full of ideas.
“Thanks to the partners and providers who brought their skill and expertise to Holyrood Park for a brilliant couple of days for all involved.”
Conor Ellis, Science Learning and Engagement Director at Dynamic Earth Science Centre and Planetarium, said:Connection to nature is so important in promoting positive health and wellbeing and stewardship of the planet.
“I’m so delighted to see the Outdoor Learning Challenge return and know that the event will provide fantastic opportunities for thousands of the capital’s children and young people across the two days!”
At Poppyscotland, volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. Without them, the Scottish Poppy Appeal simply could not happen.
Their dedication keeps our work visible in communities across Scotland and ensures that every donation translates into real, practical support for the Armed Forces community. As we prepare for the 2025 Appeal, we need you to step forward and be part of something truly meaningful.
Our biggest annual fundraising campaign depends on Poppy Appeal Area Organisers (AOs) across the country to coordinate collections in their local communities this October, leading up to Remembrance Sunday on 9 November 2025.
This year, we are looking for more AOs in Edinburgh and East Lothian to help deliver this vital Appeal. As an AO, you’ll play a key role in your community by distributing poppies and collection tins to busy shops, bars, and local venues, and where possible, arranging collections in supermarkets, shopping centres, and transport hubs. You’ll also meet new people and act as the friendly, local ‘face’ of Poppyscotland.
Richard Todd, National Poppy Appeal Manager at Poppyscotland, said: “The Scottish Poppy Appeal is vital to our work. It raises funds that enable us to provide year-round support to veterans, serving members of the Armed Forces and their families.
“Last year, our welfare team helped more than 800 individuals and families with needs ranging from housing and finance to mobility and mental health. We also reached many more through funding provided to partner organisations such as Legion Scotland, SACRO, and the Forces Employment Charity.
“The quality of our support is of the highest standard, but none of this would be possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers. Every year, they line the streets of Scotland with their iconic red tins, raising vital funds from the public.
“That’s why we are calling on anyone willing and able to join our team of AOs this year. Full training and support will be provided by our staff and most importantly, you’ll have the chance to make a real difference.”
For more information on becoming an Area Organiser, please visit:
The 10th of September 2025 marks World Suicide Prevention Day, and Samaritans Scotland is urging people across Scotland to show they care, interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts, and help save a life.
To mark the day, iconic buildings across Scotland will light up green to raise awareness of Samaritans and the help available to people struggling with suicidal thoughts. In Edinburgh, the striking Balmoral Hotel will light its clock tower green, whilst in Glasgow the Science Centre will also be illuminated. Dundee’s Discovery Point will also light up green, and further north, Shetland’s Lerwick Town Hall will also be lit in the charity’s well-known colour.
The message to people in Scotland is that suicide is not inevitable. An interruption could be a face-to-face conversation, a phone call, text or any other way of connecting with someone when they’re experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Research released by Samaritans this year indicated that over half of adults in Scotland (68%) would appreciate someone check offering words of support if they were struggling to cope. However, nearly half of the respondents in Scotland (38%) admitted avoiding initiating a conversation with someone who didn’t seem okay. For some, they were worried they’d say the wrong thing. For others, they worried their help wouldn’t be welcomed.
To help people feel empowered to initiate a conversation with someone who may be feeling suicidal, Samaritans has put together a guide on how to interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts with simple tips and advice, led by those with lived and living experience. You can find the guide here. In the guide, people can find ways to begin a conversation, how to be there for someone in the moment, how to listen without judgement, and how to help the person take their mind off how they’re feeling.
Many people may feel uncomfortable asking someone outright if they are having suicidal thoughts. Samaritans is encouraging people not to be afraid to ask the question, or of using the word ‘suicide’, as this gives people permission to open up. The charity has said that talking about suicide doesn’t have to be frightening, it shows that you care and gives the person space to share how they’re feeling.
Whilst it can be a difficult topic, you don’t have to be an expert or know the exact ‘right’ thing to say. Being there and showing that you care can make all the difference. Listen with empathy and without judgement to help the person open up about how they’re feeling, and don’t be afraid to ask someone if they’re feeling suicidal.
Representatives from Samaritans Scotland’s Lived Experience Advisory Group said: “If you think someone is struggling, even a stranger, it’s okay to reach out. A simple question like ‘are you okay?’ can be an interruption that saves a life.
“Even a small moment of connection can bring hope. That moment whispers: wait, stay, breathe.”
Danielle Rowley, Head of Policy and Communications at Samaritans Scotland, said: “It’s so important that we talk about suicide in order to prevent suicide, even though it can be challenging to approach and difficult to know what to say.
We want to encourage people to feel confident and safe speaking about suicide, and not to be afraid of using the word. If you are worried about someone, asking them if they feel suicidal almost gives permission for them to talk about it too. By allowing people to talk about how they really feel, we can help to save lives.”
Samaritans offers a free and confidential helpline for those in crisis and struggling to cope. If you’re suicidal or struggling to cope, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123.
More information about the campaign can be found on our webpage here.
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and we’re spreading the message that it’s ok to talk about suicide, in fact asking directly can help save a life.
Significant concerns about the lack of clarity surrounding the costs of a proposed restructuring of Scotland’s tertiary education and training funding landscape have been raised by a Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.
The Scottish Government’s Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill aims to consolidate the funding landscape for apprenticeships and national training programmes, improve processes and governance at the Scottish Funding Council, and clarify the procedure for providing student support to Scottish students studying at private institutions in the UK.
MSPs on the Committee report that they support the Government’s ambitions to make funding more responsive to the needs of learners and the economy and improve the operation of the Scottish Funding Council.
The evidence the Committee heard demonstrated to MSPs that the approach towards administrating and delivering apprenticeships, which offer valuable opportunities to learners and businesses in Scotland and make a vital contribution to the economy, needed to be improved.
The MSPs also saw the benefit of measures to improve the governance of the Scottish Funding Council, which the Committee hopes could help protect the finances of Scotland’s university and college sector.
However, the Committee has taken the unusual step of not making a recommendation on whether the Scottish Parliament should pass the Bill after concerns arose about a lack of clarity over the potentially significant costs of these changes.
In particular, the Committee has outlined that it is essential that the Government clarifies the cost of transferring staff from the Skills Development Scotland pension scheme to the Scottish Funding Council. The Scottish Government estimated this could cost up to £23 million, but the Chief Executive for Skills Development Scotland believed the cost could be higher.
The Committee also thinks it is vital that staff at both organisations are kept informed and engaged about the process after hearing concerns of a lack of meaningful consultation and widespread uncertainty during evidence.
Douglas Ross MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, said: “The value of apprenticeships to learners and businesses across Scotland is clear – and that’s part of the reason why our Committee supports elements which underpin this Bill. Funding should be responsive to what Scotland’s learners and economy needs.
“However, we’ve taken the unusual step of not making a recommendation on whether the Parliament should support the Bill in principle because of our significant concerns around the lack of clarity over the costs of the proposals. The Scottish Government must make progress on clarifying these if the Bill is to progress further.
“It is essential that we see a comprehensive update on the costs of the proposals before the Scottish Parliament votes on whether to proceed with the Bill later this autumn.”
Nearly one million people face hunger across Scotland, with growing numbers of working families turning to food banks, new research has found.
· Trussell estimates that nearly one million people in Scotland faced hunger in 2024 due to lack of money, reveals Trussell’s ‘Hunger in Scotland’ report, published today
· Nearly a quarter (24%) of people referred to food banks in the Trussell community in Scotland are in working households– showing paid employment no longer protects people from hardship
· Alarmingly, one in four children (25%) live in food insecure households, as parents struggle to make ends meet
· The charity warns that severe hardship is being ‘normalised’ as thousands of Scots are on the brink of hunger without turning to a food bank or charitable food provider, and having to go without essentials like food or heating as a routine part of life
· Trussell is calling on the UK and Scottish governments to urgently strengthen social security and deliver on manifesto commitments to end the need for emergency food
Trussell’s analysis reveals that across Scotland in 2024, a million people, including 210,000 children, faced hunger in the previous year due to a lack of money. That’s more than the combined populations of Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen.
The charity’s landmark report also reveals the growing reality that paid work is no longer enough to prevent people from needing a food bank.
A survey conducted among people referred to food banks in the Trussell community in Scotland found that nearly a quarter (24%) of people are part of a household where someone is in work – an increase since 2022 (17%).
People in manual and service jobs – such as factory workers, bus drivers and hospitality staff – are among the working people most likely to face hunger, despite having a job.
Alarmingly, the survey, conducted by Ipsos, also reveals that one in four (25%) children across Scotland live in food insecure households.
Trussell finds that very low incomes are the main driver of growing hunger and food bank need in Scotland. Overwhelmingly, this is caused by flaws in the design and delivery of the social security system, compounded by too many jobs being inaccessible, insecure and not paying enough to cover essential living costs.
Brian Cox, Scottish actor and Trussell supporter, said: “From my own experience, I know the harsh reality of growing up in poverty and the lasting impact it has. The constant worry of how to put food on the table is a feeling that never leaves you. No child should have to know what a food bank is, let alone need one.
“When 24% of people referred to food banks in the Trussell community in Scotland are part of a household where someone is in work, it’s clear that paid work isn’t enough to protect people from hardship.
“The UK Government must scrap the two-child limit to ensure children have the best start in life. Because no child should be held back by hunger.”
The survey of people referred to food banks revealed that people at food banks in Scotland are being left with just £148 a week after housing costs – to cover essentials like food, utility bills, travel for work or school, and toiletries like shampoo and toothpaste. That’s just a quarter (23%) of what the average household in Scotland has left after rent or mortgage.
Too often, social security isn’t providing the protection people need when work doesn’t pay – the majority (71%) of people in working households in Scotland who have needed to turn to food banks are also eligible to receive Universal Credit to top up their income.
Trussell also finds that thousands of people are facing hunger without reaching out to charitable food providers, revealing how hunger is becoming increasingly normalised in communities across Scotland.
Research among the general population in Scotland shows that over two-thirds (67%) of households facing hunger did not access any form of charitable food provision in the past year, usually because they didn’t feel like they should.
The most common reason, given by almost half (48%) of people is that they did not use these services because they did not feel they were facing financial hardship, while a third (32%) said this was because they thought other people might need it more.
But when people’s incomes are so low, the research shows that even a small change in household circumstance – such as a car breaking down, a bus route being cut or an unexpected bill – can be the tipping point that leaves them with no option but to turn to a food bank. This comes at a time when food banks are already under enormous pressure and many are struggling to meet extremely high levels of need, with 239,503 parcels provided by food banks in the Trussell community across Scotland in the past year alone.
Michaela Taylor, former hospitality worker from East Lothian, said: “When my relationship ended, it was a really dark period in my life.
“I worked in hospitality for 25 years, but when I became a single parent, I had to leave my job too, because I couldn’t find childcare which covered my shift patterns. I went from a household with two full time incomes, to none at all.
“The benefits system was really difficult for me to navigate – so for nine months I had absolutely no income at all. I had to choose between putting money on the meter or skipping meals myself so I could feed my daughters. Nobody should have to make that decision.”
Despite the Scottish Government’s commitments to end the need for food banks and eradicate child poverty, and the UK government’s manifesto promise to end the need for emergency food, there has been little progress on reducing hunger and hardship, the charity says.
The lack of improvement from 2022 provides further evidence of hardship becoming more normalised in communities across Scotland.
Trussell says urgent action is needed to deliver a tangible reduction in food bank need, and that next year’s elections are an opportunity to call on politicians to ensure that everyone has enough money to afford the essentials like food, bills and toiletries.
The charity is calling for urgent action by the Scottish government by the end of this parliament to reduce hunger and hardship, including:
· Following through on commitments to fully mitigate the two-child limit
· Increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week
· Providing a grant to mitigate against the five-week wait for Universal Credit
· Better support for disabled people to get into, and stay in, work
· Increasing funding for the Scottish Welfare Fund, using the Barnett consequentials* from the new Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Trussell says the UK government must also make sure that there is a reduction in hunger, and that children across Scotland have the best start in life.
Cara Hilton, senior policy manager for Trussell in Scotland, said: “Hunger and hardship are increasingly seen as a normal part of everyday life in Scotland, with working people and families with children being hit particularly hard.
“We need to see urgent change, now. Our country should not be seeing one in four (25%) families with children in food insecure households.
“This is not an inevitable trend, but the result of systems that urgently need updating – particularly our social security system. It isn’t right that so many Scots from all walks of life – including pensioners, disabled people, working families, and carers – are struggling to make ends meet.
“Nobody in Scotland should face hunger. Both the Scottish and UK governments need to keep their word and ensure every child has the best possible start in life and that everyone has the dignity of being able to put food on the table. We need urgent action on hunger and hardship, or this government risks seeing more people having to turn to food banks on their watch. This research is the benchmark against which they will be judged.”
Crystal Clayton, project manager at Renfrewshire Foodbank, said: “After reading the report I am shocked and stunned that the number of people that fall below is the poverty line in our country.
“This is not good enough, hunger should never be normalised because people can not afford the essentials. In Renfrewshire we have seen the number of referrals have go up and up, year on year.
“This is 2025 foodbanks should not should not be in existence, we need to see a systematic change that will allow everyone to afford to food and other essentials, not having to turn to a foodbank.
“As rents go up, bills go up, and the cost of food goes up, incomes aren’t going up and this means we’re seeing more people in work coming through our doors. It feels like there is no way out of poverty for some people, and we need the government to take action now.”
