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For advice on talking about suicide check out our website: https://bit.ly/4ge4qif
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.”
SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER at 7pm
Join us at Grace Church Leith in welcoming Nashville-based singer-songwriter Stephanie Staples to Leith this Saturday 13th at 7pm!
Pay what you want,
Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/an-evening-at-grace-church…
POLICE are appealing for information after an electric off-road bike was stolen in Edinburgh.
The incident occurred around 1.30pm on Saturday, 6 September, 2025, on the roadway to the Harlaw Reservoir, near the walled garden at the Visitor Centre.
Two males pushed a 13-year-old boy off the e-bike and stole it.
The boy was badly shaken but not injured in the incident and police were contacted.
The first male is described as white, around 5ft 6 inches in height with an average build. He is around 20 years old, with short brown hair and wearing an orange t-shirt and black jogging trousers, black and grey On Cloud trainers and a black Montirex baseball cap with white writing.
The second suspect is black, around 6ft tall with an average build. He has dark hair and was wearing a black, shiny jacket with black trousers and black trainers.
The bike is black with royal blue detailing on the frame and the forks. It also has the word STING written in white on the frame.
Detective Constable Beverley Burnside said: “I am appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time to think back and consider if they saw these two males. Did you see them on a bike, did you see them walking in the area?
“Any small piece of information could prove vital for us, so please do pass it on.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting 1685 of 6 September, 2025. Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
Stopping cancer cells spreading and hiding in the brain is the focus of a new research project at the University of Edinburgh.
Cancer Research UK is funding the bid to find a way of detecting and preventing glioblastoma cells before they can spread throughout the brain.
Glioblastoma is the most common and deadly adult brain cancer and recurs in around 90 per cent of patients after surgery. It is one of the most difficult cancers to treat due to its location in sensitive areas of the brain.
Surgery is risky, particularly once the cancer begins to spread as the cancer cells are scattered and hidden deep in the brain. This spread of glioblastoma cells in the brain is the main reason the cancer returns after surgery.
However, if these cancerous cells could be targeted by treatments, then outcomes for patients could be improved.
The research team at the Institute for Genetics and Cancer at the University of Edinburgh will focus on discovering the mechanics of how the cancerous cells are able to move and escape surgery.
Study lead Dr Alex Loftus, of the Institute for Genetics and Cancer at the University of Edinburgh and Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, said:
“Glioblastoma is a cancer where new treatments are desperately needed. Until now, the way glioblastoma cells invade the brain and move around it have not been fully understood.
“Our research will focus on the mechanics of how glioblastoma cells relocate throughout the brain so we can spot the beginnings of movement and stop them in their tracks.”
The team has been awarded £14,656 from Cancer Research UK for the project which will focus on proteins called cell-matrix adhesion proteins which coordinate communication between cells and the environments they live in.
The researchers hope to find new targets for treatment which could be used around the time of initial surgery to ensure fewer cancer cells escape surgery and reduce recurrence rates.
Around 12,500 people are diagnosed with a brain, central nervous system or intracranial tumour in the UK each year* including around 1,100 in Scotland.** With only around 1 in 4 people in the UK surviving their disease for 5 years or more, finding new ways to tackle this type of cancer crucial.***
Cancer Research UK’s Director of Research, Dr Catherine Elliott, said: “Glioblastoma is a devastating cancer which affects thousands of people across the UK and sadly there are limited treatment options especially when the cancer returns after initial successful treatment.
“Cancer Research UK is determined to continue to find new ways to tackle glioblastoma which are so desperately needed to improve outcomes for patients.”
BBC ALBA will broadcast coverage of what could be one of the defining matches of the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) season when champions Hibs travel to play Celtic – with both having made impressive starts to this season’s campaign.
The clash between two of the favourites for the 2025/26 title will be one of three fixtures to be shown on successive weekends by BBC ALBA during September.
Celtic will feature on Sunday 14 September when they make the trip north to face Aberdeen, before they entertain Hibernian a week later on Sunday 21 September.
To complete a hat-trick for the month, BBC ALBA will also broadcast the derby clash between Rangers and Glasgow City on Sunday 28 September.
The multi-year deal, funded by BBC ALBA’s partner MG ALBA, will see the broadcaster continue to bring live coverage of top flight women’s football to viewers across the country until the end of the 2027/28 season, cementing BBC ALBA’s role as the home of the SWPL.
Fiona MacKenzie, BBC ALBA commissioning editor, said: “The battle to win the SWPL already looks like it could go to the wire this season, with Hibs and Celtic making particularly strong starts to their respective campaigns.
“Our partnership with the SWPL supports the continued visibility and growth of the game and the three fixtures BBC ALBA is set to broadcast live in September promise to showcase Scottish women’s football at its finest.”
Watch Aberdeen v Celtic on Sunday 14 September, live or on demand on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer, from 4pm: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002jn2c
Celtic will host Hibs on Sunday 21 September, and Rangers will face Glasgow City on Sunday 28 September.
Stars of the hit BBC and Netflix TV series Still Game are heading out on tour, visiting the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Thursday 16th October.
Following popular demand and a run of sell-out dates in 2024, Auld Pals: An Evening with the Stars of Still Game is taking to the road again for a limited number of performances.
The production features Jane McCarry, Paul Riley, Mark Cox, Sanjeev Kohli and Gavin Mitchell, who played Isa, Winston, Tam, Navid and Boabby the Barman in the award-winning, hit comedy series.
The talented ensemble cast have been entertaining audiences for years, with unforgettable performances in some of TV’s biggest comedy shows including Chewin’ the Fat, The Karen Dunbar Show and, of course, Still Game.
Now audiences can get up close and personal with the show’s cast members for an evening of laughter, entertainment, and Scottish wit as they share personal stories from their careers in entertainment, including memories from their time on Still Game. Fans will even get an opportunity to ask the stars their own questions about the iconic TV show in a Q&A session.
Ahead of the tour, Lee Newton of promoter Red Shoe Entertainment said: “The cast had a brilliant time on the show last year and were incredibly touched by everyone’s support, not to mention all the full houses they received across the UK.
“Since the last show, we’ve been inundated with messages from fans, asking if we can get the show out again and we thought it would be rude to let them down. So, we are very excited to take this spectacular line-up of comedic talent to Edinburgh this October.
Whether you’re a Still Game superfan, or just looking for a good time, this show is not to be missed!”
Listings
Thursday 16th October
Tickets from £32.50 (Booking fees may apply) – VIP Meet and Greet Tickets Sold Out.
You can book tickets online at: edinburghcornexchange.co.uk
Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 11 New Market Road, Edinburgh, EH14 1RJ
Climate Action Week Live Lessons 23-30 September 
Scotland’s Climate Week is all about working together for a sustainable future. If you are a school or nursery, you can take part in our Live Lessons to learn what’s working and what we can do to move forward together.
Find out more and register:
