Join us at Edinburgh Children’s Library for our very exciting Teddy Bears’ Sleepover!
To book, click the link below which will take you to our Eventbrite page.
Teddy Bears’ Sleepover at Central Library on Tuesday
Scottish Government’s ‘National Mission’ to close attainment gap
Scotland’s councils set out ambitions to help young people succeed
Local authorities have published their plans for closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
Councils across Scotland have set their own “stretch aims” for children and young peoples’ progress in literacy and numeracy levels, for senior phase qualifications achieved, as well as for the number of young people participating in education, training, or employment.
For both overall attainment and in terms of closing the poverty-related attainment gap in literacy and numeracy, the collective stretch aims of local authorities demonstrate ambitions to work towards achieving the biggest two-year improvement recorded since the introduction of the Scottish Attainment Challenge.
This work will be supported by the Scottish Government’s £1 billion Scottish Attainment Challenge, with £43 million in Strategic Equity Funding allocated to local authorities this year. In total more than £130 million has been distributed to schools so far this year to help close the poverty-related attainment gap.
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We are committed to substantially eliminating the poverty-related attainment gap and councils have a crucial role in driving this national mission forward at a local level.
“Given the effect of COVID-19 on children and young peoples’ achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels in 2020/21, these collective aims represent significant local ambition for recovery back to and beyond the national position pre-pandemic, aiming to narrow the poverty related attainment gap by over seven percentage points in both primary school literacy and numeracy compared to 2020/21.
“These will drive an enhanced focus on outcomes for children and young people, ensuring they have the opportunities and support they need to reach their full potential.”
The Edinburgh Reforms: Chancellor to announce package of financial reforms during visit today
- Chancellor to announce reforms to drive growth and secure the UK’s position as world leading financial services hub in Edinburgh today.
- Ringfencing rules are set to be updated to release banks without major investment activities from the regime, regulators will be given a new remit to deliver growth and a widespread review will repeal hundreds of pages of EU law.
- The Government will continue to deliver reforms across the economy to drive economic growth during challenging times.
Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, will announce a package of over 30 regulatory reforms to secure the UK’s place as the world’s foremost financial centre during a visit to Edinburgh today,
The “Edinburgh Reforms” will build on the unparalleled strength of the UK’s financial services sector, taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the UK’s exit from the European Union to tailor regulations to suit the country’s needs.
Today the Treasury will publish its plan to rigorously review, repeal and replace hundreds of pages of EU regulation ranging from disclosure for financial products to prudential rules for banks, creating a tailor-made UK regulatory framework based on international best practice that balances burden on business with protection for the consumer.
Rules that hold back growth will be reviewed, with overbearing EU rules which put companies off listing in the UK being overhauled, among dozens of regulations within scope of the Financial Services and Markets Bill.
The Government will also announce changes to ringfencing rules which currently require major banks to separate their retail and investment arms, and retail banks have to comply even if they don’t have an investment arm, a time consuming regulatory exercise.
Reforms will cut red tape and boost banking competition in response to the Skeoch review by freeing retail focused banks from ringfencing rules while maintaining protections for consumers. The UK’s world leading regulatory regime has evolved over the past decade and will continue to protect consumers and safeguard financial stability.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said: “This country’s financial services sector is the powerhouse of the British economy, driving innovation, growth and prosperity across the country.
“Leaving the EU gives us a golden opportunity to reshape our regulatory regime and unleash the full potential of our formidable financial services sector.
“Today we are delivering an agile, proportionate and home-grown regulatory regime which will unlock investment across our economy to deliver jobs and opportunity for the British people.”
This builds on the reforms to Solvency II announced in the Autumn Statement which will unlock over £100 billion for productive investment from UK insurers over the next decade, such as clean energy infrastructure.
The Chancellor is also expected to issue new mandates to the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority setting out how they will help deliver growth and promote the international competitiveness of the UK.
The financial services sector is vital for Britain’s economic strength, contributing £216 billion a year to the UK economy. This includes £76 billion in tax, enough to fund the entire police force and state school system, while employing over 2.3 million people – with 1.4 million outside London and 163,000 people in Scotland.
While in Edinburgh today, the Chancellor will meet with top financial services CEOs to discuss these reforms and how the sector can further drive investment and growth in the UK.
As confirmed in the Autumn Statement, the government will look to announce changes to EU regulations in four other growth industries by the end of next year, including digital technology, life sciences, green industries and advanced manufacturing.
City council launches Warm and Welcoming Spaces across Edinburgh
With the colder months of the year now upon us the city council has announced the official launch of a network of Warm and Welcoming Spaces across the capital.
Council Leader Cammy Day formally launched the initiative yesterday during a visit to Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.
Council venues such as libraries, community centres, museums and galleries, alongside partner and community spaces, will put on free activities for a variety of age groups and provide a space where people feel safe, warm, and at ease.
In certain spaces residents will be able to access information to help alleviate food/fuel poverty and other support available to them.
At this stage, there are more than 60 Warm and Welcoming Spaces across the city. The council ia also working with a network of partners to provide and promote further spaces.
Residents will be able to find out more about the initiative and find their nearest ‘Warm and Welcoming Spaces’ via an interactive map on a dedicated webpage.
Please also visit our dedicated home energy page for advice on how to keep your homes warmer, save money or if you’re worried about your bills.
If you are an organisation and want to get involved in Warm and Welcoming, please email us on warm.welcoming@edinburgh.gov.uk
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We are now in the midst of one of the most challenging winters in recent times with the cost-of-living crisis, rising energy prices, and inflation. Many of our residents will rightly be concerned about heating their homes in the months ahead.
“The Warm and Welcoming Spaces initiative brings together a host of spaces across the city where people can connect with others, learn new skills, and relax.
“These spaces are also key in combatting social isolation, boosting mental health and welling, and allowing people to access services and support in a respectful and friendly manner.
Biddy Kelly, Managing Director at Fresh Start, said: “As we head into what we know will be a difficult winter the need on our communities is ever growing. That is why it has been so important that we work collectively to ensure that we have community spaces, both statutory and in the third sector open and that people are aware of where they can go and when.
“Working in this collaborative manner ensures that we have places open that people feel supported in a dignified manner and where they can access a wide breadth of services and support. The co-ordinated Warm and Welcoming website will allow both staff and people access on site to find vital information.”
Ian Brooke, Deputy Chief Executive of Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC), said: “The voluntary sector always plays a part in supporting communities during difficult times and will have a key role to play in the Warm and Welcoming Spaces programme.
“Our shared priority is to offer meaningful opportunities for people to gather together within their own community, activities that can also help combat issues of social isolation, loneliness and mental health.
“Our priority to Edinburgh’s voluntary sector is getting cash into people’s pockets, as the primary solution to combatting the issues of poverty that have been worsened so much by the current cost of living crisis.
“The Warm and Welcoming spaces programme is and must continue to be supplementary to that.”
Online Edinburgh Radio Station attracting the stars
Mix 1 Radio based in Stockbridge have been on air for just under a year and are attracting some big names to join them as guests on air.
The station which has a mixture of music and conversation is exploiting the gap in the local radio marketspace as the larger stations are consolidating shows across the whole country. With presenters giving regular updates on local news, traffic and weather along with promoting local business’s the station is pulling in listeners across the capital and beyond.
The special guest on this weeks Edinburgh Weekender Show on Friday 6 till 8pm is London’s First Lady of Soul, PP Arnold who made her breakthrough as backing singer with Ike and Tina Turner before carving out her own successful career with hits like Angel of The Morning and The First Cut Is The Deepest.
She has a fascinating story to tell and listeners of Mix 1 will enjoy a great conversation with PP Arnold and Mix! Presenters Big T and Clayton P.
PP Arnold talks about her audition in Tina Turners front room. Moving to London and becoming the Boyfriend of Mick Jagger and her bond with Bee Gee Barry Gibb.
Previous guests on Mix 1 recently have been Tim Hower, lead singer of Mike and The Mechanics, Steve Smiley Barnard who played drums in Robbie Williams band, Craig Eddie winner of The Voice 2021 and Paul McCarthy star of TV’s Grange Hill.
There are more exciting guest lined up over the next few months.
The interview will be broadcast on Friday from 6pm on The Edinburgh Weekender Show. You can listen to Mix 1 Radio on your Alexa, just ask Alexa to enable the Mix 1 Radio Skill then Alexa Play Mix 1 Radio or listen online via their website Mix1Radio.co.uk
British Gas Energy Trust awards six figure grant to Children’s Hospices Across Scotland charity
Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) has been awarded a grant totalling more than £196,000 to support the families of babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions through the cost-of-living crisis.
The funding has been provided by the British Gas Energy Trust – an independent charitable trust that supports families and individuals facing financial hardship and energy debt, directly and through local and national money and energy advice services and charities.
CHAS is the single national provider of hospice care to children in Scotland. CHAS offers support to children with life-shortening conditions and their families through its hospices in Kinross and Balloch, a specialist team in every children’s hospital in Scotland, and in the community.
The funding package will be used to deploy additional Family Income Maximisation Officers to offer money and energy advice in our hospices, in homes, in hospitals and virtually.
Specific skills sessions will focus on the running of household appliances and will provide useful money and energy-saving tips like batch cooking. Eligible families will also be able to apply for emergency fuel vouchers, and necessary appliances like air dryers and hot water bottles – alongside other practical measures like warm bedding will be available.
Rami Okasha, CHAS CEO, said: “We are so thankful to the British Gas Energy Trust for awarding us this grant which will help the families that we support across Scotland and enhance our current money and energy advice service.
“The families we support have a child with a life shortening condition. Many of these families, as well as living with the psychologically devastating knowledge of the impending death of a much loved child, encounter many practical and economic disadvantages.
Many families are also providing round the clock care and don’t have a choice in turning off their heating or equipment that keeps their child alive. At a time where these families should be making happy memories together, they are living with fear and worry.
“This fund will allow us to provide 1-to-1 intensive support for families in emergency situations who may require advice around energy tariffs, cost of running household appliances and saving money when cooking. It will also allow us to provide emergency fuel vouchers helping ease the strain of travelling costs.
Jessica Taplin, CEO of the British Gas Energy Trust, said: “The rising cost of living means more people are experiencing financial difficulty for the first time, and are struggling to pay their bills.
“ Some of the families CHAS help are facing a devastating time, as a Trust we are committed to working to support those most affected by the terrible impact of poverty, and this new funding partnership will help provide intensive support for families in emergency situations – so hopefully they have one less thing to worry about.”
Since the start of the cost-of-living crisis, Centrica – the parent company of British Gas – has put together a support package for households worth more than £25m, which will continue to grow.
This funding includes 18-month grants paid to more than 20 advice centres and charities across England, Scotland and Wales, including CHAS.
For more information about the British Gas Energy Trust, to find out about the support that’s available, and to apply for a grant, visit:
Christmas event brings festive cheer to Corstorphine residents
Local MSP joins guests in carol sing-a-long at award-winning Corstorphine restaurant
Corstorphine restaurant Prahna Indian Grill fully embraced the Christmas spirit today staging a lunchtime event for residents from the local community.
The eatery, which was named as Scotland’s leading establishment at last month’s Scottish Asian Restaurant Awards, welcomed more than 30 elderly residents from across the West of Edinburgh at a community event featuring great food, plenty of social interaction, and a Christmas sing-a-long.
The guests were treated to lunch before enjoying a festive concert from the Corstorphine Singers, where they were encouraged to take part in a group carol singing session.
The event was designed to bring Christmas cheer to people from the local community by getting them together for some festive fun and networking with others.
Prahna co-founder Arun Ramanan said: “Since opening our doors in 2020, just prior to the pandemic, we have been honoured to be part of this community.
“Today’s event is about bringing together residents across the West of Edinburgh and enabling them to get out and socialise and enjoy some festive cheer in the run-up to Christmas.”
Local MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton, who came along to meet the guests at today’s event, said: “Since they began trading, Prahna has been an active member of the Corstorphine community.
“I thank them for hosting today’s lively event and providing a hub to bring together some of our elderly residents and help get us all into the festive spirit.”
Victim Surcharge Fund opened
More help for victims as criminals pay towards costs
The third application round of the Victim Surcharge Fund has now opened for bids from organisations that support victims of crime.
Anyone who commits a crime that results in a court fine is charged an additional penalty – the victim surcharge. The accumulated Victim Surcharge Fund provides direct, practical help to victims, for example meeting household repair costs that have arisen due to crime, or providing food, utility or clothing expenses for people escaping domestic abuse.
A total of £413,727 has been awarded to organisations, including Victim Support Scotland, trauma and loss centre the Manda Centre and Scottish women’s aid groups, since the Scottish Government launched the Victim Surcharge Fund in 2019.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “We are committed to putting victims’ rights and needs at the centre of the criminal justice system and it is absolutely right that criminals should pay towards helping victims of crime as they recover from their experience.
“The Victim Surcharge Fund builds on the Scottish Government’s wider support for victims. Over the past five years we have invested £93m through our justice budget alone, demonstrating our commitment to putting victims first.
“I encourage victim support organisations to apply to the Fund so that victims can continue to access the support and help that they need.”
Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland Kate Wallace said: “The cost-of-living crisis has meant that more people affected by crime are struggling to make ends meet.
“This additional funding from the Victim Surcharge Fund allows VSS to cover the cost of essential items such as food vouchers, property repairs, alarms and funeral costs, thereby meeting the needs of vulnerable victims in the aftermath of crime.
“Since 2020, VSS Emergency Assistance Fund has provided £495,000 worth of goods to more than 1,000 people and their families, thanks to funding from the Victim Surcharge Fund. We accept applications directly from people affected by crime and have received referrals from over 200 support organisations.
“For many of the people we support, this financial assistance is simply life changing. We welcome the news that the fund has reopened, which helps empower people to move on after a crime.”
Victims’ organisations interested in applying to the Fund can request an application form by emailing VictimSurchargefund@gov.scot and should apply by the 9 January 2023 deadline.
Stepping Up: Minister visits Wester Hailes High School to learn about ENABLE’s vision for the future of young disabled people
Pupils at Wester Hailes High School welcomed Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education, Youth Employment and Training, to their classroom yesterday to showcase ENABLE Works’ Stepping Up programme.
The ground-breaking initiative, established in 2009 by ENABLE, Scotland’s largest charity for people with learning disabilities, supports young people who have a learning disability to build and explore their aspirations for the future, helping them to positively progress into employment, education and industry training upon leaving school.
Stepping Up currently has a 98% positive destination success rate for young people with learning disabilities – higher than current school leaver statistics across the country. The programme aims to tackle the underrepresentation of people with learning disabilities in the workplace through early intervention.
During his visit to Wester Hailes High School, Mr Hepburn heard directly from students who take part in Stepping Up about how the variety of interactive workshops and training activities have helped to increase their confidence and develop their employability skills and has allowed them the chance to realise their potential and consider their aspirations for the future.
Mr Hepburn was also able to get involved in an interview workshop, aimed at building employability skills, and had the chance to try ENABLE Works’ Virtual Reality (VR) headset, as the programme utilises the latest technologies to allow the young people involved to truly be able to envision their future.
Jay, one of the Stepping Up students, explained what the programme has meant to him: “I have really enjoyed my time on Stepping Up so far, as I’ve learned a lot about college and work and had the chance to try new things such as the VR headset, while working alongside people in a similar position to me.
“As a pupil in fifth year, I’ve started thinking about what I’d like to do after school. Before Stepping Up I really wasn’t sure what was next for me, I didn’t know much about the world of work, and I wouldn’t have known how to write a CV or how to act in an interview. Thanks to the programme, I now understand how to do these things and I feel much more prepared.
“I’ve been discussing college courses and I’m feeling really excited about what options are out there for me. I’d love to study drama or film and I’m looking forward to visiting different colleges to learn more about the full-time options.”
Director of ENABLE Works, Ashley Ryan said: “Stepping Up is the only programme of its kind in Europe and now operates in over 75 schools across Scotland, making a real difference to the lives of thousands of young people.
“We were very pleased to have welcomed Mr Hepburn to Wester Hailes High School to see first-hand the impact the programme is having on disabled young people, to overcome any barriers that can prevent a positive transition from school into adulthood.
“Helping equip young people with learning disabilities with the confidence and skills they need to positively progress into employment or further education is invaluable, and we hope this early intervention will help to close the disability employment gap that exists in Scotland.”
Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education, Youth Employment and Training, said: “It has been inspiring to hear about the vital work that ENABLE does to connect disabled young people to fair work, education and productive activities designed to support a successful transition into adult life and work.
“The Scottish Government is committed to supporting organisations, such as ENABLE, to ensure that people with additional support needs are given a wealth of opportunities.
“I look forward to learning more about the progress of the Stepping Up programme.”
For more information on the Stepping Up programme please contact the ENABLE Works team on enable.works@enable.org.uk or 0300 0200 101.
Festive Home Security Advice
Police Scotland: Festive Home Security Advice
Try and make your house look occupied.
Make friends with your neighbours. Ask them to take your bins in and out, gather up mail from behind the door regularly and collect any parcels that may have been left on your doorstep.
Allow them to park on the drive if you have one.
Fit timer switches on lights and set them to come on before it gets dark.
If you have a home smart device consider using smart plugs.
Ensure your locks meet BS3621 (http://ow.ly/5Q1E50LXb0a)
Keep car keys secure and hidden at all times.
If on holiday, take the keys with you.
Fit and use outside security lights.
Window locks should be fitted where appropriate and used all the time.
Do not leave the key in the lock.
Electronics are favourite housebreaking targets. These should be locked away or removed from view.
Add tracking software or security marks to electronics to make them harder to sell and aid in recovery if stolen.
Consider automatic curtain closers.
Consider an intruder alarm system. More information on alarm systems and monitoring at:
http://ow.ly/OWIN50LXb09 or http://ow.ly/ZZwq50LXb0c.
If you have an alarm, use it!
Consider a CCTV system to allow you to monitor your property remotely.
Secure your shed and all tools that could be used to force entry to your home.
Consider the use of a shed alarm.
Consider joining Neighbourhood Watch Scotland or setting up residents’ social media groups.
If you see anyone acting suspiciously near your premises, please contact the police immediately with a detailed description of any person or vehicle involved.
For further advice http://ow.ly/stC450LXb0b