SPORTS CLOTHES WANTED
KitForAll – Leith PE are requesting donations of pre-loved sports kit for our KitForAll campaign.
KitforAll is about offering sports kit to individuals and families who need it the most, for FREE.
With your donations, we hope to make sport and physical activity more accessible.
#PassItOn
School libraries across Scotland have been awarded funding totalling £200,000 for projects focused on anti-racism, diversity, and racial equality.
In 2022-23 18 initiatives across 10 local authorities will benefit from the School Library Improvement Fund grants.
These include Strathaven Academy in South Lanarkshire, which will receive £5,000 to develop a diversity and racial equality education initiative to promote and develop anti-racist education.
Ross High School in East Lothian will be supported with £50,000 for its community programme that will encourage pupils and staff to have the confidence to challenge and appropriately respond to discrimination and prejudice.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School libraries play a key role for young people by providing access to educational resources, supporting learning and helping to close the poverty-related attainment gap.
“The School Library Improvement Fund continues to support creative and innovative projects in school libraries.
“The anti-racism focus of the projects will allow school libraries to engage with pupils on the importance of belonging, inclusion and social justice.”
Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive of the Scottish Library and Information Council, said: “School libraries play a valuable role in education and learning, and ensuring every young person has the chance to fulfil their full potential.
“Projects funded through programmes like SLIF help to improve and expand the services school libraries can provide, so it’s great to see such strong applications coming in from schools eager to further develop these resources.
“We’re particularly proud to award support to those advocating for anti-racism and anti-discrimination through this year’s Fund and we can’t wait to see these initiatives come to fruition.”
School Library Improvement Fund awards
Aberdeenshire
| Fraserburgh Academy /Fraserburgh Football Club and Aberdeen Football Club |
| Project: Widening the Pitch |
| Award: £2,700 |
Clackmannanshire
| Alloa and Lornshill Academy/Empathy Lab |
| Project: Building Empathy Through Books: Empathy Champions |
| Award: £8,942 |
East Ayrshire
| Kilmarnock Academy |
| Project: Building Racial Literacy |
| Award: £3,000 |
East Dunbartonshire
| Turnbull High School |
| Project: Exploring the Holocaust |
| Award: £3,705 |
| St Ninian’s High School |
| Project: Human Rights, Story Writes |
| Award: £4,500 |
East Lothian
| Ross High School |
| Project: Stand Up and Be Counted – Global Community; Engage, Equip, Inspire |
| Award: £50,000 |
| Preston Lodge High School |
| Project: East Lothian Black History |
| Award: £3,300 |
Edinburgh
| Edinburgh School Libraries |
| Project: The Library is Anti-Racist: A toolkit for school libraries |
| Award: £29,000 |
Glasgow
| Holy Cross Primary |
| Project: Diverse Stories |
| Award: £10,000 |
| Oakgrove Primary /WOSDEC |
| Project: Home is Here |
| Award: £17,400 |
| Shawlands Primary School / Rumpus Room |
| Project: Inclusive Creative Arts and Literacy Lounge |
| Award: £10,500 |
| St Mungo’s Primary School |
| Project: Developing the Young Workforce and celebrating the diverse community of St Mungo’s |
| Award: £14,255 |
| Glasgow Schools – All Saints Secondary School, Lochend Community High School / School of Education- University of Glasgow |
| Project: White Water Writers |
| Award: £18,730 |
Inverclyde
| Port Glasgow Campus Library/Larkfield Early Learning |
| Project: Reading Around the World |
| Award: £4,000 |
Perth and Kinross
| Inchview Primary & Nursery/ Nil by Mouth |
| Project: 383 Neeps and Tatties and Counting |
| Award: £4,650 |
| Crieff High School |
| Project: Protest Prejudice |
| Award: £10,000 |
| Lochleven Community Library/Kinross High School |
| Project: I read for…. Change, understanding , empowerment |
| Award: £3,700 |
South Lanarkshire
| Strathaven Academy |
| Project: Diversity and Racial Equality Education |
| Award: £5,000 |
More UK cities are set to introduce clean air zones this year, making motorists pay a charge if they wish to enter city centres.
Road safety experts at Road Angel are urging drivers to check for changes in their local areas and to get any necessary permits to prevent facing fines for driving through these zones.
Drivers in London already face charges if they wish to enter the capital’s low and ultra low emission zones (ULEZ). Five other UK cities have already introduced clean air zones with three more due to start in the coming weeks and months.
Currently, drivers in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol and Portsmouth all face potential charges based on the level of their emissions.
Tyneside is set to introduce its own Clean Air Zone on 30 January and Sheffield will follow suit on 27 February.
Greater Manchester is the third local authority set to introduce a clean air zone in 2023 although they have yet to agree on a date.
Cities are able to choose one of four possible clean air zones from Class A through to Class D which each class targeting different types of road vehicles. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to £120.
Currently, only Birmingham and Bristol have introduced Class D Clean Air Zones – these are the most far reaching and require private car drivers to register and potentially pay charges depending on the level of their emissions.
Both Bath and Bradford have introduced Class C Clean Air Zones, these target vans, minibuses, coaches, taxis, HGVs, buses and private hire vehicles but not privately owned cars.
Portsmouth is currently the only city to have brought in Class B restrictions where charges apply to coaches, taxis, HGVs, buses and private hire vehicles but not cars, vans or minibuses.
It’s believed that Sheffield is planning on a Class C zone while Tyneside is planning to introduce Class B restrictions. Details for Manchester’s upcoming zone have not yet been finalised.
A spokesperson for Road Angel said: “We welcome changes to improve air quality in our cities but we don’t want these changes to take any drivers by surprise.
“Therefore we are urging drivers who may be visiting any of these cities to check the government’s website to find out if they are required to obtain a permit for a clean air zone.
“It’s also worth checking the vehicle’s logbook where information on the vehicle’s emission rate can be found to determine if charges can be applicable in clean air zones.
“If drivers don’t pay the fee applied to their area within six days of entering the clean air zone, they can face a standard penalty charge of £120.
“Going forward, we predict this will encourage drivers to turn to electric vehicles so they don’t have to face further charges for their vehicle’s emission rates.
“While Sheffield and Tyneside are currently the only areas planned to introduce charges in 2023, along with the possibility of Greater Manchester, it doesn’t stop the case for more cities across the UK to add their names to the list.”
Drivers venturing into these cities will soon have access to this information in-car via the Road Angel Pure
Edinburgh’s city centre Low Emission Zone (LEZ) was approved by Scottish Ministers on 19 May 2022 and was introduced on 31 May 2022. Enforcement will start on 1 June 2024, following a two-year grace period for all.
TUESDAY AFTERNOONS from 10th JANUARY
Did you make your New Year resolutions? How about dedicating more time to resting, relaxing and slowing down in our busy lives this year?
We are organising a free space to play board games in ELREC every Tuesday at 3:30-5:30pm from 10th January! Come alone or with friends to have fun and meet new people!
The board games afternoons will be a part of the Conscious Living Project that aims to promote wellbeing, mental health and raise environmental awareness 
We are gathering and buying board games to play but you are very welcome to come with your group and own board games to play as well! Feel free to share the post or let your friends or family know 
If you know anyone who feels lonely and want to spend some time with other people, it would be a great opportunity!
There are limited spaces so you would need to register to take part:
https://www.eventbrite.com/…/board-games-afternoons…
Hope to see you!
Music, dancing, poetry, food …sounds good doesn’t it! Join PCHP and partners as we celebrate #burnsnight community style !!!
You’ll be treated to a delicious meal and the music will be provided by the amazing Tinderbox Collective – what’s not to like!
Tickets will be on sale from Monday the 16th of January at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre reception desk and also from the Granton Garden Bakery window on Saturday the 21st of January so don’t miss your chance to have braw wee night out.
If you’d like to perform or volunteer at the event then please get in touch with; tom@grantoncommunitygardeners.org to arrange
Look forward to seeing you all there.
Our new programme for 2023 starting 9th January.
We have included some later nights into sessions and changed some of the days for sessions, so please look out for the sessions you’d like to come to.
We hope to see you along at sessions next week.
| Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip: Setting Effective Goals for Your Health |
| January marks the start of a new year and it is a good time to evaluate the current state of your health. Many of us use the new year to set health related goals, which often include stopping a bad habit or introducing a new healthy one. However, a goal without a plan is just a dream and it is worth spending some time to set effective goals if you want to make positive strides towards better health in 2023. Here we outline some tips to set effective goals. Make them SMART SMART goals are: SPECIFIC: ‘Eat healthier’ sounds like a good idea, but what does that look like for you specifically? It could be eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day or increasing the amount of water you drink to two litres. Whatever it is, make it as specific as possible. MEASURABLE: Set goals that are trackable and allow you to measure your success. For example, a goal to reduce your alcohol consumption is hard to quantify, but a goal to limit your alcohol consumption to three drinks a week is measurable. ATTAINABLE: It can be tempting to set huge goals when we are feeling really inspired, however, it is important to think realistically and set goals that you can actually achieve. For someone who has never run before and doesn’t have a good level of fitness, setting a goal to run a marathon may be a bit of a stretch. RELEVANT: Make the goal align with your values and longer-term health goals. Why is this goal important to you and what impact will it have on your health if it isn’t achieved? TIME-BOUND: An effective goal has an end date, when will you achieve this goal by? Planning to stop smoking by 1st August 2023 is a time-bound goal. It enables you to plan what steps you need to take to achieve it by the end date. Track your progress It’s a good idea to write your goals down on paper or in a journal and keep track of your progress. You could break down the year by quarters and plan what you want to have achieved in relation to each goal by the end of every quarter. For example, by the end of quarter one (January through March) you will have achieved consistently drinking one litre of water a day and by the end of quarter two (April through June) you will have achieved consistently drinking two litres a day. For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips. To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/. Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/. |
The results of the largest opinion poll of its kind in the Arab world have been released by The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) with almost 33 thousand respondents across 14 Arab countries and more than 900 researchers taking part.
The poll touched upon the issues facing Arabs living within the region as well as their opinions on global events. Given the contentious nature of the region’s democratization efforts and political culture, Israeli-Arab relations, Russia’s war on Ukraine and more, the findings of this year’s poll highlight significant trends in Arab public opinion. The following are some of the report’s key findings.
The full report is attached.
DEMOCRACY AND STATE INSTITUTIONS
There is overwhelming support for democracy in the Arab World, with 72% of respondents supporting a democratic system. This support for democracy has been a constant in every Arab Index survey since its launch in 2011, demonstrating an established belief in democracy.
Citizens’ confidence in state institutions varies. Parliaments and legislative councils received the least amount of confidence among Arab citizens, at a rate of 47%.
Arab public opinion is almost unanimous that financial and administrative corruption is widespread in their countries to varying degrees, at a rate of 87%.
Just over a third of respondents (34%) said that their countries apply the law equally among citizens, while 39% think that they do not enjoy full equality, with their countries favoring some groups over others. Almost a quarter of respondents (24%) think that their countries do not apply the law equally at all.
ARAB-ISRAELI RELATIONS
84% of citizens oppose their home countries’ recognition of Israel, citing political reasons as opposed to religious or cultural ones. This opposition remains overwhelmingly high despite recent normalization agreements with Israel by UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
The majority of Saudi respondents who answered this question rejected recognition of Israel (38%), despite a high rate of nonresponse to this question (57%).
A vast majority of respondents consider the policies of Israel (84%) and the United States (78%) a threat to the security and stability of the Arab region, while 57% of respondents consider Iranian and Russian policies a threat to the region.
RUSSIA’S WAR ON UKRAINE
More than a third of respondents (44%) agreed that Russia’s declaration of war on Ukraine was unjustified, compared to 19% who said it was justified, and over a third (37%) said they do not know or declined to answer. Those who said it is unjustified deemed Russia’s declaration of war as an act of aggression, interference with the sovereignty of another state, and occupation of land.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Almost all (98%) internet users in the Arab World have accounts on social media platforms. More respondents had Facebook accounts than any other social media platform, except in the Gulf, where more (77%), had Twitter accounts.
A majority of Arab Citizens (75%) use social media to obtain news and political information. More than half of the users (51%) express their views on political events.
57% of social media users said that they do not trust information and news circulated on social media, a notable increase from the last AOI survey.
Interaction and participation with political issues among Arab social media users is divided: while 48% interact with or participate in political issues, 48% do not.
The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) is an independent research institute for the study of the social sciences and humanities, with particular emphasis on the applied social sciences. It seeks to examine the key issues afflicting the Arab world, governments, and communities; to analyze social, economic, and cultural policies; and to provide rational political analysis on the region.
BOOK NOW
Edinburgh’s school libraries have been awarded funding for a progressive anti-racism project, as part of the 2022/23 School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF).
Administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), on behalf of the Scottish Government, the Fund supports creative and innovative projects within the school library sector in Scotland.
Available to all state-run nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools with a library, this year’s funding priority was given to applications which focused on supporting anti-racism and racial equality.
The £200,000 2022/23 SLIF has been allocated to a total of 18 initiatives across Scotland, including the ‘The Library is Anti-Racist’ project in Edinburgh.
The funding will support the creation of an anti-racism toolkit and collection of travelling resources for Edinburgh’s school libraries to ensure the service is diverse, inclusive and reflective of the school and its wider community.
This brings the total investment from the Scottish Government to £1.5m over the lifetime of SLIF, playing an important role in helping school library services achieve the key aims of ‘Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools: A National Strategy for School Libraries in Scotland 2018-2023’ – the strategic document for the development of school libraries in Scotland.
Congratulating the successful applicants, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “School libraries play a key role for young people by providing access to educational resources, supporting learning and helping to close the poverty-related attainment gap.
“The School Library Improvement Fund continues to support creative and innovative projects in school libraries.
“The anti-racism focus of the projects will allow school libraries to engage with pupils on the importance of belonging, inclusion and social justice.”
Schools can apply via individual or collaborative applications with SLIC accepting up to two individual approaches per local authority and an unlimited number of collaborative applications to ensure equal opportunities across Scotland.
Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive of SLIC, said: “School libraries play a valuable role in education and learning, and ensuring every young person has the chance to fulfil their full potential.
“Projects funded through programmes like SLIF help to improve and expand the services school libraries can provide, so it’s great to see such strong applications coming in from schools eager to further develop these resources.
“We’re particularly proud to award support to those advocating for anti-racism and anti-discrimination through this year’s Fund and we can’t wait to see these initiatives come to fruition.”
For more information on The School Library Improvement Fund, visit:
https://scottishlibraries.org/funding/the-school-library-improvement-fund/
