New NSPCC poll also reveals one in eight respondents had concerns for the safety of a child known to them during the Christmas holidays
Financial pressures, substance misuse and strained family relationships are some of the main reasons given for why adults are concerned about children experiencing harm or abuse at home over the festive period
A new hard-hitting Childline campaign, supported by Natalie Dormer is raising awareness of how Christmas can be the most dangerous time of year for some children and how the service is here to help them through the holidays
Three in five adults in Scotland believe children face an increased risk of abuse (64%) and exposure to domestic violence (68%) during the Christmas holidays.
New polling from the NSPCC also reveals that one in eight adults have had concerns for the safety of a child they know over the festive period.
The YouGov survey of 4,259 UK adults, which includes 315 from Scotland, analysed the dangers that adults believe children face over Christmas and the potential reasons why young people are at increased risk.
When asked why they were concerned about children experiencing harm or abuse at home during the holidays, adults identified:
Financial pressures at home (75%),
Substance misuse at home (75%),
Food insecurity (64%)
Families spending more time together (68%)
Support services – social services, schools – either closed or operating at reduced capacity (67%).
The majority of respondents believe the most effective way to keep children safe at Christmas is for adults to be aware of the warning signs of abuse and neglect and ensuring young people know who to contact if they need support.
The new NSPCC poll comes as the charity launches a hard-hitting campaign shining a light on how, for some children, Christmas is the most dangerous time of year.
Last year thousands of young people from across the UK contacted the NSPCC’s Childline service with concerns about abuse across the winter period.
A young person told Childline: “Dad’s drinking always gets worse at Christmas. Then the drinking leads to arguments and the arguments turn into him hitting mum.I wish I could protect her, but dad is so much stronger than us both. I want to call the police, or social services, but who will come out at Christmas?”
The campaign advert, now showing on TV and running across radio, is inspired by the true story of a woman who was abused by her father. It follows a little girl Sarah, who returns home from school at the end of winter term and is confronted by the presence of her abusive father.
Another child, aged 16, told the service: “It always all kicks off at Christmas. Mum goes crazy at dad; she hates him trying to speak to his family, even to say Merry Christmas.
“She hates him speaking to anyone else really. I can hear her calling him lazy and useless for not doing enough again this year and she’s made him cry. I want to walk out, but where would I go on Christmas? I’ve locked myself in my room with my sister for now; when mum’s done with dad, she might blow up on us next.”
Natalie Dormer, actor, producer and NSPCC’s Ambassador for Childline, said:“These findings reveal an uncomfortable truth that often goes unspoken during the festive season. While many of us look forward to Christmas, far too many children face a season filled with uncertainty, anxiety and fear.
“The campaign advert, inspired by a real survivor’s story, captures the heartbreaking moment of dread when the school term ends and a child’s safe space disappears.
“Behind the closed doors of homes across the country, children are suffering in silence while the rest of us celebrate. This NSPCC campaign sends a crucial message: Childline will be there for every young person who needs support.”
This Christmas, Childline is reminding young people that it is there for them 24/7 via the phone on 0800 1111 and online through the 121 chat on theChildline website.
Adeniyi Alade, head of Childline in Scotland, said: “We know from the children who reach out to us that the festive season can be one of the hardest times of the year. While many look forward to Christmas, for some young people it means being trapped at home with the very problems they fear most — whether that’s violence, substance misuse or simply feeling invisible.
“We want children in Scotland to know that Childline is always open, day and night, even over Christmas. No matter what’s happening behind closed doors, they can talk to us in confidence and we will listen.”
Chris Sherwood, CEO of the NSPCC, said: “This new research highlights a troubling reality that Christmas – which should be a time of joy and happiness for all children – can instead be a period of heightened danger for far too many children.
“Financial pressures, increased alcohol consumption, and strained family relationships are all factors that can heighten the risk of child abuse in the home over the festive period.
“That’s why our Christmas campaign is so important, reminding children they are not alone and that Childline is here for them day and night over the festive period.”
Any adults concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing can contact the NSPCC Helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or by calling 0808 800 5000.
New strategy to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030 – delivering the largest reduction in child poverty since records began
Support for working families to stop children growing up in B&Bs, expanding childcare for families on UC and helping parents save up to £500 on baby formula
Families struggling with the cost of living to benefit from wider support announced at budget including £150 off energy bills, increasing the living wage by £900 a year and removal of two-child limit
Part of the Government’s plan to deliver more security, opportunity, and respect for every family across the UK
Around 550,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by 2030 – the biggest reduction in a single parliament since records began – as the Government launches its Child Poverty Strategy today (Friday 5 December).
Following the reversal of the two-child limit, the strategy tackles the root causes of poverty by cutting the cost of essentials, boosting family incomes, and improving local services so every child has the best start in life.
The strategy found that children growing up in poverty do less well in school, are more likely to be unemployed when older and earn less throughout their lifetimes. Failure to tackle this problem has been holding back the economy, as well as stifling children’s potential.
New interventions in the strategy include more accessible childcare for working parents on Universal Credit. Childcare costs are one of the biggest barriers for parents who want to work and those starting or returning to jobs can particularly struggle to cover upfront childcare fees before they receive their first payslip.
From next year, the rules will change to make it easier for new parents who receive Universal Credit to get back to work by extending eligibility for upfront childcare costs to those returning from parental leave. This will prevent new parents from facing a debt trap meaning more parents can get back to work and get on in work faster.
To support more parents with more than two children into work, families who receive Universal Credit will also be able to get support with childcare costs for all their children.
Children living in temporary accommodation are living in one of the deepest forms of poverty, this has a devastating impact, particularly on children. A stay in temporary accommodation increases a child’s experience of family disruption, missed schooling and damage to physical and mental health.
The strategy will also end the unlawful placement of families in Bed and Breakfasts beyond the six-week limit. To support this, the Government is investing £8 million in Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots in 20 local authorities that have the highest use of Bed and Breakfasts for homeless families – continuing the programme for the next three years.
Alongside this, the government will provide £950 million through the fourth and largest round of the Local Authority Housing Fund from April 2026 to deliver up to 5,000 high-quality homes for better temporary accommodation by 2030. Further details will be set out in the upcoming Homelessness Strategy.
A new legal duty will also be introduced for councils to notify schools, health visitors, and GPs when a child is placed in temporary accommodation, so no child is left without support. This enables health and education providers to deliver a more joined up approach to support children experiencing homelessness.
The UK Government will also work with the NHS to end the practice of mothers with newborns being discharged to B&Bs or other forms of unsuitable housing.
The government will also support families with the cost of essentials by helping families to buy more affordable infant formula. The cost of some infant formula brands has risen by 25% in two years, putting pressure on families who cannot or choose not to breastfeed.
The government will set clear guidance for retailers that – together with allowing families to use loyalty points, vouchers, and gift cards to purchase formula – could save parents up to £540 in a baby’s first year and remove unnecessary barriers for low-income families.
Taken together, the measures in the strategy will lift 550,000 children out of relative low income at the end of this Parliament, with 7.1 million children seeing household incomes rise, including 1.4 million in deep material poverty – the largest reduction in child poverty by any Government in a single Parliament.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Every child deserves the best possible start in life, with their future no longer determined by the circumstances of their birth. Yet too many children are growing up in poverty, held back from getting on in life, and too many families are struggling without the basics: a secure home, warm meals, and the support they need to make ends meet.
“I will not stand by and watch that happen, because the cost of doing nothing is too high for children, for families, and for Britain.
“This is a moral mission for me. It’s about fairness, opportunity, and unlocking potential. Our strategy isn’t just about reversing the failures of the past, it sets a new course for national renewal, with children’s life chances at its heart.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden said: “Tackling child poverty is an investment in working families and our country’s future.
“There is a direct link between children in poverty growing up to be adults not in work, education or training – we cannot afford to waste a generation’s potential and talents.
“Our strategy will deliver support where families need it most, giving every child a good start in life and giving them the opportunity to succeed.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Child poverty is a stain on our country. I’ve seen the damage poverty does first hand, and bearing down on it sits at the very core of this government’s mission.
“This strategy, lifting over half a million children out of poverty, represents an historic moment for generations of families now and into the future.
“And whether it’s expanding free school meals, rolling out free breakfast clubs, or revitalising family services, we are determined to give every child the very best start in life.”
It comes as the Prime Minister visits a children centre in Wales today with the Welsh First Minister to meet families and children who are set to benefit from the interventions in the strategy.
It follows his visit to Glasgow yesterday where he spoke to Child Poverty Campaigners, MSPs, and other key partners to discuss the Government’s strategy to cut child poverty across the UK.
Stacey, from Changing Realities an organisation which has supported the development of the Child Poverty Strategy, discussed her experiences with the Prime Minister in Wales today. She said: “This strategy makes a good start to the essential work of addressing record levels of child poverty in this country.
“Lifting the two-child limit is a step on the road to investing in our children and our social security system, and can only be a good thing in lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.
“After championing the removal of the two-child limit over the last year, even though my own family won’t benefit it is great to finally feel listened to and knowing the difference this change will make.
“As a parent who knows first-hand the harm poverty causes, I stand ready and determined to continue the work required to ensure that no child in this country faces poverty. I call on all of us to do the same.”
Shortly after the election, the Prime Minister set up the Child Poverty Taskforce to bring together government and experts to explore how Government could use all its available levers to drive down child poverty.
This strategy is the first step on our road to ending child poverty and delivers on the commitment to reduce child poverty this parliament.
It comes as child poverty levels in the UK has reached a historic high. Today, 4.5 million children (around 31%) are living in relative poverty after housing costs, 900,000 more since 2010/11. Around 2.6 million children are growing up in households without enough food, and last year 1.1 million relied on food banks.
In England alone, more than 172,000 children are living in temporary accommodation and three quarters of children in poverty now come from working families.
Children growing up in poverty are more likely to not be in education, employment or training as an adult, earn less than their peers and less likely to achieve good GCSE results or do well at school.
Acting now will cost significantly less than the long-term consequences of poverty.
Tackling child poverty is not just a moral imperative – it is an investment in Britain’s future.
That’s why the Labour government is reversing the two-child limit in Universal Credit – a failed policy experiment that punished children and been one of the biggest drivers of hardship since its introduction in 2017.
The majority of families who will gain from the removal of the limit are in work. Around 300,000 children are in poverty directly because of this policy, equivalent to 100 children pushed into hardship every day. Without intervention, 150,000 more would have fallen into poverty by 2030.
Removing the two-child limit is the most cost-effective way to drive down child poverty rates – lifting 450,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this Parliament, rising to 550,000 alongside other measures such as the expansion of free school meals, help with energy bills and the government’s childcare offer.
Priya Edwards, senior research and policy manager at Save the Children UK, said: “Families will be better off under this plan with 7.1 million children seeing their household incomes boosted by the end of this Parliament.
“Scrapping the two-child limit to benefits, expanding free school meals, and increasing childcare support for families including for those returning to work after maternity leave are bold measures to improve childhoods’ – not the sticking plaster measures of the past.
“Ministers involved in creating the strategy listened extensively to children impacted by deep poverty over many months and we hope this way of working is used as a blueprint for creating policy in future that impacts young people.
“We welcome this expansive and historic plan, and we look forward to seeing the difference it can make to children’s lives in the years to come.”
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “here is no excuse for child poverty, which damages countless children’s lives every single day. This is the moment when we must draw a line in the sand – and as a country do everything in our power to turn the tide for children growing up in poverty and hardship.
“We applaud the publication of this Child Poverty Strategy. If fully delivered, the commitments made today have real potential to transform children’s lives. Our focus now is on ensuring these promises translate into action on the ground, helping to put food on tables, stability in households and hope back into children’s lives.
“We stand ready to work with government to help make that happen.”
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “This morning, the government published its full Child Poverty Strategy, setting out plans to reduce hardship for children growing up in the UK by the end of the parliament.
“It’s a crucial commitment to delivering on one of their central manifesto promises.”
For the first time, this government will also target reductions in deep material poverty as part of the strategy, which goes beyond a family’s income, to understand children’s experience of poverty and measures the number of children in the UK who are going without essentials such as three meals a day or growing up in a damp-free home.
Two million children (14%) are currently in deep material poverty, lacking at least 4 of 13 essential items.
This is a UK-wide strategy, with ministerial roundtables in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales which were attended by ministers of the respective nations, and ministers and officials having visited all the regions of England to meet with key child poverty representatives and visit frontline delivery projects.
Respecting devolution settlements and complementing work that is already underway in nations and regions is central to this strategy. Each nation has its own distinct devolution settlement which sets out powers to tackle child poverty.
These powers vary across nations, with some levers being devolved to the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while others remain reserved to the UK government.
Devolved governments also receive funding through the Barnett formula.
Artisan Real Estate to Partner with Whitbread to transform 1980s office on edge ofNew Town into hub by Premier Inn
Planning consent has been granted by the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to transform a sandstone office building on the edge of Edinburgh’s New Town into a sustainable 102-bedroom city centre hotel.
Regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate is now set to progress with the redevelopment of Albany House, located at 58 Albany Street on the corner of the capital’s Broughton Street, with completion scheduled for summer 2027. Artisan have agreed terms with Whitbread plc to operate the completed hotel under its popular hub by Premier Inn brand
The five-storey Albany House was constructed in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the adjacent Georgian neoclassical town houses along Albany Street. The current occupiers are relocating to new offices in the city centre in 2026.
Artisan’s design proposals will retain much of the external structure of the building whilst replacing the top floor facade with a contemporary new cladding and finish to meet current building standards. Internally, the hotel’s design specification will meet high environmental and sustainability standards, with air-sourced heat pump technology replacing the existing fossil fuel heating and hot water system.
Welcoming the planning consent for Albany House, Artisan’s Managing Director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “This exciting hotel development will bring continued interest and investment to a vibrant corner of Edinburgh’s eastern city centre.
“We are pleased to be once again working with Whitbread to create a modern and contemporary hotel interior providing the high levels of insulation and energy technology, delivering both a sustainable and attractive addition to Edinburgh’s successful hospitality sector.
“The existing sandstone building is well-suited to hotel development with high levels of natural daylight and an established entrance area.”
He added: “Albany House is the latest in a succession of high-profile planning proposals delivered by Artisan in Edinburgh’s city centre during the last 12 months and reinforces our stated commitment to bring substantial investment coupled with high quality development to the heart of Scotland’s capital.”
Whitbread currently welcomes close to a million visitors to its established network of 14 Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels within the City of Edinburgh Council area. The business calculates its guests staying at these hotels generate more than £32 million in visitor expenditure to the Edinburgh economy every year.
Jill Anderson, Acquisitions Manager for Whitbread, said: “Albany House is an excellent location for a hub by Premier Inn hotel, and I am very pleased to be working with Artisan to expand our footprint in the city in a sustainable way through the proposed conversion of the 1980s office building.
“Our hub by Premier Inn hotels are designed to appeal to budget, short-stay travellers, looking to stay in the most interesting and connected city centre locations. It offers all the comfort, consistency, and reliability of Premier Inn, but with a smaller bedroom and the format allows us to offer great value rooms in the most vibrant places.”
She added: “Premier Inn has been part of Edinburgh’s hospitality scene for more than 30 years.
“We’re incredibly proud to have built a network of popular, good-value hotels across the city, and we see great potential for further investment driven by our own high occupancy in the city and the fact that budget hotels like Premier Inn account for just 20% of the city’s bedroom stock.”
Artisan Real Estate has an established track record of delivering innovative hotel development in architecturally sensitive city centre locations.
This includes three hotels as part of the award-winning New Waverley development in the heart of the Edinburgh’s Old Town – including partnering with Whitbread to deliver a Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn (trading as Edinburgh City Centre Royal Mile).
Most recently, the developer has completed the transformation of Glasgow’s historic Clydeside Custom House into a new hotel quarter.
The Albany House planning proposal follows Artisan’s successful application to transform the city’s historic Caledonian Brewery into a new residential neighbourhood which received planning consent from CEC in May 2025.
The developer is also progressing with the homes-led regeneration of a vacant office block on the city’s Ferry Road, to the north of the city centre.
With case numbers for flu rising sharply this week, Public Health Scotland (PHS) is continuing to encourage those who are eligible to come forward to receive their vaccine.
New figures published today show that laboratory-confirmed cases of flu more than doubled in the past week, rising from 845 to 1,759.
Hospital admissions due to flu also increased by 70% in the past week, rising from 426 the previous week to 724.
Those aged 65 and over, pregnant women, and those with underlying health conditions are most at risk of serious flu illness, hospitalisation, and in some cases, death. This is why the flu vaccination programme is focussed on protecting those who are most vulnerable to becoming seriously ill with flu.
Early evidence from UKHSA shows that this year’s vaccine does a good job preventing severe disease, as measured by hospital admissions due to flu for the strains currently circulating in the UK.
Children are around 70-75% less likely to attend or be admitted to hospital with flu if vaccinated, and adults are around 30-40% less likely to attend or be admitted.
Dr Kim Marsh, Viral Respiratory Pathogens lead at Public Health Scotland, explains: “Flu can seriously disrupt anyone’s life but, for some people, flu hits harder. With case numbers of flu having risen again in the past week, we’re continuing to encourage those who are eligible to come forward to receive their flu vaccine. Vaccination remains the best way to help protect yourself against serious illness from flu.
“NHS Boards in Scotland are working at pace to deliver the winter vaccination programme and look forward to welcoming you for your appointment.
“For more information regarding eligibility and to book, or rearrange, your appointment visit nhsinform.scot/flu”
Pregnant women are strongly recommended to take up the vaccines, which will give them and their babies the best possible protection against serious illness from the viruses.
Everyone who works in the NHS and all frontline social care workers are also eligible for the flu vaccine this winter.
The flu vaccine is also being offered to all children from 2 years old to the end of secondary school, as well as children aged 6 months to 2 years old with a condition that puts them at increased risk of flu.
Look out for your invitation or book your appointment
Most people who are eligible for this year’s vaccination will now have received their invitations by text, email or post, in a white envelope with clear NHS Scotland branding.
Pregnant women can book an appointment online or via the national vaccination helpline, with further information available from midwives.
Those who work in the NHS and frontline social care workers may not receive an invitation and are encouraged to check local arrangements for eligible staff and book their appointment now.
Parents and carers should have received appointment letters by post, or consent forms in their child’s school bag, and are encouraged to take up the flu vaccine offer this winter.
What to do if you suspect you have flu
To prevent the spread of flu, we continue to recommend regular handwashing and advise people with symptoms of respiratory illness to stay off work or school and away from hospitals until you’re feeling better. Advice on how to recognise and manage flu-like symptoms is available at NHS Inform.
Some people may also be eligible for other vaccines, including RSV and COVID-19 this year. More information about the coronavirus vaccine, including who is eligible, is available on www.nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccine
Richard Demarco, the Scottish artist, academic, impresario and public intellectual was presented with the award of Scottish European of the Year for 2025 at a ceremony at the Scottish Parliament.
The presentation was made by Angus Robertson MSP, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
The Scottish European of the Year award is voted for by members of the European Movement in Scotland. Richard Demarco topped this year’s poll, beating distinguished nominees from media and politics.
Mr Robertson said. “I am delighted to be able to make this presentation to Richard Demarco, who has for decades been making an outstanding contribution to Scotland’s engagement with European culture.
“I am also thrilled to see that he is continuing to remain active and contribute to Scotland’s presence in the cultural landscape of Europe.”
The certificate awarded to Mr Demarco says:
‘In recognition of his lifelong commitment to European culture, his championing of the values of free expression through the Arts, his numerous contributions to enriching the cultural life of Edinburgh and Scotland, his internationalism and his belief in unity and peace across Europe.’
Richard Demarco said: “I thank the members of the European Movement in Scotland for this award and for lightening my spirits in these too often dark times.
“I have never been in doubt, given the entire history of Scotland, particularly as I take the Declaration of Arbroath as proof, that Scotland is distinctly part of Europe.”
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has announced that its special 75th Anniversary fundraising initiative has raised a remarkable £157,161.75 for St Columba’s Hospice Care, following the conclusion of this year’s Show.
The donation, generated from 75p from every ticket sold in 2025, aimed to resonate with the message of this year’s performance, The Heroes Who Made Us, celebrating and supporting those that go above and beyond in our society.
This donation will enable St Columba’s Hospice Care to continue providing compassionate, free-of-charge palliative and end-of-life care to individuals and families across the region.
During the 75th Anniversary Show, each performance included a special moment honouring different individuals, highlighted as Spotlight Heroes, whose dedication and service enrich communities and the lives of those they encounter. Among those celebrated was Liz Gallagher, a valued fundraising volunteer at St Columba’s Hospice Care.
Liz has been part of the hospice’s fundraising team for six years, giving countless hours to bucket collections, events, and creative fundraising ideas. In her day job supporting people with additional needs, Liz involves her clients in St Columba’s Hospice Care fundraising activities, helping them feel part of the hospice community.
The donation from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will be put towards St Columba’s Hospice Care’s continued specialist care provision for people across Edinburgh and the Lothians ensuring that individuals and families can access the support they rely on at such an important time.
This donation goes above and beyond the Tattoo’s usual charitable giving which sees surplus profits distributed annually to military and arts charities in the UK. St Columba’s Hospice Care was chosen by the community with over 50,000 votes cast to select from a selection of non-military charities that provide vital services in the local community.
Jackie Stone, CEO at St Columba’s Hospice Care, said: “Incredible donations like this don’t come along very often, and at a time when hospices across Scotland are facing significant funding challenges, we are especially grateful.
“Support from our community has never been more vital and we are deeply thankful to everyone who voted for us and helped generate this remarkable sum, simply by going along to enjoy the Show.
“It was also wonderful to see our volunteer, Liz, recognised as one of the heroes of the Tattoo’s 75th Anniversary. Her energy, creativity and dedication truly reflect the spirit of our entire hospice community.
“We would like to thank the Tattoo once again for this generous donation. It comes at an important time, helping us continue to provide specialist, compassionate care for people across Edinburgh and the Lothians and ensuring that individuals and families can access the support they rely on, when they need it most.”
Jason Barrett, Chief Executive, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “Our 75th Anniversary was a tribute to the people who have built and sustained the Tattoo over the years, and it was a privilege to extend that celebration to community heroes like Liz and the team at St Columba’s Hospice Care.
“This donation was made possible entirely thanks to our wonderful audience, whose support enables us to contribute to partner charities and champion the military, traditional arts, and—this year—an extraordinary cause.
“We are proud to stand behind such an exceptional organisation and the dedicated volunteers who give their time so selflessly.”
A report highlighting achievements and progress in attainment among learners for academic session 2024-25 was discussed at Education, Children and Families Committee last week (27 November).
In a positive step forward, across several measures, the report showed that the gap between the least and most disadvantaged learners is narrowing. This includes at National 5 and Higher, or equivalent, level where the performance of the least advantaged learners in the city has improved in almost all measures.
The report shows an increase in attainment during the senior phase of secondary school, with the measure relating to leaver destinations the best on record. The percentage of learners gaining five Highers has improved each year since 2022.
Reflecting an increased offering of vocational courses across secondary schools, the number of vocational qualification passes, National Progression Awards (NPA), has almost doubled in recent years – from 941 NPA passes in 2023 to 1944 in 2025.
Figures highlight pupils’ appetite for this expanded curriculum offer with the number of learners taking part in the foundation apprenticeship pilot increasing from 16 young people in 2023-24 to 200 young people this academic year.
In primary schools, the attainment gap in literacy, which includes reading, writing, listening and talking, has decreased significantly. In numeracy combined data for P1, P4 and P7 shows that the numeracy attainment gap is at the lowest level for 5 years.
Despite the positive progress, there is more to be done to close the poverty related attainment gap and the report highlights measures to do this, including ongoing focused work providing guidance and support to priority schools, supported by partnership working with the Education Scotland Attainment Adviser and Equity Lead officer.
Commenting on the report, Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convenor said: “This report demonstrates positive leaps forward in attainment outcomes in our schools.
“I am particularly pleased to note the progress we’ve made in narrowing the gap between those children and young people who are most and least advantaged.
“Regardless of a child’s background, it is crucial that every child or young person in our schools is supported to reach their aspirations and ambitions.
” In our secondary schools we continue to offer an increasing number of vocational course options, which not only support young people to make informed choices about life beyond school but equip them with qualifications and a route into the world of work.
“It is disheartening to see that there are gaps in attainment for certain cohorts of our pupils and I am committed to working closely with officers to understand why this is the case and how we can work to close the poverty related attainment gap.”
Local people are invited to join their neighbourhood boards to have a say in shaping their areas over the next decade as part of the Pride in Place programme
Communities to receive a jump start to the Pride in Place programme with an initial £150,000 to 169 communities to begin delivering the change they want to see.
Local people invited to join their new Neighbourhood Board and take control of up to £20m of funding and support to deliver a decade of change in their neighbourhoods.
This comes as Phase One areas get started on their ambitious regeneration plans to transform their neighbourhoods.
People across the country are being urged to sign up to new Neighbourhood Boards – set up as part of the Pride in Place programme – to decide how £20m of new funding is spent in their communities over the next decade.
Pride in Place will empower neighbourhoods to make the changes they need in their communities to restore local pride and reinvigorate their areas, based entirely on local voices and priorities.
From revitalising their high street to setting up a community sports league, or boosting healthy eating with community cooking classes, guidance published today sets out a range of potential project ideas and provides communities with the toolkit to choose the projects that are right for them and suit their local needs and ambitions.
Alongside this, each of the 169 areas in receipt of Phase Two Pride in Place funding will now receive £150,000 of their funding early in the new year to enable them to get the ball rolling sooner on rebuilding their local communities, setting up their Boards and engaging the community on plans for the next decade.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Whether it’s breathing new life into a high street, setting up a local sports league, or saving the pub at the heart of your community – Pride in Place is about putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of local people.
“We’re backing the local residents who step forward, join their Neighbourhood Boards, and help shape a decade of transformation.
“This isn’t about short-term fixes – it’s about lasting change that restores pride, strengthens communities and creates opportunities for everyone.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, said: This is about bringing lasting change to people’s communities after years of decline.
“So today we’re calling on people up and down the country to get involved in bringing back pride to their community and country.”
Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “Putting local people at the centre of the Pride in Place Programme is what really puts the value behind this money.
“Change and investment means nothing unless local people have their voices heard and their priorities met, so we are putting the residents that know there area best in the driving seat.”
Crucially, the new guidance also outlines that Neighbourhood Boards will have to prove they have listened to and have the backing of residents and their local community to receive all their funding, ensuring that community voices sit at the heart of the decisions made about the future of their areas.
Any resident with big ideas and a desire to transform their community can get involved, with boards being chaired by an independent member of the community, chosen for their ambition and potential to lead their community.
Local authorities and MPs in Pride in Place neighbourhoods will now begin to work with their communities to pick the right chair to take the reins of their Neighbourhood Board, lead on engagement with the community, and drive forward the changes they want to see.
Those interested in getting involved should contact their local MP or Local Authority.
Heritage, vision and the future of Edinburgh’s grand boulevard
Princes Street has long occupied an uneasy place in Edinburgh’s civic life: simultaneously its most recognisable address and one of its most contested (writes JAMES GARRY, COCKBURN ASSOCIATION).
Both our shop window and our common ground, it is the point at which the ordered confidence of the New Town meets the drama of the Old Town.
As is well documented, its magnificence was carefully curated, and fiercely debated. From many vistas, Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens still retain their constructed beauty; from others, the street feels tired, fragmented and increasingly disconnected from the care and coherence that such a prominent civic space demands.
In recent months, that unease has sharpened. Vacant shopfronts, makeshift replacements, inconsistent materials and a creeping loss of identity have pushed Princes Street back into the spotlight once more.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s draft Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy was met with thoughtful but firm criticism from community councils and civic voices alike. The strategy was widely perceived as underpowered: incremental where ambition was required, procedural where leadership was needed.
Significantly, at the Planning Committee meeting on 12 November 2025, councillors formally requested that council officers convene an elected member / officer / stakeholder workshop, bringing together those with transport, culture, heritage and placemaking expertise so that a more ambitious and exciting strategy for Princes Street could be brought forward for approval.
This proposed convening has already been described in the press as a “summit”, following rejection of the existing strategy as insufficiently bold. The terminology matters less than the intent: this is an opportunity for genuine reset.
But it must not become another carefully managed procedural exercise. Princes Street does not need consultation for its own sake; it needs a bold, principled conversation that acknowledges the scale of the challenge and the opportunity before us.
This challenge is not unique to Edinburgh. Across the UK and Europe, the traditional high street model is buckling. The drift of big-name retail to enclosed malls and out-of-town centres, combined with online shopping and changing habits, has hollowed out historic cores. Some cities have responded with imagination and courage.
Others have relied on surface-level aesthetic improvements and marketing rhetoric, mistaking cosmetic change for meaningful renewal.
These pressures are not anecdotal but structural: research by Historic England and the UK Parliament highlights sustained long-term decline in traditional high-street retail, driven by changing consumer behaviour, the expansion of online commerce and rising operational costs, trends felt most acutely in historic city centres.
There are lessons to be drawn from elsewhere, and they are encouraging for proponents of local, ethical, sustainable, low-emission and bespoke urbanism.
York has rebalanced parts of its historic core through its Streets for People programme, prioritising pedestrian movement and smaller independent retailers in ways that reinforce place identity rather than dilute it.
Bath has used careful, phased public-realm investment to support its World Heritage setting, framing its centre as a place for lingering rather than simply passing through.
Bruges and Ghent have demonstrated, through people-first circulation strategies, how heritage streets can remain economically viable while reducing traffic dominance and strengthening civic life.
Vienna has quietly reimagined several of its central boulevards as dignified, coherent public environments that support everyday use as well as cultural richness.
London, despite its scale and complexity, offers particularly instructive examples grounded in formal policy and design evaluation.
Westminster City Council’s Covent Garden Public Realm Framework sets out a structured approach to balancing commercial vitality with pedestrian priority, heritage sensitivity and coherent materials, helping to reposition the area as a thriving mixed-use environment rather than a purely retail corridor.
Meanwhile, the Strand Aldwych scheme has transformed a former traffic-dominated gyratory into a generous pedestrian civic space, restoring historic connections between the Strand and Somerset House and creating substantial new areas of public realm.
These interventions demonstrate that historic streets can be reimagined as people-first civic environments without sacrificing architectural gravitas or cultural identity.
What these places share is not a single blueprint but a shared attitude: they treat their most historic streets as civic infrastructure, not merely commercial corridors. Retail remains part of the mix, but it no longer defines the entire purpose or identity of the space.
Princes Street has already begun, almost by necessity, to edge towards a more mixed future. The City of Edinburgh Council has itself acknowledged this transition, noting the shift from traditional retail towards a broader mix of hotel, leisure and experience-based uses as part of the wider “changing face” of the street.
Media commentary has likewise tracked the steady replacement of flagship retail with hotels and large-scale visitor destinations, reflecting both local pressures and national trends in retail restructuring.
While such evolution is not inherently negative, it risks becoming reactive and piecemeal if not anchored within a clearly articulated civic vision. The danger is not evolution itself, but drift.
For the Cockburn Association, this is a familiar and hard-won narrative. Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens have been central to our work for over 150 years. From early campaigns that expanded public access to the Gardens, to resistance against overbuilding, intrusive commercialisation and visual clutter, the consistent argument has been clear: these spaces are not commodities, but shared civic ground, and must be stewarded accordingly.
At this moment, the Cockburn Association, as Edinburgh’s Civic Trust, is uniquely positioned to help facilitate precisely the kind of workshop now being sought. With long institutional memory, independence from commercial interests and a track record of principled advocacy, the Association can provide a trusted platform for serious, solutions-focused dialogue. A workshop (or “summit”) convened or co-facilitated by the Cockburn would demonstrate that this is not simply another technical stage in policy development, but a genuinely civic exercise grounded in public interest, professional expertise and historical understanding.
The task now is not to resist change, but to ensure that it is guided by care, clarity and long-term vision. Poorly handled, Princes Street risks becoming a diluted stage set for transient retail cycles and short-term commercial expediency. With imagination and leadership, however, it could reassert itself as a coherent, distinctive and genuinely civic boulevard.
The Cockburn Association’s long record of principled intervention is explored in Campaigning for Edinburgh, which traces 150 years of advocacy, resistance and considered action. It demonstrates that the Association has never opposed change itself. What it has consistently challenged is lazy change. Change without memory. Change without craft. Change without respect.
Any credible vision for Princes Street must therefore begin with principle. The view matters. The Castle, the Old Town ridge, the Gardens and the open sky are not decorative extras; they are the street’s defining framework. Materials matter too. Paving, lighting, planting and seating must speak of coherence and dignity, not contribute to a fragmented collage of competing interventions.
Equally vital are inclusion and accessibility. Princes Street must feel welcoming and navigable for everyone: with generous seating, clear wayfinding, step-free routes and design that supports everyday use as well as major civic moments.
The vision must also respond to the climate emergency through reduced traffic dominance, prioritisation of walking and cycling, and climate-resilient design incorporating greenery, shade, permeable surfaces and sustainable drainage.
Streets that respond intelligently to environmental stress are not aspirational luxuries; they are future-critical necessities.
Edinburgh now has the opportunity to articulate a distinctly Scottish response to the high street question, rooted not in trend-following, but in stewardship. Not in glossy reinvention, but in thoughtful continuity. Princes Street should not be permitted to slide into generic urban sameness. It can remain both living and grounded; practical and poetic; evolving, yet unmistakably Edinburgh.
This is an important civic moment and it deserves seriousness as well as optimism. The Planning Committee’s request for a workshop, now popularly framed as a summit, should be seen not as a procedural footnote, but as a meaningful opening: a chance to reset ambition and reassert quality at the heart of decision-making.
Princes Street will change. That much is inevitable. The opportunity now lies in shaping how and with whom that change is guided.
With principled facilitation, inclusive dialogue and renewed civic confidence, Edinburgh can restore Princes Street as a place that reflects the city’s character, honours its history and meets the challenges of its future with integrity rather than compromise.
Environmentally-friendly hydrolysis, also known as water cremation, was introduced under draft regulations laid in the Scottish Parliament testerday.
The regulations will, if approved, give an option for people interested in alternatives to burial or cremation for the first time in more than a century.
Through this process, the body is wrapped in a silk or woollen shroud, or other biodegradable material, before being placed in a chamber with hot water and chemicals, speeding up decomposition. Remains can be returned to next of kin, similarly to ashes following cremation.
International evidence suggests hydrolysis is more sustainable than traditional cremation, which uses large amounts of natural gas.
The Scottish Government consulted on the issue in 2023, with 84% of those who responded supporting the introduction of hydrolysis.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “We are introducing these regulations today following extensive consultation which has shown significant public support for the introduction of new, environmentally-friendly alternatives to burial or cremation. This included hydrolysis – which is already in use in some countries including Ireland, Canada and the USA.
“These regulations, if passed by Parliament, will give an option for people interested in alternatives to burial or cremation for the first time in more than 100 years.
“We are not suggesting hydrolysis replaces or displaces traditional methods of burial or cremation in any way.
“It is a matter of individual choice, but it is important that we ensure bereaved families and friends can have confidence in the care and dignity given to their loved ones when they pass.”
