Edinburgh’s plans for Visitor Levy housing spend approved

City councillors have agreed the first spend programme for funding raised by the Edinburgh Visitor Levy.

Members of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee approved plans for the £5m Housing and Tourism Mitigation Fund, which could help deliver 472 affordable homes between 2026/27 and 2028/29, with more than 75% potentially available for social rent.

Making more social rent homes available would allow households currently using unsuitable temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts, to access more appropriate settled accommodation. This would return B&Bs to their intended uses of shorter-term guests.

It is expected the Fund would support three new build developments – at Fountainbridge, Meadowbank and Coatfield Lane in Leith – with around 361 social rented homes and around 111 mid-market rent homes.

The investment is subject to approval from Council at the budget meeting on 26 February 2026. If it proceeds, the performance of the delivery programme will be reported to the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee on an annual basis.

Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy scheme was formally agreed in January 2025.

The levy applies to paid overnight accommodation booked after 1 October 2025, if the stay takes place from 24 July 2026 onwards. It is a 5% payment on the accommodation-only cost and applies to the first five nights’ stay.

The scheme is projected to raise up to £50 million a year to invest in developing, supporting and sustaining services for visitors to the city, and enhancing Edinburgh’s worldwide appeal as a place to visit and live.

Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “Many of those working in our city’s thriving visitor economy and cultural sectors are often unable to find affordable housing in the city, making it difficult for them to live close to where they work.

“In addition, the Council has declared a housing emergency, with more and more people presenting as homeless and not enough social homes available to meet this demand, and so too many residents have to use temporary accommodation, often in bed and breakfasts or hotels, taking vital capacity away from what should be tourist accommodation.

“That’s why it’s so important that this new funding is being committed towards a Housing and Tourism Mitigation Fund, which will be used alongside our existing investment programme for house building.

“This will ensure affordable homes are available for visitor economy workers in the city and means that bed and breakfast and hotel rooms can be used for their intended purpose – to welcome visitors to Edinburgh.

“This is the first fully agreed use of the Edinburgh Visitor Levy’s funds and will help deliver our objectives of developing, supporting and sustaining the quality public services and infrastructure that Scotland’s capital city must deliver for all visitors, residents and businesses.”

The money generated by the Visitor Levy scheme will be reinvested directly into initiatives that benefit residents and enhance visitor experiences.

In addition to housing, the investment streams include: city operations; destination and visitor management; culture, heritage and events; and a participatory budgeting programme, which will further allow residents and communities to have a say in how investment can be made to enhance the visitor experience in their area.

These investment streams are being developed by officers, and the Visitor Levy Advisory Forum will be consulted on all proposals. The proposals will be presented for final approval from relevant Council committees in January and February 2026.

Fiona Campbell MBE, Chief Executive, Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers and Vice Chair of Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) Policy Group said: “The ASSC fully supports the delivery of more affordable housing but this is not the right way to go about it.

!The levy was meant to support visitor infrastructure and services, not fund housing projects. Tourism businesses are once again being scapegoated for issues far beyond their making. 

“It is deeply regrettable that Edinburgh Council now lays itself open to further avoidable legal and reputational damage. Instead of brushing aside reasonable concerns, the Council should listen to industry partners who will ultimately be the ones administering their visitor levy scheme.

“We urge the Council to halt these plans immediately until the legal risk has been properly evaluated.”

Lothian Nurses Honoured with Prestigious Queen’s Nurse Title

NHS Lothian is proud to announce that two of our community nursing leaders have been awarded the prestigious title of Queen’s Nurse, a mark of excellence in community nursing across Scotland.

Ashley Lawrence, Health Visiting Team Manager in East Lothian, and Leigh Williams, Clinical Team Lead for District Nursing and the Bladder and Bowel Service in West Lothian, were among 18 nurses celebrated at a ceremony in Edinburgh on 28 November after completing a nine-month development programme run by the Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland (QNIS).

The Queen’s Nurse Award recognises exceptional community nurses who demonstrate leadership, innovation, and a commitment to improving health equity. Originally introduced in the late 19th century, the title was reintroduced in 2017, with around 20 nurses selected annually to undertake the Queen’s Nurse Development Programme.

There are now almost 200 contemporary Queen’s Nurses working across Scotland.

This achievement highlights the outstanding contribution of our community nursing teams in Lothian. Ashley and Leigh’s success reflects their dedication to delivering high-quality care and making a real difference in the lives of the people they serve.

Pat Wynne, Nurse Director for Primary and Community Care for NHS Lothian, said: “I’m delighted to see both Ashley and Leigh being awarded the Queen’s Nurse title. This is a significant achievement for community nurses across Lothian.

“It reflects their dedication to delivering outstanding care and their commitment to improving health and wellbeing in our communities. We are incredibly proud of their success and the positive impact they continue to make every day.”

Pictured TOP: Leigh Williams (left) and Ashley Lawrence (right).

Pictured above from the left is Debbie Marklow, CNM HV East Lothian, Ashley Lawrence Health Visiting Team Manager, Pat Wynne Nurse Director for Primary and Community Care, Leigh Williams, Clinical Team Lead for District Nursing and the Bladder and Bowel Service, and Leanne Grant CNM DN West Lothian.

Samaritans Scotland urges politicians to make suicide prevention a priority

Life can be wonderful. Life can be tough. Relationships. Work. Money. Loneliness. Mental health. Self-harm. We can all struggle. Any place. Any time. One in four of us have had suicidal thoughts.  

Ahead of the 2026 Holyrood Election, leading national suicide prevention charity, Samaritans Scotland, is asking all political parties to make suicide prevention a priority, keeping it in mind across all policy areas to help people not only in their moment of need, but before they reach crisis point.

The charity says that suicide is and needs to be treated as an issue of inequality, with the rate of suicide mortality in the most deprived areas in Scotland being 2.5 times higher than the least deprived area. The charity says that tackling inequalities across Scottish society and in services is the only way to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide in our communities.

Developed alongside its Lived Experience Advisory Group, Samaritans Scotland’s manifesto outlines Five Priorities to Save Lives that it wants to see taken forward by the next Scottish Government.

These priorities include increasing funding for mental health services, delivering a minimum income guarantee, using workforce training to end stigma and discrimination, increasing support for people in prison, and increasing resourcing for community services.

The asks aim to target the root causes of circumstances that can contribute to someone experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviour, before they reach crisis point.

Speaking at the launch event, Neil Mathers, Executive Director for Scotland, said: “As we look ahead to the 2026 election and next parliament, Scotland faces many big challenges. Our communities are still grappling with the cost of living, cuts to frontline services, and the ongoing impact of inequality on mental health and wellbeing.

“But there are also real opportunities at next year’s election to make lives better – to reduce poverty, improve wellbeing, to make sure the right support is there at the right time, and ultimately, to reduce deaths by suicide.

“Suicide remains one of the most urgent public health issues facing Scotland. At Samaritans Scotland, we’re calling on all political parties, candidates, and policymakers to make suicide prevention a real priority ahead of the election.”

Mark Diffley, Founder and Director of the Diffley Partnership, was in attendance to deliver an overview of the political landscape ahead of election day. It was highlighted that three out of four people in Scotland are already supportive of a Minimum Income Guarantee, with the top priorities of voters at the moment including healthcare and the cost-of-living crisis.

Research by Samaritans Scotland in partnership with Strathclyde University released last year indicated just how closely connected economic insecurity was with suicidal ideation, as well as the importance of social connection and community support networks, which is why the charity is urging politicians to prioritise these areas.

With the most recent probable suicide rate for people in prison in Scotland standing at 18.9 per 100,000 people, higher than the probable suicide rate of 12.7 per 100,000 in the general population, the charity is also calling for increased support for people in prison.

Nancy Loucks, Chief Executive of Families Outside, who was also in attendance, spoke about the potential for delivering a Minimum Income Guarantee for Scotland, saying: Having a Minimum Income Guarantee is so important.

“So much of what we see (at Families Outside) is a result of poverty and trauma. We expect prisons to solve problems that start much earlier. It’s about giving people the opportunities at the start, that prevent these issues from arising.”

Scott Thomson, member of Samaritans Scotland’s Lived Experience Advisory Group, said: “My key ask of the next Scottish Government would be to increase funding for mental health services.

“The NHS and frontline services are under too much strain; waiting lists are too long, and people need support now.

“Nurses and doctors are at a higher risk of suicide, with burnout and workplace pressures being significant factors. I think that by increasing funding towards these services, we can impact and potentially alleviate many other challenges that arise from a system that is struggling to cope with demand.”

Suicide is complex and touches every part of society. It is vital that politicians recognise the devastating impact that suicide has on people’s lives and make clear commitments to address the factors that contribute to suicide risk. 

Services in Scotland are working tirelessly to improve the lives of the people that need support, but statutory mental health services must have greater investment to enable them to keep up with growing demand.  

Suicide is preventable. Samaritans Scotland’s vision is that fewer people die by suicide, that people feel able to ask for help when they are struggling, and where the right support is available at the right time. 

Read the full manifesto here. 

National review of group-based child sexual abuse response

Professor Alexis Jay to chair National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Care Inspectorate will undertake an independent national review of responses to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Professor Alexis Jay will chair the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group from January 2026, and will provide expert advice to Ministers on the findings of the national review as it reports on its progress.

The work of the national review will be undertaken alongside that of the independent Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, and work already underway by Police Scotland to review previous cases, to gather evidence on the extent of group-related child sexual abuse and exploitation. This evidence will inform any decision on the need for a future inquiry into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Our thoughts are with victims of child abuse who have already suffered so much – this matter must be handled sensitively and with the utmost respect and consideration for their experiences.

“The issue of group-based sexual abuse and exploitation of children is sensitive and complex, and the Scottish Government has been giving it very detailed consideration. 

“We have been clear that we are prepared to give every consideration to an inquiry on this issue, and that any such decision needs to be based on information, evidence and a greater understanding of the scale and nature of this form of abuse and of the responses to it.

“Professor Alexis Jay has extensive expertise in this area, and her insights will be invaluable to Ministers as this work is taken forward.

“I have written to the leaders and spokespeople of other political parties to offer a briefing with Professor Jay and Police Scotland on this work in the new year.”

Professor Alexis Jay said: “I am pleased to take on the role of Chair of the National Group, and to build on the excellent leadership of my predecessors, Iona Colvin and Sarah Taylor.

“There is much to do and do quickly. The work of the independent Inspectorates should provide the evidence for Scottish Ministers to determine whether further action is required to disrupt child sexual exploitation in Scotland.”

HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Craig Naylor said: “His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland acknowledge the announcement that along with the Care Inspectorate, HM Inspectorate of Education and Healthcare Improvement Scotland we will work jointly on this independent national review of responses to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.”

Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, Jackie Irvine said: “This an issue of vital importance to victims and communities and we look forward to working closely with partners to take this forward.” 

16 Days of Activism: Equally Safe

Gender-based violence impacts all areas of our health and wellbeing, including access to community spaces.

Learn more about Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent gender-based violence and ensure lived experience shapes policy:

equally-safe-delivery-plan-summer-2024-spring-2026Download

#16Days

#GBV

Scottish charities urged to tighten protections amid fraud reports

Specialist insurer warns voluntary sector organisations not to overlook often-forgotten security measures, as awareness week approaches

Charities across the country are being urged to review their fraud prevention measures following latest data showing that 10 charity fraud incidents were recorded across Scotland in the past 13 months.

Data from Action Fraud’s Fraud and Cyber Crime Statistics Dashboard shows that these 10 incidents resulted in total losses of £31,700.

The figures reflect crimes reported to police, which may include cases where charities were directly targeted or where members of the public were deceived by fraudsters posing as charitable causes.

Ansvar Insurance, which specialises in providing cover to the charity and not-for-profit sectors, is highlighting the importance of vigilance ahead of Charity Fraud Awareness Week (8th to 12th December 2025), which aims to raise awareness and share good practice across the voluntary sector.

Adam Tier, Head of Underwriting at Ansvar, commented: “These figures represent real money that should have gone towards genuine charitable causes. Whether the victims are charities themselves or members of the public misled by fraudulent fundraising, the impact on trust in the sector is the same.

“The voluntary sector faces unique vulnerabilities, such as limited resources and high staff turnover, which criminals can exploit. As we approach Charity Fraud Awareness Week, we’re encouraging organisations to look beyond the basics and strengthen their long-term fraud resilience.”

While most charities are familiar with standard security protocols, Ansvar is drawing attention to three often-overlooked protective measures that organisations should not neglect:

  1. Review volunteer and staff access rights: People change roles, leave or take on new responsibilities. Regularly reviewing who has access to systems, bank accounts and data helps prevent both accidental and deliberate misuse.
  2. Validate all supplier or partner changes: Fraudsters will potentially impersonate trusted suppliers. Always confirm any change in bank or contact details by calling a known number, not replying to the email received.
  3. Audit cloud and shared access permissions: Many non-profits use cloud services for documents and donor data. Conduct a quarterly review of all user accounts and access permissions. Over-permissioned or dormant accounts are common entry points for cyber criminals looking for sensitive data.

Adam Tier added: “Charity Fraud Awareness Week is an opportunity for every organisation, large or small, to pause and review its controls.

“Prevention doesn’t always mean big budgets; it’s often about simple checks and staying alert to changes that don’t feel quite right.”

To help local organisations assess their vulnerabilities, Ansvar has published a cyber risk management guide on its website :- 

https://ansvar.co.uk/resources/risk-management-guides/protection-from-cyber-attack/. 

Dynamic Earth calls for support as Big Give Match Funding opens

Dynamic Earth has launched its 2025 Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign, inviting families, supporters and science enthusiasts across the UK to Double the Discovery and help give thousands of young people the chance to fall in love with STEM.

For one week only (2–9 December), every donation made to Dynamic Earth will be doubled through The Big Give, the UK’s largest online match-funding campaign.

With more than 30,000 children visiting Dynamic Earth’s Learning Bases each year, many from communities who face barriers to accessing high-quality science learning, the charity is calling on the public to help create classrooms where curiosity can truly come alive.

Upgrading the spaces where science starts

Funds raised through The Big Give will support essential upgrades to Dynamic Earth’s Learning Bases: hands-on, immersive classrooms where Scotland’s young explorers learn about volcanoes, space, climate, coding, engineering and the wonders of the planet.

Matched donations will go directly towards equipment that teachers, parents and community groups say makes the biggest difference:

  • £20 – new early years floor mats to support sensory storytelling for budding young scientists
  • £50 – flexible furniture to better support diverse needs, including young wheelchair users
  • £100 – tablets to build tech confidence for tomorrow’s coders and engineers

These improvements will help Dynamic Earth continue delivering more than 250,000 science learning experiences every year, ensuring every child, regardless of background, can experience the joy and excitement of discovery.

Dynamic Earth’s programmes have a powerful track record of removing barriers to STEM engagement.

Dynamic Earth’s impact is best reflected in the voices of the schools, teachers, parents and young people who experience its programmes first-hand.

Their feedback highlights how transformative, accessible, hands-on science learning can be, sparking curiosity, boosting confidence and opening doors to opportunities many learners would not otherwise have.

Teacher feedback:

“The workshops were excellent and engaged the pupils with plenty of interactive activities. Information was aimed at the right level and the course leaders were engaging and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.”

“The workshop we attended was brilliant in the way the activities were so active and engaging. I feel that I gained a lot of information in different ways, and it gave me ideas of how to use active learning in my classroom.”

“The majority of pupils who came on the trip had never even been to Edinburgh let alone Dynamic Earth. This real life experience of leaving the classroom to visit an educational experience really does make the difference to our pupils and many refer to it as being the best day of S2.”

Parent feedback:

“It is an amazing club. The kids love it, learn from it and the staff are amazing. So lucky to have this club!!”

“Is enhancing my daughter’s interest in science and gives her an opportunity to meet like minded peers”

A call to support the next generation

Speaking about the campaign, Dynamic Earth Director of Fundraising and Marketing Helen Chomczuk said: “This is about giving every child the chance to feel that spark; the moment science suddenly makes sense, becomes exciting, becomes theirs.

“With matched funding in place, every pound goes twice as far, helping us build better spaces for learning and ensuring that more young people can experience the wonder of our planet. We’re asking the public to stand with us in giving the gift of discovery this Christmas and inspire tomorrow’s scientists.”

How to take part

The Big Give Christmas Challenge runs from 2–9 December 2025, with all donations doubled while match funds last.

Supporters can give via the campaign page: 

Learning Comes To Life at Dynamic Earth – Big Give

A very merry Muirhouse Christmas!

MUIRHOUSE Housing Association delivered a spectacular Christmas event  filled with family fun to kick off the festive season.

The Association laid on a sparkling seasonal celebration where its office car park came alive full of festive cheer. Families gathered and the holiday spirit was everywhere ensuring a  perfect start to the Christmas festivities!

Chief Executive Susan Bell said the occasion was full of festive cheer and an event filled with fun and happiness. 

The highlight of the occasion was undoubtedly the Christmas tree lights switch-on, generously sponsored for the third consecutive year by Kerax Land Ltd, the landscaping and estates contractor for the housing association.

The event featured a variety of family-friendly craft activities, writing letters to Santa and musical bingo with the best Christmas melodies. Everyone joined the sing-along dancing and swaying away with each other.

Kevin Matthews Founder of BLAST Boxing shared information and highlights how sports like boxing benefit not just kids, but whole families. 

BLAST Boxing is a Community Interest Company which seeks to improve mental health for the many communities of Edinburgh & beyond.

Refreshments were served up and everyone enjoyed free hot food with a delicious Lebanese twist from Lazeez Street Food and Catering Services, adding an international flair to the event.

As part of the celebrations, everyone was entered into the raffle for the chance to win tickets to see Goldilocks and the Three Bears presented by Forth Children’s Theatre at North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 

A guitarist from the community singing group Ama-zing Harmonies led everyone in carol singing with all-time greats like Jingle Bells, When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney and to finish the event everyone joined in with We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

“We are incredibly thankful to everyone who attended. It was the perfect event to kick off the festive season,” said Susan. “It was wonderful to see the community come together again, and the excitement from the children who came along was truly heartwarming.

“We hope everyone enjoyed themselves and wish everyone a wonderful Christmas.”

Susan also extended her thanks to the staff team for their hard work in organising and making it such a success.

Deborah Brown, Muirhouse’s Community Engagement Officer, said it was the perfect seasonal occasion to engage with tenants and the wider Muirhouse community. This highlights Muirhouse Housing Associations commitment to fostering community spirit and bringing people together during the holiday season.

CAMHS waiting times standard met for a year

Sustained improvement in mental health care for children and young people

Progress on waiting times for children and young people waiting for specialist mental health care has been maintained for a year, according to the latest statistics.

New figures from Public Health Scotland show that between July and September, 91.5% of children and young people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This exceeds the national standard of 90%.

CAMHS provides specialist NHS support for children and young people with serious mental health needs. To provide alternatives to this specialist service, over £80 million has been invested in community mental health services, plus £16 million a year for school counselling.

From this year, £15 million annually will go to local authorities to maintain community-based support for children and young people who need it.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Tom Arthur said: “I welcome the continued progress in these specialist children and adolescent mental health services.

“Over the last year, these services have exceeded the national standard, with 91.5% of children and young people starting treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS in the latest quarter.

“This achievement is down to the dedication of our CAMHS staff, who work tirelessly to support families during some of their most difficult moments. We have invested significantly in strengthening services, increasing CAMHS staffing by more than 50% over the last decade and exceeding our commitment to fund 320 additional posts by 2026.

“Local CAMHS teams are responding quickly, with half of all children and young people beginning treatment within five weeks. We are also seeing positive signs, with the overall CAMHS waiting list decreasing by 5.3% in the previous year.

“While we continue working with Boards to reduce waiting lists, we recognise that services remain under pressure and that performance may vary in coming months. There is still more to do to ensure performance is consistent across the country, and we are supporting all NHS Boards to meet the standard and continue delivering improvements.”

Latest figures highlight 128 children waiting more than a year for mental health treatment

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, is calling for parity of action and parity of spend as new figures highlight that 128 children and young people have been waiting more than a year for mental health treatment in Scotland.

These figures were highlighted in the latest waiting time statistics from Public Health Scotland published yesterday (2nd December, indicating that 128 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the quarter ending September 2025.

This is an increase from 115 for the same period last year.

Additionally, 277 individuals have been waiting between nine months and a year for treatment.

This comes against the background of a mental health emergency, with an increasing demand on services, exacerbated by the long shadow of the Covid lockdown and cost-of-living crisis.

The Scottish Government’s target, dating back to December 2014, is for 90 per cent of children and young people to start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, cases of poor mental health in children and young people were at unprecedented levels, with overstretched and under-resourced services struggling to keep pace with growing demand.

However, despite this greatly increased demand, only 0.82 per cent of the total frontline NHS budget was spent on CAMHS in the 2023/24 financial year, amounting to £134.188 million (real terms). This equates to just 82p in every £100 of the NHS budget. 2

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The latest figures highlighting that 128 children and young people have been waiting over a year for mental health treatment are extremely alarming.

“While the fact that the Scottish Government is meeting its waiting time target is to be welcomed, many children and young people are still waiting years for help, which worsens their mental health and is a sure-fire way to add to their pain.

“What we need is not just parity of esteem between mental health and physical health, it’s parity of action and parity of spend.

“We are facing a mental health emergency, and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels as they battle with the long shadow of lockdown and the rising cost of living. This is also having a negative impact on classroom behaviour, affecting the young people concerned, their fellow pupils and staff.

“Each one of these statistics is an individual, and we would urge the Scottish Government to ensure the adequate resourcing of mental health services for our children and young people so that they can get the care and support they need, without lengthy waits.”

Green MSP calls for free bus travel for everyone under 30

Lorna Slater, the Scottish Green MSP for Lothian has called for the upcoming Scottish budget to extend free bus travel to everyone under 30, describing it as a lifeline for young workers and families in the area. 

This would build on the groundbreaking free bus pass scheme already delivered by the Scottish Greens for those under 22. Over 250 million free journeys have been taken by young people since the scheme’s launch, with over 45 million of those in Edinburgh. 

Free bus travel for young people has been one of the greatest successes of devolution, saving them and their families a fortune and helping to tackle the climate crisis. 

Extending it to everyone under 30 would give over half a million more people a free bus pass, opening up new opportunities to find work or education and to see more of Scotland. 

Lorna Slater the Scottish Green MSP for the Lothian region said: “The Greens’ introduction of free bus travel for everyone under 22 has been a huge success for people across our capital city.  

“Thousands of young people across our communities are saving money, finding new opportunities, and helping to tackle the climate crisis. 

“This scheme is one of the clearest achievements of the Scottish Parliament. Families all over Edinburghhave saved thousands of pounds in a period when bills and other costs have otherwise soared. 

“But the cost of living crisis doesn’t stop for people the day they turn 22. For many young people the impact of losing their bus pass is huge, with new travel costs eating into their budgets. 

“Too many workers in their 20s are trapped in a cycle of ever-rising costs and insecure work, with far too many in the citystruggling to cover their rent and bills every month. 

“Lowering the cost of public transport is a win-win for people and planet. That’s why the Scottish Greens are pushing for more people to get a free bus pass as soon as possible.”