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The latest report by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides an annual update to key performance indicators for the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme. The report includes uptake, laboratory and clinical outcomes of screened individuals, for those invited from May 2023 to April 2025.
For the two-year period from 01 May 2023 to 30 April 2025, over 1.9 million people were invited to complete a home bowel screening test:
Peter Hastie, Macmillan External Affairs Manager in Scotland, comments on the latest bowel screening figures issued by the Scottish government: “This latest data continues to show an extremely worrying picture – there is a gap of 22 percentage points in the take up of bowel screening between the most and least deprived areas of Scotland. This isn’t fair, and it has to change.
“Macmillan is committed to working to address the huge gaps and the unfairness that exists in cancer care in Scotland. But we need to see more joined up action, so everyone gets the early diagnosis and support they need, whoever they are and wherever they live.
“As the election looms, we need commitments from the next Scottish Government to work with the health system, professionals, sector partners, community organisations and most importantly, people living with cancer, to fix this unfairness. We deserve nothing less.”
See Macmillan’s Holyrood election manifesto below:
People living in Scotland aged 50 to 74 are sent a home bowel screening test every two years.
The test can be done in the privacy of your home and returned using the pre-paid envelope provided.
For more: http://nhsinform.scot/bowelscreening
Applications are now open for @OneCitytrust Annual Grants Programme.
Grants of upto £6000 for projects that “Tackle the impact of poverty and promote inclusion“
Details here:
https://onecitytrust.com/news/news-2026-annual-grants-programme-in-now-open/
“Projects that tackle the impact of poverty and promote inclusion.”
In 2026 our grants will be available up to a maximum £6,000 each. However, we recognise that impactful activities can often cost less and we welcome applications of less than £6,000. We want to see projects that promote community activities, reduce poverty and the impact of poverty, tackle inequalities and enhance diversity and equality e.g. lunch clubs, cooking groups, arts and crafts and DIY projects.
Apply by 8th May 2026
The lives of deaf people have been put at risk by Edinburgh Integration Joint Board’s (EIJB) decision to withdraw specialist social work funding, according to Scotland’s leading deaf-led charity.
Deaf Action is urging Edinburgh’s health and social care body to reinstate the services, including social work support, specialist equipment and preventative, community-based assistance with immediate effect.
The organisation argues that the EIJB’s decision contradicts council leader Jane Meagher’s claim that a four percent rise in Council Tax will see it “protecting frontline services for those most in need of our support”.
Deaf Action has highlighted numerous examples of how the decision has affected the deaf community in the city, including one of a woman who had a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ (DNR) order added to her medical records after a stroke because staff thought she couldn’t communicate.
In fact, as a British Sign Language (BSL) user she needed an interpreter and it was only an ad hoc welfare visit to the woman in hospital by a BSL-using Community Care Assistant that identified the problem. The woman involved was too unwell to be interviewed for this press release.
Deaf Action’s campaign has won the support of several MPs and MSPs, including the deputy first minister, Kate Forbes.
Philip Gerrard MBE, chief executive of Deaf Action, said: “Edinburgh once had specialist, deaf-led BSL-first services that helped people navigate daily life in their own language. Those services have been dismantled, one after another, and the result is that deaf people are now being pushed into generic systems that are not designed for BSL users.
“When you take away that language provision, you take away accessibility. It increases the risk of people being misunderstood, left isolated or falling through safeguarding gaps. The Council must restore these services as a matter of urgency.”
Jennifer Staples, who was born deaf and has lived in Edinburgh all her life, relied on Deaf Action’s specialist BSL-led support for more than four decades.
Through regular access to a dedicated social worker and later community-based services, she was able to manage everyday tasks, understand important correspondence and live independently with confidence.
Since the withdrawal of these services, Jennifer says she has been left struggling to navigate basic aspects of daily life, facing increasing isolation and uncertainty.
Jennifer said: “Every Thursday I knew that there was a two-hour slot, I could see a social worker, a person I knew, and I would go regularly. They could sign fluently and we communicated directly. But then the contract was changed and I was lost. It’s so different going through an interpreter. There were barriers everywhere.
“For example, I had a problem with my gas meter. The company stopped sending me printed bills and sent emails instead. They put on my account that I was deaf, but they kept trying to call me and I obviously can’t take a phone call.
“Nowadays I have to ask my family for help, but they don’t have any time, so I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. It’s really stressful. I’m worrying about it all the time and I don’t sleep well because of it.
“I really hope that the Council brings something back for deaf people in Edinburgh – we need support.”
Deaf Action points to a further example of a deaf man with special educational needs who went without heating for four months over the winter due to communication failures within generic social care services.
Despite raising concerns, he did not fully understand the advice given by a visiting social worker about arranging an engineer, leaving the problem unresolved from November until February.
Deaf Action argues that the replacement of specialist provision with generic services is a false economy. The charity produced a cost analysis study which concludes that removing specialist deaf-led support does not eliminate need or reduce public spending; instead, it shifts demand into far more expensive crisis services.
Three key services have been cut in sequence over the past 18 months:
Philip Gerrard added: “The cuts contradict Scotland’s stated ambition under the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act, passed a decade ago, to be the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, learn and visit,
“And this all comes just a few months after a UK Government report (link below [1] ) called for the reintroduction and strengthening of the role of specialist social workers and sensory teams across local authorities”.
As well as calling for the reintroduction of the specialist services, Deaf Action wants the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership to publish a full equality and social impact assessment that considers the cumulative effect of the cuts.
Philip Gerrard, who has met with the City of Edinburgh’s leader, Jane Meagher, and Connor Savage, the Chair of its Integration Board, said he hopes constructive discussions can continue.
Aldi is encouraging shoppers in Edinburgh to donate pet food at its in-store community donation points this April to mark National Pet Month, as more families feel the impact of rising costs when caring for pets.
With 86% of pet owners saying the cost of owning a pet has increased, local charities continue to see demand for support, including help with everyday essentials such as pet food.
The supermarket is calling on shoppers across Edinburgh to support their local communities by donating essential items in stores. Donations will be distributed to local charities and community groups through the supermarket’s long-standing partnership with Neighbourly.
Since partnering with Neighbourly in 2019, Aldi has donated the equivalent of more than 50 million meals to good causes across the UK, helping ensure surplus food reaches those who need it most while reducing food waste.
Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “Pets are part of the family, but the cost-of-living conversation rarely acknowledges them, when in reality, increasing costs are putting extra pressure on the whole household budget, including everyday essentials – like pet food.
“By making it simple for customers to donate in-store, via our existing partnership with Neighbourly, we hope to support local communities and help ensure families can continue to care for their much-loved pets.”
Steve Butterworth, CEO at Neighbourly, said: “Demand for support remains high for all daily household essentials.
“Aldi’s continued commitment – alongside the generosity of its customers – plays a vital role in supporting local charities and the communities they serve.”
Shoppers can donate pet food and everyday essentials at Aldi’s in-store community donation points, where items are distributed to local charities and community groups through its partnership with Neighbourly. Donation points are available in stores nationwide throughout the year, making it easy for customers to support their local communities whenever they shop.
Supporting communities is a core part of Aldi’s approach, with a range of initiatives in place to help ensure surplus food reaches those who need it most.
Following a successful pilot across three Regional Distribution Centres, the supermarket will provide a further 1.2 million meals to families in need this year through its partnership with The Bread and Butter Thing, as the initiative rolls out nationwide.
Aldi also works with Company Shop Group to redistribute surplus stock from its Regional Distribution Centres, helping to ensure that products which cannot be sold in stores are still put to good use.
The Great Gen Z Exodus report by The TEFL Academy reveals that Britons are no longer waiting until their 30s to leave, they’re doing it in their 20s, in record numbers, as economic pressure and shifting career priorities reshape life decisions.
In June 2025, departures among those aged 20–29 reached 130,000–140,000, significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels of around 92,000–95,000 in 2018, while emigration among those in their early 30s has fallen from around 78,000–81,000 in 2018 to 55,000–65,000 in 2025 over the same period (ONS).
Together, this points to a clear shift towards earlier, opportunity-driven migration, with young professionals choosing to build their futures abroad sooner rather than later. This marks a fundamental shift in when Britons choose to leave the UK, with migration decisions happening earlier in life than ever before.
The findings draw on a new survey of 4,000 Gen Z and young Millennials, alongside national migration statistics, labour market data and international mobility research. Together, the evidence points to a structural shift in how young Britons define success, stability and opportunity, with international mobility increasingly seen as a necessary pathway to achieving them.
The findings form part of The Great Gen Z Exodus and Young Millennials report, conducted by The TEFL Academy in March 2026, which combines official UK migration statistics with a survey of 422 Gen Z and young Millennial adults aged 18–34 exploring international work opportunities.
The research provides insight into why Britain’s young workforce is increasingly looking abroad for employment, revealing a growing confidence gap in long-term prospects at home.
For many respondents, international mobility is viewed as a strategic way to build stable careers and improve quality of life, with teaching English abroad emerging as one of the most accessible pathways for graduates and young professionals seeking global work experience.
Record Youth Exodus from the UK
Official migration data shows that the rise in young Britons leaving the UK is not a sudden spike, but a clear post-pandemic acceleration driven by shifting economic realities and changing career priorities. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Long-Term International Migration series highlights how youth emigration has evolved over time.
Before the pandemic, emigration among young adults was relatively stable. In 2019, around 176,000 Britons aged 20–39 left the UK, reflecting a steady flow of young professionals seeking opportunities abroad (ONS LTIM 2019). During the pandemic, however, global movement temporarily stalled.
In 2020, the number of young people leaving dropped sharply to around 115,000, as border closures and uncertainty forced many to delay or abandon plans to move overseas (ONS LTIM 2020).
The post-pandemic rebound has been both rapid and sustained. By 2022, pent-up demand was released, with approximately 200,000 young adults emigrating in a single year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and signalling a structural shift rather than a temporary fluctuation (ONS LTIM 2022).
Since then, the trend has continued upward, but with a notable generational shift. By the year to June 2025, Gen Z emigration reached its highest level on record, with an estimated 130,000-140,000 leaving the UK, while young Millennial departures declined to around 55,000-65,000. This marks a clear transition, with Gen Z now driving the majority of youth emigration (ONS YE June 2025).
Overall, around 195,000 Britons under the age of 35 left the UK in the past year, meaning 76% of all British emigrants are now young adults, according to analysis from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. This equates to hundreds of young professionals leaving the country each day during their most economically productive years.
Taken together, the data points to a post-pandemic inflection point, where delayed mobility has evolved into a longer-term behavioural shift, with Gen Z leading a new wave of global, opportunity-driven migration.
Survey responses from The TEFL Academy’s research reveal the economic pressures shaping these decisions. Among respondents aged 18–34, more than 86% agreed that UK wages do not reflect the cost of living, while around 79% said they feel constant financial pressure living in the UK. Many also reported that it has become increasingly difficult to “get ahead”, with respondents rating the impact of cost-of-living pressures on their ability to progress at 4.29 out of 5 on average.
Despite strong personal ambition, confidence in the UK’s long-term economic outlook appears weak. Respondents rated their optimism about their long-term future in the country at an average of 2.44 out of 5, suggesting widespread uncertainty about the prospects available to young professionals.
These perceptions mirror wider national research. According to the British Council, 72% of UK adults aged 18–30 say they would consider living and working abroad, while 63% believe their standard of living is worse than that of their parents’ generation. Housing insecurity compounds the problem: polling from the Adam Smith Institute shows that 65% of young people expect housing affordability to worsen, while around half say most people their age struggle to make ends meet.
Separate research from Currencies Direct suggests the trend may accelerate further, with 38% of people aged 25–34 and 36% of those aged 18–24 already considering leaving the UK to live or work abroad.
Survey responses from individuals exploring TEFL qualifications highlight how strongly international mobility features in the career planning of people already interested in working abroad.
Among respondents aged 18–34:
While the survey reflects individuals already interested in international work opportunities, the findings illustrate how teaching English abroad is increasingly viewed as a practical pathway for young professionals seeking global experience and career mobility.
For many respondents, leaving the UK is less about escape and more about strategic life planning. Among those who had already moved abroad, the most commonly cited motivation was improving overall quality of life, which received an average rating of 4.45 out of 5. Expectations of better work-life balance also ranked highly, with an average rating of 4.03 out of 5.
Many participants also viewed international mobility as a long-term career strategy rather than a short-term decision. Respondents rated the idea that moving abroad is a strategic choice rather than an emotional one at 3.47 out of 5, while 54% agreed that staying in the UK could hold back their long-term potential.
The research also points to a broader generational shift in career mindset. Respondents rated the importance of developing global skills at 3.93 out of 5, while attitudes toward traditional career stability appear to be changing, with many indicating that the idea of a lifelong job in the UK holds less relevance for their generation.
Destination trends suggest young professionals are targeting regions that offer clearer economic and lifestyle advantages.
Among respondents actively considering relocating abroad:
For many graduates, teaching English abroad represents one of the most accessible international career pathways. TEFL qualifications can be completed online and provide access to teaching opportunities across Asia, Europe and Latin America, allowing young professionals to gain international experience while earning an income.
Respondents exploring relocation indicated preferred regions:
Broader labour market research suggests that international mobility can have long-term career benefits. Studies across global labour markets show that professionals who gain international work experience often experience faster career progression, stronger cross-cultural skills and higher long-term earning potential.
As a result, for many young professionals, the decision to move abroad is increasingly viewed as an investment in their future career trajectory rather than a temporary lifestyle choice.
“Young Britons aren’t running away from the UK, they’re running toward opportunity,” said Rhyan O’Sullivan, Managing Director at The TEFL Academy. “For many graduates, teaching English abroad offers a practical way to gain international experience, improve quality of life and build global careers.”
With an estimated 5.5 million British citizens already living abroad, The TEFL Academy’s research suggests that younger generations are redefining success as the ability to build a stable, fulfilling life wherever opportunity exists, rather than being tied to one country.
Taken together, the evidence suggests that international mobility is becoming an increasingly common part of career planning for younger generations.
While individual motivations vary, from cost-of-living pressures to career acceleration, the broader pattern signals a generational recalibration of where young people believe their futures can realistically be built.
For the full report, visit The Great Gen Z Exodus
This year’s Edinburgh Tradfest commission A’ Chiad Litir (The First Letter), is a tribute to the life of Scots 16th-century poet Marie Maitland, popularised in recent years as the “Scottish Sappho”.
Presented by folk singer, songwriter and composer Josie Duncan and a specially formed band, it will celebrate Marie’s powerful lesbian love poetry through new music and songs, reflecting on her life, her relationships and the world she lived in, whilst also challenging the notion that queerness could ever be considered ‘modern’.
Marie Maitland was a 16th century Scottish poet born into a wealthy and influential family in East Lothian. She was a noblewoman and the daughter of Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington, a prominent Scottish statesman, judge and poet. When Marie’s father lost his sight, Marie acted as his scribe and began writing her own verse.
For this new music commission Josie, who works both in English and Scots Gaelic, has written a variety of new songs and instrumental tracks inspired by Marie Maitland’s life and poetry. These include several composed in the style of a ‘waulking’ song, a type of singing that was traditionally performed by women while fulling newly woven tweed cloth usually in the Hebrides.
In addition, historian Ashley Douglas, who has written extensively on Marie Maitland and brought her work to light, will read a verse known as Poem 49 from a manuscript created by Marie.
This powerful nine-stanza poem is one of the very earliest examples of lesbian verse in any language in Europe since Sappho herself (620-570 BC). In it, Marie speaks openly and passionately of her love for another woman, even stating her desire for the two women to be married. In the final stanzas, she reluctantly accepts the impossibility of their formal union, but nonetheless vows her ever-lasting devotion.
Speaking about the commission, singer songwriter Josie Duncan said: “Marie Maitland’s poetry is a rare and powerful testament to queer love in 16th-century Scotland. Through this music, I hope to amplify her passionate, brave and vulnerable voice and celebrate a story that still resonates deeply today.
“I felt an immediate emotional connection to her work. Marie, like Sappho, wanted to be remembered and she is because of Ashley Douglas, who I knew had to be part of this show.
“It’s an honour to have her work to be inspired by so many years later. Work like this challenges the idea that queer love could ever be considered ‘modern’.”
Historian and author Ashley Douglas said: “Women who love women have always existed – and remarkable women like Marie Maitland, who bequeathed us her love story, in her own hand, left us the records that prove it.
“When those stories are recovered from the margins, they have the power to validate and inspire the women who love women of today. I’m overjoyed that Marie’s story has so inspired Josie to create such beautiful music and song, and I’m so excited to work with her in continuing the legacy of Scotland’s sixteenth-century Sappho.”
Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producer of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “Through our connections with Bogha-Frois (Queer Voices in Folk), Edinburgh Tradfest has always been an ally to LGBTQ+ artists, so Josie’s suggestion for a show about Marie Maitland really appealed to us.
“It is a fascinating subject, and is proof-positive that queerness was not invented in the 21st century. Working with Josie on this special commission has been an enlightening and inspiring experience, and I am really looking forward to seeing the finished show on Monday 4 May.”
About Josie Duncan
Josie Duncan is an award-winning singer, songwriter and composer from the Outer Hebridean Isle of Lewis. In 2017, she was awarded the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, and in 2021 her acclaimed New Voices commission for Celtic Connections, showcased her versatility as a composer and performer, and led to her debut album As the Moonlight Melts a collection of self-penned songs.
Josie has performed at major festivals across the UK and beyond, including Celtic Colours (Canada), the National Celtic Festival (Australia), Tønder Festival (Denmark), Sidmouth Folk Festival and the Hebridean Celtic Festival, for which she composed the 2022 Opening Concert commission. Alongside her work as a performer, she is an emerging composer for film and theatre, bringing her distinctive melodic touch and sensitivity to visual storytelling.
A’ Chiad Litir has been specially commissioned by The Soundhouse Organisation, who programme Edinburgh Tradfest (1-11 May). It will be performed by singer songwriter Josie Duncan (vocals, harp, tenor guitar and effects); Charlotte Printer (bass and vocals), Laura Jane Wilkie (fiddle), Eilidh Rodgers (percussion), Jenny Clifford (guitar), and author and historian Ashley Douglas (spoken word). With special guests: Kisna Panesar (concertina) and Rae MacIver (piano), a Glasgow-based duo sharing a love of Scottish and Irish traditional music, blended with contemporary influences.
MENTAL HEALTH TIPS from MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
TUESDAYS 3.45 – 4.30pm from 28th APRIL
Guitar group is back at Muirhouse library!
Chris will be running drop-in sessions from Tuesday 28th April 3:45-4:30pm, every Tuesday until the summer break.
Please come along if you want to learn or develop your guitar playing. Guitars will be available to play and borrow or you can bring your own.
This month marks a true milestone for the UK benefits system: the end of the thirteen-year rollout of Universal Credit that has brought together all means-tested working-age benefits.
This moment is an opportunity to consider how the system can be improved
