KEEP YOUR LITTLE ONES HAPPY THIS OCTOBER HALF TERM
Looking to keep your kids happy this half-term? Burger King® UK is here to help with a scarily good deal in the run up to Halloween, with the return of Kids Eat FREE!
From 11th-20th October, families across Scotland can enjoy a King Jrmeal, featuring a Kids Hamburger or Chicken Nuggets, fries or apple slices and a drink of your choice, totally free when purchasing an adult meal*!
All you need to do is download the Burger King® UK app via Google Play here or the App Store here to claim the offer.
This October, Dynamic Earth invites families to swap fright for fascination and embark on a thrilling journey into the world of misunderstood creatures, eerie adventures, and science-led discovery.
With a spectacular programme of Halloween-themed activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy — from spine-tingling trails to spooky planetarium shows and hands-on exploration.
Running from Wednesday, 2nd October to Sunday, 3rd November, this unmissable line-up promises weeks of fun and learning for children and adults alike.
Highlights of the October Programme Include:
Trick or Treat Trail (2nd Oct – 3rd Nov)
Admission ticket + £4
Get ready for an adventure with Blaize the Bat as you explore our exhibition and uncover hidden wonders of the natural world. From slithering serpents to creatures from the deep, you’ll be guided through Dynamic Earth by clues and puzzles, leading to a special prize — your very own Blaize the Bat beanie!
Eerie Encounters (4th Oct – 3rd Nov)
FREE drop-in activities
Our Science Communication team invites you to dive into a world of “eerie encounters” with misunderstood creatures and fascinating plants. From crafting your very own Venus flytrap puppet to uncovering prehistoric creatures in our dino-dig, these family-friendly activities will have everyone getting hands-on with nature’s creepiest and most captivating lifeforms.
New Planetarium Shows (2nd Oct – 31st Oct)
Daily screenings
Embark on an out-of-this-world journey with two captivating shows in our 6K resolution Planetarium:
Fungi: Web of Life (narrated by Björk) unveils the mysterious and interconnected world of fungi. With expert insights from acclaimed British biologist Dr. Merlin Sheldrake, this film explores the hidden network that sustains all life on Earth. Dr. Sheldrake’s groundbreaking research in mycology adds a deeper layer of intrigue, making this a must-see for science enthusiasts.
What’s Up: The Fright Sky takes you on an exclusive live journey presented by Dynamic Earth’s in-house astronomers. These shows, created by our expert team, reveal real imagery from space and stunning visuals captured by satellites. You’ll hear personalised content and seasonal insights directly from our science experts, offering an immersive and unique look into the darker tales and legends of the night sky.
Planetarium Lates (18th, 19th, 21st, 25th Oct)
16 special evening shows (18+)
For adults, Dynamic Earth offers Planetarium Lates — an immersive experience with Halloween classics like The Shining and The Thing, plus Dark Side of the Moon shows. Sip on a themed cocktail such as Beetlejuice or Vampire Kiss, and settle in for a spooky, star-studded night out.
October Outdoor Club (Mon – Tue, or Thur – Fri)
Ages 7-12
For younger adventurers, Dynamic Earth’s October Outdoor Club offers a two-day journey into Earth and environmental sciences. From exploring sustainability to learning about the fascinating creatures that inhabit our planet, this club promises endless excitement and discovery for curious young minds.
October Membership Offer:
This October, there’s more than just Halloween fun in store at Dynamic Earth! From Wednesday, 2nd October to Tuesday, 31st October, visitors can upgrade their Adult, Child, or Concession day ticket for just £5 and receive a 12-month membership at Dynamic Earth.
A Dynamic Earth Annual Membership Includes:
Unlimited visits to Dynamic Earth’s exhibition, galleries, and 6K resolution Planetarium for 12 months.
Exclusive previews to seasonal activities and events.
Free admission for under-4s.
As a special bonus, those who take up this membership offer will be invited to an exclusive preview of our Winter What’s Up show and a screening of the festive favourite, The Muppet Christmas Carol.*
Visit Dynamic Earth and Transform Your Halloween!
With a blend of science, adventure, and spooky fun, Dynamic Earth’s October programme is the perfect way for families to celebrate Halloween. Whether you’re tracing the Trick or Treat Trail, marvelling at the mysteries of fungi, or spending an evening at Planetarium Lates, there’s something here for everyone to enjoy.
5,340 people tuned in to the Restart a Heart Live YouTube livestream on Thursday 10th October, smashing the previous GUINNESS WORLD RECORD – 1,500 – for the most views of a CPR Lesson on YouTube in 24 hours.
Restart a Heart Live aimed to train as many people as possible in lifesaving CPR and was pioneered by Lee Myers, a Paramedic Clinical Team Leader at the Scottish Ambulance Service and co-produced with Save a Life for Scotland and Save a Life Cymru. Lee has undertaken in-person CPR training for schools across the Borders and wanted to find a way to make this training accessible to everyone.
Lee said: “I am incredibly proud of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD achievement, of the entire team behind this concept, but most importantly all the people that we managed to train yesterday.
“Restart a Heart Live has been a tremendous success, and we are grateful for all the support we’ve received. We hope that through this event it’s given people confidence to perform CPR if they witness an out of hospital cardiac arrest. Even if one person survives from someone attending the event, then it has been successful.”
Lee was joined on the day by his twin brother, Liam Myers, Police Scotland Constable, who helped deliver the CPR training.
Liam said: “I am overwhelmed to have been part of a team that has achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD. I believe it is really important to learn CPR as there is no doubt it saves lives.
“The response from the public has been amazing in term of the numbers taking part in the training sessions. I want to thank everyone who tuned in to learn CPR, every little helps when it comes to saving a life.”
Susan Gardner, National Program Manager of the Save a Life for Scotland campaign said: “Restart a Heart has been an amazing event! Working with our local and national partners from across the UK allowed us to highlight the importance of CPR to people right into their homes, workplaces, and schools.
“We need each other to be ready to do CPR if we should ever have to do it. By starting CPR people in Scotland can double or even triple the chances of someone surviving and play an essential part in bringing someone back home to their loved ones.”
Julie Starling, Save a Life Cymru Clinical Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Programme Manager, said: “We are delighted to be a part of this GUINNESS WORLD RECORD and the Restart a Heart Live event. If one life can be saved through this collaboration – that is a mark of success for us.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside our Scottish colleges and other organisations in Wales on this event. CPR is a life skill, and no one should be frightened to give it a go.”
Letters for new eye clinic appointments will begin “landing on doorsteps” in Lothian in two weeks’ time
NHS Lothian said it was making progress with plans for the continued delivery of services normally housed at the Princes Alexandra Eye Pavilion, while the facility is closed for urgent repair work.
It comes after the health board announced two weeks ago that the specialist eye hospital would have to be temporarily vacated for around six months to allow for extensive work.
All appointments scheduled to take place from October 28 are being moved in the interim to other NHS Lothian facilities while the work on the plumbing system is carried out.
Services will be distributed across five locations in NHS Lothian – St John’s Hospital, Livingston, the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, East Lothian Community Hospital and the Lauriston Building which is adjacent to the Eye Pavilion.
Inpatient services and day surgery appointments will be located at St John’s, while referrals for emergency ophthalmology cases will be treated at the Lauriston Building, a major outpatient centre which will also serve as temporary home to many of the Eye Pavilion’s clinics.
Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said great care was being taken to keep disruption to a minimum, but said there is likely to be some knock-on impact of such a busy facility being relocated.
He added: “We are devising a plan that allows us to vacate the PAEP building during this essential work, while ensuring that patients can continue to be seen and treated throughout.
“So far, we have identified five locations with the necessary clinically appropriate facilities where we can relocate outpatient clinics, however we are still working through the complex logistics this will involve.
“Patient and staff safety are always our chief consideration, and our teams are working hard to minimise disruption. Please be assured, patients will be given the details of their new appointment with updated times and locations as soon as we can, and we expect that to be within the next fortnight. They can expect to receive physical letters or electronic letters on the e-comms portal.
“However, the PAEP was our busiest location for outpatient appointments, with up to 1,600 slots every week, as well as more than 130 inpatient appointments. There is likely to be an impact on waiting times in ophthalmology, but also in other specialties where the new clinics are being relocated.
“Our migration plan has tried to spread the numbers evenly across our facilities and our clinical teams are working to prioritise patients with the most urgent need for treatment soonest.
“I would like to thank our patients for their understanding and patience and our teams at the Eye Pavilion and in other services which will also be affected for their hard work and co-operation. Moving a hospital is a massive logistical exercise and I want to acknowledge that this is a whole system effort that reaches far beyond ophthalmology.”
The extensive work will begin at the end of October and will involve the removal of two waste pipes as well as asbestos material from a sealed cavity where the pipework is located.
Contractors have advised that the work can be carried out more quickly and safely if the building is vacant for the duration.
The vast majority of patients due to be seen at the PAEP between now and Friday October 26are unaffected.
A small number of appointments due to take place before then will also need to be rescheduled in order to begin preparations for the temporary closure of the Eye Pavilion. These patients will be contacted individually by their clinical teams at least two weeks in advance, and do not need to do anything.
Those who already have appointments booked for dates from Monday October 28 will be contacted by letter, text or both in good time to arrange their new appointments, starting with patients who have appointments in the week beginning October 28.
Major investment deals set to be announced at inaugural International Investment Summit
Billions worth of investments in emerging growth sectors including AI and life sciences, and infrastructure are set to be unveiled by businesses and ministers at the government’s inaugural International Investment Summit today.
Ministers set to unveil billions worth of major investment deals in AI, life sciences and infrastructure
Follows investment of £24 billion in clean energy from business leaders hailing the UK’s “clear policy direction”
Comes as leading investors, CEOs, and politicians convene for inaugural International Investment Summit
PM vows to “do everything in my power to galvanise growth” as he pledges to “get rid of regulation that needlessly holds back investment”
World leading CEO’s and investors from across the globe will meet with ministers, First Ministers, and local leaders at the Guildhall – a historic landmark which has served as the ceremonial heart of the City of London for centuries.
Securing investment is central to the government’s mission to deliver economic growth which will create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off.
The government has already secured tens of billions worth of investments within 100 days of being in office. The International Investment Summit will provide an opportunity to build on this progress and showcase the UK’s economic strengths.
The event will demonstrate that through serious, stable governance, the UK can establish enduring partnerships with businesses to boost investment and give investors the confidence they need to choose Britain.
In a sign of intent to deliver on its central promise, this government has immediately made a series of major interventions to restore economic stability and create the right conditions for growth and investment. Business leaders this week hailed the UK’s “clear policy direction” as they announced over £24 billion worth of investment in clean energy projects.
The government’s policy platform – including bolstering the Office for Investment, a robust Industrial Strategy, major planning reforms to unlock infrastructure and housing, and founding a National Wealth Fund to catalyse private money – will attract investment, kickstart growth, and unlock Britain’s potential.
In his keynote speech opening the summit, the Prime Minister will outline how the government will build on this work, with a vow to “do everything in my power to galvanise growth including getting rid of regulation that needlessly holds back investment.”
He is expected to say not enough has been done to make sure the UK is keeping pace with emerging industries. He will pledge to “upgrade the regulatory regime to make it fit for the modern age, making Britain fit to harness all opportunities.”
In his keynote speech, the Prime Minister will make his ‘pitch for Britain’. On the value of stability, the Prime Minister is expected to say: “It’s not just that stability leads to growth – though we all recognise that.
“It’s also that growth leads to stability. Growth leads to a country that is better equipped to come together and get its future back. That’s why it’s always been so critical to my project.
“We have a golden opportunity to use our mandate, to end chop and change, policy churn and sticking plasters that make it so hard for investors to assess the value of any proposition.
“We have the determination, the focus on clear long-term ends, a mission-led mindset that thinks in years, not the days or hours of the news grid, needed to unlock that potential. Do not doubt that.
“We are focusing on investment because the mission of growth, in this country especially, demands it. Private sector investment is the way we rebuild our country and pay our way in the world. This is a great moment to back Britain. This is great moment to back England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.”
On regulation, he is expected to say: “We’ve got to look at regulation where it is needlessly holding back the investment, to take our country forward.
“Where it is stopping us building the homes, the data centres, warehouses, grid connectors, roads, trainlines, you name it then mark my words – we will get rid of it.
“We will rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment and we will make sure that every regulator in this country take growth as seriously as this room does.”
The government will ask the CMA to prioritise growth, investment, and innovation through their work as a priority and it will also be reviewing the focus of other major regulators.
The regulatory review is just one part of the government’s work ensuring Britain is at the front of the queue for emerging opportunities. It builds on the recent creation of the Regulatory Innovation Office, which will curb red tape for cutting-edge emerging technologies, speed up approvals, and allow them to be rolled out to the public safely and quickly.
These changes come at the same time as the government delivers on a key manifesto promise to establish a modern Industrial Strategy. Long called for by business, the strategy hardwires long-term stability for investors and plays to the UK’s strengths by focusing on eight growth-driving sectors.
The summit will involve sessions with ministers and business leaders to discuss how together we can ensure the UK capitalises on emerging growth sectors including health tech and AI, clean energy and creative industries, for the good of working people.
Confirmed speakers including Ruth Porat President & Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet, David A. Ricks Chair and CEO of Eli Lilly, Alex Kendall CEO of Wayve and Pushmeet Kohli Vice President of Research at Google DeepMind.
The Prime Minister will take part in an “in conversation” event with former CEO and chairman of Google Eric Schmidt, moderated by CEO of GSK Dame Emma Walmsley to discuss how the UK can seize the opportunities of AI to drive growth and productivity, and it’s potential to improve public services such as health and education.
The Chancellor will close the summit and take part in a panel event discussing investment opportunities in the UK with Group Chief Executive of USS Carol Young, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock Larry Fink and CEO of Brookfield Asset Management Bruce Flatt.
Attendees will then be invited to an exclusive reception at St Paul’s Cathedral attended by His Majesty The King.
Investment Minister Poppy Gustafsson OBE said: “It’s never been a better time to invest in Britain.
“This summit is a hugely significant moment to showcase the UK’s economic strengths on the world stage and I’m delighted to be part of the government’s important work to drive growth and investment across the UK.”
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I’m delighted to be attending the International Investment Summit. With a new government, we are reclaiming Britain’s reputation as a magnet for global investment – bringing with it new technology, new ways of thinking and, crucially, new jobs across our country, meaning higher living standards.
“London and the UK are open for business, trade and investment. I will continue working with the Government to forge new partnerships, reset relationships and seize the opportunity to secure long-term investment so that we can build a better London for everyone and deliver the change Britain needs.”
Alex Kendall, Co-Founder and CEO of Wayve, said: “I’m delighted to join the inaugural International Investment Summit. The UK has a strong opportunity to lead in Embodied AI, especially in automated vehicles.
“We appreciate the Government’s proactive collaboration with industry on intelligent legislation like the AV Act 2024. Their sector-specific approach to AI regulation is the right way to encourage both investment and innovation.
“As we advance our Embodied AI technology into safe, reliable, production-ready software for global automakers, we look forward to continuing to work with the Government to harmonise global regulations and scale UK innovation internationally.”
Ruth Porat, Chief Investment Officer at Alphabet Inc, said: “Google is proud of our long history of meaningful investments in local talent, infrastructure and digital skilling in the UK which help everyone participate in the benefits of the digital economy.
“With the UK’s rich academic heritage, particularly in the sciences, it is well-positioned to capture the many opportunities that AI can deliver.
“The Investment Summit is an important moment to reflect on the progress to date, and how to best position the UK as a global leader in AI, with the economic and societal benefits this transformative technology can deliver today, and in the years ahead.”
The Business Secretary and Chancellor announce steps to deliver long-term growth through a modern Industrial Strategy, including appointing a Chair of the new Industrial Strategy Advisory Council
The Industrial Strategy will create a pro-business environment and play to the UK’s strengths, focusing on eight growth driving sectors including creative industries and financial services
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds pledges an end to instability “our modern Industrial Strategy will hardwire stability for investors and give industry the confidence to plan for the next 10 years and beyond”
Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK, will chair government’s new Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, which will provide expert advice developed in partnership with business, unions, and stakeholders from across the UK
Announcements come ahead of International Investment Summit which will bring together business leaders from around the globe to boost investment and growth
Government is also asking for business to help shape the industrial strategy with a green paper to develop the plans in partnership
The next generation of British industry has been fired-up and readied to reignite our industrial heartlands and kickstart economic growth, as the Government launches the first Industrial Strategy in seven years.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves have published a green paper to kickstart delivery of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy. The strategy will drive long-term growth in key sectors that is sustainable, resilient and distributed across the country.
Announcing the eight growth sectors will be the focus of the Strategy, alongside naming the new Industrial Strategy Advisory Council’s chair, the Business Secretary has promised to ‘give investors a ten year plan to choose Britain’.
The key sectors the government will focus its modern Industrial Strategy are on advanced manufacturing; clean energy industries, creative industries; defence; digital and technologies; financial services; life sciences; and professional and business services.
The green paper, which will be published tomorrow on the day of the International Investment Summit, will bring together UK leaders, high-profile investors and businesses from across the world. There, Reynolds is expected to tell delegates the Industrial Strategy will put Britain back on the global stage and help attract investment into the most productive parts of the UK economy.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds MP said: “Our modern Industrial Strategy will hardwire stability for investors and give them the confidence to plan not just for the next year, but for the next 10 years and beyond.
“This is the next step in our pro worker, pro business plan which will see investors and workers alike get the security and stability they need to succeed.
“Clare’s wealth of talent and experience will help ensure the Industrial Strategy delivers its mission of unleashing the potential of high productivity sectors to spur growth, spread wealth, and drive-up employment across the UK.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves MP said: “I have never been more optimistic about our country’s potential. We have some of the brightest minds and greatest businesses in the world. From the creative industries and life sciences to advanced manufacturing and financial services.
“This Government is determined to deliver on Britain’s potential so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of the country better off.”
Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK, will chair the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council. The Council will inform the development of the Industrial Strategy through its expertise and latest evidence, working with business, trade unions, devolved governments, local leaders, academia and stakeholders.
In the King’s speech the Government committed to putting the Council on a statutory footing – giving it powers and responsibilities and ensuring it will be permanent and independent.
Ahead of establishing a statutory body, we are introducing an interim advisory Council. The first Council meeting and announcement of full membership is expected in the coming weeks.
Microsoft UK CEO Clare Barclay said: “As Chair of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, I will ensure the Council provides a clear and strong voice on behalf of business, nations, regions, and trade unions, as we invest for the future to ensure that our prosperity is underpinned by robust growth in key sectors right across the country.
“Whilst we fully embrace the industries of today, we must also have a clear plan for future growth, and the Advisory Council will play a central role in shaping and delivering this plan.”
The government has also identified eight growth-driving sectors for the Industrial Strategy, focusing on sectors the UK excels in today and will excel tomorrow.
Over the last 25 years, the top 30% of sectors ranked by productivity in 1997 were responsible for generating roughly 60% of the economy’s entire productivity growth. That’s why our Industrial Strategy will channel support to sectors and geographical clusters that have the highest growth potential for the next decade.
Our strategy will create a pro-business environment to capture a greater share of internationally mobile investment in strategic sectors and motivate domestic business to boost their investment and scale up their growth.
Businesses up and down the country will also be invited to respond to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, which will be published tomorrow.
The consultation will provide stakeholders with the opportunity to inform the Strategy’s continued development and ensure it delivers tangible impact to people and communities right across the UK.
Views are sought from business, international investors, unions and any other interested parties, on the overall vision, approach to growth sectors and the policy levers needed to drive investment.
Make UK CEO Stephen Phipson said: “We live in a world which is massively different to a decade ago and simply leaving the economy and, industrial strategy, to the free market is an ideology which is long past its sell by date.
“This is a welcome first step in addressing the achilles heel of the economy which has left the UK an outlier among advanced countries. It sets out a clarity of vision for how the resources of Government and, in particular, each department can be convened towards a single objective of long term growth across all regions.
“With the welcome announcement of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council Chair and, the Council being put on a statutory footing, industry will no longer fear the constant chop and change in policy we have seen over the last decade or so and can focus on the long term – it is important that the Government is delivering on its promises.”
WPP CEO Mark Read said: “WPP supports the Government’s objective to create and foster an investment environment that drives long-term growth.
“As a global marketing services company, we believe that the UK’s world-leading creative industries, powered by new technologies like AI and exceptional talent, can continue to play a key role in further advancing the UK’s investment case on the global stage.”
Airbus UK Chairman John Harrison said: “Airbus welcomes the inclusion of advanced manufacturing in the Government’s Industrial Strategy as a vital opportunity to build on the successful partnership between government and the aerospace sector.
“As one of the most technologically advanced businesses in the UK, we also welcome the strong focus on innovation, which is crucial to driving future growth and maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness in aerospace and defence.”
For businesses to invest and thrive they need confidence in their supply chains. So, we are also establishing a new supply chains taskforce in government that will work to assess where supply chains critical to the UK’s economic security and resilience – including those in the growth driving sectors outlined in the industrial strategy – could be vulnerable to disruption.
The taskforce will ensure that government works with business to address these risks, building the conditions required to deliver secure growth.
The UK Government wants the UK to be a prime investment opportunity for business. The Industrial Strategy, and the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, will be key to giving investors the solid foundation on which to build.
This year marks the bicentenary of the world’s first municipal fire and rescue service, formed in Edinburgh in October 1824.
FBU National, Regional and Area Officials along with many FBU members will be joining SFRS at St Giles Cathedral on 23 October to pay tribute to firefighters and the legacy of James Braidwood and we invite all FBU members along to the Three Sisters, 139 Cowgate, Edinburgh from 4-8pm on 23 October for an FBU Bicentenary social.
The Government has announced additional funding to support Holocaust Memorial Day 2025
2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, with many Holocaust survivors expected to attend the national ceremony
Funding reflects the Government’s aim that the national commemorations should be seen by an audience of millions
The UK Government has announced additional funding for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust to support the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Holocaust Memorial Day, marked each year on January 27th, is a day of reflection, remembrance, and education.
2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, which will be a particularly poignant occasion, highlighting the significance of remembering the atrocities of the past while fostering a future of understanding and unity.
Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 also marks the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, sending a strong reminder that hatred and intolerance have continued long after the Holocaust.
Faith Minister Lord Khan said: “We are absolutely committed to ensuring the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. The 80th anniversary is a time for deep reflection, and to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered by the Nazis.
“This funding will enable the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust to stage an event and ensure it is broadcast to millions – matching the significance of the moment. It will enable communities across the country to take part in this moment for reflection – and to hear directly from survivors who can bear witness to the appalling crimes committed by the Nazis.”
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s Chief Executive, Olivia Marks-Woldman, said: “We are delighted that the Government’s commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day Trust means that we can reach even further in this significant year. The Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 commemorations will be engaging millions of people across the UK, in local communities, on social and traditional media, and at the UK Ceremony.
“Please join us in January to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia – to learn from the past, for a better future.”
The additional funds will help facilitate broadcasting the event, broadening access to people across the country for commemoration and reflection.
Last month, in his speech to the Holocaust Education Trust, the Prime Minister set out a new “national ambition” to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to hear recorded Holocaust survivor testimony.
Ahead of its curriculum review, the Government has also committed to ensure that the Holocaust remains on the curriculum and that state schools which are not currently required to follow the national curriculum also teach the Holocaust.
The additional funding of £80,000 is in addition to an annual grant of £900,000 given to HMDT – totalling £980,000 this year – which is provided for the annual ceremony and for support for thousands of local activities up and down the country to remember the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.
Aid for communities suffering worst drought in a century
Thousands of drought-affected households in Zambia and Zimbabwe will receive support from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund.
Christian Aid and the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) will each receive £175,000 to enable both charities to provide cash to communities to meet their immediate basic needs, including food and safe drinking water.
SCIAF will support 1,530 households in Zambia with cash transfers of 600 kwacha, equivalent to £17 a month. Christian Aid will provide cash transfers to 562 drought-affected household in Zimbabwe and promote services that work to prevent gender-based violence, which can increase during times of instability following major disasters.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Between a record drought exacerbated by the climate crisis and ongoing cholera outbreaks, the current situation in Southern Africa looks very bleak.
“This funding will ensure people in some of the hardest hit communities can put food on their families’ tables, buy basic essentials, and safe drinking water – which is critical to prevent further spread of cholera.
“Scotland must fulfil its role as a good global citizen and a big part of that is supporting those who have contributed the least to climate change, through the worst of its effects.”
SCIAF Chief Executive Lorraine Currie said: “Right now, people in Zambia and neighbouring countries in Africa are at crisis point, with failed harvest after failed harvest.
“The root cause is climate change, which is ravaging the region. It’s making weather patterns more extreme with more intense, more frequent droughts, floods, and heat waves. Rural areas, where most people farm to feed themselves are the hardest hit.
“This funding from the Scottish Government will literally save lives. Working through our local partners, we will make sure the most vulnerable people are reached with cash grants which will give them the freedom to quickly buy what their families need to survive. These are our sisters and brothers and we will not forget them.”
Christian Aid’s Zimbabwe Country Director Aulline Chapisa said: “We’re deeply grateful for the Scottish Government’s commitment and support. This funding will enable 562 vulnerable households to access essential food items and will be delivered by our local partner the Zimbabwe Council of Churches. It will also help to significantly reduce levels of gender-based violence by improving access to information and support services.
“Sadly we know that during times of crisis and food insecurity cases of domestic violence increase. Additionally, with extra funding from Christian Aid, we’ll be improving access to safe water supplies and supporting people to diversify their means of earning a living. Ultimately this project is about life saving food assistance and building resilience and wellbeing in these communities.”
We are excited to announce new evening Alterations & Mending classes with @frank_franciaclothing! These classes will be on Thursday evenings 6 – 8pm, running from 24th October – 21st November.
Looking to learn or refine your sewing skills? These drop-in sewing classes are perfect for everyone, from beginners to experienced sewers! We will have the fantastic Francia on hand to support your learning. Bring your own clothes or garments for repair and alteration, or bring your own fabric to create something new. All equipment and some materials are provided.
The best part? These sessions are free! We do suggest a donation of £5 to support the centre, but there’s no need to commit to every week—just come when you can!
Join us for some creative fun and skill-building in a supportive space
The best part? These sessions are free! We do suggest a donation of £5 to support the centre, but there’s no need to commit to every week—just come when you can!