Delivering the Youth Guarantee

Giving every young person the chance to succeed

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has set out more details of how Scotland’s Youth Guarantee will give young people the chance to succeed despite the economic impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The guarantee will ensure everyone aged between 16 and 24 has the opportunity of work, education or training. The Scottish Government is funding it with £60 million which will be broken down as follows:

  • £30 million through local authorities to help local partnerships to deliver employability support for young people
  • £10 million to create additional opportunities in colleges
  • £10 million additional funding for Developing the Young Workforce, the Scottish Government’s internationally recognised Youth Employment Strategy
  • £10 million to support pathways to apprenticeships

Sandy Begbie, who led the Developing the Young Workforce Group that played a pivotal role in the delivery of the Edinburgh Guarantee to young people, was asked to write an implementation plan which has been published yesterday.

The report’s recommendations include:

  • early work to identify youth employment opportunities with employers in some of the least-impacted sectors, including financial services, utilities and life sciences
  • working to introduce an incentive model where government pays 50% of wages for young people who need the most help
  • a call for the public sector to create more opportunities for young people
  • a call for businesses who would not normally have taken an apprentice full-time to consider sharing an apprentice with other employers
  • providing support to encourage SMEs to take on a young person if they are able to do so

Ms Hyslop said: “I would like to thank Sandy Begbie for the significant work he has put into developing this proposal in such a short period of time. He has engaged widely and set out ambitious recommendations for which I am grateful, and I look forward to working with him to implement them.

“The guarantee will be crucial to improving the opportunities of young people in light of the pandemic, and I was delighted to be able to speak to some of them earlier today about how the Edinburgh Guarantee has benefitted them.

“The scale of this task will be significant, and that is why we have set ourselves the challenge of this ambitious guarantee. I would urge all employers who are able, to work with us to create more opportunities that recognise the valuable contribution our young people have to make in growing our economy.

“Progress will only be possible through collaboration and a collective determination to succeed. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has become one of the early adopters of the Youth Guarantee.

“My message to Scotland’s young people is simple: we are right behind you, we want you to be successful and we will do everything we can to give you the opportunities you need.”

Mr Begbie said: “While very ambitious, in many ways this guarantee is quite simple. It is an unconditional commitment to all our 16-24 year olds, whose lives and prospects could be irreparably damaged by COVID-19.

“It is a guarantee of education, an apprenticeship, training, employment, volunteering or supported activity.  Keeping young people connected in a way they feel valued and productive is at the heart of this guarantee.

“To deliver this we need a call to action across the private, public, third and education sectors with everyone doing all they can to create opportunities for our young people.  

“The guarantee, if delivered effectively, will also go a long way to help address the inequalities we know exist, and every young person regardless of background will have the same opportunity.”

Young Person Guarantee. No-one left behind: initial report. 

Police appeal following serious assault on Leith Walk

Police are appealing for information after a 35-year-old man was seriously assaulted in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, 27 August, 2020.

The incident happened around 1am outside Spey Lounge on Leith Walk.

The victim was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment to a serious head injury.The suspect is believed to be male.

Detective Inspector Clark Martin, of Edinburgh CID, said: “I am appealing to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident and witnessed the assault but has not yet spoken to police to come forward.

“I would also ask anyone who was driving in the area and has a dash-cam to check back and see if there is any footage that may be able to assist our investigation.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101, quoting reference number 0307 of 27 August, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Scottish Government to embed UNCRC into Scots law

Scotland is set to become the first country in the UK to directly incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law.

The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill will make it unlawful for public authorities to act incompatibly with the incorporated UNCRC requirements, giving children, young people and their representatives the power to go to court to enforce their rights.

The UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world and sets out the specific rights that all children have to help fulfil their potential, including rights relating to health and education, leisure and play, fair and equal treatment, protection from exploitation and the right to be heard.

The Bill:

  • directly incorporates the UNCRC as far as possible within the powers of the Scottish Parliament
  • makes it unlawful for public authorities to act incompatibly with the incorporated UNCRC requirements
  • gives power to the Children’s Commissioner to take legal action in relation to children’s rights
  • requires Ministers to produce a Children’s Rights Scheme setting out how they comply with children’s rights and to report annually
  • requires listed public authorities to report every three years on how they comply with children’s rights

The Bill also allows for incorporation of the articles of the UNCRC currently beyond the powers of the Scottish Parliament, should these powers change in the future.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “This Bill will revolutionise the way we listen to children and take their rights into account.

“By directly incorporating the UNCRC into Scots law, and to the maximum extent possible under the current powers of the Parliament, we will build children’s rights into the fabric of decision making in Scotland.

“It will mean children and young people are involved in the decisions that affect their lives and that children’s rights are always respected, protected and fulfilled by public authorities. Where necessary, children will be able to go to courts to enforce their rights.

“This Bill is a significant step towards a future based on tolerance, equality, shared values and respect for the worth and human dignity of all people.” 

Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: “This is a monumental day for Scotland; incorporating the UNCRC into Scots law is a significant step to ensuring that all children, even babies, in the country have their rights recognised, respected and fulfilled.

“Among its provisions, the Convention sets out children’s right to be safe and their right to access support services to help them recover from abuse or neglect.

“Our research shows that the availability of therapeutic services for children who have suffered abuse is inconsistent across the country but this new Bill puts an obligation on the Scottish Government and others to ensure access to specialist and timely treatment for all children who have suffered from traumatic experiences.”

The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill

Quarantine measures introduced for travellers from Greece

Importation of new cases remains ‘significant’ public health risk

Travellers from Greece will be required to self-isolate at home, or another specified address, for 14 days on arrival in Scotland from 4am Thursday morning (3 September). This is due to a significant rise in cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) being imported into Scotland by people who have been in Greece.

Evidence of virus importation, especially from the Greek islands, has led to the country being removed from the exemption list on public health grounds. It is believed prevalence of COVID-19 in Greece currently remains lower than 20 per 100,000, however, a number of cases of the virus in Scotland can be traced back to travel to Greece.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are in the midst of a global pandemic and the situation in many countries can change suddenly. Therefore, people should think very hard before committing to non-essential travel abroad.

“With Scotland’s relatively low infection rate, importation of new cases from Greece is a significant risk to public health. I would also encourage people who have returned to Scotland from Greece in the last few days to be particularly careful in their social contacts and to ensure they stick to the FACTS.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation in all parts of the world and base the decisions we make on the scientific evidence available.

“Regular discussions continue with the other three governments in the UK.

“Requiring travellers arriving from a non-exempt country to quarantine for 14 days on arrival is vital to helping prevent transmission of the virus and to suppress it. More details about what this means can be found on the Scottish Government website.

“Wherever people have travelled from – an exempt country or not – it is a legal requirement to complete a Passenger Locator Form and provide it to Border Force officials. Failure to do so can also result in a fine since this, along with any failure to self-isolate where required, poses a significant risk to wider public health across Scotland.”

Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith said: “There is a compelling public health risk around importation of the virus, especially given the number of imported cases linked to the Greek islands.

“The flow of travel between Scotland and Greece, and the behaviour we have seen from some of those travellers, means that on public health grounds there is a strong case – supported by public health directors – to remove Greece from the exemption list.”

Public health rules for international travel are an important part of Scotland’s wider response to the pandemic to limit the introduction of new chains of transmission. 

To allow the appropriate arrangements to be put in place, following the laying of the regulations, the change will come into force at 4am on Thursday 3 September.

All international travellers arriving into Scotland, apart from a very limited number of individual exemptions, must complete a passenger locator form and provide evidence that they have done so on arrival in the UK if requested to do so by a Border Force official. This includes people arriving from countries where quarantine is subsequently not required. Individuals who do not complete the form and present it when asked on arrival may be fined £60. The fine can be doubled for each subsequent offence up to a maximum of £480.

Failure to comply with the requirement to quarantine may result in a fine of £480.

Those travelling abroad should check in advance for any local requirements to quarantine on arrival at their destination. Further information about the foreign travel public health rules, including quarantine requirements can be read on the Scottish Government website.

This includes the existing list of overseas destinations where those arriving in Scotland are exempt from self-isolation.

Child mental health services: Coalition calls for national crusade

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading independent and third sector providers of children’s services, has warned of a mental health “perfect storm” for children and young people. It has also called for a “national crusade” to tackle this.

The warning comes on the back of figures from Public Health Scotland which indicate that the number of referrals to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) has dropped by a staggering 55.8 per cent between quarters January and March 2020 and April and June 2020 (from 9,017 to 3,985). 1

These range from a 66.7 per cent fall in referrals for NHS Dumfries and Galloway to 7.7 per cent in NHS Orkney (full table in Notes to Editors).

It also highlights that in June 2020, 1,136 children and young people had been waiting more than a year for treatment, up from 581 on the same point last year.2

The SCSC has warned that mental health services will face an overwhelming and unprecedented pressure due to pent-up demand created by the COVID-19 lockdown, coupled with a cut in youth support services. This could potentially lead to a “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.

It has called for a “national crusade”, with the Scottish Government working closely with authorities, including the third and independent sectors, and investing significantly in mental health services. The coalition has also urged that greater awareness is made of the services on offer, especially those at a community level.

The SCSC has warned that self-isolation and social distancing have had an impact on young people struggling with issues such as anxiety and depression. It has noted that even the most resilient children are going to need additional support as they navigate this transition back into whatever is the new normal, and some will need a lot of extra support.

A  report commissioned by Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, called Lockdown Lowdown, found almost two-fifths of young people felt moderately or extremely concerned about their own mental wellbeing.3

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These latest figures are deeply troubling and point to a ‘perfect storm’ for our young people, with increased demand coupled with cuts in services.

“While referrals have dropped during lockdown and children are not accessing support, we are storing up immense problems for the future as specialist mental health services face being overwhelmed due to greatly increased demand.

“We need a ‘national crusade’ to deliver the mental health provision our young people desperately need. The Government needs to work urgently with the relevant authorities to ensure that not only is there sufficient provision available at the local community level, but that this is clearly communicated and easily accessible for young people and their parents or carers.

“It is not just the NHS, but the third sector and other independent organisations play a key role in addressing mental health services and must receive the funding they vitally need or we face a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable children and young people.” 

Six out of ten young people waiting over 18 weeks to be seen in Lothian

The number of children and young adults waiting over 18 weeks to be seen by a mental health professional has increased to 147 out of 247 patients seen, 59.5%, In June 2020 the latest month of statistics available.

As of June 2020 there are 2,482 young people waiting to be seen in Edinburgh and the Lothians, with a record 472 waiting for over a year, 19% of total waits.

In April to June 2020 there were 825 CAMHS referrals, with 109 rejected, making a total of 706 new referrals. This is compared to 1,659 referrals in January to March 2020, with 382 referrals rejected, making a total of 1277 new referrals.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “These figures reinforce the mental health crisis for young people in NHS Lothian with exceptionally long waits to be seen by a mental health professional.

“Mental Health professionals in NHS Lothian work incredibly hard to support young people who are struggling with their mental health, but services are simply not being properly resourced to meet demand.

“Lockdown, Covid-19 restrictions and failures by SNP Ministers over SQA results will all have added to stresses for young people making mental health support even more important.
“SNP Ministers have presided over our health service for over 13 years and have failed to support a generation of young people.”

1 NHS Information Services Division, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Waiting Times in Scotland – Full report (PDF link), 1st September, Table 5, Available at: https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/conditions-and-diseases/mental-health/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-camhs-waiting-times/  (accessed 1st September 2020).

2 Ibid., waiting times table 1b

3  Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament, Lockdown Lockdown – what young people in Scotland are thinking about COVID-19 (PDF), 23rd April 2020. Available at: https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/media/4486/lockdown-lowdown-final-report.pdf (accessed 11th August 2020).

How can social security aid our recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic?

A Scottish Parliament Committee has launched an inquiry to find out how social security can help aid the social and economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Holyrood’s Social Security Committee is keen to find out how the economic downturn will impact people across Scotland and how social security in Scotland should be utilised to support people through it.

The inquiry is particularly focused upon how best the Scottish social security system can support those both in or out of employment, and those seeking to find work in what is likely to be a challenging labour market.

The committee will also examine the constraints the Scottish social security system is under within the wider UK context.

The Committee is seeking workable solutions to help outline a Scottish social security system for 2021 and beyond which can respond to the immense challenges created by this pandemic.

Bob Doris MSP, Convener of the Social Security Committee said: “There is no doubt these are unprecedented times which are likely to create an unprecedented demand for social security support.

“There has been much discussion on the introduction of a universal basic income but our Committee is keen to look beyond this at the other options available.

“We want to know how people feel Social Security Scotland should respond to meet the expected increase in demand and what other forms of support should be made available.

“This inquiry is determined to find out what, within the social security and borrowing powers available to Scottish Ministers, could be achieved and delivered, and to understand the constraints and barriers which would limit the ability of Ministers in Scotland to make the changes required.

“We are seeking views from those right across society to help propose innovative and workable solutions for social security in Scotland which can best combat the devastating impact of this pandemic and aid our recovery.”

To give your views go to the Citizen Space web page:

https://yourviews.parliament.scot/ssc/role-of-social-security-in-covid19-recovery/

New books receive funding from Scots Language Publication Grant

Nine new books in Scots have been awarded funding by the Scots Language Publication Grant.

Now in its second year, the Scots Language Publication Grant was created by the Scots Language Resource Network to support Scots publishers and to encourage Scots writers. It is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing.

Applications were assessed by a panel with expertise in Scots and publishing, including a writer and representatives from Creative Scotland, Education Scotland and Publishing Scotland.

The successful titles are:

  • The Itchy Coo Book of Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Saviour Pirotta, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark, translated by Matthew Fitt and James Robertson (Itchy Coo/Black & White Publishing)
  • Duck Feet by Ely Percy (Monstrous Regiment Publishing)
  • The Leerie by Stuart Armstrong & Joseph Daly (Leerie Press)
  • A Nicht Afore Christmas by Irene McFarlane & Rosemary Cunningham (Tippermuir Books)
  • Ghost Polis by Matthew Fitt, 
  • But N Ben a Go Go (audiobook) by Matthew Fitt, 
  • Scotsaga by Donald Smith,
  • A Short Story Collection in Scots by Gerda Stevenson and The Classics in Scots by William Imray Brown(Luath). 

The Scots Language Publication Grant provides assistance for publishing new work (including translated texts), reprinting existing historical or culturally significant work, and also effective marketing and promotion of existing and new work.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, said: “The Scottish Government is a strong supporter of our indigenous languages, including Scots.

 “We want to support those who wish to learn and use the language and access new and exciting reading materials. These books are for adults and children, encouraging a love of Scots from an early age.

 “We have invested £30,000 funding towards the Scottish Book Trust grant for publishers. This is the second year that we have supported the grant and it is hoped it will foster the development of new writers.”

Rhona Alcorn, CEO of Scottish Language Dictionaries and Chair of The Scots Language Resource Network, said: “The Scots Language Resource Network is incredibly proud of this grant.

“By helping Scots publishers publish new work in Scots, we directly influence the number of titles on the Scots language shelves of libraries and book shops, real and virtual. For those for whom Scots is a first or subsequent language, this broadening of choice is immensely gratifying.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “It’s fantastic to see a diverse range of titles receiving the Scots Publication Grant: from classic fairy tales to brand new zines.

“Our thanks to the Scottish Language Resource Network for their excellent recommendations, and to the Scottish Government for funding this programme which helps to support publications in the Scots language.”

A Short Story Collection in Scots is by Gerda Stevenson, anaward-winning writer, actor, theatre director and singer-songwriter. She has worked on stage, television, radio, film and in opera, throughout the UK and abroad.

Gerda Stevenson said: “I look forward to the challenge of another creative journey into the unknown with the supple Scots language, and appreciate the support of this grant.” 

Scotsaga will be a bold reinvention in one interlinked narrative of Norse sagas, myths, folktales and legends connected with Scotland.

Donald Smith said: “I am honoured to receive support from the Scots Publication Grant fund. I want to show how Scots takes us into new areas of cultural expression and linguistic virtuosity. I hope that Scotsaga will intrigue readers and sustain the role of Scots as an international literary medium.”

Lifetime supply of ice cream to be given away by Mackie’s of Scotland

Family brand unveils huge haul as climax to summer giveaways

A BRAND renowned for its sweet treats is set to grant a popular wish – by awarding a lifetime supply of its famed ice cream to a lucky fan.

As the culmination of its “Summer of Simple Pleasures” promotion, Mackie’s of Scotland are offering the chance to win a lifetime supply of their ice cream – two litre tubs every month for life. Entries are open this week and all entrants from the 10 weeks of giveaways will be included in this final draw.

The campaign is the Aberdeenshire family firm’s largest ever on-pack and online competition, with ten weeks of carefully curated prizes intended to provide the winners with simple joy.

So far more than 50,000 people have entered to win prizes celebrating ice cream but also many other simple pleasures such as cooking for friends and family, listening to music, receiving unexpected flowers – and even the simple pleasure of clean new sheets with a bed makeover.

Karin Hayhow, Marketing Director at Mackie’s of Scotland, said: “We couldn’t host our summer campaign about simple pleasures without incorporating our favourite simple pleasure of all…which is, of course, ice cream!

“We are having fun helping people celebrate the simple things in life, because they can often be the best and bring the most joy.

“The response so far has been great and we are looking forward to making someone’s childhood dream of winning a lifetime supply of ice cream become a reality!”.

500,000 tubs of Mackie’s original and bestselling “Traditional” ice cream have been specially designed to coincide with the UK-wide campaign. Its ice cream is made simply and naturally, using fresh milk and cream on the fourth generation family dairy farm in rural Aberdeenshire.  

It’s not the first time Mackie’s has given away the lifetime supply prize, with a fan from Swindon securing the big prize four years ago, coinciding with Mackie’s 30th anniversary producing ice cream.

The company’s ‘sky to scoop’ ethos sees it create everything from milk to its packaging on-site, renewable energy is a cornerstone of the business – with four wind turbines, a 10-acre solar farm and a biomass energy plant providing over 80% of the company’s energy requirement.

The lifetime supply of ice cream winner will be drawn at random on Monday 7th September (closing midnight on Sunday 6th September) – the simple entry form is at www.mackies.co.uk/simplepleasures

To find out more about Mackie’s, please visit: https://www.mackies.co.uk/  

Drive-in Movies off to a flyer!

PIC: Lloyd Smith

Edinburgh International Film Festival and Unique Events, organisers of Edinburgh’s brand new Drive In Movies event, have hailed the opening weekend a huge success.

Over 4,000 people flocked to Edinburgh Airport to experience a 4-day outdoor cinema extravaganza, supported by Edinburgh Live, for people of all ages which included family favourites, all-time classics and thrilling blockbusters.

PIC: Lloyd Smith

Tickets for the next Drive-in Movies (24 – 27 September) are now on sale at edinburghdrivein.co.uk with another packed programme of cinema classics including Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Mamma Mia! Rocketman, Toy Story and Mean Girls, among others.

The opening weekend of Drive-in Movies saw thousands of people from Edinburgh and Lothians enjoying a fantastic outdoor cinematic experience in the comfort of their own vehicles and in the unique surroundings of Edinburgh Airport.

Strictly following the health and safety regulations and the Scottish Government’s advice, Drive-in Movies offered a safe and fun environment for people of all ages to experience what was the first post-lockdown outdoor event for many.

A top-notch selection of films was shown on a state of the art 100sqm LED screen, one of the largest mobile screens in the world with the audio broadcast straight to cars, for audiences to control the soundtrack.

Audiences sang along to Sunshine on Leith and Grease, shed a tear at Up, fell in love during William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet and enjoyed the planes landing and taking off nearby which was a particular treat at the screenings of Con Air and Airplane!

Prior to each film, audiences had a chance to sample some of the best fish and chips in the country from seafood specialists Alandas and those not behind the wheel, Edinburgh-based award-winning brewery’s Cold Town Beer.

Nairn’s Oatcakes distributed their ever-so-popular Oat Bars as a special treat for families who came to see Up and Mary Poppins Returns. Popular Edinburgh DJ Stewart Calverto became Captain Calverto as he warmed up the crowds with car disco and quizzes with spot prizes.

PIC: Lloyd Smith

Audiences took to social media to share their views of the event:

‘Great afternoon at #Edinburghdrivein @EdinburghAirpo1 Brilliantly presented by @UniqueEventsltd and @edfilmfest’

‘Had an epic time tonight at seeing alien at #EdinburghDriveIn, great set up’

‘brilliant night out at #EdinburghDriveIn’

‘Dreamy night at the drive-in. Thank you for the brilliant escape @edfilmfest @UniqueEventsltd’

Drive-in Movies’ opening weekend. Credit Lloyd Smith.

Drive-in Movies continues during the last weekend of every month for the rest of the year. September dates are confirmed as 24 to 27 September and the organisers are now pleased to reveal first titles for the event, an exciting selection of cult films and blockbusters: Back to the Future (1985) with some of the most recognisable lines and the inimitable Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, Big Trouble in Little China with Kurt Russell (1986), John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), all-time family favourite Toy Story (1995), teen comedy classic Mean Girls (2004), Drive (2011) with Ryan Gosling, and more recent hits, a homage to ABBA featuring Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia! (2008), Spike Lee’s Blackkklansman (2018), Incredibles 2 (2018) and Elton John’s biopic, Rocketman (2019).

Tickets are on sale now at edinburghdrivein.co.uk

SCHEDULE

Thursday 24 September

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (15, 1986) 10:00pm

Friday 25 September

INCREDIBLES 2 (PG, 2018) 2:00pm

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (12A, 1987) (CAPTIONED) 6:00pm

DRIVE (18, 2011) 10:00pm

Saturday 26 September

TOY STORY (PG, 1995) 10:30am

MAMMA MIA! (PG, 2008) (CAPTIONED) 2:00pm

BACK TO THE FUTURE (PG, 1985) (CAPTIONED) 6:00pm

BLACKKKLANSMAN (15, 2018) 10:00pm

Sunday 27 September

MARY POPPINS (U, 1964) 10:00am

MEAN GIRLS (12, 2004) 2:00pm

to be announced 6:00pm

ROCKETMAN (15, 2019) 10:00pm

Tickets available now at www.edinburghdrivein.co.uk priced from £27.50 – £35.00 (+ booking fee) per vehicle for up to 5 persons.

Building a better Edinburgh, together

Council Leader ADAM McVEY writes in the Evening News as the newspaper launches its Recovery Edinburgh campaign:

The past few months have been incredibly tough. The pandemic brought with it immense and abrupt change and a great deal of uncertainty about what was coming next.

However, our city has been faced with huge challenges before and has emerged the other side – stronger.

Our world-renowned festivals were born out of the ashes of WW2 and it is this deep-rooted spirit of creativity, among other things, that will see us flourish again as Edinburgh starts to recover from COVID-19.

Without losing focus from continuing to battle this virus and supporting the incredible efforts of our colleagues in health and social care, we’re planning and working towards the city that we want Edinburgh to become. This will challenge us all but with much to be done, it’s not something that we can shy away from or shelve for another day.

 While we are very much thinking long-term, there is a need for short term action to provide immediate support to our local businesses and hospitality sector.

That’s why we have joined up with the Edinburgh Tourism and Action Group (ETAG) and other industry partners to launch the Forever Edinburgh campaign, encouraging all of Edinburgh’s residents and visitors to get back into the city, rediscover and fall in love with it all over again. 

Adapting our city for the months ahead and thinking about its longer-term renewal must start now. We should not aim to return Edinburgh to where it was before the pandemic but to collectively strive to make this wonderful city even greater than it was before.  Amongst all the challenges there is an opportunity to be grabbed to build an even better city for the future. 

Back in 2018 we asked Edinburgers what they wanted their city to be like in 2050.

Resoundingly you told us it should be greener, welcoming, a place where people are happy, healthy and safe. You said you want your Edinburgh to thrive as a clean, green, sustainable City. And that it should be fair – a Capital which is inclusive, affordable and connected. You also said that that the Edinburgh of the future needs to be pioneering and value culture, business and data.

While clearly much has happened since then – I believe these values hold true; that they should become the cornerstones that Edinburgh is rebuilt on, our foundations for the next 30 years and beyond. 

This vision could not have been formed without input from Edinburgh’s people and it cannot be delivered without all of us pulling for it. The same can be said for our recovery from COVID. We have to do this as one team: building a better Edinburgh, together. 

Since March, our residents have cared for loved ones across our communities by following the government guidance: observing lockdown measures, implementing physical distancing and looking after our more vulnerable people. 

Recently we asked you to invest in your communities by getting back into the town centres and supporting local businesses, but of course, only in a manner you feel safe and comfortable doing so. 

Thanks to the gradual yet continued relaxation of lockdown measures, people are enjoying some elements of normal life again although they might look quite different now – bars and restaurants are open, and cultural attractions following with many businesses planning for their teams to return to work.

This year, we took Festivals online with several events like the Book Festival and the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival very well attended digitally. It might not have been the August that we’re used to but it reminds us of our city’s unique atmosphere which we can look forward to enjoying fully next year. 

I know there was a collective sigh of relief at the news of shielding being paused at the start of August and we were able to see our older or infirm friends and family again – an emotional reunion for sure.  

We’ve worked hard to bring back as many services as we can as quickly and safely as possible. Schools reopened earlier this month and we’re continually working to keep up with the changing circumstances and ensure our children’s education isn’t interrupted like it was earlier this year. 

While work is underway on some parts of our recovery plan, there are many elements to be discussed and choices to be made in the short and long term.  How we do this needs to be a collective conversation and there will be further opportunities for each and every person in Edinburgh to have their say in what happens next. 

Our priority has always been to look after our most vulnerable people – that’s not going to change. We need to build on the great work being done by the Edinburgh Poverty Commission to support those who need it and use the crisis to inform how we tackle poverty in our city in the future. 

Meanwhile, following a decade of growth, a new tourism strategy will see a fundamental change in how we approach attracting and managing visitors to our city. There is an all-important balance that has to be struck between attracting tourists and protecting the things that bring them here in the first place. 

We also have a duty of care for the 30,000 people who are employed in our tourism industry. How do we make their jobs more sustainable? How do we make sure they have rewarding careers?  

This stretches across much more than tourism of course and we need take steps now so that our young people leaving school have jobs to go to and careers to develop.

We’re exploring options with leaders from across Edinburgh’s employability and skills sector about what we can do as a City to best support the younger workforce and people who are disproportionately affected by the way Covid has hit our economy As part of this, we’re speaking to employers about expanding our Edinburgh Guarantee to create the training, education and job opportunities we need.

This crisis has shone a light on the health of our people and planet and, as we plan our recovery, we will also need to grapple with climate change, sustainability and accessibility.  We made a commitment as a Council to be net zero carbon by 2030 and we must hold to that commitment. 

During lockdown we implemented several measures to increase active travel, making it easier for people to walk and cycle around.

Things like pedestrianising streets, widening cycle paths and the new Waverley Masterplan to improve rail integration in our city – these are the types of actions with positive carbon impacts that can help Edinburgh to become a more people and environmentally friendly place to live. For now – and for the next 30 years.

There is a lot of work to be done, and we know that. But we also know that it can only be done together, working as one team Edinburgh to bring the city to a new glory, rather than returning it to its former one.

Edinburgh and its residents will bounce back, I have no doubt. We don’t have to sacrifice our long-term goals to do so and we can build a better Edinburgh for us all.  

Council Leader, Adam McVey