Disability charities urge Scottish councils not to cut special needs funding

A coalition of disability charities is urging all 32 Scottish local authorities to maintain vital funding for children and young people with additional support needs (ASN).

The children and young people concerned, an estimated 199,000 in total, include those with physical, sensory or learning disabilities in mainstream education, as well as those with health conditions. Continue reading Disability charities urge Scottish councils not to cut special needs funding

It’s Oor Wullie’s BIG Farewell Weekend

Join us at St Andrew Square for Oor Wullie’s BIG Farewell Weekend (Friday 13th – Sunday 15 September) and help us say cheerio to Scotland’s favourite son before he goes to auction!

We are inviting all BIG Bucket Trailers to pop by from 9am – 8pm on Friday & Saturday and 9am – 5pm on Sunday to bid a fond farewell to all 61 Big Wullies and 85 Wee ones from the Edinburgh trail.

The Edinburgh event is free and no tickets are required but we kindly ask you to fill in the following form to register your interest so we know how many to expect:

forms.gle/4CMJGmABpm5W6SBa7

We hope to see you there!

#OWBBT
Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail

Victims to benefit from new charge on criminals

Offenders will be required to contribute to the cost of supporting victims of crime from November.
 
A new financial penalty will be imposed on all criminals who are sentenced to pay a court fine and the money raised will be banked in the Victim Surcharge Fund.

Victim support organisations will be able to apply to the fund to cover the costs of providing short-term and practical support such as new windows and locks for burglary victims or funeral expenses for families of murder victims.

Regulations laid in Parliament yesterday, subject to MSPs’ approval, will apply to crimes committed on or after 25 November 2019 and payments from the fund will start to be made six to 12 months later.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Experiencing crime can be an isolating and frightening experience and we are committed to improving the experiences of victims in our justice system.

“It’s only right that criminals should pay towards helping victims to recover and move on with their lives. The money raised through the surcharge will pay for practical support that will make a real difference to victims and their families.

“While Scotland’s long-term fall in crime means fewer people fall prey to criminals, we are continuing to invest £18 million annually to improve support, advice and information for victims. This new fund will be a valuable addition to support available and we have worked with the UK Government to ensure the necessary legislative arrangements are in place to allow its operation.

“Over the coming year we will also be carrying out further work to better understand where the gaps are in how Scotland supports victims and witnesses.”

Victim Surcharge Fund regulations

The table below sets out the level of surcharge that will be payable depending on the value of fine that is imposed by the court:

Amount of fine Surcharge payable
Up to and including £200 £10
Between £200.01 to £500 inclusive £20
Between £500.01 to £1,000 inclusive £40
Between £1,000.01 to £2,500 inclusive £75
Between £2,500.01 to £5,000 inclusive £175
Between £5,000.01 to £10,000 £350
In excess of £10,000 7.5% of the fine

38,474 fines were ordered by Scotland’s courts in 2017-18.

 

A message from Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity

A message about the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People: 

We are aware that a great number of people, companies and trusts have given us donations towards Edinburgh’s new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, to fund an innovative programme of art and therapeutic design.

We would like to reassure everyone who contributed to the £3.1m that we have provided to the new hospital that these design enhancements are unaffected by the ongoing delays to the opening of the building. Continue reading A message from Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity

Refresh for Radio Scotland’s news programmes

Radio Scotland’s weekday news programmes are getting a new look as the schedule gets a refresh.

The daily flagship programme Good Morning Scotland, which sets the news agenda of the day, will see long standing anchor Gary Robertson joined by a voice already familiar to Radio Scotland listeners, Laura Maxwell. Continue reading Refresh for Radio Scotland’s news programmes

Bright Lights at Fort Kinnaird

A group of Edinburgh and Lothian residents were congratulated by Lord Provost Frank Ross, Fort Kinnaird centre director Liam Smith and Recruitment and Skills Centre Business Development Manager John Gibson, after completing a five-week training course to help build a career in retail. Continue reading Bright Lights at Fort Kinnaird

New funding for childcare and employability to cut child poverty

Low-income Scottish families will benefit from improved access to learning, advice and employment support with a multi-million pound package of measures. 

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell has set out the next steps of an ambitious plan to help lift parents and families out of poverty, backed by the £50 million Tackling Child Poverty Fund. Continue reading New funding for childcare and employability to cut child poverty

Christmas at the Botanics: Festive light spectacular returns bigger and brighter

  • The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to transform into a twinkling winter wonderland this Christmas with an array of lights, projections and lasers
  • Over one million pea-lights on mile-long outdoor trail
  • New installations this year are ‘Voyage’, ‘Light-Hearted’, Icicle Garden and Laser Garden

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh will sprinkle a generous dusting of Christmas cheer and wonder once again this year as one of Edinburgh’s most popular festive season events, ‘Christmas at The Botanics’, returns for its third consecutive year running for 30 nights from 22 November to 29 December. Continue reading Christmas at the Botanics: Festive light spectacular returns bigger and brighter