Edinburgh projects net Sporting Equality cash

A £300,000 fund to encourage more women and girls to get involved in sport has been awarded to 14 projects on Active Girls Day by Sports Minister Aileen Campbell. From wheelchair basketball in Glasgow, judo in Fife and bikepacking adventures in the Highlands, the projects will tackle the barriers that lead to historically lower levels of physical activity among girls than boys. Continue reading Edinburgh projects net Sporting Equality cash

Universal Credit: new option for Scots claimants

Recipients of Universal Credit in Scotland will be offered two new ways to help them manage their money. People in Scotland making new claims in full service Universal Credit areas will have the choice of changing the frequency of their payments from once to twice monthly, and to have the housing cost element of their Universal Credit paid directly to their landlord. Continue reading Universal Credit: new option for Scots claimants

Book Week Scotland programme launched

The programme for Scotland’s sixth national celebration of books and reading was launched yesterday. Working with a wide range of partners, Scottish Book Trust – the national charity changing lives through reading and writing – will deliver a huge range of events and activities across the country during Book Week Scotland 2017, which runs from 27 November to 3 December, all linked to this year’s theme of Nourish. Continue reading Book Week Scotland programme launched

Caribbean-bound Karen celebrates Forth 1 win

Karen Johnston hopes to exchange Corstorphine for the Caribbean – although she is content on cloud nine for now! – after clinching £10,000 in Forth 1’s On The Money Extra competition. Karen recently celebrated her birthday and her memorable Autumn continued when she won the five-figure sum on Monday morning. Continue reading Caribbean-bound Karen celebrates Forth 1 win

Pensioners pay tribute to “passionate advocate” Bickerstaffe

Britain’s biggest organisation of older people, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has paid tribute to one of its former presidents, Rodney Bickerstaffe, who died yesterday.
Bickerstaffe replaced Jack Jones, the Transport and General Workers’ Union leader as the NPC’s president in 2001 and served for four years, during which time he regularly appeared in the media advocating for better state pensions and care. One of his personal achievements was to challenge the government over the rules which reduced an individual’s state pension if they were in hospital for more than six weeks. The rules were later changed to 52 weeks.
Jan Shortt, NPC general secretary, said: “Taking over from Jack Jones was no easy job, but Rodney always felt as home. Rodney was a passionate advocate for Britain’s older people, and often took on the Labour government over issues which he felt were wrong such as the refusal to restore the link between the state pension and earnings, and the way in which social care was means-tested.
“He was extremely funny and filled the room with his enthusiasm for life. He often used to begin his speeches by saying that when he started as a young trade union official, he turned up to a refuse collectors dispute with a brand new brief case and was met with laughter when he told the workers his name was Rodney. In later years he used to say “I don’t care what they call us, so long as we get a decent state pension”. He was one of the labour movement’s greats and the NPC is proud to have had the benefit of his skills, intellect and humour.”