The NACWG was established to advise the First Minister on what’s needed to tackle gender inequality in Scotland. Over the course of 2018, it consulted a range of stakeholders of all genders across the country, including businesses, and third sector organisations in order to gather the evidence needed to develop its 2018 report and recommendations. Continue reading First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls: 2018 Report and Recommendations Published
Inspire kids to get the active habit. Join in the adventure with Edinburgh Leisure’s soft-play membership, where children get to sample the world of sport and fitness from an early age. For those signing up to become a member in February 2019, March is completely free! Continue reading Scramble to the EICA at Ratho and get your kids active with Edinburgh Leisure’s soft-play membership
Continue reading Garden plants of the month: Spring Surprises
Community can mean lots of different things to different people, but perhaps at the heart of it, it’s about people and your environment that make you feel happy, safe and content. Continue reading How is the University contributing to the community?
An Edinburgh College graduate is heading to Manchester this week to find out if she has won a prestigious education award. Continue reading Edinburgh College graduate in the running to be named among the best of British
Edinburgh residents who haven’t yet signed up for garden waste collections for the current service year can do so from next week. Continue reading Garden Waste registration window opens this month
Budget proposes an extra £2 billion spend
Greens secure extra funding for local government
The Scottish Government’s budget was passed last night with the support of the Scottish Greens. A last minute deal ensured the minority government got their programme through parliament, but the Budget has been criticised by both the Conservatives and Scottish Labour. Continue reading Scottish Budget: “Additional spending on public services”
Police are appealing for information after a JCB digger struck the front of a newsagents on Gorgie Road. Continue reading Gorgie Road ram raid: police appeal for witnesses
Delivering the social isolation strategy.
The membership of a new group to advise on addressing social isolation has been announced.
In December 2018 the Scottish Government launched its first strategy focused on social isolation and loneliness in society, backed by £1 million of funding.
A range of public, third sector organisations and experts who helped develop the strategy will now put it into action.
Minister for Older People and Equalities Christina McKelvie announced the members of the group on a visit to Dunbar Grammar School’s ‘Cross Generation’ intergenerational project. This project has been running at the school for 16 years and includes monthly sessions for lunches, day trips and a film club with older members of the local community.
Minister for Older People and Equalities Christina McKelvie said: “As one of the first governments in the world to address the issue of social isolation in society, we want to promote positive attitudes and tackle the stigma associated with loneliness.
“It can affect any one, at any stage, or from any walk of life and that’s why we invited charities like Youthlink Scotland to be members of the group. The membership of the new group has valuable experience to help with this important work.
“Projects such as ‘Cross Generation’ are exactly the kind of activity which can help beat loneliness. It was great to see the interaction between the generations, both learning from each other and enjoying each other’s company. Contact between different generations can help build understanding, strengthen communities and allow the sharing of invaluable skills, experiences and perspectives.”
Alison Clyde, director of Generations Working Together, who help organise the ‘Cross Generation’ group said: “We were thrilled that the Minister could visit an intergenerational project herself to see it in action.
“The projects bringing younger and older people together are beneficial for both generations. They also tackle loneliness and isolation as well as being highly beneficial for all the community.”
Full membership of the National Implementation Group includes:
Scottish Government
COSLA
Voluntary Health Scotland
Befriending Networks
Campaign to End Loneliness
Transport Scotland
Architecture and Place Scotland
Age Scotland
Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Youthlink Scotland
NHS Health Scotland
Generations Working Together
sportScotland
Read the social isolation and loneliness strategy, A Connected Scotland.
More about the Generations Working Together
Slightly ironic, this: see this morning’s earlier post about the LOOPS service being forced to close, and previous posts about the impact that Health & Social Care funding cuts are likely to have on older, isolated and vulnerable people in Edinburgh.
There’s the rhetoric – and then there’s the reality – Ed
Proposals to increase the use of electronic tags and reduce the period that people with prior convictions must disclose convictions for have received the backing of MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee. Continue reading Measures to reduce reoffending backed by MSPs
