Great news – we’ve been awarded multi-year funding from the Bank of Scotland Foundation !
It takes a village to raise a child, and we appreciate support from every part of our community – individuals, companies, local clubs & groups, workplace teams, faith groups, schools and of course the funding bodies who help us keep the lights on.
Ten river catchments in eastern Scotland are now at Significant Water Scarcity, as prolonged dry conditions continue across the east.
The Lower Spey (covering River Avon and Lower Spey catchments) and Berwickshire (covering Berwickshire coastal and Whiteadder catchments) reached Significant Scarcity on Monday (1st September).
Upper Don, Lower Don, North Fife, Deveron, Ythan, and Lower Tweed catchments were raised to Significant last week.
Letters explaining what abstraction licence restrictions are in place have been issued to all affected licence holders, detailing the action that needs to be taken, and the date these restrictions come into force.
This week’s report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows that a number of other areas in the country also remain under pressure. Without sustained rainfall, further catchments are at risk of reaching Significant Scarcity in the coming week.
Current conditions
Much of the east coast currently remains at Moderate Scarcity, including the wider Tweed and Ythan catchments, Dee (Aberdeen), Esk (Angus), Firth of Forth, Almond and Tyne (Lothian).
Thurso, Shin, Conon and Inverness East have been raised to Alert, joining Helmsdale and Orkney.
Away from the east, conditions are improving. The Clyde, Tay and Earn catchments have recovered from Alert to Early Warning thanks to improved soil moisture and river flows.
Much of the southwest has also returned to Normal conditions.
Further catchments are at risk of reaching Significant Scarcity unless they see enough sustained rainfall to recover. These are more defined areas, linked to individual drought risk assessment stations across Scotland.
In the north-east, the Findhorn, Findhorn East, South Ugie Water, Lower Dee, Water of Feugh and Lunan Water are all at risk. Further south, the Leven and the East Neuk (Fife), the Tyne (Lothian), Upper Tweed, Mid-Tweed and Lauderdale could also be raised to Significant.
Evidence and impacts
August brought below-average rainfall across the east of Scotland, with some areas receiving less than a third of the normal amount. This continues a year-long deficit in places, reflected in record-low groundwater levels at several SEPA boreholes.
David Harley, SEPA’s Head of Water and Planning, said: “This situation has been developing over many months. Groundwater, which usually recharges over the wetter months, and spring snowmelt are like a bank account that rivers can normally draw on to keep flowing through the summer.
“This year that account is running dry, leaving rivers without their usual baseflow. For example, the Lower Spey hasn’t had this many low-flow days since 1972. That’s having real impacts on people, businesses and the environment.
“Our decisions are guided by science and data, and our DRAT station monitoring plays a critical role in our ability to respond quickly, fairly and proportionately. Our ongoing monitoring over the summer has enabled us to anticipate risks and engage early with abstracters, ensuring that restrictions on water abstraction were implemented only when absolutely required.
“These will be lifted as soon as the situation changes and we are confident that rivers have recovered sufficiently.”
SEPA officers are present in catchments where restrictions are now in place, ensuring licence holders understand what the measures mean for them and providing advice on using water wisely.
At the same time SEPA ecologists are carrying out surveys in the most affected catchments to monitor how invertebrate communities, the foundation of the river food web, are coping with prolonged low flows.
This information will help SEPA identify whether river communities are holding steady or shifting in ways that could undermine the long-term ecological health of Scotland’s waters.
Healthy river systems are not just vital for wildlife, they provide the stable, resilient water resources that Scotland’s businesses and communities depend on for the long term.
Anyone can track conditions via SEPA’s Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT), which shows colour-coded stations across Scotland and how close they are to Significant Scarcity.
Clicking on an individual station will show how many days it has been at Q95, a recognised low flow threshold.
When a station reaches 30 days the catchments linked to the station will be moved to Significant Scarcity, and SEPA will move to impose any restrictions required.
Services helping women affected by drugs and preventing substance use by young people are to benefit from more than £2 million funding.
Minister for Drugs Policy Maree Todd announced the support during a statement to the Scottish Parliament on the National Records of Scotland latest statistics on drug misuse deaths. These showed a decrease of 13% to 1,017 compared to the previous year.
Recognising additional challenges faced by women who use drugs, £1.1 million has been awarded to Aberlour Children’s Charity for its perinatal support and recovery services. In Glasgow, £750,000 will be delivered through the Corra Foundation to make it easier for women affected by substance use to access services.
The ‘Winning Scotland’s Planet Youth’ initiative, which aims to create an environment that consistently supports young people to make healthy choices, has been allocated £750,000 to continue its work. NRS statistics for last year noted a drop in the number of deaths among young people from drugs, with 34 under-25s compared with 58 in 2023.
Ms Todd said: “I want to express my deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the 1,017 people who lost their lives to drugs in 2024.
“Our National Mission on Drugs has delivered a number of positive developments, including widening access to life-saving naloxone kits to reverse overdoses and creating more residential rehabilitation beds. It is welcome that we have seen progress with the number of deaths at the lowest level since 2017, but these tragic drug deaths figures remind us, however, that there is much more to do.
“To that end, we are providing record funding of more than £160 million for alcohol and drugs in 2025-26. We will also accelerate the delivery of new initiatives, such as the drug checking pilot project. And subject to the Scottish Parliament’s agreement, we will be maintaining funding beyond next year to address harm caused by drugs and intensively support recovery.
“While there is nothing we can do to bring back those whose lives have been so tragically cut short, nor to ease the unimaginable grief that their loved-ones must feel, we will continue to do all we can to end the devastating impacts of drugs in Scotland.”
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CHARITY
Dear Letters Editor,
This International Day of Charity (5 September) we would like to say thank you to each of the players of People’s Postcode Lottery whose generosity has enabled us to help around one million cats to date.
Since 2018, People’s Postcode Lottery players have raised £12,439,702 for Cats Protection, helping us be there for cats and kittens in need. One million cats’ lives have been changed for the better and this incredible milestone could not have been achieved without players’ support.
Thanks to People’s Postcode Lottery players we have been able to remain at the forefront of research on cat welfare, using our decades of experience to support cat owners to keep their pets happy, healthy and safe.
Helping people understand their cats means we can often avoid owners having to give up their pets. But when rehoming is the right thing to do, our teams look after cats with care and kindness, finding them loving new homes.
We speak up for cats, changing laws to give cats more protection and also run the world’s largest single-species neutering programme, for both pets and feral cats.
When cat owners face hard times, we work to keep them with their pets, offering a temporary foster service for those fleeing domestic abuse, supporting those facing the loss of their cat as well as peace of mind when an owner passes away that their cat will be looked after and rehomed.
Whatever it takes, we’re here for cats and the people who care for them, thanks to People’s Postcode Lottery players.
Yours faithfully
Cat Jarvis
Senior Philanthropy Communications Officer, Cats Protection
Menu for Friday the 5th of September 
We are excited to share a delicious community meal with you tomorrow. We do our best to have a variety of options, including vegetarian and often a delicious pudding.
What’s on the menu tomorrow:
Lentil and ginger soup
Brisket stew
Mushroom stew (V)
Side of potatoes and veg
Apple crumble and custard
Please check the board or ask our volunteers about allergens.
And just a heads-up, our food is served until it runs out! Do come along and enjoy.
Thank you!
On Friday 22 August, the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics hosted Dreaming of a Fairer Future for Culture, an inspiring event exploring the role of creativity in building a more equal and hopeful Scotland.
Chaired by Foysol Choudhury MSP, the discussion brought together an engaging panel of voices from across Scotland’s creative sector, including Katie Goh, Matthew Hickman, Claire Dufour and Jen Collins.
Together, they reflected on how creativity can drive equity, collaboration and shared resources, reimagining artists, art workers and cultural organisations as vital partners in shaping Scotland’s future.
A moving film by Indra Wilson, commissioned by Culture Counts, shared voices and aspirations of some of the people living in North Glasgow: “I am a son, a brother and an uncle.” “I am the guitar that my mother gave me.” Everyone has a story, and artists and creative minds can help us to tell them in a meaningful way.
Artist and writer Harry Mould urges us to remember that culture “isn’t caviar, it’s salt. You sprinkle it on everything because it brings out the flavour.”
The event focused not just on creativity but also on equity, shared resources and seeing artists, art workers and organisations as viable partners and collaborators.
Building on this, the discussion turned to the importance of collective action and connectivity. Speakers highlighted the many artistic projects already thriving in village halls and community spaces across the country, and the need for better data to capture and sustain this work.
As one participant put it: “Voices need to be heard, not just individual voices, but collective voices. That is how we can rally behind these efforts and make a difference.”
Reflecting on the event, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “It was a privilege to chair this conversation, and to hear how deeply culture is rooted in people’s everyday lives, whether in community halls, local projects, or the shared stories that bind us together.
“When those voices unite, they do more than celebrate creativity: they challenge inequality, demand accountability, and help shape a fairer Scotland for all.
“I am grateful to everyone who shared their perspectives, and especially to Kathryn Welch of Creative Counts, whose vision and leadership were the driving force behind this important discussion.”
The event demonstrated that Scotland’s creative community continues to be a driving force for positive change, showing that culture is not a luxury, but an essential part of building a fairer society.
Scottish benefits are easing the cost-of-living burden for families according to a new evaluation.
The Scottish Centre for Social Research surveyed people in receipt of any of the Five Family Payments, a group of benefits designed to tackle poverty and to improve household finances.
Findings show the payments have a positive impact on recipients’ overall finances and have helped to reduce material deprivation and food insecurity for low-income families. The majority of Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Foods recipients agreed the payments meant they did not need foodbanks.
Feedback also shows the majority of Best Start Foods recipients, who receive a pre-paid card to purchase healthy food, reported that the card enabled their families to have healthy meals more frequently.
Other impacts include a reduction to household debt and borrowing and more children being able to undertake extra-curricular activities, like sport, music or drama.
Recipients also commented that the automatic payment system reduces worry and stress.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville met some impacted families at Brunstane Primary School in Edinburgh.
Ms Somerville said: “We want every child to have the best start in life, but we recognise that the cost of living continues to have a negative impact on families across the country.
“It is a moral imperative to offer the best support we can, and I’m pleased that this work found an array of positive, meaningful impacts.
“But we are not letting up. We know there is more to do, which is why, as an example, we are launching the new Two Child Limit Payment in March, which will benefit the families of 43,000 children next year.
“And in the face of challenging economic headwinds and cuts to the UK welfare system, I want to reassure families that our support will continue. No child, nor family, will be left behind by the Scottish Government.”
One parent, Emma Hunter from Magdalene, said: “We are so grateful for the support we received with the healthy start vouchers, school uniforms and child payment.
“It has been such a huge help in easing the financial burden of starting a family and it has made a real difference to our lives.”
FORTNIGHTLY – STARTS THIS SATURDAY at 2pm
We have a brand new Comic Making club starting this Saturday at 2pm
Come along for some drawing fun!
Age 8+
No need to book
Forever Edinburgh has launched the winter phase of its ‘Stay Different’ campaign, inviting visitors to discover an entirely different side of the city during the colder months, a season when Edinburgh reveals some of its most atmospheric, authentic and unexpected experiences.
Building on the year-round message to stay longer, immerse and explore the rich neighbourhoods beyond the city centre, the new campaign celebrates what makes winter in Edinburgh a truly magical time of year, highlighting seasonal specials and winter-exclusive events that make Edinburgh a one-of-a-kind winter destination.
From mist-shrouded, atmospheric strolls through the city’s Gothic and Georgian streets to early sunsets and the city’s icons painted during golden hour.
And from braving the elements to exploring Edinburgh’s wild side to seasonal Scottish flavours and heart-warming drams, cosy escapes in unique and unusual accommodation to toe-tapping events for all the family with some of Scotland’s signature celebrations – the campaign shines a light on the city, inviting everyone to enjoy the magic of winter in Edinburgh.
Targeting domestic overnight visitors, the campaign highlights experiences that can only be enjoyed, or are at their very best, during the winter months.
Visitors can expect quieter streets, winter offers, thriving wildlife walks within easy reach of the city, the best of Scotland’s seasonal produce and unique events such as Burns Night, alongside the enduring charm of Edinburgh’s year-round heritage, culture and hospitality.
Cllr Jane Meagher, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh in winter is like visiting a completely different city, one of striking contrasts, rich atmosphere and authentic local life.
“Through Stay Different, we want to inspire people to come beyond the festive season and discover what makes these months so special. From world-class dining, art galleries and performances, to invigorating winter walks and surprising outdoor adventures, there is no other season quite like it here.
“By encouraging visitors to explore beyond the familiar, we can support a more sustainable year-round visitor economy for our capital.”
At the heart of the campaign is an immersive new winter film, capturing the unexpected sides of the city and inspiring visitors to enjoy a truly memorable winter stay.
Delivered in partnership with local suppliers including BIG Partnership, Union Media and Spirit Media, the integrated campaign features high-impact digital content, advertising including out-of-home, video on demand, radio and PR.
A rolling programme of monthly creative themes will drive story-led web and social media content featuring an array of local tourism experiences, collaborative projects with some of the city’s most-loved businesses, and curated ‘Split Stay Stories’.
These themed long-stay itineraries form part of Forever Edinburgh’s ‘split cities’ concept, which shows how one trip to the capital can feel like several holidays in one. Visitors are encouraged to mix and match experiences, pairing culture with coast, adventure with relaxation, or food with nature, creating a stay that is richer, more diverse and truly memorable.
Running until 2028, Stay Different is a three-year programme designed to inspire longer, more meaningful stays in Edinburgh by highlighting the diversity of experiences across the capital’s neighbourhoods, supporting the city’s 2030 Edinburgh Tourism Strategy and promoting sustainable, year-round tourism. The campaign is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Plan your winter stay and discover a side of Edinburgh you’ve never seen before. Watch the new winter film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6Ct3w1elc4 and explore itineraries at www.edinburgh.org/staydifferent.
Forever Edinburgh is also inviting local businesses to get involved with the campaign by showcasing their seasonal specials and unique winter offerings.
To find out more, contact:
https://edinburgh.org/corporate-and-media/stay-different-media/
A new £338 million investment into the Connect to Work programme will deliver localised, tailored support to over 85,000 people who are sick, disabled or face complex barriers to work in 15 areas across England.
The scheme provides intensive, personalised help including individual coaching from employment specialists, job matching services, and ongoing support for both participants and employers to ensure sustainable employment outcomes.
In all around 300,000 people across all of England and Wales are set to benefit over the next five years. To access support, sick and disabled people and those facing complex barriers to work can self-refer or they can be referred through various routes including healthcare professionals, local authorities, and voluntary sector partners.
With 2.8 million people out of work due to ill-health – one of the highest rates in the G7 – it’s part of the Government’s plan to get Britain working again and deliver an 80% employment rate by overhauling jobcentres, tackling economic inactivity through local plans, and delivering a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning.
Among those out of work, over one in four cite sickness as a barrier – more than double the 2012 figure of one in ten – highlighting the urgent need for tailored employment support that removes barriers faced by disabled people and those with health conditions.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “For too long, millions of people have been denied the support they need to get back to health and back to work. It’s bad for their living standards, it’s bad for their families, and it’s bad for the economy.
“That’s why we’re taking decisive action by investing millions of pounds so sick or disabled people can overcome the barriers they face and move out of poverty and into good, secure jobs as part of our Plan for Change.”
The expansion is backed by a £338 million cash injection with the largest interventions announced today including:
South Yourkshire’s mayor Oliver Coppard said: “I want South Yorkshire to be a place where we all thrive. Where poor health doesn’t hold us back. And work plays a huge part. It’s not just about wages – it’s about dignity, pride, and the security that comes from knowing you can support yourself and your family.
“Right now, more than 140,000 people across South Yorkshire aren’t in work. But many of those people desperately want to have a job, want to provide for their families, and contribute to the future of our communities. Which is why I’m proud that South Yorkshire is one of the areas across England and Wales delivering Connect to Work.
“It’s a programme designed to help those with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or from disadvantaged backgrounds, into good, secure jobs. And I’m even prouder that Connect to Work is part of the national Pathways to Work project, which we pioneered right here in South Yorkshire.
“South Yorkshire’s at the forefront of tackling these challenges nationally, and we’re increasingly a model for other places across the country.”
Connect to Work is already transforming lives across England, with early delivery areas demonstrating the real difference targeted employment support can make.
In West London, where £42.8 million was allocated earlier this year to support 10,800 people, participants are already finding work with the help of specialist coaches who understand the complex barriers they face.
Awais Ashraf, a Connect to Work participant in West London, said: “My health suffered with the loss of a family member, which led me into a period of depression and anxiety, and meant I lost my employment just under two years ago.“
My JCP Workcoach referred me to Connect to Work. I received a blend of support – from advice and tools in self-managing my health condition to identifying what skills I already had and could be transferred to another role.
“I am now working as a Teaching Assistant & knowing I have my Employment Specialist supporting me while I am in work is also a great reassurance.”
Cllr Tom Hunt, Chair of the LGA’s Inclusive Growth Committee, said: “The Government’s decision to provide grant funding to councils and mayoral areas to deliver Connect to Work is a positive step.
“Evidence shows that councils are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities, and the LGA has long called for a more local approach to helping people back into employment.”
Connect to Work will enable councils and mayors, working with partners, to design tailored support for people who are currently out of the labour market due to health conditions, disability, or complex needs.
This not only facilitates supporting people move closer to work but also helps reduce wider social and financial pressures on communities and services, which helps reduce long-term welfare dependency, and creates stronger and more productive, resilient local economies.
Today’s announcement comes less than 24 hours after the Universal Credit Bill received Royal Assent.
Coming into force in April next year, it will make the welfare system fairer by rebalancing Universal Credit to reduce the incentives that discourage work and fuel inactivity. It will also increase the rate of the standard allowance of Universal Credit, for around four million households, putting an extra £725 in their pockets by 2030.
The new funding also builds on WorkWell, a joint programme by DWP and DHSC, which went live in October last year, backed by £64m funding.
It is transforming how people with health conditions are supported back into work through better integration between health services and employment support and will reach 56,000 people across the 15 pilot sites by Spring 2026.
This approach prevents people from falling out of work, transforming employment services, and providing specialist support to help the most disadvantaged back into good jobs, the UK Labour government says.
