More than £100 million is spent each year to help relieve the worst impact of UK Government welfare cuts and support those on low incomes, the Scottish Government has said. This includes mitigating the bedroom tax for over 70,000 people, saving them an average of £650 a year, and providing £33 million support through the Scottish Welfare Fund, which has helped over 265,000 households since 2013, providing goods such as nappies and food. Continue reading “Staggering”: £100 million a year to plug welfare gap
Don’t ditch it, shift it – Take unsuitable gifts to Barnardo’s Scotland*
It happens to most of us at Christmas. You put on your best delighted face as you unwrap a giant sized Christmas jumper, your third copy of the latest must-have recipe book or the leather-look leggings you know you will never, ever wear. Continue reading Don’t ditch it, shift it – Take unsuitable gifts to Barnardo’s Scotland*
Put your best foot forward
Scots are being urged to start their New Year’s resolutions early and pledge to walk for 15 minutes a day, as the country takes steps towards becoming the world’s first Daily Mile nation. Continue reading Put your best foot forward
Designing our own communities
People to have say in designs for their area
Community projects from Argyll and Bute to Shetland will share around £312,000 to regenerate their neighbourhoods, Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart announced today. As part of the Making Places Initiative, 19 projects will receive funding to bring people together to agree priorities for their area and shape future planning and design. Projects from Leith, Portobello and Wester Hailes are among the successful bidders.
The funding will support events that bring local people together with design professionals to identify how their places and communities can be improved. The 19 projects awarded funding include workshops to develop physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow, creating a development plan for Scalloway in Shetland and a plan to improve a shopping centre in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh.
Three Edinburgh initiatives have received the green light:
Leith £35,000 Proposed by Citizen Curator & Leith Creative
To develop and pilot a People’s Place Plan for Leith, following the successful Leith Blueprint which created a community report.
Portobello: Westbank Street Placemaking Project, £12,000 Proposed by Action Porty
To produce a community led, mixed use development masterplan for council owned land at Westbank Street, Portobello.
Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes £20,000 Proposed by Wester Hailes Community Trust
Charrette to develop a masterplan for Westside Plaza with the aim of creating a civic square at the heart of Wester Hailes town centre.
Minister for Local Government, Kevin Stewart said: “I am pleased we received so many applications from a mixture of local authorities and community groups, keen to get local people involved in plans to improve their area.
“This scheme and every project supported by it creates more opportunities for communities to choose what works for them.
“Each project has its own design challenge, whether it is a plan to regenerate an area of a city centre or looking at a smaller site in a rural community. All of these projects should lead to improvements that will create benefit for hundreds of people.”
Making Places expands on the Charette programme, offering end to end support for community capacity building, design events and project delivery. The successful projects sharing a total of £311,890 are:
Ayr North £25,000 Proposed by South Ayrshire Council
Design workshops to develop a community action plan and vision, including development of play space and community garden on site of Whitletts Primary schools.
New Cumnock £4,005 Proposed by New Cumnock Development Trust
Community design events to develop a regeneration masterplan within the New Cumnock Community Action Plan.
Carlibar Park, Barrhead £6,000 Proposed by East Renfrewshire Council
Design workshop to create a masterplan for the town centre greenspace.
Mayfield £13,400 Proposed by McSence Ltd for In It Together Partnership
Series of workshops to involve the community in developing a masterplan for Mayfield & Easthouses.
Westside Plaza, Wester Hailes £20,000 Proposed by Wester Hailes Community Trust
Charrette to develop a masterplan for Westside Plaza with the aim of creating a civic square at the heart of Wester Hailes town centre.
Woodside Improvements £30,000 Proposed by Queens Cross Housing Association
Workshops to develop an action plan for physical and environmental improvements to the Woodside area of North Glasgow.
Scalloway £15,000 Proposed by Shetland Islands Council
Design workshops to consider the future development of Scalloway and develop a Local Place Plan.
Foxbar £15,000 Proposed by Renfrewshire Council
Workshops to support the local community to develop a Local Place Plan.
Dunfermline £24,810 Proposed by Carnegie Dunfermline Trust
Community led event to develop a masterplan for a key area in Dunfermline town centre.
Maryhill & Ruchill £5,000 Proposed by Maryhill Housing Association
Walking events and place workshops to identify community priorities and improvement projects.
Leith £35,000 Proposed by Citizen Curator & Leith Creative
Develop and pilot a People’s Place Plan for Leith, following the successful Leith Blueprint which created a community report.
Helensburgh £15,000 Proposed by Argyll & Bute Council
Community consultation to create a vision and masterplan to inform the future planning process.
Inverkeithing £15,000 Proposed by Fife Council
Community activities to deliver a Master Plan for Inverkeithing, focusing on community assets, strengths, interests and values.
Kirriemuir £10,000 Proposed by Kirriemuir Community Council
Develop an architectural plan for the Gairie Works site, a key priority identified in the Kirriemuir Charrette funded by Angus Council.
Clydebank £20,000 Proposed by West Dunbartonshire Council
Design-led project concentrating on Forth & Clyde canal and connection to Clydebank town centre.
Falkland £25,175 Proposed by Falkland & Newton of Falkland Community Council
Charrette to develop a vision and design statement for Falkland and its immediate environs which will combine spatial, social and economic strategies and solutions.
Glasgow, Phoenix Nursery, Test Unit £9,500 Proposed by Agile City Community Interest Company
Project to progress ideas generated by Charrettes into physical prototypes that test assumptions and engage with local audiences.
Pollokshields: Mark Makers, £12,000 Proposed by The Pollokshields Trust
Develop plans for the creation of the ‘East Pollokshields Urban Common’ on the site of a derelict bowling green.
Portobello: Westbank Street Placemaking Project, £12,000 Proposed by Action Porty
To produce a community led, mixed use development masterplan for council owned land at Westbank Street, Portobello.
Further details of the Making Places Initiative and how to apply for support is available online
Scottish householders urged to resolve to recycle more for 2018
New report highlights huge potential to increase recycling in Scotland
60% of landfill waste could be recycled, needlessly costing Councils £50m a year
Food waste a top priority, with only 27% being correctly recycled 
Almost two-thirds of waste that ends up in non-recyclable waste bins – or ‘the bin that goes to landfill’ – in Scottish households could have been recycled, according to a new Zero Waste Scotland report. Continue reading Scottish householders urged to resolve to recycle more for 2018
Prime Minister Theresa May’s Christmas Message 2017
Prime Minister Theresa May wishes a Happy Christmas to everyone celebrating in the UK and all around the world.
Continue reading Prime Minister Theresa May’s Christmas Message 2017
Ben Macpherson welcomes campaigning schoolboy to Holyrood
Continue reading Ben Macpherson welcomes campaigning schoolboy to Holyrood
£14 million for young people and communities
More than £14 million of funding will support the work of 117 charities helping children and young people throughout Scotland. The money, from the 2018/19 Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund, will enable a wide range of projects aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people and supporting adult learning to be delivered. Continue reading £14 million for young people and communities
All I want for Christmas? A safe and warm place to sleep
Additional capacity for night shelters and extra staff to help get more people into accommodation are among the actions being taken to tackle rough sleeping this winter. Continue reading All I want for Christmas? A safe and warm place to sleep
Premature babies: £1.5 million Family Fund to help meet costs
Parents of premature babies in NHS care will now be able to get extra support with the financial cost. Through the Scottish Government’s 2018/19 draft budget the new £1.5 million Family Fund will be available from the 1st of April for parents of premature babies to help with the additional costs they face, such as for travel to and from hospital or food and drink. Continue reading Premature babies: £1.5 million Family Fund to help meet costs










