June Programme for Government

Immediate focus on Scotland’s priorities

First Minister John Swinney has declared the priorities that his government will focus on as part of his vision to deliver for all of Scotland.

The Scottish Government will focus on four areas targeted to have the most immediate benefits for people in their everyday lives. They are:

  • Eradicating child poverty
  • Growing the economy
  • Tackling the climate emergency
  • Improving public services

In order for work to be prioritised immediately, the First Minister confirmed he will present his first Programme for Government before the Scottish Parliament’s summer recess.

He also committed to work with Members across the chamber to realise Scotland’s potential, in the spirit of the opening of Parliament 25 years ago.

The First Minister said: “In setting out my approach to government, I am acutely aware of the economic and fiscal realities we face.

“With that important context, today, I will outline the four priorities that will guide my government’s decisions on policy and budget; the four priorities around which I will work to secure cross-party support, for the good of the people of Scotland.

“Eradicating child poverty, growing the economy and tackling the climate emergency all link together to support my fourth key priority – to improve Scotland’s public services – not as a cost, but as a vital investment in our future health, equality and prosperity.

“I will set out how my government and my cabinet will take practical steps to deliver in these four areas of priority when I present my Programme for Government before the summer recess.

“The Programme for Government will be central to a wider range of decision-making that will happen before the summer on key issues on energy, on oil and gas, on reform of the health service and on taxation. Action will be set out on each, tackling the challenges facing Scotland today.”

The date for Programme for Government will be confirmed in due course, subject to Parliamentary timetable.

Pitch to Plate Community Meal

Hibernian Community Foundation is delighted to be hosting a multi-cultural meal on Tuesday 28th May! 🍲

In partnership with Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society – SABS – we will be opening the doors to the Hibernian Supporters Club for a warm and welcoming multi-cultural meal 🌍

You can contact info@hiberniancf.org for further details 💚

Carers Allowance Supplement to be paid on 7 June

Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be paid on Friday 7 June. The £288.60 payment will be made automatically to people who were getting Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 8 April 2024.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment for people in Scotland who get Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on a particular date.

Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid 2 times a year.

The next payment will be £288.60 from 7 June 2024.

You’ll get this payment if you’re getting Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 8 April 2024. If you’re due to get a payment, you’ll get a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made.

If you do not get a letter or payment by 17 June 2024, contact Social Security Scotland.

City of Edinburgh Music School presents Faure Centenary Concert

City of Edinburgh Music School Fauré Celebration

Join these talented musicians for a magical evening at Stockbridge Church to celebrate the music of the renowned composer Gabriel Fauré.

Get ready to be swept away by the beautiful melodies and harmonies of this French composer’s timeless pieces. This in-person event promises to be a night filled with enchanting music and wonderful company.

📆 Tuesday 11th June

🕣 7pm – 9.30pm

📍Stockbridge Church, Saxe Coburg Street, Edinburgh.

Register on Eventbrite

Broughton High School

Edinburgh Competition Festival Association

Scottish Book Trust survey of public librarians reveals a vital service under pressure across Scotland

An ambitious new report by Scottish Book Trust has revealed that one in three librarians in Scotland believe that their whole service is at risk of reduction or loss.

The Survey of Public Librarians, as part of the Value and Impact of Scotland’s Libraries research, published by Scottish Book Trust, Scotland’s national book charity, also revealed a vital service under threat from underinvestment. It reports:

  • 82% of public libraries reported a restriction in their resources and funding
  • One in three public librarians said they had lost librarians and other library staff
  • One in three public librarians reported that their whole service is at risk of reduction or losses

The report reveals the vital role libraries play in the community as they help to close the poverty-attainment gap. Librarians overwhelmingly agreed that they not only provide free access to all forms of books, but offer a safe, warm and accessible space where those without computers can access digital resources and support, with help from knowledgeable and approachable staff.

While libraries across Scotland are facing ongoing cuts, librarians reported a widespread lack of understanding from their local authorities about the social, long-term impact of their service.

Two thirds of the librarians surveyed reported that their community faces digital poverty, and libraries are bridging the divide.

96% of librarians reported that their library offers access to Wi-Fi, 99% to computers with internet, 71% to ebooks and eReaders and 40% to courses in digital skills

These are lifelines for those with limited resources, including the homeless, the elderly and those who have been released from prison.

Librarians also reported that their libraries are a safe space for refugees and asylum seekers, LGBTQ+ people and disabled or neurodiverse people.

As one librarian stated: “We are the first place that people come when they need help, possibly the only place in a landscape of shrinking services. When we are gone then these other agencies will need to foot the time bill and the mental health crisis we are averting.”

This survey of public librarians is part of a wider study of both public and school libraries in Scotland, as conducted by Scottish Book Trust, in partnership with the National Library of Scotland (NLS), the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS).

Preliminary findings from school librarians will be published over the summer, with the final report published later this year.

Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Libraries are a vital lifeline for communities across Scotland. Not only do they provide free access to books in a warm and safe environment, but, as this wide-ranging report reveals, they are also a levelling up factory that sends people in a positive direction.

‘There is no other public space where people can access information, combat digital poverty, learn new skills, socialise with others, express themselves creatively, and seek to self-improve, entirely for free. It’s incredibly concerning that these important institutions are endangered.’

Scottish Book Trust is also conducting a survey of public library users, which will be open for responses until the end of June 2024.

The impact of Scotland’s libraries – Scottish Book Trust

Edinburgh International Festival announces first Community Connections Hub

eif.co.uk / @edintfest  

• The Edinburgh International Festival unveils the first Community Connections Hub following an  open call out earlier this year 

• Space @ The Broomhouse Hub will work with the Edinburgh International Festival over a period of  at least 18 months to explore opportunities for collaboration and connection 

• In August, the Community Connections Hub will host a free VR Experience where visitors can use a  VR headset to be fully immersed in a 360° concert by the Philharmonia Orchestra 

The Edinburgh International Festival today announces Space @  The Broomhouse Hub as the very first Community Connections Hub.

Space @ The Broomhouse Hub  was chosen following an open call out by the International Festival for an Edinburgh-based community organisation for a partnership that will last at least 18 months and will explore opportunities for collaboration  with the International Festival and the local community in Broomhouse. 

In August, Space @ The Broomhouse Hub will host a free VR experience from resident orchestra  Philharmonia. This 360° experience of Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending makes its UK premiere  and features Festival Director Nicola Benedetti as the solo violinist.

This will allow the user to sit right in the heart of the orchestra through Virtual Reality, allowing them to experience the performance in  astonishing detail.  

As well as hosting the Philharmonia VR Experience, this partnership will be a fully collaborative process, and will be entirely shaped by Space @ The Broomhouse Hub and the International Festival’s shared ideas  and activities. 

This new residency model is designed to deepen understanding between the International Festival and the  local community, strengthen connections and enrich the local community and the spirit of the Festival. 

The Edinburgh International Festival is committed to developing long-term connections with Edinburgh’s Communities by exploring what our core values of discovery and connection mean for Edinburgh’s citizens whilst finding ways to reflect the ideas, ambitions and creative interests of different communities within our organisational commitments.

The International Festival wants to build long-term and sustainable  connections and have chosen a residency model working with one focused partner to allow for deepening  two-way understanding, allowing time to mature connections and realisation of joint ambitions. 

Caroline Donald, Head of Discovery & Participation, Edinburgh International Festival said: “The Edinburgh International Festival are really looking forward to working with our new community  partners Space @the Broomhouse Hub and working together to make new connections, getting to know all  the families and people in the community to create and share cultural experiences.” 

Neil Hay, CEO, Space @ The Broomhouse Hub, said: “This is fantastic news for Broomhouse and Southwest Edinburgh. This partnership will open up the  Edinburgh International Festival to new audiences, allowing local people and families to enjoy cultural  experiences our communities don’t normally access.

“We look forward to seeing all the exciting things the  partnership will bring this summer and the coming year.” 

More information on the Edinburgh International Festival’s Discovery and Participation programme, which runs year-round, can be found here:

https://www.eif.co.uk/social-impact.

Attempted murder in Pennywell Gardens: Two men charged

Two men aged 35 and 41 years have been arrested and charged in connection with an attempted murder which took place in Pennywell Gardens at around 9.15pm on Monday (20 May, 2024).

They are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today – Thursday, 23 May, 2024, and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Eradicating child poverty

£16M funding to expand access to childcare services

First Minister John Swinney has announced £16 million for childcare services to help deliver his vision of a Scotland free from child poverty.

In a statement to Parliament, the First Minister set out the four priorities that will underpin the work of his government. He said eradicating child poverty would be his government’s single most important objective.

Over the next two years, the Scottish Government will provide additional funding to expand access to childcare services within six Early Adopter Community (EAC) projects.

The funding will allow expansion into to new communities, including in Fife and Shetland, and inform what childcare should look like for younger children. The investment will support the development of local childcare systems that are designed to meet families’ needs, with funding targeted at those who are most at risk of living in poverty.

Earlier yesterday, the First Minister visited a breakfast club at Capshard Primary School in Kirkcaldy to see the impact of innovative school age childcare services which contribute to the eradication of child poverty and grow the economy, by helping parents and carers access the childcare they need to find and sustain good jobs.

Speaking in parliament, the First Minister said: “In modern Scotland, it should not be a struggle to find fair work or to raise a family. So for me, and for my government, eradicating child poverty and boosting economic growth, go hand in hand.

“Over the next two years, we will invest £16 million to tackle poverty and help families, by expanding access to childcare services within six Early Adopter Community projects.

“This investment will support low income families to enter and sustain employment, with funding targeted at those who are most at risk of living in poverty.”

Fernieside Murder: Man to appear in Court today

A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 78-year-old woman in Edinburgh on Tuesday (21 May).

Around 8.25am, police were called to a disturbance within a house in Fernieside Crescent. Police and Ambulance attended however 78-year-old Margaret Parker was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 36-year-old man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Thursday, 23 May),

The 36-year-old man has also been charged in relation to the attempted murder of a 55-year-old woman and a 42-year-old woman during this incident. They did not require medical treatment.

Detective Inspector Dougal Begg said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Margaret Parker and everyone affected by this tragic incident.

“A continued police presence can be seen in the area as officers continue their enquiries into this isolated incident.”

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Crewe Road South: Update from SGN

FIVE MORE WEEKS OF TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS

An updated statement on our work in Crewe Road South, Edinburgh:

Bradley Barlow, spokesperson for gas distribution company SGN. said: ‘After investigations into a smell of gas at the Crewe Road South junction, our specialist team of engineers have decided to fully replace our gas network at this location.

“We understand this will be disruptive, but the work will prevent future emergency work and disruption. 

“In order to do this work safely, the temporary road closure in Crewe Road South, between its junctions with Carrington Road and Craigleith Road, will remain in place. The road is closed in both directions.

“For safety reasons and to help the flow of traffic (including emergency services) around our work, Edinburgh City Council has asked us to temporarily close Craigleith Hill Avenue at its junction with Crewe Road.

“A signed diversion will be in place via Carrington Road, East Fettes Avenue and Comeley Bank Road.

“Please be advised, this road closure will affect motorists travelling to and from Western General Hospital. Please allow extra time for your journey. We’re liaising closely with the emergency service to limit disruption.

“We know this is a busy route and will be working extended hours to complete this upgrade work as quickly and safely as possible.

“We expect this work to take five more weeks to complete.”