A New Tartan for Scottish Borders

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the lives of everyone in Scotland, but the ways by which it affected each community were unique. Remembering Together is a national project which seeks to give each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities their own way to remember and mark their experiences of the pandemic. 

On 31st May, the Scottish Borders Remembering Together project will unveil the new Borders Together tartan marking the varied experiences of the Covid pandemic on the Scottish Borders area. Commissioned artists Two Destination Language worked with around 700 Borderers across an 18 month period to develop the idea and design.

The unveiling event celebrates the weaving of the tartan for the first time along with its use in creative projects across the area as it begins its distribution to community spaces across the Scottish Borders.

Since the Scottish Borders Remembering Together project began last autumn, over 700 contributions have helped shape the decision to create a new tartan, and what that looks like. These resulted in two designs which draw on the experiences that Borderers shared as well as the particular colour and design ideas they contributed. Borderers voted on the final design at the end of 2023.

During the process, many people in the community spoke about Borders landscapes: the sea, rivers, lochs and reservoirs; the brilliant skies of 2020’s spring and summer; and the brightness of gorse, broom, heather and forests.

There were also references to the uniforms of health and care workers, the masks and warning signs of the pandemic. People shared loss, grief and guilt as well as the challenges of isolation, while others spoke of hope and a new-forged community. 

The design draws on colour combinations selected by contributors and incorporates a reference to the five localities of the Borders with many participants wanting the tartan to be something that joins people across the whole region.

Lead artist Katherina Radeva said: “When I saw the new tartan on the loom for the first time, I burst into tears. For me, the design is layered with the hundreds of stories which people have shared across the project.

“It honours lives lost, it respects the extraordinary labour of those whose work filled with new challenges, and it contains the multitude of ways people moved forwards individually and together.”

Following the public vote to select the tartan, a callout was made for community groups to apply for grant funding for creative proposals which enhance the tartan’s accessibility.

Ten groups have now been chosen to develop their ideas.

More information of the selected groups from across Scottish Borders can be found here:  https://www.twodestinationlanguage.com/rtb 

Inspirational veteran dad inspires runner to achieve lifelong ambition

Teri Evans, 47, from Stevenston, recently fulfilled a lifelong dream by participating in the London Marathon.

Teri was inspired to run in the marathon by her army veteran Dad, Alexander Duncan, who started to lose his sight a few years ago due to macular degeneration and is now supported by Sight Scotland Veterans. ​

Teri explains: “My Dad has been incredibly fortunate to receive invaluable assistance and support from Sight Scotland Veterans since he began experiencing vision loss.

“The charity’s help and support has been so important in maintaining his independence and enabling him to engage in daily activities. It has provided him with essential equipment like screen readers, daylight lamps, driving glasses and a digital magnifier for reading that he uses regularly and is very grateful for.

“Additionally, he regularly attends the Seamill Veterans Sight Support Group, which he really enjoys as it allows him to connect with fellow veterans and individuals coping with sight loss.​

“I was so proud to be running the marathon for my dad and to raise money for Sight Scotland Veterans, it was great to give something back to the charity for all the help they have provided.

“We also arranged with Sight Scotland Veterans that all the money I raise would stay in Ayrshire, so that my dad and the group he attends could benefit, as he was in my thoughts a lot of the way round the 26.2 miles.”​

Alexander Duncan, who was in the 4th Royal Tank Regiment for 14 years adds: “I’m so proud of Teri for running the marathon and for raising money for Sight Scotland Veterans.

“The charity has helped me with lots of things and I love going to my group each month, I can’t thank them enough.”​

Teri’s love for running started when she was 40, when she decided to take part in a couch to 5K. She then built her way up to running a 10K, then a half marathon, and then ran the Edinburgh marathon 2 years ago.​

Teri, who works as a Student Experience Team Lead at Ayrshire College, says: “I never used to run, and would never have believed I would be running marathons a few years ago.

“But I have just built up my fitness and endurance and now regularly attend Irvine Running Club. It was through the running club that I got my spot in the London Marathon, as they got an entry, and my name was picked out of a hat.​

“Running a marathon takes over your life, as there are so many changes you need to make, like a strict training plan to follow and changing your eating habits, but it is definitely all worth it. London is the iconic marathon that every runner dreams of taking part in, so it was a lifelong dream! I also ran in 05:07:11 which was a personal best!”​

Teri has raised over £1000, plus gift aid, for Sight Scotland Veterans. Sight Scotland Veterans provides free support to armed forces veterans affected by sight loss in Scotland to help them regain confidence, restore their independence and make new connections.​

For more information please visit sightscotlandveterans.org.uk or call 0800 035 6409.

Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre celebrates Future Fun Day success

🎉🌟 Celebrating Success! 🌟🎉

Our Future Friendly Fun Day last Saturday was an absolute blast! 🥳

Thank you to everyone who joined us and made it a roaring success! 🙌 We raised an amazing £229 through our tombola and bake sale! This will help fund Summer activities which were suggested through our feedback board on the day. 🌞

A huge shout out to our fantastic volunteers who helped us make this day happen. And a big thank you to everyone who donated items to our tombola, and the bakers who dropped of delicious treats!

Finally, a huge thank you to Frank Francia, Ama-zing Harmonies, Scottish Communities Climate Action Network, Edinburgh School Uniform Bank, Moving Music, National Galleries of Scotland, Tummies Not Trash and Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC) for partnering with us and providing activities, food and entertainment for this fantastic day!

If you have any photos from the day that you’d like to share please post them in the comments or send them over to us! We’d really appreciate it 😁

Let’s keep the spirit alive and continue to build an even stronger, more vibrant community together! 💪

#NorthEdinburgh

#CommunitySuccess

#NoOneLeftBehind

Unique Assembly get green light to deliver Capital’s winter festivals for next three year

Councillors have today unanimously agreed to award the contract for the delivery of Edinburgh’s world-famous winter festivals for the next three years.

Subject to a ten-day standstill period, the contract will be awarded to a consortium led by Edinburgh-based event producers, Unique Assembly.

The contract covers the production and delivery of Edinburgh’s Christmas for 2024/25 and then for Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay festivals until 2026/27, with the opportunity for two optional twelve-month extensions. The delivery of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay for 2024/25 was already agreed in June 2022 and will also be undertaken by Unique Assembly.  

The procurement process followed a ‘lessons learned exercise’, which led to a renewed focus on bid quality and enhancements to the sustainability, environmental, and community impact requirements of bids.

The full report is available on the council website.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’d like to congratulate Unique Assembly following today’s unanimous decision by councillors. They bring decades of experience in delivering major events, including our own Winter Festivals, and I’m confident that they’ll provide a fantastic service to the city over the next three years. 

“The festivals occupy a central element in the cultural calendar of our city and delivering them well for our residents and visitors remains a key priority for us – not least given the huge enjoyment they bring each year.

“They also deliver substantial economic benefit for the city and for Scotland more widely, supporting jobs and businesses in many sectors most notably tourism, hospitality, and leisure.”

Two new speakers announced for Children in Scotland conference

Teen cancer survivor and advocate Molly Cuddihy and Natalie Don MSP join impressive line-up for Children in Scotland Annual Conference 2024 

Children in Scotland has today revealed two more speakers for its Annual Conference 2024, with teen cancer survivor and advocate Molly Cuddihy, and Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, Natalie Don MSP, joining the packed lineup of expert voices.  

Held on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 May at Murrayfield Stadium, the flagship event will bring together delegates, partners and supporters from across the children’s sector, providing opportunities to exchange ideas, network and learn. 

Addressing the conference with a keynote speech on day one, Molly Cuddihy is a passionate advocate for the rights of children and young adults, particularly those living with and progressing from cancer and other serious illness, having been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when she was just 15 years old. 

Currently a Youth Ambassador for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, Molly has a wealth of experience to share with the conference. As co-founder of the charity Every Thank You Counts, and co-ordinator for the acclaimed Radio Therapy podcast, which covers themes including mental health, body image and mortality, the inspiring teen will provide fresh perspectives on topics close to her heart. 

Speaking on day two of the conference, Natalie Don MSP, Minister for Children, Young People and Keeping the Promise, will discuss a range of issues relevant to children and young people, and the wider sector, providing valuable insights. 

Natalie Don MSP said: “I’m really looking forward to what is set to be another amazing event run by Children in Scotland. 

“I was lucky enough to be invited to their 30th Anniversary Networking event last year where I had the pleasure of meeting a number of past and present staff members, and engaged with the amazing members of the Changing our World children and young people’s advisory group. 

“As this inspirational group has been heavily involved with the development, planning, and workshop selection for the upcoming conference, I know it will be a very interesting and thought-provoking event where experts in a wide variety of areas can get together to discuss issues impacting children.” 

Alongside powerful keynote speeches, informative panel discussions, and engaging workshops, children and young people’s voices will be central to both days of the Annual Conference, with representatives from Changing our World (CoW) co-chairing the programme. 

Ensuring attendees hear directly from the young Scots they work with and for every day has been a key goal for Children in Scotland when planning the Annual Conference 2024, and further highlights of the programme include co-designed workshops and interactive sessions, covering everything from supporting neurodivergent children to suicide prevention, Artificial Intelligence, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, learning through play, youth homelessness, and many more topics. 

New home for Hidden Door

An office space which has been vacant since 2021 will receive a colourful lease of life when the organisation behind the Hidden Door Festival takes up a new residency.

Councillors on the Finance and Resources Committee have agreed to lease the council-owned building at 133 Lauriston Place for the next 10 years to the Edinburgh-based arts charity, which is currently planning a festival later in 2024 to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

They will use the space as an office and creative hub, undertaking repairs to the building while they lease it, in exchange for a favourable rental price.

Finance and Resources Convener, Councillor Mandy Watt, said: “This is a building which needs a lot of work so it hasn’t been occupied for the last few years. I’m delighted that Hidden Door have agreed to take it on and make it their own.

“Known for rejuvenating spaces into vibrant venues, I’ve no doubt they will create an inviting creative hub here. The venue is situated just a short stroll away from the art college and other fantastic venues like the Cameo and the Usher Hall, so the opportunities for collaboration are countless.

“We’re pleased to support a well-loved community arts charity in this way. The permanent location throughout the term of this lease should provide them with greater security and stability and a more accessible building everyone can enjoy.”

Hazel Johnson, Hidden Door’s Festival Director, said: “This is a hugely exciting and important step for Hidden Door – a hub from which to plan our activity and festivals will enable us work more closely with Edinburgh’s creative communities, all year round.

“As a volunteer-led charity, this is a huge milestone – and the timing couldn’t be better, as we both celebrate 10 years of Hidden Door festivals, and look to the future. We can’t wait to get in and get cracking!”

“Leaving EU has made us poorer,” says former Brexit Department head

“Brexit makes Scottish independence more likely”

Speaking at an event in Dumfries, Philip Rycroft, who was head of the Department for Leaving the European Union until 2019, said the barriers that now exists between the UK and its major EU markets acts as a ‘drag anchor’ on the UK and reduces productivity growth.

“Coming out of the EU means we will be poorer than otherwise we would have been, said Mr Rycroft.

Philip Rycroft and former senior BBC journalist, David Shukman were taking part in a sell-out event in Dumfries organised by the European Movement in Scotland.

In his opening remarks, Mr Shukman called Brexit, “The most catastrophic blunder any country has made.”

Mr Rycroft explained that following the Brexit referendum, the government had no plan. He led a team that produced an impact study that demonstrated that any form of Brexit was worse for the UK economy than staying in. Brexit has been far more complicated and difficult than the Leave side imagined, said the ex-civil servant. 

“They promised big trade deals with other nations. None of any scale have materialised, particularly a deal with the USA. We would need around 30 trade deals like an American one to replace what we have lost in EU trade.”

Philip Rycroft went on the say that Brexit came at a very bad time for the UK. Since the 2016 referendum vote the world has become much more unstable. He cited the war in Ukraine and Russian belligerence, the subsequent energy crisis and raised tensions between the US and China.”

“Brexit has weakened a bond of trust and common cause that has existed between the UK and the European states since the end of WW2. In times like these we need those relationship to be as strong as possible.

“All of the UK’s predominate interests lie in Europe, whoever is in power.”

Brexit and Scottish independence

During his time at the Brexit department, Mr Rycroft also headed the UK government’s unit on UK constitutional affairs and devolution. He recalled that Brexit put immediate pressure on the workings of the UK union. Scotland had voted 62% Remain.

“It was an extraordinarily difficult time. We knew the union was in a pretty fragile state. Brexit revealed the core ambiguity of the nature of the relationship between Scotland and England. Is it a union of law or one of consent?”

Mr Rycroft believes Brexit has made an independent Scotland more likely, but also more difficult.

“A lot of people in Scotland were very angry that Scotland’s Brexit vote was subsidiary to the overall UK vote. That is a central fact that will be with us forever. It is a primary factor in the independence case.

“An independent Scotland would have to choose between joining the EU or staying in the UK single market. There is no way round that choice.”

After the general election

David Clarke, chair of the European Movement in Scotland says Mr Rycroft and Mr Shukman have been invited back for another conversation after the UK general election.

“Our guests, Philp Rycroft and David Shukman delivered a conversation that gave unique insights into the turmoil inside government after the Brexit vote.

“They provided hugely informative analysis of what has happened since. We had two speakers of the highest quality and have asked them back.” says David Clarke.

Foreign Secretary visits Ukraine 

Cameron reiterates UK’s ‘unequivocal support’ for the Ukrainian people

  • Foreign Secretary David Cameron was in Kyiv to reiterate UK support to Ukraine
  • The visit follows the Prime Minister’s announcement that the UK will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence, and commit to at least £3 billion a year on military support to Ukraine
  • The Foreign Secretary confirmed a £36 million package of energy support, including £20 million in new emergency funding following Russian attacks.

Visiting Kyiv, the Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK’s unequivocal support to Ukraine. Meeting with President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Kuleba, he detailed how the uplift in defence spending announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week, including £3 billion multi-year funding for Ukraine and the largest ever donation of military equipment, would help ensure Ukraine has what it needs to win.

The Foreign Secretary announced that the UK’s donation of military equipment would include the provision of precision-guided bombs, and air defence missiles and equipment for 100 mobile air defence teams to enable Ukraine to shoot down Russia’s drones and missiles.

The UK also committed to doubling its domestic munitions production, by investing a further £10 billion over the next 10 years. This production will help ensure UK national security, whilst sustaining the UK’s weapons support to Ukraine, keeping Ukraine in the fight for as long as it takes.

Alongside domestic commitments, the Foreign Secretary also revealed that the UK intends to bring international partners together next month to attract additional contributions to the International Fund for Ukraine to meet Ukraine’s urgent capability requirements.

The Foreign Secretary also confirmed a £36 million package for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and investments in future innovations to support Ukraine’s energy transition and recovery.

This includes £20 million of emergency funding following the recent barrage of attacks on national infrastructure as Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, including power plants and gas storage facilities. This takes the UK’s total contribution to the Ukrainian energy sector since 2022 to £170 million.

UK funding will provide equipment to repair damaged energy infrastructure, help physically protect existing infrastructure, and provide back-up support – including generators and distributed renewable generation – for use if Russian attacks destroy more infrastructure.

Speaking from Kyiv, the Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, said: “Ukraine is fiercely defending itself against Russia’s illegal invasion, making a war Putin thought would last days, take years. But this war is the challenge of our generation and Ukraine cannot fight it alone.

“We must all step up to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to win. Through our multi-year military funding, weapons provision and vital support to protect and repair Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the UK is standing with Ukraine and we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

A further £16 million was awarded to winners of the UK’s Innovate Ukraine Green Energy Competition, at a reception hosted by the Foreign Secretary and Ukrainian Minister for Energy, Minister Galushchenko.

The 13 winning projects, made up of UK and Ukrainian innovators, partners, businesses and NGOs, launched their innovations to help Ukraine rebuild a greener and more resilient energy grid. This funding was previously announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London and has now been awarded to recipients. 

In Kyiv, the Foreign Secretary saw how Ukrainians are continuing to show resilience in the face of Russian attacks, witnessing first-hand how Ukraine is pushing forward with innovative drone development.

The Foreign Secretary also kicked off negotiations with Ukraine on a 100 Year Partnership – a new agreement that will build enduring links between our two countries across the spectrum of trade, security and defence cooperation, science and tech, education, culture, and much more.

The UK’s commitment to developing this Partnership is a clear signal of its intent to build close and enduring cooperation with Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people, for decades to come.

Waterfront: We want YOUR thoughts!

WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS!

SATURDAY 4th MAY 11am – 2pm

The future is exciting for Granton Waterfront, we want to share plans and capture ideas for your heritage buildings.

Please share your ideas at our:

Drop-in event THIS SATURDAY 4th May

Granton Station, Waterfront Broadway

11am – 2pm

Or ONLINE from the 1-29 May

https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/…/granton…

Protecting fans from ticket touts

Views sought on EURO 2028 legislation

Proposals which will help to protect people against the threat of ticket touts at UEFA EURO 2028 are the focus of a new consultation launched today.

Glasgow is one of 10 host cities for EURO 2028 and an expected three million tickets will go on sale for the whole tournament, allowing more fans than ever before access to a UEFA EURO tournament.

As part of the consultation, stakeholders are invited to share their insights about how effective the measures implemented during UEFA EURO 2020, which took place in 2021, were for both supporters and local businesses.

Europe Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Glasgow has become one of the world’s top cities for staging major sporting events, and EURO 2028 will follow in the footsteps of the recent World Athletics Indoor Championships – these matches belong to everyone and it’s important we ensure tickets are accessible.

“This valuable consultation underlines our commitment to protecting Scottish people from the threat of ticket touts, ensuring fair and equitable access to EURO 2028 games in Scotland.

“I would encourage everybody with an interest in this eagerly awaited event to share their views and help to shape legislation ahead of EURO 2028 happening in Glasgow.”

The consultation period closes on 26 July and provides an opportunity for people to share their views to shape robust protection measures for those fans planning on attending the matches staged in Scotland.