Thousands of young people across the UK are set to learn about disability, inclusion and equality through a new Anti-Ableism Challenge Badge launched by Queen Margaret University (QMU) for Girlguiding UK members.
Co-created with disabled people, the badge introduces simple, engaging activities that help young members understand disability, challenge stereotypes and take practical steps to make their communities more inclusive. Designed for Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers and volunteers, the badge syllabus also builds awareness of disability history, rights and equity.
Developed by the Toy Box Diversity Lab at Queen Margaret University, the badge has already been successfully piloted in Girlguiding Scotland units in East Lothian. It will now be available as an optional activity alongside the core Girlguiding programme, offering flexible, low-cost or free ways for young people across the UK to explore inclusion and accessibility.
Dr Siân Jones, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Queen Margaret University and co-founder of the Toy Box Diversity Lab, said: “As a disabled person myself, this new badge represents a really positive step forward in the growing momentum around anti-ableism work with young people.
“Too often, disability is left out of early learning, but this badge helps change that by creating space for reflection, discussion and action.
“Disabled children and young people often encounter barriers that non-disabled people don’t notice, from inaccessible environments to assumptions about what they can and cannot do.
“Ableism can be subtle, but its impact is significant. By introducing conversations about disability, fairness and accessibility at an early age, we can help create more inclusive communities where disabled people are valued, respected and included. We hope this badge will give girls and leaders the confidence to recognise barriers, challenge them, and become advocates for positive change.”
Activities that can be completed to gain the Anti-Ableism Challenge Badge include adapting games to make them more inclusive, redesigning spaces to improve accessibility, learning the Braille alphabet, and exploring disabled role models and representation. Girlguiding UK leaders are supported with practical guidance, discussion prompts and information-based resources.
One of the Anti-Ableism Badge co-creators said: “It has been really affirming to me as a disabled person to be part of the development of these resources.
“I think it is really important to have these resources for young people to bring it to the forefront of their awareness at a young age. As a former Rainbow and Brownie, I would have appreciated this in my unit.”
Developed through QMU’s Toy Box Diversity Lab, the Anti-Ableism Challenge Badge builds on the Lab’s wider work addressing inequality, representation and social justice in educational and youth settings. The Lab works collaboratively with communities to ensure disabled people’s voices are at the heart of developing training, resources and inclusive practice.
Dr Clare Uytman, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Queen Margaret University and co-founder of the Toy Box Diversity Lab, said: “At the Toy Box Diversity Lab, we aim to directly tackle representation and understanding of disability through play, imagination and discovery.
“The introduction of anti-ableism into Girlguiding’s suite of challenge badges is an example of how collaborative work can translate research into tools that support real change in educational and youth settings.”
More information about the Toy Box Diversity Lab can be found at:
Their Majesties The King and Queen will join MSPs at the official opening of the Scottish Parliament, taking place on Saturday 27 June.
The Opening Ceremony will include an address by His Majesty, to formally open the Parliament’s Seventh Session.
The event will also include several performances that celebrate Scotland and our rich culture and heritage. They include aspecially commissioned poem for the day delivered by Scotland’s national poet, Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh.
The poem Let This Hall Be Full of Noises will be read by the Makar in Gaelic with an English translation. The National Theatre of Scotland and the NYCOS BSL Youth Choir will also perform.
Their Majesties will then join a reception to meet with “local heroes” who have been chosen to represent constituencies and regions across the country.
Our “local heroes” have been nominated to attend as a special guest of their MSP for making an extraordinary contribution to their community.
Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “The start of a new Parliament is all about optimism, hope and a renewal of what the Parliament means to the people of Scotland.
“Their Majesties’ support for this institution has been steadfast.
“It’s an honour to have The King and The Queen join us at the start of that journey alongside people from across Scotland, who are at the centre of our plans to commemorate this milestone.
“I look forward to celebrating the very best of Scotland, reflecting on our heritage, acknowledging our traditions but most importantly with a focus on our future.”
Young people from across Scotland will also be represented in various roles throughout the day.
Further details of what to expect from the Opening Ceremony and all those who will be contributing to the event will be announced shortly.
Social media platforms to be blocked from offering services to under-16s, marking a line in the sand and setting a new normal for future generations
UK will go further to protect kids with world-leading additional restrictions on harmful features online such as live streaming and strangers communicating with children
Government action shows clear choice to side with families over tech companies to put power back in parents’ hands and give kids the childhood they deserve
Decisive action – backed by 9 in 10 parents – expected to be brought to Parliament before Christmas, with protections expected to come into force in Spring 2027
Children will be given back their childhoods thanks to government action to ban social media platforms from offering services to under-16s, with less time for scrolling and more time for play.
The plans will set a new normal for future generations, kickstarting a cultural shift and driving forward the government’s fight to give every child the best start in life.
The government plans to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia. This would capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. The ban will therefore include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. We do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.
In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s. These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites.
Restrictions on these functionalities will also be on by default for under 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at 16. The government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and will set out more detail in July.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever.
“I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.
“That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.
“This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.”
So-called AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots – designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users – will have to enforce a minimum age of 18. Similar intimate functionalities will be restricted for under-18s on AI chatbots more widely.
Taken together, these measures will mean a much more comprehensive model than just a blanket ban on social media — one that responds to how children experience harm online, rather than just where it happens.
The changes will back parents grappling with the risks for children that come from the online world and help empower them by providing a clear decision on what is safe and age-appropriate for children.
This is a decisive first step by the government which marks a clear choice to put children’s wellbeing first and give them a healthy life online. We stand ready to take further measures in the future.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations.
“Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands.
“My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver.”
The government will also learn the lessons from Australia’s experience by introducing more highly effective age assurance (HEAA) measures to support compliance, making it far harder for children to bypass safeguards.
Ofcom will conduct a rapid study on what is effective age assurance for verifying whether someone is over 16. The Secretary of State has also written to the new Chair of Ofcom to ask for an urgent review of Ofcom’s enforcement capabilities with a clear enforcement strategy to be published as soon as possible.
In her letter, the Secretary of State confirmed the government will ensure Ofcom has the funding it needs to carry out its new responsibilities – as well as continue its vital work to enforce the existing provisions of the Online Safety Act, including protecting women and girls online, tackling harmful content that puts vulnerable people at risk, and taking action against serious illegal activity such as child sexual abuse material and online fraud and scams.
Today’s announcement follows one of the biggest national conversations held by this government, with more than 116,000 responses submitted by parents, children and experts across the country. The responses showed overwhelming public backing for tougher action. 9 in 10 parents said they would support a social media ban for children under 16.
The majority of young people also backed action, with two-thirds agreeing that children younger than 16 should not be allowed to use at least some social media platforms.
On social media services, real-time content makes harmful material harder to moderate, and algorithmic feeds can intensify exposure to dangerous, distressing or overly engaging material.
Parents rightly expect government to take action as quickly as possible, which is why the government has already taken powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act to act fast — using secondary legislation to introduce targeted protections without needing to wait to bring in a whole new Act. This means the first set of regulations could be in effect in Spring 2027.
Today’s action builds on the government’s work to date to go further and faster to protect children online and fight for their wellbeing. Last week, the Prime Minister challenged tech companies so that Britain will be the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images – with a 3-month deadline to make meaningful progress.
This watershed moment will come alongside the government’s drive to remove barriers to opportunity and set every child up for happy, fulfilling lives. Yesterday, the government set out further steps to make sure children in every part of the country get greater access to enrichment opportunities in sport, creative activities, nature and the arts both in and out of school.
This builds on wider work to halve the participation gap and reclaim childhood for all young people, including through reforms to the curriculum so that every child gets the skills they need to get on in life, and support throughout their school years to explore and develop their talents, regardless of their background or where they live.
Commenting on the announcement of a social media ban for under 16’s Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children First said: “The UK Government’s move to restrict social media for under 16s and tackle live streaming and stranger contact is a welcome indication of the desire to protect children in the face of a national childhood emergency.
“The intention of both the UK and Scottish Governments to reset the digital culture that is causing widespread harm to children and childhood is clear. It must now be matched with the resource and determination needed to realise it.
“Given children are likely to find ways around a ban, they will continue to be harmed unless tech companies are forced to implement changes to ensure their products are safe from the start.
“Bans on social media and smartphones in schools can begin to shift cultural norms, but they will not fix a system designed to maximise profit and ignore protection.
“The tech companies have addicted us all and we cannot expect children to change their behaviour, if the adults around them don’t.
“Parents and caregivers need support to model a new approach to screens and above all tech companies need to ensure safety by design and urgently develop platforms that are not addictive for anyone.
“Both the UK and Scottish governments must hold tech companies to account and drive a comprehensive public health response to digital harm. The commitment to invest in play, creativity and sport so children have meaningful alternatives to being online must be realised here in Scotland, as well as in other parts of the UK.
“Most importantly, every solution must be shaped by the voices of children and young people themselves. Childhood is being reshaped by technology. Both governments must act now to reclaim it, so every child in Scotland can grow up safe, happy and connected.”
The UK’s leading open access rail operators Lumo and Hull Trains have released shocking footage of a runner narrowly missing being hit by a train travelling at over 100 mph.
The footage, captured from a Lumo train passing through North Tyneside on the East Coast Main Line, has been made public to mark the annual Rail Safety Week, as both companies shine a spotlight on how to safely interact with the railways.
The clip shows the runner failing to safely use the crossing and is a powerful reminder of the importance of paying attention to your surroundings and observing the crossing instructions.
Rail Safety Week is an annual, industry-wide initiative dedicated to promoting and improving rail safety for workers, customers and local communities. It aims to reduce accidents, educate people and create a strong safety culture across the network.
Lumo and Hull Trains have supported the delivery of rail safety resources to 45 schools over the past year, in association with the Rail Safe Friendly Programme. The programme is dedicated to spreading the vital message of rail safety among young people, educators and parents in schools across the UK.
The operators’ involvement has led to a social value impact of over £724,000 in 2024-25, directly educating thousands of young people.
David Hughes, Head of Safety, Security and Sustainability at First Rail Open Access, said: “This footage is an important reminder of the importance of rail safety. We hope this acts as a stark message for people to recognise the danger of not paying attention.
“We believe that education about rail safety should start from a young age. That’s why we’re now into the third year of our important partnership with the Rail Safe Friendly Programme, giving young people the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe.
“Travelling by train is safe, cost-effective and sustainable. It is, however, vital to recognise that behaviour like that seen in the footage poses a real risk to life.”
David Wortley, Network Rail route level crossing manager, East Coast, said: “Near misses like this are a stark reminder of how using level crossings incorrectly can easily lead to tragic consequences. One poor decision can change a life forever.
“Research shows a worrying overconfidence when it comes to crossings, which is why Network Rail, British Transport Police and the wider rail community recently launched No Second Chances, the first industry-wide level crossing campaign to raise awareness of the dangers.
“It’s vital that everyone stops, looks, listens and follows the instructions and signage, because every crossing is different. No journey is worth risking your life.”
Lumo and Hull Trains are open access rail operators, meaning that they don’t rely on any government funding. They are loyal only to the customers and communities they proudly support.
Lumo is an exciting, growing rail operator that has served the East Coast Main Line with industry-leading 100% electric trains for several years. Lumo connects Glasgow with Falkirk, Edinburgh, Morpeth, Newcastle, Stevenage and London King’s Cross. The operator has also just launched a critically acclaimed new West Coast service, providing Stirling with a direct train service to London Euston, calling at destinations including Carlisle, Preston and Nuneaton.
Hull Trains, recently named ‘Operator of the Year’ at the prestigious Spotlight Rail Awards, offers affordable travel to destinations including Beverley, Hull, Doncaster, Grantham, Selby and London King’s Cross.
The operator successfully combines sustainability with affordable fares, excellent service and support for local communities.
The winners of the fourth annual Saroj Lal Awards were announced at an awards ceremony last week (Thursday 11 June) at the Edinburgh International Festival Hub.
Primary and secondary school pupils from across Edinburgh were acknowledged in three award categories: Proud to be me, How prejudice makes me feel and Artivism. This year over 250 pupils got involved in submitting a creative entry.
The awards invite nominations from schools highlighting work in any art form, from the written word to film or animation, inspired by the themes of equality, inclusion and diversity. Head teachers were also encouraged to nominate a staff team from their school for their creative and collaborative work around equalities.
The winners are:
Proud to be me – primary schools’ category: Nika Roi – P5 Bruntsfield Primary School
Proud to be me – secondary schools’ category: “This is Me!” and Choir – Pilrig Park School – a whole school project
How prejudice makes me feel – primary schools’ category: Lexi Armstrong – P7 Star of the Sea RC Primary School
How Prejudice makes me feel – secondary schools’ category: “Nothing About Us Without Us” – Kaimes School – Kaimes Media Class.
Artivism – primary schools’ category: “Roots to Rhythm” – Prestonfield Primary School – a whole school project
Artivism : secondary schools’ category: Salma Hassan – S2 Boroughmuir High School
Staff Awards
Currie Primary School – Emma Boag McGlynn and Frances Jack
Prestonfield Primary School – The Equalities Leadership Team
Bruntsfield Primary School – Donna English and Gillian Knust
Boroughmuir Secondary School – Erin Cowan
Saroj Lal was one of the first Asian women to teach in a Scottish primary school when she began her role at South Morningside Primary School in 1970.
Her many successes included being at the forefront of race relations during a period of immense political and social change, delivering anti-racism training and starting the first local authority interpreting and translating service in Edinburgh. Following her death in 2020, Saroj’s achievements in equality, women’s rights, education, and community work are being formally recognised.
Entries were judged by a panel of esteemed judges including: Saroj Lal’s son, Vineet Lal; Ethelinda Lashley-Scott, CEO of the Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB); Carol Tuzan, Wider Achievement & Lifelong Learning Manager (CLD youth and children’s work); and former Saroj Lal Award winner and student judge Jesudarasimi Omaoya, an S4 pupil at Castlebrae Community Campus.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener, hosted the awards and said: “Saroj Lal was a true inspiration, both in her trailblazing role at South Morningside Primary School and as a renowned campaigner for race relations and equality, and I’m delighted that her legacy lives on.
“Entries to this year’s awards demonstrate real creativity and feeling around the themes of equality, inclusion and diversity, and the calibre was extremely high. Well done to the winners and all those who submitted an entry.”
Vineet Lal said:“Once again, the calibre and creativity of entries has been incredible, with so much thought and consideration put into submissions. My thanks to all those who have got involved this year in creating artwork that challenges inequality.
“Saroj would be proud to see that the awards are now in their fourth year with even more children and young people getting involved. She was a pioneer in so many ways and we can all learn from how she stood up for what is right and championed inclusion, equality and anti-racism.”
Employees from Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dunfermline have come together to pack 1,200 hygiene and baby kits filled with essential items for donation to Big House Multibank, supporting people in need across Fife.
The Big House Multibank was co-founded by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Amazon UK in 2022.
The Multibank is a community donations hub, offering support for families experiencing poverty across the region. It gives surplus essentials like clothes, hygiene products, school uniforms and bedding donated by businesses like Amazon directly to those in need.
The products are distributed via the Big House Multibank to charity groups and care professionals who give them directly to people in need, when they need them.
A team of volunteers assembled baby care kits and hygiene and toiletry kits packed with essential items for newborns and infants and every day essentials – supporting families who are struggling to afford the basics. Each kit provides new parents with the supplies they need during those critical early weeks, offering practical help and reassurance that their community cares.
These events, including a litter picking event around the city, took place alongside further kitting events in Amazon buildings across the UK during the month of May – Amazon’s Global Month of Volunteering.
Global Month of Volunteering is an initiative that aims to help the communities where Amazon employees live and work. In May, thousands of Amazon employees volunteer alongside their colleagues, adding to the company’s efforts to support its local communities throughout the year.
Finlay Talbot, is an employee at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dunfermline and took part in the packing event. He said: “Volunteering for Big House Multibank with my teammates this month meant a lot to me.
“It says something about a workplace when it puts its people and resources behind causes that matter, and being given paid time off to take part made a real difference. It let me show up for my community in a way that would be hard to manage on my own time.
“Doing it shoulder-to-shoulder with my colleagues made it even more rewarding.”
Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates.
Amazon co-founded The Big House Multibank in Fife with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need. The Multibank network has now donated more than 12 million surplus goods to over 800,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, London, Tees Valley and Birmingham.
This year, the Multibank will send 1 million orders to families across the UK.
Amazon has supported more than one million students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.
Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose.
Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.
Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to celebrate Open Farm Sunday’s 20th anniversary at events across England, Scotland and Wales. The day was marked by a significant increase in host farms opening their gates for the first time.
Established in 2006 by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), Open Farm Sunday has grown into one of British farming’s biggest public engagement success stories. This year, initial estimates indicate that almost 200,000 visitors were welcomed onto participating farms to learn more about food, farming and the environment.
A total of 283 farmers registered OFS events, with a quarter taking part as first-time hosts. Farmers were supported by volunteers, sponsors and the wider industry, giving visitors of all ages an opportunity to experience nature-friendly farming firsthand.
Open Farm Sunday manager, Annabel Shackleton, says this milestone year showed the continued value of these events: “Open Farm Sunday continues to capture the public’s imagination, and they are so grateful for the chance to step beyond the farm gate and connect with the people that produce their food.
“This year’s 20th anniversary has been a wonderful reminder of the pride, care and commitment that backs up British farming. We are enormously grateful to every farmer, volunteer, sponsor and supporter who helped make the day possible.
“There is a huge appetite among the public to learn more about farming with nature in a fun and engaging way, and the high standards our industry works to. Being able to create that connection between the consumers, their food and the farmers who work tirelessly to produce it has always been key.”
New research commissioned by LEAF ahead of this year’s event shone a light on the importance the public places on farming practices that prioritise both food production and the environment.
The survey of more than 2,000 people revealed that 93% believe it is important for the UK to maintain a strong level of food production capacity in an increasingly uncertain world, while 89% agree that protecting nature on farms, including healthy soils, flood defences, and biodiversity, is essential for long-term food production.
Mrs Shackleton adds: “These results show why Open Farm Sunday matters. It gives farmers the space to show how they care for soils, wildlife, water and the wider countryside, and a chance to have important conversations in a positive, engaging and practical way.”
Over the past 20 years, Open Farm Sunday has welcomed more than 3.65 million people onto farms, and Mrs Shackleton thanked the ‘army of volunteers and sponsors’ who helped on farms up and down the country to ensure it was an industry success.
Cambridgeshire farmer Michael Sly MBE, who runs the biggest single Open Farm Sunday event and has hosted more than 120,000 visitors over the past 20 years, believes the bonds it builds between farmers and their local communities are vital.
“We started with 12 people attending in 2006 and now host around 10,000 visitors. Over the years, it has become a community event that the village has really got behind.
“Other farmers come and volunteer their time to help and engage with the public, and that ability for the farmers to work together relates back to normal farming as well. There’s so much we can learn from each other, and Open Farm Sunday highlights that on every level.”
LEAF extends its thanks to Open Farm Sunday’s sponsors, farmers, volunteers and wider industry supporters who helped host events across Britain, as well as the hundreds of thousands of visitors who attended.
Next year’s Open Farm Sunday will take place on 13 June 2027.
Communities across Scotland came together to celebrate Community Rail Week 2026, organised by Community Rail Network and sponsored by Rail Delivery Group, showcasing how local railways, stations and volunteers are creating more inclusive, accessible and connected communities through the theme of ‘Journeys for All’, says Community Rail Network.
Community rail brings people, railways and communities together. It’s a grassroots movement made up of community rail partnerships, station volunteer groups and local organisations working with the rail industry to improve stations, build confidence in train travel, promote sustainable journeys and help rail better serve local people.
This year’s national campaign, led by the Community Rail Network and sponsored by the Rail Delivery Group, ran from 1–7 June under the theme ‘Journeys for All’. The week engaged over 13,000 people through events and activities across Britain, with a wider campaign reaching millions online.
Coinciding with Volunteers’ Week, it shone a spotlight on the thousands of volunteers and community rail teams who work year-round to tackle isolation, improve wellbeing, support sustainable travel and connect communities with their local railways.
Highlights included:
Highland Main Line, Borders Railway and 6VT Youth Community Rail Partnerships joining forces at Edinburgh Waverley to deliver a vibrant community rail showcase, highlighting local initiatives and inspiring greater awareness and uptake of sustainable travel across diverse audiences.
Friends of Newton Station, supported by Rail 74 Community Rail Partnership and CAF Rail Services, leading a community gardening day to transform and enhance the station environment, strengthening local pride, encouraging volunteering and creating a more welcoming gateway for passengers.
6VT Youth Community Rail Partnership leading a “Try the Train” experience for over 30 local school children, building confidence in using rail and opening up new opportunities for independent, sustainable travel.
Community Rail Network chief executive Jools Townsend said:”Community Rail Week 2026 demonstrated the incredible impact that community rail has in bringing people together and making rail travel more accessible, welcoming and relevant to people’s lives.
“Through this year’s ‘Journeys for All’ theme, community rail partnerships and volunteers showcased how local railways can help tackle isolation, build confidence, improve wellbeing and connect people to opportunities.”
6VT Youth CRP operations manager Fiona Horne said:“We’re incredibly proud to have taken part in Community Rail Week as part of this national campaign, celebrating the people and partnerships that make our railways so much more than a means of transport.
“It highlights how community rail can bring people together, support inclusion, create memorable experiences and help ensure everyone feels welcome and confident travelling by train.”
Community rail continues to thrive across Scotland, where partnerships and volunteers work alongside train operators, local authorities, charities and community groups to improve station environments, promote sustainable travel and ensure railways remain accessible and welcoming for all.
Across Scotland, nine community rail partnerships and around 210 station volunteer groups deliver a range of activities designed to encourage sustainable travel, celebrate local heritage and ensure rail remains at the heart of community life.
Taking over Modern Two from 1 August, Gwen John: Strange Beauties is the first major exhibition in Scotland devoted to the pioneering painter. Featuring rarely seen drawings and watercolours – many on show for the first time – it offers fresh insight into her quiet yet determined artistic vision. Tickets are on sale now from the National Galleries of Scotland website, with free tickets for under 18s. This exhibition is not to be missed!
Gwen John’s Young Woman with a Coral Necklace (1910-1920) will go on public display for the first time since 1964, especially for this exhibition in the Scottish capital. The striking painting once belonged to the Scottish artist and Gwen John scholar, Mary Edmond Taubman, who became fascinated with Gwen John’s work as a student while studying at Edinburgh College of Art in the early 1950s.
Taubman became the first person to conduct detailed academic research on the life and work of Gwen John, providing vital insight into what we know of her work today. Young Woman with a Coral Necklace was bought by Taubman from the artists estate, in 1968, and has been generously loaned to National Galleries Scotland by her family, in her memory.
Marking 150 years since the Welsh artist was born, Gwen John: Strange Beauties will offer a fresh new perspective on her exquisite work and lasting legacy. Experience over 200 oil paintings, watercolours, and rarely seen sketches and archive materials across two floors of Modern Two.
Explore Gwen John’s journey from Wales to Paris, where she developed her distinctive, contemplative style. Discover her intimate and meditative portraits, shaped by faith, French modernism and her life in the Parisian suburb of Meudon.
This exhibition will be the second stop of a global tour, following a critically acclaimed run at National Museum Cardiff earlier this year, including five stars from The Guardian and The Independent.
Born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire in 1876, Gwen John studied at the Slade School of Art in London, becoming one of the first generation of women to receive a formal art education, before moving to Paris in 1904 where she led a fiercely independent and creative life.
From becoming a muse and model to renowned French sculptor Auguste Rodin, to modelling for Swiss artist Ottilie Roederstein, Irish sculptor Nuala O’ Donel, German artist Ida Gerhardi and Finnish artist Hilda Flodin.
She later converted to Catholicism, marrying together her faith and her artwork. Gwen John described herself as ‘a seer of strange beauties’, casting herself as a visionary with the ability to see beyond surface appearances.
Her attentive way of looking at the world shaped her art, leading her to paint and draw the same subjects repeatedly, each time observing them in a new way. Today, Gwen John is considered an independent trailblazer, who quietly yet impactfully paved the way for many women artists of the future.
Alongside significant loans will be key works by Gwen John from Scotland’s national art collection. This includes A Young Nun (about 1915-1920) which is part of a series focusing on the convent of the Dominican Sisters of Charity at Meudon, near Paris. The tonal and quietly radiant Portrait of a Girl in Grey, (about 1918 – 1923) another from Scotland’s national art collection, depicting a woman praying, will also be on display.
The exhibition will also delve into Gwen John’s artistic practice, revealing new research about Gwen John’s painting materials and methods. John’s approach to her art was almost scientific, emphasising the importance of close observation and trying to see beyond the surface of things.
The methodical and unique approach she applied to colour theory comes into play too. Gwen John developed a secret coding system for the colour mixtures and tones she used in her paintings – a code which still hasn’t been cracked to this day!
She sought to use colour to create a sense of harmony in her work. From the early 1920s the rich and vibrant colours found in Gwen John’s watercolours appear in her oil paintings, in artworks such as the ‘mulberry dress’ series.”
Visitors can also find out about Gwen John’s life with a free to use audio guide and film created especially for the exhibition which discusses her artistic legacy. Archival materials such as the artist’s notebooks and sketchbooks will be also displayed in the Keiller Library in Modern Two, telling more of Gwen John’s story through objects personal to her.
Anne Lyden, Director-General at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “Independent, intellectually curious and visionary, Gwen John was an extraordinary painter.
“Her acutely observed and meditative paintings and vivid and evocative watercolours invite us to pause, look closely and discover the uncanny beauty of the world around us.
“We hope visitors to Modern Two this summer will enjoy discovering Gwen John’s world. The exhibition is an international collaboration between four museums and galleries and we are so grateful to the lenders, sponsors and exhibition partners whose generosity has made this celebration of Gwen John in Scotland possible.”
Jane Richardson, Chief Executive of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, said: “Gwen John has always been in the shadow of others, but this major exhibition has put her firmly in the spotlight in what would have been her 150th year, offering an opportunity to explore her techniques, processes and inspirations.
“The response to the exhibition in Cardiff has been incredible and we are so proud to be collaborating with National Galleries of Scotland as well as with the Yale Center for British Art and the National Museum of Women in the Arts to celebrate this wonderful Welsh artist and to share her work with even more people.”
This exhibition has been developed by Amgueddfa Cymru in partnership with the National Galleries of Scotland, Yale Center for British Art, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC. Gwen John: Strange Beauties is yours to discover at National Galleries Scotland: Modern Two from 1 August 2026.
From horse and cart deliveries in Bridge of Allan to a twenty-first century tram in Scotland’s capital, Graham’s Family Dairy is celebrating more than 80 years of family heritage with the launch of a newly wrapped Edinburgh tram ahead of this year’s Royal Highland Show.
The tram, which is now running across the capital in Graham’s Family Dairy branding, will transport passengers directly to the Royal Highland Show and other big events this summer. It marks the latest chapter in the story of the family dairy business that began with just 12 cows and doorstep milk deliveries in the 1930s.
Today, Graham’s Family Dairy has grown into Scotland’s largest independent dairy, producing more than 70 different products and flavours across its range and delivering dairy products from Shetland to the Isle of Wight, as well as exporting to destinations like Dubai, Hong Kong and the Bahamas.
While the business has evolved dramatically over the decades, the new tram campaign celebrates the same family values and farming heritage that remain at the core of the company today.
At the heart of the campaign is Graham’s Family Dairy’s Chairman, Dr Robert Graham – who at 85 years old has built an unlikely following and string of viral videos on TikTok by educating a younger audience on all things agriculture.
Carol, Dr Robert, Jean and Robert Graham in front of the Grahams Family Dairy farm house in Bridge of Allen, Stirling.
Dr Robert Graham, Chairman at Graham’s Family Dairy said: “When I was growing up, the business was built around local milk rounds and knowing every customer personally.
“Everything was done by hand, and deliveries went out by horse and cart from Bridge of Allan. To now see Graham’s Family Dairy travelling through Scotland’s capital on a tram really shows how far the business has come over the generations – what I’m even prouder of though is that we’ve kept that family feel engrained in everything we do.
“Back then we were simply producing milk from a small herd of cows. Today, we make everything from milk and cream to cottage cheese, kefir, butter, yoghurt and protein products. Every one of those products represents another step in the journey of the business and another example of how we’ve adapted to what customers are looking for while staying true to our farming heritage.
“What makes this year’s Royal Highland Show that bit more exciting for us is the opportunity to showcase the whole Graham’s Family Dairy range in one place. From the milk and cream that built the business to newer products like cottage cheese and our protein range, it tells the story of how we’ve grown from a small family dairy into the business we are today.”
Carol, Robert and Dr Robert Graham on the Grahams Family Dairy farm in Bridge of Allen, Stirling.
Starting with just 12 cows, Graham’s Family Dairy now has approximately 170 vehicles at its disposal supplying retailers, cafes and customers across the UK, while continuing to invest in Scottish producers, innovation and traditional dairy farming.
Graham’s Family Dairy has grown through three generations and today 70% of households in Scotland and 30% of the UK’s households buy Graham’s Family Dairy products, making them Scotland’s No.1 dairy brand.
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