Tape Letters is a social history project which shines light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape, as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in the UK between 1960 – 1980.
Drawing directly both from first-hand interviews and from the informal and intimate conversations on the cassettes themselves, this exhibition platforms the experiences of members of Edinburgh’s Pakistani community. It explores topics of migration, identity, communication and language.
Tape Letters Scotland is produced by Modus Arts and is made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Explore the stories from Tape Letters Scotland project through their new Web-XR digital exhibition.
Adapting the design from the Tape Letters exhibitions to a digital space, the new digital exhibition showcases a selection of stories from archive contributors across Scotland presented in photos, video, audio and transcriptions.
From Olympic aspirations to first-time divers, Edinburgh Leisure is expanding its prestigious diving programme at the Royal Commonwealth Pool. With 120 new spaces available from February 22nd, this marks an exciting return to pre-pandemic capacity and beyond.
The ‘Commie Pool’ stands as the east of Scotland’s crown jewel for diving excellence, featuring world-class facilities that include multiple springboards, platforms reaching up to 10m, and a state-of-the-art dry land training area.
The comprehensive facility offers everything from trampolines and tumble racks to specialised diving boards with crash mats – all designed to build confidence and perfect technique safely.
“Our expanded programme opens doors for everyone, from age 3 to Masters level,” says Vicki Tomlinson, dive co-ordinator and GB judge at Paris 2024. “Whether you’re seeking a new challenge or dreaming of following in the footsteps of British diving stars like Jack Laugher and Grace Reid or Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, our world-class coaching team is here to guide you.”
The expansion includes:
70 additional junior spaces across all skill levels
50 new weekday spaces in Dive Skills 1
Enhanced pre-school programme with convenient Wednesday and Friday sessions
Expanded Masters’ class availability
Leading the programme’s evolution is Adam Smallwood, the newly appointed Performance Lead Coach, whose impressive track record includes coaching British diving elite. This appointment strengthens the valuable partnership between The University of Edinburgh, Aquatics GB, Scottish Swimming and Edinburgh Leisure, positioning Edinburgh as a powerhouse for developing future diving talents.
The Royal Commonwealth Pool’s legacy includes hosting prestigious events such as the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2018 European Championships. And, this same Olympic-standard facility is accessible to the local community, with flexible public diving sessions available without pre-booking.
Experience the thrill of diving in a facility that has launched countless careers and created countless memories. Whether you’re 5 or 50, the expanded programme has a place for you.
As part of a lottery funded project to look at our heritage we’re keen to hear from anyone who lived in North Edinburgh in the 1990s and remembers the No. 20 drop in centre we operated under the name of Family Care.
Millions of people who provide care for loved ones or relatives could get payments to help with their energy bills when icy blasts hit parts of the country this week.
Cold Weather Payments are made for every seven-day period of weather which is either forecast to be or recorded as zero degrees Celsius or below, and come in at £25 each time. These payments are made automatically by the DWP.
With the support lasting until 31st March, and another cold snap predicted to take place towards the end of this week, the experts at Mobilise (a community of 90,000 unpaid carers) are warning unpaid carers to check whether they could be eligible for the payments.
Who is eligible?
Payments are made to eligible Brits living in areas affected by very cold weather. Postcodes beginning with CA have already triggered the highest number of payments this winter, totalling up to £75 so far, and are amongst those set to be affected again.
According to the latest forecast, by Friday, the following areas are set to see temperatures plummet to the zero (or sub-zero) temperatures required to trigger Cold Weather Payments:
Scotland
Wales
The south west of England
Cumbria
As well as living in an affected area, individuals must be entitled to certain financial support to qualify for Cold Weather Payments. Many unpaid carers have to reduce paid work in order to look after their loved ones, and are already eligible for the qualifying support as a result. You could get Cold Weather Payments if you are entitled to any of the following benefits:
Pension Credit
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Universal Credit
Support for Mortgage Interest
Full eligibility criteria can be found on the Government’s website.
What additional energy bill support is available?
Following recent changes, Winter Fuel Payments are also now limited to those who are eligible for certain means-tested benefits, and the December deadline to apply has now passed. However, carers who are not able to claim Cold Weather Payments or Winter Fuel Payments may still be entitled to other forms of support to help with their energy bills.
Additional cold weather support on offer includes:
Warm Home Discount Scheme – This one-off payment of £150 is automatically paid directly to participating energy suppliers, to help with the costs of eligible Brits’ bills. To be eligible, you must either get the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit, or have high energy costs and receive a different qualifying benefit – see the Government’s website for full details. Payments are available until March. But eligible carers who have not yet received a payment or letter should contact the Scheme’s helpline on 0800 731 0214 by the beginning of February. In Scotland, the criteria is different and requires carers to apply through their energy supplier (see here for more information).
The Household Support Fund – This funding is aimed at anyone who is vulnerable or struggling to afford essentials in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and can help with grants or vouchers towards energy bills. You can find out if you’re eligible and how to apply (if you need to) through your local council’s website.
The Scottish Welfare Fund – This is the Scottish equivalent of the Household Support Fund. Crisis Grants are offered as one-off payments as part of this funding to people in “emergency” situations, and can help if you are living in Scotland and struggling with energy bills. To be eligible for a grant you must receive a qualifying benefit, and apply through your local council. See the Scottish Government’s website for more details.
Grants to help with energy bill debts – Some providers offer grants and advice to help customers pay off energy bill debts. You can find a list of energy suppliers who offer these grants via Citizens Advice. For carers living in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, see more details here. For carers living in Scotland, more details can be found here.
Gas checks – If the person you care for is disabled, vulnerable or elderly, they may also be entitled to a free annual gas safety check. Providers such as British Gas offer this if you sign up to their Priority Service Register.
Disability energy support – Scope offers free advice and support for anyone caring for someone who is disabled, to help with things like energy bill debts, accessing benefits and grants, and signing up for the Priority Services Register. Visit the charity’s website for more information.
For more advice and guidance on the energy bill support available to unpaid carers, you can find detailed information or speak to a carer support expert via the Mobilise website.
£1.5 million to support delivery of compassionate, high-quality care
Women can expect improved miscarriage care Public Health and Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto has pledged, after unveiling a new framework, backed by £1.5 million funding.
The framework sets out a range of actions for Scotland’s NHS boards to implement, including ensuring that women going through miscarriage have a separate, private space. It will introduce a graded model of miscarriage care across the country. This means all women can receive tailored support and services, and won’t have to wait until a third miscarriage. This will include access to progesterone prescriptions – where clinically appropriate – both for threatened and recurrent miscarriage.
These changes will be supported by £1.5 million Scottish Government funding and aim to ensure that early pregnancy care is equitable so that no women are disadvantaged, regardless of where they access and receive care.
The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health said: “The loss of a baby, no matter at what stage of pregnancy, has a profound and lasting impact on women and their families.
“To all who have experienced such a tragedy, I offer my deepest sympathy. The Scottish Government recognises this impact and is clear that women and families who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss must be provided with the right information, care and support, tailored to their individual circumstances.
“I am very grateful to everyone in Scotland’s NHS who works to provide miscarriage care and support.
“I know there is already a lot of good work underway within NHS Boards to improve miscarriage care services. The 2025-26 Budget, if approved by Parliament, will provide £1.5 million to support NHS Boards to improve delivery of sensitive and compassionate miscarriage care.”
Kath Abrahams, Chief Executive of pregnancy charity Tommy’s commented: “We are delighted to see the Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland launching today.
“The Framework is a real milestone on the path to excellent care for women and families in Scotland and Tommy’s has been pleased to work closely with our colleagues in Scottish Government as they have developed the Framework, which aims to ensure the right support and care for parents after every tragic loss.
“With compassionate care at its heart, we are looking forward to continuing to support our Scottish colleagues as they oversee the rollout.”
The Miscarriage Association’s Chief Executive Vicki Robinson said: “We are extremely pleased to see the publication of this important Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland, which represents a significant step forward in ensuring that those experiencing miscarriage receive the compassionate, high-quality care they deserve during such a heart-breaking time.
“This framework is a vital step in providing evidence-based care and offering women additional support in early pregnancy. We are proud to have contributed to its development and look forward to seeing it bring positive change. This is a crucial milestone in ensuring that miscarriage care is accessible, equitable, and compassionate across Scotland.”
LOCAL CARE HOME APPRECIATES THE WORKS OF JMW TURNER
Residents of Strachan House care home in Blackhall, were mesmerised by the wonderful works of Joseph Mallord William Turner as they attended the once-in-a-lifetime exhibition at The National Galleries of Scotland.
In the last month The National Galleries of Scotland commemorated the 250th birthday of the outstanding British artist JMW Turner. Residents of Strachan House Care Home were able to appreciate 30 of Turners watercolours that have come over from Dublin.
Interestingly, these works are only to be exhibited to the public in the month of January each year, this is due to the preservation of the collection.
General Manager, Frances Fisher, said: “Lots of our residents appreciate art and were thrilled to see the collection.
“We have had a wonderful day hearing the history of JMW Turner and admiring his works. I’m thrilled that so many of our residents got to witness the wonderful watercolours on Display at The National Galleries in Edinburgh.”
Katherine, a resident said: “I had a wonderful day admiring Turner’s watercolours. I am very fond of his works, it was so lovely to get to see them and visit the Gallery again.”
Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Strachan House Care Home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides residential, Dementia and nursing care, for short and long-term stays.
More than 450 students and almost 100 healthcare professionals have come together at Edinburgh Napier University’s biggest-ever nursing and midwifery careers day at its Sighthill campus.
Hosted in the University’s ENGAGE sports facility this week (4 Feb 2025), the event gave attendees the opportunity to meet with employers and learn more about available graduate roles in both nursing and midwifery.
Alongside the NHS, the range of healthcare professionals in attendance was wide and varied with organisations such as the Royal Navy Medical Branch, Royal Air Force, Marie Curie, CHAS, The Royal College of Nursing, William Quarrier Scottish Epilepsy Centre and private healthcare providers represented at the event.
Also in attendance were a range of Edinburgh Napier services including its Student Futures careers team – who helped organise the event – the University’s Alumni team, Bright Red Triangle, Edinburgh Napier’s hub for enterprise practice, a postgraduate recruitment team and a School of Health and Social Care research team.
Exhibitors were also able to undertake tours of the learning facilities at the University’s Sighthill campus, including its purpose-built Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre.
Students studying undergraduate and postgraduate Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Social Work programmes at Edinburgh Napier are taught within the centre, benefitting from realistic environments and NHS ward-like settings.
Professor Susan Dawkes, Dean of Edinburgh Napier’s School of Health and Social Care, said: “It was great to welcome so many employers on campus to meet our students and showcase the wealth of career options open to graduate nurses and midwives, from joining the NHS to opportunities to join the health and medical teams in the armed forces, or exploring some of the many other career options now open.
“Employers too were delighted to join tours of our Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre, which remains at the forefront of practical training for our student nurses and midwives.”
Adam Watling, Head of Edinburgh Napier’s Student Futures team, said: “Our nursing and midwifery careers day has been one of the biggest and best yet, and we are so pleased with the reach it has had and the experience of our students and visiting health care professionals across the day.
“The success is thanks to the effective collaboration between Student Futures and School of Health and Social and the planning and focus on securing a range of exhibitors for our many students to meet throughout the day.
“As a University, Edinburgh Napier is dedicated to ensuring that our students have the best possible careers support before and after graduation, and these types of events are a critical part of that commitment.
“We are looking forward to sharing success stories from across the day as we start to review the many insights that emerge from attendees, in the weeks and months to follow.”
Edinburgh Napier University is one of the largest providers of nursing and midwifery education in Scotland offering courses in a variety of nursing specialisms including adult nursing, child health nursing, learning disability nursing and mental health nursing.
The programmes are part of the University’s School of Health and Social Care which is home to a vibrant academic community of more than 3,000 students and 120 staff.
More information on the School itself can be found at:
Every £1 invested in Social Bite’s Jobs First programme yields an estimated £3 worth of social benefits
The programme enhances UK public finances by at least £0.71 per £1 investment
Employers report that Jobs First has helped alleviate recruitment challenges and costs
Participating employees have praised the programme for providing more financial freedom, benefiting their well-being and helping them break the cycle of homelessness
A new report released today, 6 February 2025 from The Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health at the University of Edinburgh has revealed that Social Bite’s Jobs First initiative delivers significant economic and social benefits.
Jobs First is an innovative employment initiative supporting individuals with lived experience of homelessness and is unique within the sector in its trauma-informed and person-centred approach, providing tailored support to both employers and employees.
The independent evaluation confirmed that for every £1 invested by Social Bite and participating employers, a social benefit of £3 is returned to the UK, while enhancing public finances by at least £0.71.
The independent report, which was launched at the Impact Conference in Edinburgh, outlines the significant socio-economic benefits of the programme for employees, employers, and taxpayers.
Savings are generated by reducing pressure on the UK’s public services such as healthcare, as well as lowering welfare benefit payments, in addition to increasing tax revenues from people who may have otherwise struggled to secure employment.
According to the Centre’s cost-benefit analysis, the social benefit equates to £52,697 per employee gaining employment, which is 2.9 times higher than the cost per employee. This is primarily attributed to increased economic output of £40,000 and enhanced personal well-being valued at £12,000.
The programme has enabled many employees to thrive in their roles and continue employment beyond the programme’s completion. Participants have reported gaining new skills, qualifications, expanded social networks, and increased confidence, all while earning income to secure more stable housing and break the cycle of homelessness.
Employers, including leading hospitality group Mitchells & Butlers, reported that the initiative has helped alleviate recruitment challenges, reduced hiring costs, and provided access to a pool of motivated candidates.
Additionally, participating companies have found involvement in the programme to be rewarding for staff and beneficial to workplace culture. All employers expressed a strong appetite for the programme to be expanded and replicated elsewhere.
The Jobs First programme recently marked its third year of operation and by the end of 2024 had supported a total of 91 individuals into employment with many continuing to thrive in their new roles today. All employees interviewed for the evaluation said they would recommend it to other people with similar backgrounds.
Marzena Farana-Sherlock, Director of Social Impact at Social Bite said: “We are immensely proud of the findings from this independent evaluation by the Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health at the University of Edinburgh.
“Time and again, we have seen that homelessness is perpetuated by the vicious cycle where securing employment is difficult without stable housing, and obtaining housing is challenging without a job.
“This systemic issue needs to change, so at Social Bite, we took action to break this cycle in a sustainable way. Thanks to our incredible Jobs First employers, dedicated Social Bite support workers, wonderful charity referral partners, and the determination of our employee candidates, we are already witnessing remarkable outcomes that benefit all stakeholders and the UK economy.
“This is just the beginning for Jobs First. I have no doubt that its impact will continue to grow as we expand, and we would welcome an opportunity to discuss the findings with policymakers.”
Professor Sarah Johnsen, Director of the Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health at the University of Edinburgh, added:“Our evaluation of Jobs First has been overwhelmingly positive. It clearly shows that participants found the programme to be highly beneficial and that it was well-received by both jobseekers and employers.
“The impact demonstrated within just three years of the programme is impressive. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the ratio of benefits to costs would be even greater if all the advantages of Jobs First, including its role in reducing long-term homelessness-related costs and changes in public service use, could be fully measured.
“Jobs First employers, employees and support workers should be congratulated for their commitment to and success in the programme. It has been a privilege to hear firsthand from the employees who have taken part about how transformative Jobs First has been for their lives.”
Comfort Mensah moved to Scotland from Ghana in September 2023 and found herself classed as homeless.
She soon sought help through Social Bite’s Jobs First programme her the situation improved when she found work in a Harvester restaurant in January – almost four months after arriving in Scotland.
Now having completed the course while finishing her Masters at Glasgow University, Comfort’s role and support from Social Bite made it possible for her to find somewhere to call her own.
She said:“Social Bite came through. Even though it was hard at first as I didn’t have experience, they helped me through it. Having a job, earning my own money, and then finding a room was totally transformational.
“I never sleep well, but that first night I fell asleep before 8pm and slept right through to 8am – I’d never slept like it. Maybe this is how it is to be at peace.
“My advice to anybody in my situation is don’t give up – there is somebody out there who can help. When you meet that person, your mind will be blown by how much they will help. There is hope in humanity.”
