Delivery must be at the heart of the Scotland’s Climate Change Plan, says Holyrood Committee

Concrete policies backed by clear targets and timelines must be at the heart of the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan, says Holyrood’s Net Zero Committee.

In its report published this week, the Committee says that key policies must also state clearly who will lead on delivery and, wherever possible, be costed.

A clear and accessible system to monitor progress will also be vital to catch policies and interventions at risk of going off track.

The report highlights the Plan’s reliance on electrification for delivery across many sectors. The Committee calls on the Scottish Government to work with the UK Government and other UK administrations on a joint plan of action for more affordable electricity.

The report also identifies areas of potential risk in plotting a pathway to net zero emissions, either because the Scottish Government is dependent upon others for key actions or because they have set ambitions that look stretching. These include, for example, a quite fast-paced switchover to electric vehicles; decarbonising Scotland’s homes; and using negative emissions technology at scale over the next decade to abate hard to decarbonise areas.

The Plan sets out how the Scottish Government intends to meet emission reduction targets across all portfolio areas and sectors of the economy. It covers the period 2026-2040 as Scotland looks to be ‘net zero’ in carbon emissions by 2045.

10 committees took part in the Scottish Parliament’s scrutiny of the draft Plan. Leading the cross-parliamentary effort, the Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee considered the draft as a whole; including governance, monitoring, and fiscal arrangements; as well as three sectors relevant to its remit; energy supply, transport and waste.

Convener of the Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee, Edward Mountain MSP, said: “Scotland has lost momentum in reaching net zero and a new Climate Change Plan is the key opportunity for a reset. The Plan must be focused on delivery, with credible proposals and clear lines of accountability for each major policy.

“There are some good aspects to the draft Plan but it often falls short, with insufficient detail on key policies and the mechanisms to achieve specific outcomes, or on costs and who they will fall on.

“Public engagement is central to net zero delivery as it requires actions at a household level. People rightly want assurances that changes they are being asked to make are affordable and sensible. We reached out to the public and to grassroots community groups as widely as we could, within the time we had.

“Getting the Plan right also means the Scottish Government must listen to industry, NGOs and scientific experts, as well as the Parliament.“The Scottish Government has given itself a maximum of just three weeks to reflect on our recommendations and its own public consultation. This is not good practice. It lowers confidence that consultation is meaningful and will help shape the new Plan. It must not happen again.”

The Scottish Government has committed to publishing its final Climate Change Plan in advance of the dissolution of Parliament for the 2026 election.

Key committee recommendations:

In their reports, Committees highlighted a range of issues including, for example:

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

In relation to energy supply, transport & waste:

  • Proposals to decarbonise the transport sector are heavily reliant on EV switchover, with challenges around affordability and convenience of charging etc. The Scottish Government holds only some of the levers in this area. This poses a risk that should be monitored carefully. The Plan should encourage EV uptake but have more measures to enable less car usage.
  • Placing a high level of reliance on negative emissions technologies, a developing technology that is untested at scale, is a significant delivery risk that will require careful monitoring and reappraisal in the light of new evidence and data.
  • Ambitions on electrifying and decarbonising the freight sector look unrealistic, with insufficient detail on delivery.
  • Revised projections for emissions from energy from waste are required in light of the recent delay in banning biodegradable waste going to municipal landfill.

Read the Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee’s report

Rural Affairs & Islands Committee
  • The agriculture emissions pathway in the draft Plan was unclear due to a lack of clarity around the sector’s reform plans and the absence of a Rural Support Plan (RSP).
  • The final Plan must show how RSP policies will deliver sectoral emissions targets and the next Parliament must scrutinise the links between the RSP, wider reform programme and the Plan, to ensure sufficient leadership and ambition for the sector.
  • While the draft CCP signals strong long-term ambition for forestry and peatland, it should also set out how sites will be prioritised – using spatial analysis or mapping – and provide clearer detail on long-term financing, including the Scottish Government’s position on multiannual funding.

Read the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee’s report

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
  • The Committee is concerned that the projected rates of heat pump installations will not sufficiently scale up by 2030 in order to put Scotland on course to reaching the 2045 target. There needs to be national leadership from the Scottish Government in partnership with the UK Government to deliver this through a coherent delivery plan.
  • Having sufficient numbers of trained tradespeople to deliver retrofitting is clearly critical, and the Scottish Government should set out a plan as to how a recognised skills gap will be addressed, particularly in rural areas where the skills shortage is greater, and with a focus on supporting SMEs to grow their retrofit workforce.

Read the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee’s report

Economy and Fair Work Committee
  • The Plan needs to include more information, be clearer on the priority of actions and involve workers and professional bodies. If not, there’s a real risk we repeat past mistakes, with industries closing and skilled workers leaving Scotland to find jobs elsewhere.
  • The Committee calls for a change in the way electricity prices and charges are set. Until this is addressed, it warns against adding new requirements for industries to cut emissions, as this too could risk more closures and job losses.

Read the Economy and Fair Work Committee’s letter sent to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (246KB, pdf)posted 02 February 2026

Other Committee correspondence 

Read the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s letter sent to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee with further findings due to be published shortly (136KB, pdf)posted 30 January 2026

Read the Criminal Justice Committee’s letter sent to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (97KB, pdf)posted 08 December 2025

The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee sent two letters to the letters the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee:

Read the letter sent on 9 December 2025 (121KB, pdf)posted 15 December 2025

Read the letter sent on 23 January 2026 (158KB, pdf)posted 26 January 2026

Read the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs & Culture Committee’s letter sent to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (217KB, pdf)posted 26 January 2026

Read the Social Justice & Social Security Committee’s letter sent to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (117KB, pdf)posted 01 December 2025

Read the Public Audit Committee’s letter sent to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee (192KB, pdf)posted 07 November 2023.

Monday Breakfast Cafe at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

☕ We’re back this Monday!

Join us at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre for our weekly Monday Café – the perfect way to start the week with good food, hot drinks, and friendly chat.

🥞 Breakfast rolls (sausage, fried egg, tattie scones) and some delicious home baking!

☕ Tea & coffee

💬 A warm welcome for everyone

📅 Monday

⏰ 9–11am

Decline in remote jobs could undermine Government plans to get Britain working, research warns

  • Findings from the UK’s largest mixed‑methods study of disabled remote and hybrid workers show that 85% of respondents say access to homeworking is essential or very important when looking for a new job
  • Nearly half (46%) of the participants in the Inclusive Remote and Hybrid Working Study want to work remotely all the time, with disabled women and disabled carers more likely to want to work fully from home 
  • However, analysis of Adzuna job vacancy data shows declining levels of remote job opportunities. In 2024/25, only one in 23 job adverts on Adzuna (4.3%) were fully remote – half the level seen during the pandemic peak of 8.7% in 2020/21
  • Growth in the availability of hybrid jobs appears to have stalled, with only one in seven (13.5%) job vacancies offering hybrid work in 2024/25
  • Researchers warn a shortage of suitable jobs could undermine the Government’s ambition to get Britain working, and echo a recent House of Lords call for Ministers to ensure remote and hybrid working is being prioritised to boost disabled people’s employment.

The Government’s plan to get people working could face a significant challenge as remote-only job opportunities decline, warn researchers behind the largest study of disabled workers experiences of remote and hybrid working in the UK.

Research shows that almost half (46%) of 1,221 survey participants wanted to work remotely all the time, yet the numbers of remote jobs in the UK have decreased drastically since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 50% fewer remote only roles advertised compared to 2020/21.

As part of the largest study of disabled workers’ experiences of remote and hybrid work in the UK – conducted by researchers from Lancaster University, the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Universal Inclusion, and funded by the Nuffield Foundation – researchers studied job vacancy data from global job platform, Adzuna.

Remote and hybrid working remain more common than before the pandemic, but growth is slowing. In the year to April 2025, 17.8% of UK vacancies offered either fully remote (4.3%) or hybrid roles (13.5%), up from 3.1% pre-pandemic. However, fully remote jobs have fallen sharply since their peak, and growth in hybrid roles has stalled.

Dr Paula Holland from Lancaster University, who led the research, said: “The increased availability of remote and hybrid working since before the pandemic has improved many disabled people’s experience of work.

“Our findings indicate disabled employees gain significant benefits including improved mental and physical health, better work-life balance and increased productivity.

“However, companies mandating returns to the office have seen remote-only opportunities plummet. This could prevent some disabled workers from returning and staying in work. At a time when the Government wants to get people working, access to suitable homeworking roles can be the difference between working or not working.”

At a time when the Government wants to get people working, disabled workers report that access to suitable homeworking roles can be the difference between working or not working.”

Homeworking can support disabled workers, but only if done well

The UK Government has committed to supporting more disabled people to remain in or return to work as part of its wider efforts to boost employment by two million people to an 80% employment rate.

Disabled people currently represent one in four workers in the workforce, but the disability employment gap – the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people  – remains at 29.8 percentage points.

A UK Government study indicates remote work could support people out of work claiming health and disability benefits. One in four respondents (25%) who said they are currently unable to work stated that they could do so if they worked remotely.

The recent House of Lords Home-based Working Inquiry called on the Government to set out whether remote and hybrid working are being considered as part of existing initiatives to support people who are disabled or have long-term health conditions back into work.

The final report of the Inclusive Remote and Hybrid Working Study highlights remote and hybrid working as a key part of the solution to improving employment outcomes for disabled people. Key findings include:

·        64% of fully remote disabled workers said their work pattern positively affected their physical health, compared to 31% of those working remotely less than half the time

·        46% of participants wanted to work remotely all the time. There was also demand for hybrid working: 25% wanted to work from home four days a week and 27% for three days or less. Only 1.6% wanted to stop working from home

·        Women, carers and people with multiple or severely limiting impairments/health conditions were particularly likely to report they only wanted to work from home

·        85% of participants said that having access to remote/hybrid working would be essential or very important if looking for a new job. 79% would not apply for a job without remote options

·        Black and ethnic minority workers and less affluent workers were significantly less likely than white or more affluent workers to report remote/hybrid working had positive outcomes for their health and employment.

Dr Paula Holland continues, “Remote and hybrid working can benefit both employees and employers. The organisations we interviewed reported improved staff retention and recruitment as a result of implementing remote working policies including reduced sick leave and improved wellbeing.

“However, employers must ensure disabled workers have the resources and support they need. Over half of survey participants reported reasonable adjustments to support working from home had not been implemented, and black and ethnic minority workers reported significantly less positive outcomes.”

Rebecca Florisson, Principal Analyst, from the Work Foundation at Lancaster University commented: “For many disabled workers, homeworking isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it’s essential to be able to enter into, and remain in work.

“Our research shows strong demand for remote and hybrid work among disabled people, yet fully remote job vacancies have halved since the pandemic and growth in hybrid jobs has stalled.

“If the Government is serious about getting Britain working, it must make sure the right jobs are available by expanding access to flexible work. Threats to cut disabled people’s welfare will not support them into work if the jobs they need simply aren’t there.”

Amongst its recommendations, the study calls on the UK Government to:

1.     Expand access to remote and hybrid jobs by making these and other forms of flexible working a core part of efforts to increase disabled people’s employment, including through clearing Access to Work backlogs

2.     Encourage employers to advertise flexibility upfront, including remote and hybrid options, particularly on the DWP’s Find a Job portal.

3.     Address regional inequalities in access to hybrid work through the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

4.     Strengthen reasonable adjustments, ensuring employers properly consider remote and hybrid working and meet their duties under the Equality Act 2010.

5.     Improve accountability, including requiring large employers to report on outcomes for disabled workers.

Simon, a graphic designer from Derby who has Long Covid, works in a fully remote job for a design agency. He said, “Remote work lets me work. I have chronic fatigue, post-exertional malaise (PEM), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).

“Walking a short distance or going up the stairs can really exhaust me. Because I’m energy-limited, I need to budget my energy, pace myself and regularly lie down to rest.

“The adaptations I need are not so much equipment, but the ability to be able to take regular breaks throughout the day, where I can rest and recharge. Homeworking is much more tailored to my needs than being in the office.

“I can make the most of my working hours without a commute, so that means I have much more energy available to use for work itself. I’d find the commute to the office exhausting.

“Remote work has been a lifeline and my employer has been very supportive. Despite my health challenges, I’m just as productive working from home as I was at the office.”

Rebecca from Merseyside is a business manager in the public sector on a temporary fixed-term contract. She is autistic and has ADHD with comorbid anxiety and depression, she said, “I’ve been remote-only since 2020.

“I got an occupational health recommendation for permanent homeworking. The lack of external disruption allows me to better manage my condition.”

She has been looking for a new job for over 20 months, as she is on a temporary fixed-term contract. Rebecca continues: “I would be waiting forever if I only searched for homeworking roles.

In the last year, I’ve been offered four jobs but three have been withdrawn upon receipt of my occupational health recommendation.”

She has now accepted a new permanent full-time home-working contract at a lower salary than her current role, as she doesn’t believe she’ll find another homeworking job at her existing level that meets her needs.

Vera, from London, is in her twenties and works remotely for a healthcare company. Following stem cell treatment for her multiple sclerosis (MS), she was unable to return to a frontline role.

A recent study by the Work Foundation and the MS Society found that nearly half of people with MS (47%) look for job locations that require little or no travel.

“Remote work has made it possible for me to stay in employment — without it I couldn’t work,” she says. “While I’ve reduced my hours to four days a week, working from home means I can manage cognitive fatigue and rest during lunch breaks so I can stay productive.

“But I feel stuck, as there are so few remote-only roles. These are realistically the only roles I can apply for if I want to keep working and progress in my career.”

The report ‘Breaking down barriers: How remote and hybrid work can support disabled workers’ is published at: 

https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/inclusive-working/ 

and 

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/breaking-down-barriers.

It’s OK to Ask – empowering people to get the most out of every healthcare appointment

THIS month NHS Scotland relaunched its ‘It’s OK to Ask’ campaign for 2026, encouraging people across Scotland to feel confident asking questions about their health, care and treatment options.

The campaign aims to support patients to take an active role in decisions about their health. Whether attending a GP, physiotherapist, dentist, pharmacist, hospital appointment, or any other healthcare setting, ‘It’s OK to Ask’ reminds people that asking questions helps them understand their options and make choices that feel right for them. 

A key focus of the campaign is encouraging people to prepare for their appointment by thinking ahead about what they want to know. To help get the most out of every discussion, patients are encouraged to consider asking these four questions whenever a treatment, procedure, tablet, or test is suggested, no matter how routine it may seem: 

  • What are the benefits of this treatment? 
  • What are the risks? 
  • Are there any alternative treatments I can try? 
  • What happens if I do nothing? 
Dr John McAnaw, Associate Clinical Director at NHS 24

Dr John McAnaw, Head of Pharmacy and Associate Clinical Director at NHS 24 says the campaign helps remove the pressure or worry some people feel when speaking with healthcare professionals: “Asking questions in a healthcare setting can feel overwhelming, and many people are unsure what to say or how to ask. 

“The ‘It’s OK to Ask’ campaign reassures people that healthcare teams welcome questions as it provides a good basis for shared decision making. It’s important that you fully understand your treatment options and feel comfortable with any decisions about your care. 

“No matter how simple or serious your condition may seem, if you’re unclear about anything, remember – ‘It’s OK to Ask’. These questions can help you make informed choices about what will work best for you.”

Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence awards

On Thursday (26 February), Chief Constable Jo Farrell KPM hosted an incredibly inspiring and humbling event at the Police Scotland Headquarters; the Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence awards.

Held every year, these awards recognise and celebrate the very best of policing from across the Service and in the community, including work and contribution from officers, staff, volunteers and members of the public.

A police officer who, alongside colleagues, successfully brought an incident where a man was holding a 9-week-old baby hostage, with a knife, to a safe conclusion was one of the many officers, staff, partners and members of the public recognised.

PC Alana Whitby, based in Edinburgh, was recognised alongside other colleagues with a Bravery Award for her outstanding role as negotiator.

Alana and her colleagues worked tirelessly alongside Armed Response Police and Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Unit to engage with the man and, with success, persuaded him to release the baby and surrender himself. 

Alana said: “I am deeply honoured to be nominated for an award following a hostage situation that tested my resolve in ways I could have never imagined.

“In a moment defined by fear and uncertainty, my focus was on remaining calm, protecting life, and working alongside an amazing team to help achieve the safest outcome.

“None of this was done alone – it was very much a team effort, and the support, trust and courage shown by everyone involved made all the difference.

“I never expected recognition, but this nomination means a lot, and I am proud to be able to say it reflects the work I do as Police Negotiator alongside an outstanding team.”

Bravery Award winners also included PC Kevin McGhee who, with another colleague, attended an incident to trace a male suspected of stabbing his partner.

On arrival they noted thick black smoke coming from the top floor flat and the suspect refusing to leave. Kevin made the brave and courageous decision to force entry to the property and were met with billowing smoke, intense heat and extremely reduced visibility.

Sergeant Paul Tomkinson, who is based in Ayrshire, won an Excellence Award after devising and securing funding for Cut and Connect, a free-to-use mobile hairdressing service that also provides wellbeing checks, non-judgemental conversations and links to vital services including support in recovery, domestic abuse and financial matters.

This service has, without doubt, changed lives.

Other Excellence Award winners included PC Scott McCulloch who was named police officer of the year. Livingston-based, Scott was recognised for his genuine commitment and support for those experiencing domestic abuse.

Scott developed a powerful domestic abuse lesson-pack that focusses on prevention and education which he has personally delivered to more than 4,000 S4 to S6 pupils in West Lothian. Building on this success, he is now training officers in neighbouring divisions to allow them to bring this initiative to other parts of Scotland.

The Chief Constable also recognised the contribution police animals make to keeping people safe.

Police Horse Cathcart was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award having built a distinguished operational record at Police Scotland for over 13 years, with unwavering courage, reliability, and character.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell KPM said: “In a relentless and challenging job like no other, accounts of how our people show up and stand up for, and with, our communities can be a source of energy and pride for policing in Scotland.

“We police with, and for, the people of Scotland and rely on their support and assistance to build and maintain safe, secure, and resilient communities where everyone can thrive.

“We also recognise acts of courage by members of the public, which go beyond what can be expected of an ordinary citizen, to help others and assist the police.

“I want to congratulate all the nominees and winners for their dedication to keeping Scotland safe.”

Kerry McMahon-White, Managing Director of Police Mutual & Forces Mutual, the Bravery and Excellence Awards’ sponsor said: “Police Mutual is very proud to again be sponsoring the Chief Constable’s Bravery and Excellence Awards, celebrating the very best of Policing and recognising the outstanding achievements by officers and staff from across the Service, the Scottish Police Authority and other partners. 

“All nominees are an inspiration and a credit to the Service and all at Police Mutual would like to offer our thanks to those who were nominated for your achievements as well as congratulations to the winners.”

EXCELLENCE WINNERS:

This is not the list of awards and winners in full. Some winners have chosen not to have their names published publicly.

Community Engagement Award

Constable Guy Jenner      

Innovation Award 

Donna Sharp and Michelle Bain from Digital Evidence Sharing Capability Project

Police Officer Award

Constable Scott McCulloch

Policing Partner Award

Jamie Blythe and Sergeant Craig McNeill, Brake Road Safety Charity

Policing Together Award

Sergeant Paul Tomkinson

Probationary Constable Award

Constable Melissa Jack

Team Award

Arbroath Group 3 Team

BRAVERY WINNERS

This is not the list of awards and winners in full. Some winners have chosen not to have their names published publicly.

Life saving

Constable’s Jacob Ashmead and Lauren McGregor – Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Division

Crisis Intervention

Constable Russell Duffy – Operational Support Division

Inspector Becky Lidster, Detective Sergeant Isla Craigie, Constable Alana Whitby – Edinburgh City Division

Rescue

Constable Sally Nicol – Operational Support Division

Constable’s Cammy Miller and Kevin McGhee – Lanarkshire Division

Armed/ Violent Attacker

Sergeant’s Scott McElroy, Niall MacKinnon, Anthony O’Reilly, Constable’s Tony Thompson, Stewart Murdoch, and Katie Hunter – Forth Valley Division

Cheryl Gourlay, member of the public

Above and Beyond

Constable Luke Richardson – Greater Glasgow Division

Donald McNeil, member of the public

Police Animal Lifetime Achievement

Police Dog Tora and Handler Sergeant Amy Burns – Operational Support Division

Police Horse Cathcart – Operational Support Division.

Scottish Government hails success of free music lessons

More than 70,000 pupils benefitted from free instrumental music tuition, the highest on record since 2012.

Scottish Government funding has eradicated music tuition charges since 2020, leading to thousands of young people picking up an instrument:

https://ow.ly/kSw050YmlNy

IMS-Survey-Report-2025Download

Playlist for Life: Come Together

MONDAY 16th MARCH +++ ONLINE EVENT +++ 1 – 4pm

Join us in celebrating the power of playlists in Scotland’s communities!

We’re hosting an exciting gathering for friends and partners across the UK, with inspirational talks, learning, sharing ideas and of course, music!

Secure your place to hear:

🎶 Real life stories of how personalised music supports wellbeing

💚 Playlist for Life’s work on helping build playlisting communities

🫂 How community organisations are harnessing the power of personalised music to support people affected by dementia

💊 How health and social care professionals are using personalised playlists in dementia care

RSVP here: https://sbee.link/agwhvmye9j

Dunfermline apprentice encourages others to follow in their footsteps during Scottish Apprenticeship Week

An apprentice from Dunfermline who works at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in the city is encouraging others to become an apprentice and pursue their dream career during Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2026 (2-6 March 2026). 

Laura Doyle from Dunfermline is taking part in the Amazon Apprenticeship programme and is sharing her story to encourage others to consider an apprenticeship.  

Laura lives in Dunfermline and works as a Training Coordinator at the local Amazon fulfilment centre. Laura is completing a CIPD Level 5 in Learning and Development Consultancy apprenticeship with Amazon, and is due to finish in the coming months after starting the programme 18 months ago.

Laura’s journey to Amazon was far from conventional. After leaving university, where she’d wanted to be a history teacher but found it wasn’t for her, she went into nightclubs and hospitality. She loved it and had no plans to change her career path until COVID happened and clubs closed. She took a Monday to Friday office job, thinking she’d “be a grownup now,” but lasted only three months.

She joined Amazon in 2020 with no expectations. As she puts it: “To be honest, I had no plans of being at Amazon for long. I said I would last two weeks until I found a new job and then those two weeks became a month.

“And then I thought I’d see out Christmas as I was on a temporary contract. Then I thought I’d stay a little longer, so it looked good on my CV. And that was five years ago.”

Laura started off quiet and shy, not wanting to make friends because it was “just a job.” But when Amazon asked her to become an instructor, she fell in love with training. She found a lot of similarities between managing teams in a nightclub and training new people.

When a Learning and Development position came up, she went for it despite feeling unqualified, taking her nightclub experience and running with it.

She said: “When you look at education in a workplace, we’re dealing with effectively six generations of people now, because as the retirement age increases and you have 18-year-olds coming into work, their learning requirements are totally different.

“Attention spans and engagement styles also vary across age groups. My job is to keep all those people engaged.”

“At Amazon, you deal with so many different people,” Laura continued. “After a few months with Amazon, I thought I could do better than just ticking career boxes here. I really love people. People are great.

“And I think doing the apprenticeship and being a trainer, you get to meet so many people and then see them do a very similar journey to me and get to watch them take those steps. I want to make sure that if they want to, they can take those steps.”

The apprenticeship is delivered online with seven other Amazon employees, with three away days at different Amazon sites including locations in London and Manchester, plus monthly calls and upskill sessions. Laura particularly values meeting people from different sites and seeing other areas of the business. 

What Laura loves most about working at Amazon is the people. “The people make this place so good. There’s a lot of good teamwork.”

The most important thing she’s learnt at Amazon is the ability to change and be adaptable to circumstances: “The ability to remain calm and focus on your goal is a lifelong skill that I’ll really take away from this.”

Laura’s advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship is straightforward: “Go for it. I say it’s hard work – don’t be delusional and think it’s going to be a walk in the park. But overall, it’s probably one of the best things that you can do at Amazon.”

She’s already convinced one person to start the apprenticeship journey, and it’s been rewarding to watch them progress.

Laura’s journey from nightclub manager to learning and development professional demonstrates that apprenticeships aren’t just about gaining qualifications. They’re about discovering your calling in unexpected places and developing the skills to help others find theirs.

The Amazon Apprenticeship programme is recognised as one of the UK’s top three apprenticeship schemes by the Government’s Department for Education. 

Young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can also take advantage of the Amazon Supported Internship programme. Launched in 2021, the initiative combines classroom learning with practical work experience; helping interns develop essential skills in English, Maths, and CV writing, while gaining hands-on experience across three operational job functions.

Pay at Amazon starts from £13.95 or £14.96 per hour depending on location, equating to between £29,037 and £31,116 annually. Additionally, from day one, all employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, and an employee discount.

Together, these benefits are worth more than £700 annually, and employees can take advantage of a company pension plan.

Applications are now open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme.

For more information, visit: www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk  

‘We strongly condemn Iranian strikes across the region’: UK statement at the UN Security Council

(NO CONDEMNATION OF US or ISRAELI ATTACK, OF COURSE)

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on The Middle East:

Colleagues, this is a fragile moment for the Middle East.  

The United Kingdom played no role in the strikes against Iran.  

But we are under no illusion about the nature of the Iranian regime.  

The Iranian regime has murdered thousands of its own people simply for exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms.  

Iran has repeatedly ignored calls to find a durable and acceptable solution to the nuclear issue, while continuing to destabilise the region through their support to proxies and partners.  

We strongly condemn Iranian strikes across the region, including the attacks on a hotel in Dubai, the attack on Kuwait’s civilian airport, and attacks on civilian targets in Bahrain.  

We extend our support and solidarity to all our partners – many of which are not parties to the conflict.  

Regional stability remains a priority.  

As my Prime Minister stated, UK forces are active and British planes are in the sky today as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people and regional partners, as the United Kingdom has done before, and in line with international law. 

Reports of strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure are deeply alarming. The protection of civilians and full respect for international law is critical. 

Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.  

That is why we, alongside our French and German partners, have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution. 

We have always been clear that only a diplomatic solution can fully and sustainably address these threats.  

We want to see the swiftest possible resolution that ensures security and stability for the region.  

Iran must refrain from further strikes, and its appalling behaviour, to allow a path back to diplomacy.   

We will continue to work with our partners to this end – in support of peace and security, and the protection of civilian life across the region.

Heather Marshall’s Medusa taking over Summerhall’s dissection room

Summerhall, Edinburgh: 6 – 8 March

Heather Marshall is delighted to announce the incredible cast for Medusa, making its stage premiere at Summerhall this March, combining ancient myth with queer rave culture, Scots language and centuries of pathologised female rage. 

Clare Nolan makes her professional debut as Medusa, following her training at Guilford Acting School, where her credits include Flying Ant Day, Jane Eyre and The Unimaginable Sisters. Long time Creative Electric collaborator Rosalind McAndrew joins as Athena. A neurodiverse, queer, working class performer whose stage credits include Burst and Dandelion (Creative Electric), Falling Star (Starcatchers) and Inside Pussy Riot (Les Enfants Terribles). TV Credits include Pineapple, Dinosaur and Casualty, BBC. 

Hailing from Edinburgh, Conrad Williamson joins the cast as Poseidon, with screen credits in Tetralogue (Valdesiga Productions), The Outrun (Brock Media / Arcade Pictures) and Fear (Wild Mercury Production / Prime Video. On Stage, credits include Trainspotting Live (Seabright Live), Home is Where The Heart Is (Birds of Paradise / Creative Electric) and Brecht: Fragments (Raven Row).

Queer, mixed heritage circus artist and performance maker Sadiq Ali joins as Sthenno, fresh from a UK tour of the Sadiq Ali Company’s Tell Me. Other works include The Chosen Haram and Stuntman (Superfan). Completing the cast from Cumbernauld is Olivia Caw as Euryale. Stage credits include Common Tongue by Fraser Young, PALS by Mirren Wilson and Trainspotting Live (Seabright Live). 

With access at its heart, Medusa is for everyone – from theatre lover, to raver, to someone searching for queer, disabled community – and will offer a variety of ways to experience the show.

Four performances from Friday 6 – Sunday 8 March, across varied time slots, will feature integrated BSL, with a sign interpreter moving alongside the cast through the space, acting as a type of Greek chorus.

Each performance is relaxed  with the opportunity to take time out in  a quiet space, utilise ear defenders or sunglasses while still following the show. For audiences who experience chronic pain, they will be able to lie down.

If you need to move around you can do that too. The Saturday matinee performance will be low sensory for those who experience acute sensory overwhelm, with lower light and sound and smaller audience numbers in the space. 

A powerful new piece of theatre that breaks open the mythical Medusa – an ancient woman never given a myth of her own, whose whole existence is rooted in misogyny. This contemporary Scots reimagining explores the impact of hormones on the body, and the pathologisation of the menstrual cycle and its effects on mental and physical health and trauma response, through one of mythology’s most notable figures of “female rage”. 

Evolving from Heather’s own personal experience, Medusa invites us under the prescription pad of  Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), and the way it ravages both the physical and mental health of those it affects, all under a banging electropop soundtrack, blending queer rave culture, mythology and performance into one transformational theatrical experience. 

Created by writer Heather Marshall and directed by Jen McGregor, the creative team is completed by costume designer Chanel O’Conor aka Conor Macdonald (Drag Race UK Season 6); choreographer Sula Castle; sound design and operation from Parasol Wu and Jack Oldcorn respectively, and lighting design and operation from Jamie Heseltine. They are supported by production manager Lee Davis and stage manager Judy Stewart.  Medusa is presented by a predominately Queer, Disabled and Neurodiverse group of creatives, and produced by Andrew Eaton-Lewis (Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival).